I'm still alive!

From the looks of this blog, it appears that I've fallen off of the face of the earth, but, no worries, I'm still alive. Just nine months pregnant (which is the equivalent of falling off of the face of the earth). I remember a few months after I had Sam, it was like coming out of this fog, and suddenly I was finding out all of these things that happened over the past months while my world was completely devoted to baby--waiting for baby, having baby, caring for baby, loving baby. I was amazed to discover that the rest of the world didn't stop just because I quit paying attention to it. So-and-so got married?! Who died?! There was a war?! What?! I have a feeling it is happening again. I am withdrawing into my little cocoon, and it is hard for me to think about much except for this giant belly of mine, and the much-anticipated little guy who will hopefully arrive sooner rather than later.

Things are going really well. It has been a busy summer. Having had Sam in the fall, I did not realize that it would be significantly different, and more difficult, to be at the end of my pregnancy in the summer. Mind you, it has been a mild summer for the most part, but it is crazy how much the heat just zaps my energy levels. Poor Nic. This is what it is like at night: I crank the AC down to an obscenely low number, crawl into bed, and drape as much of my body as I can toward the vent at the head of our bed. I don't even like to have a sheet covering me because it's too hot (much to the feasting joy of the three mosquitoes that currently dwell in my room and whom I have not been able to locate and kill. I am like a smorgasbord to them and look like I have the chicken pox or something). Meanwhile, Nic is bite-free because he is completely wrapped like a corn dog in all of the sheets and the quilt. Mind you, this is a guy who wears shorts in the winter. He doesn't get cold...usually. Then, if Nic even tries to cuddle with me or crosses the line onto my side with all of his body heat, I react with fists swinging. Through out the night, to add to Nic's sleeping pleasure, I flip-flop from one side to the other constantly, start kicking out wildly when I get charlie horses, and have to get out of bed numerous times through out the night to use the bathroom, which entails much effort and groaning. I guess if I'm not going sleep well, neither will he!

But the pregnancy is going well, and I can hardly wait to meet this little guy. The joys of having a newborn are starting to come back to me (the lack of sleep, the constant feedings, changings, etc.) but I'm also starting to remember and look forward to the absolute wonderfulness of holding a newborn baby, just arrived from heaven. As Wordsworth puts it:
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

I love that phrase "trailing clouds of glory." And it is so true that heaven lies about a newborn. I just need to be patient, but I am so excited and can hardly wait! I've had a few nights of Braxton Hicks when I've thought that maybe it was time, but no such luck yet. Patience.
I don't think Sam realizes fully what is in store for him. Nic says that he almost likes it better not knowing what is in store with the labor and all of the first weeks adventures. I think Sam has an idea that something big is on the way, but he's not quite sure what. He has been getting a little more prone to tantrums lately, and I don't know if it's because he's nearing the terrible two's or if he's starting to anticipate his de-throning or if he's just stir-crazy from hanging out with his lazy momma all day. But even though he's begun the tantrum phase and even though he likes to yell 'momma' when he's mad or wants something (which is constantly), he's still completely adorable and wonderful. Here's a little update on Sam: I am amazed out how much he is learning and how quickly. He is in the mimic phase of life, our little parrot. He picks up new words every day. When he went in for his 18 month check-up, I made a list of words he knows and uses, and it was around 20 basic words. In just the few months since then, he's doubled his vocabulary, expanding to words like tractor, cookie, cracker, cool, hat, shoe, and hot. Funny story. He went and spent a few days with Grandpa Dee and Grandma M out in G-ville, and grandma introduced him to the joys of cookies. Ever since then whenever he sees my mom or hears her voice on the phone, he says, "Cookie!" So we call her Grandma Cookie now. Then a few days later, Grandma J was taking care of him and taught him all about crackers. So now she's Grandma Cracker!

Sam loves to be outside. We now have a wonderful new yard, thanks to my amazing husband. So in the afternoons, I'll turn Sam and Gus loose in the backyard, find a shady spot, and read or work on projects. Sam loves dirt, bubbles, trucks, and working on things. It's cute to watch how Sam tries to copy his daddy. He likes to use tools to work on things just like daddy does. I have to watch carefully though, because sometimes he uses his tools to dismantle things too. Yesterday Sam and Gus developed a new game where Sam pulls up some grass and then chases Gus around with it. Gus will run away from him and then turn around and charge at Sam. Gus will turn right before he reaches Sam, stop and bark at him, and start the whole game again. Sam just laughs and laughs. At first, mommy was a little freaked out that Gus had lost it and was going to hurt Sam, but then I figured out their little game.

Anyway, this is just a basic update. In my next post, I will either give some more specific updates of our summer adventures (with pictures), or I will be telling you all about our new arrival. Hopefully, the next post won't be months from now!