It's February

Last night we had breakfast for dinner, and it reminded me why we don't have breakfast for breakfast. It's too time consuming! Tasty though- bacon, omelet with chipotle gouda, home-made wheat toast, and sparkling blackberry juice kombucha.

After dinner I was complaining to John about our neighbors, again. They were really pretty quiet as neighbors until they had a little boy. Turns out he's a toddler night owl, and every evening it sounds like someone is having a raucous bath at 9:30pm, or later. I shake my fist at the walls while getting the baby to sleep and hope our next neighbors- my family- will be quieter after nightfall!

We have just three months before we move over to those new neighbors. I was thinking of buying a container of oats, because we're almost out. But then I thought, would we eat a whole container of oats in three months? Probably not. Strike that off the grocery list because I can't stand to waste! We're going oatless.

New things

So lately I bought paprika for the first time ever, made puppy chow for the first time ever, and made ham bowl puff for the first time in years. Then this week while I was bagging my groceries before heading to the car a crazy man was wandering the parking lot, the manager had  to be called, but he was gone by the time I got out there so I missed it.

This week has been a wash with spit up and not much else. Baby E decided to gift us all with regurgitated milk in abundance, and the only reason I can think of for this week's terrible milk mess is possibly a growth spurt, or teething. She's definitely teething, anyway.

Our last semester has started. John's away to school and I'm impatient for school to be really over. I'm cleaning out the apartment as much as I can(which is going pretty slowly) and everything that we haven't used in the last three years is in jeopardy of being given away. Casserole dish? Gone. Baby shampoo? Gone. Fabric scraps? Gone. I love it. The babies keep me on my toes, and I know packing everything up and actually moving will probably be stressful, so I want to get a head start. It takes me so long to get anything done, better start now. I can't look away from M for a few seconds without her getting into trouble. This week her socks went into the toilet. I tried to include her in baking; it was stressful. At least she got to crack the eggs. Then after that mess she went and got her dirty sweater out of the laundry and started licking muffin batter off of it. Sigh. She's pretty cute, though, and watching her grow and learn is always enjoyable.

Christmas 2018

A Christmas Tea party with appetizers that were too much work

We are getting ready for Christmas. There are pounds of sugar all over the house, or at least it feels that way. I never had to give things to extended family until I got married, and then our first Christmas married it was a shock to discover that not only would we see John's extended family, but would need to give them gifts as well. It's hard to know what to give someone you may only see two or three times in a year, so this year we're doing baked goods. Tasty, consumable, most people can eat them and have fun doing so.

We are endeavoring to do advent with Baby M by opening a door on the paper Bible-verse advent calendar and singing one carol every evening. She's enjoying it, on the evenings she's not already too tired. We're enjoying it too. It's a little more interactive than a Bible chapter and a little shorter too. Simple is good these days. Naps are good; school is out, and that's good. One semester until we're done here, that's good too. Merry Christmas!

Baby M insists that we light the candles during dinner every night

Christmas Dresses

Progress on any project is super slow right now, but I made effort and got the girls' Christmas outfits done(except I ran out of lace and still need to get more). They're not very fancy, but they match, I used fabric I already had, and the dresses at least are lined with flannel.

Baby E's Dress

Baby M's jumper and blouse

Frigid

Our fridge stopped working. I don't know the ins and outs of fridge life, but the vegetables in the back of the fridge were freezing and being ruined. So we tried to turn the temp down using the innocent looking buttons inside. But at some point after that the fridge was no longer cold at all and the freezer was waaaay too cold... so we went four days like that and pretty much everything went bad and Margaret got constipated because we ran out of fruit and then finally they brought a new fridge. There's only three guys in the appliance section of maintenance, and apparently they do the campus locksmithing too, besides being students. So that's one reason it took so long.

Baby E is doing very well. Growing, eating, sleeping and burping happen every day. And diapers... Baby M is doing good too, and super cute.

Any sewing I've done has been brief snatches in between babies to try and get some winter clothes put together for M. They're functional but not too attractive, and Margaret does not appreciate having to wear sleeves and thicker clothes. Oh well. Our apartment is so drafty layers are required!

Hobbling along

One week until probable due date. Effects of a bulky middle are still in full swing. Half the time I look like an old lady who needs a walker, and a servant- to carry my toddler and my groceries! I'm torn between wanting it to be over as soon as possible, and waiting until after my last massage on Monday. After some more concerns over the baby's size, we submitted to another sonogram this week.

It's getting to the point where before I go to bed at night I look at my kitchen in resignation and think, if I go into labor tonight this is what my kitchen will look like. I do dishes in secret because I can't handle the toddler's help. And John changes as many of the diapers as possible just so I don't have to lift the toddler, either.

And jump ahead three weeks....

We made it to the other side. Still hobbling a bit, but hanging in there. Baby M loves Baby E. We are all sleep deprived, and one of us is teething. But it's still nice to be done with that phase!

Blah Countdown Post

Home made pizza sauce simmering on the stove. Pizza dough rising in the bread machine. Fussy teething toddler on the floor with ALL of her toys. Laundry in the machine. Braxton-Hicks in full form. Wild cravings for peaches and chocolate milk. Puffy hands and feet. Two more hours until daddy takes over. Two more weeks until the baby comes, and who knows how many days until M gets her latest teeth.

Nesting/baking: French Silk Pie

I am ready to be done; It's been long enough. I want this baby on the outside. I may be sleep deprived on the other side, but at least my body won't feel like it's physically being dragged into a pit every day.

Watching, waiting, and wanting company

 Two more weeks!