On Friday, we had a quiet night in. Well, quiet after Little Miss got booted to bed. She had been very tired all week, and the week culminated in a giant meltdown.
On Saturday, she asked Husband to get up with her and proceeded to talk to him for 2 hours straight. I slept in a little and then got up to meet a friend at the movies. Because she was running late, I also had time to vote early for the election this year. That was pretty awesome to get that out of the way with no line. After, Husband, Little Miss and I went to my sister's place. Little Miss and Nephew had a blast together. He got a new loft-style bed and was eager to show that off. Little Miss loved it (briefly until she was stuck at the top and was a little too scared to come down and needed her daddy). My parents and my sister's boyfriend arrived later. We had some Chinese delivery and chatted. Little Miss opened a birthday present from my parents and played some video games. We left very late, but it was a good night.
On Sunday, I expected a meltdown. Little Miss went to bed very late the night before and didn't really sleep in, but I promised her she could come out with me. So, we went to an early lunch for book club. It was dim sum and Little Miss doesn't eat Chinese food so she patiently sat there while we ate. Then, we went to Target so she could spend her $10, and we could pick up various other items. After, it was late, and Little Miss really wanted breakfast for lunch so we hit IHOP. She was the most excellent girl all day. When we got home, it was probably around 3:30. We made 2 batches of cookie dough and then I carved Snow White and her apple out of a pumpkin and made dinner. I did bath time and then Husband helped with the bedtime routine before I rolled and baked way too many cookies. They were pretty darned photogenic though - and tasty. Surprisingly, Little Miss was fantastic on Sunday with little sleep. I, on the other hand, missed my weekend naps. A lot. In my defense, my crankypants are super comfortable.
Last weekend, we
started the weekend on Friday with dinner with the In-laws,
Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew. It was a yummy dinner. Then,
we went back to the In-laws apartment for some dessert. We were all
super tired, and Little Miss fell asleep on the way home. The sad thing
is that it wasn't that late. On Saturday, I had lunch
plans with the girls while Husband took Little Miss to a birthday
party. The weather was very overcast, but the kids didn't mind. They
were hopped up on candy and running around. I met them there when I was
done with lunch. It was a quiet evening followed by an even quieter
Sunday. On Sunday, I slept
gloriously late and was only awakened when pancakes were ready. After
pancakes, I sat on the couch for what seemed like forever. After most
of the day, I showered, and Little Miss and I went grocery shopping.
That pretty much summed up my Sunday as we moved to start a new week.
We have a 6 year old. That blows my mind. The recent fact that when the next one is 6, this one will be in her last year before becoming a teenager blew my mind so much last week that I refuse to think about it.
Regardless, the big party is this weekend, but Little Miss squeezed into her birthday shirt today. She probably won't let me put her in birthday shirts next year. She brought in birthday sugar cookies to school. She requested Elmo, Cookie Monster and Oscar cookies which even I thought was a little juvenile, but it's what she wanted. I even let her have one for breakfast because, hey, it's her birthday. I also bought her a big cupcake so we can sing later tonight. Traditionally, she gets cake and the whole nine yards for her birthday party, but ever since her first birthday, she's gotten a cupcake on her actual birthday.
More on the weekend later, but she got $10 from the Inlaws, and I let her spend it at Target. One of the many items she bought was a party hat. She's very excited to wear it tonight. I drew the line at wearing it to school. Husband is also leaving work to start on her favorite dinner tonight - a lemon chicken over pasta or, as she calls it - chicken, pasta and lemony sauce.
Last Thursday was our 14th anniversary. To celebrate, we both forgot. I actually texted mid-morning. That night, I went to bowling and then the next day, Little Miss and I went out of town for the long weekend. I suppose my anniversary present to Husband was that he didn't spend a long weekend with my family.
On Friday, I hit massive traffic going to my parents' house so Little Miss and I could join them and my Sister, her boyfriend and Nephew on a trip to their vacation house in western Maryland. We got up there late on Friday after stopping for a quick bite along the way.
On Saturday, the kids woke up early and entertained themselves. After we all woke up, we had breakfast and then went to a friend of my parents for the day. We watched the big Autumn Glory parade and ate a lot of food (well, I did, I can't speak for everybody). We pretty much did nothing when we got home, but I went to bed early.
On Sunday, the kids woke up early again. We got ready to go to the top of the mountain and have a pumpkin race. We did not win. Little Miss and Nephew had fun running around and eating junk food. It was a little on the chilly side, but we all had fun. After, I napped a bit while we all took it easy after a quick trip to Wal-Mart. That night, the kids slept together in the loft for the first time. It was a success overall, I believe. They really got along overall really well.
On Monday, we went to the mountain and
the kids rode the mountain coaster numerous times. It's Little Miss's
favorite part of the weekend. They also played on the playground before
we packed up to go home. The trip home took awhile between bathroom
breaks and food, but it was a good weekend. The cousins are already
missing each other hard, any bickering a thing of the past. I'm going
to need time to recover, but I hit the ground running instead.
I'm just going to call this Little One PITA because he or she is a giant Pain In The Ass already. Because of my "advanced maternal age" (read: I'm old), we had to do some genetic screening as statistically I'm more at risk for a bunch of chromosomal abnormalities. So, we had the Nuchal Translucency ultrasound and blood test. The good news is that it came back normal or within normal range. There will be another round of testing later. Still, every single time we tried to get the reading of the baby, the little PITA would just turn right around and show us his or her backside. No matter where we put the camera! Hopefully, he or she will be more accommodating when we look for gender or after he or she is born, but I'm sure this is a sign of things to come. Send help.
The first weekend in October was a lot of fun. We had dinner with the In-laws at Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's apartment.
On Saturday, we met Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew at the pumpkin patch. It was about the same temperature as the sun so we didn't stay long, but Little Miss slid down the slides, jumped on the bounce house, played on the playground and did the corn maze (the last with some supervision). Then, we went to lunch at Matchbox to try to cool off. Little Miss had a surprise sleepover with Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law while I met friends at Rasika West End for some really delicious Indian food. I got home very late and it was nice to know I could sleep in.
On Sunday, I picked up Little Miss, and the two of us took a lengthy nap instead of clean the apartment. Good Sunday indeed.
So, I'll move to come (maybe tonight), but here is the update of approximately where the baby is this week or you can click here for more.
"Things are changing fast. You’re reaching the home stretch of the first trimester (we know, finally!) at 12 weeks which means your hormones are likely to tone things down a bit -- which might make you feel a little less emotional! And it will probably help the symptoms subside a bit, too. One warning though: your morning sickness and fatigue might get replaced by headaches and dizziness. But we think that’s a reasonable trade-off. The other big change? Baby’s almost done developing her body’s important systems and parts, which means, it’s mostly about getting bigger and more mature from here on out. Around week 12, you might want to know more about baby, so you’re probably having genetic testing done to determine her risk of birth defects or other problems. This can be a little scary -- and confusing -- so be sure to ask your OB plenty of questions, and know that it’s much more likely baby’s A-OK than anything else." - from the link above on TheBump.com.
When we were in Wildwood, we confirmed that we were expecting another baby. It was in our overall plan to have a second. I wanted to have a second before I turned 40 and if it didn't happen, we were pretty content with one. I don't know if I would have chosen this exact moment, but I'm getting used to the idea. Regardless, Little Miss is thrilled. I think she's a little unhappy with the fact that I can't carry her or rough house as much, but she is excited about the prospect of having a sister and is not 100% against the idea of a brother though the excitement level is much, much lower over that possibility. We told her early on before our families, and she was a pretty fantastic secret keeper.
I've felt ok, mostly blah. I haven't felt poorly, just not that great. The fatigue is fun and even more fun with a 6-year-old, but she's been great and so understanding. It makes me glad I waited, and I know she'll be a big help even if she has moments of impatience or jealousy. I'm starting to feel a little better so hopefully I can usher in the second trimester with a little less fatigue and crankiness.
So, in the almost 2 months since we found out about the news, we've seen the doctor many times. I spotted early on which led to an emergency doctor's visit at which point the doctor viewed nothing on the ultrasound which did freak me out a little bit. We went in for a proper ultrasound the following week which yielded a baby and a heartbeat which settled my nerves. Because I had gestational diabetes and was on insulin last time, I also had to take the education class again to monitor my blood throughout this pregnancy versus only in the last 8-10 weeks. This does not make me happy because I really love me carbs. The diet consists of 3 small meals and 3 snacks throughout the day and testing my blood sugar 4 times a day. I just remind myself that it was a great way to maintain a pretty awesome pregnancy weight despite my craving for carbs constantly. As with last time, my resting numbers are high (my morning results are consistently high). Hopefully, I don't end up on insulin again, but it wasn't so bad the last time.
This week is the test to see if we are at risk for any genetic anomalies though it looks like the test could yield a false negative or a false positive. Fantastic.
This part is new for us because I'm old (or Advanced Maternal Age). Anyway, if you're playing the home game, below is the information of the baby this week or you can click here:
It was kind of pathetic this month. I watched Hotel Transylvania on cable one afternoon. It was cute. I don't see any more movies in my October future, but who knows? I blame the return of Fall television.
The Twelve is a monster of a book. I didn't think I'd get much more in, but I switched to romance and cranked out a few more. I needed something light to balance out The Twelve and Thankless In Death. Both were pretty bleak. Still, all the books were pretty solid.
The last Saturday in September, Little Miss and I did a lot especially when you consider we had no nap at all. We got up and got ready. Little Miss rode her bike to Clarendon, down the road a bit. She rode some rides and tried some Spanish chicken. I had paella. We ate a lot of junk food and then she did the jumpy castle. Little Miss got lots of giveaways and ran into 4 friends from school. Then, we walked home. At home, we got ready quickly to go right back out - after a very quick nap. Husband was out at a friend's house and came home to pick us up. My parents were in Florida during their 40th wedding anniversary so we promised them a night out. We took them to Bonefish which wasn't fine dining, but it was good and allowed us to bring the kids. My parents were watching Nephew so he got to occupy Little Miss. After, Little Miss had an impromptu sleepover with Nephew at my parents' house. On Sunday, I slept late and then drove out to pick up Little Miss. It was a really fun weekend for all. So fun, there are no pictures except for one on my phone of Little Miss housing mini donuts covered in powdered sugar.
We're playing a little catch up again. The third weekend in September, we found ourselves in Georgetown on a pirate ship! We went with a couple of other families including Brother-in-Law, Sister-in-Law and Nephew. Little Miss dressed in my old pirate costume which, sadly, wasn't that big on her. She played limbo, got her face painted, and got tattooed. After, most of us went to lunch and then we went home to nap. All that pillaging and plundering took a lot out of us!
We sadly didn't do much the next day at all. It was a pretty good weekend. Husband's friend and father came over for football, but we mostly just hung out, watched football and napped. Can't ask for more on a Sunday.
Last weekend, we watched Nephew overnight while Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law had plans. He arrived on Saturday morning. Husband and I took the kids to our indoor pool. Then, we served lunch at which point the kids were tuckered out so we all had a nap. They woke up an hour or so later, I believe, maybe longer (hard to tell when I was napping, too). Then, we went to the playground. We came home and had dinner. We did a bath and the kids went right to bed. There were some giggling from the bedroom which was adorable, but the kids went to bed quickly on their own.
On Sunday, the kids and I took a walk to get a bagel for Husband. We also hit up the bakery so I could spoil the kids a bit. They liked the time outdoors and were really good. They played when we got home until it was time for Nephew to go home.
After, Little Miss and I walked them out and went to our car to run errands. We hit Home Depot and Chipotle and the grocery store. I got talked into growing lettuce for the elementary school so we needed everything to grow lettuce. We bought a window box, dirt and a second pot to replant my basil that I had been killing for months. Then, I got hungry and snuck in some food before going to grab some food for lunches this week.
When we got home, Little Miss helped pour dirt into the pots and plant seeds. She watered and then asked where the plants were. She gets her patience from me. We should see sprouts in a couple of days. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't, but we're supposed to.
The first week of September brought book club! I met the book club at a restaurant where we actually discussed the book and ate a delicious dinner. We took it easy during the day. I think the first week of school took a lot out of us, and we were all a little on edge.
On Sunday, we went to my Sister's house and hung out. It was a glorious day, and the kids just wanted to stay inside and play. So, we played Chutes and Ladders. I lost by a lot. Nephew won. We snacked and then we convinced the kids to go to the playground. They had a lot of fun. After, Sister's boyfriend came and we all went to Coldstone Creamery for ice cream. It was a nice way to cap off a weekend.
It was a very light movie month. Mostly because I binge-watched Breaking Bad until I caught up for the new season. We're the Millers was in the theater, and it was worth it. It was really funny and enjoyable.
Doms of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair, Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride. (NOTE: This is part of the Mountain Masters & Dark Haven series - the order of which can be found here, the Hawkeye series - the order of which can be found here, and the Truckee Wolves series - the order of which can be found here.)
It was a better month than I expected. Pretty decent books. I read the last two of the Sinners on Tour books out of order which irked me. I don't know if it made a difference in the long run though. The great part of Fool's Gold Cookbook is it is an actual cook book with a story between recipes. I would have liked more of the story, but the food looks pretty darned tasty. The Fault in Our Stars is also not a good public read. There was some public crying involved.
We have a kindergartener. Seriously. It is mind-blowing. We were lucky, too, because she got a bonus year of preschool. With a birthday in late Fall, she missed the cut off so she's one of the older Kindergarteners. She had a new backpack from my parents, a new outfit from Target that she picked out all by herself and new sneakers that she picked out with Husband. If you enlarge the picture, she said she wanted to be Spiderman when she grows up. The first week of school was a raving success. She has a couple of fellow Kindergarteners at her bus stop and has many friends in her class and at extended day. Everyday, she comes home full of stories about her new friends and all that she is learning. It is so great that she loves school so much.
I had trouble believing it was September already. We got back from the beach with our mountain of laundry. That Monday, there was one last school playdate. Little Miss got to meet some of the kids in her homeroom and some other kids who would be in extended day with her. I think it helped a lot once school started. There were some familiar faces and close friends already. We shut the playdate down and then I went back to nap. The playdates take a lot of me!
On Thursday, we hit Open House at the elementary school. Little Miss got to meet her teacher and some other children. She loved it and was so excited to start school. She was almost disappointed that wasn't the first day of school and that we had to go on vacation. She got over that quickly though.
The first day, we got a short time at the beach, but it was super windy. It was still nice to be on the beach though! It was windy the next day, too, but the sun was out so it wasn't too bad.
Friday night, we hit the Boardwalk because Little Miss loves the rides. She rode on many before the fireworks - which were cancelled because of the wind. It was still a lot of fun though. Saturday was a quiet day just at the beach and then at the pool. Sunday, we packed up and drove home - but not before we hit the Boardwalk one last time! Little Miss got to ride the rides she missed the first time - including the Ferris Wheel, her favorite. She also got to play a carnival game. We ate lunch and bid farewell to the beach until next year.
The second to last weekend in August was really fun. We had a mentor for the elementary school who had some neighbors who also had children entering kindergarten. The four families got together for a playdate. The boys and girls stayed pretty separated. The girls didn't even play until the very end of the playdate. During the playdate, we discovered that there was a school-wide playdate for existing families (and new families if they found out somehow). So, Little Miss and I grabbed some lunch and then went back to the playground. She played very closely with the little girl from the morning and met some new friends. It was exhausting for all of us! On Sunday, I met with my friends for pedicures, lunch and a movie. It was a lot of fun. Girl time is always very important and relaxing. My pedicure lasted a long time, too. I just recently took it off to repolish. It was a short week as we went on vacation!
