Wonder what he was thinking?

So I'm peacefully driving home today on the highway.  It was mid day, kind of rainy and dreary, when I glance up at my rear view mirror and there is a cop right on my ass!  It was like he appeared out of thin air...I swear he wasn't there when I looked 10 seconds before.  Oh, did I mention I was speeding?  Right.  So my stomach drops to my feet, and my heart jumps into my throat and I almost piss my pants (you see, I had to pee...I was speeding to get home faster so I could do so).  I'd never been pulled over before, and I just knew this would be my first time.  My speeding ticket cherry popping, if you will.  So I let up on the gas and allowed my car to naturally slow, waiting for him to turn on the lights and signal me to pull over.  Well, he didn't.  He passed me, and took off like a bat out of hell.  This officer was clearly on a mission and had some place to be.  I'm fairly certain that if this officer wasn't heading to somewhere specific, I'd have been his prey of the moment...then again, if he hadn't been heading somewhere specific...he probably wouldn't have caught up with me! ha.

In any case, I can't help but wonder what he was thinking when he pulled up behind me.  Was he pissed off at having to leave me be?  Unable to serve me up some bitter justice because of something more pressing.  Was he laughing to himself because I'm sure he knew he gave me a little scare?  Either way, though I sure hope he wasn't heading to a place where someone was hurt, I'm pretty happy that my bit of law breaking wasn't enough to thwart his mission.

I hate it when this happens.

My baby, 4.5mos, was such a good sleeper.  From birth, he would wake up once, sometimes twice at night, just to eat.  Every so often, he'd decide it was time to play at 3am, but it was pretty rare.  At about 1.5-2mos, he started sleeping through the night!  It meant a 6am wake up call for me, but I'm ok with that!  He slept through the night for almost a month...then the teeth happened.  For three weeks he was up all hours of the night.  Nothing would make this kid sleep longer than two hours at a stretch.  It was taxing.  Once those wee baby teefers came through, sleep came back!  He was waking up at 4am for a feeding, and back to sleep.  I'll take it!  Until it stopped, again.  Every hour or two, up and at em.

Last night, I was a little later than usual getting to bed.  I got myself all cozied up, and set out for an hour of sleep before G woke up.  But knowing he would, I tossed and turned, I kept grasping the monitor to see if it was loud enough.  I couldn't sleep because I knew I'd have to get up soon.  An hour later and he is still asleep...and I finally dozed off.  He didn't wake up.  Not until 4am, for a quick feed.  And now, at 8:30, he's still sleeping.  Oh!  Not any more...time to start the day!

I'll take what I can get

I just said goodbye to J, yet again, as he heads back to the course he's doing out of town, I'm lucky he is able to come home some weekends.  Part of the deal as an Army Wife is a lot of goodbyes.  Sometimes they're achingly hard.  Nearly every time, though, is tender.  Today certainly was, watching him with our son, trying to coax a few more smiles from him and with our girl, making jokes and the peaceful smile left on his face, brought out by her giggles.  The gentle pressure of his hand on my cheek and kiss on my forehead before wishing me luck on my next two weeks as a "married single mother".  Mostly, despite the tenderness and love shared amongst us, goodbyes suck.

But "goodbye" means "hello!".  The age old saying - "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" - holds true with every goodbye and every hello.  Whether he's been gone for a couple of days, a couple of weeks or several months, each time I get a thrill of excitement when I know he's on his way back home to us.  He is barely gone, and I miss him already.  I am already looking forward to our next hello, but until then, I'll be running around like a mad hatter.  Between school starting this week, appointments for the kids' pictures, groceries, housework and the occasional moment of rest, I'll snuggle my boy, and cuddle my girl.  Chances are one or both of them will end up in my bed every night...and I love it.  Until I have my soldier home, I'll take my few quiet moments with my beautiful children before we start the whole hello/goodbye process all over again.

Until next time...

Baby? Maybe? The anticipation is killer.

Not me!!!  My best friend, A.  Some history:  I met A when I was five years old.  I was riding my new pink two wheeler through my neighbourhood when the new neighbour mom yelled at me!  "A.......!!!!!!  Come here!"  Huh?  Me?  I'm not A.  Went on my merry way.  She came running after me and not until she saw my face, did the new neighbour mom realize that the youngster with the brown curly pigtails was not, in fact, HER youngster with brown curly pigtails.  "Oh, I have a little girl about your age...how about we go talk to your mom and you can come meet her!"  Turns out A was out gallivanting around with her older brother (4yrs my senior).  Anyway...she and I have been friends ever since.  Twenty-one years (please, don't do the math...).  A was with me when my dear N was born five years ago.  She was the most amazing labour coach - the best thing I remember about my whole labour experience, you know, until my baby was born.  She (and her family) is, in every way that matters, my family.  She is my sister, Auntie to my children.  I love her, more than I can explain.


I was about five months pregnant with G when we discovered A was expecting - I was there and read the test!  What a Christmas day that was!  While J (her J, not mine) went into a minor panic, I was filled with thrilling excitement.  My Bestie and I are pregnant together!  Wow.  I think I was more excited for her pregnancy than I was for my own!  Well now, my G is 4.5mos and my Bestie is in labour...I think.  What?  You think?  I shall explain...

A is two days overdue.  I talked to her this afternoon, when she told me she was having some minor contractions.  Last I heard, she was heading out with her Mom to do some walking in hopes of getting things moving.  I sent her a text just a bit ago to see if anything was going on...no reply!  And her sister in law has posted on Facebook that Baby A is on it's way!  So I sit here...my brain going a million miles an hour...waiting, waiting, waiting to hear some news while I bounce on my couch.  Baby A is a surprise.  I cannot wait to learn if it's a Girl A or a Boy A!  I cannot wait to meet him/her!  I cannot wait for our babies to grow up together.  The anticipation is killing me and I'm wishing my J was here, so I could take off and be at the hospital with her (if that is where she is! ha!). 

Hurry up and wait...the story of my life. 

Editing to add:  You know, last night I was thinking of what this baby would be.  From the moment we found out she was expecting, I thought for SURE it was a girl...HAS to be a girl!  It just seemed "right".  But last night it occurred to me, while writing up this blog that maybe she needs to have a boy.  We've been the best of friends, all of our lives.  My baby that is closest in age to her baby is a boy...so she needed to have a boy, for them to grow up the best of friends. (not that boys and girls can't be friends, but still).  Well Baby Boy C was born around 1am September 2!  And a big boy he is - 9lbs 7oz, 20". It might not take long for this guy to catch up with G.  Come next summer, these two boys will be rolling around in the dirt together.  I can't wait!

Goodbye summer...

I know summer isn't technically over, and judging by our weather here, you'd never think it.  But rolling into September marks the end of summer for me.  School starts for N in nine days.  Supplies are bought, new clothes are washed and put away, ready for wear.  All that is left is shoe shopping...and some groceries!


When I was young, and heading off to school each new year, the best part of it was supply shopping!  I loved it then, I love it now.  But every year, on my first day, I would have a tummy ache.  Every year, my mom made me go anyway "It's your first day of school!  It's just nerves."  Boy did that make me mad.  I know now that she was right...and soon, I'll be sending my own daughter off to school on her first day (albeit, second year), and I will be the one with the nerves.  My daughter is so excited to get back to the classroom, back to her friends and teacher.  She will walk into that school like she owns the place.  Good for her.  And me?  I'll walk back home, tears in my eyes.  Tears of joy, for the brave girl my first baby has become.  Saying goodbye to summer means saying goodbye to my "baby" and hello to my "big girl".  I'm ok with that, I guess, but I'll still have a tummy ache.