Complain-y

Complain-y.  Is that a word?  Well, regardless, that's what I am lately.  So for those of you who will listen to my little annoying rant, here goes.

1.  Potty training.  Yes, we are still definitely working on it.  And I am going crazy.  He's doing much better every day and I'm proud of him, but we still are basically quarantined in the house.  He has yet to poop in the potty, and it is hard for me to get down and up when I have to clean up messes from all over the house.  Which brings me to....

2.  Pregnancy.  Seriously.  I don't know what's wrong with me, but I feel like I have been pregnant for a hundred years.  With both Andrew and Emily, it went pretty quickly (although I'm fully aware of how impatient I was at the end) but with this one, Mike and I both have been commenting on how long this pregnancy has seemed.  I'm so uncomfortable, so ready to get this baby out, and so tired of feeling like a Weeble.  Laying down is no longer comfortable, but neither is sitting up, so sleeping has been pretty restless.  That brings me to my last complaint.

3.  Emily.  She has started waking up at least twice in the night screaming.  She'll scream and scream and won't put herself back to sleep.  She's working on 3 molars, and has been getting super frustrated because we don't always understand what she says.  I think maybe it's her way of showing me that as frustrated as I am to still be pregnant, having a newborn will also be tough.  "Wake up, Mommy!  This is going to be your future!!!"

So, I'm sorry to be so whiney, but I wanted to complain to someone, and I feel bad for my husband because he's had to hear it so much.  :)

Hot Dog!

Yesterday was such a nice day!  We decided to take advantage of a 70+ degree weather day in January by having a little bonfire and roasting hot dogs for dinner.

Andrew was excited to cook his hot dog, but then refused to eat it.  Emily was happy to take it.  :)

Emily gave the ball a ride on the trike.  It was pretty cute.  She also kept pointing at the fire and saying "Hot!  Hot!"

Turns out he just wanted to eat a cold-ish hot dog on the stick. 

Just Try...

When we found out we were having another baby, we didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl.  We really didn't, and I still don't, but it's kind of nice that our tiny little girl can still be our only baby girl for awhile.  Because seriously, this kid is adorable.

The hair.  Oh my gosh, the hair.  This is what it looked like when she woke up one day.  I think someone inherited her daddy's hair.

She has such a sweet little smile. 

After feeding her puppy some cereal, she decided that it would be only right for her to eat the same way.

Yesterday Emily wore a dress I wore when I was her age.  She looked like such a little pioneer baby.

While waiting for (countless) hours for Andrew to go on the potty, I tried to paint Emmie's nails.  She freaked out when I painted one until she looked down and saw it.  Then she stared at it for quite a while, sat down on the ground, put her foot up and said "More pretty."  Um.....pretty cute.

So yeah, just try to resist this little face.

St. Louis

Mike had a training for work in St. Louis and so the kids and I tagged along.  We were able to spend time with Mike's grandparents, my sisters and their kids, my aunt and uncle, and watch countless hours of inane t.v. at the hotel.  It was fancy shmancy, but Andrew was most impressed with the elevator and getting ice from the ice machine.  Emily was impressed with the big fluffy bed.  I was in love with the pillows and the cranberry orange muffins Mike would sneak up to me from breakfast. :)  Mike was cute, as usual.  Mario was kind and didn't show up too early.

 

Top right to left:  1.  Emily enjoying being in the lap of luxury.  2.  Andrew playing at the Edwardsville Children's Museum.  Both kids adored that place, and I did too.  It's basically a small Magic House.  We would have gone a second day but they were closed.  Here he is playing with a globe after putting together a US states puzzle.  3.  Andrew relaxing at the hotel, watching t.v. with his kitty.  4.  Andrew and Emily making food at the museum.  He "cooked" for about 45 minutes, and then was surprised when he saw there were other areas to play in. 

1. After toiling for 45 minutes, here was the result.  Chips, cake, cookies, bacon, etc.  The kid knows health, that's for sure. 2.  Andrew playing in the doctor section.  We're thinking about letting him deliver his little brother.  Look how good he is at taking care of the baby.  Oh wait, no.  This was right before he picked it up by the leg and hurled it onto the couch.  3.  Emily taking the baby's temperature.  4.  Me, tired as all get-out, but having a good week.

1.  The kids sitting with Daddy before he had to head down to the training.  Watching t.v.  2.  One of the cutest pictures of Emily ever.  She was cracking herself up in the mirror.  Of course, cause she's hilarious.  3.  A really close-up shot of the boy.  I had zoomed in for a different shot, but he asked me to take his picture, which is completely rare, so I snapped one really quickly, and he was actually smiling which is even more rare.  He's such a handsome little man.  4.  Andrew with my Uncle David.  I miss living close to him and Wanda.  They are so sweet, fun, and Mike and I just love them so much.  The kids did too, of course.

"Daaaaang, girl!  You know how to accessorize!!"
This picture cracks me up.  Emily was dressing up at the children's museum and was obsessed with this hat and these shoes.  Noah in the background just seals the deal.

My finest hour...or not.

 

  I promise my next post will be of cute pictures of our trip to St Louis, but I've been mopping up a certain 3 year old's human waste all day, so I feel whiny.
  I decided to potty-train Andrew, starting today.  I don't know what I was thinking in putting it off.  I think subconsciously I might have been hoping he would one day come to me and say, "You know what, Mom?  I started using the potty while you were napping."  (Also a dream of mine...). Anyway, the kids and I spent the good majority of today holed up in the bathroom.  Annnnnd...the boy has yet to go in the potty.  Being 8 months pregnant, it seemed like any time he wasn't sitting on the throne, my other son was sitting on my bladder, so I was there instead.
  Our trip to St Louis last week was fun, but kind of killed the budget.  Mike has been taking care of the finances up until this month, and they got a bit jumbled in my care.  Couple this with the frustration of potty-training, my newly acquired cankles, and my general frumpiness today (yeah, still in my pjs)....and poor Mike came home to a hormonally-charged, sweatpants-wearing, sobbing lady surrounded by receipts.  Not my finest hour.
  There were some highlights, however.  Such as when Andrew passed gas and said, "hmmm, sounds like an elephant."  Or when I was counting out the cash left over for this month and he tried to take the coins to feed his piggy bank.  I told him that to save my sanity, I needed him to leave that alone.  He then said, "Yeah, I need Santa." And again grabbed the coins.  I forget sometimes that he has no idea what I'm talking about.  I sure love that kid.  And the girl.  And their daddy.  And our soon to arrive little guy.
  But I do think for all the talk of rewards for the kids being potty-trained, we all fail to mention the fact that the one doing the potty-training definitely earned herself some ice cream.  Pretty sure the budget can support that.  :)

An anatomy lesson...

Conversation with Andrew today (age 3)
  Me:  I'll see you in a little while.  I'm going to the doctor.
  Andrew:  You have a cut, Mommy?  Need a bandaid?
  Me:  nope, I'm okay.  You remember how I have this big tummy and there's a baby in there?
  A:  No Mommy.  Not a baby.  It's just your tummy, remember?  Here, I'll show you.  (Tries to pull up my shirt)
  Me:  (I tried to explain how the baby was in my tummy all the way inside.)
  A:  No, Mommy.  *speaking very softly* That's your bottom in there...

...

...what?!  That kept me laughing all the way to the doctor's office.  You should have seen his face when I said he and Emily had been in my tummy, too.  He was a mixture of disgust and pity at my ignorance.

Guess who's going to be surprised in 6 weeks when he all of the sudden has a baby brother?  Oh, and for interested parties, the baby looks great, is head down, is estimated at 5 lbs 7 oz, and they moved my edd to Feb 10 instead of the 13th.  Also, my doctor laughed so hard while listening to the heart rate because the little guy wouldn't stop moving.  Also, the ultrasound tech had a mullet and a handlebar mustache.  Welcome to Smalltown USA.

The Last Christmas

We were able to go to Salem this last weekend and visit our families.  It was so fun, and we were happy to spend time with them, even when it was in very tight quarters. :)

 

Andrew was a little scared of Edward, the dog.  Here he is up on my shoulders. 

My cute husband

Jeanette

Emmie opening a present with Grandpa.  It's kitties!  Can you guess who liked that?  Even though Andrew has kind of taken over.

Emily playing with Uncle Michael. 

The three Mikes and Aaron

Andrew liked playing with his cousin Dominic

Me and Amy

Emily loved playing with her little cousin.  She's a foster child, so we can't show her cutie little face unfortunately.  They were so cute together.  She calls Emily "Hammie" and they loved dancing and coloring and doing all that girl stuff.  :)

Thanks Aunt Laura for the cute outfit!  She screams every time she has to take it off.

Hammie and Cutie.  And Noah in the corner getting hugged.

I love those little cuties.