Friday Quick 5

1.  Along with first trimester exhaustion, my days have been overshadowed for some time by a very draining cold.  I didn't feel too terrible, other than constant congestion and on brief night of throat pain; it just took what little energy I had and threw it out the door.  I could barely  move from room to room, change diapers, feed children, or do the things I needed to do to make sure my kids were clean and taken care of.  It also meant the house has gone completely neglected, again.  So the past few days have been catch-up, where my energy level has been slightly higher.  Next week marks the official end of this trimester and I'm praying (and praying and praying) that my energy will be restored soon after.

2.  I have a friend who keeps a running list of the crazy/hilarious/surprising things her daughter says, as well as things she thought she'd never hear herself say (such as "Don't lick your shoe" and "Don't put your hair in the light socket").  I've thought of keeping a running list of things about parenting I never expected.  They may not be surprising or revolutionary, but they definitely have taken me off guard.  It might start something like this:

• to find our humidifier suddenly quit working because some little hand had stuffed their baby spoon down the spout for the steam, plugging the mechanism inside.
• to learn to discern which of your kids has a poopy diaper just by smell
• that instead of freaking out when your 10-month old learns to crawl up into his sister's mini rocking chair and stands up on the seat rocking back and forth, you're taking pictures and sending them to your husband (you are sitting right next to him, after all)
• that a please-and-thank-you day from your two year old is headline worthy

This list could actually be much longer, and some things more surprising, but I find I am one of those people who are actually mentally handicapped at times by pregnancy.  Sometimes something is there one minute; the next it's just gone.  These are just the things from this week.

3.  Despite the haters out there, I have to admit I was pretty excited to see winter come this week!  Our official first snow on Feb. 13, all-time record for latest ever first snow in Topeka.  A little sad, if you ask me, and seems to be on track to be the only one.  For two beautiful days it was wonderful to look out my window and see the white stuff blanketing the neighborhood.  I only regret that I didn't feel well enough to bundle the kids up and go out and play in it.  Thankfully, Eliza was content to sit on the bench before our front window, look out, and say, "Look, snow! Snow outside!"

4. I had thought after the holidays that I would clear my schedule a bit.  I've failed at that.  Instead, Nick and I signed up for a training course through our church in urban ministry, I am hopefully teaching a few times at the Forum (a small group for high school/college age kids that does some training of its own), and we are joining a couples small group at the end of the month, on top of my regular schedule.  Not to mention there's a new baby coming.  I would love to look forward to spring and think that maybe my schedule will clear and I'll experience some relative freedom and relaxed moments over the summer, to take a lazy-summer approach.  But I laugh at myself a little there.  I just don't seem capable of doing that.  I feel almost certain I will come up with something else to do.

5.  Do you know, I still have a hard time believing I'm pregnant?  I had my first appointment, thrilled to the sound of that little heartbeat, and even with exhaustion wearing me down every. single. day. I just don't think I'm pregnant.  Even with trying to think of boy names (I already have the girl's), I still sometimes it's hypothetical.  Even though the fit of my clothes is starting to change, I just feel like I'm gaining weight back, not that a little person is growing in there.  Even with Eliza now nearly every day mentioning the baby in somebody's tummy (if Mommy has one, everybody does), it seems like just a cute little gain.  I'm ready for some kicks, people.  I'm ready for some movement.  Let me feel that little guy/gal wrestling around in there and figuring out the movement of legs and arms.  I'm ready for this to get real.  But I know, when it does, I will likely go into list making mode, planning mode, and then chafe when plans can't go forward for one reason or another.  Still, there's something very special when the baby, and not just your hormones, says, "Hey, I'm in here."