I can’t believe I haven’t had the energy to post anything in 6 months. Where do I start?
I’m 34 weeks, 5 days pregnant today. 4 or 5 more weeks (or less) and I’ll have a new baby boy. Yes, boy! We are very excited. Neely and I are naming him Keelan (Gaelic, meaning small or slim) David (my brother’s middle name). I expect him to arrive at the end of July, at the latest. He’s giving me the run around right now. We do not know if he’s head down or breech, but we should know within the next week, and we’ll make a decision on how to proceed. The thought of a c-section is not something that I really want to consider, but I dislike the thought of a external version even more.
Gabby is now 6 and a half months old. She’s crawling, sitting up on her own, and even starting to pull herself up to a standing position on her own. She has one tooth on the bottom, and the second one is just starting to poke it’s way through. She’s such a joy and is mostly a happy little thing. Sarah is doing such a good job, and I really only have to nag at her once in a while.
James is good, too. He recently moved to Kentucky to live with my parents and got a job as an HVAC apprentice. He trained in HVAC in high school, so he’s got the skill, just no experience. He’s liking it so far. I’m missing him like crazy, but I really think this is a good move for him. He was in an accident in April (alcohol related) and totaled his sister’s car, was flown to shock trauma, but miraculously only had a bump on his head. Wish I could say the same for the telephone pole that he hit, but that stuff is replaceable. I do think he learned a very valuable lesson, and I’m happy with the progress he’s made emotionally since the accident.
Will just finished 6th grade. The last few weeks of school were difficult, to say the least. He ended up in two fights, suspended twice, and kicked out of English class for insubordination. He spent the last few weeks of the school year grounded. We’re not sure why he was making such poor choices, but I think there were lots of contributing factors, not the least of which is relationship with his mom. We are seeking out counseling services for him right now, because budget cuts have left the school without a counselor. He has worked with this counselor for the last two years and was making really good progress with her. I feel like this is a set back for him, but we’re going to do what we can to get him talking through his issues. He’s a really good, smart kid, and I love him dearly. I just wish I knew how to help him better.
Clayton just finished 4th grade and is looking forward to 5th. He has a girlfriend who lives around the corner and was in his class this year. He told my dad that he had kissed her. Of course, Dad teased him after that. He’s a bundle of energy and always getting himself into trouble, because he can’t keep his hands from exploring everything, even things he knows he shouldn’t be touching. He recently broke my netbook by twisting the top in the wrong direction, this just days after breaking the blinds on the back (deck) door. It’s impossible to figure him out, because if you ask him if he knew he shouldn’t touch something he knows that he shouldn’t have, but he just can’t control his impulses. All in all, he’s fun to have around though.
I’m feeling pretty frustrated with step-parenting right now. I feel like I never get a chance to enjoy them because I am constantly on their case about their behavior. I know a lot of it is not their fault, because they had so many bad habits before they moved here. I know they don’t purposely do things that annoy me, but it’s still hard because lots of their behaviors baffle me. I know this is something that I need to work on on a personal level though.
Daniel is super silly. He’s about to turn 6 and will hopefully start 1st grade this year. He’s a little behind on reading, and there was some concern that he wasn’t ready for first grade. He was the second youngest child in the school this year, his birthday just 4 days before the cut off to be able to start school. We had several meetings with his teacher and the principal about whether or not to have him repeat K or go ahead and move him up and just work with him closely this summer and over the next year to get him up to speed. As is stands right now, we are not making a decision till after he attends a 3 week summer program in July.
So that’s my update. I’m sure I left some stuff out, but I’ll be back to posting as usual. Pinkie swear.
