Tick, Tick, Tick

I am a ticking time bomb, due to detonate at some point tomorrow. But what if I can't deliver on time? So much pressure.

Speaking of pressure, can I please take a moment to lament sinus pressure? I know I said I try not to complain about the third trimester, but the last few days everyone seems to be asking how I am feeling and honestly the answer is: NOT amazing! At 38 weeks of pregnancy, my body suddenly decided to become severely allergic to grass pollen, giving me the worst upper respiratory ailment I have ever had. The lymph nodes in my throat have been swollen for a week and a half, accompanied by a painful sinus earache. There was an entire day when my eyes were red and oozy, and several nights when I struggled to sleep because of a nagging cough.

When I am at this stage of pregnancy, every cough seems almost catastrophic. Each time I am certain I will pull a muscle, crack a rib, or pee my pants. It hurts to swallow, and my stomach is so squished that eating has been less than pleasurable. The list of medications I am allowed to take for all of these conditions is depressingly short and many on the list don't do much good, anyway. 

Thankfully, a sweet friend of mind found me a Neti Pot at the store after I was unsuccessful at finding one, and this has provided some relief. My husband has faithfully set up a humidifier in our room every night and even slept on the couch when my coughing, sleep-moaning, and toilet flushing kept him awake at night. Everyone in the house has tolerated my general crankiness, and today I didn't actually feel too bad. Maybe I am on the upswing.

Today the girls made it to the pool for the first time this season. I would have loved to join them, but thought it best to stay indoors and avoid any outdoor allergens that may be preying on poor, defenseless pregnant women such as myself. Also, I wanted to avoid more people asking me how I am feeling right now. I hate hearing myself complain, but it's also no fun lying and saying I feel fine, either. Hence, this lengthy post full of written complaints. I have to say, it feels good to vent!

Nesting Projects

School's out . . .

 . . . but baby's still in . . .

Let the showcase of nesting projects begin!

1) Family Room

I had been wanting to get some book cases for the family room, along with a matching cabinet to place under the TV. We finally found what we were looking for (thank you Costco), so the past couple of weeks I have been unpacking books and photo albums to set on the shelves, arranging, rearranging, and arranging yet again. I am trying out some orange storage cubes on them, too.

Speaking of orange, I went a little crazy in that department and also ordered a couple of orange storage ottomans. And since I can't get enough of storage ottomans, I decided we had to get a giant brown one to replace our coffee table. Now we just need to pick out some end tables to match the new bookcases . . . presumably in a year or so, at the rate we buy furniture.

2) Loft
The loft space in our home is basically a toy room with very minimal artistic decor (unless you count the multiple princess dresses adorning one wall). It could still use some work, but for now I am pleased that it has gained more adequate seating--a couple of months ago we bought a big couch from a neighbor to replace the squished bean bag chairs. Now our whole family can pile on when we are up there, although one of us always seems to be bouncing or jumping off of it instead of just SITTING. Oh well. Also, the loft finally has a functional time piece--I moved the little clock up from the music room, hoping it would keep the girls more on task at bedtime. I can always hope.

3) Music Room
The music room now has a much more flowery clock (thank you Bed Bath and Beyond clearance). My diploma is also hanging on the wall in there, now--Forest had it framed for my birthday--so this space of the house is looking ever so slightly more fancy. Now I just need to replace the light fixture so my tall students can avoid bumping their heads on it. :(

4) Front Room

Most people wouldn't notice (it took Forest at least a day), but I got another throw pillow for the couch in the front room. For someone like me, however, this is a big deal. I rarely think about home decor ever, but look, I bought an object to place in our house that is purely for show. Sure, you can rest your elbow on it, maybe, but I believe its primary purpose is to provide a "splash of color" or something like that. I'm obviously nesting, to be making purchases like this.

 

5) Laundry Room/Mud Room/Garage entryway
Our house does not have an actual laundry room. Or an actual mudroom. It just has a garage entryway with laundry hookups and a utility sink. As much as I generally love our house, this is the one part of it that has been least likable to me since we moved in. This tiny area has been a perpetual mess of things that need to be washed, shoes, coats, backpacks, and tools from the garage. But we did come up with a solution that makes the space considerably less despicable:

Step one: Get rid of ancient washer and dryer set.

Step two: Purchase new stackable washer and dryer set. Stack dryer on top of washer.

Step three: Create a mini mudroom space where the old dryer used to be. Also make some storage space above the new dryer.

 

This whole process took us from November 2015 until now, but I am thrilled that it finally happened. Now I just need to set up that bassinet for our baby, and the nest will be as ready as it can be!

Preschool Graduation

Yesterday was Mika's last day of preschool. In the evening was her graduation program, which, as anticipated, was quite adorable.

 

 

 

Tooty ta

 

"Mika is four years old. Her favorite color is pink. Her favorite part of preschool is snack time, and she wants to be a chef when she grows up."

 

 

 

 Saying goodbye to Ms. Christina:

 

 Congratulations, Mika! You learned so much this year.

 

School Year Wrap-Up

The last few weeks have been filled with several "lasts" and end-of-the-year events for both Mika's preschool and Ramona's elementary school.

My last preschool music lesson at Mika's preschool:

Singing B-I-N-G-O

Playing in a rock band

Preschool field trip to the local fire station:

Ramona's first-grade space project:

She made the planet and one of its moons out of paper mache

Ramona ready to take her completed project to school

All the space projects were put on display at the annual Bethke Spring Showcase. Paca, Teresa, Dutch, and Bill were all in town that night and were able to come. First, they showered the girls with lots of attention and gifts.

We had just ordered some new furniture and were thankful to have Paca to help with some heavy lifting. The kids (and Teresa) had fun playing with the giant boxes . . .

. . . and styrofoam packaging.

Finally at the Spring Showcase:

Ramona with her project:

In the hallway we found a bulletin board with pictures from the Integrity assembly. Ramona's photo is right next to the blue paw print:

"Moms and Muffins" at Mika's preschool:

Mika had made me a Mother's Day card out of muffin liners and a hot pad with her hand print.

She also showed me the butterfly net in their classroom. Her classmates had watched them change from caterpillar to chrysalis to their final state.

The kids got to let the butterflies go free a few days later.

Field Day picnic at Bethke:

Ramona with her beloved Mrs. Haselby:

First Grade Writer's Picnic:

A pile of Ramona's first-grade writing

Ramona before her last ballet class of the year:

In costume before her ballet recital:

 

 

 At the recital:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ramona seemed to really enjoy being a little ballerina and we had fun watching her dance. 

 

Now if baby Wylie stays in for a few more days, I may just make it to Mika's Preschool Graduation Program!