Little Miss Talkative

Since turning two years old nearly a month ago, NyCee has been talking up a storm. My gosh! Although she is talking more, I am pleased with how well she is developing. She can count to four. (That may have something to do with the 1-2-3 behavior modification technique that I use sometimes. Actually, it's 1-2 as I do not say "3." She responds on 1 or 2.) She also can recognize her shapes and attempts to say them. She says, "Grandma, Granddad, Ti-Ti, All better, All finished, Don't want it, potty, Mocha, Dora Cookies, Grapes," and my personal favorite: "Mommy come here."

The one challenge lately is that she has stopped saying, "please" when asking for something. Part of that may be from going to daycare. But when I ask her, "How do you ask for something?" She replies, "peez." Also, in the last couple of days she has been saying, "uh-uh" instead of "No Ma'am and "Yep" in place of "Yes Ma'am." Again, something I am sure she picked up from daycare.

But all in all, she is developing right on schedule.

Obstructed View

Because my son has yet to make his debut, my huge belly has left me no choice but to walk around with legs so hairy I look like I belong on Planet of the Apes.


In an effort to rectify this problem, I attempted to shave my legs while in the shower. There are two major problems with that:

1. I am near-sighted so my distance vision is distorted with out my glasses or contact lenses. And

2. My huge belly makes it darn near impossible to see my legs while standing.

I tried to put my legs up on the wall of the shower (not a good idea when soap is present and no slip guard is on the shower floor). After several nicks, cuts and scrapes, I abandoned the idea of shaving.

I can't really blame Ty for this. I just didn't want to go to the hospital with hairy legs and that be the focal point of the day. I could just hear the snickers: "Why didn't that nut shave her legs? She knew she could be coming to the hospital at anytime to her baby. Gross!" I mean honestly. Who wants to endure that type of humiliation. Now that I have 700 bandages all over my legs. The next conversation will be, "Why did this nut try to shave her legs at 10 months pregnant? No one cares about her hairy legs."

Vanity!

Reminiscing

When I walked into the bedroom and saw NyCee sleeping, I was instantly reminded of a picture I captured of her when she was about 1 month old. She was sleeping in almost the identical position.



My goodness, how children grow so fast. It literally seems like just a few days ago I captured this photo of her.

They grow up way too fast.

Only 1 centimeter?

When I saw the nurse today, (my OB is on vacation) she advised me that I was dilated 1 cm. Initially I thought, "Aw man! Only 1 centimeter." But then I thought, "Oh man! 1 centimeter! Hey that is an improvement over last week! Only 9 centimeters to go!"

And bonus: I lost 6 pounds! That rocks!

I have learned to expect positive things to occur everyday and I will take the positive however it comes.

Afterthought: It's weird walking around with my cervix open and that being normal. :~P

3/4 Nearly Completed

My cousin Cari is a breast cancer survivor and during her chemo treatments she often referred to them in terms of the miles for completing a marathon. (Cari is an advent runner and has completed many marathons throughout the years.) While I have never run a marathon, I could relate to her analogy. As each phases passes, it is another milestone completed. 1/2 way mark, 3/4 mark, etc.

That is how I feel. The past few months have been challenging to say the least but as I ran the race with patience (Hebrews 12:1), I can see how each milestone moment puts me closer to completing this part of the race.

For the past 24 weeks, I have been in graduate school and have taken 3 courses each quarter. Graduate school is challenging but rewarding. Also, caring for my toddler, growing from being pregnant with Ty (who still has not made his debut), and planning my future has been draining. But I am reminded of an old adage my grandmother Minnie used to say: "When you think you have no shoes, think of the man with no feet." In other words, someone is worse off than you so be thankful to God for what you have.

When I think of how far I have come with respect to my educational endeavors, I stop and look up to heaven and thank God for the journey. No, it has not been easy. Yes, there have been tear filled nights. ("Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5b.) I am over the half way mark and am continuing to press toward the goal. And I run my race with joy and patience for I can see how all the hard work, rocky patches, and trips through the valley, pays off.

With that being said, I have to hit the books as classes started back up yesterday. 3classes, 11 weeks, 1 pending birth, 1 spunky toddler, 1 20 page proposal to write, 8 journal entries, 2 research papers, and a partridge in a pear tree (HA! HA!): Lord Jesus continue to give me strength.

(Have you ever noticed how quickly a two week vacation passes?)

One Crappy Evening

"Mommy. Boo-Boo. Potty."

"Okay, pumpkin cake. Hurry to the potty."

As she was sitting there waiting for the deed to be completed, she decided to jump down off the stool smearing her unfinished business on the seat and all down her legs.

I will take keeping her in diapers for $600 please Alex.

Bathroom Visitor

So last night I put NyCee in the bed at her normal bedtime. I decided that I would take a shower a little earlier than normal to help me relax. Well, about 5 minutes into my shower with shampoo in my hair and soap on my body, what do I hear: "Mommy." Sure enough, my child standing in the bathroom door smiling. (She had only been in the bed about 10 minutes.) What else could I do but bring her into the bathroom with me?

The entire time, she wanted to play peek-a-boo with the shower curtain. And when she couldn't see me because I was facing backwards and she was pulling the curtain from the front, she would bellow out, "MOMMY" as if I were able to disappear from behind the shower curtain.

When I finally dried off, she attempted to "assist" me with my lotions and etc. She handed me each item and then wanted some for herself. She also continuously poked at my belly and said, "Baby" and then broke out in laughter. She is truly a character.

12:44 a.m

Picture it: Port Huron, MI, 12:44 a.m. All is quiet in the sleepy town. Everyone in the house, including the dog Mocha, is slumbering soundly. Mommies and Daddies are tucked in their beds with visions of sunshine and warm weather dancing in their heads.

But then piercing through the still silence a small voice exclaims, "Mommy. Potty!"

Mommy is awakened from a deep, restful slumber and replies, "Okay Pumpkin Cake. Come lay next to mommy and go back to sleep."

While I am positive that was not the correct response, I was so tired that I didn't want to get up and make the first of my five or six potty trips that night. I have no doubt that she really did have to potty. Mommy was just too lazy to get up, remove the diaper, sit on her the potty, wait for her to put pee-pee in the potty, put a new diaper on her, and walk her back to bed. Nope! That was entirely too much to do at nearly 10 months pregnant at 12:44 a.m.

Nothing! Nada! Zilch!

I saw the OB today. (Well, I had to see the nurse because he was called out to deliver a baby at the hospital across the street from his office.) Anyway, Tyler is still in place.

No progress. He is just content to live in the womb kicking the crap out of mommy everyday.

He is not due until 04/16/2008 but I just knew he would be considerate and come out while I was on break from school.

Sunday, my family thought I was having contractions because my lower back was really hurting and I felt pressure in the pelvic area. (More pressure than normal. I never experienced labor pains with NyCee as my labor was induced with her. However, prior to the induction process, I was given LOTS of drugs so I don't know what a contraction feels like.) As a result, my mom called Tarisa to come over and stay with me while she and my dad were at church. But nothing happened. I think Tarisa was more disappointed than I was. And of course today I learned that Ty was just moving around trying to make room for himself.

So, the pregnancy continues..

Mommy should have listened

Last night, NyCee decided that she did not want to go to sleep at her normal bedtime of 8:00p. For whatever reason, she decided that she wanted juice, cookies, milk, or anything that she could think of to avoid going to sleep.

Several times, she said, "Ma, potty." I asked, "NyCee do you have to put pee-pee in the potty." She'd nod her head and say, "Yes." Well, after a couple of times of removing the diaper and taking her to the potty only to have her smile while sitting there, I put a diaper on her and put her little self back in the bed.

About an hour or so passed and I thought that she was sleeping. WRONG! She walked out to the living room saying, "Ma. Mommy." To which I replied, "Yes." "I boo-boo potty." So of course when I checked her diaper, she in fact had done the deed. Well, during the diaper changing process, she repeated, "Ma. boo-boo potty." When I asked, "NyCee do you have to put boo-boo in the potty?" She nodded, "Yes." I thought she was stalling again and I told her it was too late for the potty because she already boo-booed.

15 minutes later when I began my bedtime process, she was still lying there wide awake repeating, "Ma, boo-boo." Let's just say, I wouldn't have wasted so many diapers last night if I had just listened to what she was trying to tell me.

Today, perhaps?

Last week I wrapped up another quarter of school and am on a two week break. I welcome the break as I am tired from carrying three graduate courses, caring for a toddler, being pregnant, and planning for the future. Mentally I need a rest.

I completed the quarter with two A's and one B. In the past, I would have beaten myself up about the B. But at this stage my outlook is, "I passed the class and that is one less class I need to take to complete my program." Please don't misunderstand as I believe that we should strive for excellence but not at the risk of having a nervous breakdown. Lately, I have been evaluating my life and realized that I am pretty darn proud of myself. I have had a great life so far and have met challenges head on while enjoying awesome experiences. And it is only going to get better.

Last Sunday, I decided that Tyler should be born this week. Why? Well, because I just mentioned that I am on a two week break and it is just convenient. When I was examined by the OB on Tuesday, he advised that Ty has not even dropped down into position and my cervix is still closed. Tyler is starting off wrong already. I made it clear to him that mommy is tired and would like to meet him this week. In theory, he should cooperate right? I guess since his due date is two weeks away he is well within his right to remain comfortably situated in mommy's belly.

The sooner this child of mine makes his debut, the sooner mommy can go back to work. I know that my patience will be rewarded if I just rest and let God work this out. But neither the day nor the week are over yet so we can keep hope alive that Ty will be born today or this week. HE! HE!

I would wait....

I would wait until the last two weeks of a 40 week pregnancy to begin to crave all the things I am NOT suppose to have. Ice cream, cookies (peanut butter especially), chips, soda, you name it.

Now why in the world didn't I want this junk when I was able to workout three days a week and could burn off the calories I am consuming? It must be because I am carrying a boy. :~)

Easter Ensemble

Despite my constant protest that it is only 30 degrees in Michigan today, my mother insisted that NyCee wore the Easter dress her Nana Ida bought for her. Between the two grandmothers, NyCee had all the makings of a complete Easter ensemble. Trying to get her to smile for pictures was a different matter all together.

She wouldn't smile when I attempted to take her picture without the sunglasses and hat. This was the best photo out of several taken.


Then, when I allowed her to put the sunglasses on, she was too playful and wouldn't pose for the full body shot.

Finally, I just gave in and let her wear ALL the components of the Easter outfit to try and get a good picture.

That didn't work either.

The Party

NyCee really enjoyed her birthday party. Several of her cousins were there to help her celebrate her 2nd birthday.

She began by climbing up the jungle gym contraption

and sliding down by herself.

Next, she rode the rocket ship which she wanted to ride over and over and over again.

After which, she and Taliyah rode a virtual roller coaster.

Finally, after a couple of hours of playing I was able to bring her to the table to blow out the candle on her cake after everyone sang "Happy Birthday."

One would think that after all that afternoon excitement the day would end. Think again! Her grandmother insisted that she dye eggs. I tried to strongly suggest that she is way too young to be near egg dye but her grandmother wouldn't hear of it.

NyCee's face lit up with excitement as each egg turned colors. (Of course, she dipped her hands in the dye and her hands turned green and blue. The two colors she chose to dip her hands in.)

It was a fun filled day and NyCee seemed to really enjoy herself.

Terrific Two!

NyCee celebrated her 2nd birthday today. Well, we really didn't "celebrate" her birthday today I simply acknowledged it. She will have a birthday party on Saturday when it was most convenient for everyone. But I would not let the day go by without some sort of recognition.

This morning started off with a bang as NyCee walked up to me and said, "Ma, potty." So I removed her diaper and sat her on the potty. Sure enough, she put pee-pee in the potty and smiled and cheered at her accomplishment. (I had to complete a final exam today so she went to the learning center for a few hours.) After I completed my exam, I picked her up and we went to the movies to watch, Horton Hears a Who. NyCee was the only child in the theater to actually sit and watch the movie. Every now and then she would chime in, "Elephant", "Elephant running" and I would acknowledge that she was correct.

I lie not. As I was writing this entry I heard, "Ma. Mommy. Stuck." So I proceeded to the living room and this is what I saw:

My first thought was: "How in the world did she get in the container of toys?" Then I thought, "Who knows? Let the fun times begin!"

Happy Birthday Big Girl. Mommy loves you very much!

Goop

"But mommy, I was just trying to make myself look pretty like you do."
Really, I have only myself to blame for leaving an open bottle of hair grease on the bed with a 23 month old inquistive child.

A NyCee On My Back

I decided to lie in bed and read in an attempt to keep my feet elevated. Well, my daughter thought it would be a good idea to climb on my back and continue slumbering ever so peacefully.


And believe me, she was slumbering quite comfortably also.

Employee of the Year

This evening, my dad and several colleagues, were recognized as employees of the year from various schools within the district for their outstanding work and achievements at their learning institutions. This is a great honor as the students along with other faculty members were apart of the voting process.



My father serves as assistant principal at University High School in Ferndale, MI. The school works in conjunction with Lawrence Technical College to afford the students an opportunity to get a taste of the college life while in high school. He has functioned in his role for three (3) years.

Congratulations!!!

Finger painting

NyCee enjoyed fingerpainting with her Aunt Camille. I was a little leary about letting my child near paint and carpet but Camille had it all planned out.

What we discovered is that NyCee did not actually want to finger paint. She wanted to use the paint brush, put it in the paint, then put it in the water, and then paint on the paper. Well, that is a little out of order.

Oh well. She enjoyed the day with her aunt.

Blessed Beyond Measure

The assistant pastor's wife (Tracee) of the church that I have been attending called me and stated that a few ladies from the church were going to give me a baby shower. I tried to decline but Tracee would not hear of it. I have only been attending Cross Current Church for about 5 months. But the love these ladies showed me was overwhelming. I could not have imagined that I would have received so many gifts. There were bags and bags of clothes, undershirts, bibs, crib sets, etc. One woman even bought a bag of summer clothes for NyCee. It took several hours for me to sort through everything and organize it by size.

After I finally went through all the bags, Ty has clothes and needed items until he is about 6 months old. Tears still fill my eyes when I think of how much God loves me to touch these women (who barely know me)in such a way that they would shower me with love and such wonderful gifts. Their kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.

Never underestimate the power and love of God. He will always surpass anything that we can ask or think of Him. "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us." Ephesians 3:20

Comparison

9 months pregnant with NyCee--February 2006

9 months pregnant with Tyler--March 2008

I can not believe I am actually publishing these photos for the world to see. (No wonder my grandfather told me that some things just shouldn't be published on the web.) GREAT GRAPES IN THE MORNING. I AM HUGE!!!!!!!!

All is well

Today, I had my first of the weekly doctor's appointment and I am pleased to report that all is well with Ty. His heartbeat is strong and he is healthy and obviously happy because he dances around all day in my belly.

He is not in the birthing position yet which is fine by me as he needs a few more weeks to gain a little more weight. Speaking of weight, that darn scale is finally starting to move in the right direction--towards the left. I lost 1 pound. One pound may not seem like a lot but I am happy about it because I have to get in shape to return to work this summer. That one pound has this process headed in the right direction. HA! HA!

Thank you to everyone who sent text messages and emails of concern for me and Ty. Hopefully, I will have my computer back this week and can post pictures of NyCee.

Technical Difficulties

My computer is at the shop for repair. 8-((

I am unable to post any entries with pictures until it is repaired.

Once the repairs are made, I will continue to share NyCee's antics and developments with you.

Lil' Baby Cakes

To my surprise, Tyler received a gift today. I was curious as to who it was from given that no name appeared on the return address label. When I opened the box, this was inside:

How incredibly cute, huh? My friend Jacki, who lives in Chicago, ordered it from Lil' Baby Cakes. It is a three tier "cake" made up of diapers, lotions, washcloths, and a teddy bear. Not only was I surprised, but I was overwhelmed at the thoughtfulness of the gift. It is so cute that I don't want to unwrap it to use the items.

Straight Chillin'

After a long day, doesn't everyone just want to relax in his/her favorite chair and just chill?


Looks like NyCee and Elmo have accomplished just that. You've gotta love the Elmo reclining lay-z-boy chair.

The 1 weekers are here...Already!

Well, it's official. My doctor began the 1 week countdowns a little early. Normally, between 34 and 36 weeks, a pregnant woman goes to the doctor every two weeks. While all of my vital readings were good, Ty's heartbeat was a little slow and I am measuring about 3 inches below the target range so he decided to see me again next week.

I am not worried about Ty as he is a trooper. I just don't like starting the 1 week process any earlier than I have to. But oh well, Ty's health is what's most important so I will perk up and follow the doctor's orders.

Shopping for the sexes

Lately, I have been out shopping trying to get ready for Ty's arrival. (Side note: I still have not decided between Frederick Tyler and Tyler Frederick.) Moving along, I have noticed the selection for boy's clothing is really skimpy. NyCee is so easy to shop for because no matter what store I am in: Wal-mart, Target, Kmart or Kohl's, I can always find something for her. Generally it is on a sales rack. For example, I bought her a shirt for $3, a pair of tights for $4 and paired it with a blue jeans skirt. Viola! She was adorable and everyone complimented her on the outfit.

Ty is not so easy. First, unless you have two children of the opposite sex you have probably never noticed how the girl's clothes dominates the kid's department. There are several racks to choose from. Boys get one or two little rounders and the mom has to hope for the best. Second, the clothes in Wal-mart, Kmart and Target are so "cheesy" looking. I do not want my son looking like a big blue sailboat covered in ducks and puppies. YUCK :-(

I am going to venture out to Kohl's and Kid's 'R' Us to see what I can find. But Kid's 'R' Us is expensive in my opinion. Especially, given that children grow so fast and play on the floor and ground all day. I even tried Macy's but their selection was skimpy also. I am open to any suggestions.

Study Bug

NyCee has been bitten by the study bug that has invaded my parent's house. Everyday, my sister's children come over for an hour of study time. No television, no computer, just books and piano.

Kari, the middle child, plays the piano while Taliyah, the youngest and Cian the oldest practice math. NyCee sees them sitting at the table with grandma completing the evening's assignment. I guess, she wanted to be a big girl and join in.

There are also nights when she sneaks out of bed and sees me sitting at the table completing my school work. I see it as positive. Now, I just have to preserve this memory so that when she starts school, she know that study time is a requirement. (smile)

Little Lady

I have no idea why my child decided the middle of the kitchen floor would be a good place to eat her morning snack. Whatever works for her, right? But I am glad that she is being a lady about it. Notice her prim and proper position--her legs crossed and mouth closed while she is chewing. Hey, I will take what I can get.

No Will Power

Ever since I stopped working out three days a week, my diet has gone to hell in a hand basket on a jet plane. My gosh. I have eaten cookies and chips and muffins and ice cream. When I was working out, I would limit myself to two Weight Watchers ice cream bars a week (1 point each) and granola bars to curb my sweet tooth when it struck. But this week, oh my gosh. I have really just over did it. I even had Hagen Daaz ice cream. An entire container of Hagen Daaz ice cream. Butter pecan. Oooh, it was so good. That started the decline. I should have kept walking past the freezer section in the store. I didn't.

For the past 2 hours, I have been having an internal struggle over eating the last three (3) peanut butter cookies. If I eat them, I will feel guilty. But I really, really want them. I keep telling myself that if I give in and eat the last three cookies, that could translate into other areas of my life by which I do not exercise self-control.

Really, that is too deep a thought at 8 months pregnant....

I ate the cookies.

Shoud I be sharing this?

Well, I have contemplated all night as to whether or not I should post this information on the blog. It is definitely a T.M.I but it is an accomplishment also. So here we go...

Last night as I was preparing NyCee for bath time, she began to pat her bottom saying, "Ma, poo-boo." So I thought, well she's naked anyway why not put her on the potty? Sure enough, she put poo-boo in the potty. Every time it hit the water, she would clap and say, "Yeah!"

Of course, I congratulated her on this huge accomplishment and told her that she was a big girl for telling mommy that she had to poo-boo and she put it in the potty. Again, she smiled, clapped, and said, "Yeah!" After which, she got off the potty, flushed the toilet, held out her hands saying, "hands." (That means she wants to get her hands washed.)

Ironically, I tried to start working with her on the potty at the beginning of the year. She was doing very well for a couple of weeks then she just stopped. Well, she seems to have gotten her potty mojo back so after her birthday next month, I will start working with her again. I am hoping that she will be potty trained by this summer because buying 2 boxes of diapers a month will be expensive.

Glamour Girl?

No so much! Judging by the outfit, she is definitely NOT headed to the Red Carpet. But the hair is FABULOUS!

Intensity

I hope that NyCee focuses this intensely at the learning center to the lessons being taught as she does when Dora the Explorer comes on TV.

HDTV Snob

If you have never had the privilege (and it is a privilege) to watch a television program in High Definition, you don't know what you are missing.

The HD box on the living room TV died on Saturday evening and we had to use a regular box to watch television. YUCK! 5 days of no HDTV. My dad had to order a new box and we had to wait for the installer to come and connect the box. It was a long 5 days of watching fuzzy TV.

Thankfully, he arrived today because one more day of fuzzy TV was NOT going to work for me.

Expanding

(Warning: Viewer discretion is advised)

Today starts the official countdown to Tyler's birth. I saw the OB for my normal monthly appointment where I was in the waiting room for 45 minutes and spoke with him for about 5 minutes.

He advised that my belly measures the correct size and the baby's heart rate is 160 beats per minute. Good and strong. Well, below are updated photos of Tyler stretching my belly.

Shirt down:

Shirt raised:

When I look at my belly it doesn't appear to be as large and round as when I was pregnant with NyCee. Of course, I was about 40 lighter then too. I also realized that my son must be impacting my ability to count. I posted an entry in which I stated that I was 6 months pregnant and that was just two weeks ago. Well, that can't be right because I am 32 weeks today which would mean I am about 8 months pregnant. So I really have to slow down my daily routine.

I asked my doctor if he would consider inducing my labor to avoid any surprise water breakage or labor pains during an inopportune time. He stated that he would consider it but not until the 39th week or so. As I see it, if he induces my labor, we both know what is going on that day and can plan accordingly. He can go to the golf course for a couple of hours. I can make the necessary arrangements for NyCee. Really, my plan works. Plus, if the labor is induced, I get the drugs early.

You know you are pregnant and ghetto when...

You know you are pregnant and ghetto when you take your mother's car to the service station for an oil change at 830a, whip out a bowl of cereal and a cup of milk, proceed to eat the cereal and follow that up with an apple all while waiting for the technician to finish his work.

Snack Time Sharing?

"I'll eat some of mine."

"Then, some of mommy's."
"Well, mommy doesn't need her yogurt so I will just eat both."
And she ate both containers of yogurt. In fact, she turned them upside down in an attempt to scrape out every drop.

Routine

Evertime we come in the house, NyCee turns to close the door and then begins to remove her winter gear.

First, she unzips her coat,

then, she removes it and takes it straight to the closet,

next, she attempts to "hang" it up,

but sadly, she misses the target each time and begins to cry.

I still think it's cute how at such a young age she recognizes routine. I encourage her to keep trying everytime the coat falls on the floor. Of course, she will not be able to actually hang it for several years, but she is a big girl for trying.

Hats Off!!

I tip my hat to educators everywhere. To my cousin Cari, Mrs. Richards (my niece's teacher) and educators across this great land: GOD LOVE YOU!

I spent a day in my niece's class and I don't have a clue how Mrs. Richards deals with hyper 9 year olds for 6-8 hours a day--especially when each has consumed 6,000lbs of sugar. Oh, my gosh-a-pickles! Being an educator really takes a lot of patience and a call from God.

Thank you to Cari and all those who answered that call and devote their lives to stirring the minds of our children. Hooray to you!

(Side note: It was also interesting to see that Mrs. Richards wears a microphone in the classroom. She turns it on and says, "If you can hear the sound of my voice, please stop talking." Her voice is just above a whisper but sure enough, the kids calmed down and stopped talking. I thought that was pretty cool!)

~~~~~~~~~~~
P.S. My aunt had to remind me that my parents are educators as well. (Oops-a-dinkle, I forgot about them. My dad is an assistant principal of a high shool and my mom teaches math.)

Pouting

I can only assume that due to the cold weather and the early morning hour my child suffered a temporary lapse in her ability to make sound decisions when she boldly stood in defiance and starred at me after I denied her request. As if she were saying, "I am not going to do what you said because you didn't do what I asked."

Needless to say, that lasted for all of about one minute and her ability to make rational decisions returned very quickly.

"Please, somebody make it stop!"

If 750 pounds of snow is not falling from the sky,
then it is 750 degrees below zero.

"Please, somebody make it stop. I plead with you. Please, make it stop!"

This weather is wearing me out!

Pattern

"NyCee, would you like a cup of juice?"
"No."
(A few minutes later)
"Ma, juce peez."
~~~~~~~~~~
"NyCee, would you like a snack?"
"No."
(A few minutes later)
"Ma, snack peez."
~~~~~~~~~~
"NyCee, would you like to sit on the couch with mommy?"
"No."
(A few minutes later)
"Ma, up peez.)
~~~~~~~~~~
"NyCee, would you like to read a book?
"No."
(A few minutes later)
"Ma, book peez."
~~~~~~~~~~
"NyCee, are you ready to eat dinner?"
"No."
(A few minutes later)
"Ma, eat peez."
~~~~~~~~~~
"NyCee, have you finished eating?"
"No."
(A few minutes later)
"Ma, finish."

You get the picture.

Clingy

There are several reasons why I did not plan to have any more children but one of the primary reasons is my concern for how NyCee will adapt to this change. Lately, she has been very clingy and needy. She was like this when she stopped going to daycare and that was understandable as she was at home with me all day. But within the past couple of weeks, I have noticed that she doesn't want to sit in her chair alone and eat her snack. She wants to eat the snack on my lap. Or if I am cooking dinner, she whines, "Up, Peez" constantly. If I walk out of the room, she immediately follows behind and starts whining and crying. I don't understand what is going on with her.

I try to include her, as much as a 22 month old can be included, in the pregnancy. I let her touch my belly when the baby is moving, and she replies, "Baby." I acknowledge her by saying, "Very good. There is a baby in mommy's belly." But I am really very concerned that she will not adapt well to his arrival.

Granted I am not the only woman in society to have children who are two years apart but I don't have a clue how handle both of them at the same time. How do I chose who gets my attention at what time?

10 weeks: Start the Countdown

Well, I am finally in the final 10 weeks of pregnancy. I don't know why doctors lie and say that pregnancy is nine (9) months because it's not. It is 40 weeks--give or take a month or two with five weeks in it--a woman is still pregnant for 40 weeks.

I have heard that every pregnancy is different and I finally believe that to be true. NyCee was very calm in the womb for the most part. She had times when she would dance and play around but nothing like her little brother. Ty bounces, stretches and of course kicks me right in the bladder and holds that position for a good 1 or 2 minutes.

I have not started the countdown for the most obvious reason: Ty's birth. I have started it because going to the doctor once a month is just annoying. I have to sit in the waiting room for about 20 or 25 minutes (and we all know how I feel about that.) Only to be walked back to the patient room where I am weighed (sheer torture), blood pressure taken, urine sample handed off to the nurse, and I wait for the doctor to arrive. He knocks, enters the room, listens to the baby's heart beat, and says, "See you in four weeks." Honestly, I would save time if I could just do that at home and email him the information.

The second part to the countdown begins because this is my last visit for the monthly doctor's appointments. Shortly, I will have to go every two weeks and then every week to sit through the same monotonous routine until Tyler decides to arrive. While I am confident that the visits serve a purpose, I just wish I could figure out how to streamline the process.

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Rule of thumb for today: When you are 6 months pregant, it is not a good idea to try and complete your monthly grocery shopping when it is a blizzard outside and you are hungry. Why? Well, I learned the hard way that shopping carts do NOT roll through snow and 2. I probably spent an extra $67.6 million buying everything I saw because I was hungry. Additionally, I ate several items as I walked up and down each aisle trying to be certain that I did not miss anything on my list.

Biker Babe

NyCee seems to really enjoy "riding" her bike that she received for Christmas. (Notice: it is stationary so all she can do right now, is rock back and forth. I did that intentionally.) Nonetheless, she jumps on her bike everyday and imagines that she is on the open highway. It's actually very cute because she sings and dances while "riding" her bike.

Prior to snapping this shot, she was standing straight up on the seat with her arms in the air shouting, "Hoo-rah!" (I wanted to capture of a photo of that but didn't want her to be startled and fall off the bike.)

Mother and Daughter Day

I decided a few weeks ago that I would set Sundays aside to spend with NyCee and Ty (when he comes along). My reason for this decision is because I have recognized how quickly children grow up and how easy it would be for me to miss it due to work and school and all the other things going on in life. I do not turn on the computer, check emails, attend to school work or any thing else. I try to focus on playing with her and giving her my time and attention.

Yesterday, after church and naptime, NyCee and I enjoyed dinner at Big Boy's Restaurant. (For those of you who are not native Detroiters, I have provided a link for the resturant.) It's not fancy but I recall my parents taking my sisters and I there when we were younger.

As you can see, she enjoyed the slice of banana cream pie we shared. (Several diners in the restaurant spoke of how well she sat up in her chair and ate her dinner and played quietly. You have NO IDEA how good that made me feel.)

After dinner, we settled in to watch the Superbowl. (I am so mad the Patriots let the Giants score a touchdown with 35 seconds left in the game. The Patriots would have had a perfect season-- 17 wins 0 losses. Oh, well) Anyway, I guess NyCee grew bored watching the game because she began playing with my feet. It started when she removed my socks and attempted to place them on her feet. Growing bored with that...

she moved on to putting her baby doll's cups on my feet. That entertained her for quite a while.

All in all, it was a good day and I am glad that I made the decision to have a day for my children. If I start it now, I will be in the habit when I return to work this summer.