Changes, they are a comin'

Things around here are both settling down and stirring up.

And I'm grateful for both.

Anabelle's anxiety has greatly diminished. She's certainly not all the way there yet, but thank heavens for a vast improvement. Whew. She no longer comes to my bed screaming several times a night. Now we find her asleep at various locations in the house. Her favorite is to sleep on the middle landing of the stairs so she can still hear us. She also stopped freaking out every time Braden goes to work. She's proud of him now and feels worried for America's safety if he doesn't go to work because it's a weekend. Not trying to diminish Braden in any way but I'm not sure that what he's doing right now is vital to national security. But what do I know. He does spend days in a lab that is classified.

She's a bit of a weirdo around other people because she is so hungry for social interaction. We haven't found little buddies for her yet, and the children's activities have been quite disappointing. Hopefully that will change. I'm sure our adult neighbors are hoping so too, since she yaks their ear off every time they are outside.

She is very excited about the new person scheduled to arrive in the next week or two. She has even named the baby for us. Several times actually. First she was pulling for Ruby Rockstar Reynolds. Then she happened upon Diamond Gold, which she has clung to fiercely. We've been trying to prep her that the baby might not look quite like a Diamond and we might have to name her something else. I asked her yesterday what she thought of the name "Elin". She said, "Ummmm...that's a good name for a witch. Like on Halloween if I had a witch costume I would call myself Elin". I didn't tell her what kind of "costume" a girl named 'Diamond Gold' would wear.

I haven't felt the usual "get this baby out and here" sort of urgency and anxiety this time around. Last weekend I was asking Braden if I had 3 weeks left or 4. He looked at me like I was crazy and asked me if I knew the date. I did not. He told me the date. Then he did the math to my due date. Oh my. It was much different than 3 or 4 weeks. I have things to do! I'm sure part of it has been that I'm busier now than I have been before with taking care of existing small girls. Another part of it I think is that I don't believe I have left myself enough forgetting time. It just hasn't been that long since I enjoyed childbirth and all the fun thereafter. Lately everyone looks at me and says, "Oh, you must be so miserable". Then Anabelle took a picture of me and when I really saw myself from the side it does look sort of unearthly and far far from comfortable. But I'm no fool- I know what's coming and it's not comfort. Nor is it better sleep. Plus, I am just soaking up my last days with just the two and trying to love up on them extra. Don't get me wrong-I'm excited to meet the new babe and experience all the joy that only a newborn can bring to your house. Excited to get her, just not excited to have her. But I know that I am making progress and that birth is imminent. I even found out where the hospital is a few days ago. Now, where to take my children whilst I labor away.....I hate to admit that I have been baking yummies as a means of accelerating friendships. I skip over the formalities and want to know if they like children, do they know CPR, do they have any trips planned in the next two weeks. Turns out three of them do. Last night we had a new couple over and she mentioned to me that she is going on a trip next Thursday. Now I have to have the baby before then or we have to have a hippy family birth.I know it's not good to rush into anything, few relationships can be recovered after having moved too fast, but time is a luxury I do not have. I decided we could kill two birds with one stone- whoever comes to watch the girls will get my baby named after them. Any takers?


The stair troll in slumber

Bulbous, yes. But miserable? C'mon, I don't look miserable. Right?