Not Me Monday: Nesting lunacy edition
- Yesterday, I did not go absolutely bonkers with nesting craziness — yes, even worse than a few weeks ago.
- I certainly didn’t shut myself in the nursery and manically paint the chair-rail — a delicious shade of pink called Candy Stripe — with two coats in quick succession. Who has time for paint to dry? NOT ME OMG MUST FINISH!
- I did not let the fact that we were out of painter’s tape deter me from painting. Who has time to run to the store? NOT ME OMG MUST FINISH! PAINT ANYWAY! Will
fix sloppinessdo touch-ups later! - I was not unreasonably annoyed when Darling Husband popped his head into the room to ask what he should make the toddler for lunch.
- After he
was banishedleft the room, I certainly didn’t mutter things like, “I never ask YOU what I should feed OUR child for lunch … Goddamn grilled cheese … Not rocket science … Rawrrrrr.” - When Darling Husband went off to work, I didn’t continue to throw myself into the nursery chaos — despite being exhausted.
- When my mom arrived for dinner, I, er, made dinner. I didn’t just toss her the toddler and rush back to the nursery to start pulling up dropcloths and removing paint cans.
- I was not unreasonably upset when I realized Darling Husband had left the vacuum on some weird stair-only sucky-hose setting that I couldn’t reverse. No, I just decided to patiently wait until he’s home on Tuesday to help me with it. I would never go batshit crazy and then vacuum the whole room on my hands and knees with only a small sucky-hose tube thing.
- I did not cry when I realized I couldn’t hang the curtain rod — thus displaying my beautiful, handsewn, freshly-ironed curtains — until he is home on Tuesday. Hot, angry, frustrated tears. No, not me.
Mommy Confession: My toddler embarrasses me in public
I mentioned in my last weekly re-cap that I’ve been having some rough times with the toddler. And, wow, yeah, I have. It sucks.
I don’t know if it’s an early onset of the Terrible Twos, or if he’s cranky because he’s not feeling well, or if I’m just overreacting, but I feel like it’s so hard to control him in public lately. And I don’t know how to handle the situation when he does act up — if we leave, he wins! Arggggh!
Let me back up a little. He’s great at playgroup — where he can run like mad for the whole 90 minutes — and he’s good at other people’s houses — providing he can run around and explore. But taking him to a place where he really needs to behave — like a restaurant or the library or a store — and it can be baaaaaad.
All he wants to do, really, is run around. Lightning-fast, on his little sneakered or booted feet. When he stops running, he wants to touch things. And when he’s not allowed to do one of those two things, he squawks. Lately he’s been hating bibs, so he protests (loudly) when you try to put one on him. If he doesn’t want to be in the shopping cart, he kicks his feet and fusses.
And I’m e-m-b-a-r-r-a-s-s-e-d.
I don’t know how much is beyond his abilities, and how much I can realistically expect from him. He turned 19 months one week ago (on January 6), and I’m not sure what kind of behaviour he “should” be exhibiting in public. We only ever see other kids at playgroup, really — when they’re all turned loose — and when we do see other kids out (like at the mall or in a restaurant), I see lots of meltdowns.
When it’s MY child that is being fussy, I’m really embarrassed. I don’t want people to think he’s out of control, or that I’m a bad parent.
But when it’s someone else’s child, I don’t mind. I don’t even think those things! I just feel sympathetic. So why do I assume people are thinking that about me? I have no idea. I just … do. I want to have a child who people consider well-behaved (in public, at least).
When he kicks his feet in the shopping cart so hard that his boots come off, and I’m squatting down to pick them up off the floor of the department store — all big and pregnant-like — and he’s crying because he wants out of the cart, and I still have a list of things to pick up, and people are turning to stare, it’s kind of awful and I just DO NOT want to be there.
Over the last few weeks, I feel like it’s been worse. I have said to Darling Husband on more than one occassion that I feel like it’s too hard to take him anywhere by myself.
I’m getting pregnant-er by the day, and it’s HARD to pick him up mid-tantrum because he wants to try on a pair of mens’ sneakers in the shoe department. It’s HARD to hustle through a store carrying a 26-pound toddler, just so that he doesn’t cry in ther cart. It’s HARD to chase him through the library — with “No Running” signs everywhere — and keep him off the computers.
It’s tiring to take him places lately.
And often embarrassing.
And I don’t know if it’s him or me who is to blame.
Astrology fun
So the new baby will be a Taurus — a lovely, um, bull.
P.S. After looking up our childrens’ charts, I looked up mine and Darling Husband’s. Apparently Leos and Scorpios are NOT compatible. Astrology is crap!
Weekly re-cap of pregnancy #2: Week 23
Week 23
(Dec. 31 through Jan. 6)
Symptoms: Still dealing with what is potentially the worst pregnancy symptom ever. Trying to remember to drink more water and eat more fibre, but … pregnancy brain! It’s a losing battle! Oh, and heartburn. I’m taking a pill once a day now.
Body changes: Big ol’ stomach. I’ve started sort of grunting when I heave myself up sometimes. Super attractive, right?
Belly button: Still a big cavern with a little peaked mountain in the middle. Very weird.
Baby movement: Some more pronounced roll-y type movements. I swear, though, I only notice them when I’m sitting down or lying down. Am I seriously too busy to notice any other times?
Cravings: Homemade bread with butter. Mom got a “family Christmas gift” of a breadmaker for Little Sis and I to share, and already it’s been dangerous. The ability to make warm white bread is not exactly helping my aforementioned problem.
Aversions: The compost-y bin thing in the kitchen is my enemy. It’s so disgusting, it makes me never want to eat anything. Ever. Except I am hungry. Hmmm.
High point: Making big progress with the nursery! Darling Husband painted the walls a beautiful light aqua, and it’s starting to feel so real. We also found out the date of our booked C-section (April 25)!
Low point: A few difficult outings with the Toddler of Terror. I know it’s wrong to think your child is being an ass, but … yeah! Terrible Twos seem to have hit six months early.
How does this week compare to Week 23 during pregnancy #1? Nursery prep was about in the same stage at this point last time. Heartburn, too.
Baby preparation: Painted the nursery, as I mentioned above. I alternate between feeling like there’s no huge rush on the nursery and feeling like OMG we have to get it DONE. (I just looked at the blog and realized I only have three weeks left of the second trimester. Holy crap! Now I want to try to get it finished before then).
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