Whaddaya Mean it Hasn't Been 9 Months Yet?!

*groan* It is not a good indication that at my current stage of pregnancy (9 weeks) I am already "done." With the last two pregnancies I made it to at least the third trimester before feeling this way. I think it must have something to do with the fact that I'm working full-time this time around and the last two I got to nap pretty regularly. I'm exhausted! That said, I am pleased to announce that the nausea seems to have run its' course and is showing no sign of returning. *fingers crossed*
I had my first "official" OB appointment last week and everything is coming along nicely. My due date is November 6, 2011. I'm thinking I'll probably have the baby more like late October, though. You see, I had to have a c-section with Paige (long story...induction went awry...labor stalled at 4cm...blah, blah, blah), so I am left now with the decision of whether I want to attempt a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) or have a repeat C-section. The more I think about it, I'm leaning toward repeat c-section. Although the chance of anything going wrong during a VBAC is slim (I think less than 2%), I just can't make myself see why ANY unnecessary risk is worth it. Ah, well...I'm sure I'll change my mind another 20 times between now and then, so stay tuned.
On to the kids. Oi! Carl IV is going through a phase (please, God, let it just be a phase) where he has something to say about everything! Carl III must have said to me a dozen times over the weekend, "Why, of all your qualities, did you have to pass on your smart-ass mouth to our kids? WHY?!" To which I reply, "I would rather have my kid be a smart-ass than a dumb-ass." And it's true. As obnoxious as it can be, I'm convinced that sassiness at least shows intelligence. Now, how to get the boy to curb the know-it-all attitude into funny sarcasm...I've always been a fan of sarcasm. I know what you're thinking..."NO! Dee, not you! Sarcastic?! Never." But, alas...it's true. I find sarcasm very appealing, when used properly. Unfortunately the art is lost on 4-year-old boys. And on that note, what's with 4-year-old boys?! What a bunch of freaks! Seriously...just weird. 6 months ago, my son was not as weird as he is today. What happened? My fellow parents with kids 4 and over...does this go away? Is it just my kid? Is it just boys? Please help, because I'm starting to wonder if the kid will ever be able to mingle with the rest of society without drawing "those looks."
This past weekend marked the official peak of Paige's journey into the Terrible Twos. And let me tell you, I thought Carl IV was bad...boy was I wrong. You see, Carl IV was a tantrum-thrower, but he sobbed. Paige stands exactly where she is and just shrieks and screeches when she doesn't get her way. I have never in my life had a more constant headache than I have over the past 2 days. I was actually sort of relieved to come to work today because I knew my boss wouldn't screech in my face because he couldn't have another cup of juice and was getting water instead. *sigh* I'm hoping she gets over this pretty quickly or I may have to resort to ear plugs.
We added a few new members to the family a couple of weeks ago. Paige got a few fishies (and don't ask me to tell you how she pronounces fish, because this is a family show, people...let's just say it's similar to a little boy's slang for female mammary glands), and Carl IV got a turtle. We haven't named any of the fish because all the stupid things look the same, so they're just "the fishies" (unless Paige says it, in which case see above). Carl IV's turtle has gone through about 4 different names now. Everything from Sammy the Snail (Me:"But, dude, he's not a snail." Carl IV:"He's my turtle! I can call him whatever I want to!") to Stretch to just Sammy (Carl IV:"You wight, mommy. He's no snail."). One day last week Carl IV just decided it was easiest to stick with "My Pet Turtle." I think this is a wise decision as I was finding it hard to keep track.
Now, I need some advice/tips/etc. It came to mind the other day that Carl IV is 4 now. (I know. Duh...) But, when I actually think about it, 4 is kind of a big deal. That's when I think back and can first really remember things. And one of the things I remember is that's right about when I started to read. I remember my sister had all these cool Archie comics and Katie Keen comics and I was desperate to know what was going on with those incredibly colorful pictures, but my mom refused to read comic books to me. "If you want to read comics, you'll have to read them yourself." ...and I did. I need help, Internet. How can I get my kid interested in reading? I feel like I have to sit on top of him to make through anything longer than 5 or 6 pages. I vaguely remember my mom labeling everything in her classroom when she taught pre-K so the kids would associate certain items with their names. I think I might do that. Thoughts? Suggestions? What worked for your kids?