second time differences

how can i be half done with this pregnancy? time needs to slow down and in a hurry! i always wondered how the second time around would go. some of the differences:

i had heard that you started showing sooner with your second. that was correct information. its as if the very second i became pregnant my stomach muscles waved a white flag and immediately surrendered, as if to say "we know its a losing battle so we give up now". thanks a lot stomach muscles - i wish you had more fight in you.

thankfully i am no longer working full-time and therefore it is impossible to hide snicker bars and pop tarts in my desk like i did with grant. if only my co-workers had stopped me! however, while i am not hoarding snickers, this time around i am consuming a lot of bagels and cream cheese...

i am seeing a midwife this time. for many reasons. one of which is that i figure no amount of pain could be worse than my first delivery so might as well save money and not pay for an epidural :)

yoga is my new best friend. i don't know why i didn't practice yoga the first time around - it is a life saver for my back aches, which are already plaguing me and its only 21 weeks. plus i have a yoga buddy. grant tried to practice tree pose with me the other day - it is hilarious to watch him try to balance.

being pregnant with a pre-schooler has its pros and cons. con: you can't rest as much as you would like. pro: you get to share this new life with a child, which makes for some interesting and sweet conversations. one day grant asked me if trees and plants also grow in mommy's bellies (??) the other day he exclaimed "whoa - your belly is getting bigger!" and then last night he spontaneously started singing his own made-up lullaby to the baby. he often talks about how he is going to help take care of his baby sister, how he wants to get her a pink blanket, and how he will make sure she doesn't tear the pages of his books. its just funny to never know what will come out of his mouth and i like going through this experience with him.

lastly, maybe my favorite difference is being able to daydream about a girl nursery! i am just now letting myself think about it and the ideas are starting to form. so far i really like this look at rosenberry rooms and think we could re-create it on our own for a fraction of the cost! but, i am not 100% yet - its much too early to stop looking for ideas - that's half the fun :)

grant isms

the latest i've been hearing:

1. "that's not fair!" this made me smile the first time as it sounded like a teenager and not a 3 year old.

2. almost every day we ride our bikes over to pet our neighbor's horse. each time we leave, grant climbs on his bike, starts riding, and then shouts back, "i love you horsie. remember to eat your lunch."

3. "oh dear". he says this anytime he drops something or spills something. oh dear. oh dear.

4. (in a sing-song voice): "i - have - a - hug - for - you". this is my favorite saying - he'll often come up and whisper it in your ear then tackle you with a hug.

5. "mommy, i need to tell you a see-cred". then he gets right next to your ear and whispers something unintelligible in a way that is very ticklish.

6. lots of made-up stories. as in today's version: "mommy, last year when i was a dog, i used to run all around and get muddy." hmmm, really?

7. almost every time he asks permission for something he ends it by asking, 'no or yes'? as in "can i have this drink please - no or yes?" or "can we play chase - no or yes?" i swear he never gives me time to answer before the 'no or yes' clause gets added to his request. i told brad the world might be a lot simpler if we all asked each other questions that demanded a clear no or yes.

8. lots of funny questions about God and Jesus. the latest: today we walked out of target and it was so sunny that he covered his eyes. then he asked me, "tell Jesus to make it night time right now!".

9. and finally, the extremely random questions. like the one this morning: (imagine the question being asked with big eyes as if a light-bulb went off in his head) "mommy, where do giants go potty? do they have a really really big potty?!"

ranch life

grant and his grandad

another mother's day

Hard to believe this will be the fourth Mother's Day I've been able to celebrate as a mom. I wish I had a picture from the first one. My mom and I are standing together out front near the trees and I am holding my then very chubby 3 month old. It is one of my favorite pictures as I think there is something sacred about the legacy of generations and love. I have been kind of absent on blogging lately and need to catch up because I want to record all the memories - his vocabulary and abilities are expanding each day, making for some very funny sayings and lots of good times.

This Mother's Day is different because I am also thinking of the baby to come. I felt my first flutter a week ago and now I feel them several times throughout the day. I love this quote from Christine's blog:

"all the time we wondered and wondered, who is this person coming/growing/turning/floating/swimming deep, deep inside".

This pregnancy has been so different than the first. With a three year old boy, I don't have much time to reflect on it. Yet now it is making itself known - reminding me that it's there, moving and growing. And I'm starting to daydream more about this secret inside me - who and what it will be like...

2009 Mothers Day

2008