The Sunday Struggle

Papa's Famous Chinese Noodles for supper...mmmmm!!

This week I managed to get little A into bed and asleep by 11:15 a.m. Can you believe she STILL slept until 2:15 and had to be woken up to get ready for ballet (which of course, she didn't want to go to--she said "I'll go on Friday, okay mom?"). NOT okay little A. So, I told her we would go grocery shopping and just stop in and say hello to Ms. Jesse first (as we were both sure Ms. Jesse had missed her last week). Of course, once she saw Ms. Jesse and Ms. Jesse helped put on little A's ballet shoes, well...it was a done deal. The conversation turned from ballet shoes to the Winnie the Pooh clips little A was sporting (THREE colours--yellow, pink AND blue) as I limped and shuffled out the door.

This morning we had our third bicycling experience, and it was the best so far. I kept my hand on little A's back and she was so comfortable she even sped ahead of me a few times, laughing and screaming in delight. We went all the way to the end of the walking path, turned around and came back. There were a few 'tense' moments, (when little A dismounted her bike to inspect the ants swarming around the dead cockroach carcass, and when she stopped to pick flowers) where I was afraid that I would be pushing the bike home on my own again, but it didn't happen. Each time she hopped back up and pedalled through her tiredness all the way home. I was so very proud of her. She did not get 'fwustwated' once this time out, and neither did I.

Baby N is teething (again). Yesterday he had his hand deep in his gums and drool all the way down his face (to date, neither of my children have been droolers), so it was time to pull out the teething tinctures. Though I have noticed his personality is mildly more irritable than before, it's doubtful anyone else would know there was anything wrong with him, as he is still so cheery and playful.

Yesterday we had a lovely afternoon BBQ visit with Uncle Pete and our new friends, the Beresfords, who are moving back home to the UK this week. We heard that they were moving through our helper, who had her heart set on us buying some of their dressers drawers for her room. So, we went to check out what they were selling (and to make our helper happy) and hit it off with them. Though we have only known them for a short time, we really enjoyed meeting them and we hope to be able to meet up with them some time again in our travels.

It has already been suggested to us that we make an effort to get to know people who are moving IN to the country, rather than those who are on their way OUT.

Last night I created a 'to-do' list for myself (and my goal is to finish it all THIS week). I managed to cross off a few items today, one being to make the remainder of my obgyn appointments for B3. It is a little amazing (and scary) to think there are only three more appointments before we go in for the "big show". The date has been set as March 24 (although--I know a lot more about 'the best-laid plans' than I used to), and hopefully there will be no need for any 'emergency' visits or interventions this time around.

If it's possible, I am feeling even MORE tired and there is more discomfort than in the previous weeks. Breathing has become difficult, as has walking and moving. Thankfully, my cold has abated (yippee!!), so that's one less thing to be stressed about. I am actually giving up in carrying baby N around, and have accepted that I will have to have my helper carry him upstairs and bring him down again--though I still don't like it. Apparently, the elastic waistbands of all my pants have also 'given up' (I see it as an act of solidarity), and I now find myself sometimes wearing the 'cheshire grin of pregnancy' (kind of like 'plumber's crack', except it's a cute rim of round baby-belly) where my pants have slipped down and my top isn't long enough to make up the distance.

Little A would like to name the baby "Hugh" (which she pronounces 'whoo'), regardless of gender. Her friend Faith's little brother is named Hugh, and she is really in love with this name. Though we have not settled on a name yet, 'Hugh' definitely doesn't really match up with the names we have given our other children (which are Sanskrit based).