I. Am. Miserable.

Figured I should update everyone on our status around the Chance household. It can all be summed up with one word; MISERY. That's pretty much my fault. I've never hidden the truth before--I do NOT like being pregnant. Nothing about it really appeals to me, except the wonderful baby I get out of the deal. I do like that part ;)

With that being said, this pregnancy is winding down and I am in the last horrible phases--huge swollen feet and hands (even my lips look like I've had collagen injections...like Angelina scary injections), constant back aches (baby has dropped...which is AWESOME because it means we are getting close...but it also means all that baby weight is now pressing on my lower spine...fun!!), massive indigestion (at this point, if I LOOK at food, I get instant heartburn), leg cramps, sheer exhaustion, slight depression from being so crazy big (I have NEVER weighed this much during pregnancy), major depression from being unable to do anything for myself without aches and pains, and the list goes on and on and on...Oh, and I am completely emotionally unstable. I find myself crying at the weirdest things--and my emotions veer out of control in SECONDS. I snap quickly and then instantly regret it, but can't seem to stop myself from biting the heads off of anyone and everyone. It's probably best if you just avoid me until my psychosis has passed...

I am a whiner by nature. I love to gripe and moan about things. But in this instance, I would gladly give away all my aches and pains in exchange for nothing to bitch about. GLADLY.

I think my family is considering voting me off the island...they are all sick of me and my drama, too. Yesterday Lucas announced he just wasn't going to talk to me anymore until I was nice again. Uh oh. That may be a while...and it's only going to get worse if I continue to get bigger, if the baby continues to stretch and kick me (for my Twihard friends, I feel like I have Renesmee growing inside me!), and if I continue to have raging insomnia (you guys know how much I cherish my sleep).

At least there is an end in sight. I know in just a few days, this baby will arrive and I will have my body back. I'll be able to tie my own shoes and actually dry my legs when I get out of the shower...ahhh, bliss. But until that time, I am pretty much confining myself to the house and as little interaction with others as possible...which is probably for the best.

All about Alex

Lately our world has revolved around Lucas and his transition to big boy school...so I thought it would be nice to focus on Alex for a change. He recently turned two and with that we have seen an explosion of growth and change. I am amazed at how much BIGGER he seems--not necessarily physically (although he is getting taller!) but developmentally as well. He is not a baby anymore...but he isn't quite independent yet, either, so it is a weird phase. I still struggle with him being my "difficult" child....nothing with him is EVER easy. He has a great little personality all his own and I think he may have actually been molded for the phrase "marches to the beat of his own drum." Here he is below looking adorably disgusting with food all smeared in his hair...he thought it was quite funny. At his two year check up he weighed in at a little over twenty pounds. He is getting taller (forgot the exact height) but we took him out of his high chair because his legs were too long and he has joined us at the family table in a booster seat--which he was SOOOO happy about. I am relieved to say his growth is no longer at the bottom of the charts. His development is still a work in progress. He is actually being retested in most of his therapy areas during this month, so I will be excited to see how he ranks out after the results come in. I know he has made MAJOR strides in speech and physical therapy, but we still see plenty of delays as well. He actually moves to a new classroom at school next week, so I am hoping he will be with children who motivate him to move forward in some areas (like holding utensils, potty training, drinking from a regular cup--these are all things we are working on at this time). We know he has a sleep study and a swallow study being performed on him soon, and I am also hoping those results may shed some light on some of his behavior.

He is a great eater--and will try most anything. But Josh and I both notice that he does not BITE food--he just crams it into his mouth and lately, he is beginning to realize he cannot tolerate that and just spits massive wads of food out. Yuck. His speech therapist (who is SOOO wonderful!!) observed him eating and noticed the same trend, so we are having the swallow study conducted.

As for his sleep...well, MOST nights he sleeps just fine. But once in a while, in completely random pattern and at alternating times, he wakes up and has what we call "a party in his crib". He basically talks to his toys, coos, sings, and stays awake from ten minutes to over an hour. He never fusses or cries out--although as his speech has evolved, he has begun to say "Lucas--wake up!" or "Alex get out!" Thankfully, he still hasn't figured out how to climb out of his crib, but I fear each day will be the day he learns that trick!! So our pediatrician recommended a sleep study to figure this issue out.

And I need it solved QUICKLY with a new baby on the way! We were planning on putting the boys in a room together, but as long as Alex is occasionally throwing crib parties, that won't be an option. Lucas likes his sleep too much!!

Meanwhile, Alex is STUBBORN. He is learning to dislike time out (although he still spanks his OWN hand and puts himself in timeout sometimes, much to my chagrin). But the concept of "No" seems to be beyond him...or he just ignores it. For example, we have been having battles at the table...he seems to think THIS is how we sit at the table:

No matter how many times I push his feet off and say "NO" he just puts them right back up. I end up having to either end his meal early or sit there and hold his feet down. I vaguely remember Lucas trying this foot crap too, but he actually LISTENED when told no...Alex could care less.

Of course, with all his difficulties, he can be incredibly sweet, too. He still puts himself down for naps/bedtime when he is tired, he LOOOOVES playing with bouncing balls--any shape or size, snuggling with us, and he will imitate EVERYTHING Lucas does. He is partial to his father (of course) and they spend lots of time playing together...like this sweet moment:

Overall--I am anxious to see how he adapts to the new baby and I am praying it does not affect his growth and development...I need friends and family to remind me not to loose my little middle child in this whole exciting new baby phase!

First Day Adventures

Lucas officially started Pre-K yesterday and I think it went as smoothly as possible. We had to wake up MUCH earlier than normal, so he was a little tired and crabby as he ate breakfast, but didn't seem nervous--just excited for his new adventure to begin. He had lots of questions as we got dressed and packed up. Luckily, Josh was able to stay home later and help out, so we made it out the door with plenty of time to spare and the whole family wishing Lucas a happy first day! I snuck a few pictures in before leaving--Lucas looks pretty sleepy in all of them. I love his little backpack and lunch bag--a gift from Nana. For his first school lunch he insisted on a Bologna sandwich (YUCK!), and I included a fun note from mommy and daddy and a Sponge Bob napkin.

I didn't get as emotional as I thought I would, but did cry a little as we pulled up at the school. Lucas didn't cry at all--he was way too excited. I cried several times throughout the day (but probably would have done that anyway with all these extra hormones!) Specifically when I checked my email after lunch and discovered this email from his teacher:

Dear Families, I just wanted to let you know that we have had a great day so far! We have played in centers, colored, had morning meeting time, played on the playground, been to our first activity class--music, and read a wonderful story called "The Kissing Hand." Whew! Right now everyone is resting quietly and then we will have snack and a few more first day activities. Thank you for letting us love on your children today. We can't wait to get to know them better and better each day. We will see you this afternoon!

--Mrs. Engskov and Mrs. Henry

This email was an unexpected treat, so I was happy to have the update, but cried about it anyway. Silly pregnancy hormones!

After braving the carpool pick up line (got there at 2:30...didn't leave until 3:15!!) Lucas jumped in the car FULL of energy and excitement--telling us all about his wonderful day. He had artwork--a special "kissing hand" and this fun picture of his whole class (all of which will make it into my scrapbook of his first year of school...I am doing this one digitally and I'm proud to say I am officially CAUGHT UP on the year...of course, we are only two days into it, so we'll see how this goes, but seems to me like scrapping digitally is SOOO much faster!) He was eager to tell us about music (he sang the ENTIRE way home), and about the special treasure chest (which he was not good enough today to get a toy out of), and about nap time (he didn't sleep...I'm sure the teachers were thrilled), about how my little note at lunch made him sad (guess he realized he missed us!), and about how he was never going to college very far far away (this one made me chuckle...can I get that in writing???) So, one HUGE milestone down. Many more to come.

On another note (so I don't forget) my mother told me that in Shreveport one of the local schools hosts a "boo-hoo" breakfast for parents of back to school kids. I thought this was a great idea--so next year, anyone who wants to is welcome to join me for a special breakfast. We may not always be sad at seeing our kids return to school...I'm sure there will come a time when we will be eager for it--but it will always be a reason to celebrate. My mother always made it a special day for my brother and I, and it should be a celebration for the whole family, for many reasons. So I look forward to many more first day adventures in the years to come!

Back to school prep...

In honor of back to school, I decided to make a fun meal Tuesday evening. Lucas and I spent our last summer fun day making a special "schoolhouse" cake. He insisted on wearing his chef hat and apron all on his own--so cute! Here is the finished version of the cake; nothing fancy, but he had a blast making it and couldn't wait to show it off to his daddy that evening.

We also had themed food for dinner; "alphabet" soup and "ruler" Stromboli.

On Monday we attended orientation at the school. I was still a little worried that Lucas would be scared or shy, but I need not have feared that. He was talkative and inquisitive as we walked into the school and had about two seconds of hesitancy at the door to the room. But as soon as he spotted toys on the floor, he took off and played and explored the class for over thirty minutes. At one point he turned to me and said "Mommy, I think I like it here. I think I want to come back." Which is a relief since he will be there all day Monday through Friday for the coming school year!! Here are some sights from his room: First, his cubby with his blanket for naptime.

He immediately zeroed in on the computer/tv center. He is such a techno kid.

The class schedule on the board.

Lucas playing and grinning!!

And finally, getting his first classroom picture made by Mrs. Engskov, his new teacher.

Tonight I am probably not going to sleep a wink. It's hard to believe my baby is going to school this year. I have laid out all his clothes, packed his lunch and backpack, and triple and double checked to make sure I have everything ready to make his transition to big boy school as easy as possible. I imagine I will be the one in tears as he walks into class (aside from it being a big milestone all these extra pregnancy hormones do NOT help my emotional rollercoaster!)...he will no doubt have a blast. I've got my tissue ready in the car! Pics of "first day" to follow! Cross your fingers that it is smooth sailing for everyone.

Choosing Joy

Found this on a website I stalk and thought it just seemed to really resonate with me and where I am in my life right now...

We cannot control the weather.

We cannot control the traffic.

We cannot control the neighbors.

We cannot control other people.

We cannot control the prices.

We cannot stop ourselves from aging.

We cannot keep things new.

We cannot control the force of nature.

We cannot keep life still.

However...

We can choose what we think.

We can choose to help when we are needed.

We can choose to learn from trials.

We can choose to see our blessings.

We can choose faith when life seems dark.

We can choose to hold hope in our hearts.

We can choose to prepare for natural disasters.

We can choose to look forward and let the past go.

We can choose to alter our perception of ourselves.

We can choose to forgive ourselves and others.

We can choose to do something about our situation if we don't like it.

We can choose to cry, to mourn, to sigh, to storm.

We can choose to laugh, to love, to smile, to grin.

We can choose joy.

--author unknown

Galactic Blast!!

Several weeks ago Lucas attended vacation bible school at PHUMC. We don't attend that church, but our VBS was held the week we were at the beach and I really wanted Lucas to be a part of that experience this summer--I felt he was old enough (and I knew it would give me a little mommy time to myself each day--I admit it!) I remember having a blast at VBS when I was little; Lucas did, too. I was extremely worried the first day--he pulled his shy-guy routine and looked like he was about to cry when I left him in a room full of children and teachers he didn't know (this also worried me for the approaching first day of pre-K...not a good sign!) I told myself that if he was miserable and didn't want to go back when I returned to pick him up, I would just quietly disenroll him from the program...
Well, needless to say my fears were beyond silly. When I returned, he was all grins, eager to show off his new friends and artwork and singing bible songs at top volume. He had a great time and the teachers said he was the most interactive kid in the class. Whew! Glad he adapted so well to the situation!
The theme for VBS was "Galactic blast" and each day the kids did a different "space" craft--most of which I meant to scan into the computer and post here, but haven't had the time to yet. The program also provided a CD of songs, which I keep in my car and Lucas knows them all by heart (well, so do I now!)
I think it is really sweet that he is so into religion...the Bible is still his favorite book to read at night (a great toddler version). He knows the stories by heart and we are laying a really solid foundation for future teachings. I look forward to him getting promoted to REAL Sunday School in the fall at our church.
In Luc's words:
Me: What was your favorite part of VBS?
Lucas: Getting to have new friends, getting to meet Galileo (an astronaut puppet the church used to entertain the kids), and play dough.

Peach Orchard Outing

I wanted to round out the summer by doing some really summer-esque outings...one of which was going to pick fruit in the 100+ degree temp! We are lucky that we have several nice orchards within day trip distance from Little Rock. We have been to Cadron Crest Orchard before during fall to pick apples, and I thought it would be nice to see how their peaches tasted. I LOVE fruit period, but peaches are a particular fav of mine. I specifically like to chop them up, douse them in sugar and then serve them over vanilla yogurt. But Scott makes a mean peach pie that just might take top billing as my new go-to peach treat. Lucas and Alex love peaches, too. Alex mostly had fun running around and riding in the wagon:

The worker at the gate told us when we went in the orchard to sample all we liked...Josh took him up on that offer and ate several ripe peaches straight off the tree. Lucas is used to having his cut up sans skin, so he was a little more hesitant...but once he realized how juicy they were he was all game.

Scott, Jenn, Jessie, and Laynee joined us on the outing. We encountered our first "June beetles" (they attach to rotting fruit and gobble it up--harmless but noisy and very intimidating to some of those in our group!), bought lots of goodies (aside from peaches, we got purple hull peas, tomatoes, grapes, and possibly a candy bar or two at the snack shack), ate lunch at Marketplace in Conway, made fun of Laynee's OBSESSION with Justin Beiber (she is SOOO in love!), and drove by Hendrix college to check out the new and spooky "Hendrix Village" (which is not inhabited yet, so it looks like a ghost town...with a Panera Bread Company. Spooky.) And we capped the whole adventure off with homemade peach pie from Scott!

Pretty in Pink!!

Last Saturday four of my friends (KB, Leigh, Jennifer, and Rhonda) threw Joshua and I a beautiful "Pretty in pink" baby shower. It was SUCH a nice treat--everything was pinked out to the max--including the food, deco, gifts, and beverages. They included some throwbacks to the movie PIP, too--pink tapes and records were used as decorations on the tables (the records actually make really good chargers for dirt cheap...gonna have to remember that idea for future parties!) Josh had his own special pink drink, featured below--with pink umbrella! And it tasted really yummy...not that I had any ;)

I had my own pink throne and boas (again, such a nice change from all the boy/testosterone/blue that I deal with daily!)

We played the "Name our child" game where everyone put guesses on the slips of paper cut to shape tiaras. There were some really cute guesses (including my favorite "Vampiress" --too funny) and of course, we aren't telling if there was a winner until little baby girl Chance makes her big debut...

Here are all the hostesses and myself all dressed in our pink!

I loved the decorations--everything was so well thought out. The wreath on the door was a nice treat, too--Leigh will probably be describing how to make it on her crafty blog, but check out this cool diaper wreath--so cute!

And the food was all themed as well--here are some examples. Great pink dipped marshmallows, cupcakes from Blue Cake Company (yum!). We had tons of other food too--all very yummy and very pink.

We got wonderfully girly presents as well--tons of cute new outfits, great LSU themed gifts, and many more things we needed. I particularly chuckled at the "I only like boys who sparkle" onsie from Angie--nice Twilight shout out! Here we are opening a very feminine little dress that will be perfect for Spring this year...

Thanks to all our wonderful friends and family and to the hostesses who did such a fabu job--we are so excited about baby Chance's arrival...only a few more weeks now!