definitely not on coupon day

brennan was in heaven.
run, jump, bounce, and fly yourself into cushy pads.
bridges, ball pits, arcade games, and race tracks.
max mostly walked around crying and whining.
brennan was asking if we could come back tomorrow too before we had even taken our shoes and socks off for the first jumpy house.
after ten minutes max was saying "all done" and heading for the door.
i spent the rest of the time trying to get max to get back in and play and trying to have some idea of where brennan had run off to.
all the while lugging my diaper bag around and trying to get through narrow spaces jammed with lots of little running short people.
far too many running short people.
which is what you get when you go on a coupon day.
i sorely underestimate the space my belly and i can fit through.
it's funny.
until it's not.
and i'm stuck.
i ended up yelling over the noise of the bounce jumpy toys and arcade games for my kids to
"come this way,"
"stay there while i get brennan,"
"wait, now where is max???,"
"don't move,"
"wait there!"
"hold on!"
mayday!
i'm stuck!
"brennan come back!"
"max, this way!"
have mercy, just give me your arm.
i finally bribed them to the car with their arcade tickets for toys.
no one got their toy until they had climbed into their seat and strapped themselves in.
i don't ever want to do that again.
at least not with max being all done after the first ten minutes.
and definitely NOT on coupon day.
the end.

missing jammies {hot?}

i guess max got hot???
at 11:31pm tonight we could not stop laughing.
until we did,
and then tried to decide if we should put them back on her or not.
we did.
put them back on her.
and started laughing all over again.
checking on your kids right before you go to bed is like christmas morning every night.
you never know what exciting things you're going to get:)

musical laps

lately, this is what dinner looks like.
max only wants to eat off of our plate.
with our fork.
you can give her a plate like ours, with a fork like ours.
it doesn't make a difference.
she still wants to eat off of our plate.
true grandpa ryan {my dad} fashion.
my stepmom once got him a fork that extends out like a pointer as a joke b/c he is famous for picking food off of other people's plates from across the table.
i can still see him trying out that extend-able fork for the first time with his rosy cheeks and adorning eyes.
sean says i have followed him in his pursuits and wonders why i am surprised that max now does the same.
in all of our defense,
food really does taste better off of someone else's plate.
nonetheless, she has now moved from merely eating off of our plates to needing to sit in our laps and then eating off of our plates.
i'm sure that if she were my first born i would scold her and make her sit in her own seat b/c there must be a parenting book somewhere that talks about table manners and being firm,
but thank goodness she is my second,
and we can just let her sit on our laps and enjoy this phase.
b/c whenever i get annoying with their little phases i picture them as teenagers that don't even want to ride in the same car as me and it makes me love how much they love us right now.
so much that they want to eat dinner sitting in our laps.
i of course do not really have a lap right now so i try to box her out.
but she knows daddy will always make room for her.
and i bet grandpa would too.
so tonight they both had to sit by dad,
and at one point they were both sitting in his lap while he ate.
or they ate.
whichever.
i love our happy life:)
and anything gummy.
it is the latest and greatest of the tummy diaries.
BEHOLD!

zip code

brennan's hair needs its own zip code.

have mercy.

it's time for a haircut.

i just love his thick long locks.

the burning skin belt {30 weeks}

i think we match?

...

the burning skin belt is on it's way in.

the other two held off a few more weeks before the burning began.
it's the most uncomfortable part about the end for me.

i  have begun the sitting back to eat phase.

and get full after about 5 bites.

the tummy table/hand rest is in full use.

i have to wake up to roll over at night.

braxton hicks let me know when i have to pee.
even if i've just gone.

i can't stand to wear a bra.

but must wear one anyway.

as long as possible.

leaning back to breathe is more of a necessity.

if you can call it breathing.

it feels weird when the kids sit on my lap.
b/c there's already someone sitting in my lap.

when they lean back their little backs arch up around my tummy.

i like it.

i washed the baby's clothes.

and folded them in his dresser.
the dryer ate two socks.

i can't believe brennan was ever that small.

i don't remember thinking he was small.

and i don't remember only having baby blue clothes.
despite my memory,
both are still true.

max helped me with the socks.

by unwrapping them and throwing them on the floor.

i finally had to ban her from helping.

she was not happy.
but i was.

i just couldn't bend over one more time.

i've always  waited until the day before induction to wash the clothes.
i just couldn't help myself from doing it now.

TUMS.
don't leave home without them.
it appears the acid reflux is also here to stay.
it amazes me that my body knows how to do this.
make a person.
keep it in there.
grow it.
grow my stomach.
then make the food to feed it.
him:)
and even though i'm still not convinced it actually knows when it's ready to have the baby,
it knows how to have him.
without me telling it do a single thing.
unconsciously creates a living
breathing
heart beating
person.
amazing.
there is nothing more amazing.
i could do without the varicose veins.
and the burning skin,
but i guess it's gotta do what it's gotta do.
eye on the prize.
HOO-RAH!

no one but ourselves

dinner
movie
gift cards to shop with {i have learned i can only afford bowls and mugs at anthropology}
the most perfect bowls ever created.

kids sleeping at grandma and grandpa's
little america hotel
staying up late talking about life and other gossip
not being able to sleep a wink b/c of a hard mattress and stretching skin that burned
baby picked a bad night to grow
thus he grew
and my so did my skin
ouch
waking up early to talk about life and other gossip
the most beautiful breakfast in bed i've ever been treated to
a morning nap
a hot shower without any children interrupting
no one to take care of but ourselves
picking up children that love you more than they ever have before
hugs all day
kisses all day
mommy, i love you ALL DAY:)
afternoon naps to recover from no sleep for any of us
basketball game for the boys
dirty dancing and early to bed for the girls
sleeping all night
happy christmas present from sean.
love him.