Mom Dilemma: Haircuts

I'm jonesing to get my haircut.  Again.  In fact, I don't know that there's is a time where I'm not jonesing to do something with my hair... but I may treat myself to a hair overhaul for my birthday this year.  Except maybe not an extreme hair overhaul.

Why?  Two reasons.

1.)  It's difficult for me to find it within me to cut my hair short short (because if you say it twice it means something different) during the winter because I like to wear sock hats, and if a girl puts on a sock hat with short hair, she looks like a boy, and that's not the look I'm going for.  (And this year I'd be a big pregnant boy :)

 2.)  There's some kind of stigma associated with 'new' or almost 'new' moms and short hair.  For instance, when I got my haircut right after I had Bryton ( I went from this:

to this:

in about 6 weeks postpartum.)  all people talked about was how I'd went and got a mom haircut.  Grrr.  Apparently a mom haircut is a haircut that makes for a shorter amount of 'prep' work, in other words, it's easy.  Well let me go ahead and tell you, this mom haircut was NOT easy.  In fact, it took a whole lot more work than my previous straight, don't do anything with it haircut.

(By the way- you ever think maybe the reason new moms get their haircuts are because they are finally feeling like women again and not places of occupancy?  I could finally fit in old clothes again!  And the new haircut was a way to spiff it up.  I was trying to look nice, not take the easy route! Yeesh!)

So I'll be honest, I was stranded between two choices.  Just letting my hair continue to grow and putting lots of layers in it, or doing a short stacked bob similar to this one:

And knowing me and my hair fixing skills, and that people will say once again that I was going for a 'mom' haircut (does that look like a mom haircut to you?  I didn't think so... but maybe the tatoo helps. Hmm.)  Anyway, and knowing that this will be the time in my life I want to wear a sock hat for some reason, I guess I'll go with the lots of layers haircut this holiday season, and see what happens with it...

Then we'll see what happens in April :) You can count on color!

*edit:  Wow, I didn't realize that I didn't have bangs when I had Bryton.  Crazy considering I had bangs on the road... when did I let them grow back out??? Hmmm. 

26 Weeks and Counting...

It's been a long time since I've had a pregnancy blog, so I thought I'd do a quick write up.  

I'm 26 weeks today.  Crazy.  I can remember last year at this time wondering if I'd have any other children.  I can remember seeing the positive pregnancy test come back... it feels like yesterday.  And today, I'm 26 weeks.  

I thought my pregnancy with B flew by, but it now seemed so long in hind sight.  I've been wondering this time how I've "gotten so big."  Well, honey, your getting bigger because you are almost in your 3rd trimester!  Unbelievable.  

Nauseousness is long gone at this point (praise Jesus).  And we're praying it doesn't return... ever.  I'm just starting to get to that 'uncomfortable but not miserable' stage.  I've officially had to start tying my shoes sideways (annoying because you can't ever get them as tight that way), been struggling getting up the stairs to the loft (huffing and puffing, hello decreased lung function), and can only walk so fast until I'm out of breath.  My lower back has been hurting some when I sit with my feet up for any given time or when I sit on the floor for a long time to wrap Christmas presents.  It's not as easy for me to get off the floor with B now.  Not to mention, leaning over his crib to lay him down at night is getting.... interesting.  Oh, and did I mention heartburn?  Yeah. 

It sounds like a lot of complaining, but it isn't, really.  I'm thankful for these things.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to carry another child.  I'm thankful that I'm not nauseous at this point.  I'm thankful I'm not swollen (yet).  Okay, I'm not so thankful for the heartburn, but I'll live.  I'm thankful, all in all, for all of the signs that Ansley's birthday is a little bit closer.  

And next on the agenda?  Well, I go on the 13th (the day before my birthday) to do my glucose test, get my rhogam shot, and watch my epidural video.  Two needle sticks and a reminder of childbirth.  Yep, I'm getting close.  Happy birthday to me :)  

But it's good.  It really is.  We pray for Ansley often as we sit together at the dinner table at night, that God would make her strong and healthy.  Then I pray before bed, as I did and still do for Bryton, that He would reveal Himself to her early and that she'd come to love Him early.  

I'm still not sure how I'm going to handle the hair fixing and the clothes matching and the shoe buying, or the bra talk, girl drama, period stuff... but I'm already praying for God to give me that wisdom when the time comes... 

And I'm praying that Bryton will adore his sister, will look out for her, protect her, love her, and set a good example for her.  And I'm praying that she will look up to him, love him, enjoy him, and bring out the best qualities in him.  I hope that they will forever love and care for one another.  

And that's where we are.  All in all life is good.  Trying to figure out Bryton's nap time and trying this potty thing is making me a little more stressed than usual... but we realize the many blessings God has given us.  

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I Can't Concentrate...

Little things overwhelm me or steal my concentration.  I was really hoping to get blogging every day or every other again, but interestingly, Bryton has not napped (a mother's nightmare) for three days straight now.  He does not cry, and he even stays in his crib for two hours (I'm not exaggerating), but he does not sleep.  He jumps on his bed, he sings, he talks, he makes noises with his mouth, etc. etc. etc.  And the fear that this is a new trend keeps me from accomplishing much of ANYTHING. 
It's true, I cherish the afternoon free with a child sleeping.  I cherish the time to destress and get stuff done.  AND, I worry because I know two (according to our pediatrician and about every website dedicated to baby / toddler health) is way to early to give up a nap.  (Not to mention the fact that I'm already thinking about what March will be like with no big brother napping.) 
Grr... so, the mission for the rest of the week... get this nap schedule back on... somehow... I'm going to have to make him run laps before nap time... and maybe not let him sleep so late... come back nap, come back!