Updates of a Slacker Mom

I could give several excuses, like we purchased a new computer, life has been busy, I'm trying to accomplish non computer related items in advance of the baby's arrival...the truth is I have just been lazy. I sit down at the computer with the intention to post, and then just don't want to. No more delays from this slacker though - here is what has been happening in the McBride home lately:

Dad:

Work Work Work. Joe is currently working a rotation of graveyard shifts. This really isn't as bad as it sounds as he is generally up for the day just after Noah gets up from a nap and then doesn't go to work until the kids go to bed. We end up getting to see more of him on this shift than a 9-5 day would normally allow. When he isn't working he has been great about trying to plan fun activities with the kids and has tried to make time to take himself fishing as well. One thing he wouldn't make time for - posing for a picture that I could post of him here!

Mom:

Ugh. I'm exhausted. To say this pregnancy has been much different than my previous two would be a complete understatement. Take the fact that getting larger and less mobile makes having to deal with two other children at the same time more difficult, add to that periods of mind numbing, dry heave inducing pain, and it is definitely not the pregnancy I thought I was signing up for. I wouldn't trade it(him) for the world though. Here is my (Chloe took the picture and missed my face, which I think is really better for everyone involved) baby belly at 30 weeks:

Ten more weeks give or take to go!

In addition to doctor check-ups and ultrasounds I have also been able to go to girls camp with the young women of my church, go on a ward camp out, and just this weekend camped with our family. I know, camping while pregnant, fun right?! My mom just reminds me that she did it nine monthes pregnant while having her food supply attacked by racoons. My experiences weren't nearly as bad and were in fact very enjoyable. Now that the baby's arrival is drawing near I also need to finally decorate Noah's room which he will share, so I have been constantly on the look out for great ideas. Other than that, and resting (ha) whenever I can get the chance, there is not a whole lot else to report with me. Super exciting, right?

Chloe:

Chloe is finally getting better at letting me experiment with her hair. She insisted I take and post a picture of our most recent try: Curling it with a flat iron. Other news in Chloe's world:

* Chloe started preschool this last week. I am still kicking myself for forgetting my camera. She has a new teacher, Ms. Halladay, this year, and she thinks she "might be friends with some of the kids in her class."

* Chloe is officially 4 1/2, not at all too soon to start planning her official first birthday party at age 5. Invitations have been created several times over and this little girl cannot wait for the big day!

* Chloe has a "boyfriend". She has recently started calling the little boy that used to live across the street from us her boyfriend. When I asked her what made him her boyfriend, her response was "We just have a lot in common."

* Chloe is making the switch to big big twin sized bed this week! She wanted a carriage bed, or one with princess crowns all over it, but we ended up agreeing on a plain white bed that will last her a lot longer.

* Chloe will start soccer in a couple of weeks, the only activity that she has thus far been excited about trying.

* Chloe has been a sweet big sister and watching her and Noah play together are most often my happiest moments of the day!

Noah:

If only he always acted as sweet as this picture would lead you to believe. Make no mistake, this little guy can be the sweetest kid on Earth, but he is developing a little temper lately. That aside, when I am having a rough time he is generally the first to try to make me feel better with a hug or kiss. Other Noah items:

* Noah's vocabulary is growing and growing. His favorite word right now is actually. No I didn't end the sentence too soon, it is actually the word actually. As in "Actually you call it Boondock's mom." "Actually I just tooted" "I don't want to take a nap "actually". Cracks me up every time"

* Noah is sad he is not going to preschool this year and continues to ask when his turn is

* Noah can't enter Old Navy without busting out some break dancing moves. I don't know what it is about Old Navy, but the moment we walk in the door, both my kids start dancing, irrespective of the fact that other people can actually see them (normally a huge deal breaker for them). He gets right onto the floor and starts working it. One of these days I need to document this.

* Noah is starting to get used to the idea that the potty chair is something he might want to try out one of these days. We are trying to get him excited about the idea, but I'm not so sure it's working quite yet.

* Noah thinks we should name the baby "baby brother" Other brilliant ideas: Pickle ice cream head, Tooter, and Cantalope smiley face. All keepers.

Speaking of baby brother...

Baby boy McBride, is really making his upcoming presence in our lives known. I mentioned some pregnancy difficulties, and here is an update - again this is where the slacking makes me feel bad as I probably should have posted some of this much earlier. In a previous post I mentioned a scare and while nothing has come close to that I have had a few other pregnancy related issues.

First, I have had pain, horrific pain, that I could not find any rhyme reason or link to. When the pain hits, I have trouble moving, breathing, or carrying on a conversation. When it hits, if I take tylenol immediately, the pain decreases after about 30 minutes, but almost always lasts about 2 hours. At first I was told this was ligament pains, but I always found this hard to believe.

Then, when I had a screening test, the test came back showing there could be a problem with the baby. When I went in for my targeted ultrasound they looked closely and determined the baby was developing perfectly fine, but my placenta was a question mark. There was quite a bit of extra blood (which set off the false positive for the screening test) and a large clot. The placenta was attached "enough" and might not cause any problems, but I was told that, although I would not be placed on bed rest or restrictions of any kind, they had no idea what would happen and would have to watch me more closely. They did conclude that all the extra blood is proabably what has been causing my pain.

So, I have had to go in for extra ultrasounds and had to endure pain that I never know when will hit, but with continued checks have been told that they baby is still growing great, in fact is a bit ahead for growth, and I have made it to the point where if the baby is born, it will most likely survive!

All that aside, I do feel good if not great most of the time. I just have no idea if the baby will come in 10 weeks or ten days. I laugh, that it will be funny when he is actually born late. He is a great little mover though, and I love feeling that movement inside of me. I can't believe the time is coming so fast. Let's hope I manage another post before then...