The nursery - a sneak peak

White walls, robin's egg blue ceiling, paper ruffle lantern

Close-up of the light fixture. 

Thanks Mike!

Close-up of our do-it-yourself ceiling colour. 

This is what happens when you have several leftover cans of Farrow and Ball paint and cheap Dutch blood. 

The mirror which the change table will be placed under. 

Once an oldish bronze colour, now a fresh yellow. 

 The curtains! One of my many sewing projects :)

We spent Friday date night doing what every normal family does - crafting!

This week's craft, constructing a bird mobile for the rocking chair corner of the nursery. 

Luke and Judah worked late into the night (7 pm). 

I have pictures to prove it...

The birds before Judah starting beating them with the sticks...

One bird getting whacked with a stick- the others looking on in terror. 

Judah's "innocent" look- notice the unconscious bird in the background.

Luke "working hard" to balance the sticks. 

This sort of advanced physics requires a manly pose and a beer. 

et voila!

It's all starting to come together. Now I just need the term to end so I can relegate Luke's desk to the basement and get the baby furniture moved in! 

Sorry honey. 

Please vote for us!

Tired doesn't begin to describe it

Today I am tired. 
So very, very tired.


I fell asleep putting Judah to bed last night, only to wake up at 1, in my jeans and sweater, wide awake. 


After a few hours of tossing and turning - more like slow, nerve pinching, whale-like rolls - I fell back asleep. And then Judah woke us up. Before 7. In the pitch dark. On my one day to sleep in. 


ughmuffin.


Compounding my tiredness is the fact that baby has retaken her former residence under my rib cage. 


This week had been a pretty decent one for breathing, however, just to assure me that I am not in control of this relationship, she has taken back the lungs today. I'm quite sure she is squeezing them under her arm like a bagpipe. Hence the high pitch wheezing that is emitting from my mouth when I speak.


Added to the charm of this wheezing, is the entertaining show I put on when donning pants, socks or shoes; wherein, I need to sit on the floor to reach my feet... and then I need to grope away at nearby furniture, doorknobs or cats to get back up. The cat makes for a terrible support to my crushing weight. 


And we are only 30 weeks along! That means 10 more weeks. Or, if this pregnancy is like Judah's, 12. 12 weeks! 84 days!! 2016 hours!!! 120,960 minutes!!!! Just the thought of it is compelling me to have a nap.


Wake me up in January please.

Judderish

Judah was pretty slow to talk. He found the whole exercise rather unnecessary considering the longer he remained relatively silent, the longer we would play the amazingly fun game of 50 questions- often with hilarious activities thrown in. What could be better than watching your parents root through every kitchen cupboard when what you really want is a bath toy? 


In the last 6 months, however, Jude's vocabulary has taken off! Now he shocks us daily with his outbursts of full, often hilarious, sentences:


"Mama, Sadie (the cat) sad!"
"Why is she sad?"
"I don't know mama."
"Is it because you ran around the kitchen holding her tail?"
"Uhhh....yeah mama!"
"Maybe you shouldn't pull her tail."
"Uhhh... Sadie not sad mama. Sadie happy!"




This rapidly growing vocabulary has led to a hybrid language we fondly think of as Judderish. Judderish consists of many words that are familiar to us, but completely incomprehensible to anyone who is not a Judah parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle. They include the following, many of which sound amusingly like other completely unrelated, at times obscene, words:


Dooce: Juice
Titty: Kitty
Tandy: Candy
Titofer Wabin: Christopher Robin
Raycaca: Race car (car)
Chopit mit: Chocolate milk
Pee: Poop. He is a sensitive soul who prefers not to discuss poop.




He also has a series of words that he has applied to entirely new contexts. Here's a sampling:


"Sarry!" - Sounds much the same as sorry and can be used effectively after hitting one's parent, however, the preferred use is in place of the following: 


"Excuse me. I'm trying to get to the chocolate chip cupboard and you're inconveniently in my way." 
"You just totally smoked me in the face with your belly/ bum, mom." 
"There is a really sharp toy in my car seat. I am currently sitting on it." 






"No." - Seemingly self explanatory, but often used in the following contexts: 
"I mean yes, but first I want you to chase me." 
"Although I am claiming my diaper is clean, it really isn't- I simply don't want my bum exposed at this moment. Kindly crank the furnace."
"Yes, but I answered so quickly I accidentally said no. This is embarrassing." 


And my personal favourite...




"Goo Night" - which can most accurately be interpreted as:
"I'm going to sleep in my own bed now, but I'll be over to your room at about one to warm up my toes and sharpen my fingernails on your back."




I'm loving each new word. Every morning of waking up to "Hi mama!". Every night of  "There moon mama!". But most of all, his response when we say, I love you.


"Yeah." 


How could we not?

Happy Halloween!

7 months!

We are officially done 7 (lunar) months of pregnancy- only 3 to go - maximum (did you hear that baby?)

Where are we now?


Things that are kind of crummy: 

Not being able to breathe. If there's one thing that's easy to take advantage of, it's the ability to take a good breath and not have to think about it. Baby likes small spaces, particularly the small space under my rib cage where my diaphragm used to be. Now I'm pretty sure it's shoved up around my collar bone. In any case, I go through at least an hour or two of each day where it is nearly impossible to get a deep breath. It's not super comfortable- but hey, comfortable is not how I'd categorize this month.

Speaking of uncomfortable, I have a continually pinched nerve in my ever-growing butt (my bottom is like one of those sponge toys you pour water on and they just expand and expand). And I'm getting daily charlie horses in my left calf upon waking. Time to get some calcium supplements!

Things that are awesome:

1. Baby is huge and still has room to move, which means we get to see and feel distinct body parts from the outside.

"Oh look, there's a human foot protruding from your side."

"So it is! What do you know!"

2. We're nearing the 30 week mark, which somehow seems like the beginning of the end. I love being pregnant for the most part, but what I'd love even more is to meet this little one!

3. The nursery is almost done! Luke was a super trooper last weekend and painted the whole thing up beautifully. I finished the curtains, the crib blanket and a couple other craft projects. I have a couple more pillows to sew and some more wall art to make or source, then we should be all set. EEEK! Pics and a nursery update post to follow.

Cravings this month?


CHOCOLATE

That's pretty much it. I think I could live purely on chocolate right now. I don't...but I could.

Yes ladies and gents, I'm carrying Willy Wonka in utero. 

Judah's thoughts on baby now?

When we play cars together, he ensures there is a car for baby. It's usually his least favourite car, but sometimes he feels benevolent and places his entire 6 pound John Deere tractor on my belly. I'm sure his sister is appreciative, even if she does emerge from the womb with tractor marks on her head.

Judah's also very big on telling us that he is not the baby. Today Luke picked him up and said,
"What a cute baby I have!"

Judah responded (in an extremely high pitch)

"I not a baby! I'm big boy!"

Good thing we have a baby on the way then, I don't think I'm ready to be the parent of big kids only!

Now if only he'd decide diapers were for babies...

Potty training and adult ambitions

Potty training week ended with me feeling rather dejected. Although Judah was a ready participant in the potty sitting event, he was more hesitant about the sport of potty filling... as in he wouldn't... at all.


I had resigned myself to the fact that he simply wasn't ready quite yet and we'd try again in potty training bootcamp part two in November. Then, last night, we had my folks and sister over for dinner. Following dessert, we were all chatting around the dining table while Judah amused himself pantsless in the living room.


What should we hear next but, "Mama! Dada!! I peed!"


Great, I thought, one more reason to wash the couch slipcovers again.


Luke hurried over with a cloth and asked Judah to identify the damp spot and Judah proudly pointed at his potty which contained one little poop.


We lost our minds.


Not only had he pooped on the potty, he did it without prompting, cajoling, bribing or supervision!!! Incredible.
Suddenly my week off seemed completely fruitful!


The escapade has not yet repeated itself, but I now have faith it will!


Luke says his Christmas wish is to have just 5 days with no diapers before baby is born.


These are our adult ambitions.

The Potty Training Chronicles: Day 1

08:00 - The night time diaper is removed and Toddler is thrilled to learn today will be a primarily commando day. Partying ensues; cheerios are eaten with vigor.

08:30 - The maternal unit sits Toddler on the potty and allows him to watch 10 minutes of Winnie the Pooh in exchange for his sedentary pot crouching. He cooperates with only slight grimaces.

 

08:40 - The pot remains empty. The maternal unit seems thrilled nonetheless. A Smartie is proffered. Toddler is inwardly shocked and also thrilled; tries to remain composed. 

09:20 - A diaper squelches Toddler's plan to air out for the entire day. An outing with the maternal unit's maternal unit is in the offing. 

09:22 -  Toddler takes cover behind the loveseat and fills diaper while he has the chance.

09:24 - The maternal unit appears slightly chagrined at the fast and effective diaper filling. A new diaper is plastered to Toddler.

11:00 - Toddler and maternal until return home. Toddler is tired- the maternal unit likes her white couch; the diaper lives to tell the tale of nap time.

12:30 - Toddler awakens from morning respite- diaper is sufficiently wet. Maternal unit encourages another bout of pot crouching- Toddler encourages another movie. A compromise is reached.

12:38 - The pot remains empty, nonetheless a Smartie is given. Toddler has mercy on chocolate-deprived house cat and gives it to her.  

15:30 - After another shrouded outing, this time to the store for provisions and a picnic lunch on playground territory, the diaper is once again ditched. Toddler happily sits on the potty for a long time. A red ring forms on Toddler's butt. Toddler doesn't care. Toddler just wants candy.

16:00 - The pot is still empty. The maternal unit is still thrilled. Apparently it's quantity not quality she is after.

16:05 - "Big boy underpants" are placed on Toddler. The freedom of movement is bewitching. Toddler does a dance on the coffee table.

18:00 - Maternal unit's parental units come for dinner, marvel at "big boy underpants". Toddler escapes behind loveseat while soup is eaten. "Big boy underpants" are inexplicably soaked.

18:05 - Maternal unit encourages toddler to inform her of underpant soaking prior to doing it- this seems counterproductive to Toddler.

18:06 - New "bog boy underpants" are donned.

19:15 - Toddler is taken to a store in "big boy underpants". Paternal unit suggests padding Toddler's car restraint with grocery bags. Maternal unit suggests giving him a chance. Toddler crosses legs.

20:00 - Toddler arrives home with dry underpants. Much rejoicing ensues.

20:20 - Bathtime. Toddler can finally pee under the cover of water. Sweet relief.

20:40 - Toddler is once more swathed in a diaper and placed in sleeping quarters. Sleep overcomes him quickly. Day one of mission was exhausting.