Crazy Combo

I know toddlers put a lot of crazy combinations together at the table and I'm not one to stop them.  After all, if ketchup helps green beans go down, I say go for it!  But C caught me off guard the other night at supper when she asked to follow her cupcake dessert with another pickle.  I get that some people want to finish on a salty note, others on a sweet note.  I can understand that.  I could not understand using the pickle to scrape the frosting remnants off the cupcake.  Frosted pickles?!  I'm pregnant and that still sounds disgusting!  Had to document that one.

More on Idols

No, I'm not into American Idol.  They lost me many seasons ago and may this be the final season, good riddance.  This is about the kind of idols we unknowingly create in our hearts.  I'm reading (very slowly and sporadically) Grace Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel and he caught my attention when he started talking about idols:

"When you convince your kids that things are evil rather than Satan and his corrupted world system being evil, you set them up to be easily manipulated by him.  I knew a lady who would pick up her elementary-age children from school during the last week of October just so they wouldn't have to walk by the jack-o'-lanterns that people put out in front of their houses.  She said she was frightened of what could happen to her children, but all she did was transfer her fear of jack-o'-lanterns to her children as well....By taking something inanimate and giving it animate evil power, she had just showed her kids how to create an idol.  Their fear of the jack-o'-lanterns was giving a dead carved vegetable a power it didn't have....

It is idolatry to affix evil power to things or actions that are just things and actions (hairstyles, rock concerts, clothing, dancing, dating, etc.).  What determines evil is how Satan is using the thing or the action in the individual's life.  What determines goodness is how God is working through the thing or the action in the individual's life.  What determines who is doing what is the individual (you, me, or the child) in the equation." 

I have to keep reading that last paragraph over and over to make sense of it, and I'm not sure what to do with it for the brief instant that the meaning seems clear.  But it seems like a powerful thing to think about and be aware of, so I wanted to share it for better or worse.

This Too Shall Pass

I've been saying this to myself often in recent weeks, knowing that we are in a season with well-defined time boundaries.  I will not be pregnant forever.  I will not be the mother of three under five forever.  This too shall pass.  Time passes at the same rate of speed no matter my circumstances.

I was so encouraged by one of the posts over at It's Almost Naptime this week.  If you are a mother of littles, please go read One Year Olds Hit and other amazing bits of wisdom.  Here's a sneak peek:

"Oh, and then there's the fun of discipline. What are realistic expectations? How much do they understand? Am I too hard or too lenient? Am I being played, or am I scarring them for life?"

 Bet you never have that debate with yourself.  Only about a dozen times a day.  This too shall pass.

Reinforcements Have Arrived!

Ladies and gentlemen, the cavalry has arrived and they are well-trained, eager and equipped to fight side-by-side against a mommy's greatest enemies--whiny children and sticky floors.  They are....the Mommy's Helpers.

I first heard about these legendary heroes from a friend who endured bed rest during her last pregnancy and was saved by a mommy's helper.  I started calling (well, e-mailing) around about a month ago when I was feeling so overwhelmed and stuck, not knowing that a great deal of that was probably the anemia.  Nevertheless, I found help and I'm not giving it up just because I'm on an iron supplement.

I was thrilled to be introduced to two young sisters who were eager to get some babysitting experience under their belts.  They are going to come once a week for three hours just to hang out with my girls while I am home and give me a little time to concentrate on tasks I need to get done.  Can I get a hallelujah?

Another mom I talked to said that her girls would also be willing to do this, but their schedule wasn't quite as good of a match with ours.  Oh, their mom says, maybe they could come and help you clean or cook?  Oh?!  Is this an option?!  Bring on the sisters who clean and cook!  Let's have another hallelujah!

We've had the blessing of these four girls for one week now and I am so, so grateful!  Of course, they are getting paid.  But the rate is reasonable enough to allow me to add them to our weekly schedule.  And can I say how impressed I am already?  I really need to be rubbing elbows with these girls' mothers because, wow!  What do I need to be doing so that my girls are that polite, respectful, responsible, servant-hearted, and self-directed by their early teens?  Teach me, o wise ones!!

Fatigue, Irritability, Dizziness...oh my!

So I never really said how my glucose screening went at last month's appointment.  As suspected, my glucose levels were fine, but I was surprised to hear that I was slightly anemic.  "Nothing to worry about," I'm told, "just try to eat a little more beef and dark, leafy greens."  Okay, I'll see what I can do...neither of those are big staples in my routine diet.

Within a week of that news, I almost blacked out twice.  This is not new for me; I'm well-versed in the art of fainting.  I didn't think much of it the first time, but the second time I almost passed out in my sleep.  How bizarre is that?!  Since I've fainted so often before, I feel like my brain is pretty clued-in to the sequence that leads to total unconsciousness and I can usually short-circuit it before I'm out cold on the floor.  So I woke myself up when I started feeling the little black fuzzies coming on, and it really weirded me out because there isn't a lot you can do to relax when you're already asleep!  And it felt like it would happen again if I went back to sleep.  Of course, middle of the night wreaks havoc on your rational thought, so I eventually got up and cuddled with Google to try to talk some sense into myself.  Because Google always speaks truth and wisdom, right?

That's when I learned that fainting and dizziness are common symptoms of anemia.  Guess what else?  Irritability.  Haven't had any of that around here lately.  Ha!  I knew about the fatigue and weakness, but I didn't realize the other symptoms I had been experiencing were all tied to anemia--shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, numbness/tingling in toes or fingers, and headaches.  Boy, if these symptoms could all be cleared up with a supplement, it would certainly make the next 12 weeks more bearable!

So I started on an iron supplement.  I've been taking it for just over a week now.  J asked if I could tell any difference, and I can't say that I feel any more rested.  But that may be because a certain someone has really hijacked naps lately.  But I've definitely cut back on the tylenol for headaches; I can say that for sure.  I don't think my family would be able to answer nicely about the irritability.  The great google says it can take 2-3 months to replenish depleted iron stores, so at least I should be back up to normal in time for delivery.  And hopefully, I will continue to see some of the other symptoms improve as it builds back up in my system.

I hit 29 weeks today.  If all goes well, then 11 more weeks to go.  If all the water consumption doesn't translate to better amniotic fluid levels, then it may be only 8 weeks.  Father God, I know I've been really whiny lately about this pregnancy, but could You please protect me from any new symptoms for the duration of this trimester?  By Your grace, I'll endure what I've already got; but I don't like to think about who I'll be if another new thing crops up.  Please keep baby and me healthy and strong till we can meet each other.  Thank you for the miracle that keeps kicking me in the gut.  Amen.

Last Holdout

Apparently mama is the last holdout on naps around this house.  I finally surrendered and allowed C to have "quiet time" in her crib today instead of trying to force her to take a nap.  This is not very different from what we've been doing except that I didn't spend half an hour fighting with her to close her eyes at the beginning of the hour.  I put some books and a few toys in her crib and told her I would be back when the timer beeped.  She did really well for a first attempt.  I only had to go in once when her band-aid started bothering her.  And she played quietly, too, so I actually got in a short snooze.  We'll see how cooperative she is this afternoon.

It really burns me that I have to be okay with this.  I really want to be able to force her to take a nap, but that just isn't realistic.  And it's not healthy for our relationship to have this daily struggle.  So, I surrender.  I'm not sure why they don't want to take naps.  After all, I think it's glorious and look forward to that time of day more than any other.  Okay, not quite...bedtime is definitely my favorite.

This Post Brought To You By...

...a two-year-old who won't nap.  Utterly infuriating!  She's lying in her bed alternating between cute sing-songy play and downright belligerent demands yelled at her mother.  "Mommy? Mommy, can you hear me?!  I don't want to take nap!  Get me out NOW!" Brief silent pause, then "itsy, bitsy spider-man went up the water spout."  I don't know who told her it was Spider Man that went up the water spout, but she's convinced.

I really would be fine with her not napping if she would play quietly like her big sister.  But this is a foreign concept to a toddler.  That's why they are supposed to take naps.  'Cause if you're too loud during quiet time, then mommy doesn't get her nap and that's just bad for the whole house.  Never mind that a toddler who won't nap is predisposed to lots of discipline as the afternoon stretches into evening.

And so mommy stands in front of the computer and tries to lose herself in bloggy world while eating chocolate and trying to make up the day's water intake.  But don't think I can concentrate to really write anything significant or worthy of your reading.  That will have to wait for another day.

It's Not Just Gas Prices

J sent this lovely piece of news to me almost a month ago and I've been meaning to pass it on.  If you're wondering why produce prices are climbing, here's your answer:  Food prices to rise...

A Moment of Silence

Ladies and gentlemen, could we please observe a moment of silence for the monumental sacrifice that my husband has made in relinquishing his firstborn sailboat.

Yes, he made it himself from raw materials.  Lots of sweat and tears went into that little beauty.  I think he started it in 2007ish.  I know A was around, but she was still too little to sail along.  (She was too little and the boat was too "experimental.")

When we cleaned out the garage last month, he admitted that it was time to let it go.  He hadn't touched it since we moved almost three years ago.  This stage of life is just not conducive to time-consuming hobbies.  I posted it on freecycle and we were thrilled to pass it on to a boy scout who was really excited to spruce it up, make it seaworthy and earn a few merit badges with it.

I say it was his firstborn sailboat because I know it won't be the last.  This man loves to sail and make things with his hands.  He hearts DIY sailboats.  One day, his son will be ready to wield a hammer and slop paint and they will make amazing things together.  I want that for him and can't wait to watch (with band-aids and wipes at the ready).

Name Dilemma

No, not the baby's name.  We've got enough ideas for boy names that we haven't really opened the door to suggestions yet.  Not that we're opposed to audience participation.  We've just already got some pretty strong options.

It's this blog!  What am I going to call this blog now that I have a little boy to start writing about?  Bring on the suggestions.  And no, I don't think purple arrows are any more masculine than pink ones.

I Blame You

Alright, some more of you out there started praying for me; I can feel it.  And, THANK YOU!!

I didn't mean to cause any concern with yesterday's post, just wearing my feelings on my sleeve.  Thanks to those of you have sent me encouraging notes and made offers of help.  I really am blessed with so many friends and family who genuinely care about how I am doing.

We've had a great day today.  It probably didn't hurt that I spent a majority of the morning at the doctor's office sans kiddos for my glucose screening.  No results until tomorrow, but I'm not expecting anything out of the ordinary.  Heartbeat sounded strong and the doc was pleased with normal progress.  And she made a really sad, empathetic face when I whined about my symptoms.  That's always nice.

J stayed home with the girls and even played phonics bingo with A while I was gone.  Bonus!  Schoolwork done while I was away!

Then there was this little jewel of a bubble-blowing episode.  I don't usually let them blow bubbles with their straws because it causes a huge mess and really, who likes being splashed from someone else's cup while trying to eat?  But, they weren't at the table...

They reveled in the freedom for almost twenty minutes.  I thought one of them would hyperventilate and pass out.  You can't see it very well in the video, but A's face was red from exertion.  C obviously got bored with bubbles and started just dumping her water on the floor, but I'm cool with that because she also likes to wipe it up.  Good clean fun!  (I stopped the video right before A announced that she almost got snot in her cup.  Yum.)

We even broke out the paint and glue and did a little art this afternoon.  And we all enjoyed each other.  That feels really good.  And I blame you, friends.  Thank you.

What's My Motivation?

Yes, I know, it's been a month since I posted anything.  No, I don't have a good reason.  Some fun things have happened, some interesting things, some everyday things.  But I just haven't felt like posting.  I haven't felt like doing much of anything.  I'm sort of dragging myself through the days lately, trying to put one foot in front of another.

I don't have a good reason for feeling so melancholy.  I'm really blessed.  But the discomforts of being six months pregnant have sort of become a burr in my saddle and my attitude has gone sour.  My poor daughters get the brunt of my exasperation.  I have zero tolerance for whining, complaining and not doing what needs to be done even though that's all I want to do...whine, complain, and procrastinate.

Not sure if it's hormones, spiritual attack, or just physical, but I really need it to stop.  I've asked several folks to pray that this cloud would be lifted and I could face the next three months with joy and grace.  I know prayer can accomplish much, so I'm pinning my hopes on that.