The big sister

An only child for a few more days, Norah has been busy getting ready to be a big sister. (As a side note, she told me yesterday that she's "exhausted of this baby." Oh really? You're exhausted? I'm going to say that to you when you're nine months pregnant, jerk.) And this baby is her baby--that's what she says. "I'm having a baby," "My baby..."

Partly because I felt so guilty for spending December/January on the couch, I signed Norah up for a few too many activities this spring. Swim lessons did not go well. She wanted nothing to do with whatever the teacher was saying. The last time we went, she ended up crying on my lap at the edge of the pool. Sigh. We'll try again another time...

We had a major break through when we got her one of the Puddle Jumpers water-wing things though. Swimming is now one of her favorite things and she's kind of fearless, even swimming in the middle of Flaming Gorge with no help. 

Dance class went way better. It's perfect because it's for an hour once a week. Oh, and she got to dress up in this getup for her pictures and recital.

Getting her dance pictures taking was one of my favorite things in the history of ever. We had just got back from her Spartan race in Las Vegas, so I think she was in tough-girl picture mode. The photographer kept telling her to show him her princess smile, and she kept doing muscles and gritting her teeth. She had the whole room laughing. Here's a couple that were deemed acceptable as "princess-like" I guess.

Her class photo was a similar story. She was just too darn excited to listen to anything she was supposed to do.

And then there was her recital. She did not lack enthusiasm, but never did really learn her dance. Her performance consisted of her standing on the stage, half paying attention, half messing with her dress. But of course afterward, she danced in the stands the entire time.

Best of all, she got a trophy. Can you tell that she was just a little bit excited?

Soccer went well too. Okay, it went well in the same way that dance went well. Norah had a ton of fun but never quite got the hang of it. She was the kid picking dandelions midfield while the rest of the kids chased the ball.

She did score two goals this season. Both in the wrong goal.

And she got another trophy.

Now she's started preschool and has been riding that high for the last few weeks. She chose to bring her Rainbow Dash to show and tell yesterday and was SO excited because all the kids thought it was "so cool." 

I love her enthusiasm about life. Everything is so fun! and so amazing! and yay! She's equally exited about this baby--which I'm hoping continues to be the case.

I'm having a baby. In five days.

Poor baby number two. She's not even here yet and she's already playing second fiddle. As in, when I was pregnant with Norah, I at least attempted to have regular updates. And here I am, nine months into this pregnancy, and I'm just now writing about it.

Part of the problem, okay, the majority of the problem, is that this is what pregnancy feels like to me (except there's no way I could currently lay on my stomach):

And it's not that I'm more sick than anyone else or that there is anything in particular wrong, it's just...nope. Every day is pushing through that feeling of oh my goodness how am I supposed to do anything when all I feel like I can do is absolutely nothing?

But we have been doing things. Lots of things, actually. And it's turned out to be an amazing summer full of dance recitals, soccer, swimming, camping, boating, birthdays, friends, and family. Nic and Norah have been amazing and have dealt with my nope-ness like champs.

So instead of regular pregnancy updates, here's a succession of photos, starting when I was like five months pregnant in May at the Goldilocks bike ride:

And since this is my blog, I get to create my own reality and post only the pictures of me when I wasn't wearing basketball shorts and Nic's old work shirts, which was about 1 percent of the time.

Nic ran the 13-mile Spartan Beast on June 28. I walked the half-mile kids course with Norah because I'm tough like that.

 

Boating at Pine View for the Fourth of July.

And last week. Again, I'm tricking you by posting pictures of me in a dress. Suckers.