Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Mmmmkay, time to get my heinie back in gear!

SO much has happened since my last post. We've had oodles of snow, Christmas, school parties, Sam's birthday party, Valentine's Day, and Livi started school and ballet. We have redone the nursery in anticipation of baby Claire, gotten back our precious next door neighbors who moved to Nashville for 6 months, and had tons of fun!
And with the best intentions, I will for SURE go back and update to include all that stuff, complete with pictures. And fairies will sprinkle pixie dust all over my house, which will be clean and organized, and my kids will behave. Oh yeah, right. None of that stuff is actually gonna happen, so I guess I should just vow to do better from here and begin again.
SOOOOOO, Claire is officially due in 5 days. I was 2 cm dilated as of this morning, and Dr. Wiles attempted to get the ball rolling, so we'll see what happens from here. This pregnancy has been a fairly easy one, once I got past the treacherous first trimester when I couldn't eat...or get off the couch...or survive. BUT since then it has been pretty easy, and even here at the end, I think it has been easier than my others, but I am just ready to Have.This.Baby.Already. I thought that since this is most likely my last baby, I would feel more sadness at the end. But not so much. I'm sure it will come with a vengeance after the baby is born, but right now I just want her to come out, meet her excited siblings, and be able to hold her in my arms.
Olivia talks about baby "Cwaiwa" all the time. I think she will eventually love having a sister, so that in the moments when the boys are playing the wii together and Ryan and I are working on a project, she won't have to disappear into the playroom alone like she does now, but will have her own partner in crime to share her tea parties, fill her dollhouse, and wear princess costumes. Right now, she tells me I am her "best fwend in da whole wowod" and melts my heart. We have "girl power" together, and we comb each other's hair. We sing princess songs, paint our fingernails, pick out adorable clothes, and love pink. I look forward to sharing those things with Claire, and having a special relationship with her, but at the same time hope Olivia and I don't lose our magic.
She loves school and adores her "bawaweena cwass" (ballerina class), and is such a joy in so many ways. For her second day of school, she was so concerned that the boys might make her late for school, she made them get dressed, put on their shoes, and get in the car. I turned around from pouring my coffee and all three kids were in the car waiting to go...a full 25 minutes early. She loves the boys, takes care of them, and demands that they take care of her too. On Wednesday as I chatted with another mom in the parking lot after picking her up from school, she was tugging on my arm, pleading with me to hurry up "I want to see my BOYS! Come ON Mommeeee, I need to see my BOYS!" They carry things around for her, hang up her towel, make her bed, and help her use the computer.
Jackson has changed so much since turning 5. He is definitely seeking some independence, and tends to be a bit more difficult than he used to be. He is sent to his room alot more, and struggles between wanting to please, and wanting to take care of his younger siblings, and being terribly jealous that they get their way so often. When he wants to be sweet, he is painfully sweet, but when he wants to be rotten... well... he excels! He still loves art, and will sit at the table to draw, color, and write for long periods of time. Olivia often joins him, but Sam...not so much. The boys have become rather obsessed with video games since getting the Wii from Grandpa for Christmas, and DS's from Santa. While I welcome the quiet time it provides for ME, I know we need to be firmer with our limitations on screen time.
Sam has been a sweetheart lately. He definitely is all boy and tends to get a little wild sometimes, but genuinely wants to help and make others happy. Anytime I need someone to bring me something, he's my man. He does his bath by himself, wipes himself, and is so looking forward to "the new baby sister." He loves karate (especially dodgeball) and continues to thrive at school. He is so smart, and so funny, and definitely keeps us on our toes.
SO come on out, Claire, and meet your family! Here's hoping for a baby soon!