I Voted for Pedro

And all my wildest dreams have come true.  And I'm not talking about the whole, yeah, I've got a daughter thing.  I'm talking my husband has given me my Christmas present early.  And I'm getting a maid!  So people, starting tomorrow, every other Wednesday, I will have a clean house.  My toilets won't know what hit them and my baseboards will come to know they've long been neglected. 

I think he gave it to me, not only because I've been fantasizing about a maid for about 6 years, but also because he thinks it might reduce my freak-outs that having been coming about once every 36 hours.  And by freak out I mean one of two things--either just start crying uncontrollably in a puddle on the couch, or turn into a psycho bitch snapping at Sloan.  I think I've even done both at the same time.  Things I've freaked out about--the amount of television Henry has been watching lately, Grace's Christmas stocking and the fact that each Angel wing takes about 6 hours to make and I accidentally made two left wings, the copious amounts of laundry that seem to never get done, the fact that I'm so tired I was henpecking on 288 yesterday, the fact that Henry now cries when we drop him off at school, the fact that Henry now cries at bedtime, the fact that Henry was a wild man going nuts and almost ruined his friends Build a Bear birthday party (sorry Loren!), the fact that Henry has stopped being an adventurous eater and would now prefer either a chicken nugget or filet mignon only diet (oh! how that boy is my son), the size of the coffee table in the family room (Sloan quickly replaced it), the amount of ride on toys and bikes stored on our front porch and the fears that our neighbors soon expect an upholstered couch to appear, the amount Grace eats, the amount Grace poops, getting to church on time (and how Sloan and I seem to fight every Sunday morning because I feel rushed), the fact that my eldest nephew has to have open heart surgery in two weeks, my friend in Austin gave birth to beautiful twin girls (Welcome to the World, Ruby and Tess!) and I've made them a gift but am worried they'll outgrow the onesies and Grace's leftover newborn diapers before I get around to mailing it, the fact that two of my sister's kids are staying with us this week and Sloan still has to go out of town, the birth announcements, and the Christmas cards that came in the mail yesterday were incorrect.  I've also freaked out about the fact that I've been freaking out.  I'm trying to learn to take things off my plate--Christmas cards will be reordered and late.  Henry will get to watch TV, but I'll be sure to stop my sewing and addressing to cuddle him more on the couch.  I'm going to try to get more sleep. Because I'm pretty certain that exhaustion is a huge contibutor to the freaking out.

I think the stress of the Christmas season is adding to the stress of new baby.  I must also confess that I hate being stressed out about this stuff.  But, for better or worse, of all the Charlie Browns in the world, I seem to be the Charlie Browniest as of late.

I'm still giving myself permission to prayerfully freak out about Anderson's surgery.  Please join me in praying for my 17 year old nephew.  On Dec 21st, surgeons will rip open his chest, tear his muscles, and break his rib cage in order to correct the shape of his rib cage that has been impending his lung capacity and causing a heart murmur.  He hopes to be home by Christmas, but will be in serious pain for at least a month, and unable to play sports for at least 4 months.  Please also pray that he'll be fully healed and back in shape by next fall's soccer season.  (I know that sounds trite, but this is the boy who was All State this year and MVP in the soccer tourney and I'd hate for him to miss his Senior year.)

I've also freaked out about the things that no one tells you about having a second kid.  Remember how with the first child everyone tells you to nap when the baby naps?  You can't do that with the second child.  Or, you can, but fully expect for every train and piece of track from the train table and the contents of the trash can to be strewn about your son's bedroom floor.  And I miss the whole just sitting around staring at your baby that I had with Henry.  I want Gracie to know it is not that I don't want to hold her and stare at her, it is just that if I don't put her down soon, Henry will have removed every baby wipe from the container and will have completely undecorated the tree. 

And she doesn't want to see that freak out.