Be Careful What You Wish For

Once upon a time I thought it would be sooooo fun when my sister's kid was finally old enough to run and talk and play with Kenyon and be such a big boy.  

Now?  Not so much.

What happened to the little snuggle master that would cuddle in my arms and sleep away?

There's nothing like that new baby smell.  Auntie Lala couldn't get enough of it either.

By the way, what happened to the kid on the right?!

And now, we're stuck with this:

This ridiculously large, rambunctious, hilarious, smiling boy.  Although still kissable, he now can run away when he's had enough; and snuggles are not always high on his priority list.  Sigh....

Happy birthday, Kade, since apparently there's no stopping you. 

I suppose one of the few good things about growing older is you can start to have really deep, meaningful conversations with your grandparents.  

For instance: 'I'm sure my mom won't mind if I eat TONS more ice cream.  Trust me.'

'Did you toot?'

'No, I think that was your toot.  You can't blame all of them on me.' **

**This is not even close the the real conversations they had, but I like my captions and it's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Top Ten Ways to Predict Gender

Here is my super-duper accurate list of ways that I am absolutely, positively, without a doubt certain that we are, in fact, most definitely, assuredly guaranteed to have a BOY:

1. I have experienced months of extreme sickness with this child.
2. I carried 'high' for several months, followed by two months of carrying extremely 'low'.  
3. My belly button has never completely 'popped'.  
4. Kenyon tells me that this is the gender.
5. Every little kid under five tells me this is the gender.
6. This is what Grandma Curry predicted.
7. A random test on the internet told me so.
8. I am guaranteed to have this gender of baby due to the sign of the moon when Jupiter and Mars were aligned on the anniversary of the eight phase of the lunar calendar.  (Honestly, I made most of this one up.  The lady that started to rattle this tale off to me scared the bejesus out of me and I spent most of the time she was talking saying silent prayers in my head.)  
9. I have experienced contractions off and on for over three months now.  "Braxton-Hicks?" you ask.  No.  Like 'grip-your-husband's-arm-and-cry-and-breathe-hard-for-the-next-45-seconds-type contractions.
10. Because I just have a 'gut-feeling'.

Here is my super-duper accurate list of ways that I am absolutely, positively, without a doubt certain that we are, in fact, most definitely, assuredly guaranteed to have a GIRL:

1. I have experienced months of extreme sickness with this child.
2. I carried 'high' for several months, followed by two months of carrying extremely 'low'.  
3. My belly button has never completely 'popped'.  
4. Kenyon tells me that this is the gender.
5. Every little kid under five tells me this is the gender.
6. This is what Grandma Curry predicted.
7. A random test on the internet told me so.
8. I am guaranteed to have this gender of baby due to the sign of the moon when Jupiter and Mars were aligned on the anniversary of the eight phase of the lunar calendar.  (Honestly, I made most of this one up.  The lady that started to rattle this tale off to me scared the bejesus out of me and I spent most of the time she was talking saying silent prayers in my head.)  
9. I have experienced contractions off and on for over three months now.  "Braxton-Hicks?" you ask.  No.  Like 'grip-your-husband's-arm-and-cry-and-breathe-hard-for-the-next-45-seconds-type contractions.
10. Because I just have a 'gut-feeling'.

Ready or Not

We've been busy the past few weeks and I think (fingers crossed) we're not forgetting anything too major for this new wee one.

Clothes are washed, folded, organized and in the dresser.

Diapers are laid out.

Bottles are washed and in the cabinets.  Breast pump and accessories have also been checked and double checked.

Swings/jumpers/bouncers/binkinies/boppies/any other odd sounding accessory is ready.

Car seat is installed and Kenyon stares at it in awe every time he gets into the pickup.  "Baby here soon?"  Poor guy, I wonder the same thing.

Meals have been made and stuck in the freezer, and I add to this cache as often as possible.

New 'big brother' books are stored away at a grandma's house, ready to be read at a moments notice when it is time for Kenyon to step up to the plate.

Someone, please help us out.  What in the world could we be forgetting?!

Excuses, Excuses

Sometimes I wonder why I can go an entire week without posting.  Then I remember that I am the mother to him...

and auntie to him...

and sometimes we swim...

and measure corn on a whim.  

(Sorry, I had no idea when I started this post it would end up rhyming.  It's all I've got today.  We read too much Dr. Seuss this morning.)