Today at church I was asked many times, by many people, in varying degrees of politeness when this baby is going to be born and how well I am enduring my condition.
Here is a sampling of some of the comments made to me today.
"Maren, you're still pregnant!" (Honestly, how am I supposed to respond to that? Should I say "Who told you?" or "Really? I hadn't noticed." or "Well spotted, sir.")
"Maren, you're huge!"
"Maren, what are you still doing here?"
"When are you going to have that baby?" (This one was said with a rather accusatory tone, as though I am not doing my motherly duty and need to be called to repentance.)
"How are you hanging in there?" (Said with a sympathetic look and head-tilt, as though asking when my unendurable torture will be lifted from me.)
"You don't even look pregnant from behind." (Thanks for looking, Mr. Cheeky.)
"You look amazing."
"You are the cutest pregnant lady."
"Why haven't they induced you yet?"
"You look ready to pop!" (Honestly, can't people come up with something more original? How about "you look ready to combust" or "explode" or "burst" or "blow"?)
"Oh just go get cut open. It's so much easier."
So my official due date is this Wednesday, July 1. I could write a dissertation about how due dates are arbitrary and inaccurate, but I'll spare you.
Taking into consideration that I was induced with Jenny when I was more than a week overdue, I don't think James will make his debut this week. It's of course possible, but I just don't feel it happening yet.
Brent votes for 4th of July (because he's very patriotic) or the 7th (because 7-7 would be a cool birthday, and it's his dad's birthday). I don't really have a preference. I kind of don't want it to be on the 4th, because I wouldn't want my birthday to compete with a holiday, so why would I want my son's birthday to have to compete? Seriously, he's going to be the most handsome, talented, intelligent, amazing boy ever born, so I don't want something as insignificant as our freedom and independence to overshadow his birth.
I figure he'll get here when he's ready. At least, that's how I feel today. Ask me again in a few days. :)
A while back I posted about how much I love my sisters and the wonderful qualities they all have. Well, I feel compelled to do the same thing about all my sisters-in-law on the Jensen side. They are amazing women and I feel blessed to have them in my life.
Wendy . . .
is incredibly talented. She's a women with skills, let me tell you. I'm always impressed with whatever her latest project is. She sews. She quilts. She cooks. She is very musical. She is an amazing teacher. She not only home-schooled her brilliant son for several years, but she is an incredible music teacher as well. She teaches private piano lessons. She is revolutionizing the children's music in her church. She is a great mom and so good with children (her own and others). And she can kick my trash in pretty much any game. (That is, if she can convince me to play in the first place.)
Ganine . . .
is so beautiful. She mothers 5 amazing boys, all of them full of energy and rambunctiousness. She managed to take care of these children while simultaneously going through a divorce, graduating from school, and getting her RN license. Brains and talent galore. Not only did she graduate and get her license, but I believe she has record-high GPA and test scores. (Of course, that is to be expected since she is a Jensen, after all.) Ganine is a great conversationalist. She has interesting things to say and is fun to be around.
Melissa . . .
is a kindred spirit. She is tender-hearted and kind. She is one of those people who always turns the conversation around and asks about you, rather than talking about herself the whole time. She is an amazing mother. She always impresses me with the love and patience she shows her four beautiful children. Melissa will do anything she can for you and serves continuously. She keeps a beautiful home and is your all-around domestic goddess. I want to be like her when I grow up.
Becky . . .
is gorgeous. I have to admit that I don't know Becky as well as the others since she and Andrew live far away and don't attend every Jensen gathering (another Walmart opening celebration, anyone?) But the few times I have met her I was very impressed. All the children LOVE her and flock to her. I think they're attracted not only by her beauty, but by her kindness and sense of fun. I had the motherly pleasure of watching my two year old daughter return to Becky over and over for help as she was playing with a watering can recently. Becky will be a great mom when that time comes for her. Something about Becky gives me the impression that we would be great friends, if only we knew each other better. I am sad that she'll likely never live closer so I'll have that opportunity. I feel like a little kid, shyly approaching and asking "Will you be my friend?" and wanting the cool girl to like me too.
Juli . . .
is a total crack-up. Not only is she very beautiful, but she's swanky and sassy too. She is fun to be around and is full of energy. She's always ready for a good time and is up for anything. She has a great sense of adventure. She also works like a dog. She just got her RN license (woohoo!) and is close to finishing her degree. She is the most playful auntie and loves her nieces and nephews. They respond in kind with great affection. She works hard and she plays hard. That's Juli to a T.
I am so grateful to have these sisters!
I am grateful for thoughtful people who bring meals to a family that just had a baby. Making dinner is definitely not something a woman who just gave birth should have to worry about.
I think it would also be most lovely if people would do the same for a woman about to give birth. My poor husband. He works hard. He works long hours. You'd think the least I could do would be to cook him dinner.
Alas, he has to fend for himself yet again tonight. I feel guilty. But not guilty enough to actually summon the energy required to pull a meal together.
The last couple days have been challenging. I've mostly laid about feeling sorry for myself. I try not to complain too much (other than to my husband and my mother) but I just have to say that I haven't been very happy lately. My body aches, I can't get much sleep, I have very little motivation, I feel depressed, blah blah blah.
Add to that the care of a toddler. Jenny is a very good, often obedient, adorable, curious little girl. She's no different from any other toddler. She likes to explore, find things, open things, see how they work, etc.
Also totally normal is my usual reaction of *sigh* and feeling a little irritated at having to clean up another mess after having just cleaned up the last one, especially when I can't bend over easily and it's quite the challenge to get up off the floor once I'm finished scrubbing it.
So in my emotionally fragile and bodily awkward state I have had to make the conscious decision to not get upset when I find a new mess that isn't your typical toys-all-over-the-floor mess. Yesterday and today Jenny tested that resolve, and I am happy to report that my initial gut reaction was laughter rather than tears.
Yesterday's mess wasn't too bad. Jenny found a bottle of lotion (orange coloured and mango scented. What girl wouldn't be interested?) and squeezed out about half its contents and smeared it all over herself, her clothes, and the carpet.
I caught her, busted up laughing, and ran for the camera. She was very pleased with herself as you can see from the little smirk on her face.
Then this morning Jenny was watching Winnie the Pooh in the basement and I was upstairs checking my email. After a few minutes I heard her voice at the bottom of the stairs calling "Washa hands, Honey!" (She has started ending most of her sentences in "honey", and now I realize that I call her that all the time.)
I thought she was coming up the stairs, and so didn't investigate immediately. Then she stopped calling and went back to Pooh. I figured I needed to go check and then I found this..jpg)
That, my friends, is glitter glue. Don't ask me how she got it, since I store it on a very high shelf. She had got it on our tv stand and brent's tool box, ground a generous amount into the carpet, smeared some on the couch, and on the stairs. Not to mention what you can see in the picture: on her clothes, her face (including in the crease of her eyelids), her hair, and her hands.
"Washa hands, honey" indeed.
Well, again I busted up laughing and ran for the camera. She very helpfully showed me where the lid was and happily stripped off her clothes and got in the tub. This makes the fourth bath in two days.
I took my camera to the park yesterday and snapped a few pictures of my husband and daughter to try and figure out some of its features. On a bunch of the pictures I get a weird halo/aura/bright spot. Not sure what's that about. Is the camera defective or am I?
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I'm happy to have received my new camera in the mail yesterday. Now I can resume taking photos of my beautiful daughter and my soon-to-arrive son.
I'm still trying to figure out its functions, so I've been taking a bunch of pictures around the house. Here's what's going on in the Jensen household today:
Annie brought a bunch of old beanie babies over. They were destined either for a kid who could appreciate them or the trash. Jenny was thrilled. We had a fun time lining them all up and identifying all the different animals.
Here is Brent's most recent superfluous purchase (52" flatscreen, simulated surround sound system that has yet to be mounted, and a blueray player). He asked me this morning if he's going to get a Father's Day present. I told him no, but that I'd be happy to tie a big bow around his flatscreen if it made him feel better.
And here I am at 38 weeks pregnant. I just found out that Little James has turned posterior. So I'll be doing inversions and belly-lifting for the next while to see if we can get him to turn back around.
