Happy Thanksgiving

38 Weeks

Wow, 38 weeks! I have a C-section scheduled for Thursday, December 4th which means at the most I will only be pregnant for 11 more days. Some days I feel like I can't take being pregnant another second. I can't get comfortable, my back hurts, my belly hurts, my everything hurts, sleeping is impossible, and the list could go on. Then other days I feel fine and like I could last another month if I had to. I guess that's how it goes with pregnancy though. I'm focusing on being grateful and am appreciating this special time with Holden and our family of three. We're all anxious and excited to meet Cash though. His room is ready, the car seat is out, my bags are packed...

Our Big Boy

Holden is getting more and more big-kid-like everyday. He's starting to lose all the crazy toddler mannerisms he once had. They're definitely still there some days, just a little less frequent. He's easier to reason to with, and he understands there are rules and consequences. We talk a lot about rewards and privileges - he gets it.

This week he just started dressing himself; he does quite well all by himself. He loves brushing his teeth on his own too (but I still go in and do the final brushing). In fact, it's his favorite thing in the whole world. He would brush his teeth ten times a day if we let him. He's sleeping wonderfully in his new big boy bunk bed. He made the transition so easily, thank goodness for sleep rules! My only complaint is that he's still waking up really early around 5:30 am. It hasn't been so bad when I've been having to get up for work, but it cannot continue now that I'm on maternity leave. I can't imagine being up with a newborn, and then having Holden crawl in our bed at the crack of dawn. I'll have to go back to the sleep book for advice. We haven't attempted potty training lately because he's really regressed. Holden has serious #2 anxiety; we have tears and a huge production every time he has a bowel movement. It is really exhausting and I don't know how to help him through it. He was doing OK and then something happened, but I'm not sure what it was. I hope that we can work through this while we're home together, but I'm not sure what will happen when Cash is born. I'm hoping it will work in my favor and he'll want to be a big boy and go in the potty. He has also gone through a phase where he doesn't want to go to school. He cries every time we leave. Again, I'm happy we'll be home together; he needs more mommy and daddy time.

Our newest activity is playing card games together. I bought a pack of six card games but I wasn't sure if he could play them all. I was pleasantly surprised that he could and we enjoy game time every night. Our favorites are Memory, Crazy Eights, Slap Jack, and Go Fish.

His speech and vocabulary are amazing - he's a little person now and we have real conversations. Here's one of my favorites from last week:

Background: We've been working and playing in Cash's room a ton lately getting ready for his arrival. Holden is seeing a lot of his things in there now, and has been surprisingly great about the whole thing. But one day, he opened a crate of all of his clothes that I had just cleaned out of his closet.
HF: Hey, these are mine!
Me: Yeah, but they don't fit anymore, you grew too big. I don't want you grow up so fast.
HF (head cocked, hands up): But I have grow, Mom. I have to be a big brother!
**It was the cutest thing I've ever heard. I welled up with tears and hugged him.**
HF (now looking sad): You don't want me to grow, Mom?
Me: No, I do Holden. I like how you're growing up to be such a good big boy.
HF: Yeah.
And then he was off and on his way to another activity.

He still loves playing in the driveway/garage with his daddy. He's recently started riding his daddy's skateboard, and he's really good at riding it. I feel like I'm watching a five year old every time he rides. He's quite a coordinated little boy.

Baby Showers for Cash

On Wednesday, November 12th my staff threw me a baby shower for Cash. It was really nice to celebrate him. So much happens in preparation for the first baby, and I was grateful that we got to honor baby Cash too. We received a lot of darling clothes, some hand made gifts, and a generous cash gift towards the stroller we want to get. I feel so lucky to work with such a loving and nurturing staff.

On Friday, November 14th my class threw me a surprise shower. My principal came in and told me she wanted to go over my and my long term substitute's letters to the parents in our class. We went into our middle work room, closed the door, and worked away at editing the letters. When we were finished, we walked back into my room and everyone was gone. We walked up to the lounge and my whole class and many parents were in there. I was so touched. We received a basket of goodies from them: gift cards, onesies, a soft blanket, and a cuddly teddy bear. We are truly blessed. (No pictures from this impromptu shower.)

Holden even got a big brother present - so cute!

Halloween

Holden, our little fighter pilot, had the best Halloween ever! At school he paraded around our district office with his friends for his first round of trick-or-treating. He went to the Pumpkin Patch after school, and then came home and carved our pumpkin with his daddy. We costumed up and went across the street to our neighbors Halloween party at 5:00. He ended the night trick-or-treating around the neighborhood with all of his friends. By the end of the night, I asked one of our neighbors what time it was. I was sure he was going to say 9:30/10:00. Nope, it was 7:30! Holden was in bed and asleep by 8:00. Pretty impressive, I thought!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

We were a little late this year in getting to the Pumpkin Patch; we didn't go until the day before Halloween. Dad bought Holden 12 tickets for the rides and we soon realized that was waaaaayyyyy too many. The good news for Holden was we got to go back right after school the next day on Halloween to ride more rides. What more could a two and half year ask for - two trips to the Pumpkin Patch!?!! We definitely made his week.