It's been awhile and it's not because I don't have much to tell about but that the world just won't slow down enough for me to do so.
On the toddler front, our toddler has an awesome memory. She's also patient and seems to be compassionate. She hugs us and kisses our boo boos. She asks one of us to calm down if we are frustrated and if we speak too harshly or loudly. If we tell her to wait until the clock says 'x', she will patiently do so but boy howdy if you renege.
We played baseball for the first time yesterday. Ok, we actually practiced swinging a bat. She tells me that she doesn't need to swing with two hands but can do it with one. What can I say, she's an overachiever.
She fell off the second to top rung of the curvy slide swing at the playground. Later, she recounted the event and even brought me to the scene of the incident and said, "I fell and I cried like this, "Ahhh", but I'm ok. Daddy gave me a hug and kiss and I'm all better. I was scared."
She's obsessed obsessed with balloons. It was a balloon bonanza this weekend. On Saturday, we went to a fair and she patiently waited on a very slow moving line to receive her very first balloon shaped animal. She requested a green puppy. The balloon artist made a lease for her to use to hold her puppy on. She kept trying to literally walk it on the sidewalk and I had to explain that balloon puppies can walk in the sky to avoid a popping incident.
Later that evening on the way home, the balloon animal unravelled and instead of being upset, she laughed and giggled and said her green puppy looks really silly now. It was a long green balloon by now and she kept insisting it was her green puppy still. I love her imagination and her upbeat spirit.
On Sunday we went to a friend's 3rd birthday party. We stayed and helped clean up and she was awarded with 6 helium balloons. DH tied them to his keys and she walked all the way home (5 blocks) clutching and playing with her balloons. That evening, we had to tie the balloons to her bedpost so she could see them as she drifted to sleep.
On Monday, she saw a dad at the park with balloon helicopter and was fascinated.
Being the mom that I am, I bought her a balloon powered helicopter and balloon powered car the next day. She was in heaven and clutched to her balloon car. She even decorated it with some stripes and flames and a giant number 8. She was so excited and couldn't wait to go to the playground to test them out.
She was the life of the party. 5-6 girls and 2 boys came up to us and we spent 45 minutes sharing and playing and chasing after the helicopter and car.
Thankfully mom had the foresight to buy a handpump otherwise, I would have peetered out after the third balloon blow up.
I had each kid help by either holding the propellers or help me pump by holding onto the pump. There was a lot of cooperation which I always get a kick out of with 2-3 year olds.
On the incubating egg, ToF is doing well. We had a mini scare on Saturday when DH accidentally kneed me under the belly button while we were horsing around with TG. I called the doctor and she said as long as I don't do anything strenuous the rest of the day, don't have cramping or bleeding, I should be fine. ToF is the size of a plum now and is well cushioned. Later, I ate some yogurt and fresh fruit to kick up the sugar and felt a small amount of movement and was reassured.
I spoke to some moms regarding the difference in reactions between first and subsequent children as well as different emotions and I was comforted that the emotional highs and lows appear to be normal.
It is so strange that the second pregnancy is much more emotional.
On the DH handling pregnancy front, he's doing better than I suppose. His car kick has hit though and I know it's going to go into 4th gear very very soon. We've been to three dealerships so far and a car show. He's test drives some cars and even had me sit in on one. I told him point blank yesterday a new car is fine and he can rationalize it all he wants but I am fairly certain that before ToF's first birthday, he will have us in another car. I've made peace with this and as long as it's safe and the drive is good, I have no problem with whatever it is about babies that causes him to go car shopping.
He said he wishes I was more opinionated. Seriously, I think I have been. I'm open-minded but will speak my mind if I truly have an opinion. I'm just not as opinionated as he wants I suppose when it comes to cars.
The kicker was, during our last car buying adventure, he lost our current car's key fob. Didi's car fob costs $300 to replace. Wait, don't you have two sets? Actually, we had two sets and a valet key. DH lost his set just before TG's first birthday. He took my set afterwards. Now we just have a valet key. He's kicking himself. I'm wondering if I should put stickers on our car keys now that have our phone number, just in case.
By the way, I'm probably dating myself but my first car didn't have a key fob. It was the standard silver key affair. I don't think I paid more than $25 to replace that key.
