His Lasts

The Lime is really good about holding my hand when we cross the street .  It's like neither of us even think about it, we just both put our hands out and they grasp the other.  I'm a hand holder and I love when he holds my hand longer than he has to.  Especially because I know it won't be like that forever.

I was on Pinterest the other night and saw a book that looked appealing.  I found it on Barnes & Noble and read the first few pages they had available to preview.  I was shedding tears within seconds.  So I ordered it and it just arrived.  Perfect timing, too.

The Lime has been a tiny pill these last few days and I thought we were seeing improvement today.  That was until we returned our Red Box movie and he asked if he could get another one.  I told him not today and he threw a fit.  We went straight to the car where he proceeded to throw Lucifer at me.  That was it, he was going straight to bed when we got home and wasn't getting lunch.  "But I'm starving!" he managed to say in between gasps for air from crying so hard.  Thankfully, he ate breakfast and had a snack in between so I knew he wasn't starving.  The thought of caving crossed my mind but I knew I had to stand my ground or he'd know I was easy to sway.  We got home and he went straight to bed, after he begged and promised that he'd be nicer.  He fell asleep within minutes.

I was feeling pretty bad and sent LaVor a text message telling him I had to send The Lime to bed without lunch, sad face included.  Then I heard some noise on the porch and it ended up being the mailman with my book.  

I began sobbing just from the "Notes from the Author" and continued to sob through the short story.  

Being a parent is hard.  It's hard being patient, getting up at all hours of the night, listening to the whines, being told you're mean and not loved, having stinky pink cats named Lucifer thrown at your head.  But the hardest thing, I think, is watching your babies grow and know that they will one day leave and start a family and life of their own.  The Lime told me today that he wasn't going to get old and I certainly wish that was the case.  I would love for him to stay by my side forever (just in a 4 year old body, not 40).

It reminds me of the song by Trace Adkins, "You're Gonna Miss This". At the end of the song, there's a plumber doing some work for a mom while her kids are crying and screaming in the background. She apologizes profusely to the plumber and he tells her he has two of his own, but they're grown. He proceeds to tell her how she'll miss "this" and she'll want it back, how she would wish time didn't pass so quickly.

I have all these little reminders around me to cherish every moment because the firsts are fun and exciting but you never know when it'll be their last.

Spring is in the Air

The Lime and I were in the backyard today while he was pretending to mow the lawn. I noticed some action in the rosemary bush and ran inside to get my camera. There were two bees hopping from flower to flower, gathering nectar and pollen (imagine what rosemary honey would taste like...yum!).

I think the "click" from the camera started getting to them because they soon began buzzing around me.

So we went to the front yard and I looked up at our plum cherry tree and saw pink blossoms everywhere (which makes me somewhat happy, especially since the daffodils are now dead).

Nature is telling me Spring is near (even though we're still a month away) but baseball is a sure sign the season is changing.

LaVor brought a batting tee home yesterday and we've already put it to good use. The Lime and I were at the baseball field for an hour and a half today, hitting ball after ball. I much prefer this method rather than me pitching the balls. 1) I don't pitch very well and 2) I don't have to worry about The Lime hitting the ball square into my belly (which has happened). I get plenty of exercise chasing after the balls.

When we practice at home, we have to use the "soft" balls so we don't break anything. You can also tell I was the one supervising this practice because the tee was way too high. LaVor wouldn't let that fly. But The Lime initiated the switch hitting by himself and that would have made LaVor proud.

Mango

I've got to admit, when I hear the word mango, my mind instantly turns to...

I haven't watched SNL in years so I don't know if it's as good as it once was.  But boy, there are some classic episodes.

Anyway, The Lime and I were at Costco last week to buy some fruit and the flat of mangoes was calling my name.  The smell alone was worth buying them but the taste has been an added bonus.

I've included them in smoothies, fruit salad, froze a whole bunch because I was afraid I couldn't eat all 9 before they went bad, and then I decided to make a mango salsa to accompany our enchiladas the other night.  Unfortunately (?), LaVor doesn't like fruit in his salsa so I had to eat it by myself.

Holy macrol...it was delicious.  I didn't mind the sweetness at all and enjoyed it even more today with my chicken nachos and sour cream.  The combination of textures and flavors was fabulous.  LaVor doesn't know what he's missing.  And it's so simple!  Mango, cilantro, onion, a dash of lime juice and salt. 

Thank goodness for the onions or I would have devoured the whole bowl in one sitting. 

New Bed

I really wish I was writing a blog post about a new bed for LaVor and me but I'm not. Oh well.  We figured The Lime would have to give up the crib at some point and a new visitor is the perfect excuse.

Even though The Lime was able to climb in and out of his crib by himself, we kept him in it. We didn't see the point in doing the toddler bed thing so we jumped to the twin bed. After LaVor got off work last Wednesday, we went and picked out a mattress for The Lime. He was rooting for a bunk bed but we won't need one of those for a couple of years, if ever.

No surprise that all the blankets were immediately transplanted from the crib

While it's a little cramped in The Lime's room with the crib and a bed, I'm not quite ready to kick him out. The addition of Doodlebug will be different enough that I didn't want to completely mess The Lime up. Also, our third bedroom is down the (small) hall and around the (small) corner from the other two bedrooms. I'm not quite ready for him to be that far away. So we'll see how everything pans out once Doodlebug gets here. Who knows, maybe The Lime won't be able to sleep with a screaming baby and I'll be forced to make hard decisions. But we'll deal with that if/when the time comes.

In the meantime, The Lime and I are making the best out of the little play space he has left in his room. We just have to make sure we clean up one set of toys before we get another one out. 

Wondering why one of his construction toys was in his toolbox.  My OCD toy organization is rubbing off on him.

Fixing his stove

Telling me one of his stories about his coworker friends

Drawing a map on his omputer (computer)

Being adorable even while snot is running out of his nose

Love Notes

I don't decorate for holidays except for Halloween and Christmas.  Mostly because, while it's fun to have a decorated house, it's a pain in the butt to re-decorate every month.  But I didn't want to not have anything for Valentine's Day.  So one afternoon, while The Lime was taking his nap, I went to work cutting hearts out of scrapbook paper and writing things down I loved about LaVor and The Lime.

I love notes and I think it stems from always getting notes from my mom.  Whether it was in my lunch or one left on the kitchen island or kitchen floor, she was always writing notes.  It's just a fun reminder that someone was thinking of you.  I've even saved several notes that friends and I would write to each other during class, despite Mr. Roman's disapproval.

The Lime and LaVor are constantly roughhousing, especially before bedtime which results in a hyper child that falls into a coughing fit.

The Lime is so anxious for Doodlebug to arrive.  He asks me constantly when he's going to be here or what he's doing at certain moments of the day.

A few weeks ago, I went in the backyard to get some firewood and noticed some animal droppings.  Blech!  As soon as LaVor got home, he moved the wood to the center of the yard so it wasn't as close to the house, and then cleaned/disinfected the patio, all while it was raining.  What a guy!

Even though he likes to tease us, I know The Lime really loves the A's and can't wait for baseball to start up again.

Every morning, for as long as we've been married, LaVor and I always kiss each other goodbye in the morning.  Which says something because I'm a mess and my breath is usually hummin', but he doesn't let that stop him.

These are just a few of the notes that are written.  I'm tempted to leave them up or possibly change them to clovers and write down why we're so lucky.  Who knows.  I just love passing them and reading them often.

Not Your Average

I figure since I'm entering my third trimester, it might be time to announce we're having a baby. Another boy, in fact, which we are so excited about, including The Lime. The middle of May is going to be here before we know it!

Over these six and a half months, I've come to realize I am not your average pregnant woman. These are the reasons why...

- I am not one to shout it from the rooftops that I'm pregnant. We didn't tell family until I was 16 weeks. I hid it from everyone at church until I was 22 weeks. Although we were thrilled, it was something both LaVor and I agreed didn't need to be public knowledge from day one.

- I do not have a pregnancy "glow". In fact, it seems to be the opposite. When I was pregnant with The Lime, I broke out on my neck during my second trimester. This time around, I started breaking out from the very beginning. And this time, it's everywhere. Unfortunately, I resemble a crack phene more than anything else. Applying make-up everyday is annoying but a necessity.

- I don't get cravings. My visiting teachers asked me a few weeks ago what I've been craving and I had nothin'.

- I had my glucose test today and chugged the bottle in less than the five minutes they gave me. I do not understand how this is the worst thing about pregnancy for some women. What's my biggest complaint? Drinking the 32 ounces of water before the ultrasound. I'd drink 20 bottles of the orange stuff before choosing to do another ultrasound. I think The Lime was a little jealous that I got an orange beverage and he didn't. I should have brought his can of Fanta.

- I don't do nurserys. The baby doesn't care and won't know whether their bedding matches the decor on the walls or not. I see these nurserys on Pinterest and they make me cringe. Do people really put that much money and effort into a baby's room? Yikes!

- While it might be interesting to compare this pregnancy from The Lime's, I'm not big on the weekly maternity photos. I know I'm getting bigger, I don't need hard copies for people to see for generations to come.

- I enjoyed a lovely plate of cheese, crackers, and salami for lunch yesterday. I've eaten numerous hot dogs and had a cold turkey sandwich a week after I found out I was pregnant. I don't follow the "foods to avoid while pregnant" list too closely.

I do have to sleep with a pillow between my legs, I have to go to the bathroom all the time, my belly button has popped out, and I've been a little emotional.

At least I have a few things in common with other pregnant ladies.

A Great One

We've been looking forward to this weekend for a while, and not just because it was the last football game of the season (so glad The Lime and I get to watch tv on Saturdays and Sundays again!).

We went on a bike ride/walk a few weeks ago and The Lime asked if we could stop by the fire station and say hi.  Two very nice firemen answered the door and graciously showed us the trucks The Lime had seen a month prior (have you ever met a mean fireman?).  They mentioned there would be an open house on February 1 so as soon as we got home, we marked it on the calendar and have been talking about it ever since.

The Lime got decked out in his fire gear and was ready to check things out, and grab a doughnut since they are a Saturday morning tradition.

He got to sit in the Captain's truck as well as an engine. He asked numerous times where the hook and ladder was but unfortunately, this particular fire station doesn't have one.

We got to see where the firemen sleep, relax, exercise, and cook. This station's kitchen actually burned down once. They were making fried chicken on the stove when they got a call and thought they turned the stove off. When they arrived back to the station, the kitchen was on fire and it was determined that they only turned the heat down, not off. Every station now has an automatic shutoff for the stove when they get a call.

After getting our fire fix, we drove down to the Bay Area to see our great friends. We picked them up and spent the day in San Francisco. It was a gorgeous day and we started it off with a bite to eat at Hot Spud. Why is it that baked potatoes taste better when someone else makes it? Even The Lime ate it and he refuses to eat mine. Hmph.

We then walked down to Pier 39 and and loaded up on salt water taffy. The sun was beginning to set, the wind was picking up, and it was getting chilly!

The Lime has never seen the sea lions before and he surprisingly didn't dry heave from the smell. He did bark back, though.

Even though he didn't get a nap, The Lime was such a good kid. He didn't complain once about the cold, the amount of walking we did, being hungry, nothing. LaVor and I believe it's because he loves seeing our friends as much as we do. They're so sweet to him and make him feel so special.

We then drove to Union Square and did some window shopping. Time flew by and it was soon 7:15 and we were getting hungry. Some were hoping to stop by La Piñata on the way home while others wanted to stay in the city. We ended up eating in the food court at the mall, which allowed everyone to eat what they wanted but it also gave us some more time together.

Just like all of our other visits, I hated to see the day end. We all have such a great time together and I think it's a real blessing that the three original friends married girls that love each other just like the guys do. It was a great weekend and we can't wait to get together again.