Still here . . .

Hey! Yes, I'm still here. Yes, I am a terribly inconsistent blogger. Anyway, had my 22 week checkup yesterday, and everything is looking and sounding great. This has been a very uneventful pregnancy thus far, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way. It's amazing how much faster a second pregnancy seems to go than a first when you're busy with a toddler! We had our 20 week ultrasound just over two weeks ago (5/14/07), and the important news - IT'S A GIRL!!! Sean is going to have a little sister. So, the clothes buying has begun, albeit slowly thus far. I still need to go through all of the stuff we have packed away to see what is neutral enough to reuse from Sean. I've found some bedding on the internet that I love, now we just need to narrow it down, choose one, and order it so we can get the room painted. Sean is as funny as ever and growing like a weed. He loves to talk! Guess that's it for now. Later!

He ain't heavy . . .

So, this past Sunday (5/6/07), mom and dad agreed to babysit for Sean at our house while we bowled the last night in our league. A few weeks back, they babysat as well, then spent the night and spent a huge portion of the next day helping us put together a swingset in the backyard for Sean. This past Sunday, all that was left was to install the slide and add plastic rocks to the climbing wall. After it was all finished, Sean was having a blast checking it out and playing on it. The rock climbing wall has plastic rocks and a rope affixed to it to assist with climbing. However, Sean has decided that he likes to climb on the rocks only, and ignore the rope. My mom decided to try to teach him to use the rope, so after he finished climbing to the top, he was sitting on the platform looking at us. Mom said “here Sean, you use the rope like this (holding it with both her hands), and pull yourself up like this”. She placed a foot on one of the rocks and pulled up a bit. Sean looks at us from his perch on the platform and says “No Grandma, you too heavy.” I haven’t laughed that hard in quite awhile!

Who knew mowing the lawn could be so fun?

Monday evening (5/7/07), Sean had an appointment with his ENT to check the tubes in his ears, so by the time we grabbed dinner at Red Robin and stopped at the store, it was just after 7 PM by the time we got home for the day. Scott decided to try to get at least half the lawn cut before we put Sean to bed, so I took Sean to the backyard to play on his swingset. He asked for his lawnmower, so we retrieved it from the garage. I told him that he could cut the backyard while daddy cut the front. He wanted to see daddy, but I wanted him to stay out of the way, so I kept him in the back. He was pretty excited when daddy made a pass through the side yard, and we could see him from the back. He began yelling “Hi Daddy, Hi Daddy”, but over the noise of the mower, Scott couldn’t hear him. When he made the next pass, I told him to wave to maybe daddy could see him. He waved excitedly and yelled even louder, “Hi Daddy”, Scott waved, and as he headed back toward the front yard, Sean yelled “Daddy, I cut grass too!”. He is just so darn cute sometimes! We eventually headed to the front yard, where he took his mower, and watched daddy for a second, then started walking along the same pattern up and down the yard from the house to the street and back, pushing his mower just a few feet over from daddy. Adorable!

Cuteness abounds

In the wake of a 2 1/2 year old boy, it is common to find a wide swath of crumbs, toys, tears, tantrums, and other miscellany, but through the whirlwind of activity, cuteness abounds. Even on the days when the limits have been tested to the breaking point, he still manages to leave me with smile on my face and joy in my heart.

• This morning while we were getting ready for work/school (daycare), Sean was coughing something terrible. He seems to have inherited all of mommy's allergies, and the cough was awful this morning. I went in the bathroom to get some cough medicine, and he followed me right in to take it. He *loves* to take medicine. That is sincere, not sarcasm. He drank it all up, then took the spoon, as he always does, and noisily slurped up the little bit that remained. "All gone" he informed me as he handed me the spoon. Then he turned to daddy who was sitting on the edge of the bed watching the proceedings, "I eat it all gone" he informed daddy proudly. He actually says this quite a bit, and though not grammatically correct, I think it is totally adorable.
• The Sunday before last (04/15/07), we had stopped in at my parents house for a visit, lunch, and a nap (which never did happen), after getting Sean measured for his tux for Kerri and Brad's wedding. He didn't want to sleep because he wanted to play with Grandma and PawPaw. All afternoon, he was pushing the limits. Not really acting up badly, but just not listening. At all. To anyone. Not even just me, which is par for the course. Towards the end of the visit, I was extremely frustrated with the lack of listening skills he had on display. I put my hands on his shoulders and turned him to face me. "What is wrong with you today?" I asked him, "Are your ears broken?" He finally made eye contact and said "Yeah Mommy, my ears are broken." I couldn't help but laugh. What else can you do? He is just so darn cute sometimes!

Kill me with kindness

Last night, after we had gone through our nighttime ritual and tucked Sean into bed, Scott went to the basement, and I was starting to pack for our big wedding weekend. I found outfits for Sean to wear to rehearsal and the after-wedding brunch and set those aside, along with the black dress shoes I found him, my shoes, and a few other items I want to be sure not to forget.

Then I set about the dreaded task - find myself something to wear to the rehearsal. I was digging through a bin full of formerly "fat" clothes, and found a skirt that I wore for Easter after I had Sean. The thing should still be too big on me, but sure enough it fit just fine. I dug through my closet for a shirt that would match and was pulling one on when Sean walked into the room with a little grin on his face. "Daddy downsairs?" he asked. I told him yes, and that he could climb up in mommy and daddy's bed for a few minutes until I could take him back to bed. I vetoed the first shirt, pulled on a second one and looked in the mirror. Sure enough, just look fat, not pregnant. Yuck.

At that moment, Sean peeked his little head up from laying on the bed and looked at me. "Your dress is pretty, Mommy." Awwwwwwww. Sometimes he just melts my heart. I'm not even sure where he learned the word dress!? I don't wear them often, if at all! Okay, guess that's what I'm wearing then baby!

It's been a long time . . . again

Eek! I can't believe it's been so long since I've been here to post an update! So much has happened since January.

• Sean is growing like a weed. He's amazing and exasperating - right on track for a two and a half year old!
• Sean is also going to be a big brother! I'm pregnant with baby #2, due September 29, 2007. Being busy with a toddler is certainly making this pregnancy go much faster than the last one!
• My SIL is getting married this weekend, and all three of us are in the wedding. Should be a beautiful, hectic time.
• My nephew is more than 6 months old already! My how time flies.
• Sean has a new swingset that Daddy and PawPaw put together this past weekend, minus a few finishing touches . . . like the all-important slide. He is loving it!
• Sean taken yet another step into the land of a big boy, and is now sleeping in his new room in a twin bed. Lightning McQueen and Mater are the decor of choice. The room still needs some finishing touches and paint, but he loves it. He has done phenomenally with the switch, and will now go into the nursery (his old room) and point to the crib, swing, exersaucer, and bouncy seat and tell anyone who will listen that they are for the baby.
• Work is crazy, as usual. Still working too much, but with maternity leave and the final due date for this project both looming in September, at least there is an end in sight.

Okay, can't think of anything else right now, so I'll sign off. I'll try to check back sooner than the last time!