My Little Ruby*
Well, I made it through another week!
My little peanut is still safe and sound in my (large) belly, hiccuping and kicking away. There were a few moments when I wasn’t sure if labor was starting or not, but thankfully he quieted down and has decided to stay put.
For the moment, anyway.
When I finished work last Friday my secret hope was that I would at least get a week off to be at home with Ruby and try and get myself organized. I’m already secretly hoping for another one, as I had a wonderful time with her (and I still have a billion things I want to do. *sigh*). There was a ridiculous amount of snuggling, a little shopping, a fun play date and birthday party prep!
I know Ruby’s whole little world is about to change, so we wanted to have a day just for her before her brother arrives. She doesn’t officially turn two until Valentine’s Day, but we decided to throw her party a week early, just in case “brother” comes early. I opted not to throw a big to-do like we did for her first birthday, but instead wanted to have a fun “play day” with her friends.
I spent most of last week feeling nauseous and gross, so I just tried to keep things simple. We made little loot bags, blew up some balloons, made cupcakes with pink icing and kept the menu simple: bbq hotdogs for the kids, and my homemade spicy sausage and vegetable soup for the grown ups.
The party was a little chaotic in my little house, but it was so fun. Thankfully my sister and her family came early and were a huge help, and we had everything ready when the kids arrived. We ended up having 8 kids under the age of 4 (with 8 adults in tow) and Ruby loved every second of it. I wasn’t sure if I should organize activities or games, but as I wasn’t feeling well the night before that plan went out the window. As it happened, chasing balloons turned out to be the best game of all and I think we wore all the kids out.
As I watched her pig tails fly by in a blur as she played with her friends, my heart just about melted. I am in serious denial that my small girl is turning two… I have absolutely no idea where the last two years have gone. She is so beautiful and smart, and she is so funny. The Hubster and I just about died laughing tonight as he played with her in her new princess tent that we bought for her birthday. As much as I already miss teaching, I love being home with her. She’s pretty much the best kid in the world.
(And I can say that without guilt until her brother is born, and then we’ll just have the two best kids in the world. ha)
So, I’m feeling pretty blessed tonight. Large, uncomfortable and nauseous, but blessed. My house is still a disaster from the party, my feet are so swollen that it hurts to touch them and I’m so tired that I feel like I could sleep for a week straight–but I am happy. I am so in love with my family, and I am fortunate that I am able to have the best two jobs in the world: I’m a teacher, and I’m a mother to a pretty amazing little (almost) two year old.
Life is good.
