Here is a 3-D ultrasound of the new baby, Abbey! (And we have not decided yet if it should be Abby or Abbey nor have we chosen a middle name either).. She clearly has Canio's nose!
Brax & Hicks are starting...exhaustion has set in...heartburn is constant...swelling is minimal...sugar testing and other test are all A-OK. I have 9 wks left...and we havent even started on the room yet...or picked any furniture. I plan to work both jobs up until the very last minute. Leaving little free time after playing tea party, ring around the rosie, "chase me", computer games, and Handy Manny (ie tools) with Emily... Not to mention cleaning, cooking, laundry, knitting a blanket for the baby, etc. Get the picture?
Emily is now in a big girl bed. She is doing pretty good with it. She stays in bed most of the time, there is a gate at her door to catch her just incase.... she naps for about an hour ... most of the time.... and we set with her for 10 minutes before leaving. We used to say we were going potty and that seemed to please her so she wouldnt cry. But I didnt want her thinking we were coming right back because she STILL does not sleep through the night except on a very rare occasion where I have spent 10 min. on my knees pleading to God to please make it a sleep through-the-night night due to my own exhaustion. If she sleeps until 4am (which is rare) I consider that a sleep through the night if she goes back to sleep within 20 minutes. So we decided to tell her we were going to sleep instead of to the potty. This has upset her quite a bit, even though we have been explaining to her and reinforcing to her since she got her bed, that Mommy and Daddy have their own bed. Last night she was up LITTERALLY every 1hr. Needless to say, I was completely tired today... So if she thinks we are not going to be there, maybe if she wakes up she will just go back to bed?? We also got her a pair of Minnie Mouse (shes obessed with Mickey/Minnie/Daisy/Donald/Goofy/Pluto---ie the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang) PJS, a minnie mouse in PJS and a princess blanket tonight in hopes of encouraging her that her room is great. Im desperate. But other than sleeping...shes been a GREAT kid. She is eating good (well as good as a Toddler gets), she is pooping regularly (unlike the previous 1.75 yrs--and by the way I am sure as a teen she will LOVE me for sharing that), she helps clean up with some prodding sometimes, and she says please and thank you on a regular basis. She has started to tell us when she has pee'd or is peeing so I think potty training is around the corner-- she has pooped once on the potty when her Mickey Mouse convinced her to do so. And she kisses my belly and tickles the baby.
Canios job is going about the same. He likes it there, but with a cut in pay and another baby on the way-- things here just keep getting tighter and tigher. He is going to be hosting the travel auction tomorrow on WVIA - but it is pre-recorded. He likes being in front of the camera, so he seems pretty excited. For Christmas he got a self -scooping litter box. He cleans the cat litter. Now all he does is dump this tray...it automatically scoops the stuff away every 10 minutes. I think he likes it. =)
I am trying to get as much work in as possible, and as many commissions in as possible. I am starting to really wear tired. I find myself daydreaming about sleep. If I take a bath, I fall asleep. I feel healthier (probably because I run after Emily) than I did with the last pregnancy, but just very tired and stressed over bills. I am not really "big" for being pregnant. With just 9 wks to go (and remember I had Emily 2 wks early) I would say I am smaller than I was last time. I go to the Dr. tomorrow, but I as of my last visit, I had only gained 13 lbs. I am sure that is probably around 15-17 now. I still fit in some non-pregnancy clothes.
Tomorrow is my birthday. I will be 30. I dont mind turning 30 anymore than I minded turning 26...well maybe a tad bit more...but both seem like I am not young anymore. I am turning into the "older" person at work. My body is going to start to wear out soon hehehe. Its just sad sorta to realize that the carefree days of my 20s really are over. But in truth, they have been for awhile. But it is really scary when I see a 19 yr old and I think they are a kid. Kindly, many people have asked how old I will be and when I told them 30 they said, WOW I thought you were 25. (I dont believe them...but it was nice all the same). I asked Canio not to get me anything for my b-day because we need money to do the baby's room. My birthday has never been one of a lot of gifts (probably because it follows Christmas). If I get any money from people I want to save it and if we can save enough in the next month or so, I want to buy one of those small chest freezers. These are good so you can buy meat/etc in bulk and save...but also, because I wont have anyone coming to help with the new baby, I would like to make/freeze meals ahead of time. However, with our tiny freezer, its not possible. But we will see. Right now I have enough to be concerned with.
Well, its late and I have an OB appt at 730 am. ugh. Just saying that sounds awful.
I am hoping this finds you all well and healthy. We have had a sick, but mild winter thus far. Tonight is one of the first nights it will be bitter (lows in the teens). It has always snowed when I lived in PA on my bday...and they are calling for AM snow showers. Yeah! Its one day I dont mind snow.
Wish us luck as the baby's birth nears and preparations get underway. And if you are a praying kind... please pray that we will be prepared and that we will be wise with our finances!
