I knew I'd get belly faster this time but holy crap. I'm breaking out the maternity clothes over here! And filling them! (6 weeks today) Sorry the pic is so blurry, our camera is on the fritz and I need to call tech support and probably take it into a repair shop. :( And that won't be happening till we move, obviously!
Speaking of, we had the inspector dude over this morning (very nice guy, Ray immediately wanted to be held by him) and he checked out all the stuff they're going to have to pack.
I should mention here for documentation purposes that Anthony has taught Ray to pat my butt when I get out of the shower. (I usually spend a few minutes in the buff cooling off from the hot shower so I don't sweat up my clothes) So he's been happily chasing me around trying to get at my rear, and the other day took it a step further when I felt *pat..pat......spreaaaad*. I leapt about three feet sideways while Anthony nearly peed himself laughing. BOYS. GOSH.
I think the hunger is about to set in and damn if it doesn't hit like a freight train. Time to get the food going so when it hits I'm ready.
Free at last! I just left the "debate" team at babycenter. (A forum for moms and moms-to-be) There used to be some interesting debates but these days it's nothing but "Hey, look at this parent that does things I find controversial! Let's all point and gasp and think how much more awesome we are!". And it's not even really, truly bad things. And sometimes not bad at all. I just saw a thread pop up where they were going to "debate" Unschooling (a form of homeschooling) and just unsubscribed for the whole lot. No one there is actually interested in debating, in presenting logical arguments or learning from each other. It's just a big ugly judgement fest and I can't take it anymore. It's vile and disgusting and only adds to the unattainable Super Mom persona that so many of us labor under, whether we do so consciously or not.
With my recent epiphany about judging other moms I just can't stomach all that toxic spew any more. Bleh.
For whatever reason I feel like this baby is more fragile. We're also "feeling" girl. (Not to say we girls are inherently fragile, at all, just how I feel for whatever reason.) Just for the record, Shanna is feeling that she'll be much smaller, like size won't be an issue this time, and that it might be because she'll come a little earlier? She also felt a respiratory problem of some kind, nothing serious or life-threatening, just maybe some trouble breathing from being early or could even be asthma later on. (Would also make sense with my own history.) Again, this is nothing we're going to bank on or plan on happening, just possibilities. She wasn't wrong about Ray though (although her record is not perfect) so I just want to file it away here for pondering down the road.
So yeah, interesting stuff. :)
We were watching Phantom of the Opera today before Ray's nap. He very much enjoyed the music, and after Christine performs "Think of Me" and the audience is applauding, Ray clapped his hands and gave her an enthusiastic, "Good job!!". We about died. XD That's mah boy!
He was just on FIRE today. Everything he did was with extreme enthusiasm. From jumping around on our bed (and nearly falling off, giving me heart attacks as I watched from my perch on the toilet) to playing with his "whack the ball through the hole" toys. He ended up receiving a big plastic one hand-me-down from a friend, and a wooden one from my parents. I thought we'd end up giving one away but he LOVES them both. We also played alot with his shake-n-go batmobile. He tossed the kitchen rugs all over as I cooked dinner and has been eating us out of house and home. At first I thought he was just bored and enjoyed snacking, but found with a little experimenting that he was just plain HUNGRY. So he had numerous breakfasts and lunches. He's been sleeping good and heavy at night (knock on wood) so I think we're in the midst of a major growth spurt.
He's also been very helpful. He helped me put groceries in the fridge, and after pulling some trash off the counter he helped me throw it in the trash can. I think he's been saying "pretty" (pee-ee) and "baby" (bee). Just going by what he says and points at and words that I use with him frequently. (We have a picture of his cousin Sorina at easter on the fridge, christmas family pictures of my Aunt Sara's family and the neighbors, and an old black and white of my mom holding a baby me. We look at "the babies" alot together!)
So he's been a handful but he's more fun every day. He's also starting to really like the TV, something that I'm trying to cut us back on again. If it's off for a little while he either turns it on himself or brings me the remote. >.> Oops. He doesn't seem to care much what's on, I think he just likes watching and listening to the people and the music. Which I can't fault him for, but I would like less of it.
Oh! His other big word now is "Oh WOWWWWW". He was paging through one of his books earlier (he really likes the color one you read to him at the farm, mama. Can't remember if it was from you or not) and saying "Oh WOWWWW!" very passionately. XD He also loves to play with any utensils and dishware we leave laying around in his reach, and "feeds" himself. If only he did so well when he's actually up in the high chair, alone with his spoon and cup of applesauce!
Speaking of, those are some more words. He says "get up" and "get down", more phrases we use frequently. The other day after finishing his applesauce he called to me, "get down way!" (ray). So I of course obliged him. :)
So that's my baby update! Nothing much else going on of note. I've kicked my WoW habit for the time being. Anthony just started playing a little again tonight but he's not been very motivated either.
Well, Anthony's officially done it. He encouraged me, and off I go!
I was ranting (again!) about The Business of Being Born. A site I frequent the forums of (well, one thread really) had a very short, rather sensational debate-starting article on the movie. If you can call three paragraphs headed by "IS C-SECTION BAD?" an article. (Please note my disgust here.) A bazillion women who know nothing about the movie took the title and ran with it and started the age old debate of "C-section is all about the outcome, be glad you have a healthy baby!" and the timeless favorite, "You don't get medals for natural (pain-med free) childbirth! It's all the same!!".
If I beat my head against a wall to show how much these kinds of statements drive me EFFING BATSHIT I think my head would vaporize, somehow. Don't ask me how, but I would achieve it.
So anyway, the movie is only showing in a very few select theaters (and community screenings) before its dvd/netflix release in March.
Anthony said, "Well...host a community screening!".
So now I'm pondering who to talk to to accomplish such a feat before we leave. I think it's totally doable and affordable. My one hiccup is if possible I'd like to do a Q & A afterwards but it'll take a little digging to find the right person to do that. Anyway, that's my excitement for the day.
Planning a trip with Stacy to the gypsy market tomorrow morning. It's right outside the gate and has a ton of nifty cheap stuff. Clothes, local olives (insert immense quantities of drool here), fabric, bedding, some other craft stuff, underwears, panty hose (VERY colorful, I need to just buy a ton of cool ones), kids clothes...and all very very cheap. I'm talking 2-3E for a bra or pair of shoes. Now of course, some of it is terribly cheap as far as craftsmanship as well but it's still fun to poke around.
After that I think I'll stop in at the maternity ward at the hospital and FINALLY hand over the picture I have of Ray for the 2007 Babies board. Been meaning to give it to them for, well, 5 months now and you know how it goes.
Ray has been alternately a fusspot and a crazy excited squirmy thing of joy today. He did very well at the Wings cook-off at Anthony's work earlier today, napped a little after...he's just so off and on with ME. I feel terrible but sometimes I have to leave the room with him on the floor just so he'll play! He plays happily, notices me, "Waaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" until I hold him and cuddle him. Completely fine if I stay out of sight. Blargh! I think he's teething again.
ETA: THIS is the offending article. The comments make me die a little inside, for the most part. *sigh* I don't even know why they mentioned the movie because the header and then the debate question are really a bit off the mark considering the supposed content of the movie. (Going by info from the movies site, numerous other reviews, and the trailer.)
