One more week...

I only have one more week to blame my mothering mishaps on the fact that I am a "first-timer". Baby John Robert is "going to be taken out of my tummy by "hi doc" and we are going to "change his diapers" as of next Friday. It is scary to have no clue what Caroline understands about all this. (Although she did pull a sonogram photo out of my purse the other day and say "hi baby bruda" (Brother). Dr. Bardwell, my OBGYN, whom I highly recommend, has been the topic of many conversations around my house these days. He has earned the title "hi doc" by my 20 month old. My mama always tells her to say "HI DOC!" As soon as he enters the room at my appointments, it is "hey hi doc..I want un band-aid. Two band-aids. Thank you!" He plays along so well and Caroline even sang him her special version of Happy Birthday this week. Which is "happy bir-day doo-doo". (A little bonus...she saw a picture the other day of a distant relative of mine and thought it was "hi-doc". She squealed with delight "oh! HI DOC!!!, mommy" as she pointed at the picture. I immediately started laughing so hard I am surprised I did not go in to labor...it was a woman with a dress on. I must say though, she looks a little butch and I can see a resemblance.)
We walked into her pediatrician's office not too long ago and she immediately expected the same royal treatment and then found out you have to get two boo-boos (SHOTS) to get two band-aids. Once she discovered there were in fact two band-aids on her legs she stopped crying and thanked the nurse. Strange.
Caroline has been growing up so much the past few months. She is as busy and hysterical as ever. She is beginning to entertain herself and play pretend. I still cannot leave her unattended, even though every mom knows that is inevitable. Here are a few things she has been caught doing lately:
- Coloring her nipples yellow with a highlighter...only her nipples, it was a sight
- Climbing in the clothes dryer and trying to close the door behind her...it was a real-life game of hide and seek and I had a creepy feeling when I found her in there (I mean if you know what happened to my cat....)
- Taking off her diapers and then screaming "nakie" (naked), or better yet sticking her hand in her poop and coming to tell me she needs a "change" (I always scream like a baby "don't touch me!")
- "Painting" on baby brothers' newly painted walls with sand paper and then adding additional artwork with a pencil - about 30 minutes after daddy finished the job
- Jumping out of the bath tub like a seal and then sliding across the bathroom floor to make a dramatic escape...I know it has to hurt, I mean she just dives right out of it... the "thump and swoosh" sound is incredible (I only turn my back for a second, don't bash my mothering skills...I am now super paranoid about the wet baby, linoleum floor combo...it has only happened twice)

Caroline is full of surprises. She keeps life interesting. I never know what she is going to say or do, which is scary at times. We were at Chick-fil-A with Bo's dad (Papa) and his girlfriend Robin the other night. When we asked Caroline what color Robin's shirt was she looked at her for a second and shouted "it's boobies"! Recently, I was concerned about why she would not count past "eye" (which is not even a number), no matter how hard I tried to teach her "one, two, three", it was "two, eye, jump". Then one day she looked at me and counted to five and a few days later she looked at Bo and counted to 10. Another surprise....we took her to the park the other night and went for a walk. The next thing I know my fearless child is screaming and trying frantically to "get away from this little girl who was following her everywhere"...no matter how fast she ran her shadow followed and I have never seen her so panicked. The rest of the night she just said "bye bye shadows!".

She is also learning several songs these days. Not typical children's songs..... worship songs that her daddy sings. It is the sweetest thing in the world to hear that baby sing. Her timing and tune are actually very impressive.

Well check back soon for pictures of the latest member of our family....