Before the Storm

I love my parents. Last week my mom came up on Wednesday morning to help paint trim for the new house. On Thursday she went to my doctor appointment with me and then helped me straighten up my house because we were having people over. Friday morning she went home, and she took my children with her. Easy and I were meeting a friend in Houston Monday night, so I went to Baytown to get them after that. We all came home Tuesday morning.

I can't remember the last time my house was so quiet. I didn't even turn the TV on until Sunday night so Easy and I could watch our soaps together. I don't remember if the saying is the "quiet" before the storm or the "calm" before the storm. Either way it occured to me about half way through the weekend that surely that must be what I was experiencing. I spent almost two whole days in silence - speaking only on the phone and then to my Smooch when he got home after dark. It was blissful!

Now, before you go thinking I was eating bon-bons all weekend, let me assure you that a lot of work got done. I repainted two pieces of furniture that will be in Tripp's room at the new house. I (with some muscle help from Smooch) moved the children into Paris' bedroom. They will be sharing until we move. I put together the crib and got all of Vivian's linenes and clothes washed and prepared for her arrival. I packed a bin of toys and two boxes of "stuff" for Paris and Tripp's respective new rooms. And....I slept. That was my indulgence. No alarms. No chattering children at 6:40 AM to start my day. On Monday I didn't even open my eyes until 9:00 AM and then I stayed in bed another hour because I could. It was heavenly!

I also got a bit of much needed quality time with my Smooch. We went out to dinner Friday night and Saturday night. We had grown-up food and conversation. We didn't worry about getting home early or if we remembered to put up the baby gate when we went to bed. We actually choose to wait an hour for a table at the Olive Garden. Had I not been about to pass out due to hunger when we sat down to eat in a booth I wasn't sure I would fit in with this big baby in my tummy it would have seemed like the old days...before we had kids. It was wonderful!!

Then I brought my kids home. Paris got sick the afternoon we got home and ran a fever for 48 hours. Tripp is having a hard time adjusting to napping in his (Paris') room so I'm having to sit on the floor to make him stay in bed until he goes to sleep. Then Paris got well and spent all day yesterday checking to see if the rules were still the same at home. Tripp is teething I think and has been clingy and crabby. I've done more laundry than I thought I could do in an effort to not have Paris' virus make the rounds this time.

And as I'm doing all this I am constantly aware that Vivian is still sitting perfectly straight with her head in my rib cage. That is not where her head should be at this stage in the game. If she is still sitting there in a week my doctor is going to try and turn her over....from the outside. Sounds fun, huh? Chances are real that just having that procedure could reslut in bringing home baby a few weeks early.

So, it's not storming here yet, but I'd say the winds are picking up and it's starting to cloud over. I think I even felt a few sprinkles yesterday. I may have a few more calm/quiet days before the downpour starts, but I think I'm ready. My children are currently running manic through the house, my kitchen needs to be cleaned and there is still more laundry to be done. Paris insists on hugging Tripp until he screams in frustration and Cowboy (our dog) keeps giving me that look that says "can't you send them back to Baytown?" I am healthy, my family is healthy, we are building a new house, my husband brings me home Big Read Vanilla Float sodas because he loves me and life is....well, blissful, heavenly, and wonderful!