So yesterday was one of those pregnancy-induced meltdown moments. I was making a longer trip to visit some friends that we don’t see too often. Den usually drives, and even then it’s been a couple years since we went to their house. I had an address, but when my google navigation said “You are at your destination” and I, err, wasn’t, well, that’s when it started going hinky. I was pretty certain I was on the right road though, so I just kept driving, following the house numbers up until I got to the number I had written down. It didn’t exist. I called my SIL, but she wasn’t home to look it up for me. I saw a house that looked vaguely familiar so I pulled in, relieved. Took Kate out of the truck. Grabbed my stuff. Took about 10 steps towards the house… and then stopped. Looked at it again. No…. that is definitely NOT the right house. Back to the truck, strapped Kate back in… and she freaked out crying. we’d been in the car for 45 minutes already, and she was fine until I took her out and then put her back in. Bad mistake.

So that’s about when I started crying and called my husband. I’m stressed out, I can’t find the stupid house, and Kate is wailing in the back seat. And really I knew there was no need for freaking out, I just had to get their number from Den and call, no big deal, but it was like something in my poor little brain broke and I just wanted to start sobbing. So bizarre.

Den called his friend, who went to the end of the driveway so I could find it. 5 minutes later I’m there. Took me a little bit to get Kate calmed down, though.

The rest of the day went great. Kate was really too busy to eat much of the food, but she really had a good time playing with their 6 year old. She thought he was pretty cool with the balloon throwing and trucks and games and stuff. Plus they have a bird (in a large glass enclosure) and fish, both of which utterly mesmerized her. She was funny and charming and didn’t want to leave!

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Between going to that friend’s yesterday and going to a playgroup and Walmart today we have found enough to keep ourselves occupied. She has been a very silly goof the last couple days, apparently trying to make me forget about how naughty she can be climbing things. Well it’s working. I can’t not laugh when she’s walking around the living room staring at the ceiling and then collapsing on my leg giggling. A friend gave her a bunch of plastic play food so today’s favorite words were “GAPE!” (grape) “BaNAna!” and “Bro-kee!” (broccoli). She especially is in love with the grape bunches and sat in her chair watching TV with them and carried them around all day. It’s funny seeing how excited she is about what seems like such a simple thing. But that seems to be the way of it – the fancy toys hold her attention only so long. The simple block shape sorter, shopping cart and megabloks have seen daily use for months. And of course the books. Always the books.

She has really started shouting “MAMA!” to get my attention now, which is still cute and not yet annoying. Especially since when I look at her and say, “Yes baby?” she makes her big silly grin and laughs, which makes me just want to go straight over and tickle her. (And often I do.) She’s also started repeating “Yuv yoo” which is about the sweetest thing ever.

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The pets, on the other hand, have made the last few days extremely frustrating. The dogs have decided that barking is their only means of entertainment outdoors, so when I let them out to do their business 2 minutes later all I hear is raucous barking from the fenceline and I have to go back downstairs to cuss them out and put them back in the basement. (Something about snow… I swear they do this every time it snows.) One night the dog was sick throwing up and I had to clean puke out of his crate twice, that was super fun. Then the cat kept throwing up his dinner on the carpet (always the carpet, not the linoleum… that would be too easy).

Yesterday one of the cats got out the front door, and I just stood there waiting for a few minutes. It’s below freezing out, there’s snow and ice on the ground, and it’s a very fat, spoiled indoor cat. A minute later he came scrambling up the front steps and back into the house. He spent a good 15 minutes licking his paws. I keep telling him he doesn’t want to go out there, he keeps trying.

Then today the propane was delivered at 8:30am – which, if you know anything about me, you know is before my wake-up time. The propane truck I can ignore; the dogs barking 4 feet away from my ear at said propane truck I cannot. So then after I let the dogs out for their morning pee break one of them wouldn’t come back inside. He always comes when Den calls him, but with me he shoots me a look and walks the opposite direction. So fine, I left him outside while we went to the playgroup for an hour. I came home to find him in the FRONT yard, waiting for me. Propane delivery guy didn’t shut the goddamn gate again. I’d blame the snow, but they never EVER latch the gate (yes, we are getting pissed). Thankfully the dog was all excited to see me and ran straight in the front door and I didn’t have to go chasing him around the neighborhood.

Fun times, fun times. Now Den’s flight is majorly delayed and he doesn’t expect to get home until 2am. I’m willing to bet the dogs will start barking when he arrives, waking me and possibly Kate up as well. Yep. Should be fun…