People Actually Do This??

Apparently we are working out. And I mean almost every night. Brad wants to lose a few pounds and I want to be as supportive as I can. I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight, but I would like to rearrange some. Ya know, move it from certain lower areas to certain higher areas...

Anyway, Brad started about a week and a half ago and I joined him rather unenthusiastically. He would ascend imaginary mountains using the stairclimber while I waited for him to come attempt yoga with me. I like yoga because it's pretty low impact and I feel all stretched out afterward.

Brad convinced me that we should move our exercise equipment into the living room. Before, the stairclimber was behind a cubicle wall in our school room while the treadmill was sequestered to Brianna's room. I didn't like the idea of having huge, ugly machines adorn the living room I have been gradually tailoring to my taste. But again, I want Brad to know I'm behind him and having them in the living room makes it much more likely that he (and I) will stick to the program. So we spent Monday evening rearranging furniture to make room. It doesn't look nearly as bad as I had imagined it would.

Something happened today though. I must have caught some weird virus that causes a person to desire exercise. I'm not sure how I contracted it. I'm pretty sure I was immunized at some point. Maybe I'm due for a booster. Regardless, I found myself anticipating our session. All day I was thinking about trying the treadmill. How long should I run the first time? Psshh. It's a treadmill; I could run all day. How fast? Surely I can pull off a good 5 miles per hour. I've got this licked. It's just running. I keep up with 6 kids all day. Running will be EASY.

So after putting the littlest children to bed, I changed into my workout clothes; a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. This is a great outfit for yoga because I don't use my ipod during yoga. It presents a problem, however, when running. Yoga pants don't have pockets. No ipod holder. Hmmm...running is already difficult. No problem, I can fix this. I have a great sports bra. There's plenty of room in there. Ok, ready to roll.

My goal was to run for 20 minutes. I was about 5 minutes in, going about 3.3 miles per hour, when I began thinking of excuses why I should stop at 15 minutes. Or maybe 10. Burning thighs. Lightening Crashes by Live. Not a good running song. Sweat. I am definitely sweating.

Silas's PDO program has a great physical education team who teach the kids the names of their muscles. She reminds me everyday that I have a gluteus maximus. I need no reminding right now. I am perfectly aware that I have a gluteus maximus. And I'm pretty sure that awareness will last with me well through tomorrow.

I look down at the time and am shocked to discover I have made it to 8 minutes. Higher Ground by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Okay. I think I can do this. Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running...

I made it! 20 minutes! 3.3 miles per hour. Not really all that fast, but I did run just over a mile. I can't help but be a little proud of myself. I had thought I would then collapse into a heap of exhausted flesh, but I actually feel energized! On to yoga!

Yoga is much more difficult after running for 20 minutes. I accomplished a session, but with many more balance checks and yearnings for the end than usual.

That's ok. It's all over now. I did it and I feel better for it. Tonight. I'm sure I'll have other opinions tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be up for a repeat performance.

Sleeping Beauty, Finally

We had to move Silas to a toddler bed today. It wasn't something we wanted to do yet, but it became necessary when Spiderman (aka: Memphis) figured out how to scale the outside of Silas' crib and unzip her crib tent. She's only 18 months old, so we knew it was going to be interesting.

Uncle Billy and Aunt Kim bought Silas a four-poster toddler princess bed complete with gold crowns atop each spire. She loves it. She calls it her "nigh nigh."

At nap time we close the door completely so, while she was not able to leave the room, she did get up and play a little bit before falling asleep on top of a book in her new bed. Tonight was more of a challenge because Memphis was in there with her and we have to leave the door cracked so he can get out to use the bathroom if he needs to.

Memphis has always been a very good sleeper. His bed is his sanctuary. He doesn't get up unless he has a good reason. While we hoped Silas would follow his example, we knew it was unlikely.

Brad and I settled both babies into bed and then went to finish our dinner together. Not five minutes later we hear the door open and here comes Silas down the hall, belly sticking out in front, like she has every right in the world to be there. I escorted her back to bed, tucked her in again, thanked Memphis for staying in his bed, and left the room.

This ritual continued with Brad and I taking turns returning her to bed for about twenty minutes when we realized more drastic measures were going to be needed. I should mention that every time we went back in the room Memphis felt the need to inform us of the events that occurred while we were absent. "Mommy, Siyas get outta bed and she play with my toys and she get on my bed. Merry Christmas Mommy!!"

"Merry Christmas Memphis, thank you for staying in your bed, go to sleep now."

"Ok Mommy, thank you Mommy, merry Christmas!"

At this point we parked ourselves outside their door in the hallway. Every few minutes we had to go in and put the wayward child back in bed again. At one point we thought it might be over when we heard Silas saying, "Nigh nigh" over and over again. And we heard Memphis, "K-k-k-k-k-k, sssssshhhhhh....k-k-k-k-k-k, sssssssshhhhhh." His attempt to make Silas think he was already asleep. Brad and I had to stifle hysterical laughter.

It was not over, however, and we resorted to leaving the bedroom door wide open while we sat in the hall in view of her precious bed. Every time that little head popped up one of us would say, "Lay down Silas," and Memphis would echo, "Way down Siyas." Sometimes we had to count, "1...(Memphis chimes in with 2)...2...(Memphis..3)...3! Ok here we come." Little head back on the mattress.

After about and hour of this she started to wear down. She chatted to herself a little and then began to demand milk. "I wan mmmeeeeuuukkk. I wan mmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuukkkkkk!" Memphis' nerves were shot. "NO!"

And that was it. Both kids drifted off leaving Brad and I looking at each other asking, "That was it?!? Not so bad." Hopefully we won't have to eat our words tomorrow.

A House Divided

It is football season although, for the most part, you wouldn't know it around our house. We are not huge football fans, but we do enjoy a good game every now and again. Being Texans, we are always happy to see a Texas team do well.

Last night, however, our Texas Tech Red Raider football team played the #1 Texas Longhorns and you can bet we were all hyped up for the battle. Brad, Cody, and I (and of course Memphis and Silas) are avid Red Raider fans, while Brianna, Meyson, and Carson (yes, they got her) were pulling for the Longhorns.

If you follow college football, you know that Tech pulled off a thrilling victory in the final seconds of the game. Woo Hoo!

I am appalled at Carson's endorsement of the Bevo crowd, but, of course, my blood runs black and red. So, when I was praying with her last night at bedtime, my prayer went like this:

"Dear God, Thank you for this day and for my precious Carson. Please keep her dreams pleasant tonight and let her know that she is so very loved. And go Texas Tech. In Jesus' name, Amen."

There was a long silence, and then, "Longhorns forever, longhorns forever, longhorns forever!" in a teeny-weeny girl voice complete with the hook 'em horns sign. ***Sigh***

Why So Serious?

Meyson was The Joker for halloween. He and Brad went to see The Dark Knight a few months ago and they have both been talking about it ever since. It was very important to Meyson that his costume was as accurate as possible. He did a great job on his make-up and was delighted to receive several compliments as we were out and about tonight. Check out these pictures. I hope they put a smile on your face.

Brianna decided Sarah Palin was a little too normal for halloween night, so here she is as a dead prom queen.

Cody, Carson, and Memphis stuck with their original costumes except that I added a few streaks of color to Memphis's hair. Batman became Batpunk.

They all got way too much candy and will be on a permanent sugar high until Christmas when they will receive stockings full of...what else but candy? Yay!!!

Happy Fall Ya'll

The halloween season used to be a big deal to me. I used to let two little girls peruse the costume sections of the McCall's books at the craft store. Then we would pour over every conceivable fabric in the store until we had found the perfect ones for their chosen costumes. I would spend $30 easily by the time we had left the store, and then I would spend hour after hour slaving away at the sewing machine, often whispering angry words at it.

Now there are six children who need costumes and the ritual has been reduced to a wild rummaging through the closets to find anything that will work. Why don't I just start a month earlier and sew all of their costumes? Because, I'm not (completely) insane.

Here's how it all turned out:

Carson is Snow White. I dug out the old dress that I had made for Cody a few years ago, borrowed a curly black wig, threw in some white tights and black mary-janes that we already owned, and voila! A beautiful Snow White costume for zero dollars and zero cents.

Cody is Hermione from Harry Potter. My mom gave me an old nun costume which I cut down to Cody's size, we borrowed a Gryffindor scarf from Bri, painted a wooden dowel brown for a wand, and braided her hair early in the day for wild Hermione hair. Again, zero dollars and zero cents.

Brianna is Sarah Palin. This was Mamaw's (Brad's mom) idea and we loved it. I inherited a skirt suit a couple of months ago that was perfect, she already had the glasses, and we spent some time straightening her hair and putting it up in a Palin-esque manner. Free again.

Bri would only commit to the Palin idea if I agreed to be Hillary Clinton. Now let me just make it very clear that I am not in any way endorsing Hillary, I just happen to resemble her more than McCain. I'm not sure that everyone at our church carnival got the joke.

Silas is a mandrake. You know, the screaming baby plants that they re-pot in the first Harry Potter? I started with the ladybug outfit that I made for Cody. Obviously, I did not use the red part with the black dots on it. Brad and I cut some leaves off of his canna plants and I attached them to the ladybug bonnet. She was the cutest little killer mandrake ever.

Memphis is Batman. The bodysuit cost me $3.99 at a thrift store and the cape was one that Meyson had used in the past that we cut down to fit Memphis. He's not a fan of Batman really, but it was the only costume at the store that would both fit Memphis and cost less than $20.

We went to the annual festival at our church this evening and the kids had a blast. Memphis in particular was so much fun to watch. This is the first year he really understood what was going on.

He found a big mural with the beloved Bob and Larry on it and his reaction was priceless.

He is much more brave and skilled at climbing than we thought he would be. I really thought he would need some help climbing up the ladder in the big inflatables, but he not only did not, but climbed them like he had done it a thousand times before.

Getting candy was a huge thrill for Memphis and he soon figured out that he could charm his was to more than his fair share. He would skip the games and run straight for the person manning the candy bag, sign "more, please" and hold his bag open for them. Who could resist that? Nobody at our church apparently. He made quite a haul.

We knew it was time to go when he couldn't go two minutes without throwing a fit. His feet became immovable cement blocks and his voice went to full volume as he screamed his disapproval that he was not allowed to pickle fish for the 15th time. He would then become a limp pile of wailing flesh complete with a bloody nose. No joke.

The last time, I picked him up, potato-sack style, under my arm and walked very quickly toward the door with my hand over his mouth. I'm pretty sure that at least a couple people questioned whether or not he belonged to me. Yes, yes, the out of control, screaming banshee is mine. Thank you very much.

Recuperating

We visited our county fair yesterday and we are still exhausted after a full night of sleep. It's tiring enough to walk a long way and to subject your body to the rigors that some of the rides provide, but on top of that we were constantly looking around us to make sure we still had six little bodies with us. I can't even imagine the freak out if we were to lose one of them.

Cody and Carson are particularly hard to keep up with because they tend to be easily distracted by the noise and lights and crazy looking people. More than once I turned around to find them totally absorbed in something that had caught their eye.

We had the double stroller with us which takes Memphis out of the equation, thank God. Had he been loose we would have spent the entire time running after him shouting, "Hey you little monster! Don't you know we are here to protect you from the huge machinery and insane carnies? Stop running away!"

Brianna spent the afternoon trying to steal my cotton candy. I am very serious about cotton candy. It is the most amazing creation ever. So, I was glad that it seemed to satisfy Bri and the other kids when I gave them each a little bit.

Silas did amazingly well riding in the stroller or strapped to the front of either Brad or me. At one point, while I was wearing her, Brad was trying to talk me into riding a particularly scary ride. I said, "Alright, alright, but if I die it's your fault," and we proceeded to make our way over to The Inverter.

Meyson thought that I was going to leave Silas strapped to me during the ride and was extremely distraught at the thought of how scared she would be. He began trying fervently to convince me that it was a really, really bad idea. He's a good big brother.

We never did make it over to The Inverter, much to Brad's dismay, but I think everyone else got to ride everything they wanted to ride. Now we have a whole year to recover and it's a good thing because we're going to need it.

Almost Love

I left the house one night last week, leaving Brad with all of the kids except for Silas. Carson took full advantage of my absence when she decided to get herself a snack. At first glance, Brad thought she was drinking milk from a bowl using a spoon. Turns out it was sugar. Lots and lots of sugar.

Of course, Brad got upset with her and, seeking his love and approval, she said, "I love you Daddy." Undoubtedly she had that teary, wide-eyed look of innocence.

He replied, "I love you too, with all my heart, my precious girl."

"Well, Daddy, I barely love you!"

Honesty...Not Always The Best Policy

Brad is on the phone with his dad who lives a few hours from here. He took Meyson home with him after visiting here over the weekend. So far we have heard tales of how wonderful Meyson thinks the food is there.

Brad said, "Yeah, I'm jealous. You're there eating good food."

Well, I guess the truth comes out, huh?

Silas' Take

Hi. I think my parents named me Silas, but they always call me "baby Si." I'm pretty new to this world, I'll be seven weeks old tomorrow. I have learned a lot in my short little life though. I know that when I cry my mommy will pick me up and cuddle with me. And if she's busy then my daddy or one of my brothers and sisters will take over.

Sometimes my short brother with the blond hair bonks my head and I cry really hard because it hurts my feelings. This is what my brothers and sisters look like:

I think everyone here loves me very much, but I can't figure out why they are always putting their lips on my face. Oh well, I guess I'll get used to it.

I like to eat. It's really my favorite thing to do. This morning my mommy said I look like a little sumo wrestler, whatever that is. My mommy looks like this:

I like it when she holds me and I expect her to do so all day long.

I'll tell you a secret. I have my daddy wrapped around my little finger. He looks like this:

I like music very much, almost as much as I like pooping. And when I'm awake and lying on Mommy and Daddy's bed, I like to look at this:

Fascinating, isn't it? I could stare at it for hours.

Sometimes my mom puts me in the kitchen sink with some water. I find it very relaxing.

I am learning to smile. Every once in a while I manage to smile and coo at Mommy or Daddy and they just go crazy. At first, it scared me but now I really like it and I'm doing my best to smile more.

That's all for now. Check back later because I get cuter everyday!

Twins!

My baby looks just like her Daddy. People have been saying that since she was just a few hours old, and while I agreed then, I have never seen them look so much alike as they did this morning. I'm just hoping she doesn't inherit his 5 o'clock shadow.

Lesson Learned

During the painting of the kids' room, Memphis' crib was on it's side and covered in plastic. I suppose we could have uncovered it at bedtime, but I wasn't too keen on the idea of having my asthmatic child sleep in a room that was saturated in paint fumes. So, I decided to let him sleep with Brad and I. It was really our only choice.

Have you ever tried to sleep with a tornado that never stops talking?

He was up much later than usual so I thought he would be so tired that he'd just conk out. Wrong. When we finally got him to sit still he kept chanting, "MA!....MA!....MA!....MA!" at the top of his lungs. This went on for probably ten minutes and nothing would make it stop. At one point, I even got about two inches from his face and said, "Stop saying MA!!" and it didn't slow him down one bit.

He finally dozed off and Brad and I were very relieved. Stupid. What Memphis did in his sleep made me realize that he's going to have to be in his crib for at least another six months. I didn't know that a person could be so active while sleeping. He thrashed around smacking Brad and I in various places all night long. He was on the pillow, then at the foot of the bed, then laying on Brad's head, then on my feet. I swear, it's no wonder the kid only weighs 22 pounds.

Of course, at some point, Silas woke up to eat and Memphis was also awakened. He lay there very quietly for a few minutes and then positioned himself directly over Brad's ear and said, "DOH!" I'm not sure I'll ever forget the response Brad gave from his half-comatosed state. He looked at Memphis and without missing a beat said, "Go to sleep, DOH!" I had to contain my laughter.

Anyway, we have learned our lesson. No more sleeping with Memphis.

From The Mouths and Fingers of Babes

I suppose some of you have come over from Nicole's blog after reading about my darling Carson's plans for the future. She apparently has become quite the little eavesdropper. And, in Brad's defense, his recovery has been somewhat slowed by the unrelenting activity of Memphis.

But, I will go ahead and take this opportunity to share a little conversation between Carson and Claire. Probably Claire's attempt to retain her throne of things that make people die laughing.

Nicole and I took all of the kids to Krispy Kreme (they should be paying me for all this advertising) for a tour of the place. It's actually pretty neat and it's short enough to hold the kids' attention. And you get a dozen FREE donuts. Can't beat that.

When I picked them up from VBS, Carson and Claire informed me that they had donuts as part of their dinner there. I remarked on how they must be getting sick of donuts by now and then:

Claire: "If you eat too many donuts, you get sick."

Carson: "They didn't make me sick, but if you eat your boogers then you get sick."

Claire: "Well, I don't get sick when I eat my boogers!"

Of course not! It is possible that Carson's nasal excretions hold more infectious material than Claire's.

And I have one last little morsel of profane humor for you today. I have a sweet, wonderful, innocent baby girl who, apparently, had been pushed too far on this particular day.

Ok, I'll stop taking your picture for Pete's sake. No need to get hostile.

Don't Leave Children (or Donuts) Unattended

Yesterday I bought some Krispy Kreme donuts. Cody, Carson, Memphis, Silas and I were taking a trip to New Mexico to drop Cody off with her Dad for a visit. Between the five of us we ate six donuts. Of course, Silas ate the most.

There were six donuts left in the box this morning. I gave Carson and Memphis three of them for breakfast this morning and then I went back to my room. I was lazy. I thought that maybe on this Sunday morning, while Brad is recovering from "open heart surgery" aka no more baby surgery, I could lay down for a few more minutes. I figured since these parents of six were down to three children, we might be more likely to be allowed a few extra moments to snooze. I was right.

Brad and I slept right through Memphis noticing the donut box on the counter. We were unconscious when he took the box from the counter and went to find Carson. We were completely unaware as together they opened the box and devoured the three remaining donuts and replaced the box on the counter as if nothing had happened.

We were so oblivious that we didn't realize anything was amiss until Brad went to get himself a donut and was terribly disappointed to find that the box was empty. And when I asked Carson what had happened, I saw a lie forming in her mind. Her eyes shifted and she looked guilty. Fortunately for her, she used her better judgement and aborted her attempt at a fib. Instead, she laughed her cutest laugh and said, "I guess we ate them all."

I should be telling you that she was then punished for eating unauthorized quantities of donut, but honestly, I'd let them eat six dozen donuts for the chance at a little extra sleep. I would love to give you some more updates, but I have to get to Krispy Kreme before they close.

While She's Not Sleeping

Wow. I didn't realize how harsh sleep deprivation could be. Actually, Silas sleeps better than I have any right to expect, but she still wants to eat every couple of hours. I can't seem to remember the things that I want to blog about.

I will share a cute Father's Day story though. On Friday, I pulled all of the craft supplies out and had the kids make Father's Day cards. Carson dictated the following message for the inside of her card to Brad:

Happy Father's Day
Happy Father's Day
I hope you enjoy your gift.
I want to buy you a barbie.
I bet you would like a crab.
Happy Father's Day
Love, Carson

He, of course, loved it, although I'm betting he wouldn't be as happy with a crab as she thinks he would be.

We celebrated Memphis' second birthday. He got a lot of hot wheels cars and a case to carry them in. He loves to put all of the cars in the case, but then it's too heavy for him to carry. We can hear him coming a mile away. The case dragging along the ground behind him and the occasional "thump" when it bounces against the back of his legs has become a typical sound in our house. And it makes a pretty funny scene too.

Memphis' birthday marks the end of birthdays for our household until January. Well, sort of. Brad's and mine are close to Christmas, but we don't require elaborately themed parties. Anyway, it's a good thing because we need the next six months to save up for Christmas and the next round of birthdays.

It's late now and by some miracle Silas has fallen asleep, so this is where I take my leave. Sleep sounds sooooo good.

Her First Few Days

Silas is a wonderful baby. As is typical for new infants, she eats, sleeps, poops, and cries, although the crying does not usually last very long. She had her first official photo shoot while we were still in the hospital. I was delighted to find her alert time on day 2 coincided nicely with some really nice light coming into our room.

She is already Daddy's little girl. She loves to hear Brad's voice and his chest is her first choice for a good sleeping place.

My mom brought the three little kids to visit us at the hospital. Carson asked to see my belly, rubbed my stomach and said, "You got another one in there?" Thank you Carson. She was probably the most excited about Silas' arrival in the days before the birth, but when I called to inform her that she had a little sister, she said, "Yay! Can we have a lemonade stand today?" Sure, why not?

Going home

Cody cannot catch a glimpse of one hair on Silas' head without begging to hold her. She is the little mommy.

Memphis is surprisingly sweet with Silas. When he sees her, he runs to kiss her head. It doesn't seem to bother him that he may squish her little arms or legs when he leans over her, but it does bother me. Imagine that. He's going to be an incredible big brother.

First bath at home

Meyson and Brianna have not had the pleasure of meeting their new sibling yet, but they will be home tomorrow. They are very excited.

Silas is precious and we can't help but just stare at her and smile for much longer then we really should. She is a little miracle.

A Good Day

My friends and family conspired together to give me a much needed day off today. My mom, the saint, watched the little kids this morning while Nicole treated me to a pedicure. Then we went to Red Lobster for lunch WITHOUT KIDS. We talked like real adults and ate our meal without having to stop for bathroom breaks or drink spills or un-restaurant-like behavior. And Nicole didn't even ask me to cut up her food. I do not know how to behave when I don't have to cut up anyone's food.

Then my wonderful husband took his shift with the kiddos while Nicole and I shopped like mad women. We were all over the place. I picked up some much needed post-pregnancy clothes and I can't wait to try them on.

During this time when my sanity is on the brink, it is incredibly comforting to know that I have such amazing family and friends who can recognize that I need them and somehow know exactly what it will take to help me. It has not just been the events of today, although it was extremely refreshing to get away. They have listened to my ranting, offered their shoulders and do-it-yourself induction ideas, and, in Brad's case, faced the rage that I feel toward my doctor.

And guess what? They're still here! Coaxing the baby out alongside me everyday. It is because of them that, here on the eve of my original induction date, I can say that I feel as peaceful as I can feel at 38 weeks pregnant. I can't tell you that I'm not still a little resentful that I'm not packing my bags and setting my alarm, but I do feel much better than I did last week. I can finally see the end of this thing and I know that everything will work out ok even if the circumstances aren't as ideal as they would have been.

Am I still anxious? Absolutely. Is my body still ready to be all mine again? Without a doubt. Am I ready to meet my child? Could not be more so.

I bet you all are ready to read about something else, and that will happen soon, I promise. But first I had to say thank you to all of you who have stepped up instead of backing off. Thank you for loving me when I'm unlovable and irrational and unreasonable. Thank you for letting me vent. Again, and again, and again. Thank you for just being there. Thank God that pregnancy is temporary. I'm sure we can all agree upon that.

Random Ramblings

Cody seems to have picked up on my less than exuberant demeanor. She and Carson were pestering me about letting them help make brownies and helping them paint their nails. These are both activities that we always enjoy doing together, but this particular afternoon I was feeling extra sleepy. I half-heartedly asked Cody if she would mind if I took a nap first and her response totally shocked me.

"Sure Mom! Take as loooonnnngggg a nap as you need and when you wake up we will paint our nails and make brownies."

At first I thought that I must have already drifted off and was dreaming, but then I enjoyed a good hour and a half long nap. When I got up and we made brownies and did our nails. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Brad agreed that everyone's nails looked lovely...except for Memphis's toenails. I know, I shouldn't be painting his toenails, but he is so curious about what we are doing and he just puts his little boy feet in with his sisters' and can't understand why I wouldn't paint his too. At least he is satisfied with the toes and doesn't ask to have his fingernails done.

In unrelated news, today I installed the infant carseat into my car. It's actually an eight person SUV which is convenient because we are about to be a family of eight. Ridiculous is the word that comes to mind though, as I look around my monstrous vehicle and notice that literally half of the seats in it have carseats strapped into them. It is going to take us half an hour just to get in or out of the car.

As for Silas, he or she is still holding on to that umbilical cord for dear life. I am having contractions, but they are not regular and I have no reason to believe they are doing anything other than taunting me. I keep trying to will my water to break, but no luck there so far. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the happenings or lack thereof, the latter being the most likely.

Our Baby's Name

Two weeks from today I will not be pregnant anymore. I will be physically exhausted, but I will welcome that exhaustion. Brad and I will be new parents again and new parents together for the first time. We will be holding our new addition and fighting over who she looks like. I promised to post our name choices here, so here goes:

If Memphis is to have a little brother, his name will be: Silas Christopher

If another daughter will be joining us, her name will be: Silas Nicole

Thank you all for your thoughts on names. All comments were thought over carefully. Carson tells me that she "just knows" it is going to be a girl. I agree with her, even though I have thought at times that it might be a boy. Having a boy would certainly simplify the room sharing situation around here, but girls are more fun to shop for. Of course, we will love our little Silas either way.

Endearing

Tonight I climbed into bed and started working on an essay for the class I'm taking (I'm enrolled with the University of Phoenix online and I'm 4/5 of the way through my first class). A little while later Brad came to bed and when he slid under the covers he was greeted by two Lightening McQueens and a Sally car.

We are not phased at all. This is just how things are. It seems that either Lightening McQueen or Buzz Lightyear know when we won't be expecting them and show up exactly at that time wherever we may be. It's part of what makes Memphis so precious to us. He even trusts us with his best buddies.

Whine

This is just a warning for any of you who may come in contact with me sometime in the next three weeks.

I am there. That point. The "if you so much as raise your eyebrow at me, I may snap" point. I find myself replying sharply to Brad quite often now and then two seconds later saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just too uncomfortable to be nice." And I really am sorry. I don't mean to snap, it just so happens that everything that comes out of my mouth at this point sounds that way.

The pressure on the inside of my body right now is equivalent to the amount of force that causes a bullet to leave a gun. And my mouth is that gun.

This kid is huge. A lot of people tell me that I don't look as pregnant as I am. That's because the baby has made him/herself at home right back up against my kidneys. My stomach doesn't have to get much bigger this time because the baby just keeps rearranging my organs to create a little pocket for his living room. I'm sure by now the feng shui placement in there is optimal for maximum flow of good chi. Too bad the baby is using it all up. I really could use some good chi right now. What is "chi" anyway? Guess I'll have to settle for a chocolate malt.

Yes, I want the baby to be born healthy. Yes, I know my induction date is only twenty days away. Yes, I know that whining is unflattering. I should be reveling in the last twenty days that I will EVER be pregnant. I should be memorizing the incredible miracle of feeling my unborn child's movements. I should be out buying diapers.