And Now For Something Gloriously Self-Indulgent: Stream of Conscious Monday

So.  It's been awhile.  I'm chalking it up to this weird plague I'm fighting.  I'm not exactly sick, in the lay-in-your-bed-and-moan-for-a-day-or-two sense, but I have this stupid hacking cough and feel like I could sleep for about 27 hours a day.   Other than that?  Peachy keen. Or something.

The kids have been remarkably well up til this point, too.  Shaun and Lexi(4), haven't gotten sick at all.  Caly(2), had a runny nose, got better, and then got a runny nose again.  But aside from last night, she's as perky as usual.  Sayer(1) got a runny nose and also acquired the same cough I have, but isn't remotely bothered and has more energy than the rest of us combined.

I seem to be the only one who feels moderately flattened.  As such, my waking hours sans children have been generally spent in a half-asleep stupor or bundled under the covers.

It's cold here. 7 degrees when I woke this morning.  I've completely commandeered Shaun's new fuzzy blanket.  I have no remorse.  It's fuzzy.  It's big.  It's warm.  And I'm pregnant and sort of sick.  Dibs.  

Caly took over the bed last night and got a nosebleed on my flannel sheets.  She's lucky I have a spare pair.  Not that she can help the nose bleeds, but I NEED MY FLANNEL SHEETS.

I use them year round.  I'm weird.  I don't care.

We have entered the season of preschool birthday parties.  I'm not sure what wasn't happening in the world in the spring of 2005, but we sure know a lot of new 5 year olds with birthdays in the next few weeks.  What was that word in Bambi?  Twitterpated?  Uh huh.

I'm still trying to figure out what the epic preschool birthday present would be.  I suppose it'd differ from kid to kid, but there's always those things that all kids just love.  Anyone have input?  I like giving fun presents.

Speaking of birthdays, my first baby is going to be FIVE on Thursday.  FIVE!  Eegads.  I remember things about being five.  I guess this means I have to start operating on the "she's going to remember this in therapy" side of parenting.

She's the only kid in this house with a birthday before the baby comes.  That means that for a short time, I'll have a five year old, a two year old, a one year old, and a newborn.  I'm going to throw a poopy diaper at the first person to make a smart alec remark to me about how my hands are full.

I'm ridiculously excited about this new little man.  Oh!  And we're very, very close to finalizing his name.  (I don't suppose we'll be 100% until he's born, but we're close).  The current choice is unusual like Sayer and was chosen for meaning.  We'll see.  Take a guess if you wish :)

Remarkably, Shaun and I have been able to keep our house at a level above chaos.  That's an accomplishment. Of course, considering that we've reached this milestone, we'll have the baby and possibly descend back into the world of laundry piles and dishes in the sink.  Then, in 2 years, we might have our act together again.

(But that does NOT mean another baby.  At least that's what Shaun says.  OK, I'm thinking that too).

Lex wants these for her birthday breakfast.

She's gotta twist my arm.

And now that I've dumped my brain onto the screen, I'm going to close my eyes for a few minutes.  That'll pretty much ensure Sayer wakes promptly from his nap.  Exactly as I planned.