Thievery.

Just know, I didn't steal this first.

This has been trailing through the blogs recently, and I found it refreshing and true enough to repost even though alot of people that read this blog have probably already seen it... but for those who haven't, thank my friend Anna for bringing it to my attention.

Everything is amazing, but nobody is happy. Ya, things aren't as easy as they used to be, but really, compared to what they could be... I suppose it's all in the perspective.

Enjoy.

A few things....

So... I'm pregnant. I don't know if I've mentioned that on here or not. And being pregnant makes things hard(er than normal). (And really, I want to apologize for complaining all of the time on here... but... it is my outlet... so you'll just have to bear with me for a few more months) The other day, I went to the bank. As it was in the middle of the day, I was totting along Alex in her stroller as well. I finished my business, then headed out to my car. At this particular bank, there are two sets of big heavy double doors that you must go through in order to get in or out. This is hard to do while you are pregnant and trying to maneuver a stroller as well (and it's not one of those handy steer-with-one-hand types either). As I reached the first door, going out remember, I noticed that there was a younger man following behind me. He must have been in his twenties, and, as far as I could tell, perfectly capable of opening a door. But he was on his phone. And, gasp!, holding a piece of paper! So, maybe that's why he let me go ahead and struggle with door number one. I thought to myself, well, that's ok. Because by no means would I want to draw his attention away from his conversation, or, even worse, cause his to shift the single piece of paper from one hand to the other. That would be rude of me. When we hit door number two, I kind of expected him to get it this time. Like we were a tag-team. But, there's me being selfish again. Still holding the paper, Laura! Still on the phone! And of course, you know how big and chunky and heavy cell phones are these days. So, I begin the struggle again... swing door open, catch with foot, back self out first, follow with stroller, apologize to daughter for hitting her head on other door, remove stroller from path of door, pick self up off of ground after tripping on stroller. You know, the whole deal. And to be honest, I was so thrilled at having actually gotten out of the bank, I let the door go as soon as my large rear end passed the threshold, without so much of a thought for my young friend. Not that I meant not to hold the door for him, but, me, pregnant, no blood in my brain, all in my uterus. It just took me that short amount of time to forget that I was being followed. I am sure in most cases I would have gone on my merry way, oblivious to the rudeness of my action, but this guy, being the gentleman that he was, actually took the time to catch up to me in the parking lot, walk right up to me and say (in the most sincere of voices, I assure you), "Thanks for holding the door for me," laugh to whomever he was on the phone with, and walk away. ... Honestly, for a moment I wished I was not pregnant, only because then I would have had a tampon in my purse that I would have gladly and unapologeticly shoved into his ear.

Moving on.

Today I had a fight with my camera. It was trying to withhold the pictures that were still on it, but I perservered, and I won. So here they are... the last that this Canon A80 will ever take. This was when it was puttering out on me, and stuck on full zoom. So... not the best quality of shots. But I tried to doctor them up a little so they were worth something. Enjoy. These may be the last pictures for a while....

Happy Week/birth/technicallyyouaren'tbornyetbutIcelebrateanyway/day to you, Little Fetus!

My little mudslinger is 30 weeks old today! Yahoo! Not only does that mean that he (according to the handy emails I get) is about the size of a head of cabbage (not sure why they compare him to food every week... sometimes I have no idea what the food is and then I am all thrown off because HOW BIG IS MY CHILD THIS WEEK?!?! DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY CHINESE CABBAGE I CAN REFERENCE?! OR WHAT ABOUT AN ENGLISH HOTHEAD CUCUMBER? IS THAT THE SAME THING AS A NORMAL CUCUMBER?? AND IF IT IS, WHY DIDN'T I KNOW THAT?? I'VE WASTED MY LIFE REFERRING TO CUCUMBERS AS 'CUCUMBERS', WHEN OBVIOUSLY ENGLISH HOTHEAD CUCUMBER IS SO MUCH MORE AWESOME!)... anyway, not only that, but that means that I only have 10 (maybe less) weeks left. Praise the Lord. Bring on the pain, bring on the recovery, bring on the sleeplessness that is newborn infant. But please, empty my uterus so more blood can go to my brain again. I am tired of being pregnant stupid. And pregnant clumsy. And pregnant FAT. Yesterday I peed all over myself for no good reason, and I am blaming it on 1) pregnant stupid and 2) my bruised and battered bladder. No joke. I have a tendency to pee blood on and off, and being that there is no infection, and I am pretty sure I am done with the kidney stones, I think it is because this child will not stop punching me. He beats me up. Alex did not do this. Sure, she kicked and moved and whatever. But he kicks and punches. Yesterday, I was in a meeting and he kicked me in my bottom rib so hard that it brought tears to my eyes. This poor girl that I was with is so excited to have kids, but I think I have scared her with my pregnancy. I keep assuring her that the 2 days that it took to deliver Alex were the best two in my life, despite the pain (and the vomit, and the diarrhea, and the blood... and oh my word did I mention that big, scary crochet needle?!). It's worth it. You just have to get through it. And not all women are cursed when it comes to anything dealing with ovaries. So, no worries. You'll be fiiiiiiiiine.

In fully-developed baby news, Alex is talking. Only 'hi', but she knows what she is saying and it's always accompanied by the most excited wave ever. It's so.... I guess the word is odd, hearing her talk. She's so tiny still... I'll get used to it. I felt the same way when she started walking. To see such a small child doing it is just really... odd. But I suppose we are advancing towards the toddler stage at a nice pace. She will be 13 months on the 4th. I can't believe it. I am hoping to get a camera before the 18th, because that is when her 'One-andthensum' party is. Which I am looking forward to. I am really excited to bake her a little Alex cake and let her go at it. She's had cake by now, but it's been spoonfed up until this point. I wanted to save the cake-mess for when Paul and I were both with her and it was the cake I made for her. Call me selfish. (Do it and I'll pray that you get pregnant. And if you are a boy, that's going to be a really awkward conversation with your significant other.)

In grown-up news, I am officially a Mary Kay consultant. I picked up this gig after attending a church funtion where they were selling some stuff. I talked with a few of the women, and then signed up the next day. I think this is humorous for several reasons, the most important being that I don't really wear makeup. But it seems like a good product and I am excited to have a sort of business going on in this house. It's nice to feel like I can add financially to our lives, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to buy Paul a birthday present with not-his-money. I have until May to make $150 in spare cash to afford it. I think it's a reasonable goal. I can't say what it is on here for obvious reasons... but it's going to be awesome. For him.

So anyway, if you want to check it out....

www.marykay.com/lrinas

Feel free to browse and uhm, purchase anything you want. Did I mention that the Satin Hands kit is amazing? And there are plenty of things that make great birthday/mother's day gifts!! And look! Free shipping!

Yep, shameless advertising. But do you blame me? (If yes.... pregnant. And I assure you that it will be my type of pregnancy. No perky pregnant princesses allowed here.)

Let me set the scene...

Child gets up much earlier than normal. Mother curses incoming molars.

Child cries and cries while Mother, still very drowsy, ambles around the kitchen gathering a simple breakfast for Child.

Child chugs back a bottle of milk while waiting for Tired Mother.

Tired Mother finally has breakfast, toast with jelly and sliced up oranges, ready for Impatient Child.

Impatient Child shovels food in mouth at an extraordinary rate. Tired Mother nearly misses her mouth with a spoonful of cereal.

Impatient Child appears to be done eating, but Tired Mother notices bits of orange still in Impatient Child's mouth.

Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex begins gagging on said oranges.

Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex vomits oranges, toast, and clumpy milk all over self and highchair.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex stares.

Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex begins to play with own vomit.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex jumps into action, stripping Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex down in highchair, throwing clothes on floor.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex begins to gag.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex threatens to vomit directly on Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex.

Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex continues to play with own vomit.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex attempts to wipe vomit out of Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex's reach.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex continues to gag.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex curses Dutiful Father for being at work.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex finally gets Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex out of seat.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex throws up in mouth. Swallows hard.

Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex begins to play with clothes that are covered in vomit.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex throws highchair table in sink and turns on faucet, all the while singing loudly to distract herself and not under any circumstances breathing through her nose.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex tears clothes away from Impatient Child With A Gag Reflex, throwing them over the banister to be put in laundry.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex realizes she just threw vomit-covered clothes onto carpeted flooring.

Tired, Pregnant Mother From Whom The Child Got The Gag Reflex curses various inanimate objects.


Hope your morning was better.

Children make me tired.

Because I am obviously pregnant now, with a huge belly and all, people have decided that it's ok to assume that I am with child. This is fine with me, because... I am... but along with that assumption always comes the same advice. Upon seeing my belly, and seeing Alex strapped in the stroller or waddling along next to me (yes, we waddle together), most everybody always feels the need to point out just how tired I will be when number two arrives. As if I should reserve all of my energy that is flowing out of my eyeballs now so I am ready to tackle two children instead of just the one. But, the problem is, I am already tapped out on energy. So you telling me that things will be so much harder and oh my gosh you are going to have your hands full and oh you poor thing what did you do to yourself?! doesn't help. I understand that life is about to get so much more chaotic... but I am (perhaps falsely) holding out hope that at least when I don't have feet digging up into my rib cage and little hands bruising my bladder that I will feel more motivated then I do now to really tackle these children head on. I just want (the lower half of) my body back! I am excited for the chaos- excited for the noise- excited for the growing family... I will just be more excited for it come June.

I feel like I had more to say on the subject, but honestly, this post has been a few days in the making (believe it or not), and I just want to finish it so it's not hanging over my head.

So... it is finished. For now.