Us and Things: Gentleman Husband

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Gentleman Husband

Halloween 2012

Morning sickness is totally lame. I'm sick all day long. This time around, I got a prescription for zofran, which helps me not throw up, but it doesn't stop me from feeling like I'm going to throw up. All. The. Time.

This constant nausea is not conducive to being productive, feeding/clothing/bathing the children, cleaning the house, fighting with Lillian about homework, grocery shopping, doing laundry, or anything else that resembles tasks accomplished by a responsible adult. I mostly sit on the couch and let the kids watch 5 hours of TV a day.

And then... Tyler comes home!

Can I talk for a minute about how great he is? He makes dinner, does the dishes, gets the kids ready for bed, finishes up Lillian's homework, reads stories, brushes teeth, says, "I love you one" "I love you two" with Nora, makes sure Ethan has his blankie, and then folds laundry by himself while watching back episodes of Arrested Development because I passed out at 7:30.

I have a lot of the Awesome Mother Guilt because I'm so useless right now, but it's very comforting knowing that Tyler has got it. Maybe he secretly hates all the slack he has to pick up, maybe he secretly thinks that I'm malingering or just being lazy, but he doesn't let on. He just makes sure my favorite blanket is covering my feet as I sleep on the couch.

4 comments:

Halfphild said...: Tyler, I love you.; Thu Nov 29, 10:15:00 AM MST
Eevi said...: That is one fabulous husband! Sorry about the morning sickness but congrats for being pregnant! I hope you will feel better soon.; Thu Nov 29, 12:19:00 PM MST
Megan said...: #1 Thanks for reminding me why I DON'T want to be pregnant right now, even though everyone is asking me if I am.

#2 Congratulations and I hope this phase passes quickly

#3 I'm glad you have a good guy like Tyler watching out for you.

#4 You are so brave, and good luck with 4 cuties!

#5 Thanks for always being so real and not putting on airs on your blog. It makes me feel like I'm normal instead of inferior. It's good to know I'm on the same page as other moms. :); Fri Nov 30, 10:41:00 AM MST
Molly said...: I'm sorry you're not feeling very well! Hope you feel better very soon! Glad you have such a helpful husband:-); Sun Dec 09, 08:10:00 PM MST

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A taste of the Ball life

Amanda: What do you want for lunch: ham sandwich or peanut butter sandwich?
Lillian: Ham. No, peanut butter. No... ham... No, peanut butter.
Amanda: Ok, I'm going to make you a peanut butter sandwich. (makes sandwich)
Lillian: NO! I WANTED HAM!!!!
Amanda: You said peanut butter, and I told you I was going to make you peanut butter.
Lillian: No... I think you just spaced out Mom.

Tyler on dodo birds: I mean, any species that can be wiped out by rats probably didn't deserve to live. Nature should have selected them a long time ago to go extinct... it's like it forgot and got there late.

Lillian: I like carrots mom. They're like... juice you eat.

Tyler was reading Lillian a picture book in which a little boy finds an airplane in his closet and takes it into space where he runs out of gas and lands on the moon. On the moon, he meets a little Martian boy, wearing a space suit, who's spaceship had crashed.
Tyler: How come the Martian needs a space suit and the little boy doesn't? This book is so inaccurate.

Lillian threw a piece of food during dinner.
Tyler: Lillian don't throw food.
Lillian: But, it was just a little bit of food.

At 2 AM, Tyler pokes Amanda and says, "The baby is crying"
"No, that's a dog."
"No, it's Nora. I have superhuman hearing, that's why they call me Eagle Ears."

Amanda looks over and sees Lillian desperately trying to shove the Camelbak valve into Nora's mouth.
Amanda: Stop that! Don't put that into her mouth!
Lillian: Mom, I'm just playing doctor.
Amanda: Well, don't put it into her mouth.
Lillian (accompanied with change in tactic): Just her ears.

Lillian (pointing): This is my neck. This is Daddy's neck. This is Mom's neck. Nora doesn't have a neck.

Amanda: Listen to this, "The men and women of the Yana tribe in California speak different dialects." (TIME Magazine).
Tyler: The men and women speak different dialects in our house: sense and nonsense.

I ran upstairs briefly and left Nora in her chair with a curious Lillian looking on. Nora started fussing and crying a little and I heard Lillian say, "Nora! Stop Crying! Use your words!"

We practiced and practiced saying "Daddy, I missed you" all the way to the bus stop, a full five minute drive. Upon arrival, I prep Lillian one last time. I roll down the window, Tyler sticks his head in, and I prompt Lillian, "do you have something to say to daddy?"
Lillian looks up at him with her eyes full and sincere, "Juicebox."

Amanda: This dictionary says Wednesday can be pronounced wendz-dee or wendz-day.
Tyler: Well... that dictionary was written by an old person.