let's be honest: one can always complain.

I have nothing to complain about, this pregnancy. Really. Next-to-no vomiting! Sleeping great! That weird back pain I had last time? Now it's more diffuse and less, well, pain-y.

But. Because I know you want to know:

• Itchiness. Mostly solved by avoiding anything with a waistband. Note: This cuts down on the wardrobe. Plus the undergarment options. But! The itchiness is solved! Mostly!
• That one ligament on the right side, where I can be standing still and feel like I have the worst side-ache known to marathoners? Ready for that one to stop being kicked.
• That under-water feeling when I stand still? Along with the side-ache? Apparently the four iron pills I'm taking are not enough.
• Also. The pills. Enough already. Switched to a once-a-day prenatal, which I think is the best invention ever, except I'm skeptical that it actually contains the RDA of all the stuff I'm supposed to take. But--I'm "taking" "all" of my "prenatals"! So I don't care if they actually contain the RDA! *
  
• Apparently, one can mimic gastric bypass surgery with a strategically placed baby. Please, don't ask what happens when I exceed my stomach capacity. Urp.
  
• That creaking sensation in my hips. There is a lot of flexing and stretching going on, which is awesome during labor but less awesome when you're squatting to hold your three-year-old over the drinking fountain.
  
• Sleeping with a body pillow is less than ideal when it's hot.
  
• Kind of miss exercising. No, really.
• Standing up and sitting down. Argh.
• Softened brain, lost neurons. Sorry for the forgetfulness, everyone!
  

Okay! Enough complaints. In general, I like pregnancy a lot more the second time around, because I'm not panicking about the forthcoming baby! Well, I am, but in a more knowledgeable sort of way. Informed panic is the way to go.

*Read this awesome book called "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth", and noted that the medical study that established the need for folic acid supplementation showed that there was improvement in neural tube defects when the folic acid was taken from conception to 2 weeks or so. Question: Why am I still taking folic acid? Hmmmm? Also: Why have I never really succeeded in actually taking the folic acid when it would make some difference?

best excuse ever

Child, upon leaving her bed and opening bedroom door after lights-out:
"But I just want some love."

was that too obvious?

Dyami's been trying to eliminate some food out of his diet to see if it will eliminate some migranes he's been having. We tried wheat, but decided corn was a more likely suspect. I keep running over the foods I should or should not buy. Which led to the following conversation:

D: "Are there any of these Smart Balance margarines without corn in them? Because I don't really like butter."
H: "The corn is the butter flavor. So it would just taste like oil."
D: "Grrr."
H: "Which reminds me--you shouldn't have any microwave popcorn, either. Cause those have butter flavor in them."
D: Stares. "Plus the popcorn. That might have corn in it as well."

Riiight. Good thing I've become a savvy label-reader. Because if we had to rely just on my memory for this stuff, we'd be in trouble.

the story of Jojo and her feelings

Today Lucy asked me to read her the story of Jojo and her feelings. *
I had no idea what story that was. "Can you tell me what happens in it?" I asked Lucy.
"Jojo not want share her toys with her baby sister, and she not nice to her." Lucy said.
Aha. That story of Jojo and her feelings.

So I told Lucy the story of Jojo, how sometimes she liked having a baby sister, and sometimes she didn't. She especially didn't like it when her baby sister started wanting to use her very special scooter (that we just got two days ago). And so one day, Jojo knocked over her baby sister and took the scooter, and scooted away into the other part of the yard while her sister cried.
And how Jojo's mommy took care of the crying sibling, and then talked to Jojo, and they talked about feeling good at having her scooter back, but bad about having made her sister cry. And then Jojo decided to tell her sister sorry and give her a hug.

I decided Lucy's humongous smile during the telling of the story was because of relief that we were discussing deep issues non-judgmentally, and also excitement over obviously dangerous thoughts, and not some sort of relishing in the hypothetical suffering of her (I mean Jojo's) baby sister.

Does anyone but me have any sense that maybe this wasn't just a bedtime story? Anyone?

*For those of you just tuning in, Jojo is the gifted baby possum that occasionally shares in our family's adventures.

gender studies

So a good friend's daughter was asking Dyami about my pregnancy yesterday. "How do you know it's a girl?" Elle asked.
Dyami told her that they can take special pictures of the baby inside my belly, kind of like an X-ray.
Elle nodded. She's savvy on that. "So they look at the hair? That might be hard to tell, though. Cause some boys have pretty long hair."
Dyami, perhaps wisely, decided to let her parents explain that one to her.

peace

At bedtime, Lucy and I usually pray a little bit in between the stories and the snuggle-in-bed. And then one day I had the idea of throwing in a little blessing for her: "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."
I really love speaking these words over my child every night, and oddly enough, I think Lucy likes hearing it; sometimes she says some of the words with me. The ritual of it is touching to me, every night, and I hope she remembers that I ask God for these things for her.

And she's never asked a question about my prayers, but she started asking questions about the blessing. Which led to the following conversation:

"Peace? What peace?"
"It's feeling really safe, and calm."
"God give us that?"
"Yes, he gives us peace."
"And Mama give peace?"
"Maybe a little bit. God gives us the most peace."
"Piece of cake?"
(Trying not to laugh. Not succeeding) "That's, um, a different word. It sounds the same, doesn't it?"
"Is it a big piece or a small piece?"
(No idea how to answer. Still laughing.)
"God gives biggest piece?"

Yes, I guess he does. Especially if (for Lucy, anyway) it's chocolate.

customer relations

Around here, we're eager to teach Lucy Life Skills. It helps that so much of her play is mimicking things we do all the time (we go to Papa's house! We go to the bank! We pretend to be a midwife and check the baby's heartbeat!).

A current favorite is the "Let's go to the bookstore" game. It involves getting out the baby monitor, collecting a laundry basket full of board books, and then coming over to me. Sometimes Lucy is the clerk, and sometimes she's the customer. Whoever is the clerk takes the baby monitor and clicks the volume button (beep! just like a scanner! Yes, Lucy figured that one out all on her own). Then the clerk says how much you owe ("That one two dollar.") and wish you a very nice day out.

Today Dyami was the clerk, and included some consumer savvy in the script:

"Oh, and this book is three ninety-five. Will that be all for you?"
"Huh, yeah."
"Do you have a store credit card? Would you like to open one today and save fifteen percent?"
(Enthusiasm) "Huh, yeah!"
"No, see, Lucy. They always try to get you to take a card. You should say, "No, thanks." "Would you like to open a store credit card?"
(Enthusiasm) "No, thank you!"
"And what about an extended warranty?
(Cautious). No, thank you."
But it's only $25.99 and includes protection if your purchase gets wet."
(Enthusiasm) "Huh, yeah!"
"No, we never get the warranty, either, Lucy. They'll always try to up-sell you."
Pause.
"Me want play Uno."