Winding Down

9 weeks until Baby H is due to arrive! Of course, she could come early. You just never know. It seems like this summer flew by.

I’ve enjoyed feeling her moving around and her kicks. Her favorite spot seems to be on the far right side, just below my ribs. Last night she was there and would not move unless I laid down on my left side. I’m waiting for her to make her way back there this morning.

I’m almost disappointed that the pregnancy is winding down. I won’t miss the adverse side effects, but this is kind of like our time to bond. Once she gets here, I’m sure she will have her daddy wrapped around her finger for 18+ years.

It’s funny to even think this way, because in my early 20s I would’ve told you I was never having kids. I think I actually said those words out loud several times. LOL! I remember when my nieces and nephews would converge at my mom’s house, shortly after I got out of college. I stayed with my mom for almost 2 years, before I moved to Charlotte.

They’d get there and my nephew LJ would want to play me on the Super Nintendo…the girls would be laughing and playing…and at a certain point I would be like, “ok, Auntie is tired” and I’d go in my room and close my door. I would be like “lawd, I cannot do this life with these chaps!” LOL! Love them to death, but all this chaos is too much.

In my early 30s, I just felt like, it’s not going to happen, simply because I can’t find a dude to stick around long enough. Or, none of them seem like someone I’d want to have a kid with. Around 34 it became, ‘alright – I’m getting old.’ Then HH rolled into my life, and you know the story from there. Here we are, 3 years later, awaiting the birth of our daughter.

You just don’t know what’s in store. I see my friends and eFriends traveling and doing all this fun stuff that I thought I’d be doing at this stage in the game. That’s what I get for thinking. LOL! I look around and realize that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

Ms. Johnnie

So, I can’t remember if I mentioned it on the blog before (I know I’ve tweeted about her), but we have a neighbor named Ms. Johnnie. She is married to Mr. Bob. They live across the street from us. They are 73 and 76, respectively, and very much retired. They moved back down here from NY/NJ a few years ago.

When we came to do our walk through before the final closing on the house, Ms. Johnnie was outside to greet us.

Ms. Johnnie: are you our new neighbors?

HH: we’re trying to be!

She talked to us for about 30 minutes, telling us about the neighborhood and the neighbors. I’m usually not good with names unless I repeat it to myself several times after meeting people. I remembered her name after that conversation. She tickled me that day, chasing the geese with her broom.

Since we’ve moved in, they’ve looked out for us like we are their family. Mr. Bob is especially impressed with HH, and how he’s outside washing our cars or tending to our yard. Ms. Johnnie is always checking on me to make sure not on my feet too long or in the sun too long.

I love to hear her stories about her marriage. They’ve been married for 42 years. It seems like we have similar personalities; like I’m looking at who HH and I could be in our 70s. She fusses at Mr. Bob about the same things I fuss at HH about. LOL!

About an hour ago, I was leaving to head to the store, and she was outside sweeping. She said, “you need me to go with you?” I said, “sure!”

Now, I really did not need her to go with me, but I sensed that she wanted to go. We took a nice ride to the Ha.rris Te.eter and talked about our families. She insisted on pushing the cart, and told me to take my time.

I got a few things I needed and then I realized that I really needed some kitty litter. But y’all, I knew Ms. Johnnie was absolutely NOT here for me lifting that small box of litter in my state of pregnancy. Even if it is light and well within my control. So I left that litter right on the shelf and just laughed to myself.

On the way out of the store, she grabbed the bags out of the cart and told me not to lift a thing! She was serious, too. I grabbed a bag that had one – one – Ren.uzit freshener in it, and I swear she wanted to take it from me. LOL!

When we came back home, she insisted in bringing in groceries, but HH intercepted her. She gave me her number to call if I ever needed anything, and I put it up on the fridge.

And then, she was gone. She said she was not going to impose, and she walked it on back across the street to Mr. Bob, and her collards she left simmering on the stove with him.

We might not be kids anymore, but we still need a “village,” too. I’m glad to count Ms. Johnnie and her husband as part of ours.

Teen Tales

CH’s bedroom was the only one without a ceiling fan when we moved in. We thought that was odd, and HH went out and bought one. Then when he took the light fixture out, he realized why. The structure wasn’t there to attach it. We had to have an electrician come out to check some other things, so we had him check on the fan. He had to go up into the crawl space, but now the teen has a ceiling fan.

Which he feels the need to leave on the high setting, even when he’s not in the room.

Uh, did Duk.e Energy announce that power was free this week? No? OK, then I’mma need you to turn the fan off when you are chillin’ in other parts of the house. Thanks!

On Thursday and Friday mornings, HH works first shift, so he leaves for work around the same time CH leaves for the bus. I heard him ask the teen had he turned the fan off in his room, and I heard the teen say yes. Matter of fact, he even went back into his room before he left for the bus stop.

So, imagine my surprise & chagrin, when following instincts, I went to check his room and the damn fan was on high, just a blowin’ away at nothing?!?

Dude. Seriously? Seriously.

I am going to fight this kid!! LOL!