The best 10 minutes of my days

The best 10 minutes of my days are split up in five minute intervals. And I have come to look so much forward to them each and every day. I hope I never forget this season of our lives. With the fall peaking, trying to show it’s full beautiful face and my baby  becoming a little boy and my sweet anticipation of a new tiny body in our house, this may be one of the most adored times of my life yet. 

Jack has discovered the wonderful-ness of sleeping in the past few days (knock on wood.) I, also, took advantage and slept in one morning, but have been getting up to having some morning time to myself. Heart-filling music turned on, coffee made up with thick, delicious creamer. Books, Bibles, blankets.  It is still dark outside here and I only wish I had woken up earlier to soak more in. 

But the first five minute section that I am in love with lately is right after I bring Jack down the stairs in the morning. He has usually grabbed, and is hugging, a stuffed buffalo or bear. His nook is in his mouth, his hair is a mess and he has those sleepy morning eyes.

I set him down on the chair in the living room and give him his water bottle. Then I cover us both up with a blanket and I snuggle into the pillows. He pushes his little warm body into my shoulder and neck and we sit still and quiet until that water bottle is empty.

It only lasts a short time. But they are some of the sweetest moments I have ever experienced. 

The other five minutes comes later in the afternoon. Jack has been taking one nap a day. For about an hour to an hour and a half. And I have been taking that nap with him. Partly because I want to enjoy that kind of closeness with him because I know it won’t always be like this. And partly because the days exhaust me lately. 

We go upstairs, get snuggled into Scott and my bed, drink some warm milk and then turn on a movie on Netflix on my phone. The past few days it’s been The Prince of Egypt. The movie only lasts a few minutes before the little man is zonked out. But not before he head dives into my arm pit, does this twist and ends up a perfect little spoon into my big bell and chest. He gets in there perfectly every time. 

I know he has fallen asleep when his hands become still. Usually resting on my arm or his cheeks. The next five minutes are the other best part of my day. 

My little boy looks like a baby all over again. He is still and peaceful and as close to me as he can be. The room is dark and quiet, my phone is on silent and away, and no person or any thing needs my attention. All that needs to be done next is for me to shut my eyes and drift off to sleep. It is all at a stand still. 

This time only lasts a few minutes as well but I find I am missing when we don’t get that time together during the day. 

This season of my life is about to change. And I am welcoming of what is to come. I cannot wait to share my mornings with my brand new baby son. But I am also trying my hardest to slow the days down. My bathroom is not clean. My floors need to be scrubbed. But last night my son went to bed absolutely worn out because we were wrestling and laughing on the floor for an hour. 

When I need to get my head out of my butt and put down the things I think I need to be doing, my mind always wonders off to my dad. The memories I have of him are the ones when he put his own work aside and gave my sister and I his time. Driving around the country, playing baseball, sitting at the kitchen table at night with a board game. Everyone who knew him knew those were the times he lived for. The time he had with his girl. 

I doubt Jack will remember these 10 minutes of our days that pull at my heart strings. He is too little. But as we grow and change to the next season, so will our 10 minutes. I pray that I will write them down so that I will always remember. I pray that when I am gone from this world, I will be remembered by how I loved my husband and my boys and gave of myself selflessly. 

 

Pregnancy #2: 35 weeks

How far along: 35 weeks today (Only 29 days to go… EXCITING!)

Total weight gain: 30 pounds. So unless I gain 10 pounds in the next month (Lord, help me) , I’ll have gained less this time around. (I was up right around 40 last time. And lost 30 by the time I left the hospital. That still amazes me.)

Maternity clothes: I am down to about 4 tank tops (thankful for cooler weather that is finally here) and three pairs of yoga pants. My maternity jeans fall down and my leggings are just unflattering. My belly is large, people.

Sleep: I actually cannot complain. I have found a system for one of my blankets to wrap in between my legs, then tuck under my belly and then snuggle in my arms. I just toss and turn every hour or so and get up to go to the bathroom once. It isn’t too bad of a system.

Best moment this week: Umm, I’d say all the movement is pretty great. Painful, yes. In my ribs and right under my breast bone. A lot of the time I have to push back on the little guy just so he can’t poke so hard. But I enjoy the interaction and try to guess which limb is jabbing me 🙂

I also had an ultrasound again this past week. Perks of having an abnormally large belly, I guess. The whole time he was practicing breathing 🙂 She held the wand on his ribs for a while and we just watched them go in and out. I also went home with two new 3D pictures of the little guy. Call me crazy, but I think he resembles Jack. My mom said the same thing. I cannot wait to meet him. C a n n o t  |  w a i t.  I just want to examine his toes and eyes and lips. With Jack, I remember watching, from the day he was born, as his eye lashes grew. They grew daily. It was so amazing to me. I am so blessed that I get to watch my second baby’s lashes.

What I miss: I’m really getting sick of my rotation of tops and pants. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some yoga pants. But I can’t wait to wear a good pair of jeans again. Or leggings. Or long-sleeved tops and scarves and a hat. (That may be my anti-summer rant…)

Movement: A ton.

Food cravings: Sweets, I would say.

Making me queasy: I have been getting nauseous lately by the littlest smells. Coffee really does it for me, which makes me sad. I really can’t wait to enjoy that again.

Starting to show: Is that a joke?

Gender: Boy!

Happy or moody: Pretty happy. I’m trying to soak in all my Jack/mama time, as well as husband/wife time in the evenings right now.

Things I’ve been experiencing this lately: Sitting in a car is getting painful. I’m stuffy all the time. My feet are starting to swell good. I have been wearing my wedding ring less and less because it’s tight.

OH. And THIS. This past week I discovered a bunch of tiny, little, squiggly stretch marks around my popped-out belly button. (My belly button popped pretty early this time and is now protruding like no ones business.) But yes, there are lots of stretch marks there. They are not dark or too terrible and I am really not too mad about it. It was just a shocking discovery.

What I’m looking forward to: October 15th. That’s the date that the c-section was scheduled 🙂 It’s so bizarre to me. The surgery is scheduled from 7-8:30 a.m. By 8:30 that morning, we will have our baby. After all of the things that happened last time, that just boggles my mind. I am a little scared. I am having surgery. But I trust my doctor. And am so happy to be having our baby in Williston this time. I am also so very grateful for the peace I have been feeling about how this baby’s “birth” is going to go.

Oh, I’m also a little excited for Oct. 12, too. My sister gets married that day!!!! It is going to be beautiful. And all our family will be around. And she’s going to be breathtaking.

What I’m nervous for: Having a newborn in the house again. Haha, that sounds dumb because I am so, so excited about that too. But the first few weeks with Jack were harder than I had expected. And I had some postpartum blues. This time, I’m really trying to ready my mind instead of ready the physical things. I am reading more and trying to make the things that were difficult last time, not be so difficult. But there are still going to be midnight feedings. And I love my sleep 🙂 Praying for understanding and humbleness.

Size of baby: Right now, he is actually right around 6 lbs! His estimated birth weight is 8lbs 7oz. Another big boy!