Fancy Feet, Part Deux

Some of you may remember about a year ago that I managed to barter deer meat for two free pedicures for my friend Angie and myself. After much discussion over the fact that "girl time" currently means two mommies hanging out and being interrupted constantly by our kids, not being able to finish a conversation EVER, and every phone call being pierced with crying and a million and two questions, we agreed that it was time for the yearly pedicure, aka Real Girl Time. Our friend Teresa also joined us.

Being the organized chick that I am, even knowing fully that one can just walk in for a pedicure without an appointment, I made sure to call ahead three days before our girls night to get us in their calendar. I called the place we went to last time....LA Nails.

Then the day before our appointment, I called LA Nails to tell them I had bartered deer meat before, and asked if they could use any more. The guy said, "Uh, no, we're fine." Trust me, this phone call does not get less humiliating to make the more you make it, but hey, if it ends in a free pedicure, it's worth it.

When we showed up for our appointment, I saw that they closed at 8:00 p.m., not 9:00 like I was told on the phone. Our appointment was for 7:30. They kind of gave us "that look" when we walked in, the "it's almost closing time and you have to be kidding me" look. I told them we had an appointment under Amy Cooper. They flipped through their book. Nope. No Amy Cooper here. I assured them that I had called ahead on Monday. They fit us in anyway.

Fast forward to today. I was balancing my checkbook and saw the charge for the pedicure go through. The charge to LE Nails. I knew that was not where I made the appointment. I quickly googled LE Nails, and then LA Nails. They are both on US Hwy 41, so I know I must have just assumed it was the right place. And all I can do is laugh that the people at LE Nails are not jerks for giving us dirty looks and OBVIOUSLY not writing us down in their appointment book. I am a jerk for calling the wrong place and then standing up the poor souls at LA Nails.

Not to mention that I feel for the poor guy who talked to the crazy woman on the phone who assured him that I had bartered deer meat for a free pedicure in the past and wanted to wheel and deal again. I get it. I'm a jerk...but a jerk with a very fancy pedicure.

My Stand-up Comic

So, it's kind of hard to tell jokes to four-year-olds. They don't get the plays on words so well.

Me: Abigail, why did the banana go to the doctor?
Abigail: What banana?
Me: The banana.
Abigail: I didn't tell you about a banana in my story.
Me: No, I'm asking you a joke. Why did the banana go to the doctor?
Abigail: I don't know. Why did it?
Me: Because it wasn't peeling well.
Abigail: It wasn't peeling well?
Me: You know, it sounds like feeling well, but you stay peeling, because you peel a banana.
Abigail: It didn't peel well?
Me: Right.
Abigail: Because it was dirty? It didn't peel well because it was dirty?
Me: Uh, no. It went to the doctor because it wasn't PEELING well. Like FEELING.
Abigail: Oh. (courtesy chuckle...obviously not getting it) Hey Mommy, Knock Knock.
Me: Who's there?
Abigail: Little Wolf.
Me: Little Wolf who?
Abigail: Little Wolf needed glasses so he went to the doctor. Good-bye.

Maybe we'll lay off jokes for another year or two.

He Still Is

God is God, and He is good.

If you don't like the outcome of the healthcare bill. If you do. God is God, and He is good.

If people disappoint you, whether it is someone you are close to, or your government leadership. God is God, and He is good.

If you woke up on Monday morning, and it was gray and raining outside on the second day of Spring. God is God, and He is good.

If you feel like you have days that are spinning out of control around you, or you feel like you just may have a handle on things today. God is God, and He is good.

If you are cuddling your newborn baby, or if you are not sure that baby will ever come. God is God, and He is good.

If you are struggling to pay the bills, or if you are getting by just fine, God is a great provider. God is God, and He is good.

If your life doesn't look exactly the way you thought it would at this point, or if you are perfectly content with where you are right now. God is God, and He is good.

Some days are hard. Some days aren't. Whether the sun is shining outside or it rains, whether you know what today has in store for you, or it is about to throw you for a total loop. God is God, He is on His throne, and He is good. Always.

An Acceptable Jealousy

Earlier today, I was giving Sadie a washcloth bath on the bed in my room. She hates these (as I'm assuming most babies do in the beginning), and was screaming through the entire tormenting process. Abigail was in the room with us, on standby to help out in the role of Big Sis...to grab a diaper, to hold Sadie's hands and say in her best big girl voice, "It's okay, Honey, don't cry."

I got out the baby lotion and began to rub Sadie's tiny limbs.

"Dear God, bless Sadie's feet. Let her feet be beautiful ones that carry the good news of Jesus to people who don't know Him. Thank you for Sadie's hands. Let her hands be ones that serve others. Bless Sadie's arms. Let them be outstretched to hug people who need love. Thank you for Sadie's (screaming) mouth. Let this mouth speak words of love and encouragement to the people she meets. Let it tell others that God loves them. Bless Sadie's eyes. Protect them, Lord, from looking at anything that would be harmful to her. Let her look at things that show beauty. Thank you for Sadie's mind. Protect it from anyone that would want to hurt her. Help her mind to learn new things, to have wisdom and discernment between right and wrong."

Over my prayers and Sadie's cries, I heard the unmistakable sound of Abigail starting to cry.

"Abigail, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"

"You don't pray for me. You only pray for me at naptime and bedtime. Not like that."

"Oh, honey. I do pray for you, all the time. You're right, I don't pray for you at bath time any more, because you are so big and you take baths by yourself. And then you get ready for bed by yourself. Sometimes you just don't hear the prayers I pray for you. I pray for you when I spend time talking to God and reading my Bible. I pray for you at church."

"At church? Like when you are in big church and I'm in my class?" (still crying)

"Yes. Abigail, why are you still crying?"

"I don't know! I can't stop."

I realized that, as wonderful as she has been adjusting to her new sister these last couple of weeks, we were dealing with our first case of jealousy. And this kind of jealousy, somehow seemed okay to me. She's right....she doesn't hear my prayers except for naptime and bedtime. I have always felt that we exemplified a prayerful lifestyle to Abigail...praying for our meals, praying in the car before we go somewhere, praying for friends who are sick and hurting. But today, maybe in her little bit of insecurity over this new baby, maybe in my own, I realized that she needed to hear me pray for her. Not just to sleep well. Not just to thank God for the people in our lives. Not even just to know Jesus better. But to pray God's blessing over her.

"Honey, do you want me to pray for you now?"

(Still crying) "No."

"What if I rubbed lotion on you and prayed, like I just did for Sadie. Do you want me to do that?"

"Okay."

She climbed up on the bed, still rubbing away tears in her eyes. I put the baby lotion in my hands and began to massage it onto her skin like I used to do when she was a baby.

"Dear God, thank you for my precious Abigail. Bless her feet to spread the good news about Jesus to people who don't know Him (Abigail, do you know that the Bible calls those Beautiful Feet?). Thank you for her legs. Help them to carry her to places she should be, and carry her away from places she shouldn't. Thank you for her tummy. Help it to always be full of food that is healthy and makes her grow. Thank you for her heart. Let it be a heart that is turned toward you, that is sensitive to the needs of others. Bless her hands to serve you and those around her. Help her hands to swim, clap, climb, cook, share her toys, hold good books to read. Thank you for her mouth. Help it to speak kind words to others, to speak words of obedience to Mommy and Daddy, to praise You. Lord, bless her eyes to look on things that are good and beautiful. (Honey, I'm not going to put lotion in your hair like I did Sadie's, or you'll get all greasy) Thank you for Abigail's mind. Help it to learn and grow. Help it to remember the Bible verses that she hears. Help her to be able to discern between good choices and bad ones.
Thank you, God, for Abigail. Amen."

"Mommy, you prayed a longer prayer for me than you did for Sadie."

"Well, I've known you longer. I know what to pray for you better. Mmmm, you smell good."

It can be tough adjusting to being a big sister. She has done beautifully so far. But she's right...I hope she never feels left out of her Mommy's prayers. A mommy can pray for her kids, but sometimes, they just need to hear it.

The Best I Can Do

I am going to sum up thoughts of my last week and a half in random statements, as that is pretty much how my mushy brain is working right now. Warning: Some statements may seem, to the "normal person" a tad overly dramatic. Remember, I am a hormone-laden woman. Don't judge.

Our lives now live and die by the clock. I have three hours between feeding Sadie. Actually, not true. After she is finished eating, I have about two hours and twenty-five minutes. It's amazing the list of things you are NOT able to get done in that amount of time.

Breastfeeding hurts and makes a pastor's wife want to say lots of bad words. I do remember from experience with Abigail that it will get better soon. But this week, it hurts. I pretty much cry every time she eats, and want to cry when I realize it is time for her to eat. It's a good thing she is super cute to look at.

If I could stand in a hot shower for three hours a day, with nothing but the sound of the bathroom vent and thoughts of new blogs running through my head, I would be a much more relaxed Mommy.

Sadie is actually a really good sleeper so far, and only eats during her "expected" times. I love when they tell you to "sleep when the baby sleeps" because that would mean I am sleeping 22 hours a day, so what's all the fuss about?

Abigail is wonderful with Sadie. We've still had some moments during the week, but no more than we did before Sadie came. She kisses and hugs her, and leaves her alone while she sleeps. She's a good big sis.

Today, Abigail told me, "Mommy, I'm old enough to have a cell phone. I'm pretending I'm seven." Well. So that is the going age for cell phones now, is it?

Yesterday, Abigail took her coat over to Paul and said, "Here, be a prince." She meant that he needed to help her put her coat on. If I had had my wits about me (they've been a little sparse lately), I would have said, "Oh, he IS one. A great big, awesome prince." And I would have meant it. Because he went to WalMart last night and bought me a breast pump, with not a hint of grumbling. Then he took Sadie on her first dinner date with a bottle, and gave my screaming ta-tas a rest for one feeding. And I adore him for it.

Chocolate milk....three times a day. Hey, it helps.

I forgot that even when you just changed a baby's diaper and then you hear that sound...of it being filled again....you still pick them up and kiss them and tell them "good job."

I want to do a lot more things with Abigail than I feel the energy to do right now. And that makes me sad. Of course, so do Olympics commercials about Moms.

Well, folks, she is waking up from her slumber. I see the signs that in another minute she will be letting me know it is time to drop all that I am doing. It reminds me of the Venus FlyTrap from Little Shop of Horrors...."FEED ME, SEYMOUR!" So, I am going to run and put on my make-up so that she will at least have something pretty to look at. Kiss, kiss. :)

Maybe Later

I want to blog....I really do. I've thought about many things to write about from the last week of Sadie being home. But friends, I am tired right now. So. Tired. We had a long day, and I am predicting a long night ahead of us. Sadie is sleeping well overall, but every few days, she will sleep ALL day long. That was today, which means that tonight she will feel like being awake. Which means I am going to bed instead of thinking of a thoughtful or witty blog. I want to....I really do.

Anyway, love my family of four. Just need sleep.