Forming Habits

Well, it only took me half an hour to edit a picture from our computer, upload it to Blogger, and figure out where to put it on this blog so it doesn't take up the whole page. Yes, I am certifiably NOT knowledgeable about computers (a fact I really, truly, need to rectify, for many reasons). But enough on that.

Today J awesomely let me sleep until 9ish. My sleep patterns have been awful for the last two days, so I dutifully took my half a midwife-sanctioned sleep aid last night and promptly disappeared for almost twelve hours. I can only just now tell that it's completely worn off. Despite my sluggishness, P and I managed to: get clean, take an afternoon nap, sing songs (both of us);
read multiple stories (Machines Go to Work and To Grandmother's House We Go and Seals on the Bus are current--that is, today's--favs), clean out the pots and pans from the cupboard, build Duplo structures, organize Matchbox cars on the couch, open up the forbidden multimedia/TV stand several times, play with tennis balls in the empty back bedroom (more on that later), color, eat two afternoon snacks, go to church, clean up toys and take another shower with Daddy (trying to ward off a chest cold)--(P, not me);
read the newspaper, play with and read to P, write cards, clean the kitchen, make homemade beef vegetable soup for supper and for leftovers, do laundry, go to church and eat cupcakes (post-church, not IN church), finish up class prep and emails for tomorrow, and of course, blog (me, not P).

This blogging thing is therapeutic already -- most days I feel like a complete failure because I think I accomplish so little. Today was one of those typical days... and I see I got SOME stuff done, despite sleeping so late.* If I list all of J's accomplishments, though, he put me to shame (just a few of his feats--and I am not exaggerating: teaching his last confirmation class for the year and giving each of his confirmands individual absolution--one of his favorite times as a pastor; feeding, dressing, and changing P; preaching a sermon at our last Lenten service; prepping for Holy Week; calling scores of people to schedule visits; AND spending a few afternoon hours framing a bedroom in the basement and staining trim. Pregnancy is easy-peasy, man.

Speaking of, I'm trying to enjoy these last weeks prior to S's arrival for many reasons, one of which is knowing that I'll struggle to, say, chop an onion with any degree of planning in about a month. I remembered today making some kind of meat lover's pasta dish after P was born and distinctly thinking I felt like I was "back" to a routine (it was September; he was born in June). Maybe we'll get back to "normal" habits more easily this time. In the meantime, P is getting habituated (gotta stick to rhetorical consistency here!) to his new room, though he doesn't know it. Tomorrow we move his books and his toys in there. Next week his mattress arrives. And J and I try to keep up with the house and our lives and prep for another life-changing time. And as we've already learned, kids are anything BUT habits, anything but routine and predictable.

*And yes, I know "carrying a child at 35 weeks gestation" is an accomplishment, too. And I don't want to short S -- he's terrific already. But I often forget, despite the basketball projecting from my body and the extra weight, that he's sharing my energy, too. I have a lot of respect for moms who've done this (thank, thank, thank you for proving, billions of times over, that God built us for this special work).