Falling Short & Lots of Updates

I am a horrible blogger. The whole point of having a blog is to update it periodically so people will visit, read your thoughts and life events and feel more connected across the miles. My monthly posts just ain’t cuttin’ it. Perhaps our life has bridged into the mundane, or perhaps I’ve lost my touch of being cajoled by the little things in life. I have also been bothered about my last two posts being a titch negative. So, with that, here’s to a new post, which, ironically, may very well be my last for a good long time – or at least until I resurface from the Baby #2 tsunami that will hit between now and next Wednesday.

All the pain and discomfort of this pregnancy has either subsided or simply become the everyday way of life. Either way, it doesn’t get me down as much as March and April did, and counting down the days – now in single digits – helps the time pass seemingly faster. My mantra has become, “I can endure anything for 20 days,” “15 days,” “10 days,” etc. I’ve found continuous Extra Strength Tylenol consumption makes a world of difference, too.

Similar to my pregnancy with Frankie, I’m having some of the same bizarre side effects – only one foot that swells, a belly button hanging tough against the battle of turning inside out and routine episodes of being stuck on the couch (except this time, I have a 20-month-old commentator reminding me I’m “tucked” every time he finds me struggling to get up). I can’t dry lower than my thighs after a shower, and I haven’t slept in our bed since mid-March. But it’s all OK – the adventure is soon coming to an end. I hope this child can forgive me for my lack of enthusiasm. This time, I’m saving it for her arrival, rather than the pregnancy. Yeah, that’s it.

So, how about little Frankie... What's new with him? Well, vocabulary, for one thing! He is quickly on the road to toddler fluency, and here’s a short list of his current repertoire:

“Doggie” (his first and favorite thing in the world!)
“Ball” (anything circular is clearly a ball)
“Choo Choo” (anything with wheels – train or not)
“Tucked” (stuck – what mommy is all too often, typically on the couch)
“Ouside” (his favorite place to spend his time)
“Tocks” (those things you put on your feet)
“Choos” (those things you put over your ‘tocks’)
"Ow!" (usually said when I'm jamming a too-small shoe onto his big ole foot)
“Beya” (teddy bear, but with a New York accent)
"Allda!" or "Allgaw!" (Meaning he has cleared his plate and needs it removed immediately. The kid can't stand a dirty dish lying around!)
“Bye Bye” (whether you’re leaving or not, you get a “bye bye” every time you leave the room)
"Hayee" (whether you've been gone for 30 seconds or 30 minutes, you are often greeted by a friendly "hayee" and raise-the-roof-style hand wave to welcome you back)
“Uh Oh” (Cutie’s cue to retrieve an edible prize that has fallen on the floor)
“Chang Chu” (thank you - still only said with a lot of encouragement, but the point of saying it when someone does something nice for you is slowly sinking in)
“Potty” (a fun place to swirl our hands in a bowl of water that perhaps one day we’ll show an earnest interest in)
“Sheeze” (a favorite dairy treat – primarily Cheddar)
“Juice” (something he must have immediately and insists on Mommy holding while not in use)
“Shish” (those funny scaly things that swim around in water)
“Rash” (a big, white can in the kitchen where we throw things away – trash or not!)
“Baby” (that huge lump in Mommy’s tummy – and most other children under the age of two)
“Boobie” (things that feed babies, although, we’re not sure who taught him that one!)
“Go!” (something we must exclaim every time the car stops at a signal)
“Uh uh” (the answer to every time you ask “Wanna go night night?”)
“Mama” (that’s me)
“Mama, see!” or “Mama, totch!” (think Mad TV, “look what I can do”)
“Daddy!” (always said with great excitement, usually upon Daddy’s return home from work)

The list grows daily, and I’m sure I’m missing a few. What’s amazing, too, is how much he understands. While he can’t say everything back to us, he responds to a vast vocabulary of every day terms – like, “throw this away” (to the trash can he goes), “climb into bed” (up he goes), and “be nice to the doggie” (OK, we’re still working on that one).

Although, we’re quick to admit our boy isn’t perfect. We had a bad week in April at the babysitter’s when he decided to pick on the other kids – even the ones bigger and older than him! – and knock them down, push them around, throw toys, etc. Quite the stressful week for me, dreading to pick him up every day and receive the bad report. Oddly enough, it only lasted a week (knock on wood), and the mood swing seemed to pass. Only explanation we could come up with was that he was jealous that he wasn’t getting all the attention he used to from our babysitter, who just had a baby in March. Just a guess, we may never know. We’ll see what happens when his own Mommy’s attention must be shared in a few days!!!

As for Dennis, he’s been home sick for two days with his annual bout of paralysis. Not Mother Nature’s greatest timing, but best he get it over with BEFORE the baby arrives. He had blood work done yesterday morning, and his potassium levels were normal, which has us both a little worried, as whacked out potassium levels were always the answer to his past episodes. They previously ruled out the big, scary stuff, like MS, muscular dystrophy, etc., but you just never know for sure. At a doctor's appointment this afternoon, the doctor shrugged his shoulders, said "Don't know what's wrong with you," and referred him to a neurologist who might have an opening in October. Nothing like uncertainty. With any mercy, he won’t lose his job – his bosses tend to be a bit ruthless about their urgency to deliver chips to the masses. Meanwhile, I continue to polish up his resume in my spare time.

Otherwise, we're both itching for a trip to California - hard to believe we haven't been home in over TWO years! I had a brilliant plan cooked up for August, but my mom said I was nuts. Sometimes, as much as I hate to admit it, she's right. We'll see... If we go stir-crazy enough, the mini-van might just get packed up one summer day, and $4.00/gallon on a road trip will seem justifiable. Frankie sure would enjoy Disneyland...

So, that's our latest. Not very reflective or philosophical, but informative, nonetheless. With any luck, my next post will come from a poorly-rested-but-bed-sleeping, 30-pound-lighter, baby-totting, summer-vacation-enjoying, double-kid-diaper-changing, second-time mommy with a whole lot more to be thankful for! Have a wonderful May!