... of never being carried again

Selah is getting big enough and opinionated enough to make sure I know that carrying her brother for too long is just not acceptable. Abram is getting big enough and opinionated enough to make sure that Quinn and I know that not being able to walk anywhere and everywhere by himself is not acceptable. In a way, this is perfect. I can't really carry Abram too much and Abram doesn't want to be carried too much. In a way, this is not perfect. Abram doesn't want to be carried too much, but sometimes Abram needs to be carried (in stores, in the driveway, in parking lots, etc). He does not understand/obey well enough yet to follow directions while walking anywhere there are cars. But he doesn't understand this and insists on being put down by wiggling and squirming and thrashing about when he is being carried against his will. That means that the 20% of the time I have to carry my 22 pound almost 16 month old is made exponentially harder and less comfortable for the 32 week old squished up in my stomach.

Can we say "Strong willed Smiths"? (Or Shockleys... because that's where I think they really got it from).

We had an eventful afternoon. We had Schlotzsky's with Quinn for lunch. One thing Quinn likes about Schlotzsky's and I don't like are the pickles. They put pickles in the bag with your food and even though they are wrapped in plastic, they get pickle smell all over everything. Yuck, yuck, yuck. No pickle cravings for this pregnant lady. But Quinn loooves pickles. We gave one to Abram to see whether he was on Team Quinn or Team Anaka regarding the pickle issue. We were unable to come to a conclusion as he made the most horrific faces whenever he put it in his mouth, but he just kept putting it in his mouth.

There were much better faces than that, but this is the best one I got.

Then we went to the grocery store and, for some reason, by the end of the trip I was having some really weird baby aches and pains. I almost just sat down in the middle of Target because I was feeling so bad. But I hurried out and got Abram in the car and we just sat there awhile before I started driving home. When we got home I had to leave the groceries in the car, lay down on the couch, and let Abram run around the house. He mostly just emptied the toys out of his toy box, showed things to Obie, and made me read books to him.

Then I put him down for a nap a little early so that I could really rest. I am feeling better now, but if I have that feeling again soon, I think I'll be calling the doctor. It was strange and a little hard to explain, but not normal.

Maybe it was all that carrying of a wiggly, opinionated toddler who never wants to be carried again...

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On the Verge...

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