Why didn't I think of that?

Sorry for the very lengthy absence. We are all getting along fabulously! So fabulously that spending time on my computer is very low on the priority list these days. Chocolate Covered Pistachio (the new kid) is nearly four months old - how did that happen? Didn't we just bring him home the other day?? Anyhow, Chocolate Covered Peanut is finally pretty well adjusted (why did I just write that and curse myself?).

We have a new guest in our house named Dora the Explorer! CCPeanut has discovered all things Dora and CAN'T! STOP! TALKING! ABOUT! IT! This is a good thing when it comes to me being able to get CCPistachio down for a nap and such (just pop in a video and she's captivated), but also extremely irritating. I know preschoolers love and learn from the repetition they use in Dora, but it drives me batty! Sesame Street is the one kids' show that I truly enjoy because there is so much variety - my husband accuses me of enjoying it more than CCPeanut.

One particular Dora DVD, however, has been useful in giving me some insight into CCPeanut's dreams and goals. Dora asks the viewers what they want to be when they grow up, and CCPeanut ALWAYS answers EVERYTHING Dora asks. The first time she watched this I wasn't sure I'd heard her answer correctly, so I asked her to repeat but she refused. The second time I listened more carefully, and sure enough I had heard her correctly. Cookie Monster! She wants to be Cookie Monster when she grows up! Why didn't I think of that? I could totally rock that job! Damn, all I could come up with was public school teacher! How lame am I?

Quick Update and Apology

Sorry for being MIA for the last month!! I love, love, love having two kids now, but me-time is definitely on hold for a while. Me-time would include things like blogging, surfing the web, shopping for anything but groceries, etc. If I had a laptop that allowed me to do this from anywhere, it would be much easier. Instead I have a computer in an office room in our basement, very much separated from the rest of the house. I also have a 2 1/2 year old who LOVES the computer and will not let me do anything on it by myself!

Our son was born April 29 at 8:00 a.m. after a labor that was much shorter and easier than I had with my daughter!! He was 8 lb. 8 oz. (a half pound bigger than his sister). He is squishy and adorable, and I fell instantly in love with him! He's a very mellow baby and easily consolable (unlike his sister). I'm still pondering the appropriate chocolate covered name for him, so I would welcome any suggestions you all might have...

I'm running out of me-time, so here are some pictures of the two kids! Keep in mind I am a horrible photographer, so these pictures don't do justice to the cuteness of my offspring. Sorry for the weird spacing of pictures and captions - I've never posted pictures before and have a lot to learn. And I don't have anymore time to mess with it tonight!!


Chocolate Covered Peanut and her new baby brother just a few days after we got home














The elusive Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Covered Peanut, and baby in the hospital









More current shot of new baby - please imagine him without the horrible baby acne!!

No News is NOT Good News!

Yes, I'm still pregnant. Yes, my due date was three days ago. No, I'm not having any contractions. How many times have I repeated those sentences the past few days? Too many to count. I'm not scheduled for induction until Monday, so it will be a long weekend. On the other hand, my doctor will be out of town for the weekend, so chances are high that I'll go into labor on my own while he's gone. Thankfully the doctor on call is a very good friend's doctor and comes highly recommended.

We took Chocolate Covered Peanut to a birthday party Sunday at a place called Pump It Up (they have numerous huge inflatable slides, bouncers, and obstacle courses). She had a BLAST! It turns out to be the perfect place for a toddler that loves to climb and jump - her two favorite activities right now. Fortunately my husband went along to follow her, because there's no way my waddling ass would have survived it! I did, however, ponder whether or not a few good bounces wouldn't speed things up for me...

The only thing helping to distract me from the endless waiting is new tv shows! I didn't realize how much I missed them all winter! It's hard to believe that I had a life of my own rather than living vicariously through tv characters, but I must have! But now that I'm mentally and physically exhausted morning to night, tv is the perfect escape.

Hot Stuff

I am sooooo ready for this baby to arrive! (are you all a little tired of the prego talk?) And if I wasn't sure, my dream last night sealed the deal. McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey from Grey's Anatomy) was my oh-so sexy doctor and we were having a friendly lunch together in the hospital cafeteria (there was a fabulous dessert bar, by the way). Following the lunch, he was planning to induce me (that's right, I said INduce, not SEduce). When the hunks in my dreams are inducing my labor and not getting down and dirty with me, then I know that I'm ready to birth this baby!!

This is week 38 so theoretically, this baby could arrive any day. But my doctor's exam today indicated otherwise. It's looking like this boy may be a week late like his older sister. UGH! I suppose I could handle a week late as long as the labor is shorter. It lasted two and a half days - nonstop - with Chocolate Covered Peanut. My doctor promises this time will be easier...

Hell Froze Over

Yes, it's true - Hot Chocolate and I went on an official date last night! For the first time in two years! And probably the last time for another two years! It was pure bliss! We went out to eat (without impatient toddler) and went to a movie. Run, Fat Boy, Run - hilarious! I don't know why, but British people are so much more funny than we are. It was a very sweet and funny movie. We also agreed on a name for the upcoming addition to the chocolate family. Hear that, Cagey? A name!!

Baby Mania!

I've discovered recently that pregnancy is way more fascinating through the eyes of a two year old. In order to "prepare" Chocolate Covered Peanut for the life-altering changes to come, we have been a little baby-obsessed. Watching videos about new babies, reading books about new babies, observing babies everywhere we go, and talking about our soon-to-arrive baby. It's safe to say that I am a little baby-weary at this point!

Now that CCP finally believes that there is, indeed, a baby in my tummy (she staunchly denied this for a good many months), she seems to think that my belly button is a peephole that will allow her to see him. Several times a day she will push up my shirt, push down the elastic of my pants, and peer into my belly button to check on the baby. She has also perfected a "mama walk" that entails her sticking her tummy out as far as possible and waddling across the room. It's actually an dead-on impression! When she performed this for my husband I could see him mentally debating whether or not it was safe to laugh (smart man).

Ugh!

Apparently, your third trimester of pregnancy is a terrible time to start a blog and be introduced to the blogging world. I am so exhausted every night by the time Chocolate Covered Peanut goes to bed. I spend only enough time on the computer to check email, pay bills, and do other necessary things - blogging has become one of the less-necessary things.

This week will be week 36, so I'm really counting down the days now. And they'd better go by fast, damn it! I don't feel as huge as I did with CCPeanut, but I'm at least ten times more uncomfortable. This baby boy is riding low in his cozy home and everything below what used to be my waist aches constantly. Plus, the last months that I was pregnant with CCP were during our summer vacation from school. So I was home with no toddler to chase and able to put my feet up and read a good book (or take a good nap) whenever the fancy struck me (which was most of the day, to tell the truth). This time around is not nearly as relaxing!

So, please pardon the sporadic and whiny posts. In four weeks I'll have completely new and more interesting problems to whine about!