Downside

These are just the facts. I mainly like to post about the positive that happens in our lives. Sometimes though, I like to have a record of some of the hard things we do too, so when my kids tell me about their struggles some day I will remember that I maybe had those struggles too.

This pregnancy is by far the hardest one yet. We only have about 2 1/2 months left and I still wake up every morning feeling like I'm going to hurl. I also have the worst heartburn that has made me throw up a couple times. I have had heartburn since the very beginning of this pregnancy.

I am in a serious amount of pain most of the time. The bones through my hips feel like they're being torn apart. I have tried to be faithful about exercising like I was with my first two pregnancies, but it has been a struggle because I can barely walk. I can walk and even run in place a little, but for some reason the forward motion of a treadmill or a walk outside or in a store just about does me in. I am praying this pain will leave my body right when the baby does.

Ezra is challenging me. Big time. I love so many things about him, but I do not love taking him shopping!! He has got to be the worst shopping companion in the history of the world! He doesn't want to sit in the cart. He wants to walk. If he walks he has to stop and check everything out, sometimes knocking things off shelves, or he runs away. Those measly buckles in shopping carts can't even sort of hold him in. He can wiggle his way out of those in about two seconds. Then he usually stands up and jumps out of the cart at me. Luckily, so far, I have been able to catch him. He is either jumping out at me or sitting some crazy way which always causes those store employees concern about his safety, which they just have to mention to me, which I hate so very much.

Yesterday we went to Walmart to get some things for our upcoming trip. After wrestling with Ezra and the cart issue for far too long I found a bench for him to have a time-out. We have time-outs at home pretty much figured out, but he was not about to sit there on that bench. I put him back a million times, and then finally decided to just hold him tightly on my lap. He screamed and cried the whole time, while dozens of people walked by us and got to witness our spectacle. That did eventually work, and I think it is the method I will use in the future. He whimpered for the rest of the trip, and I was completely exhausted and frustrated by the time we got out to the pickup...which is a whole other issue!

Every time we have to get in the pickup I have to get myself pumped up for the challenge I know lies ahead. First there's the struggle of getting his shoes and coat on. A wrestle. Every time. Then I put him in and he immediately jumps to the front seat and works to avoid me for as long as possible. I can not for the life of me figure out how to handle this. I have tried lots of bribing, but it usually doesn't work. The main problem is that I need a really quick solution because I am generally in a hurry by the time we get out there.

I'm sure we will get something figured out eventually in these situations, because I know we had these sorts of issues with Darcy (Why can't I remember how we handled them?!) and she is in an extremely agreeable phase at the moment. She is our "yes child" and Ezra is our "I will never say yes to anything you ask or tell me child" at the moment.

The end.