Lord, give me peace...

...but hold off on giving me strength or I'll fling my kids off of a mountain.

Gideon has a bad case of the Whiny Butt. He's in my lap now, lamenting that which is life. There is nothing worse than an existential three year old.

Sophie keeps asking every 30 seconds about her burrito. IT'S IN THE OVEN. Nothing I say can convince her that I am making dinner right this very second. She thinks that I'm telling her that she can't have them so she keeps giving other suggestions. "Hot dog? Chicken? FRIES?!? FOOOOOOD!!" OH MY COW, INNAMINIT!

Milly has been in a pick-me-up-put-me-down mood all day. She wants in my lap and then squirms until I put her down. Then she collapses into a heap of tears to let me know how horrible I am for putting her dooooooown!!! However, she also keeps balancing her sister's shoe on her head and it's really funny.

The newest little monster has decided that I'm going to be sick whenever I eat carbs. But! That's all I'm craving. Apples and creamy pasta are the biggest wants right now. After nearly fainting from a migraine earlier, the doctor told me to quit eating so many carbs and protein load instead. So I'll be trading my beloved chicken sorrentino for cheese and beans or steak. No tortillas! No chips! NO CANDY RIGHT WHEN CANDY IS ON SALE FOR HALLOWEEN.

I'm feeling better after some protein bars and water. I have medicine for the headaches. I'll eat bean and cheese burritos tonight and then make an inventory of the kitchen. There's only an hour and a half until bedtime. Friday is Date Night with the kids in Parent's Night Out. There is hope. There is a silver lining.

There is a carb-free cheesecake recipe.

Wowsers

Pregnancy dreams have been psycho lately. I dream vividly about the weirdest things. It's exhausting. I wake up feeling like I just filmed an action movie.

Sophie has been getting out of bed and terrorizing the living room. She gets up quietly so I can't hear her. I'm too busy waltzing with Harrison Ford in my dreams to notice that my little girl has gone into the living room and emptied the tissue box. I just wake up to a path of destruction and an "innocent" monkey on the couch.

Gideon just got moved from the AM class to the PM class with his sister. Yesterday was a little rough as he almost fell asleep in class. His schedule will get adjusted and he'll be fine. Big Sister is a Little Mama, however. She answered for him every time in class and tried to help him do everything. Their teacher has already said that they'll have to separate them but that it's perfectly normal. She loves our two little mooks.

Ben will be in Austin for a week again during the last week of September. This leaves me alone with three monsters thirsty for blood and crayons. The first two days he'll be gone are Fair days so I can't even get rid of them for a few hours. PLEASE PRAY.

While cleaning this morning, I nearly filled the dishwasher with oatmeal instead of detergent. I have a serious case of The Dumb.

The youngest is at MDO, the oldest are dressed and watching Movers, the dishes are cleaning, the crockpot is full of pot roast and the clothes are washing. Praise God for modern appliances.

Riding the Bus

They're waiting on the bus. It's so much fun to walk them to the stop sign and wait to see their eyes light up when they see it!

My Love

To the man who makes me feel like the most beautiful woman on Earth.

To the man who laughs hysterically at my silly jokes.

To the man who tells even more silly jokes and makes me laugh hysterically.

To the man who gets up with the kids when I'm sick and makes their snack, takes the Boy to the bus, picks up my medicine and takes a work call while changing the Movers episode for a really picky Girl.

To the man who thinks that Date Nights are incredibly important and makes it a priority.

To the man who looked at me with wonder and happiness in his eyes when I showed him my teeny baby bump last night.

To the man who patiently explains geography answers, baseball rules and why Douglas Adams is the superior sci-fi writer.

Ben, you are amazing and I am blessed to call you my friend, my husband, my partner, the father of my children and my geek.

Roundup

Oh my gracious, I have a blog. I'll get back on track with a never-done-before bullet point post!

• Sophie and Gideon have been going to the sensory gym for the last month. They are settling in and learning to follow directions. Sophie has learned how to flip backwards! Gideon jumps on the trampoline with no help! This is going so well and I'm excited to see what else they learn.
• Sophie and Gideon have also been accepted into the PPCD classes at our local elementary school. Gideon will go to the morning half-class and Sophie will go in the afternoon. Both will ride the bus back and forth to the school. They start on Monday. We'll go to Open House on Wednesday night so they can meet the teacher and see their classroom. I get to buy school supplies on Thursday! I'm way too excited about school supplies, first day outfits and bus routines. OK...I'm half excited and half sobbing every 30 minutes. MY BABIES!!!
• I've called an ABA therapist to see if our insurance will pay for behavioral therapy. She says that the kids would go for 2-4 hours a week at the least. WOW. Let's schedule that around school, Milly's MDO and the kids' new gym times on Wednesday. She's also looking into getting speech therapy approved, too. That's another 45 minutes a week. My weeks are starting to fill up.
• Milly will go back to South Garland Baptist's MDO in September. She'll go on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9-2. I had originally looked for a 4-5 day program for her but I changed my mind. There's not much time before Milly is no longer the baby of the family. I want some time with just her before that change.
• Milly will also start ECI on Wednesday. The ENT said that she's not hearing well and will need ear tubes. The ECI therapist will do speech therapy. Maybe she'll learn to say Mama again!
• Ear tubes. Milly needs them. Gideon will go to the ENT after this last round of antibiotics for another ear infection. Sophie had her first ear infection after her tubes. There's a good possibility that 2 or all of the kids will need tubes. OY.

Then there's the new baby!

HOW FAR ALONG ARE YOU?
6 weeks, give or take. According to Baby Center this means that his/her heart is beating. That makes me all fuzzy.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
Grumpy, weepy, happy, sleepy...your basic dwarf moodiness. Add in the migraines, caffeine withdrawal and "morning" sickness and I'm a treat to be around.

ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER TIMES?
I'm experiencing dizziness and vertigo for the first time. It's bizarre! I'll be going about my normal business when spots will suddenly blur my vision and I'll sit down hard. The doctor has said that it's normal and to eat more protein rich foods. It also helps if I move slowly and take a few minutes to move around and get my blood flowing.

NEXT DOCTOR APPOINTMENT?
September 6th. I'll have my first ultrasound and she'll probably take some blood. My doctor does an ultrasound at every appointment. It's nice to see that little peanut every time I go in.

Go about your business. I'm sure I'll be back eventually to post pictures of Sophie and Gideon's first day at school.

Stuff I Like

Here's some stuff that's totally digging my chili right now.

• Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree Hair and Scalp Treatment.

Does it make me feel like I've set my head on fire? YES. Is my scalp finally not flaking from eczema/psoriasis/whatever's been on there for decades? EVEN YESSER.

• Warehouse 13 

Season 4 just began. Kate Mulgrew, AKA Captain Janeway, is my favorite character on the show. Brent Spiner, AKA Data, is guest starring. It's a glorious geeky delight.

• Lady of America in Sachse

This is the gym I joined. I love going because it's all women. Men, you're cool and all that but I like a gym where Ricky Martin and Backstreet Boys blare while I watch The View on my stationary bike. Also? YOGA ROCKS.

• Raising Cane's Chicken

Crispy chicken fingers, crinkle fries, sweet tea and a sauce that I could bathe in. DUDE. I have got to learn how to make this sauce at home and possibly cut the calories down.

• Spelling Apps from Learning Touch

Sophie has been playing the original animal app for months. In the last month, she's started spelling words and asking for us to spell everything on Earth. We bought the deluxe version and she began playing today. (After a little agitation at the thought of trading her tried-and-true app for something new.) These work. Plain and simple. 

Really.

Two Months Ago

Me and the Hubby: "I think we're just going to have 3 children."

1 Month Ago

Go through clothes, toys and everything baby-related. Purge all things under 18-months. Give clothes to Goodwill, second hand stores and the new Cobb baby. Cry over tiny onesies dripping with memories and old spit-up stains. Take a deep breath and shut the boxes.

2 Weeks Ago

Start enrolling the kids in school for the fall. Look into preschools for the baby. Begin to enjoy this next stage of life with school age kids. There is a light at the end of the tunnel with everyone wiping their own butts. It's getting closer.

Friday August 3rd, 12:30 AM

Violently wake husband.

Same Day, 12:00 PM

Doctor: "Congrats! You're due in early April!"

NOTE: ANY COMMENTS WITH THE WORDS "DON'T YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSES THAT?" AND "I TOLD YOU SO!" WILL BE REQUIRED TO COME WITH A $25 DONATION TO THE 'WE GAVE AWAY ALL OF THE BABY STUFF' FUND.