What are they thinking?!!

For those of you not residing in No. VA, let me just tell you that today is HOT... and that's an understatement. More like stifling. It's supposed to reach temps in the mid-90s with high humidity. NOT a pleasant day to be outside (though I suppose relaxing in a pool might make it bearable).  As if you couldn't figure out for yourself upon going outside that today is a good day to stay inside, the meteorologists have been encouraging people to do just that by mentioning that today is Code Orange for air quality. Translation: Stay inside, people!

Being 36-weeks pregnant, I am having no problem heeding the advice of the weathermen. Actually, I don't have to watch the news to know that today is not a good day to be outdoors; just going outside for a few minutes (like checking the mail) makes it hard for me to breathe (I know my breathing issues are compounded by a baby pushing on my lungs and other organs, but it's not all because of him). 

So imagine my surprise when I noticed several CRAZY individuals (for only those who would ignore the obvious would be out in this) out exercising in this heat! Seriously? I understand the need for exercise, but at the expense of your health? Really? See, these individuals weren't out at 7, 8, or even 9; they were out at 10:30, 11, and 12, when the sun is at its peak. The first woman I saw was out pushing her two toddlers in a stroller. Really? I mean, it's one thing to jeopardize your own health; it's another to endanger your children. Then, as Leah and I were making our way along the parkway to Manassas, we saw several more crazies. At least the mom and kids were on a relatively shaded neighborhood street; the parkway is one long, open expanse. Running or biking there leaves the individual completely exposed to the elements (this I know from experience; I completed a few training runs there several years ago while preparing for a half-marathon. I quickly learned that the hilly (and fairly shaded) neighborhood streets were better than the gradual incline of the parkway), yet there were quite a few fools trekking along the path. 

Seriously, people? Can someone explain this to me, for I see no glory in running in this heat in the middle of the day. My guess is the heat fried their brains before their feet even hit the pavement.

Psalm 103

I had planned on sharing something else today that was inspired by Psalm 103, but for whatever reason, I can't quite find the words to say it. So instead, I give you the Psalm itself. May it bring you peace, comfort, reassurance, and hope in the midst of life's craziness.

Psalm 103

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

  all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,

  and forget not all his benefits--

who forgives all your sins

  and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

  and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

  so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The LORD works righteousness

  and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

  his deeds to the people of Israel:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

  slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

  nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

  or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

  so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

  so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

  so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed, 

  he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass,

  he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

  and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

  the LORD's love is with those who fear him,

  and his righteousness with their children's children--

with those who keep his covenant

  and remember to obey his precepts.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven,

  and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the LORD, you his angels,

  you mighty ones who do his bidding,

  and who obey his word.

Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,

  you his servants who do his will.

Praise the LORD, all his works

  everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

The Wheels on the Bus

I finally managed to catch Leah singing on video. Here's her rendition of "The Wheels on the Bus" complete with hand signals. Enjoy.

Little Man Update

Our little man is scheduled to arrive in just over a month. Yikes! Where has the time gone? Initially, it felt as if time was dragging, but now I feel like his due date is right around the corner.

Hunter's birthday will be June 24 (obviously that means that Scott and I decided on a scheduled arrival), which would have been his Great-Grandpa's birthday (Grandpa died just a few days before his birthday last year, making Hunter's scheduled arrival that much more meaningful).

At this point, I'm definitely starting to feel pregnant. Not like I haven't before, but I'm now experiencing the discomfort of being 8+ months pregnant (can't get comfortable sitting on the couch in the evening; shortness of breath after walking up a flight of stairs; an achy back). I'm trying to keep all this in perspective, though; after all, I've managed to go this long without being uncomfortable, and I'm not nearly as large as I was with Leah. (Of course, that might have something to do with how I carried Leah, too. Hunter is basically all in front, whereas Leah was more spread out.)

I don't have many pregnant photos of myself (guess that's typical after the first child), but I did include one from last week when Leah and I were washing the car (yes, Leah indeed helped me). At least there you'll get an idea of what I look like 33 weeks pregnant.

Transition

As Hunter's birth-day looms ever nearer, we're slowly but surely preparing ourselves and Leah. The latest step in the transition has been moving Leah into her big girl room. So far, so good (though the little miss is playing in bed rather than napping right now).

Saturday night Leah slept in her big girl room for the first time. We talked it up that afternoon and evening so that by the time she was done with her bath, she was asking to sleep in her big girl bed. She and Scott snuggled up in bed with a couple books, and all seemed to be going well. . . until it was actually time for bed. See, Leah likes to stall (what little one doesn't?), and her usual tactic is to ask us to rock her for a bit. Unfortunately (for her), the glider stayed in Hunter's room, so rocking is no longer an option for our princess. Well, the denial was met with tears, followed by an "I wanna sleep baby brother's room". Hmmm, maybe this wasn't going to go as well as we had anticipated. Hoping to appease her (and make the first night in her new room a little less scary), Scott and I both laid down in bed with her for a little while. (Not long enough for her to fall asleep, mind you; just long enough to reassure her.)

Since then, she's been doing okay. She still has her moments where she doesn't actually want to sleep or asks to sleep in "baby brother's room", but for the most part, she likes sleeping in her new room.

Not sure about today, though; she crawled out of bed once, and I caught her standing at the gate in the doorway to her room. Last time I checked, she was still in bed, but she's been pretty talkative today. I can only hope that she'll eventually settle down and rest. If not, well, at least she's contained and content.

More Leah Stories

In an effort to preserve some of Leah's more amusing moments, I've decided to share them today. Hopefully, doing so will also remind me to save these for her enjoyment later in life.

*At the recommendation of so many friends, Scott and I purchased a super top sheet for Leah's crib. What a wonderful invention... too bad we can no longer use it. A couple weeks ago, after Leah had woken up from her nap, I went upstairs to get her. Imagine my surprise when I found Leah-- fully alert-- UNDERNEATH the top sheet.
   Me: "Leah, what are you doing?"
  Leah: "I hiding from Mommy."

Fast forward to later that evening. Scott and I peeked in on her before heading to bed, and once again, Leah was UNDERNEATH the top sheet, but this time, she was sound asleep. Needless to say, the top sheet came off that night, and hasn't been back since.

*Leah's now at the age where she wants to try to dress and undress herself. Thankfully, she doesn't undress herself too often, but she managed to do so last week. When I laid her down for her nap, she was wearing a shirt, shorts, and a diaper. About thirty minutes later, I heard her fussing, so I went up to investigate. First glance: stuffed animals and books on the floor. Second glance: are those her shorts? Third glance: Leah's sitting in the crib with her shirt stuck on her shoulders. She had managed to pull it over her head, but couldn't get it any farther, so it was more like a binding shrug than a shirt. I pulled the shirt off her, gave her a hug, and went back downstairs, leaving her to sleep in just a diaper (risky, I know).
     She finally fell asleep, and since I was upstairs for something else, I thought I'd check in on her. Low and behold a new item was on the floor: her diaper. Peering over the side of the crib was Leah, butt-naked, curled up with her legs underneath her and her bare butt in the air. Too precious (if only I had the camera with me).
  (And for those who might be wondering, no she didn't have any accidents that day. Upon waking up, she asked to go the bathroom. Then, when I picked up her diaper, I noticed it was wet. Guess she didn't want to sleep in a wet diaper.)