Turning 2!

Being nearly 38 weeks pregnant, everything I do is a little slower these days, and I almost forgot to post about Elisa turning 2! We've had so many changes with her this past month that she almost feels like a completely different person than she was 6 months ago. Some are amazing and some are difficult. She has had crazy separation anxiety every time we drop her off somewhere or leave the room for bedtime, which has been a really tough one lately. And we finally decided it was time to give up the pacifier, which she was still using for sleeping, and today I think we turned a corner. After losing it in her bed last night, we declared that "blue birdie is missing." We looked for it everywhere (while I quickly found it under the bed and hid it) and I think she has finally accepted that it is not coming back. But not without a lot of tears.

On the flip side, she is now dancing, singing, running, jumping, playing dress-up, and talking in 4-5 word sentences. Today's new sentence was, "Mommy, close your eyes," which she said as we lay on the floor of her room pretending to take naps side by side, like little girls at a slumber party. Most of her sentences are usually orders, telling me to sit here or go there, or Daddy to sing her current favorite songs - "ball" (Take Me Out to the Ball Game) and "'merica" (Star-Spangled Banner), a tough one for Daddy when it's early in the morning. What a patriot. Soon enough she will have another little person to give orders too, so maybe we'll be off the hook.

Otherwise, we had a really lovely little birthday party for her with some of her favorite playmates and good friends of ours with kids, complete with food from one of our go-to Mexican restaurants, Rodeo, and cupcakes from my favorite neighborhood bakery, Lark. There were also bubbles, beanbag tossing, and a flamenco show!

Here's the birthday girl getting ready to party.

Oliver dominates the bubbles here while the other kids look on amazed.

Everyone enjoying their quesadillas.

Stuffing her face with a vanilla cupcake.

Our friends Scott and Wendy gifted us with a flamenco show. It was really incredible watching all the kids completely mesmerized by Wendy's dancing.

Paul and Elisa got pulled up to dance!

Sitting under the grapevines on our patio in the shade of a hot summer day, with our friends around us and Elisa cuddling in my lap, I felt so incredibly grateful in that moment to have raised a little girl this far in life, even if it has only been two years. These two years have been amazing, and I love every moment of mothering her, even on the tough days.

Other than that, we've been trying to make the most of this last few weeks as a family of 3, which has included trips to the beach.

Trying on shoes and dressing up, a new favorite pastime

Rides on the Griffith Park train

And getting a new car! I am so in love with our new sportwagon. Maybe because it's gray like our dog, drives like a dream, has tons of trunk space, leather seats, bluetooth streaming, gets practically 40 mpg, and they even threw in tinting on the back windows to keep the babies shaded because we are three-time repeat customers at this particular VW dealership. Actually, this is the 4th VW we have owned. I know, we're nuts. But this one feels like a car we can grow comfortably into as a family and drive to the ground. I felt like it symbolized that we're ready for baby to arrive. It's our very own "swagger wagon."

We may be feeling extra sentimental lately because of Elisa's birthday and the baby coming, but raising a family together so far really has felt like a dream. We are savoring each day.

36 weeks

At the beach on July 4th weekend,
36 weeks pregnant!

I am 36 weeks pregnant. Let's see, how am I feeling these days?

It is really hard to breathe. The only time I don't have trouble breathing is when I am standing up or sitting up really straight. And that is if I haven't moved in awhile, or else I am usually out of breath. Things like laundry or picking up all of Elisa's toys are just too much for me now. Doing dishes leaves me with water all over my belly and a backache.

When I'm awake, I have to pee pretty much every hour or so. It is now rare to get through a night without having to get up to go to the bathroom. If I can make it to 5am, I'm pretty proud. But sometimes its harder to get back to sleep in the early morning so I don't mind getting up when its 3 or 4am if I have to. Except that it takes a lot of energy to get out of bed, er roll out of bed rather.

I am so sweaty. I think my belly provides an extra layer of insulation that I simply don't need in an LA summer. Not to mention that all maternity pants or shorts have that stupid band thing over the belly that is just ANOTHER layer of insulation that makes me so uncomfortable. Dresses are the most comfortable, but nothing is fitting right these days. Everything is too short or not comfortable in the bust. I hate getting dressed in the morning. If I had it my way, I would wear a maternity tank top and my gray sweat shorts every day (that's what I wear to sleep, and I change into my PJs at about 8pm every day).

If I don't nap, I may not make it through the day. Elisa has been getting up before 7am lately, so I'm always up early. I know my normal full night of sleep is going to be a thing of the past soon, so I'd like to sleep as much as possible whenever I can.

I feel baby kicking and moving very often. Sometimes it even hurts. I'll feel this sudden pressure against my belly like her feet are trying to find her a way out of her cramped womb. I often react with an "Ooh!" or "Ahh!" and Paul immediately goes, "What's wrong? What is it?" I think it's funny when this happens because he sounds totally freaked out, and he never really freaks out very much.

This will be my first full week of maternity leave. I am already bored. I'm really not good at not working. I need a new book or movie or TV show or something. My brother said that World War Z is a pretty good read. Maybe I'll download that to my Kindle.

They told me that the baby was on the small side, almost out of the normal range but still growing. Every time I put Elisa to bed, I put her hand on my belly and we pray for baby to grow big and strong. She likes praying for the baby. I think it makes her feel important. I think she is going to be an amazing big sister. She is certainly bossy enough for it.

Now we enter the waiting game. Waiting, and waiting. I'm not good at waiting. I am at the point where I feel like I'll be pregnant forever. This may be the last time I am pregnant, and I don't really think I'll miss it. I haven't enjoyed it all that much this time around.  I've told my husband that that it better be the last time. But maybe not? Who knows. Maybe it's better not to try to plan everything in life. But I really would like to know when she's coming out. Do I want her to come sooner so I can be a little more comfortable in my body again, if I even will be, or do I want her to come later so I can get a few more days of sleep? Life as I know it is about to change forever, again...yet it feels oh so slow right now.