1+1=8

So…..the big surprise of the summer for our family?

We’re having a baby! Yes, you read that right. Little baby Mallison should be arriving March 17th if the doctors estimated due date is correct.

Surprised? You betcha! While The Man and I had discussed having a baby “SOMEDAY” we definitely hadn’t planned on finding out just a month after the wedding that we would be adding to the family so soon. However, I know that it’s a blessing regardless of timing. And of course, I can’t help thinking that God is telling me once again that His timing is not always My timing.

Ok, God. Gotcha.

I have to say I was surprised by the revelation. Surprised enough that I took 4 pregnancy tests. Ha, I know, I know it’s a little ridiculous, but it’s true. After being teased by friends that I was, and realizing that I was in deed late for that wonderful gift I get every month I decided to take a test.

I thought maybe I’d gotten a bladder infection or that the changes from the wedding and all the buzz after had just put my body into “forgetful” mode. Uh not so much! I knew I’d had my monthly visitor just three days before the wedding, because I was horrified that it would still be around when I put on my gorgeous wedding dress.
“Everything is just running a little behind.” At least that’s what I told myself. Then I had a rummage sale with my friend, and we were talking. I mentioned that I was nearly 9 days late. She convinced me that I should test. I say convinced because I have a history of panicking when I’m just a couple days late- running out and buying a test- only to get a negative and then a day later getting my visitor. So this time I decided not to freak out and just wait.

Ha. Fooled me I suppose. So I woke up the morning after we finished our rummage and took a test. It IMMEDIATELY showed me a PLUS sign. It was only 7am and I was groggy. I told myself it was wrong and went back to bed. Later, I went to the store and bought another pack. Next morning I took another and to my surprise the result was even brighter and appeared so fast that the urine (I know gross) didn’t even make it all the way across the stick before the PLUS sign appeared. Two more tests throughout the day gave me the same result. WHOA!

I wasn’t sure how to tell The Man, or if I even should until I had a doctors confirmation, but I decided that with this being his first pregnancy he deserved to know asap. Besides I didn’t want to have to wait until the doctors appointment alone. Right?

So I took a big black marker and wrote on my tummy “Baby on Board” and I wrapped the tests in a small box to look like a present. Boy was he surprised when he saw the writing on my tummy. He cocked his head to one side, read slowly then looked at me, raised his eyebrows and asked, “Are you serious?”

I handed him the gift and he unwrapped it to look at the tests.

A week later at the doctor office they did indeed confirm the news. Baby Mallison was currently baking away in my belly.

So,…. The 7 of us will go to 8 in 2011. Despite the surprise of it, we are all excited to see how this little one will enrich our family. Now if I could just get over the morning sickness, fatigue, and peeing constantly……

Oh the Joys of the Tempestuous Two's

I’m not really sure what happened over the past few months to my precious little toddler. It’s like she turned into this spicy little diva who likes to throw fits when she doesn’t get her way and who has the sassiest attitude I’ve ever seen on a two year old.

Not that she isn’t still sweet and endearing and full of humor as she has always been, there’s just been a scoop of sass added. Sometimes the moments are cute and I have to fight not to laugh at her, as I know that she’ll just continue to do it. Other times I’d like to find the nearest pillow and throw it over my head in the biggest act of ignoring possible.

Case in point- She wanted a fruit snack the other day. Her oldest sister- my 18 yr old was the object of her “personality” on this occasion.

2 yr old- I wanna fwoot snack

Oldest- Ok just a minute.

2 yr old- I wanna fwoot snack. I wanna fwoot snack. (this time adding the pouty lip)

Oldest- Give me a second.

2 yr old- (Stomping a foot) I wanna fwoot snack!

Oldest- I do Not have to jump up the second you snap your fingers!

2 yr old- Snap, snap, snap! (while she snapped her fingers.

Second case in point- she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to be so The man told her to stop or she was going to get a spanking. She continued and he told her. “I’m not kidding. If you don’t stop I’m going to spank you, I promise.” What does she do? Hold out her finger for him to pinky promise her. Oh good grief!
And while those are the moments that are smile worthy, there have been a few that prove to me that she is getting older, getting her own personality, and maybe a little attitude.

One afternoon she was upset. The man was going to take the kids swimming so they had all changed into their suits, but we were waiting on a call to know when it was ok for them to go over. She couldn’t understand the waiting and was growing very, very impatient. I was in the living room with the man and a few of the kids watching t.v. When she realized they weren’t leaving right away to go swimming she got peeved. She repeated over and over that she wanted to go swimming. No amount of explaining would ease her or calm her frustration. She started crying, flailing a bit, and even slammed onto her bottom. When that wasn’t the magic solution to her devastating problem she started kicking the couch. Then she stormed off down the hall crying and yelling that she wanted to go swimming.

Once in her room she continued and even closed her bedroom door. Initially I tried to let her throw her fit. After all she wasn’t doing it in front of me, and had taken it to her room. But she got louder and it sounded like she was kicking or hitting the wall.

When I entered her room she was lying on the floor and kicking her closet doors. I scanned her room and was surprised to see that she’d thrown a pile of folded clothes all over the floor. I sternly told her to stop and pick up her clothes. Now let me explain being stern with her is difficult because she has those blue eyes and that sweet mouth and she knows how to bat her eyelashes. But I did it, and apparently it worked because she started picking up the clothes. I convinced her to come out to the living room and sit whole we waited, and explained to her again that we were waiting on the call and then she could swim. That worked for about 5 minutes and then she started whining and fussing again. Within 5 minutes she’d fallen asleep on the couch, and three minutes after that we got the call to go swimming.

I’m pretty sure that the episodes like that happen when she is tired. Which is a lot lately because she has transitioned from a crib to toddler bed, and we’ve been struggling to get her to go to sleep and even stay in bed. But that’s the subject for an entirely different blog. Regardless of the reasons, it’s the moments like this that make me want to stick my head in some sand.

So how about any of you other mom’s of toddlers? Are you also discovering that they are quite tempestuous as well?

Yakkity Yak- Don't Puke Back

I made my least loved trip to the grocery the other day and The Man was sending me texts of what he thought I might forget to buy or whatever random thing he could think of that we needed. My alert would sound and of course I’d check to see what it was.

Diapers and wipes. Yep those are on my list cool

Trash Bags. Agh almost forgot those!

Cheese. Of course we MUST have cheese for all HIS many dietary needs. If it’s not covered in peanut butter, it’s covered in cheese.

Fever. Wha? I need to get a fever? Did he mean Lever? Do we even use that stuff? Is he saying I need to wash my 2000 parts?

Nope. FEVER. Like burnin' up hot, you give me fever, etc.

Oops not a part of the shopping list. Oldest Little Man was now showing symptoms that every other kidlet in the house had already been developing. Low fever, achy, sore throat, weak. Yay for Mommy! No so much =/

I do not enjoy sick kidlets. It makes me sad. Not to mention I usually end up cleaning someone’s bedding at least twice because they don’t make it to the bathroom to yack.

Case in point- I took little diva to the doctor Wednesday as she was the first who really seemed to be ill at that time, and the one with the most symptoms and a really raw looking throat. After being put on antibiotics for strep (even though cultrue came back negative- but she had puss on her throat and hospital lab might show a positive then she'd be sick on holiday) and meds for allergies we get home to discover that Blondie, my other daughter, has thrown up not only in her bed, but was leaning over and managed to get her brothers bed as well. *gag* *gulp* *swallow*. That is like the third time she has done that to me in the past 6 months. I really, really wish if she’s not going to make it to the bathroom that she’d just sit in her bed and soil just ONE set of bedding and spare the other and the carpet! Eww and ewww. I'm normally the one who ends up cleaning it up. I think though that my stomach was created to entertain anyone with a strong one, because I really really hate throw up or bodily fluids, and can't seem to hold back heaves. I was very thankful that The Man cleaned the mess up before I got a chance to see it, because I'm positive there would have been another mess to clean, MINE.

Luckily when I called the doctor to let him know that they were all pretty much acting the same as the Diva he saw earlier, he didn’t make me haul all three of them in. But we did get meds and hoping that by this afternoon they will be well on their way to feeling better for this weekend of celebrations.

Of course I’ll be drowning in a mountain of bed spreads and pillow cases for the day, But better today then tomorrow or Sunday! And as long as we don’t have to add to that mess Ima be a happy Momma!

On a side note while grocery shopping with Blondie and running errands, going to the bank, paying bills etc, I think she finally realized how much money goes into raising a family. She was pretty astounded at the grocery bill at both stores, and it wasn’t even one of larger normal ones. Maybe at least one of the kids will appreciate that money doesn’t grow on trees, that electricity, water, and their cable isn’t free, and that it cost some major Benjaman’s to make sure that they have “Good Eats.”