Hot child in the city!

I knew this part would be the hardest, being 9 months pregnant with a heat index about 100 every day! One more week to go and I'm trying so hard to make sure I enjoy every minute with Cade. I can't believe that most of our lives Nick and I will be parents of two children. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like and just one month from now we won't be able to imagine what life was like before two kids. We forget that we used to have a life just the two of us. We literally sit on the couch with Cade and Izzy and can't recall what we used to do. We've come to the conclusion that we must have been pretty boring. Of course, we will never admit that to the kids!!

Cade and I had a great mommy and me date yesterday. We started off with breakfast at McDonald's ("donalllllls!!") and grocery shopping. Then we came home and got ready for "swimming pool time" at Jack Carter. Not gonna lie, it was kind of disappointing to be limited to the kiddie pool. Cade fancies himself an advanced swimmer and kept asking me why he couldn't go to the big pool. Apparently the 200 teenagers swimming laps didn't deter this kid! After a luxurious nap for Cade (and lunch & Real Housewives DVR time for Mommy) we headed to a mall play date. Auntie Annie's pretzels for snack?? Yes please! To top off the perfect summer day, Daddy suggested ordering thin crust pizza for dinner. Perfection. And we only snuck out of our big boy bed 3 times!!

The problem with nailing the perfect summer day is waking up the next day and hoping to recreate the same happiness with a different combination of events. On today's agenda? Library time, pool, nap, OB appt, bikini wax. hmmm... something tells me we're not going to re-create yesterday's magic.

Prego vents

Here we go....prego vents!

I'm clearly about ready to pop. I know you think this means I shouldn't be out in public, but a girl's gotta be places. How about in a crowded mall you MOVE your booty outta my way. I can't just quickly swerve my body around you. Okay, I probably could but it would make me more uncomfortable. You don't realize that I'm 36 weeks pregnant, it's 100 degrees outside, I'm having Braxton Hicks (which means my stomach has temporarily turned to a ball of concrete with a little knee lodged between my tender stomach muscles) and that my body has 40-50% more blood volume, which just so happens to be pooled somewhere below my belly button and above my thighs. MOVE YOUR ASS outta my way!!

I wish people would give me girth. Trust, you will so not hurt my feelings if you keep a good yard away from me. Does my poked out belly button not serve as a beacon to back up? At least it's a small signal that I'm operating at maximum capacity. I may not look like a Mack truck, but that's how I feel.

Another gripe: hurry up. If you see me juggling a stroller, wrangling my toddler (no, I don't "leash" him, thanks for the suggestion, douche), and holding my stomach with white knuckles--- it probably means you should woman up and let me go ahead of you in line. If you're a sales person, just hurry up. Cut the chit chat and upsells. I don't need to be a valued customer and get your emails. Give me your rewards discount and get me outta there.

Memo to salespeople: I get it. I'm pregnant and you asking me all abut it makes you look friendly. It's annoying to me to share my joy in the same three scripted sentences at every store with every "associate". 1- I'm 9 months along 2- it's a girl 3- yes it's super special to have one of each "we lucked out". Do you want me to tell you how I obsessively read every website on gender selection sway techniques, highlighted a book and considered investing thousands in sperm spinning to separate the girls from the boys?

Memo #2 to salespeople: yes, your store has tons of cute shit for baby girls. I don't need you to point it put to me. I'd MUCH prefer to discover the special ruffle butt diaper cover all on my own. It's called thrill of the hunt. And when I spend ten urea debating which baby girl socks: ballerina or Mary Jane style, paisley or butterfly, I am actually highly enjoying myself, I don't want your opinion. It's MY daughter. Not yours. Mine!!!! Tmes like this. Wish I was either a. Autistic and could speak my mind without realizing others were having weird thoughts about me, b. Two years old and can look cute throwing a "mine" fit, or c. 80+ years old so people could write me off as senile when I tell you to "suck it, Missy!"

Whew!!! Shopping prego can be exhausting. Thanks to the salespeople fun-suckers who drained my reserves today. You made my two year old seem like an angel. Oh wait, he is.

Promise

Sweet baby girl,

I think about you all the time. I dream about all of your faces, your newborn, toddler, and little girl faces. Your happy faces, sad faces, cuddle with your mama faces. In my daydreams I practice how I am going to teach you and comfort you. Being Cade's mom is a dance I learn as I go. Being your mom, I feel like I know more about what little girls and big girls go through, and I know I need to start thinking and rehearsing all the steps so I get this dance right. Is there anything more important to a girl than her relationship with her mom? I can't think of many things that come close. If there's one thing I want to do right in this world, it's to be the best for you. You are always on my mind, sweet lady. I love you so much already, I absolutely without a doubt can't wait to meet you and hold you and never let you go.

I love you!

Love, Mommy

Pregancy in Review

It occured to me this morning as I was making my coffee, that it's been 36 weeks and I've barely blogged about this pregnancy! Here is a quick recap of the highs and lows:

6 months of trying - Went to the new OB panic-stricken about possible secondary infertility. It only took 2 months with Cade, wtf ovaries??! She did bloodwork and an ultrasound and, sure enough, there was a ripe egg looking good. Little did I know that egg would soon become my baby!

Day 1 - I took my pregnancy test before we went down to Aggieland for our RV trip to see the Aggies BTHO Nebraska! Just had to know what kind of tailgater I would be that weekend. After 7 months of trying, I finally saw 2 lines! Success!! While Nick was at work Cade and I ran to Gymboree to get a "Big Brother" shirt. We kept it a secret until morning.

Day 2 - While Nick was starting the RV, Cade and I ran into the house for "one last diaper change". I put on his Big Brother shirt and we went down to the RV to surprise Daddy with the news. Our weekend o' fun just got way more fun!! We debated how it was going to play out b/c our friends would know I was pregnant when I was only drinking water, but we wanted to suprise our parents at Thanksgiving later that week. Luckily they promised not to text, talk, or Facebook our secret! The Aggies won, the RV was a blast, and it was fun to get to tell our long-distance friends who showed up in person about the pregnancy!

Thanksgiving - As Nick said the blessing he ended with blessing our soon to be family of four. I guess the fam was deep in prayer, because there was like 1% reaction. Then some awkward nodding on Nick and I's part "Um yeah, so we're pregnant again" then the fam caught on! Aunt Shanon made the first prediction it would be a girl!

2nd Trimester - Some routine bloodwork came back and my OB called me to let me know that I'd been recently exposed to CMV (CytoMegaloVirus). Since I wasn't ill, chances are everything with the baby was going to be okay, but I'd need to see a sonogram specialist ASAP. The grueling MLK weekend loomed, so I spent the next 4 days Googling CMV and becoming horrified at the possible complications: miscarriage, major developmental and immune disorders, stillbirth, children with 2 year life expectancies, the works. It also occured to me since I was at 16 weeks that we could possibly determine the gender at the ultrasound too. Having had two close friends recently experience miscarriages and wondering if I'd get my wish for a girl I was a hot mess.

16-20 weeks - The ultrasounds turned out good, developmental measurements looked normal. We could see in detail the heart, brain, and other organs were developing typically. Thanking God I said one last quick prayer for a girl as the sono specialist peeked between baby's legs and the 3 lines were revealed -- GIRL!!! As we left the office I broke down into sobs in the hallway. Healthy baby girl was more unbelievable than winning the lottery at that moment, and even now I still question our luck. The chances of any child coming into this world as a typically developing healthy human being truly restores my confidence there is a God and He is good.

Week 20 - 25 Name Debate. We love Caitlyn, but "Cade and Cate" just isn't going to happen in this house. On the way to see the latest Reese Witherspoon movie with Mom we play around with names. I love Dylan (the name of my precious first student ever) even femmed up for a girl. And then I play with the name and come up with Devyn. All through the movie I picture a little fairy of a girl named Devyn and fall in love. We get back to the house where my dad is watching Cade. I excitedly tell him I think I've found a name. He asks me "Isn't that a black name?" Umm... it's not exactly LaQuisha, Dad. Thus begins my 5 week waffling. I buy a baby name book, Google every name out there. I consider Olive, Claire, Madelyn, Poppy, every girly (and random)name out there, but keep coming back to Devyn. I even forbid my mom from saying "Devyn" until I am firmly decided. Nick loves the name, his confidence helps me. We decide on Devyn Alexis.

Week 25 - 30 Nesting instinct even more intense this time around. Now that I know maternity leave isn't a bunch of free time to get stuff done around the house I know that each and every closet and drawer and cabinet in the house must be in supreme organization before this baby gets here! The closets have never looked so good. (Most of them.)

Week 32-35 - School's out for the summer!! Time to get cracking on moving the baby furniture to the new nursery and bringing in big boy furniture for Cade. Transition to big boy bed, painting the room, installing new white doors (my belated Christmas present of '09), sorting through old baby clothes....whew!!

Week 36 - Last week I had my final monthly ultrasound. Baby is still a girl and still growing strong. In fact, her estimated current weight is at 6 lbs 6 oz! wtf?? that's a full term baby! I can't be still 4 weeks out. My OB and I talked it over and decided we'd induce at 39 weeks to avoid birthing another 9 lb toddler. We set the date for Wednesday, July 20th! Now I know when to schedule final hair appointments, wax, mani/pedi's to prep for the big day:) Baby Girl, I can't WAIT to meet you!!

Indoor Safari Park

Indoor Safari Park, what's this you say?? My thoughts exactly. When our play date with some daycare friends got thwarted the other day by the overcrowding at the clown show, another Mommy suggested we pop down the street to the Safari Park. In my prego (air) head I was envisioning trees and live animals and jeeps cruising around indoors somewhere. Of course, my next thought was "Is this mommy crazy?!" Turns out the owners of this fine establishment have done their best to replicate a true safari experience. Ball pits included!

Uh-oh, where did Cade & Eva go?? (If you can't tell by the cute behinds, they are birthday neighbors! Only born 1 day apart!) There are two huge climbing structures that both have fun slides that the kids can go down into big ball pits. It was awesome, this hidden gem/gym isn't too popular (yet!) so there were maybe ten kids playing here the 2 1/2 hours we were there, most of them under 5 years old. So perfect! I didn't have to tell one big rowdy kid to "watch out for the babies!", which earns another gold star for this place.

The "Safari Guide" occasionally comes over the loudspeaker and announces different events going on. I think what took us most off guard was "Now it's time for the animal rides!!" Um, I didn't see any live elephants or horses or whatever when we walked in. We all shrugged and grabbed our toddlers and followed the Guide over to another play area where we found a track and four robotic stuffed animals to ride. The other kids rode the zebra, Cade rode the elephant. (Not sure what that other creature is in the background, the great African buffalo perhaps?)

Another announcement led us to their train, which Cade had ZERO reservations about! Conveniently, we were at Collin Creek Mall earlier today and Cade noticed the train there. This sucked for me, because no other kids were in line to ride it, I did not have the exact $2 in cash it costs to ride, and I did not want to squeeze my 8 month pregs bootie in that train! I had to convince him it was "broken", to which he perseverated for a good 20 minutes including the ride home where he said "Train broke. Daddy fix" to which I totally agreed that "Yes, we will have to come back with Daddy so he can fix the train". Mommy guilt was totally erased when we got to ride this Safari park bad boy a good 3 times!!!

Cade was in HEAVEN, and I was all about getting to sit down and watch him be an independent player all by himself! I could actually enjoy mommy chit chat while he played, awesome!! We didn't discover until close til the end that there were also about 8 play tables of wooden trains, pirate ships, and other wooden toys. The place also has mini-golf and a painting center and toy store, which we didn't even bother with. So, the $9.99 price that originally shocked me was so worth it. Only complaint is that the big "Papa Johns" sign at the "snack bar" didn't come with a free slice of 'za and Coke. (for Mommy, obv I would have wanted some veggie sticks for the kids...) Snack bar was nothing more than a glorified vending machine.

Total play date success!! So excited that we discovered this place the first week of summer so we can partake a couple of more times before summer is over. Perf for rainy days or ozone alert days! So so excited about this discovery!

Prego Bridesmaid

My dear friend, Stefani, got married April 30th and I was so honored to be a part of her wedding (and not be asked to leave when I told her I'd be 7 months pregnant!). Being a bridesmaid you totally want to be at your best to support your friend and the marriage. Being in my third trimester I was exhausted but we pulled it off! I even got to rock my own bridal shoes again (silver with some bling) with the dress. It was so fun being a bridesmaid when all the girls have been best friends for 15+ years (most of us met in sixth grade!).

So, baby girl was officially in her first wedding (and at her first bachelorette party, we will keep those pics off the blog!) She makes for a great date. Was totally able to score an extra piece of wedding cake to "feed the baby". :)

Texas Wildflower pics

Dyeing time!!

After last year's PAAS fiasco, I was going to be certain to A. avoid that brand, and B. wait before 8pm the night before Easter to dye Easter eggs. Fresh up from naptime, Cade and I sat down to a table of Disney Toy Story egg dye & a batch of 18 hard boiled eggs & got to work making Easter. I opted for the "add 3 tbs vinegar" option to make for super bright eggs. Our eggs turned out GORGEOUS (proof to come), but we were left with dyed pink hands. After Googling "how to remove Easter dye from hands" (previous search today was "how to hard boil eggs")

Turns out the magic combo is baking soda + water + lemon juice. You won't notice any dye coming off your hands at all. In fact, after a good 8 minutes of scrubbing and playing with this paste, you may even start to have visions of your son 15 years from now gearing up for high school football with pink hands. You give up, because you have a birthday party to get to, and an hour later, no kidding, hands are totally dye free. On retrospect, this kind of scares me about the power of baking soda + oxygen over time....save that topic for another day, huh?

Here he is oohing and ahhing over his "cool" purple eggs & then seeing the effect on his fingers. I love that face and those lips. :) Happy Easter everyone! Better hop to bed so the Easter bunny can come.

Visiting the Easter Bunny

Today we went to visit the Easter Bunny!! Last year we did Cade's pics with the live bunnies at Northpark Mall. It was tres adorable, but this year, being a big 2 year old, we had to check out The Man himself, Mr. Easter Bunny! We spotted him hanging out at Willow Bend Mall in the most adorable garden scene. Cade was impressed from the moment he laid eyes on him! (yay -- no scared screaming toddler pics!)

I spy the Easter Bunny!

Hi Bunny, nice to meet you!

Love at first sight. So you mean you bring good little boys colored eggs filled with CANDY?! AND you will fill my basket with toys and treats??!! I LOVE you!

Cade's 2nd birthday!

What better time to catch up on blog posts than summer? Lets flashback a few months to April! I know I already blogged about how hard it was for me to watch Cade grow up to be a 2 year old. Official toddler time. Only one more year til he reaches "preschooler" status, at which point I may just need some help breathing.

We planned a little family party for our boy. Last year's 1 year old bash with all of mommy & daddy's friends was a little overwhelming. This year we had the party again at home, and it was Toy Story theme, his FAVORITE movie ev-er! We had snacks and cupcakes and balloons and presents, it was perfect for our little man!

The whole fam came! Cade's godmother Amanda & her mom, Maryann, Grand Aunt Shanon, Gigi, Lolli & Papa, and Grammie & Grandaddy. Mommy & Daddy surprised Cade with a big red crab sandbox! Aunt Kelly and Uncle Eric got him a ton of diggers and dozers and he got shovels to play with too. He is in heaven when he's in his sandbox playing construction man.

Aunt Kelly & Uncle Eric

Papa & Lolli

Great grandmother, GiGi!