I'm still here

It has been a long time since I blogged. While I don't feel all that concerned about keeping this thing updated frequently (and it actually will probably live longer if I approach it casually), there are a few things I wanted to write about. This will be lengthy, and I almost never read anybody's posts if they are way more words than pictures. So I will totally understand if everybody skips over this one. :)

First of all, I need to document this pregnancy. I'm not super comfortable talking really openly about this stuff, largely because I have been the one on the infertility/miscarriage end of things, and it's really hard to know how to approach it without being insensitive. I know several people struggling with these very issues right now, and I'm actually really bad about showing sympathy because I preferred to be very private about them when it was me. So if you are going through struggles with infertility or miscarriages, please believe me when I say that I know how much it sucks and that I understand on some level even though I probably won't bring it up.

I also feel bad because I've been incredibly neglectful of all of my friends and family for several months now. This pregnancy has really wiped me out, and I just can't wait to get through it. I pretty much hurt all the time, and have dropped anything out of my life that doesn't feel absolutely essential. A trip to the grocery store one day means my hips are going to hurt for two more days--partly because of all the walking and pushing a heavy cart, partly because there are days when that precious 2 year old is way more than I can handle. As much as I used to wish I didn't have to have c-sections, for now I am just relieved to know the exact day this baby will come and that it won't be two weeks late. (It will be March 16th, if you're wondering.) Sorry for the complaining, I don't want to sound like I think life is awful and I hate babies. I love them and I'm getting excited to meet this one (especially because we don't know if it's a boy or a girl yet). But I do know that I'm as guilty as most people of forgetting how difficult this can be when I'm not in the midst of it, and I tend to lean towards honesty and bluntness as much as possible.

22 weeks pregnant

32 weeks pregnant (and clearly I don't have the energy to clean my bathroom mirrors anymore)

Life has been fairly uneventful for us lately, but the kids have been pretty patient and willing to hang out at home a lot. One of their favorite things to do is play video games with Daddy. It started out last year with Minecraft, but we had forgotten about it for a long time. Recently he tried it again, and both kids love to sit and watch Daddy explore caves, build his farm, grow vegetables, and kill zombies and creepers. Millie is pretty bossy about it and tells him exactly what he should do next. Luke eventually loses patience and tries to push buttons himself or just use Daddy as a jungle gym. Another game they have gotten into is The Legend of Zelda, or The Hero Game as they call it. If you're not familiar with it, it consists of a lot of monster slaying and exploring of deep, dark dungeons. I'm really surprised they don't have nightmares, but they both go running to the couch when we ask if they want to play it.

Millie is doing awesome at preschool. I'm so happy that she loves to go and that she loves to learn. I would never have known how smart she is until her teachers started to tell me so. I want to avoid having any sort of specific expectations for her academically--not that I don't want her to have a great education, but I don't want to assume things will come as easily for her as her parents--but it is kind of nice to know that school is something she isn't likely to struggle with. Millie also adores crafts. It's hard to stay patient when my house is littered with confetti, tape, and bits of paper, but it's really nice when she will happily work on something independently for a long time. She's also getting a very stubborn streak when it comes to choosing her clothes, her hairstyle, her food, etc. I try to relax and accomodate her as much as possible to keep the peace.

Millie on Christmas morning--all she asked for from Santa was a globe

Playing in the snow

A Millie approved hairstyle needs at least 3 clips or bows

Luke is getting both easier and more difficult as a child. On the one hand, he is more capable of getting into trouble and hurting himself. A few weeks ago, he fell down the stairs twice (once causing a nasty scrape on his forehead) and somehow tried to strangle himself (we did not see it, just the mysterious sore line across the front of his neck). He also is incredibly headstrong and prone to throwing fits about not getting his way. I resort to bribery way too much to just get things accomplished. On the other hand, he is starting to communicate so much better. He talks a lot more, imitates most of what we say, and loves nothing more than for somebody to laugh at him. He is so funny and so mischievous that it's hard not to find him adorable. It doesn't hurt that he loves to snuggle and that he still takes a nap most days. He is also OBSESSED with the color green and Mickey Mouse. It can cause some frustration, but it's kind of endearing.

Luke on Christmas morning - we still need to get rid of that stupid binky, but for now it makes life easier *sigh*

He would play in the snow all day if we let him

Mark is really busy at work this semester since he picked up another class to teach. We look forward to a time when he won't have to stress as much about establishing himself in his position and in his field, but for now it's like he's started out all over again at the bottom and has to fight his way back up. He's been on several trips lately and has more planned for conferences and colloquiums around the country. I look forward to the day when I don't have little tiny children at home and I can accompany him to some of these places.

I kind of went through my nesting phase early. I think I have everything ready for this kiddo, and I'm glad to know I won't be scrambling when I'm even more huge and uncomfortable. It was kind of nice only needing to buy two outfits (one boy, one girl for coming home from the hospital) since we already have everything we could need. I did manage to squeeze in a couple of sewing projects, but I kept it to a minimum: a few more burp cloths, a carseat cover, and a quilt. Now can somebody just push the fast-forward button to March?

My very first quilt ever! It is FAR from perfect, but I actually finished it!