We visited a potential preschool for fall this morning.  I almost cried on my way out the door, knowing Gertie will be at "school" next year.....back pack and all.....arts and crafts.....snack time.....NOT OKAY.

Greta decorating cupcakes during polar vortex round #2
 

Not only is she growing fiercely independent, everything is already 'BIG', 'MY OWN,' and 'I DO IT.'

Again, not okay.



Baby #2 is making quite a name for herself. 

                                                       Yep, we are having a GIRL!

I am receiving wonderful name suggestions, but I am seriously clueless.  She kicks a bit and gives me heartburn, much like Gertie.  I am hoping she is a spitting image of Greta, because any child that resembles me at birth will look like a monkey alien.  But no name seems to come to mind yet.  I am patient.  We have 18 weeks to go......PS, Dave is of no help in the name department.  All he says is "NO" if he hears something he doesn't like.  Thanks a ton. 

We had our anatomy scan this past week and she is looking healthy and measuring right where she should be.  There were moments when I thought I could make out her nose, and it looked like Greta's.  I am hopeful for that.  Greta's nose is a perfect button. 

And speaking of more children.....NO, the baby's room is NOT ready and I haven't even started to think about moving furniture yet.  We have our room above the garage that needs a major overall, and I hoping Uncle Chris will come to our rescue when the weather warms up.  In the meantime, I am doing a mental inventory of everyone I leant baby gear out to.  I am hoping it will return to me in a timely manner.  :)

PS, Greta received a custom tee shirt creation from our special friend, Kady, who makes amazing design shirts.  If you are interested, check her out! She is now a Michigander, so show her some GLOVE LOVE!

So here are a few things that are going on with Gertie:

1.  Everything has to be "BIG."  Big cup of water, BIG bath, BIG serving of crackers.  BIG.  Word of the month.

2.  She insists on doing things herself.  While I am mostly okay with this, it is unbelievable to me that she can pull up her stool, turn on the faucet, turn on her toothbrush, brush her teeth, turn off the water, step off the stool, then move the stool safely out of the path of the door.  She is practically a woman.  I'm NOT okay with that.

3.  She is well aware there is a baby in my belly.  I know she will be very helpful with baby #2 arrives, though I am a bit sad that I might miss my snuggle time with Gertie.

4.  She is a hot dancer.  Best dancer at St. Bernadette's. 

5.  She is definitely my child:  She LOVES the snow.  Sledding, shoveling, stomping. You name it, and she'll do it if is has to do with snow.

6.  She is NOT potty trained and I feel like she is never going to be interested.  However, she does fart a lot and if that is an indicator, we've got a soon to be potty trained lady on our hands.  In the mean time, I ask a few times a day, which is usually followed by a simple, "no."

7.  She is embracing her Dutch Boy haircut. Grammy Goble is her famed stylist and I don't trust anyone else.  I absolutely LOVE her little bob and we have received many compliments. 

 

 

 

Let's cut to the chase.  Gertie's going to have sibling, come late May.  I am feeling tired and lacking energy (in part from a lack of psychotropic support).  Everything looks good according to the OB.  I go back again in two weeks for my 15 week check up.  Offspring #2 arrives on June 8th (actual due date), but really will be here by late May.  I invite a csection after Greta's delivery.  No labor for me, thank you.  This pregnancy is definitely different.  My skin is a mess, I'm tired, pissed off most of the time, and definitely heavier in the butt/stomach department this time around.  My friend Mackinzie thinks I'm having a boy. "When you are prego with a boy, you want to kill people."  That about sums it up for me.  I have NO patience and I will cut someone if they piss me off.  Period.  I am very excited for this portion of the pregnancy to go away, though I feel like it might stick around for some time.

We are coming off a week of Beau/Greta action here in FW.  Beau stayed with us for a week while Jennie and Chris finally enjoyed a long overdue vacation in Mexico.  Beau was great!  Greta absolutely adores him and was very sad to see him go.  He accompanied Gertie to Kiki's twice, and seem to very much enjoy himself on someone else's turf.  I thought it was going to be harder, but it actually wasn't that bad.  I forgot that age--climbing on everything, wanting to get into everything.  I'm lucky Greta is responsive to my requests and rules, not that I have ever taken them for granted.

And a final note, while I love Greta more than life itself, I must say I am getting real annoyed with some people's FB posts that always seem to revolve around their children (and exclamation points).  While Greta is the light of my life and the butter to my bread, I try to best choose those moments that are deserving of a highlight reel on FB (face covered in chocolate, great dance sequence, etc.).  For some, it is constant.  So.  Annoying.  (I know your daughter loves princesses, I know your son loves the Colts. )  I guess that I forgot when others have kids, their personality/interests/hobbies/sense of humor go completely out the window (along with their fashion sense).  ----p.s., I am sitting here in my fleece sweatpants, stained with paint, and a striped maternity top that is way too big.  I am also wearing clogs, with no socks.  CLASSY. 

Every time I pick up Greta from Kiki's house (Kirsten, our babysitter), I am very quick to ask the following questions:

1.  Did she poop?
2.  How many timeouts today?
3.  Did she eat okay?
4.  How did she sleep?

Kiki knows the drill, only informing me of the most pertinent of information:  Pooping and Timeouts. 

Lately, Greta's timeouts are related to "duels" with her friend, Katie, often amounting to
a.) sitting on each other
b.) headbutting 
c.) trying to steal/swap/trade snacks and/or sippy cups.

The life of a 2 year old.

The word of the month: BACKPACK.

Prefontaine Greta.

Big week for Greta---her feet grew and she got taller.  She also got her toy room carpet cleaned.  Pretty exciting.  We had a follow up visit to a new neurologist in Fort Wayne, who turned out to be a wonderful lady.  Dr. Khan was very nice and extremely detailed.  We had to bump up Greta's medicine, as she has been experiencing some "break through" epileptic activity--normal after a growth spurt.  She ordered a basic blood test to make sure everything is okay, as well as another sleep deprived EEG, to establish her own baseline for Greta's brain activity.  She is optimistic that the increase of medicine with get Gertie back on track.  Nothing to really worry about.  I am still a sleep nazi---I also watch her like a hawk.  Her symptoms are extremely subtle.  Thankfully, we have the best babysitter in the world, Kirsten, who loves Greta as much as we do.  She is great about reporting any abnormal sleep behaviors that would give us reason to worry.

Greta is continuing her speech therapy and is doing great!  She is talking up a storm, much of the time in Ewok or Unicorn, but regardless, she is talking!  I do believe her time at Kirsten's has helped Greta to instigate more conversations (with herself) and others.

We are looking forward to this weekend.  Greta will be attending her first Princess birthday party.  I would like to dress her up as Wonder Woman, but there is a strict Princess dress code that is enforced.

She was very excited to have a visit from Pepe this week---very busy.  She helped him mow the lawn, move the picnic table, play dollies, and eat french fries.  She is excited to see both Mimi and Pepe at Beau's birthday party next week.  

We are looking forward to a trip back to BH to see Uncle Joey and Auntie Kelly in two weeks.  I've been itching to get Greta to the Detroit Zoo to see the elephants, polar bears, and reptile house.

I'd like to take this time to make a shout out/air high five to all of the lovely folks in our lives who continue to support Greta with prayers and good spirits.  She is doing great and she is clearly nothing short of a miracle----like I said once before, she is a unicorn.