catching up: april

The days really picked up some speed over the course of this last month! I've been waiting and waiting for May to finally get here and now I can't believe that it already is. I've reached 36 weeks and can officially say we'll be having a baby *this month* (due date is the 31st!) ((assuming I'm not overdue, please Lord!)).

That nesting instinct is in full force which is kind of unfortunate for Deric seeing as most of what I want to get done before the baby is some sort of house project that I can't do, like painting, spraying garden beds with weed killer, planting our gardens, cleaning out the garage, etc. He's a trooper though and is knocking things off the to do list for me. But while he does those bigger projects, I've been trying to get Jake's room pared down and organized enough to fit all of the baby's stuff. Its proving to be more challenging than expected, but we'll get there!

Some friends from church threw a baby shower for me this past weekend so we are about 90% ready for the baby now! We got the two big items we needed most--a video monitor and a carseat--plus some new baby clothes, diapers and wipes, and other paraphernalia, and what we didn't get we are more than covered for with gift cards. Much of this week for me has involved putting away and organizing all these gifts, which I am all too happy to do. Its fun to hang up all those teensy newborn-sized onesies! I've even cleaned out and restocked our diaper bag for d-day.

On the big brother front, we're way overdue for an update. Jake turns THREE next Friday and I just can't wrap my mind around it. (He asked me a few weeks ago, "How old will I be at my next cake?") He's so big in some ways and still so little in others, its a good balance. Lately he's started telling us he's "berry tired" and this morning he kept asking to lay down on me. So we compromised and he laid *next* to me while we read books. But if we're not at home, he'll tell us he's "berry" tired and try to lay down in the most ridiculous places, like in line at a restaurant or on the playground. Maybe its a growth spurt?!

Growth spurt or not, he so wants to be like his dad! I caught him trying to put his shoes on like this and he said he puts his foot on the bench because that's how Daddy puts his shoes on. :)

Jake is still the biggest helper for both me and his dad. If he sees us doing some sort of chore, he'll run at us literally yelling "Can I hay-lp you?!" (He sounds as southern as can be sometimes!) I really need to buy him a child-sized broom and vacuum because then we'd really get this house clean.

The question-asking is through the roof right now. I know kids ask a ton of questions but for some reason, lately it is just non-stop. Every answer I give is followed with "Oh why are they?" or "Oh why do they?" I do my best to answer him but seriously, sometimes I just don't know what to tell him!

^"Mom, can you tickle me?"

He's started to reference things he does or needs by saying "Boys need/want...." For example, he put his head on his shoulder the other day and said "Sometimes boys take naps on their arms." Another time I had to spank him for who knows what and after he stopped crying he said, "Boys don't like when you spank them!" Hilarious but also heart-breaking in that instance.

Deric and Jake think its just too funny right now to say that they're going to eat either dog food or goose poop. So the other night at dinner we were having cous cous for the first time in a while and I told Jake what it was called. A second later he (genuinely) asked, "Mom, do you like goose poop?" I about spit out my cous cous from laughing.

He constantly wants to play on the playground next door but when he gets there, he beelines for the swings and we can't get him to play on anything else. Deric is much more gracious and will push him for half an hour on end... but I taught him to swing on his belly. Number one parent, I know. But now he loves to "belly swing" and pretend he's a jet, or a duck, or superman. I also taught him to twist the swing so he can spin and he thinks its a pretty sweet trick.

Jake's really amping up the charm at night and spends about an hour trying to sweet talk us into laying with him for "just one minute". Or once we leave the room, he'll pitifully say "Mommy I just neeeed you." He kills me but also...no. Go to sleep. ;)

Yesterday Jake and I made a paper chain to count down the last month until the baby comes. I'm not sure he totally understands the concept but maybe as the chain gets shorter it will start to make sense. At the very least, he really enjoyed operating the stapler.

^he got "berry tired" by the end so he just handed me the strips and let me put it together

While Deric and I were on a student retreat, Jake spent the weekend with friends of ours and learned the "God is great" prayer. Since then--about a month ago-- he's prayed that prayer for dinner, bedtime, and any other time. He'll ask me to ask him if he's prayed so that he can say it again. Its cute, especially when he's got the lyrics wrong so he sings "God is good, God is great, let him thank him for our food, amen!" Add in his squinty eyes and I can't stop laughing during his prayer.


Praying for dinner from Ashley Skinner on Vimeo.

And to wrap up this surprisingly long post, a little video of the guppy song that Cana passed down to us!

I am a guppy! from Ashley Skinner on Vimeo.