Complex personalities of the toddller

Since I haven't done much blogging for the past year, I thought I'd record something here about Lacey's personality. Perhaps that would make my post about the Target pictures make more sense.

These were taken at her uncle Dallin's 12th birthday party in January.

Observation one: The need for constant attention and a mommy escort. Mommy, you must do everything with me! Sit right next to me to watch Barney, swing with me, swim in the miniscule baby pool with me, whatever it is.
Observation 2: Mom, I must have cake!!! And candy. And especially gum! What motivates a kid to chew up and swallow piece after piece of speriment gum. What makes it so good? And her 2 year obsession with fruit snacks. I had to ban them from the house. She would ask for a "Nack" at every meal.

Observation 3: She must be heard! She will use her outside voice 99% of the time. She will yell for whatever thing she wants and she will do it ALL day long. Our favorite is lately when she is with her good friend Olivia and she's playing nicely with her. There's mild-tempered Olivia and Lacey with her Stalin-esque demands. "LIBIA! LIBIA." Telling her what to do. And every time, I kid you not, every time she says her name I think of the country and its dictator Kaddafi. And then I think it's ironic that she is acting like a dictator. Is that the nerdy history teacher in me?

She will always probably be obsessed with swinging. Since the tender age of one. You will see ber married someday with an adult-size sing set in her back yard, and there she will be, swinging away.

This was immediately following my brother Shawn pummeling me in the forehead with a tennis ball on accident. Yes, folks, he did aim that well on accident.

If you observe closely you will see the red mark.

Now, a positive note. The title mentioned "personalities". That's because I am constantly amazed at the Jekyl and Hyde shifts of Lacey. Despite some of the difficult things mentioned above, there are so many things I love about her. She gives the BEST hugs. She says "i love you." She kisses my owies. She tells me, "You good girl." And also, "You big girl." (Which I think she thinks is a compliment because I have said it to her. Later we'll explain that's not nice to say to Mommy) She laughs and laughs at her own jokes. And she has this low deep voice she talks to me in and it's our little inside joke. She also growls at you a request when you're not responding to the first time. So there you have it. Many reasons to love my multiple personality, high maintenance child.

And since I'm on here now and who knows when I'll get my pregnant rear-end back on the blog. Let me make a few observations about how I'm feeling at Week 26. Well, you look at yourself in the shower and think, "I'm going to get bigger for 3 more months??? Look at this large basketball!! How am I going to walk around when it grows???

I get out of breath walking up the stairs in my house. So if you ever call me on the phone, I'll most likely huff and puff. PS, watching a 2 year old and being pregnant is a lot more tiring than teaching 150 high school kids like last time.

Did I mention I was excited?? I am!! I am cherishing the tiny tennis shoes my boy will wear that my sister-in-law gave us. I am excited for the little soft baby head on my shoulder. I'm excited to dress him up in a Santa suit for Christmas.

I'm excited for the next meal I will eat because I'm ALWAYs hungry and this time around, any treats is the desire of my heart. Different than last time. Bring on the brownies, icecream, candy bars. Bring on the 50 pounds I will gain! Uh oh. But for real, the doctor kind of lectured me that I was gaining a little fast last time and told me what foods to avoid such as "liquid calories, junk food, etc."

I promptly increased my intake of fruit juice and chocolate bars. Who wants to be a conformist, anyway?? Please stay tuned for future post when I complain about weight I need to lose.

The pictures coupons can take

So I found these coupons for a free portrait sitting at Target, plus a whole package of prints for $7.99 and I just couldn't pass it up. For people who have been around me the last 2 weeks, I discussed this and how worried I was about doing it. I had several "master plans", if you will. One was bringing Lacey's friend McKell with us to "show her how it's done." McKell's mom Rachel is always up for photo shoots. :) Plan B was bringing Cameron in a clown suit. Ok. minus the clown suit but Cameron can be quite entertaining for Lacey.

Neither plan worked out so I set out to do it alone. The appointment was for 11:20 which I had deemed in my head to be a potentially disastrous, hungry time for Lacey. I tried to be very pleasant to her all morning. I tricked her into putting her dress on. Then I came up with the idea to curl her hair as she ate a bowl of powdered parmasan cheese in the high chair. You see, Lacey has inherited my obsession with cheese. This worked swimmingly.

Next, I gave her candy on the way to Target. Yes, all you moms out there I do use junk food to bribe my kid. We stopped at Taco Bell on the way. Yes, for more CHEESE in the form of cheese roll-ups. This was science, people! Her tummy needed to be full! I have learned that food Lacey's currency.

Nervous as I was for the 11:20 event to start right on time, the photographer was finishing up the previous baby for another 20 minutes! My eyes shot daggers at her! (without her seeing of course) Inside I panicked. " This mood will not last!!!" (I screamed that inside my head.)

So I forgot these photos upload in reverse order, so I guess I'll narrate them that way. This, we think, is the best shot. I had to bring out the tickle monster to get it. I have many regrets about not making it the package picture because of her hand sticking there.
The package pic. How we got her to pose so professonally, I don't know! She would only hold still for about 1 second at a time. Most of the tmie I was sitting next to her and had to run out of the way.

When she was standing, you bet your bottom dollar she was running in circles and would not stand on the red light. I have to give props to the lady for getting any still shots.

This one is at the beginning. You observe the subject seems unsure, timid, if you will. But underneath that shy facade is a firework ready to burst out any second and smack her daddy in the face.

You gotta love the cute, laying down pose. She held still for half a second and I'm flabbergasted that her legs are crossed so nicely.

Can we say that it's also a feat that her bow was left in!!! She never touched it! She never does that. So honestly, people, I'm making a mountain out of this mole-hill of minutia that I'm writing about. But it's going to take me about 4 more kids to stop being so high-strung. So until then, you're all just going to have to suffer through it. Ha ha! I honestly think Heavenly Father answered my little prayers about it.