Obligatory Election Day Post

Before you get you hopes up for a potential explosion of political views, I should tell you that I will not be discussing who I voted for.

Instead, I will be making a confession.  This year, at age (almost) 27, I voted for the very first time.  I feel almost dirty saying that.  I had the opportunity to vote in the 2004 Bush v. Kerry election and chose not to.  I was off at school which is totally NOT a good excuse.  I went to school in the same state I grew up and I went home every weekend.  I wouldn't have even needed to worry about an absentee ballot or any of that other fun stuff.  I just didn't want to vote.

I didn't vote in the 2008 Obama v. McCain election, one of the most monumental elections our country has experienced.  This actually came down to laziness, as pathetic as that is.  I registered to vote online and, apparently, it didn't work.  I found out about a month before the election that it didn't work.  I didn't fight to fix the issue, I simply didn't vote.  It wasn't until I renewed my license in 2011 that I registered to vote.  Even at that, I didn't vote in the primaries.

This morning, though, I voted.  For the very first time.  Chalk it up to becoming a mother or realizing that I really do have an opinion in how my country is run.  Maybe it's because I firmly believe that, unless you vote, you can't complain and, darn it, I want to be able to complain!

Up until last week, I had no idea who I was going to vote for.  I watched (some of) the debates, I read up on the candidates, and I reflected on the last four years.  Still, I was undecided.  In the end, I chose who I chose - and I wasn't swayed by celebrities endorsing one candidate or the other, I wasn't swayed by my husband's political leanings, I wasn't swayed by friends or family.  I chose MY candidate, the man I thought could lead this country successfully for the next four years.  I had a say, I voiced my opinion.  And, tonight, we'll find out if my guy won.

A Poop Story

This story contains the word "poop" several times.  You've been warned.

I'm going to take advantage of this rare moment of quiet and tell you all a funny story.

(Of course, as I type that, my son releases the loudest poop next to me - I have a feeling I'm going to be full of funny stories to tell!)

I realize that I should be napping, since Katy is at my mother-in-laws and Mikey is sleeping next to me, but this is too good a story not to share.  Oh, and I'm on my second cup of coffee.

First, let me update you real quick on the happenings here: Mikey was born last Wednesday.  Katy had been prepped as much as a two-year-old can be on how things were going to change and what all was coming.  He came home on Friday.

There.  Now you're caught up enough to fully appreciate the following story.

Friday night, we decide to give Mikey his first "bath."  And by bath, I mean washrag wipedown because he still has his umbilical stump.  We get everything ready, lay a towel down on the floor so that we are in a great position for big sister Katy to watch the events and help out where she can.

I strip off his sleeper and get ready to take off his diaper when he lets loose.  He hadn't pooped for about 36 hours prior (which we were NOT worried about because he pooped 8 times in the first day he was out - he had to build his supply back up!).  Of course, we're all VERY excited and praised him on his impeccable timing.  He seemed to be finished, so I pulled off his diaper and, whoa, was there a lot of poop!

Naturally, his big sister is quite curious.  And here's where the story gets REALLY funny.  Katy gets one good look at the diaper and loudly exclaims, "OH GROSS!!!!!"

But it gets better.

He continues to poop.  So now, not only is she seeing what had already come out of him, but is getting a front row seat of it pumping out of his little bottom.  I'm not exaggerating at all when I say she starts violently gagging.  Not theatrical gagging.  Not 2-year-old fake gagging.  No.  Really gagging.  I look up and she has tears in her eyes and she's staring at me as though she's completely shell-shocked and can't help but stare.  I yell to Mike that he needs to get in here fast because Katy's going to vomit everywhere!  Luckily, she didn't, but she was really close, I could tell.

After finally getting that all taken care of, Mikey's very next step is to pee all over Mommy and the carpet.  It took Daddy a few seconds to realize what was happening, but once he did, the laughing could not be stopped.  All of us had tears in our eyes (for varying reasons, I think it took Katy a little while to forget the horrors that she witnessed).  It was definitely a first bath to remember.

And that is the story about the first time that Mikey grossed out his big sister.



I'll leave you with this:

Our very first family photo, approximately 2 hours after Mikey was born

5 Years

Today marks 5 years since I became a wife.  So many things have changed since that day but I love all of it.

Mike and I met in October 2005.  At the time, we were both seeing other people, but we were definitely meant to be together.  I remember when my (then) boyfriend introduced us (they worked in the same department), there was an instant recognition.  It's really hard to explain, because I didn't see him as the man I was going to marry or even someone I was going to date.  But it was as though my soul recognized him.  When I think back to it, I know that we were making a connection, that some part of me down deep knew there was something special about him.

It took a whole year for us to get to the dating stage.  November 21, 2006 was the greatest night of my life (up to that point, that is).  We spent the whole night at Denny's, drinking horrible coffee and talking.  It wasn't even something that was planned, just a random meet-up organized at the last minute by our mutual friend, Matt.  I couldn't even tell you what we talked about, but I can tell you that I was very excited about the prospect of this cute, funny boy.

A week later, on my 21st birthday, we shared our first kiss.

In March, he proposed and in August, we were married.  We went about everything very quickly, but there isn't a single thing I would change.

This man is my everything.

A Letter to my Daughter

Katy Bug,

You’re going to be a big sister soon.  While I am ecstatic (and a tad impatient) for your brother to make his way into our world, I also have a sense of melancholy that accompanies every moment.  This is going to be a big change for us, for you.  I know that you will not remember much (if anything at all) of our time as a family of three, but I will.  I want you to know that I treasure this time together, this time before our family expands and grows and changes.  

I have awoken each morning for the past few weeks wondering if this is going to be the day that everything changes.  Right now, you’re our only child, YaYa and PaPa’s only grandchild, Great-Grandma Iowa’s only great-grandchild.  To say that you are spoiled with love (and affection and time and a whole slew of other things) is a gross understatement.  This is a going to be a big change for you.

I worry that you will feel resentment toward your brother.  I worry that you will feel left out and unloved.  I want you to know that is most definitely not the case.  You will be loved just as much when your brother is born as you were the day you were born.  In fact, I’d say you’re going to be loved more, because I know your brother will adore you.  How could he not?  You are the funniest child I have ever known.  I can almost guarantee that his first smiles will be reserved for you.

I pray that you have a wonderful relationship with your brother.  I know from experience that little brothers are a pain, but I hope you have a bond with him that I never had with any of my siblings.  I want you to go on adventures together, to create memories that will forever bind you together.  I want you to seek your brother’s approval when you meet “the one,” but I don’t want his opinion to be the end-all opinion.  

You are so loved, Katy Bug.  I wish that I could give you siblings and not have our relationship change at all, but I know that is impossible.  I want for you to not have to share me with your brother, to not have to share your daddy.  

I am excited to see how you are with your new baby brother.  Will you be nurturing and caring from the start?  Will you immediately show jealousy and resentment?  Will you think he’s cute?  Will you smother him with kisses or try to bite him like Auntie Jo did to your daddy?  Will you be confused by the new routine we’ll try to establish?  Will you rebel or will you go with the flow?

I’m also excited to see your relationship with daddy grow.  He’s going to be around a lot more than normal during the first couple weeks of your brother’s life.  He’ll spend most of that time with you, including you in helping me take care of your brother.  I know that you will become closer with him soon.  While that makes me so happy to know that you will develop an even more intimate bond with daddy, it makes me sad, too, to know that it will come with a strain, however small, on our bond.  

I want to apologize right now for how tired I’m going to be very soon.  Your brother is going to take a lot of energy from me, keeping me awake when I would normally be sleeping.  You did this, too, when you were first born.  The only difference is that, when you first arrived, the only other person affected was daddy.  I want to say I’m sorry for all the stories you try to tell me that I only half hear; I’m sorry for snapping on you when your brother is inconsolable and you try to “help”; I’m sorry for wanting alone time when I should be spending one-on-one time with you.  Although mommies are supposed to be superheroes, we’re only human.  I will fall short, just like everyone else does.  I can only pray that my shortcomings are greatly outweighed by the number of times I succeed in being an amazing mommy.

I love you, my little Katy Bug, and I always will.  Even if you do bite your brother.

Love always,

Mommy

Oh Boy ...

As stubborn as Katy is, I think Baby Mikey is doubly so.  This boy has definitely given me a run for my money and he's not even here yet!  Let's review, shall we?

TWICE I have gone into L&D with false labor.  TWICE!  Do you know how embarrassing that is, especially when you already have one child?  Granted, I didn't labor naturally with Katy, I was induced.  But still - ridiculous.  And here's the kicker: both times that I went in, I was totally justified.  The first time I went in, I was having contractions lasting a minute long, coming every 5 minutes for an hour and a half.  The second time (two days later), they lasted for 2 and a half hours before I went in.  Both times, they just stopped after leaving the hospital.  Done.  Finito.  What the heck?!

Last night, I was having contractions again for a good three hours.  I decided not to go in to the hospital because they weren't incredibly regular.  They'd be 2 minutes apart for a few minutes, then jump to 5.  Talk about worrying my poor husband!  He was convinced I was going to have this baby on the side of the road somewhere!

Every morning, I wake up and tell Mikey that this would be a wonderful day to be born.  Katy tells him she wants him to come out and play.  Michael gives him a pep talk.  Nothin'!

Boy child ... please come out soon - we're all dying to meet you!

Hello, stranger!

It's been 3 months since I last updated.  That is entirely too long - even if no one reads my blog, I seriously can't go that long without getting things out.  It's way unhealthy and it's definitely taken its toll.

So here's just a few quick updates so I can get moving on and *hopefully* start blogging on a more regular basis again:

-Father's Day is approaching much faster than I would have liked.  As a result, I have a partially finished project in the garage that I now have 2 days to complete.

-Katy is going to be a flower girl tomorrow!  She looks SO beautiful in her dress.  Seriously, the first time I saw her in it, I had flashes of her in a wedding gown and I nearly fainted.

-Little boy is growing at an alarming rate!  I'm officially in the third trimester with just about 9 weeks left to go.  It's becoming a bit more real that he will be here before we know it!

-On a sadder note, my mom passed away last month, exactly one week before Mother's Day.  That was tough and I still don't think I've really processed it.  Maybe I'll get more into that in a future post, but it's a lot more involved than a quick update will allow.

-The weather here in Chicago has been awesome, which also has been a factor in my lack of blogging. Any chance to burn off energy with my 2-year-old is VERY welcome.

-I have been missing my small group like crazy.  I miss getting together with them every Tuesday, even if it just meant having one evening where I didn't have to worry about where Katy was (especially since she was ALWAYS with Daddy).  And now that Miss Stefanie has had her handsome little man, Jake, I've been craving a get together.  (If any of you are reading this - let's get on that, shall we?)

-My in-laws are currently in Hawaii.  Now, I know they deserve it probably more than anyone else I know.  Seriously, though, I'm SO jealous.  I know I probably wouldn't be much fun in Hawaii in my current state, but really - in the words of Tina Fey - I want to go to there.

-Speaking of Tina Fey - I just finished reading Bossypants, which puts my total book reading count to 12 since finishing school a month ago.  Yeah - I have been reading with a determination that cannot be matched.  Of course, they're not scholarly books by any means - many of them are just summer romance books (you know the kind, the ones that are easily thrown into a beach bag to enjoy while the kiddos are swimming), so it's not some incredible feat, but I still am pretty proud of it.  I missed leisure reading during this last semester so I'm happy to be catching up!

And really that's about all I can think of at the moment - partially because I'm being whimpered at by Little Miss about how much she NEEDS to see Rhea and Trace - so we're off to a Jamba Juice / picnic lunch date!

An Onion

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how big my baby is!

That's right - in August, Mike and I will be bringing another beautiful baby into the world and Katy will become a big sister!  We couldn't be more excited - well, kind of ... Katy doesn't really care yet.  She's just not aware of what it all really means.

I still haven't decided if I want to know the gender, but I know Mike is really pushing for us to find out at the anatomy scan in a few weeks.

I'm currently 17 weeks along and that means the scary first trimester is completely over.  The morning sickness and nausea have been put behind me and we're on to bigger and better things.  And I do mean bigger!  All pants worn are now maternity pants.  This belly is expanding much faster than it did when I was pregnant with Katy.  Which is to be expected, I guess.  It's still amazing to think about the differences in belly size!

This is me at 17 weeks with Katy

 17 Weeks with Starrick #2

And for more comparison with my original

It's really, really exciting and amazing how quickly the second pregnancy goes.  I'm already feeling the baby moving like crazy and have gotten to feel a few outside kicks.  Mike still hasn't felt them, but I know it's only a matter of days before that happens.

By the way, how do you like my new 'do?  Just got it done a couple days ago and I LOVE it :)