The Doo Game

Our son is, for the most part, very well behaved. So when he makes bad choices or is being a brat it's kind of surprising. Today he's been both...to the fullest extent. This morning Rob had gone upstairs and a few minutes later was yelling for me and P to come up there. P beat me up there and as I was walking up the stairs I heard Rob ask P what he had done wrong. As I cleared the top stair I immediately saw the problem......P had pooped on my treadmill!! (Yes, you read that correctly) I know that this is not uncommon for preschool aged children nor is it uncommon for siblings when mom is expecting a baby. BUT, it was surprising none-the-less. Maybe it has to do with the Doggie Doo Game that he was given for Christmas and is fascinated with. Maybe it's just a developmental thing but it's unacceptable regardless. After lunch we put him in his room for a rest/nap time. Since I had been awake since 3:45 with contractions I was looking forward to resting. But P made that impossible by throwing things at the door, yelling for us and wreaking havoc in his room. Once rest time was over Rob had a long talk with him (I'm still too mad to talk to him rationally) and we thought that our sweet son would surface again. Wrong! P gets bopped on his cheek as one of his punishments when warranted. So, out of the blue, he comes over to me and bops my cheek then glares at me. I about lost it. Thankfully Rob was here and intervened, telling him to go in his room so I could calm down. If this continues it's gonna get ugly around here because I'm uncomfortably pregnant and don't have the patience for dealing with an ornery 3 year old. I'll be glad when it stops snowing so he'll be able to get outside and get his cooped up energy out. In the mean time I'm praying that things get better before they get downright ugly.

Update on Life

So here's the latest from NV............Yesterday I thought I was going to have Easton because I had some pretty intense contractions and some other things going on (we'll leave it at that). But, much to my dismay I didn't end up even making it to the hospital. When we went to bed I told Rob that I thought I'd have Easton this weekend, most likely today. Well, the day is close to being over and other than a few contractions I don't have anything to report. I am happy to say that I have found a solution for sleeping a little better at night though. My arms have been numb and tingling a lot, especially when I sleep. Actually I don't sleep because it hurts so much. But I researched solutions and found that a wrist brace I was ordered when P was born would help. It has!! It's so nice to sleep at night without pain searing down both arms and into my fingers.
So, with a good night's sleep under my belt and no baby in sight we had a nice family day together today. We started out by going to Cabelas where I ordered our new comforter and the boys played. We were there so long that by the time we got home it was lunch time and nap time. P had worn himself out and took a very long nap. (Rob and I might pay the price for his long nap at bed time) Once we finally woke up we went outside for some fun in the snow. I thought by moving to the valley we wouldn't have to contend with very much snow but we easily have a foot from the past week. It's made for some fun the past couple days now that the sun's peaking through occasionally. Once we were sufficiently worn out from throwing snowballs, walking to the mailbox and eating icicles we came inside for hot cocoa. The boys wrestled and played while I "nested" some more. Now we're watching "Frosty the Snowman" and enjoying a nice quiet evening together. Life will be chaotic soon enough so I'm enjoying these quiet family weekend times together.

Here is a pic that Rob took of Mt. Rose with his camera phone....

Christmas Day

I can't say that I was worried about being away from our families on Christmas or that I lost sleep over it but I did wonder what it'd be like. Well, yesterday I found out. Since Rob already wrote a beautiful blog about it there's really nothing I need to add. Although we weren't with family, we had a nice time with some friends. My favorite part of the day was when P first woke up, seeing his surprise and excitement at all the presents under the tree. It's always fun experiencing things through a child's eyes!

Christmas

as i sit here enjoying some silence after the morning chaos, i starting thinking of my family back home. this is the 2nd year in a row that ive been away from them for Christmas and yes, it sucks. it is my favorite time of the year. family, food, happiness, hunting. the rut is in full gear back home, the weather is cooling off, family is gathered together and talking about football, hunting, and babies. i come from a very big family and although half of em aint right, they aint all that wrong either. i miss my grandparents every single day, but the holidays are always tougher. i miss my aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, mom, dad, and friends that are family. i do not regret moving away cause if i wouldnt have, i never would have met jen and been a father to preston or easton. however, i got to say i sure wish i lived there now. i hate that preston doesnt have the opportunity i had with spending time with a big family. i hate that every weekend he isnt sitting in a deer stand with his grandpa or in a turkey blind with his mimi. maybe someday he will. i hope so at least. after thinking all of this, i began to feel a little selfish. there are families this morning sitting in a quite house and filled with sorrow because their kids were recently taken from them. there are soldiers fighting for the very freedom we enjoy that wont be with their families this morning because they are standing a post to ensure i can spend it with mine. so, even though i am missing my family somethin fierce this mornin, there are those that have it way worse than me. im sitting here watching my kid play with all of his toys that we were blessed enough to be able to afford him, i smell cobbler in the oven that my wife is baking, there is a foot of fresh snow to enjoy. all in all we have it pretty good. sometimes we get caught up in the gifts and the hustle and bustle of the holidays. i know i do. the real reason for the season is the celebration of the birth of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ. it is about family and being thankful for what you have and not envious of what you dont have. it is about creating memories. earlier i was complaining about having to assemble preston's toys and my mom said, "someday you'll wish you could be doing that". She is right. as she usually is. so, i will enjoy what we have and try to remember those that dont have it quite as good. yall have a merry CHRISTmas and a happy new year.

The Difference a Day Makes

The funk I've been in seems to have passed. Today was a great day! Despite another snow storm, we got out of the house a lot and while we were inside we didn't sit in front of the TV non-stop like we have been doing. The day started with a family breakfast at our favorite place and then church. Unfortunately, Rob got called into work a few minutes into the sermon but at least I got to enjoy the Christmas worship time. After P and I woke up from our naps we played games and did Christmas crafts. I let him watch one short cartoon before we left for a Mother/Son date night. (Rob will be at work well into the night.) We went to BJs for dinner and then to Walmart, where I bought a new vacuum. Most people probably don't get excited about a new vacuum but I hate dirty carpets so I am thrilled to have a vacuum that actually sucks up dirt...especially before a new baby arrives!
The best part of the day was hearing about a Christmas miracle. A guy that goes to my parents' church has been down on his luck as far as finding employment. For various reasons he has not been able to find work, despite pounding the pavement to find a job. His wife found out a few months back that they were expecting their 3rd child, adding to his financial stress. Well, this week he was offered a job! According to my mom, he was thrilled beyond belief to share the great news during the church service. What an answer to prayer! Between our fun day at the Herrington household and Wayne getting a job it's been a great day.

A Weird One Indeed!

When I lived in CA, although I wasn't professionally diagnosed with it , I felt like I suffered from SAD during the Winter months. Since moving to NV I haven't had those symptoms to which I am so thankful. Maybe because it's not foggy and overcast here often or maybe because I have a family to care for. I don't know but it's been nice not to deal with depression and always wanting to lay in bed.
That being said, the past couple days I've had one big pity party and I'm the only one invited. I've been bummed that Easton didn't make his arrival mid-December as hoped (by me). I'm bummed that we haven't been able to go look at Christmas lights or spend much time as a family because Rob keeps getting called out to do storm work. (Although the paycheck will be nice in a couple weeks as will the vacation time he's accruing) I'm bummed that for the first time in my life I won't be with family on Christmas day. And I'm really bummed that my edema is getting so bad that my arms and hands fall asleep, tingle, and/or hurt almost 24/7.
Today was such an "off" day for me and all I wanted to do was stay in bed. But, being a mom, I forced myself up and around out of a labor of love. I met with some friends at the kids museum so P could play and have some social interaction with peers. We were going to stay a couple hours but, between the storm, me feeling light headed and my feet so swollen it hurt to stand, I cut our trip short. I was hoping that a nap with P would help and then Rob could take over this afternoon since he had some quiet time this morning. But shortly after P and I got up Rob's phone rang and he was back at work. If it had just been me I would've crawled into bed, read and watched TV while in between catnaps. However, I couldn't do that so I tried to make it a fun evening for P. We played games and he "wrote" a list of groceries I needed to get (2 of which items were sushi and Starbucks...I love him!). I made him a simple dinner that zapped me of all my energy and caused him to refuse to eat (Loaded potato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches sounded good-and easy-after such a cold day!) Now he's taking a bath and I have a feeling that as soon as he goes to bed I will too. I'm praying that tomorrow I feel 1000% times better and that Rob gets to be with us all day. I'm enjoying all the snow that's dumped but it's wreaking havoc on family time!

If you decide that I'm "Debbie Downer" and that all I do is complain I don't blame you if you stop following our blog. I wouldn't want to read about all my complaining either. especially when others have it SOOOOO much worse than me. I hope that in the next couple weeks, once Easton is born, that will all change. I won't be swollen from head to toe but will be enjoying holding our wonderful son in my arms....and Rob will be happy because hopefully it'll mean I don't keep him up with my new found snoring issue anymore. :) One can hope!!

Oh Sweet Freedom!

One doesn't realize how nice it is to have the freedom to leave the house, run errands, do housework until it's been "taken" from you. I made up for lost time by starting the day making it about P. I took him to Toys R Us so he could use a gift card he was given as an early Christmas present. From there we met Rob at the "jump place", where P got his extra "extregy" out by bouncing and playing for over an hour. While he rested this afternoon Rob and I watched a Christmas movie. Rather I fell asleep on Rob's lap while he watched the movie. Once I felt rested I was able to get the groceries for our Christmas dinner, finish my 2nd load of laundry, make dinner, do craft projects with P and address the rest of our Christmas cards. I think I did a pretty good job of being productive yet listening to my body. When I felt like I had done enough I sat or laid down for awhile. I'm pretty tired and will most likely drive Rob crazy with my snoring tonight (another pregnancy perk) but I will go to bed knowing I enjoyed my sweet, glorious freedom to do what I chose to do all day!