Bitty Baby Wish List

Ohh second child... How I have learned about the real needs of a baby... not.

The first time around I registered for lots of Rufflebutts and cute little hooded bath towels, only to find that infants who can't walk aren't quite as cute as toddlers who can walk and show off those ruffles.

Also, cute little hooded towels are nice, but what is also nice is a CLEAN towel, and I think with two under two even that may be a stretch. I know now that a white onesie that is bleach-able and a nap are pretty much all you need to survive.

OK, so this may be tacky, but I'm not above tacky sometimes. Anyone that really knows me, know this.

I'm going to expose my expertise as a mother (all of the joking) and neediness/greed in one post! Lucky everyone!!

Here are thing things I'm considering (or have) registered for the Littler Miss McCants

1) Ergobaby Swaddler
Now this is supposed to be one of the new "IT" things out there. It Houdini locks the babe's arms in there, has a crotch thing to prevent hip dysplasia, and apparently has amazing fabric.

I'd say that middle baby is a little concerned about whats going down right now. Look at those eyes.

Last time we used a few different types of swaddles for the Bigger Miss McCants and in the end found our mainstay in a fleece swaddle me that I have a hard time locating in brick and mortar store. Plus it will be THE HOTTEST of summer when Virginia is born, so we're going to try something new.

2. Bouncy Seat

obviously (right?) without the non-McCants baby inside

We were lovingly leant a stationary lamb-seat thing similar to this with MM, and honestly she hated it 99% of the time. Only when she was close to 4 or 5 months would she give it the time of day. I think the movement with this one may be more appealing to the new highness. Who knows, I'll be a first time mom to THIS baby and she will certainly throw me for a loop.

3. Jenny Lind Crib

So, we already have a crib, actually this EXACT ONE for MM, but the thought of her running around or throwing things into Virginia's crib or whatever really scares my already tight maternity pants off me. We plan on them sharing MM's tiny room when Virginia is about 3ish month. And my plan is to get MM the toddler bed railing thing, so she can keep her crib for AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

4. Ergobaby Newborn Insert

Baby Cocoon, check.

We had registered and received a Baby Bjorn when we had MM, and we used it all the time, but on a trip to Boston I wanted to wear MM on my back which isn't possible with a Bjorn, and I like the forced correct hip placement that the Ergobaby enforces.

5. Cloth Diaper Army

I'll take every color please

I'm not going to say that we're going to do all cloth with Virginia (actually I can guarantee we aren't). But since I will have 2 kiddies in diapers for a while longer, it would be nice to have a better stock. Also we love us some BumGenuis, honestly we've only tried a few brands, but these have been our go-to's since we started the cloth journey.

6. Double Bob Running Stroller

Really, just pretending to push one of these really scares me

I know it's SOOOOO cliche' thing to have a BOB, but we use ours with MM all the time, and I promise I do actually run with it. You can ask... well a few people, who have seen me running with it. I know that I don't need it immediately because fo-sho I won't be running right away and also, I can wear Virginia while we walk for a while.

6. Kiddo Bookshelf 

Because I have big dreams of making our "Guest Room/ Charlie's Old Office" into a playroom/ room where Gran can sleep. So, to make that dream happen we need to do some serious re-arranging of pretty much everything, books included.

7. Mama Pads

If you really want to know what these are all about, do some research, I'm not going to tell you about them here. But I imagine they will feel reeeeeaaaaallll nice on the specific area they will be, touching...

8. Little Giraffe Pillow and Blanket

I believe they make these in adult sizes

MM was given these as a gift and she uses them every night. Seriously the pillow can put her almost directly to sleep. If it has that effect with Virginia I'll take 20.

OK, so that was painless for everyone right? If not, that's fine.

Sunday Funday (?)

So if you don't know, now you know...

We're having another girl coming in July (let's be honest, it's really going to be August). Meaning of course I was wrong, again. Apparently I know nothing about my body being pregnant or if there is a difference between one pregnancy and another. They really weren't that long ago, you'd think I would have picked up on a few things.

The ultrasound tech told us with lightening speed, and I had barely gotten the "goo" on me before she was all "are you finding out today? Yes? okitsagirl" Right there. Thanks for the build up.

We are of course excited AND have picked a name that I'm going to tell you because it will make me not change my mind 100 more times in my head.

Her name will be Virginia (yes, like the state... if there were any other way to pronounce it) Mae McCants. She is named after one of Charlie's grandmothers, also a Virginia Mae Parsons McCants

We are trying to get MM to start learning the same and she is now slightly interested in "Baby Ginua", so I think that'll count for a win for less than a week. Also, apparently said grandmother had that nickname, without the "baby" part. So that may be sticking for a while, who knows.

Too much? I don't care.

Since I'm giving up Hulu for lent (I knowwwww, my vices!!! Nashville!! don't get me started about what's going to happen when The Mindy Project comes back... Sundays! Another reason to love you!),
I am going to pick up crocheting again. I killed myself made a blanket for MM before she was born, which I don't think I've really even used, but took me months to finish after pulling out rows and rows and rows trying to get things to line up.

Anyway, I need a new pattern and color. I believe I know where to go to get some but the idea seems daunting again to start something so new that will take me so long.

I am writing this during nap time, when I should be doing more constructive things like napping, cleaning, laundry, etc. BUT I haven't had the chance to enjoy a good nap all weekend. MM and I drove to High Point on Friday night and then home to Raleigh on Saturday afternoon and MM napped exactly until we pulled up to the house before she was roaring to go again. Ohh and Charlie was out of the house until dinner time, which wasn't really helpful at all.


While online shopping the other day I put approximately $130 worth of little girl clothes in the shopping cart, most of them were onesie sets and pants for "Ginua", texted Charlie we were in trouble, and then swiftly closed the window. Whew, that was a close one, I know I need to take stock of the girl clothes I have from MM, but without a doubt she pooped through 65% of her 0-3 month onesies. Those times before we knew that every diaper being a blow-out maaaaay mean that we need to up the diaper size. Ohh rookies.

Ohh also, my mom took MM to Triangle Park yesterday (Saturday) and said someone recognized MM. Come forward to collect your prize (there is no prize), but I would love to know who it was! My sweet mother pretty much only remembers the people SHE went to High School with and very little of my class, so please don't be offended!

Ok, carry on people. You have 1/2 a day of freedom left before Monday.

Gender Bender

We found out today what we're having.

I think I'll let Queen B tell it for me.

Please mom, no pictures...

Coming July 2014....

Trying hard to keep my word

So I really am going to try and keep this thing going. It's hard to get back into the habit of doing something. RIGHT?

We find out what the little teddy bear is on Wednesday. Still thinking boy... Charlie and I did the extremely scientific string and wedding band test last night, and it remained boy. So I think I should buy all of the male-oriented baby clothes in the next 36 hours (Non-Refundable, Naturally).

On Saturday my In-Laws graciously took MM for the whole night so Charlie and I could have a night to pretend we weren't parents (not-forgetting the small child holding court inside me). We stayed out until, get this 11:00 pm (!!) and went to a trendy Burger-Sushi fusion place, which you wouldn't think I would find anything to eat at, but you would be wrong, as I don't care about withholding Sushi during pregnancy.

We were excited about coming home, relaxing, watching SNL with my girl Lena Dunham as the host, until we walk into this monstrosity.

We'd gotten him that blue toy to prevent such a thing as we thought he was bored. Apparently that just made him angry, or something, because he really gave that bag of pancake mix a talking to. Lucky(?) for us he kept it all in the confines of the rug and then accompanied it with some drool which makes it impossible to remove the now batter from. I was up for a long while that night vacuuming flour, which is obviously beyond easy to eradicate from your house, and then... cleaning out the vaccuum, with -get this- another vacuum. Wild. and. crazy.

Not sure if it's needless to say or not, but his Sunday was not his finest.

He added insult to injury today when I came home to find he had also "marked" the spot with the most flour, just to turn that knife a little more.

Putting her on this ride was one of the scariest things I've ever done. 

I was running around the little circle like a crazy woman.

I know you moms of toddlers who NEVER sit still or in a chair would have been worried that their child 

would climb out and drown in the water too. 

You would, trust me.

Mary Margaret is really become a ham these days. She loves dancing and clapping to Pharrell's song "Happy".

She is working her way through singing (understanding? Doubtful) the ABC's. Mostly because we like to watch the Usher and India Arie Sesame Street versions on YouTube when it's the morning witching hours between not-late-enough-for-a-nap and not-lunch-yet time.

Her choice foods are:
Sweet Potato - "Tato"
Cheese - "Eese"
Grapes - "Apes"
More Cheese - "Mo Eese"
Pasta - "Asta" with no red sauce,
Nothing green that isn't a pea or sometimes a misplaced broccoli - "Ere Mom" ("Here Mom"as she hands it to me)
Ham - "Am"
Bread - "chicken"(?)
Yogurt or Water - "Ogut"
Milk- "Moo"
Pizza - "itza"
Oatmeal - "Ereal"
Cherrios with milk - "Ereal"

and just today... green smoothies "ooie", which she of course loved and looks like she ate a mouth full of pesto.

We go back and forth with berries and corn.

She will eat the life out of a free Moo Moo Mr. Cow from Moe's, along with queso her Aunt Allison slips her. Which she calls an "Itto" (Burrito)

She also has her first job, which she takes super seriously and talks about constantly. Fore mentioned Aunt Allison has two tiny dog-like children that she asks us to take out twice a week. Of course MM will.not.stop talking about one of them, his name is Robo and he is the constant talk of conversation starting when MM wakes and ends usually as we're brushing teeth. He is the light of MM's world.

Charlie is the wonderful loving man that he always is, and is getting groceries for us at 10:30 at night after a full days work, and then going back to work around bath time, then sent me a story for my nightmares.

Now, I was mad when Amy Poehler and Will Arnett called it spits
DON'T YOU DO THIS TO ME ELLEN!

... and apparently Brandi is a liar (I imagine it's a Real Housewife of some State/City I don't travel to)

If you're really lucky, I may bang out a post when we find out what the gender is, but... I can't promise anything. That would be twice in one week.... aaaaaaand that may be stretching it on my creativity.

You may fall asleep reading this...

Today is Fat Tuesday, so of course I am eating all the things, which you would think a norm for a 5 month pregnant lady, but I swear I'm trying to be better this time around so I won't gain ::cough cough:: 50 pounds this time. But, what can you do... right?

Among all of the other things Charlie is forcing me I'm giving up for lent, being slack about blogging is one of them. I can't say how often I'll post, but I will be more often than the record of never-times-a-week that I've been holding.

We are a leeeetle over 5 months pregnant and we're going to find out the gender of le' baby McCants next Wednesday. Honestly, I'm thinking bouy (mark that because it means FOR SURE we're having another girl) for a few different reasons, but mostly because my normally dry face has become a bonafide pizza face for the last 3 weeks.

Hmm what else have we been doing over the last 3 months since I posted last?

Honduras

Welp, I went to Honduras and made it home safely. Charlie and MM were able to survive without me for the week, with LOTS (I repeat) LOTS of help from very kind souls who I must have found a place in their big hearts to drive, drop off, watch, feed, etc them while I was gone.

As a group we were able to see 1,700 Hondurans in 5 days of clinic, and the people there were SO appreciative and came to see us with some very interesting stories many of them involving walking hours to get to us, and unfortunately some of those same walkers, not having eaten or drunken anything in hours/days.

Here is a photo montage of our trip

The "cattle truck" that most non-pregnant (I was the only one) ride for 45 minutes  both ways up a non-paved VERY rocky road. This took them (us) to clinic for everyday. The bandanas are to help prevent the mercury dust from being inhaled on the ride.

Our view on the ride up to clinic. It was rocky and horrible, but at least the view was nice.

The little cathedral that was in the town of El Corpus. One day (Wednesday?) there was a beautiful choir practice that ran for close to 2 hours with the same song.

"Es Spike", whose real name is I believe is "Spot" per Mama Tula, our wonderful host who is a firm believer than everyone should eat tortillas with every meal, washed down by a "juice" drink.

A blurry picture of everyone staying at Mama Tula's house. My main girl Callie is in the black shirt and Mama Tula is the one barely clutching the huge 6 month old baby. I believe this was the only time she held the baby because babe was (and is, I assume) a HOSS. Good for you baby, enjoy that chub.

A glimpse of the crowd of people waiting in line to see the practitioners (which I was not one of). There were 5 practitioners most days and there were SO many cute little babies. I would pick one baby out each day at STALK the family until they held still long enough for me to mumble some spanglish at them and clutch the baby for as long as the mother was courteous. Normal, right?

This isn't the whole group that came, I wanna say it was everyone but the people from Atlanta and Alabama. Or Maybe all of the people that do or used to live in North Carolina (?).

Either way, the person I hold responsible for me going on this adventure is the lady in the blue scrub top and green bottoms with brown hair. Also of note, she is my boss... so honestly, once I got started I  couldn't back out. She is also really sweet and it was fun to see her in a different environment, one where we both kinda feel horrible, but are getting a lot of of the trip.

In Comayagua, this is the oldest cathedral in the Latin America, but if you ask someone like Charlie, he would spout off that it is easily the oldest cathedral in the southern hemisphere. That thing to the left is a bell tower which would be considered a safety hazard by any American standard.

I'm sure I wasn't supposed to take pictures in here, but... you know.

These little cherubs had different faces and went around in a circle, I wanted to get a better picture but I didn't want to cross any lines and get in trouble.

I kept a journal during this trip and it was the longest I've every held one exclusively. When I got home Charlie was so interested in all of the cool and touching stories I had, but mostly I told him about every meal I ate and all of the inside jokes that Callie and I had. I'm sure he knew it was a week well spent.

Well this post turned more into a Honduras run down than intended but that lets me stall for a little while before I have to make up something else to write about.


Also, I REALLLLLY wish I'd had some pancakes today for National Pancake day.

A list of reasons I haven't been blogging (Excuses)

I know, I know... It's been a while... but in my defense there has been A LOT going on in this house..

(This is going to be a rant of me making excuses, let me just go ahead and lay that out right now.)

We had many a Thanksgiving festivity with two families that are luckily only about 1.5 hours apart.

I was FINALLY finishing up my Masters I have been working on for... wait for it... 4.5 years (note it is intended to be a 2 year degree).

I wish I could tell you it was super fulfilling to finish with all of the other students and to walk across the stage, but honestly we just went out to lunch for a semi-fancy lunch with both sides of the family and MM who had to make friends with everyone in the restaurant. Since I did the whole thing online, I didn't really know anyone I was in school with and never actually met any of the teachers in person. And the thought of bringing a toddler to a ceremony where she would need sit still for 2 hours. Nope Nope Nope. That sounded like a terrible idea.

We were spending some quality time getting these pictures made by our dear dear friend Meredith. I am kinda in love with the last picture of MM. It is SO telling of her personality. If you have met her just once, you will see that Meredith did a great job of capturing her (and us too, I guess, but I mean look at her)

Also, more than anything, when you get out of the habit (ahum, like writing blogs) things just find their way to take their place.

I mean, I would like to say that I spent all the time that I wasn't blogging being really festive and decorated the house to a T, Not the case, we went so far as to buy a 3 ft tabletop tree and put One (count it, one) string of white lights and zero ornaments on it, aaaaaaand called it a day. We made an attempt to put some water under it so it doesn't die immediately.

I am getting little sleep as in less than two weeks I am going to Honduras for 10 days on a medical mission. I'm leaving my sweet and beautiful child with Charlie for 10 days. Any and all help or company to Charlie is MORE than welcome.

There may be another reason for all of the lack of enthusiasm, and it MAY have something that's coming LATE July (let's just go ahead and assume early August per my track record). We are beyond excited and more than anything, I'm excited to get past this first trimester as it brings out The WORST in me and the most of my lack of creativity and homemaking.

Mary carrying Mary... Perfect way to start 2014.

Who wants more mouse?

I just got done shooting Mary Margaret's sweet little mouth up with some Cherry flavored Tylenol as she has a teeny 101.7 temp tonight as we were putting her to bed.

I'm going to go all hypochondriac here and say she has Hand Foot and Mouth as everyone and their sister and dog and mailman and weird co-worker's family down the street has had it this week.

She really has just been tired and had the fever along with a bit of a persistent cough.

She went down at 7:30 tonight and you can still hear here talking or quickly crying and it's 11:00 now. Really makes me want to get her our of bed and cuddle her for a while, but the other side knows that will only make things worse (it would make them worse right????)

I brought my sweet non-fevered babe into work yesterday for a Halloween party and Charlie took her in to work today with him for All Saints day. That being said you would never guess that she would come out of all that with something.

Obviously I am very crafty, just crafty enough to pick this jewel up at Costco in July.

And with this she won us (me) a bottle of wine and lots of baby-worshiping. Wild guess at who was more excited. it was me.

So aside from the potential sickness and the mousiness (my hair color included), things are going along swimmingly. If her highness is sick, one guess who would LOVE to stay home and be at her beaconed whine/want to be held/ then put down/ then whine (repeat, repeat, repeat) allllll weekend.

Also, I thought I should share this gem that Charlie sent me while I was in Chi-town last week.

Yes, that smile is mine

and also yes, we have those curly hair genes in our family

we win.