It's December Already?

I can't believe it'sDecember already!  It seems like it was just Spring a few days ago.  And now we're counting down the final weeks to Ciaran's arrival.

Would it sound more insane if I said I can't imagine what it will be like to have another child?  I realized tonight that I'm used to getting out a certain amount of plates, and soon we'll have another one to prepare meals for.  It's a strange feeling.  I do know that it will seem just as natural with him here, it's probably just hormonal.

So, issue number one these days is sleep.  I hadn't had a restful night's sleep in about a week.  This pregnancy has been physically uncomfortable.  So, I wake up frequently to sciatic pain, inability to breath, heartburn, etc. etc. (and my ankles are swollen!)  As I've gotten closer to my due date, I've also begun having nightmares.  From the kids taking sleeping pills to saving them from a flood, they are all high anxiety, and also wake me up.  By morning I'm left feeling drained and exhausted both physically and mentally.  Hardly recuperative.

Yesterday the doctor ordered a few nights of Ambien followed by a few nights of benadryl to try and break the cycle.  Last night worked and I slept very well.  I'm hoping after a few more nights like that, I'll begin to feel like my old self again.

Hemoglobin is still too low.  Another reason for fatigue.

Homeschooling is going.  Slowly.  Thank heaven for the Summer.  We'll get it all done and do a lot of learning.  Sometimes it's just not flowing like I want it to be.  Especially around the holidays.  Especially when I'm pregnant.

Dominic and I have discovered an online role playing game.  World of Warcraft.  I'm a human warrior, and he's a dwarf priest.  SO much fun.  We've just got to make sure that we have balance.  Being computer geeks essentially means that sometimes we have a tendency to shut the world out and retreat into them.  Lucky for us we have three very vocal reminders that there are other things to do.  Still, I'm having lots of fun defeating evil creatures and kicking butt.

As for the girls, I'm amazed at how much they are growing and changing.  Bridget's vocabulary is growing all the time.  And Piper is counting higher and knows more shapes and colors.  Along with their brother, they are keeping me both humble and grateful.  Tired.  But humble and grateful.

In cute news, Piper put a big red plaid pillow on her back earlier and announced that she was a "wady buhg" (lady bug).