Random shot

When we were rearranging furniture a couple of weeks ago, Tjabe decided to get involved. He's in the desk.

Words Cannot Express...

... how much we love our son.

Ball Gown

Sam and I went to a much-anticipated formal ball at the beginning of September. I had a friend make me a maternity ball gown, and promised I would put up some pictures of the final product. Unfortunately I didn't take any good pictures that night, but this one shows the dress the best. I was going to Photoshop out myself but that just looked freaky. The dress was beautiful though. There is a black floral pattern on the top part that the light catches, kind of, in this picture. And if anyone ever needs to borrow a formal maternity ball gown, I now have one.

Things I Love About Being Pregnant

- I can feel my baby girl moving inside me all the time
- My belly is in a perfect size and location for Tjabe to rest his head on when we're sitting on the couch
- I have the great anticipation of receiving another little one into the world
- Some of my maternity clothes are really cute
- I have two great doctors and a wonderful doula that I get to see all the time
- I have other really good friends who are pregnant with me (and some even due at the same time!)
- It's a great conversation piece with strangers on the street
- People get me massages! (thanks Mom)
- I could totally work the tired-hungry-crabby-pregnant woman angle if I really wanted to (but I don't)
- Nesting is fun
- I am getting some adorable baby girl clothes
- I am getting much less afraid of having my blood drawn
- The good parts of pregnancy completely outweigh the bad

Things I Don't Love About Being Pregnant

- Absolutely everything I put into my body is affecting another person
- I really do get tired
- I really do get hungry
- I really do get crabby
- My hormones make me crazy (see potential future post, "Diary Of A Mad Pregnant Woman")
- I have to involuntarily grunt whenever I bend over the sink to brush my teeth or wash my face
- It takes a lot longer to get comfortable before falling asleep
- I can't take a deep breath from certain positions
- I can't sleep on my back or stomach, and sometime when I sleep on my side I feel like my ribs and huge bust are crushing my lungs
- I am constantly spilling food that will undoubtedly land either on my enormous boob shelf or the baby belly shelf below that
- I am running out of cute maternity clothes that are still comfortable
- I don't like needles and often have to get my blood drawn
- Hospital bills
- I always want to exert myself more than I should
- I can't sneeze or laugh too hard without wondering if I just peed
- There is definitely no sneezing when in the squatting position
- I worry about every little thing that could potentially go wrong with the baby (maybe that's just a mom thing)
- It's hard to not feel frumpy and somewhat mutated with a big belly
- I can't put on my socks or shave my legs without taking a deep breath first
- Tjabe's "Mommy As A Jungle Gym" routine is starting to get more painful
- It's hard to hold a screaming toddler over my lap while I spank him because my belly gets in the way

Can I get an amen, sistas?

What do you say in a moment like this?

Last night we drove by the grocery store and Tjabe said that he needed to go there. When asked what he needed, he replied, "Wine." Sam is so proud.

Our Fashion Guru

Sometimes Tjabe gets a wild streak and wants to don some of his favorite gear (i.e. rain boots, helmet, mittens...). He also, unrelatedly, likes to get my watering can and water the plants outside. This photo is a combination of the two hobbies. To quote from one of my favorite movies, "The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."

Demoted?

Our 2 1/2-year-old is growing up. No longer do we hear the happy sounds of Dada and Mama in our house. Now, everything is Dad and, though less often, Mom. I mean, where does he get this? I think I was at least eight or nine before I switched from Mommy and Daddy to just plain Mom and Dad. What is the world coming to? Thank goodness we have another one coming...

Tjabe's Baby

Mixed in with all of Tjabe's stuffed animals is a baby doll that I had when I was little. He has recently become attached to it and carries it everywhere now, constantly interacting with it and, in a way, mothering it. He is always talking to "Baby" (that's what he named her - very original, I thought), telling her it's time for a nap, trying to put her pajamas on using the actual baby girl clothes we have started to collect, bringing her to the table to feed her, and just showing her around the house and his world. If you have a little girl of your own, this may sound very normal, but we thought at first that maybe it was a little effeminate for a boy. We aren't too worried though. First, it's definitely good to see him being so loving (usually) to a pretend baby, so that he is all practiced up for when the real baby comes. And second, while he can be very maternal with her, he will also remind us that he is still all boy by carrying her around by the throat (no coddling with this kid), throwing her to the floor whenever he hears the garbage truck come by so he can go watch (that is the highlight of our Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings - the garbage gets picked up in the parking lot right outside our dining room window), or announcing to me, "Look Mama, I poke baby's eyes!" as he does so. So we obviously still have a few things to work on before he gets babysitting duty.