Motor Mouth

My Daddy nicknamed me Motor Mouth at a very early age. And, now, my daughter is falling in my footsteps. She was a late talker, but now, she will NOT shut up, ever! Apparently, she was just observing at an early age.

It is scary how much we are alike. I think she looks like her Daddy, but she's got my personality through and through. And, there are two specific things I wish she had not inherited from me.

1. She is NOT a morning person unless she has gotten sufficient sleep the night before. Sufficient meaning 12 hours. Keep in mind that my child no longer naps nor does she go down or into her room for quiet time during the day. This habit is mainly annoying to me because two people who are not morning persons really butt heads in the morning. That is why we both have a much better day when Mommy wakes up early enough to get a shower, makeup applied and clothes on, down to the shoes, with enough time to check my e-mail or complete a simple chore all before Annabelle wakes up. Of course, keep in mind that I hate mornings, so that is a very difficult task for me to accomplish.

2. She is anal retentive which probably means she is going to have the personality of a perfectionist in a few short years. Enough said? No? Well, if you are a perfectionist, then you completely understand without any additional words. If you aren't, life can be very difficult for the perfectionist, A type personality, and most of it you bring on yourself with your anal retentive ways. But, try changing it! It isn't going to happen! But, those who aren't perfectionists cannot understand it. So, for the sake of her own sanity and happiness, I really hope those anal retentive ways change. Not to mention, one perfectionist (aka control freak) in one household is enough! We are so going to butt heads in a few years. Oh, wait, we already do!

So, I went off on another tangent, big surprise!

This evening, it took 2 hours and 15 minutes to get Annabelle down for the evening. I left the room when she was snoring at 10:15 p.m. Will someone please explain how I am going to get two kids down in a few short months? And, I don't want to hear, "let 'em cry!" Not to say I won't change my tune. If you've read my blog, you know I let Annabelle "cry it out" at 18 months because I couldn't take any more, but her "cry it out" session only took 5 minutes at that point. Somehow though, since naptimes were done away with completely (back in July), we have digressed to Mommy rocking Annabelle to sleep every evening or at a minimum, Mommy staying in the room with Annabelle until Annabelle falls asleep in her crib. Perhaps that is why I always feel behind on everything!

So, what was her problem this evening? Do you remember that Disney commercial from many years ago? The one were the kids were leaving for Disney World the next day. She was "too excited to sleep!" Of course, those weren't her words, but she's especially excited about Thanksgiving at Granny's and visiting Santa with Annalee because that is pretty much all I heard about for an entire hour.

"Daddy normally stands up to eat at Ganny's. You normally sit down Mommy."

"Does Ganny have two tables? I don't tank she does. Where is everyone going to sit? Where are all the ittle kids going to sit? I tank Nonnie has two tables at her house. We should have Tanksgiving at our house. We have more room."

We do? We have more room than Granny? God love her!

"Is Annalee's Mommy going to be dare? Where are we going to park? I hope we don't park far away and have to walk a wheely long way."

"I want to weed some of Annalee's books. I tank her has books. I remember her has books. And, I want to pay dress up and put on slippers."

"I tank Annalee is going to sit in Santa's lap, but I don't on't to sit in Santa's lap. Will you get the candy from Santa for me? I tank Santa's going to take my book and hide it."

She has a little tiny book that came with her Waterbabies for Christmas last year. We were reading it today, and it had pictures of about 5 baby dolls in it. She decided that is what she wanted for Christmas, and she told me that she wanted to take it to show it to Santa. Oh bother! Where am I going to find baby dolls that look like those? And, not to mention, the child has enough baby dolls! So many, that she was NOT getting one from us this year. Sad, I know, but she only plays with three of the baby dolls she got for Christmas last year, and two of them were the Waterbaby twins we got her for Christmas. The other one is the one she got from Granny. Have I mentioned that she got 7 baby dolls for Christmas last year?!?! Seven folks! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!!! Stop the violence, please?!?! Oh, and those weren't her first baby dolls by any means. I think I have suddenly decided to pray for a boy!

"I've had a wheely long day Mommy."

Really? Then why aren't you asleep yet?

And, believe me, there was much, much more. I just cannot remember it all! Perhaps next time I should record it all with a voice recorder.

Busy Working

Part of me doesn't want to post this, but it is pretty funny and alarming. But mostly, it shows that I am human!

Here is a comment Annabelle made to hubby this evening while she was moving her packings for Nonnie's house (which grew even larger today) away from the front door and into her little rocking chair. Her Daddy had just asked her to move them there, and he was instructing her in regards to the job at hand.

"I'm busy working! Don't bother me!"

Hmmm...wonder who she got that from? Considering hubby doesn't "work" at home, and the work he does around the house is typically after Annabelle has gone to bed...oh, perhaps I should think before I speak!

Packing for Nonnie's House

Annabelle spent the weekend with my parents so that hubby and I could work on purging the amount of junk and papers we have acquired during our 9 years of marriage to make room for the new baby. We are basically turning our current "office" which is technically a third bedroom into Annabelle's big girl room.

Originally, Annabelle was supposed to spend Friday night with my parents and Saturday night with her Nonnie. Nonnie already had plans to keep Annabelle's cousins, Adam and Molly, on Saturday night, so Annabelle was especially excited.

Unfortunately, Molly turned up sick, and Uncle Matt and Aunt Meredith were kind enough to call us to let us know. I try to keep our distance from germs whenever possible, but especially since I've been pregnant since I seem to catch anything that walks. And, I absolutely refuse to get the swine flu or flu shot!

So, we opted for Annabelle to just spend another night with my parents.

It sounded like she didn't put up too much of a fuss about it, and she even told me that she didn't spend the night with Nonnie because "Ma-wee was sick."

But, she has not forgotten the promise to visit Nonnie again soon. All I heard all day was, "Are we going to Nonnie's house?" "When are we going to Nonnie's house?"

This evening, she proceeded to pack for Nonnie's house even though hubby and I both told her that it would be awhile before we visited Nonnie again. But, it didn't stop her for putting her belongings at the door to take with us to Nonnie's house. "I take this to Nonnie's house," she'd say. "Let me go put it by da door."

After I got her down for the evening, I walked into the living room and looked down next to the front door to find this: her deflated Garfield balloon that she got on her 3rd birthday, her "Ganny" baby doll given to her from Granny for Christmas 2008, painted hand prints and footprints from when she was 7 months old, a Tetris handheld game, a metal heart box full of candy and her most recent tracings and cut outs of her hand prints.

I couldn't help but smile and laugh. It is the little things that make you smile the most, and unfortunately, it is the little things that we too often forget.

19 weeks

19 weeks today and counting!

I'd count backwards to gain a little more preparation time if it didn't mean I'd have to suffer through that dreaded morning sickness again. Now you all know why I was feeling my weakest in an earlier post back in September! Morning sickness and illness struck me all at once, and with a vengeance! Of course, I think most of you have already heard our news or suspected it by my very large and continuously growing tummy.

And, since hubby and I both work our best under pressure, we have the challenge to turn an already tight 1,100 sq ft home into living and toddler playing quarters all before April 10th, 2010. Then, the next challenge is to find a larger home to accommodate our growing family. But, wait, we probably should consider getting this one marketable and sold first!

All before April 10th, 2010 (4 weeks prior if we're smart)!

I guess that is still easier and a lot less stressful than building a shed. Yep! Hubby built a rather large shed to house our junk while I was pregnant with Annabelle.

Speaking of stress, do you all know my part-time profession? Do you know when your taxes are due every year? And, now, do you know my due date? Great timing, huh?!?!

The big sister to-be is very, very excited! She named the baby in utero "Beebo," and she came up with that name all by herself. Annabelle was named "Cashew" until birth, but we just couldn't think of a name for this one until we asked Annabelle one day. She responded immediately with "Beebo!" We're pretty sure she got the name from Sandra Boynton's The Belly Button Book.

And, just for the record, once again, we are not planning to find out the sex. Mostly because it annoys all of you! So, you'll (hopefully) have to wait until late March or April to find out if we're having another girl or a "Junior" as hubby likes to tease me!

So maybe tomorrow I'll post a picture or two of my growing belly in the really cute shirt I bought last weekend. The one that hubby responded (in all seriousness) with, "Do you have the fake belly on?" Yes, he didn't realize that my belly had gotten quite so big! He better be glad that I don't take offense to weight gain while I'm pregnant! That is unless you tell me the weight gain is in my behind! Ahem! Mother!

Like a Mommy

"I look pity, like a mommy!"

Translation: "I look pretty, like a mommy!"

There is nothing like having a 3 year old around to boost your self esteem! Annabelle stated the above as she looked at herself in the mirror after she had her dress on for church this morning. I overheard the conversation with her Daddy while I was finishing my own last touches in the bathroom.

Oddly enough, I can probably count on one hand, maybe two, the number of times that Annabelle has actually seen her Mommy dressed up in a dress. I normally wear jeans or pants.