Spoiled!

  Rob has been doing a lot of overtime lately. A lot. The company he works for opened up a whole new area without hiring anyone to work in it. (This kind of mentality seems to be the trend for this place.) So the employees are being spread a little thin. With him gone at night and sleeping during the day, I've been the only parent/comforter/disciplinarian/play pal around here. And it wears a pregnant girl out!!! The days are usually no problem, if a little hectic. It's bedtime that's the real struggle. The boys share a room and it has been a serious problem for us. When they are alone they are fine and well behaved. When they are together... Well let's just say they don't care about any consequence for their actions! They are braver as a duo. We've had to remove every last object out of their rooms. We spank, but at bedtime, spanking doesn't do a thing. We're talking ripped up blinds, destroyed beds, books, closet doors hanging off of hinges. It takes them 2 seconds after their last spanking to find something else to tear apart. Needless to say, I'm going bald from the hair I've been pulling out of my head every evening. Right now we've secured the sliding closet doors with tension rods so they can't open them. They can't pull them off the slider, they can't get into the clothes in their closet. We have no blinds up in the window. They have no sheets or comforters or toys or books in their beds. (They have their favorite thick blankets for warmth of course.) They have absolutely NO decorations on their walls, and nothing on the floor! The only struggle we have now is them climbing up into the window (!!) and jumping to the floor, or jumping on their beds. We will soon be getting a gate long enough for their large window, so they can't climb up there. My dad is in the basement bedroom right below them, and has to be up at 4 am everyday. So the jumping has to stop. We now keep their bedroom door open, just so we can watch them. And honestly, whether mom is standing at watch or not doesn't make too much of a difference some nights either!! I have never heard of children being so stubborn and willful. They are GOOD boys in every other way! But they are devils at night.
    So this is why my title is "Spoiled". Because Rob finally had yesterday and today off. :) He put the boys to bed last night. He dealt with the wild animals until they fell asleep. I got to shower in peace. I got to sit down and relax. I got to eat a popsicle. And then he came to bed and scratched my back. This morning he got up with the boys and I slept in!! When I got up they had left to spend the morning at the play park! I am feeling a little sanity return, and a LOT of love and appreciation for my husband! This totally makes up for a failed Mother's Day. (I got no cards or flowers.) At the moment, I'm sipping a cup of coffee with music playing that is NOT silly kids songs. I made breakfast for one this morning. I'm doing laundry without interruption! I could even go to the bathroom without little fingers poking through under the door if I wanted to! The thought is surreal!

          Here's a couple of exhausted boys after a nighttime power struggle!

              
    I have a doctor appointment this afternoon. So far everything is running smoothly, except for a few too many contractions that my doc isn't too thrilled about. But her advice of getting more rest is laughable. I have one day LESS than a month until our scheduled C-section! June 21st is the day. We have convention the weekend before that... the weather is a little unpredictable then, but I'm hoping for cooler days! I'll be swollen and sweaty otherwise. My brother's wedding is the 7th of July, in MN. We'll leave here on the 2nd, and hopefully I'm nearly healed up by then. Enough for 2 days of driving anyway! Sometime in the week between having the baby and leaving for MN I have to shop for a dress for the wedding. It's not exactly possible to know what will fit me at this moment.
    Connor is in love with this baby! He always wants to 'see' her, which means I have to stop what I'm doing and lie on the couch (oh what a burden) with my shirt up a bit. Then he wraps his arms around my belly and talks to her and kisses and hugs. She always responds to Connor! There's lots of movement when he is paying attention to her. :) But now he sees her room all set up and waiting for her to occupy it, and my belly has become insufficient. He wants her to be here NOW! He wants to hold her and kiss her for real! The other day she gave him some really big kicks and I think that helped it to sink in for him that there's a BABY coming! Last time he asked to see her and I showed him my belly, he cried. :(  Max likes to kiss my belly too, but I don't think he really understands what's going on. He's just copying his big brother.
    It's hard to believe we are down to only a few weeks before our family is complete! This pregnancy has FLOWN by! It's been a crazy, hectic, productive 9 months. I think after July we will finally be able to sit down for a breath. I look forward to just watching my babies grow up. And I PRAY that this little girl isn't as stubborn as her brothers!!!!!!