A Bug's World

Just Things

My little bug, is not so little anymore.  She started pre-k last week and seems to be doing very well.  Granted, she is a little bit ahead of what is being done in the class.  They are working on drawing straight lines and curved lines and following directions on coloring sheets.  She has done all that for awhile now in daycare.  While she was home with me over the summer she learned how to right her name.  But the class will catch up to that very quickly I'm sure.  The one thing she is expressing a displeasure with is taking naps.  She just doesn't like to nap.  But, she is at least keeping quiet and resting with the other children.

My piglet is finally gaining some teeth.  At 19 months old she's finally popping out numbers 5 and 6.  I hear it is fairly normal for some kids to start teething so late -- i just didn't expect it as Jess's teeth came in so early and fast.  She is toddling around like a big girl now.  Running and climbing and copying her big sister all of the time.  She is such a darling little girl, with a very even temperment.  I'm not sure I could have had any more differences between the two.  Erica is starting to talk now as well.  I can already see the language explosion starting to take place.  Granted, "daddy","doggy" and "guy" al seem to sound the same and refer to the same thing. It will come.

Over the summer we visted down in Texas for a couple weeks. We had a visit from Grandma Helen as well as Uncle Robin,Aunt Tammy and cousins Matthew, Ian, and Jeff. We also spent a week down in Hilton Head, where Jess really started learning how to dog paddle well. It was a good summer overall.  I just wish that I had sat down and writen about it all then.

Sound Off

Very very rarely have i ever used this site to sound off about any current topic in the news or media.

I have just got to say this one time though, that Dr. Ph*l has totally crossed the line of any type of respectable healer. He is absolutely no better than the vultures in the tabloids and is only hoping to grab some fame himself. Shame shame on him. He does for therapists what tv dramas do for lawyers and doctors -- invalidates, and gives media fodder in the form of half truths a flat out falsehoods.

I hope to high heavens that anything he says regarding Br**ney Sp**rs comes back to haunt him in some sort of slander or libel. The only problem i have with that is that both he and she would continue to make headlines.

Just simply thouroughly disgusted by his transparent motives and the harm he does in the name of making a buck.

Rant done.

Upward and Onward

Just a little over a month ago, the Piglet began crawling in earnest. All over the place. She scoots faster than I can keep up with her sometimes. And of course, everything she comes across must be tasted. Everything goes from hand to mouth in the blink of an eye. No she is already starting to pull up and even "cruise" around the coffee table. She's only 7 months old! Stop! Stop growing up so fast! This week we had tubes put in her ears after 4 earinfections in 3 months and "water on the ear" for that entire time. I didn't really realize how common a procedure that had become until we showed up at the surgery center at 6:30 in the morning amongst 3 other babies then 4 new babies when we left. From the time they took her from me until they called me back to the recovery room was maybe 20 minutes. Sigh. It was a hard 20 minutes on me though. So, she is crawling, pulling up, eating off a spoon, has tubes, but still no teeth. But it is a beautiful toothless grin.

The Bug started in the 4-yr old pre-k room at daycare this week. She won't actully be 4 until the end of the month, but it was decided the move would be good. She's been having problems with the teacher in the 3 yr old room. Our darling Bug has quite a temper on her as well as a good strong stubborn streak. SO far she seems to be doing okay in the prek room -- although she keeps telling us that she is "too litte" to be with the big kids. I agree.. I hate seeing her grow up so fast. She has been dancing and singing at home like mad. I think I'm going to have to put her in dance class. Well, I had planned to anyway, but her love of it seems to be just the excuse I need. She really like dancing with Raquel Welch from the Muppet Episode she was on. Nothing can scare a person more than watching one's almost 4 yr old daughter follow moves and flip her hair while singing "I'm a W-O-M-A-N". Well, unless of course it is watching her mad delight and crazy antics singing her FAVORITE song "Barbie Girl". Oh yes. Boys be warned.

I can't believe I have two of them.

Amazing Independence

It amazes me how grown up and independent my Bug has become in just the last few weeks. She has taken to dressing herself almost completely without help. She gets snacks out of the cabinet, puts the straw in her juice, and uses the potty without always having to tell us. She just seems so grown up. But then I guess that is to be expected when we bring home a new little one who is totally dependent.

Jessica is also pushing the limits of my patience, trying to see what has changed. Currently I am hooked up to a wound vac contraption due to my stiches splitting open. I can carry with me and move around, but not real fast. And i am not to be doing any heavy lifting or strnous work. That seems to make her want to push even further; knowing I can run after her and scoop her up and put her sassy little but in time out.

I love them both, but I have to say, there are not going to be any regrets about getting my tubes tied.

Resolutions

It's that time - well past I guess - during which we are supposed to look back at the last year decide what we did wrong and "resolve" to do something about it in the new year. I don't think I have ever actually made a resolution that did not fall to pieces by March or April. But still, I feel the desparate need to attempt this. If for no other reason than I have something to look back on and berate myself with next year. Yeah...that sounds like a healthy plan.

1. I will not make any weight resolutions. Let's just go for healthier than this last year. Better nutrition, more exercise. That's non descript enough that I may just make it.

2. Less clutter - at least in the bedroom. We have baby number 2 on the way and trying to commit to the whole house would just be a recipe for failure.

3. Finding a reason for happiness on a daily basis. Three reasons would be good -- but we are aiming for definitely attainable here, so I'm not going to push.

4. Less anger. At myself, at David, at Jessica. That still leaves plenty for the world in general, so I
won't bust a blood vessel or anything.

5. More water. Just on general principle.

Hopefully these few little things will aid me in the bigger goal of being a better mommy. It's hard to step back sometimes and really realize that she doesn't necessarily need me to play more games, read more books, interact with her more. What she needs is for me to be healthier and more content so that I want to do those things.

With little girl number 2 coming along, I wonder at times if that will make Bug's world smaller or bigger?

Surprise Holiday Hit

Who would have ever guessed that the Bug's favorite holiday movie would be "King Kong"? Oh sure, she has "Rudolph", "Frosty", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", and any number of other movies. But this season, for whatever reason, the big ape taking away the pretty girl seems to have become a favorite. She really gets into the movie - yelling at the monkey, telling pretty girl to run and just generally being terribly alarmed but all the going ons. Well, her interest lasts until they get back to New York and it really starts turning kind of mushy. Can't blame her there.

Just more proof that our child is indeed a little bit off.

Last Few Months

Things here have just been busy busy busy. With the Bg being three, me being pregnant, and David constantly on the go..seems just too much sometimes. Brief highlights:

In September we got me a new car, a very pretty blu Mazda CX-7 - Pictures eventually. Also, David and I got away for a weekend in the Bahammas without Jessica. It wqas a lawyer conference and David was presenting, but the get away was still nice.

In October we had our 5th wedding anniversary. Also Jessica had her mouth injury which has recovered just fine. however, she now constantly asks to see the doctor...i think she has a crush.

In November we went away for a week to Colorado Springs. David had two conferences back to back that were held at The Broadmore Hotel. Very nice place; had even been spotlighted on the travel channel as one of the premier destination hotels in North America. David had seminars all week, but
Jessica and I did get out to see the sights. We went to the zoo which had a wonderfull giraffe exhibit. Got in a visit with two good friends who live up that direction and a visit with my brother and his girlfriend. (He's stationed up there and is due to head back overseas in March). Also in November we had Thanksgiving and Jessica got to visit with cousins Matthew, Ian and new baby Collin.

So far in December, David went away at the beginning of the month to another conference in Atlanta. Jessica has seen every animated Christmas special ever made about 10 times at least. I spent the better part of a week on bed rest due to blood pressure being to high. We got our master bedroom repainted, new furniture and new linens. It finally looks closer to what I like in a grown up bedroom. And I have developed carpal tunnel inboth arms due to swelling from the pregnancy.

But the tree is up, presents abound and I got all my Christmas presents out and delivered before this weekend.

And I really would make that Christmas Lasagna this year if anyone was expecting me to cook.

Halloween Horrors

Really, if you are looking for truly horrific Halloween stories, this may not be it. Unless of course, you are a three year old little girl who is excited about dressing up as "Snow White" and going around collecting candy from strangers. That was the plan, truly it was. She did dress up at daycare and got to trick or treat around day care. However, when I picked her up this afternoon, she had just had some sort of accident in which she bled from the mouth and noone knew why. So we spent the evening at the urgent care center...crying, screaming, and howling. She was so pitiful. The doctor did say it apears she has some sort of laceration on her soft pallette. How did that happen?? Best guess is something in her mouth and then falling on the playground. They attempted to take an x-ray to be sure no foriegn body was stuck in the laceration. Yeah, right..that was happening. I couldn't go in the xray room to help hold her down due to being 6 months pregnant. So she was screaming and wiggling. They had to put her on a board and pretty much completely coccoon her in restraints. Yep, that helps the fear level of both mother and child.

Doctor let us out with a prescrption for antibiotics and a pain reliever and instructions to visit the ENT doctor tomorrow.

So not the way to spend Halloween. At least this way there is now chocalate to tempt me.

Birthday Party

The Beautiful Bug is now three years old. It amazes me how fast she has grown. She talks all the time and I can actually understand about 80% of it. We threw her a birthday party about two weeks ago. It was very nice as my mother was able to be up here from Texas for the party. We had several kids about Jessica's age and parents and grandparents. We rented a bouncy thing with a slide and all the kids loved it. She got so many presents it is embarassing. In fact, I have to go through all her toys and actually start weeding out things she doesn't play with anymore or that she is too old for now. Wow, can she actually be "too old" for anything? It was a really nice party.

Pretty Princess

My lovely daughter has hit up on a new behavior that I can only assume is genetic in all girls. I say this, because I sure as heck didn't teach it to her! She has decide that she is indeed a Pretty Princess. A Pretty Princess who twirls and spins and can only wear skirts and dresses. My child?? And she has also discovered her own glory in the mirror. A couple of weeks ago she picked up a hand mirror, patted her hair an said, "Papa, I'm pretty!". Yeah, self esteem is not ever going to be an issue with this chickie. Oh, and the great thing is all I have to do to be a pretty princess myself is to wear a skirt. Presto! She even tells me that I'm a pretty princess.

However, twirls and spins and bows aside, apparently Pretty Princess Bug-a-boo does not yet care about the potty or worry about going pee on her princess panties. So, we have set the potty training aside for a few weeks hoping that maybe she will be more ready later and that I will be able to do it withthe calm loving compassion on the potty training books suggest. It will happen. (If i say it and pray it and beg for it, maybe?)

In pregnancy news, I am now at 16 weeks and five days with an official due date of Jan 28, 2007. So far so good.