Kat's Visit

Remember my BFF, Kat? I've mentioned her once or twice around here. She's great. (Thus the best friend-ship.) It's also great that she's an artist/photographer and is good about taking pictures when we're together, since I'm not very good at it when she's around, for some reason. We basically did almost nothing outside of the house while she was here, ate a lot of leftovers, talked A LOT, and worked on a project for New Baby. And, because we apparently didn't get all of our words said while we were downstairs chatting everyday, we spent an inordinate amount of time texting from bedroom to bedroom after we headed up for bedtime. We're cool like that.

Kat and I have a little habit that we started when we were about 25 and hanging out for a weekend: living room fort making. Because we are very adult and grown up. I wasn't really up to it this year, but Claire got in on the action. She was very into the process, although not necessarily helpful (poor, patient Kat). She won Claire's heart through this little exercise.

And then, to ensure that Mommy could never top Kat's fort building prowess, she used fairy lights to make the inside magical. Of course, she then had to prevent Claire from pretending that she was a part of the Curious George episode about using a siphon (i.e. Claire kept trying to put the end of the light string in her mouth and pretend to suck on it, thus creating a siphon).

She also introduced Claire's new, most favorite item in her life: the sprinkle good night flashlight. It's a pink glitter lamp night light. Claire was and is mesmerized.

She also introduced this fancy pants bead kit that has provided unending entertainment ever since.

Please note: Claire has even gotten Brad to play beads on more than one occasion. It is basically the cutest thing ever.

Now, Claire thinks that Kat is HER best friend. Get in line, sister. 

I seriously have the best friends. Kat made the trip to visit me when I was about zero percent fun. My friend, Breanne, made her FOURTH annual visit to see us when I was probably less than zero percent fun about a month before Kat. She brought Claire a fabulous children's version of the game Sequence, which has provided me with another outlet for entertaining Claire whilst laying on the couch. The gift that keeps on giving (Thanks, Breanne!!). Both of these friends are so dear to me (of course, I have no pictures of Breanne's visit. I'm horrible.) I'm so very thankful for the people who keep up with me through the craziness of life.

The Fabulous Traveling Claire

Guys. The formatting for my posts recently has been wackadoodle. I am sorry about this. I've tried various fixes to very little effect. Please bear with me until I can snag some of Brad's time and have him fix everything.

I know I've mentioned that my mom and mother-in-law have been unbelievably kind and come to Durham to take care of us during this pregnancy. They've grocery shopped, made food, done laundry, entertained Claire, cleaned things, brought me stuff to my room when all I could do was lie in bed...they've been amazing.

On top of those things, my in-laws took Claire for a week back in October. They live a little over 4 hours from here (which, compared to when we lived in Boston and they lived about 16 hours away, seems kind of like they're next door neighbors) and offered to take Claire for a week- a week that ended up being incredibly busy for Brad and AWFUL for me. Brad had about one billion things to do (I barely saw him, even when he was working in the same house as me), and I had a horrific migraine almost the entire week. The timing of Claire's visit to Tennessee ended up being quite providential for us.

So off she went, and boy, did she have a grand time. She got to do all kinds of things she loves, like eat Gran's cereal out of Gran's bowl for breakfast, get Ray Ray to fly her around the house, visit with all the pets, play down at the creek, visit the Hands-on Museum, eat Mexican food, and play with Daddy's and Takia's cars from childhood. I'm pretty convinced that she thinks Mommy should be sick all the time so she can go have fun. (Um, no thank you...) I should also mention that it was on this visit that she made her infamous claim of "I don't like leaves." I don't know where she gets this stuff.

Down at the creek. One of her most favorite activities is to throw sticks into the creek down at the bottom of the Boswell property (even though her face here doesn't show her deep and abiding creek joy).

Unfortunately, it rained the first few days of her visit, rendering a creek visit impossible. Thus, Gran created a Portable Creek in the Kitchen. That Gran. I tell ya.

One of the best things we did after we moved to Durham was to buy a membership to the Museum of Life and Science. It's not just for children, but they have some INCREDIBLE children's exhibits. Members get early admission everyday, and the pass is for unlimited visits throughout the year. It's been a dream. When I'm not sick, Claire and I go once a week and play until she drops. It's awesome. Another awesome thing about our membership is that we have reciprocal membership other museums around the country...including the Hands-on Museum in Johnson City (Sci-Quest and the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville!), which we used to great effect during our Tennessee visit back in August. We had planned to send our card with Claire on her solo visit so they could use it again, but we had a little snafu with that plan. However, being the fun family members that they are, Gran and Ray Ray took her anyway. Here she is, climbing on the train table, as one does.

She could live entirely off of chips and salsa, if left to her own devices.

In addition to all of her regularly enjoyed activities, Ray Ray had the idea to visit a small nearby zoo. Claire loves animals, so obviously, this was amazing.

The end of Claire's Tennessee visit coincided with my parents' trip up from Alabama, so Brassarts met up with Boswells and made a successful child swap. Mom sent me updates from the car with funny things that Claire said. Here are two of the best:

"That truck has big pah-cohn!" Because we tend to get popcorn from the cafe when we go to Target, she heavily associates Target and popcorn. Ergo, the BIG Target emblem indicates BIG popcorn.

"That truck is missing its truck!" I guess that is the case when an 18-wheeler isn't lugging anything around. It's missing its truck. Astute observation, Claire.

A GINORMOUS thank you to my in-laws for being so willing to help us out by taking Claire for a week. It was so very generous and helpful. Thanks, also, for keeping me updated on her shenanigans, as I missed her very much.

New Baby is a...

GIRL!

I tried my hand at capturing some cute, big sister-announcing gender reveal shots. It kind of fell flat because, well, staging photoshoots with a two-year-old when you're not a professional is ridiculous. Also, I had to bribe her with hot chocolate and getting to watch Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas. Imagine if I hadn't bribed her? And, staging photos is not my thing. Let's all take a moment and recognize the following: a) there is very little in-motion blurriness b) she is looking in the direction of the camera and c) is making reasonable faces. (minor) Mom wins! Now, have a good chuckle and enjoy!

"Hmm...a present that's not real and something pink..."

"Oh, it's a pink tutu. These are my jam!" (not that anyone can tell it's a tutu because someone wouldn't hold it up correctly)

"I'm just going to keep my eyes closed, hugging the tutu, and ignoring those weird pictures of 'the baby.'"*

"Mommy said act surprised. Here's what I got for her."

"Psh. She didn't like that attempt. I'll try again."

"Gee whiz! Mommy is so high-maintenance about this surprised face. HERE YOU GO!"

"But really, tutus are mine."

"And now I'm done posing. Oooh...look at this Christmas tree."

"Yes. This is way more interesting."

So there's that. At least I made an attempt, right? 

We're definitely having another little girl (those ultrasounds are quite accurate- I asked lots of clarifying questions, and the ultrasound tech gave very satisfactory- and anatomically specific- answers). We're excited! I come from a family of two girls and really love it. I think being a girl and having a sister is awesome (looking at you, Amiee!). I think some folks might be feeling like Brad got the short end of the stick, but he's actually pretty jazzed. He really likes Claire and me and figures he'll like New Baby just as much (well, as much as he likes Claire...not as much as he likes me, obviously). 

And while I find 4D ultrasounds to be a little creepy and alien-esque, the ultrasound tech got some pretty specific facial shots like this one:

It sounds weird, but this shot looks VERY much like a shot we got of Claire at my 20-week appointment with her. Crazy. Also, how sweet is it that her hands are folded under her right cheek? That's how Claire often sleeps at night.

And this shot of her very long legs:

Ankles crossed. So ladylike. This ladylike position almost proved to cause trouble with determining girl parts or boy parts, though.

We set up times to Face Time with our parents later that day, and I was going to text the ultrasound shot as a teaser. Then, Brad reminded me that both of our dads are doctors. Neither of them work extensively with ultrasounds, but my dad (as a pediatrician) works extensively with babies and Bill (as a urologist), well, he works extensively with a very particular system of the body that is involved in the gender revealing process. They're both INCREDIBLY good at their jobs, so we decided to send the face shot instead. I got a snarky reply from my dad about that having nothing to do with gender. (Outsmarted, Daddy!) We did let them see the, ahem, telling shot over Face Time. Dad guessed correctly (exactly why we didn't send it earlier!), and Bill declined to guess. I texted the shot to Tim (brother-in-law who is graduating from medical school in the spring), and he totally got it right (nice to see that education at play).

No, we still don't have a name picked out (refer to this post for more on that). We are still talking about it (obviously) but have not landed on anything. I know that's disappointing to the masses, but alas...it's how things are. It's the season of Advent and waiting, after all. Claire wants to name the baby "Dinosaur." I have vetoed that one, funnily enough.

The baby is healthy and going strong. I'm feeling a bit better in general, which is fantastic. I'm still on quite a few medications to keep all of the sick under control, but I'm able to do more these days. Thanks to everyone who has been praying for me! It's so encouraging to feel a little more like myself.

And to close this post, here are a few candids I caught of Claire this morning after she asked if she could look at the baby (ignore the morning-time mess):

*I should mention that Claire doesn't currently have actual feelings of animosity toward the baby. She honestly doesn't really get it, so she has no feelings about it. The snarkiness in the commentary is supplied solely by me for your (and my) amusement.

Also: if the formatting of this post is wonky, I'm sorry and have NO IDEA how it got that way or how to fix it. I spent an inordinate about of time trying to fix it and then decided to stop wasting my life when there are important things to do. Like laundry. And making hot chocolate.

Going back a few weeks: Twick or Tweat!

Small fact about myself: I never went trick-or-treating growing up. We always went to the big events that our churches put on for the community, which I thought were awesome. Games, prizes, candy, friends. Who wouldn't want to do that?

Well, the church we've been going to in Durham doesn't have a Halloween event, so we decided to take Claire trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. And, boy. She fell in love. She asks me almost daily if we can go again. Apparently, two-year-olds don't get the whole Halloween-is-once-a-year concept. Bless. Here's her costume:

To make things more fun, my parents, sister, and brother-in-law were all here with us! Mom and Dad had already scheduled a trip for that weekend, Amiee decided to come for her (super quick) fall break, and Tim was staying with us while doing medical residency interviews in North Carolina. So much fun going on at the Boswell house. This should also tell you how many folks we can accommodate at one time, so please come visit!

I would also like to note that we only went to houses that had porch lights on or candy bowls on the porch. Thus, we didn't knock on one of our neighbors' door. The next day, she stopped by the house with the treats that she had intended for Claire: a children's book about North Carolina and a plate of homemade pumpkin cookies. How sweet was that?? In return, Claire made a thank you card, dressed up again, and hand delivered it. 

Amiee can always be counted on to dress up.

Claire was SO mesmerized by Amiee being a cat. She just kept looking at Amiee and meowing.

I don't know what it is about it, but I LOVE this picture.

Here's one of the few pregnancy shots you'll see of me. This was during the block of time where I would get motion sick from watching TV. That was super fun. Also, those are leopard ears/fur on my head. Just FYI.

Tim, Brad and Claire. By the way, Claire calls Tim "Takia." We're not sure where that came from, but he rolls with it.

Brassart family shot. I'm dealing with my issues of pride and vanity by not cropping myself out. Baby steps, y'all.

We also invited our buddies to join us in the trick-or-treating. After acquiring our loot, we played on the playground across the street from our neighborhood, in hopes of burning off some sugar before bedtime. Didn't really work, but it was a good idea.

Claire came away from the experience with the idea that trick-or-treating is the BEST THING EVER and that chocolate is an acceptable substitute for any food I put on her plate at mealtime. She also occasionally refers to herself as Super Claire. Oh boy...

That time I saved a name + a tip from me to you

Ok, per a request, here's the story of how I saved our potential boy's name from being eliminated from our list.

Several years ago (I'm guessing 4. We had been married almost no time, if I recall correctly.), Brad and I were visiting with his family in east Tennessee. We were gathered around a table (perhaps for a meal), discussing his aunt's newest pet acquisition: a bird. She was on the hunt for a name, and we were all giving and responding to suggestions. Background informational tidbit #1: Brad's family tends to name their pets people names that I really like and, at one point or another, may have considered as monikers for little Boswell babies. This is a very difficult pill to swallow. While the pet has a fabulous name, I no longer feel that it would be an appropriate name for any child that comes along after the pet has been established with that name. You see where I'm coming from, right? Background informational tidbit #2: Brad and I were not yet discussing actual children, but we had tossed around a few names that we liked and would one day consider for a child. We settled on no girl names, but we landed on our boy name pretty instantly. Total agreement. Solid name. Significant meaning to our lives. Done. The name was locked and loaded for any potential firstborn males.

Fast forward to the pet name conversation. After discussing suggestions for a few minutes, his aunt threw out our name as an option. THE name we would be using for our not-yet-existent, unborn child. My mind raced through all of the names that had already been eliminated from my list because of Boswell pets, and I just could not watch the PERFECT (for us) BOY NAME go to the bird (no matter how much I may like the bird). So, in a moment of awkwardness, I blurted out, "PLEASE don't name your bird that!"

Everyone looked at me in confusion. Someone said, "Don't you like it?" To which I responded, "YES! I love it. That's the problem. WE ARE NOT PREGNANT, but if we ever have a son, that's the name we've picked out. I...just think...it would be weird for there to be a pet already named that. Please don't name the bird that."

At this point, everyone kind of looked sideways and chuckled like, "Ok, silly. We won't use the name you picked out for your non-existent kid." Then, to make the moment even more significant, Brad's brother commented that he'd actually thought that he might use that name in the future, too. Y'all, can you say CLOSE CALL? Apparently, I claimed the name just in the nick of time, as quite a few folks had their eyes on it. WHEW. And, it's been kind of a joke since then that dibs have been called on the name. Not sure who gets it if we never have a boy...

Here's a tip I have for you this holiday season:

Brad and I have been using Ebates for several months now. I ran across it a while back, checked it out to see if it was legit (it is), and we installed the button on our browsers (and I added it on my phone, too). Basically, it's a digital rebate app that gives you cash back (as in, they mail you a check once a quarter. An actual check that you deposit for real cash money.) when you shop online at participating sites. Good sites, too, like Snapfish, Target, Ebay, Groupon, Macy's, Wal-Mart. There are gazillions of sites; once you install the button on your browser, whenever you go to a participating site, Ebates will alert you to what percentage rebate they'll give you (anywhere from 2%-20%), you click the button to activate it, and then you shop. Then they add the rebate to your account. Then they mail you a check. In the past 4ish months, we've gotten over $60. It's true.

Once you install it and make your first purchase of at least $25, you get $10 added to your account. If you refer friends (like I'm attempting to do right now), you also get money credited to your account. It's a really nice perk added to something I would be doing anyway. Just today, I was ordering some stuff from Snapfish. I activated Ebates (20% on Snapfish this week!) and have a little less than $10 coming my way next check. I also used it at Target (2%) and got another $.45 (sometimes it's not a lot, but hey, I did almost nothing and got a rebate, so I'll take it!). 

We've really benefited from it, so I thought I'd pass along the good news! If you're interested in giving it a whirl, HERE'S my referral code. I also added a button on my sidebar, if that's easier. Give it a try! I know it sounds like I work for them and am promoting them with my gushy-ness, but really, I've just had a great experience and want to share the love. Also, I wanted to let you know this week while a lot of Cyber Monday deals are still in play. I totally benefited from that today. 

Happy Wednesday, friends.

New Baby

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! We certainly did. I will have a post on it before too long. For now, I'll do a little pregnancy update for those interested.

Let me begin with this fact: I am extremely grateful for this baby (whose gender we will find out next week). I am so aware of the blessing that this pregnancy is,  and I do not take it lightly. I'm not immune to the pain and hurt that many of my friends are experiencing with their struggles with infertility. I think about and pray for them (you?) regularly. I am so grateful.

That being said, pregnancy is taking its toll on me. It's very similar to my pregnancy with Claire, meaning the nausea is endless, the headaches (lots of migraines this time- thanks, never-ending rain) relentless, and the low spirits ever-present. Apparently, my body is just not very good at this. I have periods of just feeling like I'm in the Pit of Despair or that the Dementors are upon me and there is no way I can produce a patronus. These moments usually come when I'm on day 3 of a migraine and my stomach thinks we're traveling on hairpin curves in the mountains- with a stomach virus. It's just hard to be upbeat in those moments. It's also easy to let my mind wander to all the worst-case scenarios of pregnancy and birth. I don't think there's anything called Pre-Partum Depression, but I go through times of feeling like I have that. Thankfully, I have Brad. He's a stud SUPERHERO, and gosh, I can't believe he married me. And my mom and mother-in-law. You should BE SO LUCKY to have them in your life. And Claire, who is a remarkably wonderful 2-year-old and loves to comfort me. THE CUTEST SWEETEST. And friends that keep calling and texting even when I only answer every 4 phone calls (KAT). And local friends who bring lunch AND put dinner in your crock pot for later (KATIE). And people who barely know me who pray for me daily. My sicky-pants life is really good, strange as that sounds.

ALSO: the past two weeks have been quite a bit better for me with fewer migraines and much more manageable nausea. YAY! (Expecto patronum, Dementors.)

Now, please note that you will not see me posting pregnancy update photos. The reason for this is vanity; I am not one of those girls who looks cute when pregnant. I gain weight everywhere, not just a cute baby bump. It's awesome (except not). Also, because of all the nausea, I only shower every few days. Go ahead and gag. I've made peace with it. I'll smile for pictures with other people, but there won't be bump pictures and I'm cool with that. I'll have other physical evidence to remind me of the pregnancy progression, I'm positive.

Speaking of physical evidence (you know, like stretch marks and scars), as of now, I'm planning to have a scheduled c-section. Claire ended up being an unplanned c-section, and while I know many people who have experienced fabulous vbac's, and I myself have done a lot and reading and thinking about it, I don't think that's the best choice for me. Brad fully supports this and agrees with the reasoning behind it. My situation with Claire was so weird, and I just CAN'T even entertain the idea of another 30-hour labor marathon...that very well may end in another c-section. Plus all the other weird things that happened last time. I've made peace with this, too. The doctors presented me with both options (the practice is extremely vbac friendly) and support my decision, so that's the plan. It causes me less anxiety, which I find to be important.

New Baby's due date is April 21, which means that a c-section will probably be a week before that. So, Claire will be about 3 and some change after her February birthday. We told her once that the baby will come sometime after her birthday. This led her little mind to believe that the baby will be bringing her (Claire) a "happy birthday cake!" We ran with it. Now, after Claire says that the baby will bring her a happy birthday cake, she says, "and I will be friends with them!" You better believe we're coming home with a cake for Claire- from the baby. Also, she wants it to be pink. Done.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do you know the gender?
A: We find out next week. Yes, we are finder-outers. The planner in me really wants to know. Plus, I don't seem to connect with the baby emotionally until I can give it a name. Maybe that's horrible, but when I feel so gross all the time, I'd like to at least like the baby as a person.

Q: Do you have a preference?

A: I tend not to answer this one. Seems dangerous.

Q: How does Claire feel about it? Does she understand?

A: She wants cake (see above). I don't think she really gets it, but I do think she will feel very dethroned once New Baby arrives. Bless us all. 

Q: Do you have names picked out?

A: For a boy, yes. We actually picked it out long before we had children, and I made something of a spectacle of myself with Brad's family in an attempt to protect it from becoming a pet's name. If you want the story, comment about it, and I'll type it up for you. For a girl, we have some that we are tossing around. However, we get mixed reactions when we share them, so we're going to start playing that one close to the vest. I guess we picked the perfect girl name with Claire and are up a creek with this one (if she's a girl). Names are hard, y'all.

Q: How does this pregnancy compare to your first one?

A: I felt kind of duped by all the people who kept telling me "each pregnancy is different." There are a few minor differences with this one (no sciatica, more migraines), but essentially, it's the same. Lots of quaking nausea, lots of headaches, lots of fatigue, unflattering weight gain. Very little productivity outside of baby-growing.

Any other questions? I'm happy to answer (unless you ask what girl's name we're looking at. Not answering that one yet.). Thank you for all of the support and love, friends. It's so appreciated.

Around here lately: September and October 2015 edition

Sorry for the dead air around here lately. My excuse this time is that I feel horrible.

The good news: Baby Boswell #2 is coming in April! Hooray!

The bad news: Pregnancy and I are, yet again, at odds with one another. I'm so very thankful for this baby and am well aware of the fact that I'm incredibly blessed to be 16 weeks completed with no serious complications. However...I feel really wretched basically 24/7. It's very demoralizing. This time around, in addition to the nonstop nausea, I'm experiencing an unbelievable number of migraines, thanks to the continually-changing barometric conditions around here. It can feel like a spiral of doom. Is that too dramatic? Claire gets to watch an unholy amount of Curious George because all I can manage to do in the mornings is curl up on the couch, use the Roku remote, and beg the Lord for relief. Praise Jesus that I have the world's best mom and mother-in-law who have each come for multiple visits to help with Claire, make food, and clean things. They probably get the credit for Claire's brain not turning to mush from too much tv consumption.

Speaking of Claire...I have some updates. Hold onto your hats- this girl is a sassafrass. 

Things heard around here lately:

While watching a video about the story of Naaman: Friend go down in da wawa. Jesus made him clean and fluffy.

After being traumatized by watching me gag and wretch over the toilet: Mommy, you be calm. You be ok.

While carrying a sack of Chick-Fil-A to me: Mommy, I bring you CHICKEN!

While laying on the couch: 
Me: Claire, do you need anything?
Claire: Nope. I not need anything. Thank you, though.

While sitting on the couch next to my feet: Oh, hey toe.

I want to play with the Treasure! (Claire's special word for tape measure)

While repeatedly shutting the door on Brad in the coat closet: It's SO FUN, Mommy!

After spilling a cup of water on the rug: Mommy, have you see a paper towel? I spilled my wawa.

I put them in the tunnels. (referring to putting her arms into the sleeves of her shirt)

While not wanting to hold hands in the parking lot: I want to hold my own hand.

While pretending her baby is sick: My baby doesn't feel like nice.

After confiscating my water bottle and Coke bottle from their place beside the couch, very authoritatively: Mommy. No Coke. No wawa.

Me: Mommy doesn't really feel good.
Claire: I'm going to kiss you!

When wanting to kiss your forehead: Can I kiss your eyebrow?

After scribbling on her MagnaDoodle and holding it up to me: STAY ON THE TRAIN AND GO TO THE ZOO! (It took me a while to figure out that she was acting out a scene from an episode of Curious George.)

While drawing on her MagnaDoodle with intense focus:
Me: What are you doing, Claire?
Claire: I'm studying German.
Note: Brad is studying German for his program. He listens to German podcasts in the car, and apparently, Claire really enjoys it and fancies herself a German scholar.

After any parent returns from a successful trip to the bathroom: Yay! You did it, Mommy!

We're working on learning the states. She's pretty articulate with most. However, North Carolina sounds like "cofa gnana" and, even better, South Carolina is "souff cofa gnana." If you follow me on Instagram, you have probably seen the video. My favorite.

While staying with my in-laws for a week (while Brad worked 80 hours and I nearly had an emotional breakdown from a 3-day migraine):
In-laws: Claire, would you like to try spinach salad?
Claire: No, thank you. I don't like leaves.

After playing with her teddy bear: Mommy, I love this bear.

While wearing her Halloween costume, which included sequined shorts:
Amiee (my sister): Claire, those are adorable!
Claire: No, they're just pants.

At bedtime:
Me: Time to pray, Claire.
Claire: You do it. I do it all day.

To Amiee who was sitting on Claire's bed during prayer time: Will you move so I can go to bed?

Can I have some cracker jackets? (Cracker Jacks)

I don't like bean soup. Probably should eat chocolate.

Starts most sentences with a 3-syllable Weeelllll...

I have very little idea to what I was referring, but I ended with:
Me: I just need to let it go.
Claire: Like Elsa.

My mom: You're my sweet girl, aren't you?
Claire: No, I'm not. I'm Claire Elizabeth Boswell.

And finally, tonight as I was correcting her for her attitude:
Me: You are getting too big for your britches.
Claire: But I want to wear them.

Just a few snippets. Although I haven't been blogging for you, I've been thinking about you and keeping a list of the funnies. I'll try to be back in a few days with some pictures and updates about this pregnancy.