Wow. Just.... Wow.

Just when we all thought we were going to see the light...Tasks were being accomplished. Colds were at least manageable. 

Bam.

Ear infection.

Then double ear infection.

But let us bask in progress before we go there, shall we?

While Piper did not take to sleeping through drills, we have managed to work around her a bit. And considering her continued nighttime antics, neither of us wanted to push the sleep issues right now anyway.

Sleep isn't happening.

Why make it worse.

But with some planning ahead, some progress has been achieved.

And I'm not the only one totally loving our inside/outside living room. I swear it has kept what little sanity I have left, intact.

And added bonus?

She found her pens, opened the box and started drawing away one afternoon.

Awesome sauce !

Sorry folks. With how everyone feels and the fact that it's now 8:30 pm and I'm still in last nights pajamas... This is the current belly shot.

Cute, eh? Honestly with all the illness of this pregnancy I'm not nearly the size I was with Piper. I'm 9 months prego for sure, but I'm still quite agile for a 9 month pregnant Lady. Between chasing and carrying Piper and not being able to eat for most of the pregnancy- I've put on less than 1/2 of what I carried the first time. Kinda missed out on the whole pregnancy excuse to eat everything and anything. 

So ya.

Anyway. Enough about the size o' me.

The night before my birthday Piper was happy, running around - climbed her bookshelf and fell. Not too big a deal. Minimal crying. She's been pulling all kinds of fun ( please insert sarcastic tone here) antics. Running out of her room at bedtime and all through the night. Pulling the whole one more potty break, one more sip of water tricks. So this night was epic for this. I mean, crazy. She just would not settle. After 2 hours of trying (it usually takes 15 minutes) I just felt something was amiss. Was it the fall? Was it something else? After checking out the good bruse on her chin we decided to give her some pain meds. After yet another rough night the morning showed something different.

Obvious ear infection.

Okay, great - but come. on. 

Are you kidding me? 

And she was just on some high octagon antibiotics a freaking month ago.

I've been reading a lot about letting the body fight it out in an effort to strengthen the immune system. How the overuse of antibiotics are rendering them ineffective.

So I called a local, and well renowned, naturopathic doctor who specializes in pediatrics. He held my hand ( over the phone) and gave me some tips, guidance, and encouragement - to wait it out.

And that's exactly what we 'be been doing.

The first night, my birthday, Piper wouldn't eat and disappeared - putting herself to bed- before came came out.

And it went downhill from there.

Josh has continued to take the night shift and is getting a small taste of what Piper's infancy was for me. 

I think he's in awe I did it for 7 months. 

So I get the yelling and overall crazy town cranky all day and he gets the fitful sobbing all night.

We 're a team on this one for sure.

And have managed not to kill each other.

Well...at least no visible bodily harm has been done.

Do not tell him I posted this. He wanted a haircut and would not be happy this being shared. But in the moment, need of haircut or not - it shows our world right now.

She is continuously trying to sleep, but just can't settle. So she'll disappear into her room for a 5 to 10 minute cat nap.

Hey- at least she likes her room!

Poor thing. She still keeps up her pleases and thank yous when she's up for it. And on my birthday she kept saying, sorry Momma...

I realized some of the things she says and does doesn't always make it on here. She's putting 2 and 2 together a lot. It's a bit scary what comes out.

Then there are the sweet Piper-isms.

Fairy GodMuffin. She knows it's a Fairy Godmother - but most times is a GodMuffin.

Summer Time = morning time

For some time now she greets us in the morning ecstatic that it's "summer time"

Jamas = pajamas

She's talking a lot about her baby sis-tor. Not to me mind you. No, she saves the questions and philosophical mustering for her Dad in the early morning hours.

Today is day 5. Pain meds are finally working. And she's eating and drinking. Poor kid has seen my birthday cake on the counter this whole time and has gone with the flow. So while we've cut out a ton in an effort for her body to heal, I caved and shared 2 bites of cake with her. Not that I should have any. I'm still coughing up 1/2 a lung.

I tell her just a bite or two no more. "okay Momma, I understand. But it's your birthday cake. I need to sing for you."

And in the sweetest, tiniest little shy voice she sang her version of Happy Birthday to me.

 

And it was the best Birthday present, ever.

The Good The Messy And The Sick Again

Nothing like a Sunday stroll in the backyard...

Not too shabby...

But I did speak far too soon about Piper's transition last week.

She loves the house. Sighs and visibly shakes with delight.

She's not alone in that one.

Her favorite thing to do is usher anyone who comes in to, "see my baby sister's room." So to be fair, the house and a new room for a mythical new being who makes it hard for Mom to do just about anything might be the culprit. Add in that the house is far beyond put together and it's a recipe for - well - chaos.

We knew that going into it. Moving into an unfinished home with a toddler 8 months pregnant may sound crazy. But I still think it was the right move for us.

So ya. The invisible barrier around Piper's toddler bed has disappeared. 

She can't co sleep, she just doesn't sleep. But yet she won't stay in her room. So we're trying to ride it out because the poor kid is trying to figure it out and being too harsh right at this moment doesn't feel right. It started with sobs for Daddy all day, at least she's settled into realizing we all moved here.

So. First time she got up at 10 pm and was unsettled the rest of the night. Next was 2am, then 4:45, 3:30. This morning was 5:45. And I'm not talking those are one night's wake ups. Those are start of the day times for the last 5 days.

Kid normally sleeps until 7 or later.

Add in cats who are also adjusting and we've had a rough sleep week. Add in Piper and I both getting a cold/flu again and it's getting ridiculous. I'm back to coughing and I'd cry but it would start a coughing fit.

At least we 've had a few days of spring like weather.

They were followed by brutal cold winds and snow, but hey! It is CO!

To add to the chaos this week the stone work has been going in so we can set the stove. We were beyond thrilled to hear we could work something out with Mathias. He's an artist. 

He also is a Dad of 4, the youngest being his only girl, Lucy. Mathias was beyond patient with Piper's desire to help and even brought Lucy with him on a few of the days he was here. Lucy is 5 and a 1/2 and watching them play was like a glimps to a possible future. 

So the following pictures may make some of you cringe.

My point in sharing is to show those of you who seem to not grasp what I'm talking about when I say don't you dare send anything to us or I'll melt in a puddle and never forgive you. 

And also to remind myself later what we have endured.

These are not complaints. Not at all.

We created this situation by having too much stuff and by jumping the gun on moving.

I know that.

And I will also say that I adore this house. Which says a lot considering I haven't slept, I'm sick, and I can't find my socks.

So with that...

The state of one of our hall closets. Finding winter layers has been interesting.

Piper's closet. Bars and shelves will come, for now bins are my friend.

Dinning room

Master bath.

A small corner of our master closet.

My side of the room...

Josh's side of the room...

Kitchen

Food storage.

No joke.

But check this out !!

Nice, eh?

We'll get the stove in this weekend.

See the major issue is - with so much stuff and no shelving everything went into the garage.

Great, except Josh needs the garage to build anything - closet bars, shelves, the rest of the 2/3 of the kitchen...

This is the current state after a week of trying to clear it. Late into the night Josh has been trying to make sense of it - it's getting there. I feel for him. He's taking the brunt of the night time antics, he's had to get back to work - and every time he sets foot in the house he sees a huge list of things to do that he can't until he clears out this crazy town. But how do you clear it with no place to put it?

But again... We all love our house. We're excited for the babe who is a mer month from making her debut - and it will all work out. 

In the mean time no housewarming or birthday gifts needed or wanted.

New House

This is how the week started...

By Tuesday afternoon we were dust free and shined up.

By Saturday night we're still buried, but making sense of the chaos. 

Thursday the bulk of the house made it's way over in piles of ridiculousness. How can three people have so much stuff? And where to put it? And do I even want to think about the storage container still 1/2 full in the driveway?

No.

Piper handled this move 100 times better than the last one. She kept saying, " Momma, we're in the new house!"

She spent some time with Mimi and Papa while we contemplated torching the rental so we didn't have to carry another box or clean the place. 

Don't worry. We acted responsibly.

But while in the new house she seems happier. Playing and chatting while I try to find the spatula.

It's in here somewhere.

What I did find was two boxes stuffed with hand me down dresses in Piper's size and to her liking. Yahooooo!!! We are set! And between a new house and a mountain size pile of new duds Piper is in heaven!

Mimi saved us with exactly what we needed.

Food!

So now I'm trying not to push it anymore than I already have while Josh goes nutter about the state of the garage.

How are you supposed to finish building cabinets, shelves and closet storage when your table saw hides beneath several layers of random books, papers, knick nacks and a big heap of paddy whack? 

I don't know.

But for now Piper is learning to sleep through the sounds of drills and I'm enjoying my new big tub while I ride the Braxton Hicks waves. 

Oh yes, and in the middle of all this we did have about 2 seconds to acknowledge Valentines Day. 

All Most There

Almost there! With lots of help, sleepless nights and far too many details - by the end of the week we'll be sleeping in the new house.

It's a huge transition, with the reality of Momma's belly moving and growing adding to the change. But Piper is hanging in there.

She's chatting up a storm. 

She told Mimi and Papa's cat, "I'm going to brush your teeth, otherwise they'll turn black and fall out." This is NOT something I've told her.

The other morning I got her out of bed and she said, "Momma I had dreams of monsters, but then I realized something...I was only dreaming."

What we have here is Piper trying to see how fast she can run with her pants around her ankles.

There were several trials on this experiment.

In other Piper changes one day last week she woke up and decided she didn't want to wear her princess dresses. 

Ummm... What?

Ya. Not sure if they will resurface, but all week we've been challenged by what else she would wear. Hello Kitty shirts weren't exciting, no tutus - a huge HUGE love of pink. But buttons or anything that confined or restricted in any way was out.

I'm stumped and getting ready in the morning is taking far too long.

Thank Goodness for Papa!

Despite having a bout of Piper's latest cold (yes, she's sick again) he showed up

all weekend wiring away on the new house.

Piper was thrilled to help him.

As I stand at the door to the back porch I feel such gratitude for the many friends and family that have gotten us into the house in time to settle a bit before baby makes her debut. 

Lots of settling to be done, but I'll suffer the views during breaks.