Counting Down

We've come to that point in time during this gestation wherein I am becoming uncomfortable. This little one is laying sideways, with her feet placed in just the right way so that when she kicks, she gets me square in the bladder. (Let's hear it for keigel exercises or I'd never be able to leave the house for fear of wetting myself in public) Also, the dreaded heartburn has resumed it's daily onslaught--I am now at the bottom of my 3rd bottle of TUMS since I started this pregnancy. And everybody's favorite: the swelling! Ankles & fingers mostly.
It'll be quite the thing to watch as we still have another 7ish weeks to go. I'll try and get a photo of my belly up here soon so that you can see that I really do look like the world's worst basketball smuggler.

Bummed out

This weekend is Alumni weekend at my Alma Mater and I am bummed that I can't be there.

I enjoyed college--not just the social aspect of it but the learning bit as well. I always thought I'd go on and get another degree, but now I'm not sure what I want to do so I don't what degree to go get. The possibilities are endless...the cash flow is not. Therefore I feel that I should be absolutely sure about where I want to go with my next degree before I start throwing gobs of money at an institution of higher learning.

Some days I miss getting up and going to work. Other days I really appreciate not having to change out of my pajamas and being able to build block towers all day.

So yes. I'm nostalgic for old friends and those lovely mountains.

Chocolatey goodness

Adrian's first Cadbury Creme Egg. It was a hit. A messy, messy hit.

It's been 13 days since I last posted--sorry about that. Aaron was off work, then my mom was in town, and I have been tired and unmotivated. (Aah, pregnancy)

The newest Flecker/DeCarlo will be making her first earthly appearance on June 14th. I'm scheduled for a c-section that morning (as my pelvis is too narrow to deliver babies in the traditional manner). In that vein Mom & I went to the Ikea and purchased a baby bed & mattress. Now all I have to do is call the landlord and have him deliver the carpet for the basement so we can pull a one-two switcheroo on the studio. (So long my lovely art-making sanctuary)

And then? Life with TWO tiny people dependent on me for their very survival. I think that busy is probably a good adverb to describe my life in the coming months.

Don't raise my hackles

A.D. and I were in art class the other day and he's standing in line waiting to wash his hands. The little girl who has just finished her turn is being carried away from the sink by her mother and she reaches out and smacks A.D. in the face. She smacked my sweet boy in the face.

I have never wanted to hit someone else's child before.

Adrian was stunned but didn't cry--he looked puzzled. The girl's mother told her "say you're sorry" the girl said "no!" and Adrian said "sorry".

I have never wanted to hit someone else's child before.

The mother apologized, but it doesn't make up for the fact that her child hit my child unprovoked. And the fact that there were no consequences for this behavior. Lucky for that woman I have self control, or it would've been all who's the biotch now?! at the Gymboree.

Mundane

(This was last week in Aaron's new Jeep)

Haven't talked to y'all in a while--mostly because the weather has been fabulously beautiful and partly because every day has been fairly routine.
But today Adrian was funny, so I thought I'd share.

This morning he declared that he wanted to go to the beach. Right now. All of us should go. Go now.

We told him that the beach wasn't open yet, that it wouldn't be open until summer. His response?

A.D. wants summer right now.

Clearly we have failed to adequately explain seasons/time/space .

Nosy old lady neighbor strikes again!

This past weekend, Aaron's folks came to town for a quick visit (yay! grown ups!). As they were trying to leave--literally trying to get down the stairs and into the car--nosy old lady neighbor came a'knocking. The purpose of her visit was pleasant enough--her daughter wanted to thank Aaron's parents for a favor they had done, but nosy old lady neighbor? When she saw me, clad in my pajamas at 11 AM? She said "did you just get up?", which annoyed me to no end. Firstly, nosy old lady neighbor, what time I get out of bed is none of your business. Secondly, I am a grown woman--a grown pregnant woman-- and if I choose to wear my pajamas for 3 consecutive days in the privacy of my own home that's my business. And thirdly, I have a 2 year old--7 AM is sleeping in.
Thankfully Aaron's dad averted the pregnant-lady-mauls-senior-citizen crisis by ushering everyone off of the front stairs and into the lawn, while I stayed behind with Adrian and thought unpleasant thoughts.

Also!

Things that make me happy:

1. 55 degree weather! (I'm not falling for it, Chicago)

2. Newfoundlands in underpants

3. Communist Boston Terriers

4. Ice cream

5. Nap time

Thinking

Sudacare shower soothers smell like a cross between a urinal cake and the ape house at the zoo.

They work....

Chicago loves you, baby

Dear Chicago;
If you know me AT ALL you know that cold is my least favorite weather. Cold with cold wind is the worst. So it was a wonderful, delightful excursion to Birmingham where the daffodils were in bloom and I didn't need a coat the whole time I was there. Then I come back to Chicago and it snows. Again.

Well, Chicago-- I have had it with your winter. We've got 14 days 'till the start of spring and I expect to see some big time changes 'round here. I didn't plant 40 crocus bulbs for the exercise, thankyouverymuch.

Oh, I know that the weather is supposed to be in the 50's next week, but let me tell you I'm not buying it. I was here last year when you gave us weeks of beautiful weather and then when my mother came to town in MAY you slammed us with a week of rain and temps in the low 40's. Sweet talk me all you want, but I'm on to you.

Annoyed with you and your cold;
Kara

Dear Kara,

Don't be like that. Chicago has lots to offer you, baby. How about June? We do June real nice 'round here.
All that ice and snow? I didn't know it wasn't your thing. I'll make it up to you, baby. Just you wait and see. You'll get your warm weather.
Chicago loves you, baby.

Love,
Chicago


Dear Chicago,

Don't call me baby.

Kara

Travel...weather...and other stuff too.

Hello!

We (A.D. and I) were in Birmingham, AL for a week--and I took pictures! But they're filmy pictures so I have to get them developed before I can share. The weather was gorgeous--between 60-70 degrees all week--until we decided to get on an airplane and come home. We wound up sitting in the airport for 3 hours while there were tornados, lightening, and no plane for us to get on. Adrian was remarkably good the whole time we were gone, although around day 5 he was saying "want to go home" frequently. And while I love my family, shuttling from place to place isn't exactly my idea of a relaxing vacation.

This past week, he has also started to declare "I'm so angry!" while curled up on the floor. I figure it's good for him to recognize his emotions, but it's hard for me not to laugh--he has such a sweet tiny voice which is in total contrast to what he's saying.

I'm still pregnant--25 weeks (15 weeks to go) and counting. It still seems like a long way off. I'm not sure if that's because the other pregnant moms that I'm friends with are due in 3 weeks and 8 weeks, or if it's because our baby is due in June and it feels like winter will never end. I'm still planning my garden. That's how unreal this pregnancy seems. As though I'm going to have the time/energy to get out there and dig in the dirt in 8 weeks. I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday, and an ultrasound to make sure that my incredible shrinking cervix hasn't shrunk any further, and to check on the state of my placenta previa. While I feel better during this pregnancy it has been more medically complicated than the last. All I'm hoping is that I can make it all the way through without needing bedrest.

And now! A snack and a nap.

More evidence

that my husband is a strange, strange man.

His comment on my pregnancy:

It's creepy. It's like you're running a hotel for small bald people in your uterus.

Blar.

I have been lazy of late. Call it the weather, call it the pregnancy, call it lazy. Whatever. I haven't been taking pictures or doing laundry or posting to the blog, as I know I should. Instead I have been re-reading books, playing with Adrian and trying out new recipes (banana cinnamon pancakes--yum!). Oh yes... I've also been on the phone. A lot. Trying to work out the logistics of travel and schedules and talking about really big dogs.
So there are things you may have missed if you haven't been on the receiving end of those calls. The first that I feel the need to share with you is this:
Aaron enjoys incense. Maybe it's because he never went through the whole normal college routine, or maybe it's because he associates it with good times in Kuwait, but whatever the reason he gets to burn it in the basement--which is primarily his little club house. All of that is fine and dandy except that the basement is where the computers live, and I too have a need for internet access and photo editing software. The newest incense of choice has an aroma that I can only describe as an old lady's boudoir. It's...unique...pungent...and slightly unpleasant. So while my nose is being assailed by this latest in odiferousness, my brain is trying hard to remember why I sat down at the computer in the first place and where is that old lady hiding, because I can smell her...

oy!

Here's A.D. playing in the snow.

I would've posted sooner, but Aaron killed the computer and now it refuses to install my photoshop and my computer won't connect to the internet and the whole thing is basically a big stinky electronic mess. whee!

Sunday we went to the Field Museum downtown to look at the dinosaur bones. Adrian's reaction to the hall of bones: holy crap. Right you are, kiddo. Those were some big mamma jammas.

And then? Monday Adrian started his Music 3 class--or as we've been calling it "big kid music class" wherein he is the youngest member rather than the oldest. It's taught by the same teacher, but there's a more physical aspect to it and he seems to enjoy it.

And then? I dunno. It's miserable cold here and I'm looking forward to spring. Or any time when it will be consistently over 32 degrees. I hate the cold. A lot.

Slacker Mommy

Wow!
I have pictures for you, but I just haven't shrunk them in photoshop so that I can cram them into one post and you can follow along, so you'll just have to hope I get my act together this weekend while Aaron is around to distract Adrian.
First: it snowed! And Adrian played in it, ate it, and generally enjoyed it the way kids are supposed to.
Then: How about that Bears game?! Granted I only saw the 2nd half because I'm not much of a football fan and I was asleep for the first half, but I have to say it was a bad day to be a Saint.
Nextly: I had my sonogram Tuesday. The baby is, in fact, a baby and not a two headed space monkey, so that's good. We're going to have to continue to call the baby Winky however as the little stinker kept his/her legs closed the entire time. That's right we're having a gender-as-yet-unspecified baby! So much for waiting until we knew to register, hunh?
And then: Adrian has mastered climbing out of his bed, a la Harry Houdini. It's a terrifying thing to watch and I've asked him not to do it any more. I'm sure one morning we'll wake up to his cheerful face by the side of the bed...or quite possibly to the sounds of him rummaging the pantry for tasty snacks.
In closing: It has been a busy week. I will endeavor to update (with pictures) more often than once a week.

All hail Caesar.

amour!

More funny things from the land of language acquisition:

Last night at dinner we were eating tacos.
Adrian points to a particular food item and inquires "this is?"
Aaron replies "cheese"
Adrian "Cheese. I love it!"

Tonight we were eating Chinese food and Adrian declares "Noodles. I love it!"

I have to say that I enjoy his enthusiasm at the table.

Last night Adrian and I were watching Emeril Live on Food Network and we were talking about the band that plays during the show. Well, I was talking about the band. Adrian was talking about the vand.

I tried to get him to say band. He can do buh and, but when you smoosh the sounds together and ask him to repeat "band" he goes buh vand. And it's not that he can't make the b-sound. He can say baby and bye and basketball with no problem. He just thinks that a group of people playing musical instruments is a vand and I'm the one who's got it wrong.

Adventures in laundry

I just pulled a handful of spaghetti-o's out of the washing machine.

Add to this the fact that the interior of my dryer is plastered with race car stickers.

If you knew nothing else about me, you would know that I live with a toddler.

Gah!

First, a funny:

Adrian has become...insistent on privacy while filling his diaper with stinky mess. Last week we were in his bedroom playing and to achieve proper privacy for said act, he pulled out the bottom drawer of his dresser and stuck his head in.

Now, a not so funny:

Last night Aaron was in a car accident. He's o.k. (though sore and bruised), the other people are o.k., the car however was not so lucky. We are grateful that it wasn't worse, but slightly perplexed on how to work our schedules to allow for only one set of wheels. I realize people all over the world have done it for ages but it's new to us.

December, in review.

Since Nessa has the audacity to call me a slacker, i will tell you what we have been doing in lieu of posting to the blog.

Dec 13-17: My mom came for a visit. We made cookies and went shopping and played in the park. I went to make dinner one night and had to go borrow 2 eggs from the neighbors, which was somehow embarrassing.

Dec21-24: The following week, Adrian and I got into the car and drove to the quad cities where we stayed with Aaron's parents for a few nights, before driving to Aaron's grandparents on Saturday for Christmas, part 2. The following day we drove to Aaron's other grandmother's house for christmas part 3. Then we drove back to our house for Christmas part 4.

December 25: Aaron was off work. We cleaned the house.

December 26: Adrian was godawful cranky and we went grocery shopping.

Today: Adrian got up at 5:30 AM, more crankiness.

And I have also been creating another person in my womb. So I'm not slacking, I'm busy living.
For pictures, please visit the Flickr account.

Have a cookie

Adrian and oreos: it's a messy affair.

Today we went to music class and afterward had lunch at Subway, where we shared a meatball sub. After he was done eating, AD requested a cookie. I figured it'd be a good car-ride-home snack, so I caved and paid the 48 cents for a sugar cookie with pink sprinkles. Normally on the ride home, I'll ask him how he's doing in the back seat, and he'll tell me "good" or "pretty good". Today I asked him: how're you doing back there?
and he told me: great!
And I said: great?! What makes you great?
And his reply: cookies.

Can't argue with that logic.