Lucy-isms: Big Girl Edition

Lucy is such a big girl! Time is flying and it makes me sad. But, that is why I cherish the conversations that I have with her while she is still 3 years old (for only about a month more). Here is a conversation we had before bedtime...

"Momma, is God proud of us?"

"I'm sure he is, if we are nice and caring to others."

"I will see God in Heaven. I will see Chico too. He will lick, lick my face. I will be all swobbery. He be happy to see me."

(Laughing) "Yes. He will be! But, that won't happen until you are really, really old."

"Old like you Momma?"

(Laughing) "No. Hopefully, much older!"

"Old like Daddy?"

"No, I hope and pray that you are old, and gray, and have lots of wrinkles."

"Am I going to be a giant or what?"

"No. You will stop growing. But, we continue to age. Our skin gets wrinkly and our hair turns gray. We get old."

"Hmmmm....I will get married and have grandchildren."

"Yes. I pray that you do get married, have children, and grandchildren."

"Momma, who will I marry?"

"We don't know. It may be someone you know, or it may be someone you haven't met yet."

"Ask me who I will marry..."

"Okay, who are you going to marry?"

"No. Ask me who!"

"Oh, will you marry Max?"

(Finger on her chin) "Hmmm.....maybe."

"Will you marry Bryson?"

"That's a good one, Momma! I pick that one."

She makes me laugh so much. I love our conversations. After that, she rolled over and asked me to turn out the light. :) I love that little girl so much.

Lucy's Love Triangle

Now, Lucy is a little confused about the concept, since she will occasionally refer to boys as her 'girlfriend' as well. Nonetheless, she considers herself to have "boyfriends" at DayCare.

It all started when Lucy was a baby. She has gone full-time to DayCare since she was 6 weeks old. Also at DayCare? Her friend Max, who is also a full-time "go-er." Remember Max? :)

We've given Lucy some grief about Max, her "boyfriend." She actually liked this concept. Well, she loved it. She would even call him that herself. She was even the only, non-family girl that went to his birthday party (she got him a Ninja Turtle - what else?).


 Then, one weekend she started saying things, like, "Let's do this, man." Or, "Yeah, dude."

I knew that there had to be a male influence at DayCare, possibly even Max. Of course there was! Lucy is really the only girl that is full-time. She is surrounded by boys her age; I can count eight boys her age off the top of my head. I know there are more. It results in her talking about Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and Ninja Turtles. It hasn't suppressed her love for pink and princesses, but it definitely broadens her view...

Then, one day when we picked Lucy up, another mother (my co-worker actually) was also picking up her children. Her youngest son, who is about 9 months or so older than Lucy puts his jacket on, turns to Lucy, and says, "See you later, man!"

Ah-ha.

The little boy's name is Bryson. I have noticed that Lucy has referenced him a lot lately. Bryson did this or Bryson did that. She even told me when Bryson was sick. She calls him, "By-sin."

So, the other day, Lucy, Olive, and I are waiting for Heath to come pick us up. Max and his mom come out. Max looks up at his mom and says, "Lucy's my girlfriend." It was adorable.

Lucy shouts, "No - Bryson my girlfriend!"

Max didn't seem to mind too much, he still smiled at Lucy with a big grin. Us mothers just laughed. Oh boy, it begins!

Move to later in the week, we went out to eat. We see Bryson and his family. Lucy stood almost the entire time, to see his table, while grinning coyly. I asked her, "Do you see Bryson?"

She says, "Yeah. I like By-sin. He's my favorite."

Later in the evening she told Heath that, "By-sin is sooooo cute."

I thought the whole thing was hilarious and adorable. Heath, on the other hand, didn't seem to really give it much attention. I think he was kind of thinking that this couldn't possibly be happening already.

So, there you have it - Lucy and her love triangle.

I have a feeling Max will be "her boyfriend" again soon, man. :)

Judging

People are judgy. They are. It's just a fact. Even if they don't comment on you in a malicious way, they still have an opinion about the way you are living your life. Now, I realize that when I say people that totally includes me. I find myself being judgy. I hate it. I seriously do. I don't want to be so judgey. In fact, after I say something really bitchy, I usually regret it later. If my mind could just keep up with my mouth, we'd be fine.

Are there things that you don't talk about, because you are afraid that people will judge you? Or, disagree and make things awkward?

Hopefully, I am not alone in these things. I would like to think that someone else out there feels that way too. But, sometimes it is just nice to vent - to let it all out there. Take me as you will.

1. I like McDonalds. I like it a lot. I am super sad/angry that they nixed the super sizes of french fries. I like it so much in fact, you know that picture that has circulated the web? The one with that pink ice cream looking stuff, that is supposedly processed chicken? It doesn't bother me. I could sit and eat an entire box of 20 chicken McNuggets while staring at that picture.
2. I do not take a shower everyday. In fact, I will go several days without washing my hair.
   
3. When Olive couldn't quite hold the bottle on her own and I was is in the same room, I would occasionally prop her bottle to cook supper. Keep in mind, before you call CPS, I was in the same room.
4. Until very recently, I didn't go to church frequently. This has nothing to do with my relationship with God. As a result though, I cannot routinely quote the Bible. 
5. I breastfed the girls for about 5 to 6 weeks, but I didn't love it. I did it strictly for Lucy and Olive. If it were for me, I would go straight to the bottle.
   
6. I am a child of divorce. I think that it was best for my parents. It was hard at the time, but it was best for everyone's future. 
7. I do not floss regularly. I know I should.
8. I give my dogs kisses, which allows them to lick my face. Yes. I know. They lick their butts.  
9. I wear jeans several times before putting them in the wash.
10. I have a filthy, filthy car. That includes the junk and trash in the doors and the dust on the dash.
11. I am horrible at stacking clothing at the end of the bed, until my closet is half empty. When people come over, I have to shut our bedroom door.
12. I take the occasional picture of myself for no good reason other than the fact that I have put on makeup and dressed halfway descent (#selfie). 
13. I don't wash my makeup off at night.
14. I like Alanis Morrisette. I do. I listen to 'The Collection' while I run. It's very angry.
15. I bite my nails and cuticles. It is a nasty habit. It gets worse with boredom or nervousness.

Well, now you know all of my life's dirty details - or, at least 15 of them.

One day, I'm sure I will regret not taking "better care of myself."  But, at 27, I've accepted my bad habits. I know better. But, it's up to me.


What are you afraid people will judge you on?

Dear Cori

Dear Cori of 2023:

First of all, Happy New Year! Was 2022 all that you imagined it would be? Hell no. Is it ever? Can we ever really predict what this crazy world will bring us? No. If you think you can, tsk-tsk. You, my friend, are taking things for granted.

Anyway, Cori of 2023, the 2013 version of you is quite the know-it-all, smart ass, huh? Agreed.

I thought I would take a moment and remind you of a few things - things that you may want to remember about these days, here is 2013.

Lucy is 3 years old. She has the cutest little toddler voice, all high pitched and her 'L' is a 'W' sound. "Wucy Kisstensen." I cringe at the thought of her ever losing this sweet little voice. She calls you momma too. When she gets really excited, she yells, "Momma! Momma!" It makes my heart smile.

Olive is 6 months old. She is quickly growing out of the cuddle stage. But, she is still allowing you to hold her during her naps, while she makes cute baby snores. This morning, she was staring out of her crib, across the hall. Between the crib slats all you could see were her beautiful, bright eyes. You got a good chuckle out of her goofy smile when you walked into her bedroom.

Heath is currently working three jobs, like the sterotypical man-provider he wants to be. He is working at the College, teaching for them, and doing two new websites as a freelancer. He is still trying to treat you like a princess. He is doing a pretty good job too. The two of you are closer now than you ever were in your almost 12 years together. The other night you apologized to him for the horrendous mess you call a bedroom and master bathroom. He said, "Thank you for saying that. But, I'm just used to it by now." Appreciating our strengths and accepting our weaknesses.

Remember these days? The days where you felt like you didn't have enough time. Your probably think that is silly in 2023. Lucy is 13 now, for you. You would probably love to talk to her about her day, phone-free, and sit by her bed at nighttime talking to her before bed, explaining who the Easter Bunny is, where Santa Claus lives, and why we pray.

You are currently still trying to lose those pesky pounds that you put on when you were pregnant with Olive. It sure is getting harder, as I'm sure you know better now than ever. You can do it though. You have successfully lost 20 lbs at 21 and 49 lbs at 24. What is 52 lbs, really? Remember these silly struggles, just in case you are still battling weight. Turkey and chicken are your friends. But, apparently not close enough friends that you won't eat them...

Chico and Squirty are getting older, but still amazingly loving and hilarious. You laughed pretty hard at Chico the other day when he coughed really hard and let out a big, squeaky toot at the same time. They love you so much and would follow you anywhere. I truly believe that. If you are sitting, they are on your lap. Although they are still terrified of Lucy, they love Olive so much. Chico likes her too much actually. You can't keep him from licking her face. But, we are noticing how old they are getting. Chico is coughing a lot and he can't jump on the furniture very easily. Squirt seems to always be at your feet and doesn't get out of the way like she used to. Both of their eyes are getting foggy. It breaks our heart. But, I know that you remember them fondly, just as we do Co-Co. She has been gone for almost 3 1/2 years and we still talk about her. Better to love and have lost, than to never have loved them at all.

Advice from your younger self:
-  You will never be younger than you are right now. Don't fret about the wrinkles on your neck or your non-glowing skin. Embrace it. It's all down hill from here; this we know.
- You are 27 and can barely stay off Twitter and Facebook. Remember this when Lucy won't put her phone down for 5 seconds. Plus, I am talking about an iPhone 5. Lucy's iPhone 15 will be much, much better!
- If you haven't already, go to Disney World. Go on a Disney Cruise. Do it all now before Lucy gets to be 'too cool' for you, or runs off to college.

I hope this email finds you, Heath, and the girls all well. A lot can happen in ten years - wonderful, amazing things and heart wrenching things as well. The future is always scary. You never know what it holds. The 'unknown' is borderline terrifying. You just have to trust in God. Trust in your relationship. Trust in your parenting. Trust in yourself.

"Lord, help me remember that nothing will happen today that you and I can't handle together."

See you in ten years. Whew...seems like a long time. I better not blink though.

Love,

Cori

Sisters

I can't even begin to describe how my heart bursts when I think of the relationships between Lucy and Olive. When people ask how Lucy has been with the transition of having a baby in the house, I can honestly answer that it more than we could have ever asked for.

Yes. They will fight. They will scream. They will pull each other's hair. One of them will probably claw the other one's arms. One will throw their red cowgirl boots at the other. One will whack the other in the forehead with a broom.

Lucy will whine to me that Olive won't leave her and her friends alone. Olive will cry because Lucy no longer wants to take baths with her.

 
But, they will also share secrets. They might tell each other just one of the presents under the Christmas tree. They will join forces to beg for cookies and to go to the pool. They will takes baths together and drink each other's butt water. You know it's true...

Perhaps Lucy will drive Olive around, cruising for boys. Olive will talk Lucy into letting her do things that she shouldn't.


There will be nights that they gather in front of the television, with a spoon each, eating out of a pan of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

They will share clothes and makeup. They will secretly use each other's perfume, hoping the other won't notice. And, when clothes go missing, they will know exactly where to look.

Hopefully, they will spend summer nights belting out their favorite songs as loud as they can scream, laughing at incorrect lyrics and flat notes.

They will be able to just give each other a look, knowing what the other is thinking. This will often get them into trouble, especially during completely unacceptable, serious situations.


I will be stuck yelling, "Girls!" in my stern mother voice. Or, pretend to be appalled while announcing, "You two!"

They will fight. Yes. They will love. Yes. They will have a special relationship that cannot compare to any other. It just simply can't be compared.

But, right now, they are over the moon for each other. No fighting. No annoyance. No "sharing" issues. I am basking it all. My heart melts when they giggle together, over something as silly as making a tooting noise with their mouths.

They will take care of each other. I just know it.

Thank the Lord for my babies. And, thank the Lord for sisters. :)

Big Girl

Lucy is 3 years old.

It is blowing my mind. She is such a big girl. Although, she is just a baby in my heart...the young lady that she is becoming is keeping me on my toes!

She likes clothes, shoes, bows, nail polish, makeup, lip stick, jewelry, sparkles, coats, scarves, fixing hair, and above all the color pink! She is a girly girl to the core.

Yes. She is still a kid though and plays in the dirt, in her cavatini, and lays on the floor.

But, she is looking at her Highlights magazine! She also looks through our mail, clothing catalogs, and my gossip magazines. Oh, and forgive my uncleaned floors...

She tries to stay little, like her sister. But, the poor thing is just getting too big. She is thinning out too; her little baby fat is disappearing...

She is playing with "big girl" toys too. She has a ton of Barbies and accessories now! I have even let her play with the Barbie shoes and small purses. 

Now, instead of the continuous moping around about my first baby growing into a little girl. Let's celebrate her achievements.

Lucy Milestones:

• She is using the potty all the time now.
• She is even waking up in the middle of the night to have us take her potty, with no wet morning pull-ups.
• She ate her entire soft taco the other night! Yes. This is worth celebrating. The only thing that she really goes to town on is canned Spaghettios. Yuck.
• She can and will paint your toenails. Just ask Heath.
• She has memorized two prayers.
• And, she has become the best big sister ever! She is always helping Olive and trying soothe her when she is upset. I have never seen such love! My heart melts. Related post to come later.
• She does the Goof-bot (the robot dance Goofy does on Mickey Mouse club house). 
• She can spell 'Lucy' and 'Mickey Mouse.' 
• She can even write her name, if she is looking at an example.

I just don't know what I'll do when she starts preschool next fall. Bah!  

32 Week Update

I was doing so well, right? Now, I'm back to my old ways; it took over a week to get back with you. Sorry, again. But, here I am - large and in-charge...and looking for chickies. Okay, so I couldn't resist a good Joe Dirt quote. :)

How far along?
Technically, I am 33 weeks and 1 day. I am late on my 32 week update. :{ I am 83.2% through this pregnancy and I only have 48 days to go (27 days until she is full-term). :)

Baby is the size of a...
jicama. I can honestly say that I've never held or eaten one of those. I am at a loss. Here is a picture for you other "non-cultured" people out there.

She is approximately 17 inches long and 4.5 lbs.

Symptoms:
They are pretty sporadic at this point. I have had a lot of "symptoms" that last only a day and then subside: headache, hip-ache, constipation, diarrhea,  itchy belly, swollen feet, swollen hands, acne, etc. You know, the fun stuff.

Oh, and TMI warning...beware...are you still reading? The easily offended/grossed out need to go to the next paragraph...okay, don't say I didn't warn you. I now have a yeast infection. Fun times. I was pretty sure that I had one, or at least something was up. I was really itchy. I googled it and found out the pregnancy can make you a higher risk of getting one, AND antibiotics. Yep. I was on antibiotics for my tooth ache, remember? At least it doesn't affect the baby at all. It's just really uncomfortable. I read online someone said, "If it feels like you want to take a fork to it, then it's a yeast infection." I laughed pretty hard.

The only other thing is that I am flippin' hot. It is so hot! Hot, hot, hot! I don't know why I feel the need to tell you all about this completely obvious thing; I just want some sympathy I guess. Pregnancy and record temperatures and drought = worst ever. Hey, I never claimed to be less than dramatic.

Anything new?
Honestly, not really. Things are moving pretty slow these days. I sit around and basically count the days until Olive's arrival. I did get the rest of her clothes put away. Now, we just need to get some little knick-knacks for her room. I feel bad for her. Lucy had a baby shower, so she had a ton of little keepsakes. Olive doesn't have any...it's sad. It leaves the nursery pretty empty looking too. I need to get on it.


We did get Olive's name for the wall. Now, we just need to get some 3mm strips to hang it. :) It will help tie the room together more.


New with Heath?
He is still absent most times. He is doing really well though with his grad. class. I am really proud of him. He is over half-way done now. :) Yay!

Last Wednesday night, close to midnight, our hot-water heater decided to go to the big plumber in the sky. It spewed water all over while fighting too. It soaked a good portion of our basement (toy room) and even got on the drywall a bit. Thank goodness I heard the water leaking or who knows how bad it could have been! We don't have a drain down there...thanks a lot home builders. Anyway, this whole thing added a little more to Heath's plate. Like he needed more? So, the distractions continue....

New with Lucy?
She is just getting so smart and growing right before my eyes. A shirt she wore a week ago didn't fit yesterday. I couldn't believe it. I become more and more confident that she will be a good, big sister everyday. However, we really need to get the misbehaving in public under control. Although, who am I kidding? After Olive gets here, we won't be leaving the house for a while.

She helped me paint Olive's letters for the nursery. We made it another Mommy/Lucy project. :)


Yes - it was more trouble than it was worth to have her help. But, it gave us a project and she loves helping. I also want to tell Olive that Lucy helped, someday. :)

Anything else?
I have another doctor's appointment. I am going every two weeks now. I don't expect much from it. We get to hear the heartbeat again. We may gross Heath out with my talk about the TMI subject I mentioned before. I may even get to have a pelvic exam. Yay....not. I will be sure to let you know if anything eventful happens next week.

Have a great weekend! I'm so excited the Olympics start! Bring on the gymnastics! :)

Weeks 25, 26, 27 Update

"Who is this person emailing me from I Love Lucy Jean?"

I know; I know. I have been completely MIA. It is probably the worst ever - a 21 day hiatus! Well, first, my boss resigned and left; so, it has been really stressed at work. Second, Heath's grandfather passed away, very unexpectedly. It really threw all of us back...Therefore, it hasn't been the typical month at all. Hopefully things will get back to routine fairly soon.

I owe you three photos of my week updates. However, I only have two.

Scrolling between those photos makes me think two things; either I grew A LOT in just a week, or I should never wear yellow. I am thinking it is the yellow... :{

I also thought I would share this photo of me and my Granny. :) You can see Olive in the photo too. haha.

How far along?
Well, I am almost 28 weeks (27 weeks and 6 days). So, it has been a long while since I've updated you. I have 85 days left, or just 12 weeks and 1 day! Yippee! :) However, I don't know how much bigger I can get!

This big, you say?

Oh yeah. Looking at this picture doesn't make me feel quite as bad about my current state. Whew!


Baby is the size of a...
Well, we went from the length of an ear of corn, to rutabaga (whatever that is), to the length of an English hothouse cucumber, to now a head of cauliflower. In normal terms, she is 14.4 inches long and anywhere between 2 to 3 lbs! :)


Symptoms:
I am super nesting. I don't know how I am managing to find the energy with my busy, stressful days at work; but, I am somehow managing. This results in my feet and back hurting though. I know that I need to take it easy. Yesterday my feet were so swollen! I wore heels to work and then basically was on my feet until I laid in bed for the night...stupid idea.

I am super constipated too. I think I may have told you that I would stop talking about this, and if I did, sorry. I am going to continue. It is a part of pregnancy, for me that is, unfortunately. My doctor thinks that is why I look so big (besides the fact that I just get big, apparently, and my short torso). She literally thinks I am full of poop. haha. It's a nice sentiment. So, every other day of Miralax is supposed to work things out. She also suggested a suppository. Umm...no thanks. I will try the Miralax.

Finally, on another disturbing note, I have fine hairs all over my baby bump. That never happened with Lucy. The doctor said it was hormones and the good news is that they will likely fall out after Olive arrives. Thank goodness. Hairy and sexy do NOT go together in my book...especially on my stomach. Ga-row-ss.

Anything New?
Besides the hair on my belly?...hmmm. I am officially out of all of my pants. That is shocking right? Well, I have been wearing my pants unbuttoned, with a belly band for this long. Now, Olive has dropped and I can't do it. :( I had to go to all of the ugly, maternity pants. I need to get more (since all of my maternity clothes were for winter!). So, if you see me and I look not put together at all, that is why. Besides, pregnant women should never look "put-together." Those who do, completely defy logic and physics.

We got out all of Lucy's old clothes the other day. I went through them and put them all away. I still need to hang a lot up. I loved looking through them, especially with Lucy standing next to me. She kept 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over all of the cute, little outfits. I told her that they used to be hers and she just didn't quite understand. She kept holding them up and saying, "Baby Olive's?" It is really sweet. The nursery is finally coming back together and Heath's ironing board has exited. We are getting there...

New with Heath?
He is really, basically the same. I keep waiting for him to react to stuff the same as me, but it doesn't really work. Olive was hiccuping the other night and I yelled to him, "Heath - Olive has the hiccups."  He just replied, "Oh, yeah?" I waited like five minutes and then finally asked him, "Did you want to feel? She will probably be done here soon."

I guess pregnancy really is an "old hat" for me and it just isn't as exciting for him this time around. :( Besides Lucy is such a daddy's girl (I mean it! It is bad!), that I don't think he can imagine having two little girls crawling all over him on the floor.

The other night, during one of my nesting fits, he mentioned that he was the "primary bottle maker" when Lucy was little. It peeved me pretty good. I think he knew it; but, it seemed unintentional. I remember clearly getting up on my nights with Lucy and making my own bottles. I was really sad that he gave me such little credit when Lucy was an tiny baby. I really thought I took on 50%, if not more back then. Back then, Lucy wasn't a daddy's girl yet. Either way, I thought it was a pretty sad thing to tell a pregnant woman. :(

New with Lucy?
She got to feel Olive kick. She loves it! :) It makes my heart want to burst too. She gets up into our bed, tries to pull my shirt up and puts her hand on my tummy. She will talk to Olive and always uses an even higher pitched voice. It is so adorable; I could just cry. When Olive kicks, she always gasps and tells me all about it. I just know that she will be a GREAT big sister.

She has come to terms with the nursery too. She calls it Olive's room and calls the crib, Olive's crib. I don't foresee any issues with that part. Attention and binkies? That is a-whole-nother story.

Anything else?
Well, we have a 3D/4D ultrasound schedule for July. I can't wait. Olive better still be a girl, or we will have to do a lot more work! haha. 

Talk to you soon. Hopefully sooner than 21 days!

"Say you're sorry!"

As we try to teach Lucy the difference between acceptable behavior and unacceptable, it gets kind of tough. We recently found ourselves saying, "Lucy - say you are sorry!" a lot. I mean a lot.

Lucy hits Chico. "Lucy - say you are sorry!"

Lucy throws food on the floor and I have to pick it up, "Lucy - say you are sorry!"

Lucy steals a toy from another child. We make her give it back. "Lucy - say you are sorry!"

It goes on and on. Then, I recently read in a BabyCenter.com article that we shouldn't be doing that. She isn't really learning or understanding the point behind saying you're sorry. They recommended that we apologize for her.

Lucy hits Chico. "Lucy is very sorry for hitting you, Chico."

Lucy throws food on the floor and I have to pick it up, Heath will say, "Mommy - Lucy is very sorry that she threw that."

Lucy steals a toy from another child. "Lucy is very sorry for stealing your toy."

At first, she gave us weird looks when we would do it. Then, she started to echo us. As soon as we would apologize for her, she would apologize too.

Now, after only 1 1/2 weeks of trying this, she is apologizing on her own! :)  I realize the smiley face is bittersweet. Yes - she is apologizing on her own. But, she is doing bad things to have to apologize for. Oh well, it's the little victories!

I just had to share our little victory with you all too. It certainly made a difference and I think she is starting to understand the meaning more.

New Nap Mat

Sometimes I pick Lucy up early from DayCare. We try to work around nap time; however, at 2:30 or 3 pm, sometimes, Lucy is still sleeping. I would usually walk in and take an immediate left into the baby room, where Lucy had her own pack-n-play to sleep in. Well, a few weeks ago I turned left and was halted by one of the daycare providers. "Lucy is over here."

I turned and Lucy was to my right. She was on a nap mat, sleeping with the older children. First, I was thinking, "Wow! How did you get her to lay there and fall asleep?" Then, I thought about how big she was getting, as I approached her. She was on a daycare nap mat.

They look like this. They are red and blue, and they easily fold up for storage. They are pretty cushion-y, actually. However, they are that vinyl type of material.

When I approached Lucy she was so sweaty and her poor little face was sticking to the mat with sweat and slobber. I type that and kind of smile with amusement...but, I knew then that we needed to get her a nap mat of her own. Even if she got a sleeping bag and placed it on top of the mat, it would be a little better for laying on.

I scoured the internet for a comfortable and affordable option. You could literally spend, like, $50 on a mat! I found a winner and we ordered it.

I knew Lucy would love the princess mat, with the crowned frog in the bottom, right-hand corner.

We removed the name tag and the pillow to give it a quick wash. The next morning it was rolled up and ready to go! :) Lucy loved that she could grab the handle and easily carry it with her.

She carried it into DayCare and I was bursting with happiness. She was so proud of her new mat. She started yelling from the door, "Look! New mat!"  Or, for those of you who know Lucy, it was more like, "Gook, New maat!"

She even yelled at one point, "Awesome, new mat!" The phrase she picked up from Heath.

We all walked into the kitchen, Lucy leading the way with her mat. She stopped and lifted it above her head. Her eyes were wide and mouth was dropped open in awe. I was so happy that it made her so happy. I scanned the room of children. Most were holding some type of breakfast item in their hands and they stared blankly at Lucy. Poor girl.

No one was giving her the awe-stricken reactions that mom and dad did. Then, the daycare provider turned from the counter and started to ohh and ahh. :) Lucy lowered her mat in satisfaction. She then got to carry her new mat over to where the others were stored and place hers on top. :)  She was so, so proud of herself and at that point, I wanted to buy her the world. She was so happy...

She turned around and brushed her hands along her legs, as if she had just accomplished a great task. Then, we told her goodbye for the day.

My heart bursts with happiness when I think about her showing it off. She was so proud and excited over a nap mat. A nap mat. It was the best $23 we ever spent! :) She is getting too big!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm Loving...

...that it is Wednesday. I know I use the phrase "hump day" a lot. But, I seriously do mean it. We are officially on the down-ward slope of the week. Come on Friday!

...this cartoon that was sent out on a BabyCenter.com email. It completely sums up what I'm feeling about the pregnancy (except, almost three missed cycles).

...that my Houston trip for work is almost here. I kind of dread the idea of traveling alone. :{ But, traveling is always fun, and I seriously am excited about the conference.

...Lucy is getting so big! Yes - it is bitter sweet. I don't want her to get so big; but, I can't wait to do all these fun things with her! :) She understands so much!


...that I still have a lot of my favorite shows on DVR. It makes the week in television last longer. :)

...that someone else appreciates me reading at night, other than Lucy.

...that spring seems to be approaching. I am slowly letting go of any winter weather wishes. :( I wanted to have just one snow day. Darn. But, if spring is coming, then bring on the rain.

...sleep. Seriously, I can't get enough. I want to sleep all the time! This pregnancy is way more sleepy than anything else...as of yet.

...that Lucy's big girl room is coming together; although, it is all coming together in piles in the den.

...of course my baby Lucy.

...my wonderful hubby, who brought me peanut M&Ms yesterday.

...my wonderful family, friends, and readers.

What are you loving this leap day?

Translation Please

Right now Lucy is talking up a storm! She just babbles and babbles. Some of it I understand. And, well, some of it, I have no idea what she is saying.

The other day at the lunch table, it was just Lucy and me.

She looks and me, smiles, and says, "I boopt."

I asked her, "You pooped?"

She was completely unimpressed with me, "No. I boopt."

I scanned my brain and the room..."boopt? boopt. boopt?"

I finally asked, "Your boot?"

Lucy was annoyed. This time, she lowered her eyebrows and said it a bit louder, "I boopt!"

I had no idea. So, I decided to tell her, "I'm sorry, honey. I can't understand you."

She then, put her hand to her belly, opened her mouth wide, and said, "ughhhhhck." It was an obvious, mocking burp sound and then she stated, "I boopt."

"Ahhh, you burped!"

She was pleased, "Uh-huh! I bowpt."

I had to laugh. She was bound and determined to tell me about it. She actually knew to mock herself! I was proud, but promptly told her to say "excuse me." :)

She is growing up so fast! :)

Parenting: I Just Don't Have the Stomach for It

I have the heart, soul, legs, back, and mind for parenting. But, stomach? Nope.

Last night, we enjoyed a nice evening. I went for a run while Heath and Lucy ran around outside. We came home, ate dinner as a family. Then, I cleaned up a bit and cut a few coupons while Heath and Lucy rolled all over the floor.

It was nice and simple, and enjoyable.

 - DO NOT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH -

I decided to finally put my post-workout bum in the shower and five minutes in.....

"Cori! Lucy just threw up. I mean larger than life!"

I peek my conditioned head out of the shower and there he is. He is covered in vomit. It is on his shoulder, his cheek, down his arms, and he's holding Lucy, also covered in vomit.

"Can you get out, so we can get in?

I only had one leg shaved and conditioner in my hair.

"Can I rinse the conditioner out first?"

"Fine. Hurry."

He runs back out of the bathroom, for I don't know what reason. I throw a towel on and hop out. He comes rushing back in. He is in the exact same state, holding Lucy.

He walks past me and I start gagging. I just can't do it and I could not believe that he was just, like, bathing in it and hadn't flinched a bit.

He throws Lucy in the tub. She is also unfazed. She is just excited to be getting in the tub and hadn't shed a single tear. I watch as he peels her clothes. He then peels his own, down to his underwear. He leans over and starts pulling......gag......chunks....gag....out of her hair. He picks some up off the side of the tub and throws them in the toilet.

I'm just standing there, gagging, shaking my head, and holding a towel over my nose.

"Do you want to give her a bath, while I go clean the stairs?" he asks.

"Um, yes!" Do I want to scrub it off the stairs? Absolutely not!

Apparently, he picked Lucy up to go to bed. When he was walking up the stairs she started heaving. She threw up a little on the stairs and he tried to catch/shield it. Then, he ran through the kitchen, making a trail, to the sink. Then she threw up so more.

Awesome.

He left the bathroom. Lucy was in the tub, with the water running, playing with a bucket.

I stood there, a good three feet away, watching her. Course of action?

1) Turn the air vent on. Gross...
2) Get myself clothed.
3) Drain the tub water and start with new, clean, vomit-free water.
4) Freak out a little bit when having to reach into the water to pull the plug.
5) Refill the tub.
6) Use toilet paper to pull out the remaining remnants in Lucy's hair.
7) Gag some more.
8) Steal the bucket from Lucy and dump water on her head.
9) Continuing giving the bath, like normal.

It was a late night, well, later than usual. Lucy seemed fine. I think she ate too many chicken nuggets - five!

Heath's comment about the whole ordeal, besides telling me what a good team we were at cleaning up?

"I don't think Lucy really chews her food."

"Nope."

Oh and my leg never did get shaved. I have to be careful how I cross my legs...I hide the unshaven one in back...haha.

Pride VS Development

Are you truthful with the doctor about your child? Don't get me wrong; I am. But, do you ever struggle with answers to your doctor's questions? I have issues with my pride and Lucy's development.

Every doctor's visit we get a check list for Lucy.

• Does she know her name?
• Does she say mommy/daddy, or some variation?
• Does she assist you with dressing her?
• Does she try to climb?

These are just a few of the questions I can remember from her last two visits (12 & 15 month).

Sometimes they are difficult to answer. The bragger mom in me wants to say, "Yes! My child is super smart and can do anything!" The paranoid mom in me wants to answer the question correctly. I hate that the only options are: Yes and No.

Where is my 'Maybe'?

Does Lucy assist me while dressing her? Well, kind of. Sometimes she puts her arm out. Sometimes when I say shoe, she'll raise her foot to me. On other occasions, I may as well be dressing a watermelon; she just lays there like a slug. Then again, on some occasions, I might as well be dressing a....well...a squirmy, unruly toddler, trying to crawl away mid pants change!

Alright, so I would check 'Yes'. I just always feel the need to follow up with an essay answer.

When the doctor goes over the questions and answers with us, I feel like my parenting skills are being tested.

"How many words does Lucy know?"

"Oh, lots.....um....."

I start counting on my fingers, while quietly whispering, "...momma, dada, Chico, thank you, please, puppy, baby.." and so on.

Finally I just blurt out, "... like ten."

Immediately, I think, "Does 'thank you' count as two words then? Lucy also says, 'Here you go.' Does that count as three? Or, since I counted the 'you' in 'thank you' already, is it just two?" - Ugh!

I just want to say, "Lucy is really smart and she amazes me with everything she knows! We try to work with her as much as possible and sometimes she says or does things I didn't even realize she knew!"

I have to remind myself that the doctor isn't questioning Lucy's intelligence and she isn't grilling me on my parenting. She is asking, so she can recognize developmental problems.

Cori - she is asking you, so she can recognize developmental problems!

At the 15 month appointment, we were asked how many body parts Lucy knows. Dang it! We haven't even been working with her on it. We didn't really even realize that she was old enough learn them. When I think about it....well, duh! Therefore, we've been working on them a lot. She already knows foot, nose, belly button, eyes, and mouth.

She's going to ace that 18 month appointment. haha.

Oh wait, this isn't about questioning her intelligence or my parenting skills...I obviously need to refer back to the underlined text above.

Do you see the issue? Am I the only one?

Banned from DayCare

Alright, so I'm not officially banned, per se.  But, you can decide for yourself.

When I first signed Lucy up for DayCare I had a hard time.  And, yes, again, I am typing a word in my own preference, DayCare, as opposed to Day Care.  I think of it as a noun, and not an adjective and verb; so, I put the words together...I'm odd; I know.  You and spell check will just have to look on with red squiggles of disagreement.

Anyway, back to my story: I had a hard time leaving Lucy at DayCare. It just plain made me sad.  I've discussed it before, here and here. I hate leaving her for so many hours a day and I feel like I am missing out on so much of her life. :(

However, the one big plus was that I got to drop in and visit her!  I would go down for at least half an hour at lunch. And, sometimes I would swing by on my way back from the restroom (since she is in my building at work). It was wonderful!  I would sit and hold her or watch her play. DayCare didn't mind if I stopped in every once in a while.

I remember the first conversation I had with them about stopping in to see her.  When I asked they said:

"You are welcome to come by. But, when she starts standing at the door crying when you leave, you can't visit anymore."

Well, that seemed, fair enough. I had watched parents drop off their bawling, kicking, children at DayCare several times. It was understandable that the DayCare women didn't want to deal with that all the time. They were the ones who had to deal with the fit, noise, and nose blowing.

I just never imagined Lucy would be that way. She loved the other children. she loved the DayCare women. She goes there everyday; it's routine. She would surely understand that we stopped by for lunch and that it wasn't yet time to go home.

Nope. I was wrong. I had apparently refused to accept that this developmental stage was unavoidable and completely disregarded everything that I had studied in college (my major was psychology).

Lucy was slowly showing signs that she was moving into this stage. She wanted to be held more. She was getting more weepy and scared of people that she wasn't around all the time.  She had even started whining 'Momma' or 'Dada' when she was upset. Why didn't I see this coming?

Heath and I were walking on eggshells. We knew that she was in a "delicate" state. So, we started skipping Mondays.  We thought that we'd let her get back into routine a little and then go visit her later in the week. That seemed to work for about a month and a half.

Then, I went to see her the other day. (This is where you can add the dramatic 'Bomp, Bomp, Booooomp' of the timpani.)

Lucy did alright at first. She wanted me to pick her up, and I did. Then we played on the floor. When it was time to leave and as soon as I took one step toward the door,…she flipped! I mean head down, grimace, silent gasp, huge tears, and then the ‘growly’ wail. I immediately snatched her back up and begged her to stop. I knew what it meant.

Sometimes when she was upset, I could give her to the Director and Lucy would stop crying. The Director was one of Lucy’s favorite people. This time, when I handed her off, Lucy had accepted the fact that I was, in fact, leaving; but, she didn't have to be happy about it. Before I even said “Bye”, Lucy was blowing me teary kisses and waving, all while whimpering. I continued to beg her to stop. “It’s okay. Please don’t cry, hunny.”

That is when the Director said it. “You know what we have always said; when they start crying when you leave, you can’t come visit any more.”

I just shook my head up and down and then closed the door. I got about halfway up the first flight of stairs when I heard a very familiar outburst. It was Lucy. :{ I then called Heath to tell him about it.

“Do you think that means that I’m banned?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you really think that they would ever just come out and say that I can’t come back?”

“Probably not. But, it probably means that we shouldn’t visit any more.”

That was not what I wanted to hear. However, I knew he was right. And, I totally understand what DayCare is getting at. And, as Heath pointed out, we don’t want to do that to Lucy either. It’s sad.

So, I am being my dramatic self and saying that I’m banned. My glory days of visiting are over…What will I do with myself at lunch now?! :(


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Bath Time for Lucy

I was giving Lucy her bath again tonight when I started to get a little emotional. She is getting so big. She was clean and her hair was rinsed; but, she wanted to stay in the water to play. It was adorable, yes. On the other hand, it just shows me how old she is getting. I was thinking back to the days when baths were strictly a cleaning process and no playing was involved. The faucet was just a weird sound and not something to play with. Getting out and wrapped into a warm towel was comforting and not a whining mess, because the rubber duckie is still in the tub.

Oh how things have changed. In fact, I feel a little silly still bathing Lucy in her baby tub. She is ready to be moved into one of those suctioned rings, for the bottom of the tub. Oh well, she is content and it uses less water.

Pretty soon she'll be hollering at me to leave the room when she takes a bath. I hope that day doesn't come too quickly! It's bittersweet.