Things I’ve learned!

So I don’t have a recent picture, maybe we’ll get one this weekend and that is IF I’m willing to put it on here!  So you’ll get my normal pregnancy update a little later.  I will say I’m almost 33 weeks, so 6 weeks til baby’s arrival!  I started thinking last night about just how different things have been this time, good and bad.  How different it is when you have a very active toddler to chase around all day, etc… So here is what I’ve learned so far…

1. Morning sickness can last longer than the first trimester, with Bo it was over around 12 weeks, this go round it lasted til about 16 weeks.  Oh and apparently it can come back!!  What a cruel, cruel thing that is.  It went away for a few months then boom, came back around a month or so ago!   It’s worse when I’m really tired!

2. You learn to tune out the unsolicited advice/thoughts/opinions of others much easier.  The first time around I remember thinking and wondering about everything that everyone told me.  This time I just smile politely and nod my head.  Knowing that we’ve done this before, we know what we’re in for.  Now let me say if I ask someone’s opinion it is because I truly value their thoughts and WANT to know what they think.  But I have a very small, selective group of people for this!

3. Having a toddler with toys all over the place you are required to bend over so much more!!!  I never knew how many times a day I bend over…apparently it’s close to a million!  Enter our house at your own risk…we have hundreds of hot wheels all over our floor!

4. First pregnancy I don’t think I ever drank caffeine…this time it’s a mode of survival!  I have a 3 yr old who doesn’t nap anymore so if I’m going to be alert and make sure he doesn’t burn down the house that may mean some caffeine here and there.

5. Speaking of not napping…we have do have “quiet time” every day.  It used to mean Bo in his room reading books, but that became a disaster of him destroying his room.  So now I will put him in our bed with me and he can watch a show or a movie so mommy can usually get about a 30 minute nap!  I typically don’t like for him to watch a lot of tv, but right now if he watches a full movie PLUS a 30 minute show (or 2) I don’t care and guess what…he’s doing just fine!  It hasn’t diminished his brain development! We do what works!  It’s quite possible I’ve even bribed him with candy or a sucker to get him to sit still and watch a movie :) not my finest mom moment!

6. I’ve learned I depend SO much more on Jarrod!!!  Unloading groceries up a flight of stairs has gotten way too hard on me so I usually have him unload the non perishable things when he gets home, or either I grocery shop when he’s home.  He also bathes Bo every night!!  I can’t bend over and trying to get him in and out of the tub is extremely hard so my sweet husband does it for me!  He also has to help get clothes out of the dryer and into the bedroom so I can fold them (this I do remember).

7. Apparently you can become dehydrated even after drinking almost 80 oz of water a day…just so you know that’s over 2 liters of fluid! I have a water bottle that keeps up with how much I drink.

8.It IS possible to start your day out exhausted with a patience  level of zero when you have a strong-willed, independent, highly energetic 3 yr old!

9.  If you want to come visit us great…if you want to come see our house call first, I think this will stand true between now and next December!!  It’s not the cleanest it has ever been so beware!

10.  Remembering to spend as much quality time as we can with Bo.  This has probably really hit us the last few weeks.  Don’t get me wrong, we are so blessed and excited about out little peanut’s arrival, but for almost 3 1/2 years it’s just been the three of us and Jarrod and I are going to miss that.  We know we aren’t going to have the time to devote 100% to Bo, so we’re doing what we can right now and when baby arrives we’ve already discussed trading off and each of us taking time to go do something just with him and then when baby is old enough to understand the same with him/her. 

11. This is probably the hardest age for discipline, I realize I will probably be saying that for the next 18 yrs, but 3 seems to definitely be a peak age for this.  He is wanting to be extremely independent and pushing the limits every day.  When I am absolutely exhausted sometimes he doesn’t always make it to time out when he should, I’m trying so hard to stay on top of it because I’m scared it’s going to come back to bite me if you know what I mean.  Just the other day he was mad at me and went into his room and slammed the door.  My brain instantly fast forwarded to teenage years and I looked and Jarrod and said…he does this when he’s older and before he can bat an eye that door will be coming off the hinges!!!  It completely reminded me of myself (oh so scary) and I laughed and told Jarrod I can remember slamming my door and it would knock the door handle loose so it would just spin and spin and spin so you couldn’t get out.  Then I started thinking…why in the world would my parents ever come let me out?? 

12.  I also realize that my complaining about one child will soon look like a vacation!  I will be looking back wishing I only had one to deal with!

13. The biggest thing would be…waiting to find out what you are having is much easier than you would think and so worth the surprise!!  I’m so glad we did!