Toddler Log: 2 Years and 32 Weeks Old

Before I recap this week, I have to tell you about the almost nightmare repair bill we were facing. It started when I woke up in the wee hours on Wednesday morning because nature was calling. There were no lights in the bathroom. I DO NOT pee in the dark...fear of spiders, snakes, piranha in the toilet, but I digress. There are lights working elsewhere in the house, so Damon goes outside to check the fuse box. Nothing. We have about 70% of lights and outlets working. He calls an electrician when the sun comes comes and they say to call the power company because scattered electricity is usually a problem with a power line. The power company comes out that evening and tells us they fixed the problem and to throw the circuit breaker. Nothing. At that point, it sounds like a wiring problem. A massively expensive wiring problem in our 1927 home. I am imagining holes being punched in the drywall and ceilings and a repair bill that could not come at a worst time. I wake up in the middle of the night to tracking lighting shining in my eyes. All power is back! I could not believe our good fortune. I actually got down on my knees and thanked God for his mercy. I just had to share.

This may come as a shock, but...I'm still pregnant (as of the time I posted this)! Not even one sign that the time is close. I am staring down 38 weeks and Chocolate Chip has made no moves to evacuate the oven. I'm not anxious though. (S)he can bake some more. I am in no rush to start taking care of a Tasmanian devil toddler and a newborn.

Let's see, what else is going on? Marlie started her new school schedule this week 8:30 am-2:30 pm. She has adapted well to staying longer, but nap time can be hit or miss. In other progress news, I dare say we are officially potty-trained! Sure, there are a couple of accidents here and there and we still use a cloth diaper at night because she is such a heavy wetter. But she is in panties all day and going to the bathroom on her own! She refers to herself as a princess when she goes, "See mommy? I be princess!" She also likes to say "ta-da" when she's made potty. So, which is it? Is she a princess or a magician? The picture above her potty says, "Marlie's Throne."

Every now and then my sweet tomboy does or says something to remind me that she is a girl. Like the princess references. On Friday, she asked me to put ponytails in her hair. Baby girl only has enough hair for tiny Afro puffs, but okay. She is clearly developing a self-image and becoming conscious of her appearance. I catch her looking at herself in the mirror and smiling. The child knows she is cute with that cocoa skin and big almond eyes that sport lashes a mile long. And her smile...swoon. We are in big trouble. She has developed a bad habit recently, which is biting her nails and nail beds. She even does it in her sleep. I know this tick is genetic because her daddy does it too. I actually sat in the car and watched the two of them go at their fingernails like a couple of crazed beavers. Her cuticles are all chewed and she has hangnails.I need to come up with a deterrent that does not involve spreading some chemical on her fingers or using punishments.

As for me...Marlie's new schedule has given me a new lease on life. I can actually go have lunch with friends and make afternoon appointments! One thing I did do right away was go see a chiropractor that practices around the corner from our house and was recommended by the naturopathic doctor who's been counseling me in natural childbirth. He did some energy clearing and adjustments. I left clearer minded and walking more upright which is saying a lot since I am carrying a bullet train in front.

Toddler Log: 2 Years and 31 Weeks Old

I know I have been M.I.A. in the blogosphere except for some scheduled giveaway posts and tweets, but for good reason. I've been getting organized for Chocolate Chip's debut and obsessively nesting. At my last doctor's appointment, my OB took one look at my low-rider bump and said this baby might come before my next appointment. That put me in high gear! Minus a few shopping snafus (back orders, coupon codes not working, packages arriving incomplete), I feel ready for this baby to arrive! I am working on some great posts as well as seeking guest articles for when I take a maternity leave from this blog (look out for more information on Tuesday). I promise to catch up with you all this week. Meanwhile, enjoy these Marlie updates:

• We had our first missing child scare in a department store last Sunday. We took Marlie shoe shopping at Nordstrom Rack (3 pairs of Spring shoes for under $50! That's what I'm talking about!). While we were browsing the shoe rack, she takes off. She is fast, like FloJo fast. We couldn't find her for two minutes, but it seemed like forever. I felt my heart seize up with fear as I scanned the front doors for anyone attempting to leave with my child. People saw her streak past and would point out the direction she went. This is how we found her. Near the checkout line, in a fit of giggles. We were not amused. We had a talk about running off and how a mean person could have taken her away. I hope it sinks in. I never want to feel that panic of not knowing where my baby girl is ever again.
• She has this way of combining words that is so funny. Lion + Tiger = Linger (pronounced line-ger). She calls any jungle cat a linger. She calls Damon maddy (my + daddy). And a "rubber band aid" can be a rubber band or a ponytail holder.

• She is really into superheros. Her daddy taught her names of all the Marvel comic characters. Her favorite is Spider-man.
• This week was Spring Break, so she has been home with me all day. We've done lots of drawing  and shopping and playing at the park and lunching at our favorite organic restaurants. We also really focused on using the potty and she had some perfect days (we even went out in panties and came home dry!) and some not-so-perfect days where she couldn't be bothered to stop doing whatever to go to the bathroom. Overall, I am happy with her potty training. She knows her body's signals and how to go on her own, it's just a matter of consistency now. It's been a great week. The time change doesn't seem to have had an negative impact on her sleeping as it's had in the past. 

ECSTATIC UPDATE!!! My bloggy friend Alexia from Babies and Bacon gave birth yesterday (on St. Patrick's Day) to a gorgeous baby girl. Mama and baby and daddy and Big Sis C are doing great and home from the birthing center. Congratulations to them!

Toddler Log: 2 Years and 30 Weeks Old

This week was a roller coaster. High-highs and low-lows. Very little plateau. Oh, how I love those plateaus. One high point was Marlie's potty progress. We were finally invited to send her to school in panties. Not one accident all week! I am so proud of her! Now the goal is to see if we can make this permanent at home, at school, and out in public. Spring Break is next week and I'm hoping to focus on the potty for the next seven days. The only obstacle? My lack of energy and patience.

This baby growing inside has decided to make his/her presence felt in a painful way. I thought I was going to skate through this whole pregnancy without an ache, but I was wrong. This kid has taken up residence on my left with his/her bony booty jutted out all the time. It hurts. It hurts badly. I have a throbbing, sore spot that feels like a pulled muscle. I'm also tired all the time and just want to lay down all the time, which my very hyperactive 2.5 year old sees as a bad thing because she does everything to get me up off the couch/bed. She also gave me her cold. So I am achy, tired, and stuffy. Daddy was on a business trip for the first half of the week so I had no back-up. I've been snappish with her all week and I feel guilty, but I'm on edge and not feeling well. Something had to give, so we decided after Spring Break she's going to school full-time for the remainder of this semester. That's the rough spots of the week. Nothing too horrible and we made it through.

Other bright spots: I've been working with a naturopathetic doctor to getting ready for my second natural birth. She's awesome. I have three areas to work on: Exercise, Rest, and a Support Team. I am also writing my birth plan. I also had a OB appointment this week (they are weekly now). My cervix is closed and "way back," so no early bird arrival for this baby chick. 

I won two great giveaways during the Spring Fashionista Event. From Mother of Pearl It Is: I scored a Miche Bag bag with 2 interchangeable shells, a $75 gift code to Zutano, a 440 credit to Twin Elegance, and a $39.99 membership to Shoe Dazzle. From Daisy Dayz blog: my prizes are $50 to Sunglassesshop.com, $50 to spend at Wonderlost, a scarf, a necklace, as Swarovski crystal hair barrette, and 3 charm bracelets. That certainly cheered me up! The Fashionista giveaways were the most fun I've had as an avid sweeper. It's was so well-organized and the prizes were all awesome. So, of course, the blogger in me had to join in the fun! I am no signed-up for the Fall Fahsionista event October 11-16. You can register to participate too by reading this POST and tell them I sent you!

Speaking of giveaways, please check out my Virtual Baby Shower giveaways under the GIVEAWAYS tab on the menu at the top of my blog header. I have a bunch of cool prizes up for grabs for the new babies in your life. Enter for yourself or to win a gift for someone special who is expecting!

One more thing...did you push your clocks 1 hour ahead? It's DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!

Toddler Log: 2 Years and 29 Weeks Old

The full weight of my reaching the term of this pregnancy really hit me this week. I think Marlie has sensed that this baby is coming soon too because she has become permanently attached to my backside and is getting extra possessive. On Wednesday I was holding the one-year-old daughter of her school's director while waiting for her to finish lunch. She looked up, saw me, and burst into tears. Uh, oh! I am still holding out hope that she will come around once the baby is here.

I really need to step it up in the preparations for Chocolate Chip's arrival. I haven't ordered any newborn cloth diapers or onesies or washed the crib bedding.I have a nice little sum in my Amazon.com account thanks to some recent giveaway wins. I just need to go shopping! How hard is that?

Wordful Wednesday: Baby Bullet {Bump Update}

I felt I owed you a status update on chocolate chip. Here s/he is! We're now 35 weeks, which means we'll be meeting this big bundle sometime in the next four weeks. Look at the shape of that bump. It looks like a bullet! I am told the shape is an indication of the baby's sex. We'll see! If you have major baby fever, check out my bloggy buddy Alexia's 37 week update at Babies and Bacon!

Toddler Log: 2 Years and 22 Weeks Old

Marlie, who I now refer to as Terror Fabulous (not the reggae dancehall artist), had quite an interesting week. She started off with the bright idea to boycott nap time. Fun for her, frustrating for me. The upside was that she crashed at bedtime, no ploys to delay going to sleep at night. 

On Thursday morning she woke up and emphatically stated, "I don't feel good. I need medicine." I checked her temperature, felt her tummy for stiffness and got her ready for school. She ate breakfast normally and we headed out the door. She sounded congested when I picked her up and then she fell asleep on the way home. Then she napped for 2 1/2 hours! I kept checking on her because she was breathing hard. I rubbed some eucalyptus ointment under her nostrils while she was still asleep. She immediately started draining mucus when she woke up. Poor thing had a cold. She was fine except for all the snot. She sat on the couch with me for the rest of the day and we watched tv and shared a mango. That evening, I received an alert from her school that strep throat was going around. aack! Marlie has not shown any signs, so I think she's been spared.

As for chocolate chip...this baby has got the moves like Jagger! The kid dances around so much that it wakes me up at night and I have to go to the potty very often. I take it in stride and just tell myself to enjoy the sensation of feeling him/her move because pretty soon s/he will be out and I will forget this feeling.

Our weekend was uneventful. We did the usual...shopping for groceries, shopping for household supplies. When did my life get so routine? I am hoping to go on a picnic Monday if the weather cooperates (in my language that means warm temps, at least 60 degrees). I need to check our TV listings or Netflix for Eyes on the Prize. Happy King Holiday!

Dear Baby X or Y: Why Mommy Doesn't Prefer That You Are a Girl or Boy

Dear Chocolate Chip:

Greetings, my beautiful unborn child! I felt it was time that mommy explain why we decided not to find out if you are a boy or girl ahead of your birthday. It's not that we don't care to know everything about you, it's just that we only care that you are healthy.

This planet is very hung up on things like gender and other means of classifying people like race, religion, and sexuality. Everywhere you turn some organization or agency wants you to check a hundred boxes identifying yourself as this or that for some bureaucratic purpose. It's all very tiresome, especially if you don't belong to a favorable group. In America, being born a girl means earning 75 cents on the dollar as a woman and having to decided whether to trade in on your feminine wiles to get ahead. It's even worse in some countries where females don't even get to be born or are sent to orphanages if they survive pregnancy. It's hard being a girl in this world.

But it's not always easier being the opposite sex in our society. If you are a boy you are expected to wear blue and play with trucks and roll around in the mud. My brother recently told me her would never give his son a doll if he asked for one. Rest assured that mommy and daddy are going to do their best to protect you from these "social norms." If you are a boy who wants to sport long hair or a girl who wants to wear polos, your parents will happily accommodate. I'm not the only one who is pushing back against gender identity constraints in case you think your mommy is some renegade, lone-wolf, nonconformist. There is "princess boy" Dyson whose parents let him dress up as female cartoon character for Halloween.Then there is that Canadian couple who refused to reveal their newborn's gender.

I promise your mommy and daddy won't take it that far. We will proudly present you as our son or daughter after you are born. But what we won't do is wish, hope, or pray one way or the other. After reading this article on gender disappointment, I was even more adamant that your sex remain a secret for the duration of my pregnancy. People are free to predict what you might be (I actually like playing the guessing game with folks) but when people ask me if I have a preference, I say no. I get all sorts of skeptical looks and remarks. Few people seem to think that it's possible for me to feel neutral about your sex. But the honest truth is that you are a win-win baby...boy or girl.

Wordful Wednesday: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Look at that punim! Do you think it's a boy or a girl?

Wordful Wednesday: Baby Bump Debut Photo

I've been feeling some mommy guilt about chocolate chip not getting the same amount of attention that Marlie got on my blog. Let's not even get into what I am going to do about the name of this blog. Anyway. Here is the first picture of chocolate chip as as a baby bump. I took this after I got home from my 14/15 week check up. Notice my weird angle. That's because I am hiding the dent. Yep. I have a very "innie" belly button that creates a cavern in my otherwise round bump. It will eventually pop out, but meanwhile it looks off. Everything is going swimmingly. Heartbeat is strong (150s) and my blood pressure is excellent. I have to decide on genetic testing and a flu shot by my next visit. I also get a sonogram and have to decide if we want to learn the sex of the baby. Decisions! Decisions! I think we've pretty much decided to wait until the baby is born to find out if we have a daughter or son. If curiosity gets the bets of me, we will keep everyone else in the dark until chocolate chip arrives.