Pregnancy, and My Middle Child.

Well, we are officially on the downward slope of this here pregnancy.  And while, on the one hand, I can honestly say that the time has flown by and I can hardly believe that I have only about nine weeks left...on the other hand, I have definitely felt my age this time around - right along with my body begging for mercy and scolding me almost on a daily basis saying:  "Seriously?!  You're making me do this again?!"  I'm not really sure how some of my friends have done this six, seven, eight, and nine times...

Kudos to you, girls.
This old grey mare...well, she surely ain't what she used to be.
But, we are plodding along.

Large and in charge, I am these days...

In this particular shirt, I am "affectionately" called BARNEY all the live long day.

And my middle child, especially, several times a day likes to remind me of this...with a wide selection of comments and names - both completely endearing and downright offensive, if I was of the delicate breed of women who took her loved one's comments deeply to heart.  But I'm not...for the most part - and this kid's heart is so tender, and his love is so wild, that most times I just throw my head back and laugh -- which obviously completely and totally just adds fuel to his fire.

Many an interesting conversation has taken place in our home these days as the boys are just that much older this time around and a wee bit more "worldly wise," as well, shall we say.  So.... as questions arise, we are doing our best to answer them as fully and honestly - but as age appropriately - as they need to be answered.

And then comes the fun game of explaining to them (read:  Jesse) that the whole rest of the world does not need this explanation reiterated back to them - and we can leave that up to everyone's each and individual family to cover those basics on their own.  Neither does the world need to see Mama's naked belly - as aforementioned child seemed to desire to show everyone at a wedding reception last weekend...  I must admit - I wasn't quite ready for that one, and I do believe that half of the room got just a wee bit of a show that day.....to which Daddy promptly took Jesse aside for a "man to man" discussion of what is appropriate and what is indeed.....not.....while I hightailed it to the bathroom until my face turned back to normal from its eight shades of red that my wee Hoolie had  just caused me...

I also have a rather amazing "out-y" of a belly button that tends to look like it's going to explode out of my gut long about this time in my pregnancies.  For my first two pregnancies, I was so embarrassed by it, that I actually taped it down every day.  But, this stage in my life, I am far more concerned about band-aid burns and being comfortable than I am about my looks.  It just is what it is, and most days I don't really even give it a thought.

However, this "protrusion," as of late, has also brought about a somewhat comical discussion with my middle child, that "No, this is not where Baby London will get her milk.  Although it doesn't look like it now...this is actually Mama's belly button -- much like the one you yourself have..."  He's still trying to decide if I'm telling the truth on that one or not.

And finally....

Yesterday, during a quiet conversation between Jesse and Ransom in the living room - I overheard him explaining to his baby brother exactly how the cycles and stages of life go.  I believe it went a little something like this:  "Well, okay.  It goes like this:  First, they are somewhere in Mama's huge tummy, then they turn to a baby, then to a little kid like you, and then a bigger kid like me,.....to a human, to a Grammy, and then to a grown up."

And it was in that moment that I realized the full and complete raging success that both my mothering and this school year has brought to all of us in this here household of Crazy.

My work here is done.