Wednesday, November 9, 2011

monster love

I sure love my little monster.

I'm not getting as Oh my god, you're not going to be our only child anymore as I thought I would.  Juniper loves people and babies so much that I'm swelling (literally) with pride that we'll be adding one more human to our little clan.  Sure, I'm expecting some pouting, some hurt, confused looks and some ramped-up clinginess, but still....  In the end, I think she'll be over the moon about having a sibling.  Mostly, any anxiety I have is being funneled into an overwhelming need to record The Essence of Juniper.  So sorry if I start getting bogged down in mundane details.  It's just where I am right now.    

:: Halloween.  Juniper really got it this year.  She had a hand-me-down monster costume, but I didn't think she knew what a monster was, so we checked out some books the week before Halloween.  It worked.  She was totally into her costume and has since worn it nearly everyday.    

:: We finally carved the big pumptin that had been sitting on our kitchen floor for a month.  Juniper especially loved pulling out the slimy pumpkin seeds.

:: The friday before Halloween our local library hosted a party complete with treats, crafts and costume contests.  Juniper was a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by so many small, painted, unrecognizable humans.  But a craft table cleared and she joined her story time buddy for some candy-bag decorating (the chocolate cookie also helped release her inhibitions).

The party was a good warm-up for the crazy, town-square trick-or-treating we did Halloween evening.  The boardwalk was sardine-like, packed with costumed kids and parents trying to keep track of them.  If my man took Juniper to a store for candy, she'd ask, Where'd mommy doe?  And if I took her she'd ask, Where'd daddy doe?  She really didn't want to lose us amongst all the freaky short people.     

:: J bug didn't know what was being dropped into her pumpkin until this moment, then oh, look out.  We were eating most of her candy, but had to be sneaky about it after she tasted a Whopper.  
Bugs went trick-or-treating with her friends the owl and the puppy (not shown), to the degree that we could keep track of each other.  


:: On the home front: we're still working on the house (shocking, I know) and I'm 38 weeks pregnant.  I have what my man calls a "Honey Do List" and he's been taking time off work, methodically checking off each item as I focus on retaining my sanity in the face of super hyped-up, mega-nesting, get-shit-done-NOW late-pregnancy instincts.  So far it's working out.  But also, I'm THIRTY EIGHT WEEKS PREGNANT.  Dude, that's out of 40 for those who aren't in the know.  
Here I am staining trim with linseed oil.  Thankfully, it is now almost all nailed to our walls.  Bathrooms should be done by tomorrow.  


:: J bug is helping us cook more and more.  We have to be careful, because it can backfire.  Here she is helping with the cornbread, but she didn't help with the stew.  She loves to eat where her investment lies, which meant all cornbread and no stew.  Noted.  


:: I love outdoor chores, but I especially love outdoor chores with my kid.  She wants to help, loves to help, and eats snow along the way, feeding some to me saying,  Brrrr.  It's told.  

:: I've mentioned before that our grass is much taller than Juniper and she's not really excited about that.  Well, my man rented a weed-wacker, knocked out a little yard for us (and for me to plant garlic), then made Juniper a maze through the field.  She loves it.

:: Here's what 37.5 weeks preggo looks like:

:: And our lovey, happy, three-headed monster:

:: At least once a day, Juniper says, I doe trick-or-treating.  And, Where'd pumptin patch doe?  She refers to both the real pumpkin and the plastic bucket as pumptin patch.  And yes, they're still around, but asking, Where'd _______ doe? happens to be her question of the week.  Also, I still get coerced into singing Happy Birthday Juniper at both nap and night time.  My man thinks bugs will be wearing the monster costume at Christmas.  I love that.  Really, kids are so much fun.  I had no idea my "terrible two" year old would be such a joy.  I try to enjoy every stage for what it is and not get too nostalgic over a past stage, or too anxious for a future stage.  But I can tell already that I'll really miss early toddlerhood with all its freedom and lack of self-consciousness.  
  

2 comments:

  1. so beautiful. you are doing such a good job enjoying.

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  2. Love Juniper's costume. Sneaky wasn't nearly as into Halloween, maybe next year? And I can't believe you're 38 weeks already! I vividly remember that pressing desire to do EVERYTHING in anticipation of the baby RIGHT.NOW!

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