Like eyes for the blind...

Okay, before I say what I have to say, I will get to the exciting stuff first...it is a boy! Nate and I found out on Monday morning and have the sonogram shots to prove it (little guy, you can thank me later for not posting them, the tech actually inserted an arrow to clarify!!) Nate and I feel that our cups overflow!

And Friday was my birthday, which was very nice. We drove out to WV for the weekend and just as the trip got underway, Nate asked me to pull over. When I did, he quickly popped up an awesome GPS unit onto the windshield!!!! I could not believe it--he had already set it up and we used it on the way (we knew where we were going, which was good, because apparently it didn't--it would have gotten us lost in my parent's neighborhood...) It was a nice chance for Nate to demonstrate all of the cool features, including a soothing British accent. I could tell that he wished it was his, which somehow made it seem even cooler! She seemed a bit demanding while I knew where I was going, but I liked her anyway and named her Geraldine.

Now to some this would be a cool or neat extravagant toy in their car, but as anyone who knows me could testify, for me it was like getting glasses after a lifetime of squinting...like a wheelchair for my broken legs or even coclear implants for my deaf ears. I know this sounds dramatic, but it is not, I swear. I have a real and true disability when it comes to navigation. There is no map that can save me from myself. Not only to I lack the ability to create a mental map of an area and can not even imagine how roads relate to one another, but I also tend to panic in navigating situations and make decisions that no rational person would. I have been lost in almost every town I've driven in and spent countless hours taking random turns, u-turning, asking dudes at gas stations, and praying to the mighty Lord above all the while wondering if I was going to have to move because I would never find my way home. I have driven down roads in tears after realizing that I had already been down them twice, and when we first moved to Maryland, I was very well known in Nate's office--because there were so many times that I would have to call him and tell him where I was while he used Google maps to guide me home. If I didn't have a cell phone, I would probably be out there somehwere...just lost!!!!!

I think I'm a reasonably smart person in other aspects of life, but in this area, I am truly lacking any ability at all. My only survival technique has been route memorization. The worst is when I know how to get from my house to the mall, and from my house to work, but trying to figure out how on earth to get from the mall to work is exhausting!!! But thanks to my thoughtful husband, this curse will plague me no more! I'm a free woman! Goodbye my dear gas station attendants...

I wonder what you are thinking...

I often look at Scarlett and wonder what is going on in her mind. I remember that shortly after she was born, we would hold her and watch her sleep and see her eyes moving about in a dream and I wondered what that dream could possibly be. Now that she is talking a little bit, I am beginning to get a better picture of who she is, but there are still so many times that I could not even guess at what her little brain is cookin' up. Today at my midwife's is a perfect example. When my midwife, David, said "Hi Scarlett!" and tried to go in for a hug, she furrowed her brow and shrank back. I know at this moment she was saying "if you touch me pal, you're gonna regret it." This was obvious. But then when I tried to put her in the car, she started arching her back and saying "NANANANANANANANANA!" Now I know this meant she didn't want to get in the car, but for the life of me, I have no idea why. She normally loves car rides--was even singing on the way to the midwife's. But on the ride home, she was definitely not singing. When I reached back to pat her leg she pushed my hand away with intention. Luckily the little mood storm cleared up as quickly as it had materialized and she was back to her normal self later, but I am still left to wonder--what was that all about? Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get her figured out...Of course Nate probably thinks the very same thing about me.

Debinkification

Tonight is the night and we are all a little nervous...
Scarlett has gone to sleep with a pacifier (aka a binky) since she was four weeks old. Tonight she is 15 months old and we have decided that she will no longer sleep with a binky. At twelve months, we took it away during the daytime. She screamed on EVERY SINGLE car ride until she waws thirteen months old.
She is actually somewhat of a conisseur of binkies. She has favorites that rotate regurlarly...there is the diamond studded "bling binky,"the novelty binky that was actually decoration on the cake at my baby shower, the weird knobby purple one and many other interesting varities. Each night she carefully selects one to put in her mouth. Then she chooses one for each hand. These she immediately holds into her closed eye sockets as she lay. It is so cute. And now it has to stop.
I am actually a little sad too. My little baby is growing up and reaching so many milestones...she can climb up onto the couch, exclaim "yuck" when her diaper is rank, and help put her toys in the basket. She drinks from a cup and picks out her bedtime story. She has even mastered to fine art of throwing a fit when things don't go her way. I can't believe that she is the very same girl that I held in my arms and rocked to sleep as a tiny baby.
And tonight, please pray for us all. I worry that she will scream and cry at the injustice of her situation. (She can maintain the "freak-out" mode for a remarkably long time). My next worry is that she will not be able to go back to sleep when she wakes up too early. Normally Nate or I have to "re-bink" her at some ridiculous hour when all three pacifiers have fallen to the floor or wedged themselves between the crib and the wall. Now what will we do? I have a sinking feeling I am going to be up very early tomorrow morning.
I hope there is a nice sunrise...

Adventures in yoga

Now that I am pregnant I have had to give up my Pilates class. Most of the class is spent lying facedown (I feel like I'm flattening the baby) or flat on your back (not allowed to do this because it put pressure on your organs or arteries or something like that)or twisting (don't know why this is a no-no). Last week I tried swimming for exercise. I talked to the life guard who told me that a reasonable amount for a beginner would be 16 laps, or a half-mile. This sounded reasonable, as I am in pretty good shape and comfortable in the water. I started off strong, but after five laps, I started to feel very winded and had to take a break between laps. After a couple more it took me longer to catch my breath between laps than it did to swim one. My shoulders were on fire after ten so I floated a while and decided that ten laps was an okay first attempt. The next day I was so sore that I could hardly lift Scarlett up. Every single muscle in my body was telling me that I had overdone it. I am going to try it again, but I am going to go a little easier this time. So yesterday I went to a new yoga class. I have been to a million different kinds and usually enjoy it. This one is known as "hot' yoga (and true to its name the thermostat was set at 77!!) The class description boasted a faster pace and more intense workout. I was looking for something more than just relaxing poses, so I gave it a try.
I knew I was in trouble when the teacher was standing in the middle of the room swooshing inscense around herself cereminously. She shut off the lights and asked us to look through our third eye. I only have two, so I just thought about my grocery list. Then she taught us a mantra we should sing to connect our centers to the power of yoga. First of all, if singing were all it took to get me into shape, then my morning shower would suffice and I would not be paying my monthly gym bill!! Second of all, I do not have any kind of spiritual connection to the power of an exercise class. Our teacher told us that yoge could transform our lives. The poor girl, if she only knew that we were all just looking to transform our thighs... But after all of her silliness, class began and the pace really was intense. My heart was beating right away and I had to work hard to keep up. Several of the poses were pretty intense (and some I didn't even know were humanly possible). During some of the poses, she would ask us to hold it and then meditate on some kind of yoga truth. I found these were great opportunities to mentally redecorate my bedroom, examine my toe nails and decide that I could definitely use a pedicure, feel the baby kick and smile, and even pray. And no, I was not praying to the power of yoga. God could hear me through all of the patchouli I have no doubt. During this one pose all I could do was think about not collapsing onto the floor. Oh, and then the girl next to me strained so hard she popped out a fart and I had to meditate very hard on not laughing out loud because it was very, very funny.
I have not yet decided if I am going to go back to yoga--it was a great workout and I get bored of the same old routine--but I have decided that if I did have a third eye, I would definitely use it to find a spot next to someone who would not break wind when the going got hard!

Valentines Day

I have heard so many cynics complain about this holiday and I personally do not understand it. No, I do not believe that that Kay jewelers and Hallmark have conspired against us! I love this day, and to me it does not mean that we have to buy things or stress and worry. Valentines Day is a reminder to me that I should show my husband that I am still completely in love with him. And I look forward to hearing that from him as well. We have been together for ten years and often get caught up in the chores and duldruns of everyday life. A little romance every once in a while is definitely a blessing and not a curse. I was so touched when Nate secretly arranged for my friend to watch Scarlett so that we could go out to dinner and watch a movie. He remembered that I had mentioned really wanting to watch this achingly romantic movie and knew that I hadn't been to the cinema in two years. I loved the dinner (stuffed calamari, grilled octopus salad, and filet of sole) and cried at the movie (Atonement). But the best part of it was knowing that Nate had taken the time to do something for me. On our ride to and from the city, we listened to the double-disc Valentines Day playlist that I worked on for Nate for the last 2 months. (Because he puts a song in my heart...awww) The night was completely perfect, even without jewelry and Hallmark!

The Baby Whisperer

Well there are some days that you are on the top of your game and there are some days that you are not. Today did not turn out to be one of my days to shine. Now that I have only one more step to be a liscensed child-care provider for the state of Maryland (the final inspection is schedule for Wednesday!!) you would think I could handle a couple of kids. Oh, but not today...
I had Scarlett and her best friend Connor outside playing this afternoon. It was so warm out--we were thrilled to enjoy it. While Connor is steering the bubble mower around the yard, Scarlett faceplants onto the brick patio. She screams, and her face is covered with blood. I get her inside and cleaned up to discover a scraped up nose and a goose-egg forehead. The only thing that got her to stop crying was a popsicle. My poor little thing. But she did want to play still. So did Connor. So we went back out and we were kicking around a soccor ball. It lands in a decorative koi pond. The pond is cute, but would never pass inspection, so we got fill dirt and rocks and planned to fill it in this weekend. Unfortunately that was not soon enough. When the ball landed in the pond, Connor's dog jumped in after it. Conner sees this and yells "Jump!" Then jumps feet first into the pond. He is now belly-button deep in the pond. I run over and pull his screaming, frantic body out and am overcome with a stench I have never encountered before in my life. If ten thousand elephants were to defecate in a hole and then fifty overweight men threw their week-old gym clothes into that same hole, it would only begin to rival this smell. The poor child had to be stripped comeletely nude before he could even go into the house!
Perhaps I need to accept that today is not my day and be sure to bring my A game tomorrow! Sorry Scarlett and Connor!

Goodbye old friend

When Nate and I moved into this house, there were a couple of huge murals that were on the walls in the living room and the bedroom. They were not exactly my taste, and I swore I would get rid of them as soon as possible. I took down the deer grazing in my dinig room right away and repainted the wall, but the mountain lake scene in my bedroom just sat there and sat there. I decorated and redecorated every room in the house, but our bedroom just went on displaying that scenic view. Well, until yesterday. With some help from my mother-in-law, I tore, scraped, and steamed that mountain down. This will definitely help our house sell, and with a fresh coat of paint, I'm sure it will look incredible. I can't believe I am saying this, but I was actully a little sad about the whole thing. Somehow, I am going to miss it! It may have been ugly, but it had a special charm that at first amused me and apparently grew into something resembling fondness. Who knew!?!? Oh well. I don't miss it enough to install one in my new bedroom! And at least I have some photos to always remind me of my very own mountain lake!