Musing While I Sneeze and Cough

I've had a nasty cold for three days now (just ambushed by Ursula's voice in my head, "Got that? Thrrrrree days." Chiara loves watching Ariel.) As if I weren't tired and uncomfortable enough, now there's liquid spurting from my face all day and I have more body aches and less sleep and I've been taking Tylenol for the pain in my face from being so stuffed up. I'm a sight to behold.
Have you noticed that my little fake baby widget says TWENTY THREE days left of this pregnancy? I'm so thrilled about that. It better be less than that in real life, but it's such a small number to see ... surely I can cheerfully endure to the end. :) Except that my sinus region feels like I got hit with a sledge hammer. I'm not cheerful about that. But I can deal with the waddling (hilarious, I'm sure) and the rib hits and the bladder bouncing and the itty bitty hernia that makes my belly button look like an outie.

Oh, I need to post a video of Chiara mocking me for the way I walk. :) She does this all the time. At home, at church, at stores ... just whenever she thinks of it. It is absolutely hilarious to us.

http://youtu.be/POz_ppu00ck

(It's not working for me to embed it here ... so I'll try again later. But at least for now there's a link for anxious grandparents. :))

As Eldon said last night, "I'm even more excited for Noelle to come than I was for Chiara. With Chiara I had no idea what to expect, but now I do!" Being the woman who must actually bear the child, I don't share the exact sentiment, but I am excited for another child. Really excited. I just have more fear than I had with Chiara, which puts a little damper on the giddiness. :)

Also I have not done a SINGLE belly picture. I have pictures with my belly in them, but they don't show the bump like an intentional belly bump picture would. Also they're ugly. So I need to get on that STAT ... before Noelle comes and the belly is no longer sticky-outie and cute, but sticky-outie and not cute. I'm to the point where any intentional exercise more intense than pushing a shopping cart is immediately painful ... I can't wait to be able to work out. It's weird the things we miss. Although I do wish I had a jogger trampoline, because I'd bounce on thing all the live-long day to get myself into labor. :)

Also I'm excited for that first Eldon hug without a big belly in the way. Turning sideways to get through a narrow gap. Sleeping on my stomach. Oh ... sleeping on my stomach. (Though once Noelle comes I'm sure I'll long for the days when I just slept. Period.) Snuggling Chiara on my lap. Just lots of little things. But I do feel highly feminine when I'm pregnant. Like, "I'm a sacred vessel, a life-giver, and a partner with Deity." Sometimes though, like when I'm in my sweats, grabbing milk at Walmart and I forgot my wedding ring and my face has no makeup but the smudges of mascara from the day before I don't feel so feminine. Or even very human. :)

Eldon and I just laugh and laugh about this little life we're living right now. It's about to change, but gosh we love it. We were sitting on the couch the other night, watching Chiara dance her signature lyrical jazz to our instrumental Christmas music, and I thought we'd both just perish from pure happiness. When we're old and toothless we're going to chuckle together as we long for these beautiful days. So we just try to soak it all in and smooch our little girl as often as we can.

"You kissed me, Mamma?" she'll ask me.
"Yes, Honey."
"Because you love me." It's not a question. It's a statement. :)
"Yes, my girl." And then I do it again.

In a couple weeks we'll have two little girls, and Chiara and I have been busy nesting for Noelle to come. Now when she sees things she likes at the store she doesn't ask for them for herself, she says, "Oh, that's cute for Noelle!" Usually clothes. :)

She loves to hold her hands against my belly and feel Noelle moving. "I hear Noelle!" she yelps at me with her delighted face on. "Hi, sister!"

Chiara is going to be such a darling big sister. If she loves Noelle half as much as I love Shauna we'll be just fine with this new transition. :)