Our last weekend in April

I guess we should say goodbye to spring because once April is behind us it just turns into the Sahara around here.

So for our last weekend in April Carter and I went to listen to some music downtown. I can't believe how well behaved he was for me and the weather was perfect. We sat in a shady spot on some chairs and listened to some Louisiana cajun rock. Carter got up to dance a couple of times, picked up some sticks and put a couple of cooool rocks in his tote bag but he stayed right by me during the whole hour we were there. I couldn't believe it. For all of you who don't truly know this boy (most of you); this never happens. He is usually anywhere but where he should be.

This is him sitting sweetly in a chair and holding his precious rocks and then him jamming out to the Lost Bayou Ramblers (they were good!). He does this little side to side Frankenstein dance....

*********************************************

On Saturday we had a pretty lazy family day but we did go to the Art Walk downtown and just barely beat the rain. Did we see art? Umm, not so much but Carter pushed his stroller around for about an hour and wore himself out....just in time to go home and take a bath and get ready for bed. Aaaaah, it's nice when it works out that way. We heard there was art there, though.

Well, I finished my planting in the garden and cleaned the house. Isn't that amazing??!! Hey, when I actually accomplish something around here it deserves a place in my boring mommy blog.

I must say that I received some good news this weekend when my dad called me and said he is finally gonna come for a visit in a couple of weeks. Yeah! I miss my fam! It's always nice when Papa Jack comes around too because he does little stuff around the house. I think he gets kinda bored so he starts rewiring things and fixing plumbing issues, etc... It's kinda like having a house gnome when he is here. :) Kevin and I don't have enough hours in the day to do everything we plan to do.

Anyway, random blogginess. The week seems as if it is flying by already. We met daddy for lunch at the pizza place today and Carter was attacked by a chocolate chip cookie. :) He was very happy about that. As for our wee one....I am 19 weeks prego and next wednesday we find out if we are welcoming a new little boy or a little girl into our family. I can't wait! I will of course share with all, when we know. Now off to enjoy the precious few minutes of mommy-time left to me because little man C is about to wake up from his nap.

"Was dis?", "Wow!" and "Coooooh-l"

These are our funniest new additions to language in the last couple of weeks.

"Was dis?" is usually accompanied by a very suspicious look like I'm trying to slip something in his Rice Chex.
"Wow!" is a very important word reserved for only the most stupendous of things (like a big fall or a loud Choo-choo).
"Coooooh-l" is only when you blow a big bubble or play with someone else's super cool toy....so far.

Belly Shots

This is us playing at the park. I feel bigger than I actually look, I guess...

I am a hot mama watering my plants. Notice the hat that shrunk when I washed it? Now, remember I am 18 weeks...whick equals like 4 1/2 months? or something.

This weekend we went to the Art Walk downtown. Yeehaw, we just followed Carter around while he pushed the stroller. You may not be able to tell but he his harnessed and leashed in these pictures. This is a very handy little item for runaway youngsters. Once again, see belly.

I think I will officially retire this shirt back to the closet since it looks like it is about to rip wide open.

The tote bag

Okay, so here is the much anticipated artistic achievement of the week. Yes. It is pretty silly looking but hey, he likes the "Boons" (balloons), the "Elefaaa" (duh, elephant) and the "Woohoo hoo hoo hee "(monkey). Right away he recognized the yellowish blob on the right as a lion and roared when he saw it. Yeah for me! It's sort of reminiscent of a Salvador Dali work, non?

This is the back. I was hoping to incorporate a bit of learning.....

And... these are his guys that he carries around in his bag. They are now being kept company by a rock, a crumpled piece of paper, kevin's sunglasses and a toy cellphone. He is hilarious.

The Dentist

We had Carter's second dentist appointment today....ever. He is still trying to understand what exactly goes on in these places but he understands the promise of a present and a toothbrush. He is such a little man. I was so proud of him! He never lets me get all in his mouth like he was letting the dental assistant (although she gave him bubble gum flavored ring-pop toothpaste for his fancy new toothbrush....did I go to a medieval dentist when I was a child??). He brushed for them and they were impressed with his back and forth skills (yup, that's my boy! look at him brush!). Then he brushed his dinosaur's teeth and then his zebra's teeth (these are his "guys").
After a quick exam the dentist gave me a serious face look and asked me if I gave him iron in his vitamin. Gasp! Yes, his teeth were staining and I didn't even notice. Ah well, it's not so bad...there were 3 year olds in there all laid out with gas masks on getting cavities filled and "work done". Good grief, I can live with a little staining! However, we didn't have to...my little Metrosexual had his first cosmetic procedure done today. Should I put this in his baby book? :)
I must say he did not like it...they pumiced his teeth with the "magic spinning toothbrush" as they called it. I think Carter saw it as more of the loud, scary drill-thing that it was. He was not pleased but it only lasted a minute. Now he has bright, shiny new chompers and I stopped off at the drugstore to get those chewy vitamins for big boys. Out with the crappy tasting, teeth graying crap!
This is fascinating stuff, huh people?
Just take it all in.

**************************

And might I add that there was another Carter in the waiting room along with two little girls with names that are on our baby name list. This is a disaster! We are going to end up with Moon Flower River Mist McMahon just so he/she isn't in kindergarten with 5 others with the same name.

oh and p.s.
I did do his little tote bag and he loves it (he carries his "guys" in it). It looks totally awful but I did take pictures just for laughs....I'll post them later. I'm sure the anticipation will completely make up for my lack of artistic talent.

Heart update

Oh sorry. I should have posted this earlier in the week when I got my test results. Apparently everything checked out within normal limits but I have a "trace regurgitation" of the mitral valve.....um, or something. I told my sister this and she was like "Oh yeah, Mom had that (mitral valve prolapse)" and I'm like "great!" (wish I'd known that...all children should have a copy of their parents medical history especially if that parent passes away...it's very frustrating)
There were some other things the nurse said about PVC's (not pipe) and PAC's but I don't really know what the hell it all means. As far as I'm concerned, "call me if I need heart surgery" is how I feel. I don't have the energy to keep going back to that office. So I'm alive and relatively well.

Playdates, painting and popsicles

So we went over to a friends house today for a playdate and Carter was introduced to paint. I know, I'm a bad mommy for not nurturing the little artist in him but we have no where to paint....or draw. Plus he is The Destructor so I can only imagine what the house would look like after a toddler covered in paint ran around in it (although...we do need the den and kitchen painted...).
He took his painting very seriously. I can see now that the artistic gene definitely skipped me.(I am even now staring at a blank tote bag that I am supposed to decorate with fabric paint and stuff so that our little boy will stop carrying my purse and instead carry his own tote bag.)
I think that I will have to get him more art supplies soon. I'd really hate to see him grow up without an outlet of expression.
After michaelangelo was finished with his creation Miss Olivia gave him a juice pop. Obviously we see the early examples of why it's more fun at other kids houses. (note to self: get popsicle maker, paintbrushes and paint) So with stairs to climb on, popsicles to eat and paint to smear all over our chubby little baby legs our little man was in heaven. No wonder he threw a mini tantrum when we left. Luckily he did not cause any physical harm to anyone, especially the little babies.
Well, off to be "artistic". Oh lord, this is why we pay people who are good at this stuff. I will have to post a picture of my finished creation when I'm done....or maybe not.

Name Shortage

With the first child you have this endless list of names to choose from. Well, it seems that way at least. You haven't entered the world of Mommies and Babies, yet; Mommy & Me, kinder music, gymnastics, daycare, playdates, children's events, etc.... where you run into every name imagineable. So when you get pregnant with the second (and I can only imagine it gets harder each child) your list of possible names has shrunk a great deal. There are rules to naming. We all know the No-ex-boyfriend/girlfriends Rule and the No-past-pets Rule but there is also the No-name-stealing-of-your-friends-and-aquaintances Rule. Every name I come up with is scratched off soon thereafter because of one of these rules. Then of course you are a bit pickier the second time around...or maybe it just seems that way because the list is so much smaller.

Anyway, I need help. For the record I am convinced it's a boy (we don't find out for 2 more weeks) but Kevin is keeping some girls names in the mix, anyway. (Girls are easier to name than boys! so I'm not terribly worried there)
So please! If anyone has a suggestion for a name please please tell me. All will be considered. We are having a harder time with a boys name, of course but you can suggest either one. I know there are like 5 people who read this :) but please help us name our wee one!

Funny Little Guy: Vol 1

So I was reminded today to really try and write down all of the little funny details that make Carter my Funny Little Guy. Here goes....

Recently, Carter has taken to carrying his own bag or whatever when we are out. This started a couple of weeks ago when we went to Target. Out of the blue he started having a fit telling me in toddler tongue that he wanted to carry my purse. He wouldn't budge until I gave him my purse to put up on his shoulder. I was thinking "Oh lord, his father is not gonna like this one..." Keep in mind my purse is hot pink/white; not exactly manly or even gender neutral. He was loving it though! I noticed he was getting worn out because it's kinda heavy so I grabbed a black/white canvas bag off of a rack and did the ol' switcharoo. He was satisfied to carry whatever purse I gave him and since the new one was empty and therefore much lighter it freed him up to gather toys that I had no intention of buying for him. I took some pictures with my camera phone but alas! I did not have my camera on me. Do I ever when I need it?!
So now he insists on carrying his lunch sack (Saints for daddy) and/or his dinosaur backpack when we go out. I just think it's adorable...but then again, I'm the mom; I think everything he does is adorable.

He is learning words but it is hard for him to sound a lot of them out. Mostly, he uses sign language (real and made-up) and he will attempt to say what he is signing but it is almost impossible for anyone but me to understand what he is saying. It's like we have our own secret language. He understands everything you say to him but has trouble enunciating (he always gets the correct syllables though). Anyway, right now we are working on that. He will come up to me and say "Noohhhh" and doing the 'More' sign. So I will correct him and say "Mmm, Mmmm, Moooore". He will then very seriously say back to me "Mmm, Mmmmm, Mooooohhhhhh". I congratulate him on his 'M' sound and silently chuckle at how closely he tries to copy exactly what I say. So far no swearing though, so good!

So I've said before that he has all the makings of a future maid. I know he will grow out of the helping and cleaning phase but it is pretty darn cute. He loves to be the Assistant. Around the house he will help load and unload the dishwasher, load the washing machine and unload the dryer, he likes to wipe up messes and clean the floor with baby wipes or paper towel and he especially likes to help his daddy or me in the yard. Yesterday we went to Lowe's and bought some plants. He picked out a basil plant and kept it clutched to his chest the whole time....man! did he cry when we said he couldn't hold it on the way home (think messy biodegradable pot). He "helped" me plant it and the others in the garden and then "helped" his daddy trim the hedges and rake up the debris. Today (and every monday) we had Mommy & Me and he just loves helping out the teacher Ms. Madelene. When she brings out each toy or activity he tries to help by passing them out, then he will wipe them down with baby wipes and put them away, he tries to drag the big toy bins back to where they go in the hall and very often he will point and tell her what to do in his toddler tongue. Either I have a sweet little helper or I have a little bossy dictator....I haven't decided. :)

Precious weekends with my family

I simply cannot explain how much I cherish the time I get to spend with my husband and child on the weekends. I guard this time jealously. A "lost" weekend (like if Kevin is out of town) is hours and hours of quality time and down-time that we miss. Now that it's spring....who are we kidding? I mean, now that it's summer time there seems to be so much more to do outside and there seems to be more events to go to as a family.
Kevin was out of town this week but he got home earlier on Friday than he was supposed to so we were going to go to an outdoor concert thing downtown. Well, that didn't happen because it seems Mother Nature has a strict "Rain every Friday night in South Mippi" policy. Sooo bummer but hey, I had my hubby home which was the most important thing anyway.
Our big plans for Saturday were to take Carter to this Kids Expo and Fun day. All morning I was telling him "Wanna go see Elmo?" and "Elmo's gonna be there!". Before we even made it to the event Carter did a running, face skid in the parking lot at the store. Poor little thing! It was one of those slow motion moments where you just know you can't catch him in time and you know it's gonna be an Ouchy. Well, we went to the giant advertising event/"kids expo" and had fun but it was an absolute madhouse of screaming children and strollers. Umm, we didn't see Elmo. Good job, mommy. We got some popcorn and a balloon, though, so I think that made up for it. Top it off with one huge temper tantrum in the parking lot followed by an exhausted snooze in the car and you have yourself the typical McMahon family outing.
Today we were supposed to go to some migratory bird fest but I got the times wrong so we just ended up playing at the park. Carter doesn't really care what we do at this point as long as it involves stairs or "Ups" as he calls them. By the time this boy is 10 he will have thighs and buttocks to rival Mr. Universe's. He will be StairMaster Champion of his preschool.
After the park we came home and mama (me) whipped up a very healthy snack. Well, there was fruit involved so I will call it healthy. I love strawberry shortcake but we didn't have all the fixings for the normal kind so..... 3 powdered doughnuts, layered with sliced strawberries and whipped cream became the pregnant ladies best try. I craaaave, people!
Well, the rest of the day involves gardening and chores. If someone would have told me ten years ago that gardening and household chores with my family would be one of my favorite things to do I would have rolled my eyes and said "whateva, who's buying the next round?". :)

I never seem to learn

I just never seem to learn that I cannot take Carter to the library. Never, never, never again. I cannot give him a bowl of spaghetti noodles and leave him alone in the den (what the hell was I thinking?!). I cannot sit down for a minute and "relax" within sight of him ("UPPPP! up up up!" he yells like a drill sergeant). I cannot keep the floors clean because it is much too much fun to dump food and pour milk on them. I cannot grocery shop and keep within a budget at the same time. Hell, I can't even keep miscellaneous items from getting rung up (lil stinker has learned the sneak-it-on-the-conveyor-belt trick).
I simply cannot function in any way, shape or form how I'd functioned for almost 30 years before Carter made his screaming way into the world. But ya know what? That's fine. It's all about learning together. Right? right??? :) In a way I feel sorry for this new little one who won't arrive for a few more months now....What a world he'll (she) be coming into! But then again Carter has done the hard job of breaking in his parents, already. (and yes, I do feel broken sometimes)
I often do the "Okay! New rule!" announcement right after I realize that I am fighting a losing battle with my strong-willed toddler. Does it work? Hmmm, sometimes. :) Mostly it's out of desperation for control of my household. Am I the only one who screams inside her head? Thank god for inner dialogue, huh!

The last few weeks cont'd

So we have a very expressive child, I guess. I'm really not sure where the "Popeye" look comes from either. It really wasn't that sunny out that day... He kinda looks like my mom in this picture.

Maybe he inherited some artistic abilities from my mom as well. Let's hope! I think it skips a generation! Maybe he will get an art easel for his 2nd birthday. Hint. Wink.

The last few weeks

Why are sprinklers so damn fun? I used to love them when I was little and I guess I passed the sprinkler-loving-trait on down to munchkin man. Here he is flippin' out because he is getting wet. By the end of this session he was drenched of course. Whenever you mix a toddler and water you are ultimately going for the drowned rat look.

It seems in every picture he has the same Thomas the Tank jammies on but he looooves them. I love how studious he is about watching his new Elmo video. I can't wait to see if this look is the same when he is doing his Spanish Literature homework in highschool....yeah right.

This is the proud father of a "practice baby". That baby doll was fed maybe 5 times and now lays neglected on the couch. I may report him.

Okay, here is that frown again. I think he gets irritated with the camera or me saying "Look at mommy! Smile! Say Hi! Say cheese!". I would be pissed, too.

Last month

"Look mom! Dirt!"

"Yes, darling. Please wipe your hands on my pants later so that I can not be at any social event in clean clothes. Thanks."

"Clean those bricks! I wanna see them sparkle!" We went to a crawfish boil in Jackson last month and this is pretty much how Carter spent his day. Playing in mud and wiping down bricks with paper towel. I tell ya, he's got all the makings of being a high-class maid. Oh, we can only hope....

Is this not the meanest Easter Bunny you have ever seen? Where does he get this frown from?? He looks positively menacing.

This is our little Easter Bunny "hunting" for eggs. He mostly liked putting them in other peoples baskets....selfish mommy had to make sure he took some home.

My heart is overstimulated

So has anyone noticed that I am a binge-blogger? Meaning that I really don't feel like blogging for a few days but then I will all of a sudden blog 3 times in a day. Don't get your hopes up. I don't really feel like blogging today either. :)

So for the last 24 hours I've had the pleasure of being hooked up to a stupid heart monitor that I'm wearing around my neck in an attractive mesh baggy. I have lovely "stickers" (as we are calling them for Carters' sake) holding all the wires in place. I must say; How flippin' irritating!
I get to return this god-awful, expensive monitoring device in 2 hours, though so... Yeah! Ah, but then I have to sit through more tests while trying to entertain the young one. sigh.
I guess I've been having skipped beats/palpitations so I was referred to a cardiologist and then hooked up to everything possible and poked and prodded until driven insane and sent home with my fashionable harness....and a large bill. Great.
I just can't wait to get this damn thing off of me. Then I can concentrate on being lonely all week because my husband has abandoned me (just teasing sweetie). Haha. Oh lord, this is a self-pity blog entry, methinks.

Anyway, I must try to download camera and post some new pics (it's been a month and a half already). I know you all are just chomping at the bit.
Alright then, off to tackle Edward Scissorhands (this boys nails grow so damn quick!).

What's the worst thing you've had in your mouth?

So the other night after bathtime and jammy time I walk into the den and notice a puddle on the floor. Hmmm.

"Kevvvviiiiinnnnn, what's on the floor?" I yell.
"I don't know" he says, bending down to stick his finger in it and smell it (bad move man).
"Is it water?" I ask. "Is it pee?" (thinking of the devil cat)
"I don't know.....it doesn't smell like anything..."

So Kevin gets a paper towl and cleans it up. I then realize that little man Carter had nakey time for about 5-10 minutes after his bath and he did make a unaccompanied foray into the den...that little stinker!

"hmmm..." he says "it looks a little yellow...." and the best part "....I think I got some in my mouth"

He looked rather worried at this point. I was quick to point out that urine is sterile and no one was ever harmed by getting it in their mouth; Hell, they drink it sometimes if the situation is desperate. This did not seem to satisfy. I then pointed out that I've gotten much worse....I had the joy of having our little 10 month old baby throw up in my mouth as I played airplane with him. I officially won the "What's the worst thing you've had in your mouth"-Game with that one.
As a parent, what's the worst thing you've had in your mouth?

Just like his Daddy

My darling child has become a little pickier in his eating habits lately, which is to be expected with a toddler. It doesn't really worry me. He eats relatively well and he takes his vitamins but the boy won't eat my veggie soy protein stuff anymore. He's never been that fond of meat (most little ones aren't) except for chicken here and there so I joke that he's taken after his momma. Well, I was shocked Sunday night when Kevin cooked out ribs and we all sat down at the table to hear Carter begging for the meat plate. I said "okay, let's give this a try". This little boy loves him some ribs. We tore off small pieces for him and he was dipping it in ranch (I know! eww) and gobbling it up. Funny little carnivore.

Our fun filled family weekend

Well, we've had a high-energy weekend. It all started Friday night; we went to see some live music downtown at the train depot. It would have been great had I remembered to bring the cash for drinks and food (Kevin says he specifically reminded me). Hey! My job is to remember the sippy cups, extra clothes/hats/shoes, sun screen and all the various snacks. I can't be relied on to remember a silly thing like cash. Who uses cash these days anyway? Pshh, I say! I martyred myself right away and said I would go back home to get it so that we could still enjoy our evening. It only took me 30 minutes or so...not that big of a deal. I got to drive around by myself and listen to the radio loud. That never happens!

On Saturday we went to a little friends, big-2 year old birthday bash. Man! Carter had a blast and Mommy actually got to talk with friends while Daddy tag-teamed the babysitting. It makes so much of a difference just having Kevin there to help watch the little munchkin at times like this when we are out at someone else's house. Phew, I was pretty worn out by the time we left but it was so worth it. Little Meredith was the happiest little 2 year old and she had the best toys to play on for the kids (and dad's, apparently). There was a big Mickey's Moonwalk jumpy thing and also their gigantic play structure with 3 death defying slides. Carter Kanievel did all three slides of course....I'm assuming he was caught up in the momentum of all the other kids and their excitement, however, once he came shooting out of the tunnel-slide face first and ate some grass I reevaluated Daredevil Daddy's "slide watching duties" :) .
He also bounced himself silly in the jumper. At one point I wiggled my misshapen body in there as well and got a little workout.....hmmm, I was a little dizzy afterwards though, not so sure 'twas the best idea....
I think the funniest moment was looking over to see three dad's and their children (including Kevin and Carter) jumping around in there. Mickey's whole jumping house was shaking so bad it didn't look like it would make it through the day!
Anyway, we both enjoyed talking to adults other than each other and Carter wore himself out hard.
We had a nice afternoon and I had a scheduled meeting with my Doula to discuss the birth (Kevin was on babysitting duty again, this time watching a 4 yr old and Carter....I wore him out on Saturday!). It was so beautiful this weekend we enjoyed a nice dinner outside on the patio and a family walk around the neighborhood.

On Sunday we had a nice laid back day and worked outside in the yard mostly. I actually got to help dig out my garden and till it up, ready to plant. We are waiting until next weekend to plant though since it will probably get down to the 30's at night in the next few days. Another family walk chatting it up with our neighbors made the evening feel very relaxing and so "suburban" and quaint. I hated to see the weekend come to an end but we had Mommy & Me this morning so it is always something to look forward to.
Carter was a maniac in class today...running around and laughing hysterically and helping Ms. Madelene clean up and pass out snack mats....it was too funny watching him. I have seriously never seen him so keyed up, it was almost as if someone slipped him some speed!
Ahhh, in a couple of hours Kevin gets home and I get to have mommy time at my fitness for two prego class. Just a bunch of exercising pregnant women and no kids to watch. Bliss! :)

My Favorite Thing

It's really all about the facial expressions, isn't it. I mean growing up I could always read my mom's expression and know whether or not I was in trouble. I could tell when not to smart-off and when just to go over to my friends house to avoid "The Look" (as Heather always remembers it :) ). Now as a mom myself, I can give Carter a look from across the room and he can tell what I mean from it....whether or not he listens, well that is a whole different thing. :)

But really, my favorite part of being a mom is watching my son's facial expressions. His happy face makes my heart smile and his sad face makes me want to curl my body around his in a Mega Mommy hug. I love watching him when he is watching cartoons in the morning or when he's discovered that he can use sour cream as finger paint. I love when he is playing in his sand box and filling up the buckets or when he is watering the flowers with the hose or when he's found an interesting mud patch that needs further study. His expressions are priceless and I just can't capture them with a camera (he's too aware of the damn thing).
Yesterday I took him to the pet store (ghetto version of the zoo...actually our zoo is a ghetto version of a zoo so what does that make this? hmmm). Anyway, he got to see the parakeets all fluttering in their cages, all the tanks of fish and the rats with their twitchy noses. He loved it all!

Time slows down a little when I watch him...really watch him like his happy, surprised jump when the parakeets flew "at him" through the glass or when the fiddler crab clip-clipped his pincers at him. I have to just study him because each month that he is in this world he is learning so much and forgetting some things too. I know he probably doesn't remember us taking him to the Aquarium last September but he had so much fun. I bet he would be absolutely enthralled with it now as his little mind has matured over the last few months. I know that each time we go to the zoo it seems almost like the first time for him. I know that he can watch a video over and over again and find something new in it each time.

The moments I live for as a parent are introducing my child(ren) to the world and every fascinating thing in it and then watching the open-book of his face as he meets these new "wonders". This is my favorite thing.

Misbehavin'

I'm afraid I may need the Super Nanny.... This little guy cannot be reasoned with in times of tantrums. I do not think I can take him to another doctors appointment, lemme tell ya. He was refusing to walk so I had to carry him everywhere while trying to balance a clipboard, paperwork, insurance info, my purse and snacks. Then when he spotted the Glorious Stairs he made a break for it because he loves them so. I had to restrain him as he screamed and threw himself on the ground in lobby/waiting area while I tried in vain to schedule my next appt and ultrasound. I could just see the little thought bubbles above some of these people's heads.....

"Why is she having another one when she can't control the first?" or "Can't she shut that kid up?" or "I can't believe she brought her child to her doctors appt!" or the ever famous "Pshh, my child will not act like that, let me tell you!"

Oh the glares and accusing looks. I just wanted to say in my best Southern speak "Hey ya'll! Bite me"

He then tried to run away from me in the parking lot as I struggled to get the van unlocked.
Once we got home he made a break for it and ran straight for the street.
I had finally had it. I threw everything down, grabbed him and "turned him over my knee" for a couple of swats. Well! The bottom lip came out and he sat quietly on the couch for about 10 minutes, every so often telling me how I "swatted" his butt.

Even today when I say "that's a No no no!" he says "no no no!" and pats at his bottom. Oh geez!
I just worry about his safety when he disobeys me. He will gladly throw himself down the stairs or run straight into the street rather than listen to me. Very frustrating phase.

I always like to end with something pleasant after I vent about Carters' highjinks.... so, we are at 16 weeks and everything is going well. My next appt will be the one when I find out whether it's a boy or a girl! Yeah, can't wait.
Annnnnd, I finally got to hear a darling little "Luff ooo" (love you) the other night before bed, followed by a mmmmm-mwah kiss. So sweet.

Between a laugh and a cry

Yup, that is where I'm stuck. I'm caught between all the belly laughs this child gives me and all the frustrated tears. Such is motherhood, hmmm?

The frustration comes from Carter's lack of sleepyness lately....or his denial of sleepyness. Last night it took me 2 HOURs to get him to sleep. Yes, not a typo. Ever since he was sick 2 weeks ago or so he hasn't slept well...nap or nighttime, or should I say he hasn't gone to sleep well since. I am just gonna ride this current problem out and hope for a non-messy conclusion in the end. There is never a sure-fire fix for anything in this house!

I can't tell you how funny I find this kid. I wish I could just video tape him constantly because I know I will forget so much over the next few years. It makes me sad to think so. He had Kevin and I in stitches when we went to Target this weekend because he is such a little manwith his own opinions. He wants to walk not ride (this can be quite a fight sometimes) and he wants to explore and he wants to pick out his own stuff. We walked in and Carter promptly stole a musical mothers day card which he used as his own little boombox as we walked to the grocery section. He was bopping along, smiling and having a good time so Kevin and I are talking about something and I see him out of the corner of my eye carrying something over to our cart. He had found a gigantic box of Goldfish and was like "yeah! I want this!", so he was trying to wrestle it into our cart. I was laughing at how serious about his "snack" purchase he was. Later, he carried an Elmo laptop (in a box twice as big as him) all the way from the toy section to the checkout...stopping occasionally to press all the buttons. His daddy is not to be guilted into any purchase, lemme tell ya! I fold like a house of cards when it comes to stuff like that.

So we had a busy weekend cleaning and doing lawnwork. It's nice to have the house clean and the yard look nice...at least once a week....or month (harhar). It's been kinda distracting this weekend because the little baby has really begun to makes itself known; all day long, kicking and flippin around in there. I am huge all of a sudden! good lord.
Anyway, off to shower for we have mommy and baby pals coming over. Good thing the house is clean.

Next outfit, Please!

Yes, we change 2-3 times a day lately....that's a minimum. It's almost like a Broadway production around here except less feathers. How has Carter become more messy with age? I dunno but today we met some friends for pizza (I even brought a bib) and somehow managed to keep the sauce off of our cute new outfit. Yeah!
Ahhh, but that is before the chocolate chip cookie and after I removed said bib. Oh who cares really. I got some laughs at the happy choco smiles with the goo smeared over his silly grin and teeth. Miss Mandi is now his hero. It was like he saw the Messiah of Cookies as he reverently took the offered treat. I didn't even fuss too much when he dropped some on the floor and then quickly picked it up and shoved it in his mouth....it was too funny just watching him enjoy the sugar.
He is still sleeping off his sugar high now. ahhhhh. (deep sigh) Time alone to feel soft fuddly wuddly movements in my belly in peace. :)

The snack shelf--empowering, no?

Good plan! I think to myself.... but I always forget to double latch the snack closet. So then you have my little man bringing me snack packs, juice boxes and bags of goldfish and doing this whine thing when he wants something but doesn't know the word for it, it goes like this "Eeehhhhhhh??? Eh? grunt aaaaahhhhhh!!" Yes, he will be a speech writer, I'm sure. Sometimes I walk into the kitchen to see him gnawing on a juice box or a bag of sunkist fruit chews like a raccoon that just got into your campsite.
Even now as I sit and check my email he has raided it yet again and has forced me to dole out fruit chews to him.....and now onto the goldfish. I feed the child I swear! He had two waffles, yoghurt and a half of banana not one hour ago! Good lord.

In connection to this is my use of the phrase "Good Loooord", or should I say overuse. I must mutter it alot but now when I say "Good Lord!" I hear a little voice behind me saying "Gawt looohh". Hey at least he hasn't picked up on all the ways the "F" word can be used in a day. I am seriously trying people.

Common threads

I've lived in a few different regions of the country but I always laugh at the common things people say about the place they live. In Michigan we always said the "Well, if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute and it will change" or referring to crazy weather patterns "That's Michigan weather for ya!". Now the funny thing about this is that I've heard the same exact things said in Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi and everyone always says it like it only applies to their state. It just makes me laugh.
I do have to say that the weather in Mississippi is weird or maybe the meteorologists are morons....one or the other. Today the temperature was supposed to be 83...okay, fine. Each time I log on to the computer my automatic google weather thing comes up and says "forecast high 83-- actual 84, 85,87".....um climbing?. This isn't exactly hilarious but the weather guide does this everyday! I mean I could probably hit the mark give or take 10 degrees, ya know?
Another thing people always commented on were the drivers. In every town/city I live there is always a similar reason why all the drivers in the area suck. Hey, don't we all agree on Florida drivers?
My only comment on the South is that there is a definite difference in the use of the turn signal.....people really don't use them much down here. I am a rabid turn signal user so I get fired up about it I think. I really must stop flipping people off who don't use them....pretty soon it will be someone I know and I will feel like a juvenile asshole.
As far as I'm concerned we are all stellar road masters compared to drivers in South America. Holy Shit. Talk about crazy people. No lanes, no rules just GoGoGo and Hooooonk whenever you can. I once had to ride in the back of a pickup in Quito traffic with a knife drawn to keep people from stealing our luggage out of the bed of the truck. Haha. Oh I miss those days....but that is for another blog subject.

Burning Fruit

Speaking of food....

I saw a pear in the crisper and was like "huh? when did we get this?". If you are surprised by food that has "magically" appeared in your fridge it is usually a bad sign. It looked mostly unharmed and pretty fresh (looks can be deceiving) so I chop it up to accompany Carter's lunch. Thank the stars above that I decided to try a small piece before I served fruit of death to my child. It Burned my mouth and my throat all the way down! That is just not right. How old is this friggin pear??? I tried gagging it back up but I couldn't. Ugh. Nasty.
So he got a nice fresh apple instead....which of course has become his main lunch as he has tried my grilled cheese and promptly spit it out. In replacement I gave him string cheese which is now strung (ba-dum-dah) all over the den.
Hmmmm, I can see we will be doing the TimeOuts all day today, again. Yesterday we did 5 timeouts, 3 screaming fits and 2 tylenol. Times like this makes me want to drink heavily. No, I haven't forgotten about the Wee one. He's just along for the stress hormone highs....but I tell ya, as soon as this one is out...momma is gettin a big, fat margarita.

Baked Mac & Cheese

I don't know about you but I love mac & cheese. I used to just get the boxed stuff until I read the label and before I had my stepmother-in-laws homemade recipe. Mmmmm. It's good for toddlers, too....they can't turn down mac & cheese. Carter gobbles it up quick! So I just had to post this recipe. It's actually pretty quick and easy once you do it a couple of times. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
4 tablespoons margarine (2 tbsp used to grease the casserole, 2 tbsp added to mac)
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese grated or shredded
2 eggs
1 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste (at least 1 1/2 teaspoons salt)

Cook macaroni until done. While still hot, add margarine and all but 1/2 cup cheese. Mix well.
Beat the eggs and add to macaroni mixture.
Add milk and seasonings.
Return to stove and cook, stirring over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Pour into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish (I use 8X8 dish, works nicely) and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake in 350 degree oven until cheese has melted (about 20 minutes).
Serves 6

The joys of maternity clothes

So I ordered a maternity swimsuit online because the ones in the store were either horribly ugly, horribly expensive or horribly not in my size. It arrived yesterday delivered by one of my favorite people; the UPS man. Now I know I ordered a blue suit...I love blue, but this is blue...not to be confused with just sorta blue. Well, whatever it's fine, it's great, it fits, yadda yadda. I'm laying in bed last night thinking to myself (always dangerous) that when I get bigger I'm gonna look like a blueberry. Round and blue. Remember in Willy Wonka when Violet eats the gum that tastes like blueberry and she turns into one? Well, that will be me. It's a good thing you don't have to be 'Hot' when your pregnant. :)