Sun

It is beautiful out.  Has been for days.  Makes me want to be less clothed and basking in it.  But less clothed might scare neighbors, much less children.  It scares me.  4 more weeks.  This boy is the lowest I have ever carried.  If he wasn't in I would think he was out.  It makes things like reaching down, sitting, walking and resting a bit difficult, but how is that really different from any other pregnancy on this planet?

 caroline's sign

I just picked up my friend's almost three year old.  She is the only one that Joey longs to play with besides E and having her here is super easy and keeps all entertained.  Plus, as a bonus, I have her cousin here who is 4-ish and man, the best playmate I could ask for to keep the 3-ers happy.  She is a sweetie.  The friend just had her baby.  4 weeks before mine.  4 pushes and out.  4 hours of labor.  Baby number 4.  What a pattern.  Hers is a girl without a name.  It is nice to have someone go through it so close to my date. Someone who I can just feel it through without having to ask.


I hate potty training.  I really hate the toilet.  I hate touching the toilet and teaching the kids not to.   I've said this before, the toilet is Dave's duty.  Cleaning it, I mean.  Back to training, Joey is starting.  Yes, chances are he will revert in 4 weeks.  But he wants to.  It makes me a bit claustrophobic.  You can't venture too far.

 Joey turned three last week.  He is growing up.  Too fast.  Won't kiss me on the lips anymore.  I never should have blogged he did, it is like he read that or something.  Stinker.

Caroline had a dental check up yesterday.  Her two top teeth are loose.  E's didn't loosen until this year.  She also has 3 out of 4 6 year molars.  She is growing older way too fast and this is just one sign of it.

I wish I felt like nesting.  I feel like gardening, reading, sitting and running errands but not nesting.  I did go through bins and bins of clothing this weekend.  The D.I. might love me.  I did a load of newborn clothes this week.  But out of necessity, not nesting.  I have washed windows, but only to see more clearly, not to nest.  The things that I really need to do, like de-clutter, feel too much like nesting so I don't want to.  Like I said, I want to sit outside, warm my skin, soak up Vitamin D.  Maybe that can be nesting for now.

Those who surround us

I have really good friends. I have different sets of friends. The usual sets: highschool friends, college friends, study abroad friends, neighborhood friends. I have close friends from all different groups and am lucky for that. In particular, I have a group of friends that started in 1994, the week before college began, and sorority rush. From there, this set of friends has materialized. There has been a time where some of the friendships were stronger or weaker, but always loyalty and support.

In 2002, my friend Ash had William on the 1st of Nov, I had Caroline on the 3rd, six weeks later Lizzie (or LizE) had Ellie and Luke, six weeks later Cori had Jonah, six weeks later (or so) Julie had Max, followed by Tracy having Jane that summer. So, each year we try to take pics of the kids all together, in groups. We have all the older kids (pre-2002/3) and the 2 year olds, now we have a new crop coming, with 4 already here.

The newbies, the 2-bies and the oldies.

My mom has said, when you have good friends and they have kids, you love their kids. I have found this is true. When I have playdates with these kids, who I have known since they were born, I find that it is easy to have these kids over. Maybe because I am friends with their moms and we obviously have things in common, or because their children know that their moms are such good friends, they feel more comfortable playing at one another's houses. I think that we have similiar parenting skills, not identical, but similiar. It probably helps that we all have the same belief systems. But mostly I think that you love your friend, you love their child. My children know how much my friends mean to me. My friends know how much my children mean to me, even when I am at my wit's end. Maybe that translates a little into how our children feel about eachother's children and the parents. In any case, when we call get together, big kids, little kids, infants, husbands, I am not stressed. The kids will have fun together. They may have a tussle here or there, but they work it out, and I am not uncomfortable if another parent needs to step in and discipline my child some. I also know that they are all looking out for one another. I know that my friends love my kids. When I am sick, or just had a new child, and someone offers to take my kids for the day, I usually decline. Except with these friends. I know that they can look past the bad, behavior or the state of my house. They will nurture my neglected children, they will love them and make them feel safe. I hope they know that I will do the same for them.

I don't have any sisters. Sisters-in-law (who are all amazing), but no sisters. I think that the relationship I have with each of these women fills that gap for me. Each offers me different things, but they all give me guidance, support, honesty, empathy, history and another adult to love my child.