Project Diego
Our tale begins on a cold day back in February of this year. Excitedly, Brett and I found out that I was pregnant and were armed and ready to receive all sorts of flak from family members for cramming another birthday in the month of November. Things didn’t work quite the way we anticipated and within a few weeks we were told the pregnancy wasn’t viable.
We left, heartbroken, but managed to become closer after this defeat. The summer months went by and we struggled with the decision on whether to try for another baby. We wanted more children, but the anxiety and “what if” questions loomed.
Ultimately, the decision came down to one factor; Cardin needed a sibling. She needed someone to grow up with. She needed a cohort to be able to rely on and cause mischief with; not just for her childhood, but for her future too. There will come a day where Brett and I will no longer be here, and I need to know that Cardin will have someone else to share childhood memories with, to carry on family traditions, to call when she needs to be bailed out. I need to know that, if Brett or I were to get sick and unable to care for ourselves, Cardin is not alone in bearing the burden of health decisions that may need to be made for us. In the end, the decision was simple and while it did not resolve the anxiety we felt, it was the right choice for her future.
Soooo…we made a compromise. We would take Cardin to Disney World and afterwards, we’d try to have another baby. Brett wasn’t fully convinced on the trip, but I felt it was important. It would be our last big adventure as a family of three and we’d be able to experience the joy of Disney through Cardin’s eyes alone. Plus it would allow us to spend quality time with her before chaos erupted in our house.
This was the plan….funny thing….life never seems to go according to plan. After we had made reservations and paid for the trip to Disney, we discovered that I was pregnant again. Thanks Karma. Your reputation as a bitch precedes you.
We waited anxiously for weeks, going for handfuls of blood tests to monitor HCG levels, and attending four ultrasounds, but we’ve made it to nearly 13 weeks.
After about 9 weeks, we told Cardin that Mommy had a baby in her tummy. She’s seen pictures and come to the ultrasounds, but she still doesn’t fully grasp the concept; she likely won’t until my belly shows. When we asked her if she’d like a brother or a sister she responded with “a girl or a chicken”. I’m really hoping its not a chicken because I fear the pecking.
Each night I come home from work, we retreat to the bedroom and listen to the baby’s heartbeat on a doppler that I purchased while I was pregnant with Cardin. First it’s mommy’s turn and then Cardin gets a chance to listen to her belly; apparently she has a penguin residing there. One night I asked her what the baby’s name should be; anticipating that she’d come back with Snow White or Belle. Instead I was surprised, she dubbed the baby Diego. Thus forth, we have referred to the baby as Project Diego. I suppose this will suffice until Brett and I decide on a name.
In the Buff
We put Cardin to bed last night about 9:30. I’d like to note that when I put her in bed then she was fully clothed but rather rambunctious. She is usually pretty good about putting herself to sleep without much assistance now; though she will read her buddies a book or talk to herself for a few minutes before she finally gives in to sleep. I help set the mood by turning on some soft music and dimming the lights. Let’s just say that she is going to be super prepared when some boy tries to put the moves on her.
After 20 minutes of discussion with her buddies, she called for me. From the other room I told her it was time for bed. This seemed to satisfy her, but another 30 minutes went by and she was still talking away. By this time Brett and I decided to head to bed, so I went in her room to check on her.
Listen Lady, I found her totally nude. NAKED. Sprawled out on her bed, having a full on conversation with her stuffed animals. Uncool kid.
I inquired about why she had disrobed and her only response was “I NEEED TO”. I informed her that jammies were required for sleeping and that she would freeze otherwise. Reluctantly, she let me redress her.
I got her settled into bed again, however, she’d only agree to lay down if I got her three specific stuffed animals….
one’s that sing….
and not soft lullabies….
Christmas music…..
To be more precise, they are animated stuffed animals of Rudolph & Frosty the Snowman. She played them repeatedly for a good 15 minutes. All the while, Brett and I are trying to fall sleep, while “Rudolph the red nose reindeer, had a very shiny nose….” & “Frosty the snowman, was a very jolly soul…” played on repeat; simultaneously.
Let me see you Jump, Jump!
Cardin loves to jump lately. On the bed, off of stairs, off a cliff….what….all her friends are doing it. The other night, Brett was laying on the floor, in parallel with with couch. Bad choice; since we are then open game for Cardin and Ninja to wail upon us with wild abandon.
Since Brett was laying alongside the couch, Cardin got the idea to jump off the couch and onto Daddy’s back. Listen Lady, this idea was completely unassisted by her mother; I claim no responsibility for her actions. She repeatedly gave him one kidney shot after another and you can see Brett shutter with each jump.
I particuarly enjoy the cherry background music that is playing while she plays WWF with Brett.
One enchanted evening
This past weekend we had Cardin’s princess themed birthday shindig. Originally, Cardin had asked that the Disney princesses be in attendance at her party. This didn’t seem like a feasible request, so I compromised with these homemade 3d paper dolls. I told Cardin that the princesses could not make it to the party, but they had sent these stunt doubles instead. She seemed rather impressed.
It took an obscene amount of time to cut out their tiny features and not lope off any extremities in the process. Gluing the bust on was such a delicate process that it required tweezers, tiny sewing scissors, and a flashlight. I felt like an 82 year old man who was putting together a ship in a bottle. The crafting gene didn’t really get passed down to me, I’m more of the “slap a sticker on it and call it a day type”, so this was quite the feat.
Cardin was more than anxious to open her gifts and with every box that was opened, more pink princess items appeared. Every gift she opened contained some reference to princesses; whether it be clothes, toys, or dress up attire. Listen Lady, I was beyond jealous.
By far, her favorite items are the dress up Snow White outfit; which includes headband, dress,
and light up shoes. Accented with a matching Snow White barbie doll. She has been inseperable to these items since the party and I practically have to pry the dress off each night just to bathe her.
We completed the evening with princess cake and homemade ice cream. Complete with a number “3” candle. After we sung her happy birthday and I gave a piece of cake to Cardin, she proceeded to only eat the whip cream frosting off the top. Excellent choice lady.
glitter, glam, and sparkle too
Yesterday was Cardin’s 3rd birthday. It is quite unbelievable that 3 years have already passed. We started with this sweet, quiet baby and she’s grown into this loud, independent little diva.
Her personality shows through more and more each
day as she makes clear what she “neeeeeeeds” from us. She’s inquisitive and smart as a whip; often recalling more details than I. Her latest “thing” is that every person have a name and I should automatically know what it is. Even strangers or people we pass in the store need names. I’ve taken to making names up now.
She’s totally taken over picking out her clothes; socks and shoes must match her outfit precisely. She plays by herself and often can be heard discussing politics and religion with her dolls and stuffed animals. She reads to her animals every night and sings in the car. She loves going to the store to browse and is hot for crafts.
She gets along well with other kids but is still very fearful of interacting with them, especially when they are bigger and louder than her; amazingly she has no problem yelling at Brett or I. She loves to hide, but doesn’t get the concept that she’s not supposed to announce her hiding spot.
Most notably she loves dresses, princesses, and anything sparkly in nature. Mani/Pedi’s are a strict part of her routine and she hates getting dirty. This is all unnatural to me. However, she adamently defends that blue is still her favorite color. Listen Lady, there is hope yet.
She’s turned into a pretty awesome little person and, though she can be frustrating, she also makes us laugh constantly. 