Oh, to be two again...

We didn't leave the house today, so Mitchell and I had some major quality time together. As we went through the course of the day, I got to thinking about what it must be like to be two years old. I think it is as two-sided to them as it is to us on our end as parents.

On the one hand, life is great. Toys everywhere you look, you get help cleaning up, someone keeps you warm, fed, clothed, comfortable, and loved. Your pleasures and leisure time FAAARRR outweighs the demands that are put on you. I think my favorite might be nap time. It sure would be nice to get out every book, cooking utensil, scrapbooking supply and movie I had an interest in today and know that someone would swoop in and help me clean up my mess. I would love it if someone was making sure that I had enough blankets on me at night and that my temperature was okay. If someone made all my meals and did all my dishes, well, heck...that would be heavenly. Having someone bathe me, sing me songs while they massaged lotion onto my skin, and dress me in clean pj's wouldn't be so bad. Pretty much being entertained by someone or something throughout my whole day wouldn't be such a bad thing.

On the other hand, you are living with control freaks. Someone decides when and where you're going, who you're going with, where you sit, what you wear (most of the time), what you eat and drink, when you get changed/use the potty, and which activities you can and cannot do at any given time. Oh sure, you eventually get involved and are offered choices, but I'm not sure I'd enjoy having someone tell me what to do, how to do it, and hearing "no", "not now", "not yet", "not a good choice", "put that down", "please stop", etc. all day like he does. I know it's all part of life and that we're helping him make good choices and setting limits and boundaries for him, I just bet I'd get sick of it after a while. (I know, I know...we also praise him too, but I just was thinking about how it must feel to him. Obviously, that's a futile effort because they process things so much differently.)

I was really thinking about this during a couple of time-outs that we had today when all the poor little guy did was imitate me. I mean, how fair is that, he does and/or says what I say and he gets punished? Yikes. Let me explain...he woke up from his nap clearly too early, as he was still grumpy and groggy. My solution (since he had zero interest in remaining in his bed) was to have him lie on a pillow on the floor in the living room while I folded laundry. He had a blanket, had his cup of milk, all was good. He got this bright idea after I moved his Thomas book that he wanted to watch Thomas. Well, it wasn't "tv time" yet, so I said "No, not yet. Lay down and rest some more." Well, I've worked hard not to have words come out of my mouth that I don't want shot back at me, so one of the strategies I've employed is to say "shush" or "shhhhh" to him. Well, he "shushed" me very loudly and with his finger pointed. It was REALLY snotty, so I told him that wasn't nice, please don't do it again. He shushes me again. I told him that he was not being kind and the next time he said "shush" he'd be in time out. So, he did it again and there I was...the time out warden.

Mitchell does not like to stay in time out and that really frustrates me. So, my new strategy is the stairs. I can keep an eye on him, the clock, and keep my distance but be close enough. He has three stairs he can sit on...that way he has some control about where exactly he sits, so I'm trying to give him some room. Well, he kept insisting on sitting on the floor. Ugh. He is a screaming, crying, kicking, snot dripping mess at this point, but I feel like it's really important consistency-wise to see this through. So, in order for him to do his 2 minute time out, it ends up being close to a half hour of him sliding to the floor and me putting him back. Slide. Back up. Slide. Back up. I was working VERY hard to not lose my temper (which from the 15 minute or so mark on was pretty challenging) and the majority of the time I said nothing. Just re-positioned him on the stairs and walked away. (My back hurts now, by the way, in case you're wondering.) Occasionally I'd say, "Mommy can't start counting your 2 minutes until you stay in time out." When he did sit there, I'd praise him with "Good choice, buddy." Needless to say, he eventually made it out. He knew what he did and apologized for "shushing" and I explained that it was his loud voice and his finger pointing that made it not very nice. I told him that I know mommy does that too, and I'm sorry if it ever seems mean to him. We hugged, love you's, etc. and that was the end of rest time.

It just made me think though, how frustrated I would be if my "boss" acted like that. I mean, if I imitated what he said/did at staff meetings and was then put on probation or sent home for it, wouldn't that really make me mad? It's times like these when I just *hope* I'm doing the right thing. I just want him to be a good person who takes responsibility for his actions. Maybe I say "shush" or "shhh" louder than I think I do, or point at him...time to take inventory of that one! Here I was thinking I was doing all of us this big favor by not saying "be quiet" all the time...he might as well have told me to shut up with his body language and tone of voice today! Ugh. So NOT what I was hoping to accomplish. That happens a lot as parents, I think.

He really is a good boy and I think part of his hysterical tantrums during time out is just not knowing how to express his frustration. (That, and he is genetically at a disadvantage as the son of two parents who also know how to be cranky.) I try to give him the words, but how often is that successful for adults? I mean, really...how often can someone say "Tara, I know you're feeling frustrated right now, but you need to use your words." Wouldn't that just make you more mad?? When you're two, I imagine it's much more fulfilling to scream and stomp your feet and throw toys and hit and kick, because Lord knows that I still feel like doing that myself some days. (I'm a recovering door slammer, by the way.) Besides, no one makes me go to time out and sit somewhere to calm down...the difference is that I do it myself. (Remove myself from the situation or whatever.)

Today after the second timeout, we talked about making sure we help Georgia figure out how to be a good girl. We talked about whether or not he wanted her to learn how to hit, kick, yell, bite, etc. (Thankfully he said no to those.) Then we talked about good things we could teach her...using her words, hugs, kisses, clapping, singing, dancing, eating, etc. He seemed happy after that conversation. It amazes me that he really does love her very much already, and I don't think he even totally gets it yet.

I hope I'm not asking too much of him, but I feel like consistency is a huge part of helping Mitchell understand how to be successful in the world around him, and not just when it's going his way and catering to his every whim and fancy. I think he's getting it...but he definitely pushes the envelope to make sure. (We repeated the time out about two hours later for the same thing.) I hope he knows how much we love him, even when he's being a little stinker and that us loving him so much is the whole reason we're putting limits on him. I think he knows and it does my heart good to hear the GOOD stuff come back out at me, too. The "I love you", "Bless you", "I'll help you", "Sweet dreams", etc. I could actually write just as much, if not more on the good stuff...I was just motivated to think about the bad stuff today. If he ever has any doubts about us loving him, I guarantee we'll only be too happy to remind him as often as possible. :)

Actually becoming a morning person...

So, in the past, the hardest thing for me to do was get up at 5:00 am to get to work on time. Now, I'm up by 5:30 on my own and I'm really actually enjoying it, if you can believe that. I get to check email, blog (if I want to!), enjoy a cup of good ol' decaf, watch some of the news, jump in the shower, listen to my fave morning show on the radio...I love it!! Mitchell usually isn't up until around 7, so it's great "me" time. I know I'll lose it once Miss Georgia gets here, but for now, it's great.

I had to turn the heat on this morning because there was a chill in the air!! Hooray!! I love fall and the cooler weather. Don't get me wrong...I love summer and the warm air too, but enough already. It's October...it's not supposed to be 88 degrees in October like it was this weekend!! I don't want it to be just freezing yet, but getting out the jeans and sweaters sounds good to me! I think I'll make something in the crockpot for dinner...maybe some chili with steak in it? Yeah... I think so!

To get a bit off topic, Mitchell has a major obsession. Trains. Thomas the Tank Engine to be more specific. The only good thing for us is that he makes ANY train into Thomas with that good imagination of his, so at least it hasn't cost us a lot of money...YET. That's what we're doing for his birthday party, which--by the way, he asks us about EVERY single day. (Is it time for my birthday party yet?) I love that kid. He wakes up from his nap..."So, Mommy. First we change my diaper then I watch Thomas. Okay?" His voice goes way up like he's actually asking and not demanding. Funny how the tide turns and brings about sudden bursts of tears when I say "No, we're not watching tv." Sigh. He's pretty easily distracted with humor and if all else fails, we go on a hunt for Thomas and his friends in the living room. That's always big fun.

He's going to be Bob the Builder for halloween. He's very excited about it and also fluctuates between being Thomas and Bob when he grows up. The Thomas love is starting to drive Chris a little bit nuts, but I was talking to his mom the other day and he was the EXACT same way at this age with airplanes. (Yeah, that might be why we have a copy of "Air Combat" in every bathroom in the house.) I think it's just funny how trains seem to consume about 90 percent of Mitchell's brain from day to day. He pretends he's a train when he's walking (he's started to shuffle and chug now, so it's even becoming more refined), he whistles like Thomas while he's eating, his trains have to sit on the window sill to watch him eat all of his meals, they go in the car and wait for him while he's in school, etc., etc. I do love it though because it brings him such enormous joy and really does bring out some creativity in him while he's playing. We don't even have a train track or anything...I've kept holding off because he's fine without it and I thought tha coming downstairs to one that Santa setup with an actual Thomas character or two on it might be a magical moment. I can't wait for that!!

Makes me wonder what Georgia will be obsessed with? Hmmmm.... :)

Rush, Rush, Rush...

Why is it that now that I'm NOT working full time, I'm more busy than I was then? I feel like all Mitchell and I do is rush here, rush there, do this, do that. Sometimes we hardly have time to breathe, I swear! I have always had people tell me that I'm one of the busiest people that they know, and that it seems like I'm always on the go...I think I'm starting to believe them.

I think that there are two things contributing to my newfound awareness of my go-go-go lifestyle: I'm getting older and I'm feeling the impact of this pregnancy on my stamina. Now, I'm not saying I'm an old codger or something...but let me tell ya, there is a HUGE difference in energy between 22 and 32 and it's not on the positive side of the ledger. Man, if I had half the energy I did when I was 22 now, life would be great. Then pile on being pregnant...I'm huge. Well, not as huge as I'll be 5 months from now, but huge nonetheless. Yes, it's a good cause. Yes, I'm supposed to get all large and round. Yes, there's a person growing in there, but I am a big ol' momma. Pile on the extra weight and it takes extra work to haul it around with me all day.

Oh, and I forgot about the issue of my knee injury. It's been a year now (the week of Halloween last year) since I tore my patellar tendon. Part of me wishes I'd just had surgery...the other part of me wishes that I'd kept up more religiously with my rehab. Again, energy is the key here folks. I just don't have as much as I often need. I think I just need to bite the bullet and get myself to the gym. I just don't want to put Mitchell in the daycare. We already have him in school two days/week and the gym daycare costs $20 extra every month. Seems silly to me. I think I'll just do what we did before...work it out with Chris for him to be home by 7:30 three nights a week and go then and he can handle the bedtime routine with Mitchell. Then if I can make it on Saturday mornings, too...great.

I think I am my own worst enemy when it comes to rushing around. I have so many people I want to see, things I want to do, places we need/want to go...and I try to cram them all in. Sometimes I make it happen, but there's definitely a cost. Like no nap for Mitchell, or the laundry doesn't get done. Or the dishes wait until the morning. All of that stuff is fine, I know, but when "stuff" piles up, so does my stress, and as I've already mentioned, my energy level does not.

I think in general it's a losing battle and one that I'll be waging until my dying day, but I need to get better at two things to help myself out: saying no and time management for myself. I have a tendency to say "Sure" in response to everything and I need to stop that. I'm getting better and I've started with family since I know they'll still love me no matter what. :) I just hate to disappoint people, but I really need to at least say "Let me get back to you on that", take some time to breathe and prioritize and then give an honest reply including the words "I can't fit it in" if that's the truth. Chris is so good at that, maybe I should take a page out of his notebook. It's little things like answering the phone...for whatever reason, it bothers me to not answer the phone when I hear it ringing. It seriously drives me nuts...so I have a tendency to pick it up no matter what is going on. (Except diaper changes or if I'm in the bathroom or something.) If Chris is involved in something, he either says "Let it go" or "I'm not here". Why can't I do that?

I also just need to make sure that I schedule my OWN stuff first each month and then plug everything else in around it. I think that would probably be pretty helpful. Like the gym...I think it's pretty much a joke to say I don't have time to work out when I have time to be on the internet, checking email, typing this blog, etc. I just have to buckle down, decide what's important and get it done. I'm thinking that time will just become more precious once the baby gets here...can't imagine she'll inject any more free time into the picture. :)

Sigh. Life. It just keeps coming at you. I need to count my blessings and not take everything for granted or so seriously. I think I just get tired (hmmm...a theme?) and let stuff roll. We'll see what happens. Hope I'm not all talk!!

I am SO smooth...like sandpaper!!

Okay, so I'm not the most graceful person on the planet as it is. (My college roommate atually nicknamed me "ouch" because she heard me say it so often.) In a pregnant state, I go from bad to worse. Yes...I'm foreshadowing.

Yesterday Mitchell and I took his tricycle around the block while Chris hosed down the garage. (He likes to change the oil in our cars himself and for whatever reason, the box of yucky oil leaked this time.) I wanted Mitchell to be out of the way, so that was my strategy. The people who live by our mailboxes had a whole rack of what looked like really cute little girls' clothes at their garage sale, so on the way back around I stopped to tell my neighbor to check it out. (She has a 6 month old and a 2 year old...both girls.) Anyway, we get back and Chris is almost done but he's scrubbing and rinsing the last of it out. Now...I can't fault Mitchell for wanting to get in there and do some major splashing damage, but two things were in my mind: (a) I didn't want semi-oily shoes on my carpet, and (b) he had on his CU jersey for the game and I didn't want it all nasty. Of course he goes parading over to stomp and splash, which means he is doing his job as a 2 year old boy to a tee. With the above in my mind, I grab his hand with my left hand to pull him out of the water so we can watch Daddy work but not be in the water ourselves.

Dum, dum, dum.......

Well, I had on my flip-flops (which my husband and mother have now declared off limits to me for the duration of the summer) that happen to be like two years old with no traction. As I pull on Mitchell's hand and step backward, I have begun to slip. Now, were I not pregnant, this would have been very amusing...almost cartoon like...my feet were slipping like I was on a treadmill and I was like a sinking ship. We all knew I was going down, the question was how and when. The good news is that I had time to brace myself with my right hand, but I never let go of Mitchell (in hindsight I was thinking our little herculean toddler might actually save me) so I fell akwardly, but not very hard, on my left butt cheek and hit the tire of Chris' car with my lower back on the left side. Scared me quite a bit, but I was okay.

A couple of minutes later, I was like "You know, I think my back could hurt." A couple of hours later after sitting on the floor with Mitchell for a couple of minutes, I knew my back hurt when I started to get up. I decided to call my mom (who is a physical therapist). She had my do some little exercises and told me she'd call me when they left Boulder (they were at the CU/CSU game). She called about 1/2 hour later and told me she'd feel better if she came to take a look on their way home (oh...and we're about 1/2 hour out of the way home...she was being sweet). So, she came and looked...thinks I have a bruise brewing and that I might be sore. She wants me to call and at least let my OB know about the fall if I'm worse today. I think it's fine, I really do. I'm just such a clutz.

You know what's completely dorky? I'm really quite upset about the no flip-flop thing...and shhhh....I just won't wear them around those two!! There's no way I could cut them out completely; I'm an addict!!

p.s. - I woke up at 4:45 again. Sigh.

Shaken...

...to the core by what I've seen from this hurricane. I don't even live there, really don't know too many people who do or have, but it is FRIGHTENING on such a huge, heartbreaking, life-changing scale. It just does something to your insides when you see people interviewed on TV who have lived in New Orleans all of their lives and they say "This was it. This was the one we've heard about our whole lives." I mean, the ENTIRE city is underwater?? It's just nuts, and so is all of the stuff that follows. I guess in some way I sort of understand it, but in many ways it just makes me more sad for that whole community and for people in this country in general. The one that made me go from teary-eyed to flat out crying was the lady coming out of the store with a stack of diapers and wipes and she had them covering her face. Sigh. What in the world would you do?? I mean, what if you were a new mom and couldn't breastfeed? How would you handle it if you had to try and deliver a baby in all of that insane chaos? They showed a spot on the NICU at the only functioning hospital and this mom was standing next to her teeny tiny little life and saying that the machine keeping him alive depends on electricity. Can you even IMAGINE that kind of dread and fear??? I can't. The ironic thing is that I spent a few days all weepy and feeling sorry for myself over some (what I realize now is EXTREMELY trivial) "stuff" with life, and am now somewhat embarrased for even having had those thoughts. I'm luckier than I ever could have dreamed and need to live that way every day. Too bad it took seeing thousands killed, homeless and in desperate need for everything to make me realize. Someone slap me with the stupid stick, quick!!

My hope is that it brings out the best in people. Not just the rest of us who are lucky enough to be sitting on our couches, watching it unfold on our TV's while our kids eat snacks in their clean clothes and clean diapers. I think it goes without saying that we all need to give what we can. Look and see what we have two of that someone else might only have one of and give...I heard that on the radio today. Besides that, the obvious, I'm also talking about the victims themselves. My prayers for them have been to restore their determination and will, to not let this tragedy diminish their faith, and to somehow hold onto to hope through the kind words and actions of others. I know that will be tough to do, but that's my hope for them.

I don't really feel like writing about anything else today...it would feel pretty trivial.

Ahhhhh....the spa!

Okay, so I love the spa. I love it more when it's sandwiched between adults-only (in this case, girlfriends only) meals, followed by shopping. What's not to love? Someone else pampering you and turning you into a pile of mush?? Come on...that's some seriously addicting stuff. I got a facial and loved it. Apparently though, it's worth it to shell out MAJOR money for their top of the line facial...here's what it is:

Copperfalls Signature Facial: A combined facial & back treatment which addresses your specific skin care needs, emphasizing cleansing, exfoliation & hydration. This treatment releases stress in the shoulders, neck & upper back, & ends with a pressure point foot massage. A blissful experience from head to toe!

Yeah...she said it's like a massage/facial combo. Can you even imagine? Sounds like heaven to me!!

I loved my whole day out with the girls. We just had so much fun and you know, it's not like we "abandoned" our lives, just kind of let them sit to the side for a few hours. Our topics of conversation shifted...we talked about the hubbies and the kids, we talked about family, we talked about other friends, we reminisced...it was just a great day to be ME. Just Tara. Not Chris' wife, not Mitchell's mom, but Tara the person and friend out for a day with the girls. My day out prompted me to ask my friends on Mitchell's birth board when the last time they went out to any meal with someone (adult) other than their spouse was and the majority couldn't remember when, it had been so long. That is just reality, folks, but it made me sad because I know what a magical day it was for me. It sounds dumb, but it was so much fun, so relaxing, and just kind of "renewing" to think about myself for ONE DAY. I think everyone should try to do it at least one time a year...have lunch with a friend or two. Outside of your home. Away from the hubby and/or kids. Can you tell I enjoyed myself?

We said we need to do it more often as we were leaving to return home...I wonder if we really will? I hope so!!

Random thoughts...

Okay, so I'm beginning to think that I won't ever write in this at any other time except between the hours of 12-6 am. Another night of interrupted sleep...I fell asleep on the couch at 8pm, then put Mitchell to bed and was in my own bed (in my clothes) by 9 pm. I woke up, changed into pajamas and back to sleep. At 4:30 I had to use the restroom and it was curtains on sleep after that...oh well! At least I'd gotten 8 hours by then. So, here I am...using my time wisely. (ha!)

Things are going well for the most part...I'm feeling pretty good but my stomach is off and on with feeling settled. I think much of it has to do with me and the choices I make for what to eat. I had more sugar than normal the other day and paid for it the entire next day...think I should learn my lesson, don't you?? Overall, I'm feeling pretty good, just really tired. I'm into my 2nd trimester now, so hopefully will get a bit more energy here soon.

We have GOT to get crackin' on turning the office into Mitchell's room. I might try to tackle that today, as a matter of fact. It's a complete disaster zone and most of it's my issue to deal with. We just have to figure out what's going where in order to make room for the big boy bed. I think I found a bed that I want...both of our parents have offered to pay for it, so maybe we'll let them split it. :) Very diplomatic, don't you think? I'd love, love, love to get some new carpet before the baby comes so I want to start pricing that and see if it's even an option.

I seem to have the "six degrees of separation" experience at least once a month. I think that it comes up more often for me because I've lived here my entire life. Just yesterday a friend of mine said "I met someone who knows you today." I taught with her at the first school I worked at and she met a friend of mine that worked at the last school I taught at. They go to the same pool. Here are others that have happened recently: my principal's wife taught a friend's lamaze class, a friend from Gymboree met another friend from daycare at their neighborhood park, my friend from work--her sister is in a playgroup with a friend of mine from lamaze class, that same sister also has met both of my cousins...they both had a mutual friend in their weddings, etc. The list goes on, but it happens ALL the time. Chris also claims that we're unable to go to a public place without running into someone I know. That is a bit of a stretch, but somewhat true. Hey, I'm a social butterfly...hee hee.

Okay...I warned you, random thoughts this morning...

Nit pickers bother me. There is someone I have recently become acquainted with (I'll be purposefully vague here) who seems to ALWAYS have some issue with something someone says. Will start off with something nice, then will ask a completely unnecessary question that is aiming to do nothing short of proving herself to be an expert on being an expert on everything. It's really annoying. She has many good qualities and appears to be a very intelligent, caring person, but seems that she just cannot resist the urge to say exactly what she's thinking. Something she said yesterday brought the phrase "nit picker" to mind and how much it annoys me. Trouble is, I know I can be as nit picky as anyone, so it was a good reality check to see how it comes across with someone else. Not a fan.

You know what's funny? I've not shared this address with anyone yet, so here I am being completely vague about things and no one else even reads this. What a nerd.

My best friend is coming into town! Actually she got here last night but I get to see her tonight. I'm sad because it will be the only time I see her. They leave tomorrow and I guess have plans all day. She is such a special person and I just love her to pieces. Can't wait to get a huge hug to get me through a few more months! She lives in Houston...I'd love to fly down for the weekend soon and hang out...think I'll price some tickets.

Okay, enough rambling for one day. Can't believe I didn't even have a Mitchell topic, other than his room. Remarkable!! I am capable of adult thought for at least ten minutes!! :)

Back in the land of the living...

Okay, so I highly recommend keeping your bowels in good working condition if you can at all help it. I was barely functioning last week, let alone even considering writing in this blog that I haven't shared anywhere yet. My digestive nightmare has come to a close for now, and I'm happy to report that I believe I am actually human again. I knew I was back in the ballgame when we were watching TV on Sunday and every single commercial prompted a "Doesn't that look SOOO yummy?" My hubby wants to know what kind of whacked out star I fell under to have diarrhea be my little "blessing" in the form of morning sickness with this pregnancy. I'll tell you what kind of star...the same one that, while performing my maid of honor duties during wedding pictures, had a golf ball fly from behind me, land on the cart path in front of me, bounce up my dress and smack me square on the kneecap! That same star was also in charge of me tearing my patellar tendon in my knee simply by standing still. I'm thinking it may have actually all started with my feet that are a half-size different in length. (Are you sensing a pattern yet?) All I know is that I take my health way too much for granted, and little episodes like the last week and a half reminded me of how lucky I am! Wouldn't you know it though...the DAY my diarrhea starts to clear up, I caught Mitchell's cold. Grrrrrr. Oh well, I can handle a cold...it just wipes me out.

Yes, that's right, I said it wipes me out and here I sit at 2 am typing. I think it might be a disease or something...I have always had sleep issues. My mom said I was a horrible napper, I never went to bed when I was supposed to, and I can still remember having really scary dreams while growing up. (I still have nightmares pretty regularly.) Grad school just sucked in the way of sleep...I actually spent many, many nights sleeping on the couch in front of the TV because that was the only way I could get to sleep. I'm a very light sleeper most of the time, and once I'm up, I'm up for awhile. Mitchell seems to have gotten Chris' ability to sleep through pretty much anything. Unfortunately, Chris and I both fell asleep on the couch tonight and I woke up at 12:45 and got us both upstairs. I didn't even turn the light on in the bedroom in hopes that I could just drift right back off, but half an hour and many, many random thoughts later, I was in the office with the computer fired up. I was just laying there thinking about things that really have no business swimming around my head at 1:00 in the morning...a couple of tasks I didn't get done today, phone calls I need to make, gifts I need to buy, the shirts waiting to be picked up at the dry cleaners, how dumb it is that I'm completely excited for our milk to be delivered in the morning, and what I'm going to make for dinner tomorrow so that I can defrost meat if I need to. Will someone please point me in the direction of the "off" switch in the brain so I can get some much needed sleep? I mean, seriously...do I really need to be thinking about frozen hamburger at 1 am? I think not. I am really tired...exhausted, actually...yet, I'm unable to just shut my eyes and go to sleep. Sigh. Off to get a snack and some ice water and then try again to go to sleep...I think I'll dig out my lavendar pillow spray and see if it helps. There's always Conan and Jay Leno...they usually help me out around this time of night. Wish me luck!!

That stupid alarm clock!!!

Okay, so it's really nice and all not having to wake up at or before the crack of dawn in order to get ready and go to work every day...but it really stinks when Chris' alarm wakes ME up, but not HIM like 10 times every morning. He woke up and went to work really early yesterday and actually got up like on the second alarm sounding. Well, we both fell asleep watching tv last night so when we went upstairs he just set his alarm and went to sleep. I didn't think anything about it until it started going off at 4:30!! Of course, then I couldn't go back to sleep. When it went off the third time I said "Are you needing to get up early?" He said "No, I forgot that it was set so early yesterday. Sorry." Grrrrrrrr!!! Totally not his fault and I understand, but here it is 5:45 and I'm about to head back in the bedroom and make sure he gets up on time. I just wish I could sleep like he and Mitchell do...they could sleep through anything and me, I hear one noise and I'm up for good.

Here's the other bad news about today...I have had diarrhea three times already this morning. Ugh. Ick. Gross. It is one of my least favorite things on the planet. I made myself an egg salad sandwich yesterday which was really yummy, but I'm guessing that it is the culprit. I can't think of anything else, and hope that this is a short-lived thing. Guess we won't be going anywhere today! I'll just try to drink even more water than normal and stick with toast and soup. Yuck.

Love the 4th...

I really do love the 4th of July...it's a pretty cool holiday. Sometimes, well--a lot of times, I end up completely taking my freedom and what it truly means to be an American for granted and it's nice to have this holiday to remember what it's all about. We really do live in an amazing country...yes, we have many problems and issues, but to be provided with the opportunity to say and do what we want to every day without question is pretty remarkable when you see what's going on in many other parts of the world. I also am so grateful for the fact that we are allowed to worship as we choose and cannot imagine having someone else decide my faith choice...or having to live in fear and be silent about making my own choice. I am married to one of the biggest patriots in our country and he has taught me so much about history and pride, and this is by far his favorite holiday of the year. He LOVES the 4th of July and I used to not really get into it, but now I love it, too. I used to just like the fireworks while eating a good ol' hot dog, but wasn't really thinking about what we were actually supposed to be celebrating. I'm not sure if it's because things mean so much more to me now as a parent, if it's just appreciating different elements of life as I get older, or if it's the influence of my patriotic hubby, but celebrating on the 4th is different for me now. We constantly pray for our troops and it's pretty humbling to think about the sacrifices so many of them are making and have made for us and this country. It's heartbreaking to think about the lives that have been changed and broken forever in the name of people that they don't even know. I'm looking forward to spending time with my own family this weekend and appreciating everything about my life that I seem to be so good at complaining about...even the 6 hours of NASCAR that I'll be watching with my ecstatic husband tonight! Happy 4th of July...God Bless America!!!

What else would I do at 5:00 am?

...but set up a little blog spot for myself? Okay, so I love being pregnant, and it's really just astounding to think that I am not alone in my own skin, but did the insomnia have to set in again so quickly? Really...it's quite inconvenient. :) Actually, I never thought I would, but I've gotten sort of addicted to reading a couple of different blogs with people that I know from different places and it sparked a little "Hey...I want to do that" button in me. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to write and this is the perfect outlet for that little creative piece of me that seems to stay bottled up. I started working for my mom again this week (she is self-employed and I do her books and stuff), and I knew I needed to start writing more when I got excited about writing a letter to the homeowner's association about changing the lightbulbs in the clubhouse where she holds her aerobics classes. That's just pathetic. I would really love to write for a living, and when I was working at school, I did -- sort of. I had to write tons of reports and even though it took up waaaaayyyyy too much time, I really did enjoy that piece of my job. I told my mom that I want to look for a work-at-home-writing-only job. If you know of any...send them my way!! hee hee.

Well, I suppose I should at least lay down. Mitchell has been waking up at or before 6am all week, so I know I'll be regretting my little all-nighter in about an hour. The good news is that we're going to the swimming pool today with my mom, so it's nothing too strenous.

Who'd have thought that I'd be this excited about talking to myself (and Lord knows who else) on some random web page? Kind of fun...