Oh Boy!

Given that Wilson and I sing together a lot and that he likes 50s and 60s songs (because they are often simple, repetitive and not too noisy), I suppose it should make sense that he named the polar bear he got for Christmas "Buddy Holly". I thought we might name it "Douglas" based on the tag, but, no, he told me that its name is Buddy Holly.

Things Kids Do

We thought you might enjoy some miscellaneous pictures of these kids doing kid things, including:

• Jumping into someone else's picture at the last minute;
• Showing off their first backpack;
• Taking part in a Christmas show;
• Looking like a model from the 70s;
• Cleaning ears;
• Getting stuck under the couch;
• Constantly confounding efforts to keep a safe sleeping environment; and
• Tongues. Lots of tongues.
  

Snowmen

As you probably know, we're in the middle of one of the bigger snows that I've seen in Washington since I've been living here. We got about 8" at our house; of course that meant plenty of time for them childrens to be outside enjoying the stuff.

Wilson and I even got into our first snowball fight: He and I were making snowballs (OK, I was making them and handing them to him) and we got tired of throwing them up in the air and at poles so I threw one at him. He looked at the white spot on his jacket and said, "Snowball at Daddy?", so I handed another one over and he got me square in the chest (he's got a pretty good arm for a two year old). Then we went inside.

Here are some pictures of the crowd playing in the snow (and yes, Daddy is too cheap to buy a real sled. I'm thinking I have a few more years before this attitude starts to cause significant social problems for them).

CRAWLING!!!

I'm happy to report that today Baby Miss took several purposeful "steps" forward, so I think we can safely say that she's officially crawling (taking her out of the sleepsack turned out to be helpful). Look for her to be crawling your way soon!

PS: I know we've been bad bloggers lately (mostly we know this because 3 different people reminded us); look for some pictures and updates coming soon.

Buncha Violet News

It seems like the big Violet news happens in threes:

1. Violet is oh-so-very-close to crawling: She's at the point now where she can easily pivot in place, move backwards and get her knees under her. It's just a matter of putting all the pieces together now. I think she's get there sooner than later, if only because she keeps backing herself under the couch and getting ticked off.

2. On Thanksgiving, Violet also had her first solid food, bananas from a jar. She didn't mind them as much as Wilson did (although in his defense he got fresh mooshed bananas, which are a little less sweet), but she did quickly get to her limit. After that point, everything that went in, came out a couple of seconds later.

3. The biggest news: Yesterday, Baby Miss turned 1/2! That's right, six months ago our little girl was born (seems like forever, doesn't it?)! Wilson and I sang her Happy Birthday yesterday morning, after which he of course said, "More cake?"

Blondes Prefer Bottles

From the color coming in in her eyebrows and temples, it looks to me that Baby Miss is going to be as blonde as Wilson. Sorry, Mommy. Maybe she'll keep the blue eyes...

Parents of the Year

The other day, we gave Wilson some string beans for dinner. He held one up and happily said "Bean fries!". Clearly, these are very bad parents.

Happynoise

Violet has a funny sound she's been making lately when she's in a good mood. We call it the "happy noise" and it sounds like a cross between someone steadily clearing her throat and a cat's purr. Even better, it's almost exactly the Yiddish sound used in the name Chaim (or the toast LeChaim).

Posts I Keep Forgetting To Write, Pt II

Last month we went to Olympia with Nicole's mom and sisters to attend a ceremony honoring Washington State's fallen firefighters from the past year. Before the ceremony, we met Governor Gregoire and she said a few words to each family member. When she met Wilson, she offered him a handshake. He wasn't really interested in a handshake, but did feel like a high-five. The governor handled that well, and, being a good politician, didn't bat an eyelash when he then wanted to "hit the rocks". Her photographer was there, and somewhere there is a picture of Wilson and governor of Washington knocking knuckles. She's a little busy right now (and good luck to her, she seems like a very genuine person), but I'm going to try and get that picture after the election.

Posts I Keep Forgetting To Write, Pt I

The pronunciation of Wilit (from this post) is "Why-lit", not "Will-it". Sorry for any confusion.

Violet and Friends

How to get your picture in this edition of Violet and Friends? Simple: Just have had a cute picture of you and Baby Miss taken in the last three months.

Halloween II: This Is Why We Have Sons

Wilson as Angus Young (more pictures of both childrens here).

Halloween I: Chick Pea!

Being the fashionable baby she is, Violet has a couple of Halloween costumes. Here's one of them (more pictures of both childrens here).

The Picture So Cute It Gets Its Own Post

(If you want to see it larger, it is in the previous post's gallery)

Wilson's daily report from last Thursday said: "He goes after everybody who bothers Madelyn. :) Cute!" That Fairview Christian is a rough place...

Birthday Boy!

Here are the promised pics of the decorations and guest of honor at Wilson's 2nd birthday party.

Birthday Man

Today our Little Man turned two. When we woke up this morning, we went into his room and sang Happy Birthday to him (at the end of which he looked up at us and asked, "yummy cake?"; clearly this guy has heard that song before).

Last Saturday we had his official birthday party. Our house was overrun with people, including 15 kids aged 3 months to 9 years. It was a zoo, but really fun. Wilson enjoyed having so many guests--and yummy cake--and no doubt slept pretty soundly that night.

I'll post a few pictures of the party and decorations (including a completely sweet picture of Wilson and Madelyn playing together) when I get them from Nicole's computer, hopefully later this week.

Pro-motion!

A little while a ago, I mentioned Wilson's friend Madelyn (Nicole tells me that they're not dating, they're just friends). Well, as is the policy at Fairview daycare, Madelyn moved to the two year olds' room last week on her birthday. With all of his friends in the other room now, Wilson apparently pitched enough of a fit--tears, and yelling, etc included--that they went with the path of least resistance and promoted him three weeks early. When I talked with the teachers about this we agreed that rewarding hissy fits isn't necessarily the best option but they assured me that you can't hissy fit your way out of the two year olds' room: You have to potty train your way out of that one.

New Violet Nicknames, Part II

Like so many of the new words around our house, our other new Violet nickname comes from Wilson. When he sees Violet, he gets very excited and yells, "HI WILIT!". She seems to really enjoy this, even though it is usually immediately followed by a over-enthusiastic tickle, a wooden train car bouncing near her face or a size 7 foot stepping on her tiny hand. Love Wilit!

New Violet Nicknames, Part I

A couple of weeks ago we all visited with Katie, who had a new nickname for Violet that I really like: "Purple". It's fun to say and "Purple Demetrescu" has a nice balance to it if she ever gets into the entertainment industry, like Leather Tuscadero or Kinky Friedman (I also record it here in case she totally hates it, so she'll know that it wasn't me who made it up).

Madelyn!

People who were at Wilson's 1-year birthday party might remember Madelyn, his girlfriend from daycare. They are about the same age and have been in the same group at Fairview since the baby room. Wilson talks about her quite a bit, and when we drop him off, they find each other and have a big hug. On days when he doesn't want to be there, he still has his hug and then he throws his tantrum. Here's a picture of Madelyn in an ad for a local photography studio. Dating a model! Way to go, Baby Man!

What Babies Are Thinking

Zzzzz...

(yawn)

"Man, I feel like I slept for hours..."

"Hey, where the hell is everybody? And why is it so dark?"

"Wait, they're in the kitchen! Typical. Over here! Hey, guys!"

"Guys?"

"OK, seriously, this is pissing me off."

"Waaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

(breathe) (breathe)

"Waaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

"Ouch! Hey! Don't put that damn rubber thing in my face!"

"Oh. Ah. Well, I guess it's OK for now..."

Zzzzz.

Violet Baptism Pics

Here they are, as promised (plus one of Rocco 'cause he's SO DARN CUTE). Thanks to Kate and Rick for taking them.

Violet News Network

Updates for all you Violet news junkies:

1. Last Sunday, Violet was baptized! The pastor who married us and baptized Wilson, Cathy Barker (my own Jerimiah Wright) is sadly leaving Seattle--going to Helena, MT of all places--and we really wanted her to be the person who baptized Baby Miss. Gail and Paul, Mike and Karen, Tom, Kate and Rocco (in a totally sweet Brian Johnson hat) and Mrs Erin Berg were in attendance. Afterwards, we went to Chinooks for celebratory French Toast. Pictures were taken of all this; I'll post 'em when I get 'em.

2. Violet's dexterity is increasing greatly. She quickly grabs objects in front of her and likes to move them around. Mostly, they go straight into the mouth, however.

3. She's also started rolling over! I'm not totally convinced it's on purpose, but she is definitely doing it more quickly and more often. In any case, Nicole assures me that even accidental rollovers are a development step. She might make it to college after all...

Eulogy

I thought that some people might like to read the eulogy for her father that Nicole wrote. She put it together with contributions from her sisters and mother and it was delivered by sister Katrina at the service on August 7th. I think she did a wonderful job on it and I am very proud of her.

http://www.mrack.com/DbpEulogy.htm

One other thing: Several people who read our blog were able to attend the service. I know that we didn't acknowledge everyone who came; thank you for coming to show your support to Nicole and the family.

Saturday in the Park

As promised, here are some pictures of the childrens taken by our friend, coworker and occasional blog reader Tom when we visited Rhododendron park in Kenmore with him, his wife Kate and baby son, Rocco.

Baby News Digest!

I'm going to post some excellent pictures of these guys that our friend Tom took as soon as I can get them going on Kodak Gallery. In the meantime, however, here's what's going on in the world of W and V:

• Violet is getting bigger all the time and has started rolling over. Right now, it's more of a by product of excessive squirming, but she clearly has places to be. She just needs to tie all of the motions together a little bit more.
• Violet also has started grabbing things (not just Mommy's hair). If you hold something in front of her, you can see first her eyes intently looking at it, followed by strange shaking in her arms, followed by a hand semi-randomly showing up on the object. Smart baby!
• Wilson's still loves singing and music. He's added The Farmer in the Dell to his repertoire and his Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is getting better by the day.
  
• We had a big brother party for him this weekend. Violet gave him a little piano that he bangs away on while singing the above songs.
• Wilson also now knows 9 letters: A, B, C, D, N, O, P, V and W. At this rate, he'll need to skip first grade. Clearly, a gifted genius.

We've Found Our Hands!

Hello any readers still out there. It's been one month since Grampa died, and we've spent every minute of that time grieving. That process continues, but in the meantime our children keep growing. Time to catch you all up on their progress!

Violet found her hands! It was funny how it happened. About a week ago she was just hanging out in her bouncy chair chewing on her blanket when her right hand popped into vision. She was fascinated. Now she plays with them and eats them. As Daddy says, "It's the plug you can take with you!"

Wilson is SO two. Even if he isn't officially yet, he is. Pushing limits, defining boundaries, NOT LISTENING. But it's still wonderful. We remind ourselves that every day is precious, and we hold the memories close for the later years when they've grown up and gone away. How quiet our house will be then!

We are all well. Thank you to everyone who has extended kindness, thoughts and prayers. We appreciate you!

The Saddest Day.

As you probably know (link) (link), Nicole's dad, Dan Packer, died this weekend fighting a forest fire in California. We all miss him terribly.

Since this is a blog for Wilson and Violet, it seems worthwhile to remember him here as a grandfather. Being Grandpa was one of the most important things in his life and he was very good at it. I've attached some pictures here.

Wilson was his "little shadow", following him around for hours while they washed cars or worked on the lawn or played hockey in the driveway. Wilson loved being in the garage with Grandpa, who probably let him play with all the tools that Daddy wouldn't let him get anywhere near. Dan was an excellent father to his four girls but I think he also really relished having a little boy to follow him around and to teach the way he followed around and learned from his father. It breaks my heart that that won't happen any more.

Violet's and her grandfather's lives only overlapped for two months but he had a great deal of love for her. He was a physical man but very gentle and tender when holding her. It is our job to let Violet know how much he loved her and the things that he had hoped to do with her and her brother.

Nicole and I always knew that aging was going to be hard on her dad but were confident that nothing would please him more than being surrounded by a mob of children and spouses and grandchildren on holidays. That is not going to happen now but there won't there won't be a Thanksgiving or Christmas that goes by that we won't think of it, and him.

Goodbye, Grandpa. We love you.

Greetings Strangers.

So what does one write about when there is nothing to write about? It's hot. Baby grows. Mommy's tired. Daddy works. Fish swims. Bunny poops. The world goes 'round and 'round. We saw a cool butterfly today, and Wilson's eyeteeth are coming in. Seriously folks, that's about all I got.

I will say that I'm slowly making headway on the thank you card backup. Sent us a gift? Wondering if we got it? We did, I'm just a slackass. You will be officially thanked shortly. In the meantime, we loved your stuff. Wilson's reading it, or Violet's wearing it. Promise.

Happy Birthday, Baby V!

Baby Violet would be very upset if we missed her one month birthday, and rightly so. Here are some long-promised pictures of her first month at home.

On a side note, this also appears to be the 100th post of the new baby blog. Thanks for reading and sharing your comments!

The House of Sickness.

Baby Violet is the only healthy person in this house. And it's only because she cheats and breastfeeds!

Wilson's had a high fever for three days running now, Josh has gagging coughs that have persisted for weeks, and I'm in the throes of a miserable cold. *ah-choo!* Add to it high outside temperatures and no A/C and you have the ingredients for one cranky family.

But I'm pleased to say that no divorce papers have been served, nor has CPS been called. Yet.

Monchhichi!

Violet May has a new nickname!

Tell me it doesn't fit.

I sing the song to her pretty much constantly...

Fit to Print.

What's new with the Demetrescus? In response to one very loyal reader's request, here's a brief run-down of the latest happenings in our house:

1. Mommy finished her classes, and is now "free" until either September (grad school) or Spring (more pre-reqs for next year's apps)
2. Wilson got a haircut. But he is so squirmy, he now has the world's shortest bangs. I think Josh called him a Roman
3. Violet May grew two full inches in length since her birth. Good baby!
   
4. Daddy went back to work as of today
5. Which means Mommy is a stay-home mom of two as of today
6. Which means Mommy needs a drink
7. And so does Daddy

Have I mentioned lately how very, very tired we are? I just opened our mail from three weeks ago, and remain behind on email. And pretty much everything else. Thanks everyone for your patience as we start the process of getting our lives put back together!!

Mean Names for Babies!

Here are some mean names that this little baby has had applied to her by her cruel, uncaring parents:

• Cheeto: Because when she was born she was lumpy and orange.
• Editorial cartoon: Something to do with the size of her head in relation to her body, as I recall.
• Raisin: Because she's plump, wrinkly and sweet.
• The Leech: As she's been attached to her mommy and stealing her nutrients for the last ten or so months
  

Other than that, it's been more of the usual "Baby Buttface" fare. Poor baby...

Yee-haw!

Wilson and I made a small jump out of a junk mail envelope and a block for his windup car today. A small one, perhaps, but a rite of passage for little boys. Here's to twenty-plus more years of ill-advised activity with bikes, skateboards, skis and snowboards.

Happy Birthday & News

Happy birthday to Baby Violet, who turned 1 week old yesterday!

In other family news, Nicole has started going back to school; it's a bit of a juggling act with a newborn, but she's only got another week to go and then is done with her UW prereqs. Good job, Swee: She started taking these classes more than three years ago.

Baby girl is mostly sleeping. A lot. Not that I'm complaining. As long as Mommy is around, this baby can sleep maybe 20 hours a day. She likes me well enough, but is definitely Mommy's girl now. She also likes to yell for food and look around at lights and people, especially her older brother.

Wilson is doing very well with the baby. He's about 95% gentle (and working on the other part) and is interested in what she's doing. He seems OK that, lately, when you get Mommy, you get baby.

More Pics

Here are some more pictures from the hospital. Hope you like them.

Oh, One Other Thing

Some people have asked about a good time to stop by and see Violet. Anytime is fine with us. Please give us a buzz first so I can wake everyone up; other than that, we're very glad to have you come by!

Houston, We Have Achieved Boob!

(and other news)

I am very happy report that Baby Girl has finally started latching correctly. Needless to say, this is a big relief to Nicole; her outlook improved considerably yesterday when it happened. Violet was having trouble getting all of the food she needed and this was making her (and therefore us) pretty agitated. It was also physically painful for Nicole. Happily, it straightened itself out and has been going well since.

Swedish Ballard (and probably other hospitals) schedules new babies to a two-day followup so that they can check body weight and coloring and see if there are any problems that the parents are having. We had ours yesterday; she's managed to keep her hospital-leaving weight and her fake-n-bake color is only a source of amusement, not medical concern. So, good news all around. A plug: Swedish Ballard is a wonderful place to have a baby and totally worth the drive.

Today we put Little Man in daycare and brought Violet to lunch, Home Depot and Target. I forgot how much easier an infant is to take around compared to a toddler. We'll get back to you on infant + toddler...

We're Home!

Everyone is doing well. More news later...

Seattle Parents

And the best thing about having your baby in Seattle? Is it having eight top-notch medical facilities within 30 minutes of your house? Is it the modern, natural approach to childbirth practiced here? Is it the wireless technology in every room that lets you spend all day doing worthless blog posts? No, it's the fact that you can get excellent take out pho about 2 minutes from your hospital bed!

You Born Today

Some famous people born on May 28th:
William Pitt the Younger (English prime minister), 1759
Edvard Benes (Czech politician), 1884
Jim Thorpe (Olympic athlete), 1888
Ian Fleming (Creator of James Bond), 1908
T-Bone Walker (Musician), 1910
Dionne quintuplets (Canadian fivesome), 1934
Rudy Guiliani (Lazy campaigner), 1944
Gladys Knight (Chief Pip), 1944
John Fogerty (Member of Credence Clearwater Revival), 1945
Wendy O. Williams (Punk), 1949
Kirk Gibson (Baseball player), 1957
Chris Ballew (President of the USA), 1965
Kylie Minogue (Australian entertainer), 1968
Violet Demetrescu (Tiny baby), 2008

Famous events on May 28th:
1588 - The Spanish Armada sets sail from Lisbon
1754 - Start of French & Indian/Seven Years War
1930 - Chrysler Building opens in New York City
1937 - The Golden Gate Bridge is opened
1987 - German teenager Mathias Rust lands a plane in Red Square, ruining the careers of several Soviet generals (some permanently).
Also, several organizations were founded (Sierra Club, Amnesty International and the PLO) and battles fought (Tsushima in the sea of Japan, Narvik in Norway and Goose Green in the Falklands) on this day.

You born today:
You cannot read yet, but you will want someone to clip out this item and save it for when you are old enough. (I didn't write that, but wish I had)

The Great Debate

As people who were at the hospital last night know, while the baby's middle name was never in question, the spelling was. Part of the problem, I think, is that neither of us had really strong feelings on the topic. Then we both had inclinations, just different ones. Now, however, I can announce that the Y's have it: It's "May".

Violet and Friends

First pics of Chick Pea!

Violet May Demetrescu

Happy birthday and welcome to the beautiful Violet May Demetrescu, who was born yesterday (ha!). Here's the data, for the statistically oriented:

Time: 1:54PM
Weight: 8lbs, 9oz
Length: 18"
Head: 13 3/4"
Labor time: About 11 hours

Nicole's water broke about 12:30 in the morning so we knew at that time that May 28th was likely to be the day. The first part of labor went very smoothly, with some intense contractions but up to twenty minutes between. Nicole let me get a couple of hours of sleep and was even able to get a couple of minutes herself between contractions. Grandma Marylee came up to take Wilson; as we were still around at 7AM, however, we ended up putting him in daycare so she could go to her class. We got to the hospital about 9.

Nicole's contractions continued to be long and intense but with lengthy gaps. She was dilated to
8cm (out of 10) when we got here. The nurses were surprised at how smoothly things were going and that Nicole was so composed and calm; three people at different times bizarrely described her cervix as "like butter". One nurse suspected that only a couple of pushes would be needed to deliver. It was even sunny outside. Clearly, nothing was going to go wrong.

The problem was that Violet was posterior, which means that she was facing up rather than down. For whatever reason, this was not detectable until the pushing portion of the birth. That part lasted for a long, long time and took a lot out of Nicole. Our nurse, Jeanette, and our awesome doctor, Chris, were really wonderful and encouraging of her. There was some doubt among the medical professionals in the room--at one point there were five of them working--if she'd be able to deliver the baby unaided and a vacuum pump was readied. They told us later that Nicole had lost 1.5 liters of blood--about twice that lost in a normal delivery. Nicole had to reach down to the core of her being to push, and then was asked to give more and then more. She finally did it however, unaided by devices or painkillers. She said it was the hardest thing she'd ever done, physically. I am extremely proud of her.

Baby Violet had many visitors yesterday. Grandpa Mike, Grandma Karen and Uncle Ryan got in first and spent most of the day here. Aunt Beth, Uncle Jeff, Nono, Grandmother Louise, Grandpa Dan and Wilson soon followed. Wilson was interested in the baby and even more interested in the wooden train that Nicole got him as a hospital gift. He was very well-behaved and OK with not being the center of attention for once. Later on, Grandma Marylee, Aunt Nellie, Amy and Emily from daycare and Nicole's high school friends Jessica, Kelly and Rachel came to visit. It was a zoo and we were very happy that so many people were able to come by.

So now we have a wonderful little baby. Baby and Mommy and I all slept pretty soundly last night, as you can probably imagine.

Water Broke!

Yup, around 12:30am on Wednesday, May 28th, my water broke. I got a full hour of sleep before it happened, courtesy of Dr. Chris and his magical painkillers.

Contractions began shortly thereafter. Things are going pretty slowly, much to my chagrin, but that might be more a result of the magical painkillers than anything. God forbid she have a huge head or something.

I'm pleased to report that the contractions hurt much more than the pelvic pain, so we're probably still go for our original delivery plans.

Anyway, we'll probably have a baby today. Yay!

Owie.

So today as I was leaving the doctor's office, Wilson decided it would be funny to run away from me and dart between parked cars into traffic. I don't move quickly even on a good day, but I was mercifully able to grab him before he ran in front of a speeding Escalade. Aside from the terror and anger and relief I felt when I caught him, I also felt a lot of pain. In my haste to catch him, I hurt myself, and it may have been enough to change the way I deliver Violet.

I fear I may have damaged the cartilage that keeps my pelvis stable. (The specific area I'm referring to is part E in the picture above.) Recall during pregnancy that hormones act to relax the joints in preparation to push out a baby, so I'm pretty vulnerable to injury, especially in the area where my 7+ pound unborn child lives. She's low in my abdomen anyway, putting a lot of pressure on my nether regions, so it would not surprise me at all if that is what happened. Regardless, right now I really hurt. I can hardly walk (especially on stairs, Oh God) and all I can do to fix it right now is take a Tylenol and sit on an ice pack. Yeehaw.

I put in an email to the doctor explaining what happened, and asked him if my suspicion about the injury is correct. It's late and I just sent it, so I won't have news until tomorrow sometime. But if I'm right, and I really really really hope I am not, things might be a little more uncertain than they were before. I mean, I want a natural childbirth and all, but I'm not stupid. I do well with pain in general and especially well with the purposeful (like exercise discomfort and, well, childbirth). But injury pain is something different. I don't believe in unnecessary suffering.

What am I saying? I'm saying if this baby comes in the next couple of days, and I'm still hurting as badly as I am hurting today, there's a good chance I will consider getting an epidural. Because compounding the already intense discomfort of childbirth with the searing soreness of newly damaged pelvic cartilage is just too damn much, even for me. Here's hoping I just strained some ligaments, and that a couple days of rest and ice will be enough to get me to deliver Violet the way I would prefer. If not, well, as I say to my other pregnant friends, the point is to have a healthy baby. The journey getting there doesn't really matter.

False Alarm.

Well, she did it again. This time she was a little more serious about it, but it resulted in the same conclusion -- hours of labor, high hopes, but no baby.

So last night around 8:30pm I started having contractions. They weren't very painful, but as I watched the clock over the subsequent half-hour, it turned out they were coming every 5 minutes. We kept timing them and they were very regular, and fit into the criteria of "call the doc" -- 1 minute long, 5 minutes apart for 1 hour. We called my folks and they came and got Wilson, and then we called the doctor who said that since I wasn't really in pain (they were uncomfortable, but not like labor with Wilson) that we should wait a little longer before coming in. (For anyone who finds that suspicious, I should mention he gave me the option to come in, but since I hope for another intervention-free childbirth, I declined. The last thing I wanted was them to admit me before I was ready to be admitted. Ya know?)

So I went to bed hoping to get some rest before having to get to the really hard part. And the next thing I know? It's 5 am and there's not a contraction in sight.

Cue sadness. I was so depressed today. To cheer me up, Josh took me out for a blueberry pancake breakfast, and it helped a little. Then he wisely refused to let me lay around and mope all day, so he bought me a book and took me to lunch and I have slowly come back to myself. (He is a good man, isn't he?) He keeps reminding me that she'll come when she is ready, and to not be discouraged because last night means we're getting closer.

It was so exciting for those few hours last night believing we were finally going to meet our little lady. To snuggle her and smooch her and pinch her tiny toes. But I know she'll be here soon, even if her timing is entirely her own.

Sicky sicky.

The doctor took pity on me and prescribed antibiotics today. Apparently a solid month of illness isn't normal.

Who knew?

Baby Update: 38 Weeks.

Visited the doc today. We've progressed! (Yay!) I'm now at 3+ cm and 75% effaced. The doc also "swept" my membranes, a technique which may help speed along the dilation/effacement/gettin'-labor-started process. We shall see. What I can say for sure is that this baby is loooooooooow....it is unbelievably difficult just to walk, let alone stand up, sit down or try to pee.

We just checked the old blog, and found that we were at this very same place exactly 4 days before Wilson was born. Not that y'all should expect her to come on Friday or anything, but hey, anything's possible...

Yet Another Reason to Wait.

So I got this cold, like, almost two weeks ago, and thought I was getting better. And then yesterday and today I started feeling all lousy again, and now I can't stop the ickyness! Another cold? Sinus infection? Whatever it is, it SUCKS...especially because I had a Chem test today and had to sit there, sniffling and sneezing, while trying to draw molecules and differentiate between ketones and aldehydes. NOT COOL.

Anyway...whatever.

"So, Violet! Heed yo' mama! Hold yer horses and do NOT come barging into the world just yet...it would be nice to get to hold you and snuggle you close without worrying about sneezing into your tiny newborn face. Or bathing in sanitizer for days on end..."

Who Pea?

So more than one person has asked us recently to clarify our "pea" nicknames. Here's the breakdown:

Nicole = Swee
Wilson = small pea born of Swee, therefore, "Swee Pea"
Violet = small pea to-be-born of Swee, but Swee Pea already taken...so, "Wee Pea" then "She Pea" and now "Chick Pea"

Josh is not a pea. Or a swee. Just a he.

Baby Update: 37 weeks.

So we're technically full-term now, which means anytime little baby girl wants to come out, she's free to. Although seriously, she is actually welcome to come a week late because then I could finish my classes and maybe vacuum the nursery first.

We saw the doc on Tuesday, and he gave us some interesting news. First, I have not progressed in dilation or effacement at all this past week. Still 2.5cm, still 50%.

Sad. But oh well.

Second, y'all know how huge I am? Like, as the Safeway checker pointed out to me this morning, I look like I'm carrying five babies in there? Doc says I'm carrying around lots and lots of fluid. Which is good. Maybe I won't give birth to a Thanksgiving turkey after all. And maybe that means some of that 50 pounds gained might disappear faster than I expected... (hey, a girl can dream, okay!?)

So, there you have it. Average-sized baby disguised as holiday fowl and feeling stubborn about coming out too. Lovely. She already takes after her father.

Belly Pictures.

Okay! So! We took belly pictures again. We hope to take some more with Wilson before I pop, but we'll see.

I was 33 weeks when these were taken, and I'm 37 weeks currently. I'm noticeably bigger now...

Belly 2 Pictures

Super In-Law.

Remember weeks ago when I mentioned my [cookie]lust over thin mints? And how all the wretched little girl scouts went into hiding about thirty-six hours after beginning the cookie sale? Well my father-in-law found one of them hiding in the gulches of Helena, Montana. AND he managed not only to wrestle a box of the beloved minty goodies from her (well, actually, from her father, but that's another story), he even delivered them to me personally when visiting this past week.

Many thoughtful gifts have found their way to me in recent history, but few will be as fondly remembered as this one.

Love ya, Paul. *mwah*

Turtle Mode.

So anyone who knows me well knows how much I obsess over organization. (Case in point, my family purchased a virtual buttload of baskets and organizational products for me as shower gifts.) So you may not be surprised to hear that the "nesting" instinct has an exponentially obnoxious effect upon me -- I organize not just the baby's room and things, but anything and everything (and anyone and everyone) that falls into my sphere of influence. It's obnoxious. Avoid me. Really.

Anyway, one of the interesting side effects of this whole nesting thing is how it impacts my socialization. I've noticed this in other pregnant women too, and certainly remember it in myself when I was getting close to having Wilson. That side effect is what I think of as "turtle mode", a time when all focus and energy moves inward in preparation for little baby's arrival, often at the cost of social engagement, even with close family and friends.

I'm not saying I'm going to tuck my head in and not talk to anyone for the next four weeks. But y'all should know that my every waking thought is pretty much dominated by images of plump baby girls and nursing bras and postpartum belly sag and anxiety over when she'll actually arrive and if I bought enough bottles of Desitin and is her coming home outfit the perfect one? (I'm sure I don't need to detail out for you how this is affecting my studies...) It makes it a challenge to be motivated to do much more than daydream and fulfill my basic daily duties.

So if I seem really distracted or disengaged, please don't take it personally. It'll be over soon. I'm just doing what I think that most late-term pregnant people do -- tucking in and making sure our nests are ready for hatchlings!

Baby Update: 36 weeks.

Hello! So little Chick Pea (as I dubbed her recently) is now 36 weeks old, gestational time. Based on the strength of her kicks, she's steadily getting fatter and stronger, and is right on the money with her measurements!

Saw the Doc today. I'm 2.5cm dilated and 50% effaced, which for the uninitiated means I'm a quarter of the way to being ready to push the baby out (literally) and she's halfway down the first leg of the journey. Good baby!

While I would be thrilled to have her arrive at, really, any time, I am resolved to her being on time. Perhaps even late. The truth is I have so much to do between now and early June that if she decided to wait that long, while I would be exhausted from lack of sleep (it's really hard) and barely able to move (I'm that huge), it would be okay. Because then I wouldn't need to take a nursing infant into an organic chemistry final, for example.

Anyway, good news! We're making progress!

Good baby!

Wilson's First Birthday Party.

I don't know about some of you other parents, but birthday parties are one of those events that you hear nightmare stories about and dread yourself because you just aren't sure how your kid is going to act or how the other kids are going to act and what if they're all different ages and pick on each other and on the birthday kid and what if the parents are all snobby jerks and then add sugary cake to the mix and it just spells d-i-s-a-s-t-e-r...

Well, it was totally fun! There were lots of kids and lots of food and all the grown-ups were nice. The chilluns played on one of those inflatable bounce thingies, and while Wilson was intimidated by it (and the copious amount of children bouncing inside of it), by the time we left he was flopping around in there with the best and biggest of them.

He was mostly well-behaved. At one point he pushed the birthday boy for not sharing his football. *sigh* Did I mention the birthday boy is not only twice as tall, but twice as old as Wilson? Yah. Oh, and when he got impatient waiting in line behind a little girl for a turn on the slide, he gave her a shove and sent her down. Josh claims she didn't notice. But still.

So, that's certainly a milestone. First birthday party*, and we made it out in one (well, three) piece(s). We look forward to the next part-ay! Good baby!

*Now, technically this is not the first birthday party that Wilson has ever attended. For example, he has many cousins, many of whom have had birthday parties. But they are family, and we know and they know what to expect of each other and each other's kids. It's when you go to other people's parties that things can get scary...and this was our first experience in that context. And it was good!

Close Call!

Well, if we didn't have an eventful evening. Last night as I was leaving Chemistry class, I started feeling very crampy and uncomfortable. It was 830pm. By 900 I was having contractions too. I managed to get some sleep for awhile, but when the contractions and discomfort continued I decided to start looking into what might be going on.

Needless to say, several hours, 2 liters of water and one phone call to the doctor later, the contractions stopped, but it was pretty close there. The last contraction came 15 minutes before the cutoff time to head to the hospital to be checked out.

Yikes!

I know I told little baby girl that I'd like her to come early. But this? TOO EARLY! How 'bout in three weeks or so?

34 Weeks.

Today Wilson and I visited Dr. Chris for a checkup. Wilson is, once again, in the 50th percentile for his weight and height (good baby) and will be moving to cow's milk in the next month or so. (He's been on toddler formula because we're silly urban parents.)

I am well. The doctor made an astute observation -- that I am larger in the belly than I was last time. "More belly, less of you," which was an awfully nice thing to hear since I am currently on the verge of outgrowing the maternity clothes I purchased at the END of my pregnancy with Wilson...

*sigh*

Everything else looking good! Baby's healthy and strong. I go back for my first measurements in two weeks, and then will see the doctor every week until she is born. I am SO excited to be in the home stretch. As much as I love being pregnant (and really, I do, despite all my recent complaining), I love snuggling little babies even more!!

Good babies!

No!

Believe it or not, one nice thing that Wilson has learned how to do lately is to say "no". I'm sure we'll get tired of it quickly enough, but for now it is great that he can express himself in this direct and obvious way. We've had almost 18 months of trying to figure out what each cry means: "Is he sleepy? Is he hungry? Is the sun in his eyes? Is he tired of the Eagles yet?" But now, with a little word comprehension and some emphatic head shaking, our communication level has increased significantly. Case in point: Wilson had to get out of the bath the other day. Nicole didn't put him back in right away and I asked her why. "Because he told me he didn't want to" was the answer. Toddlers are cool, because there is something new every day.

Turns Out, It's True

Last week, Nicole had a major pregancy-inspired craving for Mochi ice cream and visited all of our local grocery stores trying--with no luck--to remember the one we saw it at earlier. After hosting us for steak and a flick, Mike suggested that we try Central Market up in Shoreline. As Nicole had brought her own pickled okra to his house (you get used to this kind of behavior if you hang out with her much) and mentioned that she really would like a spicier pickled okra, he also suggested that Central Market would be a good place to look for that, too. Even though it was 9:30 at night (Baby Man was with the grandparents), we ran up to 155th to try our luck. Sure enough, they came through for us. Though the cashier had a hard time keeping a straight face with the very pregnant woman who was buying only pickles and ice cream, if in a slightly Seattle version...

Tdukka Man Pics.

And here he is again, folks. New pics of Wilson from late March and early April. (Spring is so nice for taking photos!)

Wilson and Friends (4/11/08)

Move it, Sister.

Dear Baby Girl:

Please come a little early. Anytime after 37 weeks and 1 day is perfectly fine with me. I promise to give you lots of boobs and buy you whatever you want when you are 13.

Mommy implores you to take pity and desist with the relentless pelvic abuse.

Thank you for your consideration.

Love,
Mommy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rumor is I am due on, like, June 3rd. But here's the thing...there's no freaking way this baby is going to stay in there that long. Sorry, it just isn't going to happen. I am huge. And dying of painness. My belly button is missing and in its place is this throbbing, tender oval where a tiny little foot (or ankle or knee) will periodically push through and threaten to tear the fascia and skin beyond. What makes this little oval so gosh-darn special is that it just happens to coincide with the site of my uterine surgical scar. Yes. Uterine surgical scar. The place where a cyst used to live on my innards. The place where, when we learned we were pregnant a second time, I was already beginning to feel twinges of a new cyst growing. I cannot accurately express to you what it feels like to have a tiny foot put pressure on such a spot, so I guess I'll settle for "ouch".

She's also dropped. She might pop back up again and everything, given how we still have 8 weeks to go, but she's putting all kinds of pressure on my lower parts and lower back, infuriating my sciatica/SI issues and generally making me miserable. If I did not love this wretched baby so damn much, I might just beat her. No, check that, gunna beat her anyway.

I'm not the only one who thinks I'm not long for being pregnant. Today the checker at Safeway teased me about having a whole basketball team in there. Or maybe just a three-year old, which might be sweet because I could skip past the whole teething thing. (He was very funny.) Patients in the clinic express dismay on my behalf when they hear I have 8 weeks left...I'm clumsy and imbalanced most of the time, and cannot stop myself from deep, heaving sighs every couple of minutes. Hey -- it's the only way I can get enough oxygen, OKAY?

Anyway, the really hard days have begun. Gotta fight my way through it obviously, but I'm seriously folks, this time around the third trimester is much harder. Cannot wait to push this baby out and get on with it!!

Mivu

You would think--given that we 1) watch almost no TV ourselves, 2) don't have TV on in our house as background noise, 3) keep our TV in a room that is so cold as to be almost completely uninhabitable for five months of the year and 4) don't even have cable--that it would be easy for us to keep Wilson from developing a serious TV habit per recommendations by baby experts. But, alas, it is not to be.

By the way: It's not that we are self-important "well *I* don't watch television" type people (unlike, I suspect, "baby experts"), we're really not. We're usually just doing other things.

So maybe you'll excuse us when you hear that we slipped up on this one. Once. And got it in our heads that Little Man might enjoy watching an animated clownfish for awhile on Mommy's laptop while he ate. And now, you can't spend five minutes at our house without hearing "Mivu? (Wilsonspeak for "movie") Mivu? Mivu?" accompanied by frantic pointing at the dining room table. We're working on hiding the laptop--and yesterday was a mivu-free day--but really, the cat is out of the bag. It's to the point now where I've pretty much put aside my dreams for him to be a famous neurosurgeon or space cowboy or gangster of love and would settle for him to be a filmmaker or theater owner or something.

No Rest for the Pregnant.

I slept sitting up last night. Actually, "slept" is hardly the right word. I "dozed"...no, "rested" last night sitting up. The heartburn was pretty awful as I went to bed, and then throughout the night the contractions kept waking me up. They weren't painful per se, it just became harder to breathe as my entire thorax constricted for minutes at a time. Sometimes the baby would even try to squirm during these episodes. *sigh*

This meant I stayed in bed late this morning ("late" for me on work days is 6:00am). Which meant I drove to work. Which meant I overpaid for parking, which means I am going to be in very big trouble with my spouse. Happily I brought home-chai instead of visiting Starbucks, so the trip downtown will still be a net gain...by about $3.00, but who's counting!?

31 Weeks.

So, like, what happened? If this baby goes full term she'll be here in...9 weeks? That's like...two months. What the hell.

Anyway, little Violet has made tremendous progress these past weeks and months! She's now about 3.5 pounds, and 18 inches long from head to toe! (!!!) She's very strong and active (as evidenced by the constant feets/knees/elbows bruising my belly and ribs) and we're confident she'll be a delightful little person just like her brother.

My stomach is stretched unbelievably. It's difficult to imagine she will gain another four or five pounds. I don't know how there can possibly be enough room.

I also have braxton-hicks contractions all the time, and am quite convinced that she will be here a little early. (But watch -- now that I've put that in print, she'll be 10 days late. :D)

Anyway, we're plugging along nicely as baby grows and grows (and Mommy too). We're getting really excited about meeting our little girl!

Preparing Her Escape

We went to the hospital yesterday for a follow-up ultrasound. Here's what we learned:

1. The baby is now pointing in the right direction (down). I don't know why she wants to be upside-down for two months, but there you go.

2. The placenta, which was inconveniently located between baby and outside world, has moved into a more strategic position. This is very good news for us because it significantly lessens the chance that Nicole will need a C-section, which, while it is pretty routine, is still surgery and therefore kind of a drag.

3. The baby has been confirmed as a girl. Apparently, there are more false positives on girls than boys, for obvious reasons, but this was the second ultrasound tech to say "yep, looks like a girl". Which is good news for Grandma Gail as she's spent the last few weeks sewing "VIOLET" into a quilt (although we may have been willing to go with "Vincent" to spare her having to completely start over).

My Kingdom for a Girl Scout.

(Cookie, that is.)

I am so put out. Where are all the girl scouts? They sold cookies for what, like, 3 days? How am I supposed to make it through this pregnancy on only ONE lone box of thin mints?

If I'd known they were speed-selling, I'd have bought in bulk.

Wretched little pony-tailers. Harrumph.

(Face) Firsts

Last weekend, Wilson showed us that he'd figured out a new trick. Nicole and I were in the bedroom cleaning and Little Man was running around the basement. At one point, we noticed that he was being very quiet (during awake times, that means "up to something"). I went to investigate and found him... In his crib! I called Nicole and took him out and put him back on the floor so he could show us how he did it, which he was very happy to do: Grabbing onto his crib, he'd climbed first up the rocking chair footstool (which also rocks), then up the armrest of the rocking chair, at which point he threw himself face first over his crib wall and landed (also face first) with a smile on his mattress. It was an impressive performance and one I would've had repeated for videotape if it wasn't for the "how I broke my neck" impression of the landing. Afterward, we did a little baby room reordering.

Ooops.

We were very sorely mistaken. McSheep's name is not, in fact, McSheep. It's BAAAA! Not "baaa" or "Baaa" but "BAAAAA!!!" (complete with exclamation points).

Josh clued into the fact that Wilson had named him yesterday or the day before. And it's reasonable. Wilson knows what a sheep is, and what a sheep says. But we think it's pretty hysterical that the first creature Wilson named was done so with its own punctuation and volume control. If we want Wilson to go get McSheep, we have to say, "Wilson, where is BAAAAAAA!!!?" We sound like idiots, but he knows what we mean!

Good baby!

Punching Babies.

So apparently we failed to apprise y'all of Wilson's first schoolyard fight. Yes, it's true. At daycare a few weeks ago, Wilson came home sporting his very first black eye. While the daycare didn't see the altercation, so they aren't 100% sure of the details, their best guess is that Wilson was playing with a toy and another kid tried to take it away. Wilson resisted, and during the tug-of-war he won, but got the toy in the eye as it sprang out of the other kid's hands. Wilson was also bitten during this "fight".

Not to worry. It's actually not the first time a kid tried to take something from him and he resisted, resulting in a bite mark. We're glad he isn't timid with other children, and if that means he comes home with some swollen eyes and teeth marks now and again, we're okay with that.

We're sorry the pictures don't reflect how truly brutally purple his eye became. It was totally cool. But we're sure there will be a next time! Good baby!

New Pictures.

Hey folks, here are some photos from February and early March. We're trying to get back up to speed on recording Wilson's antics. We also need to get some belly pictures in before a) it gets too hot and b) I get too fat.

A few quick notes on the photos before you go:

• Can you tell Wilson likes to read?
• His black eye got much, much blacker after we took these.
• The raking pictures were taken about 14 seconds before we were devoured by ravenous mosquitos.
• Yes, those hideous brown and orange monstrosities are my shoes, and yes, I like them.
  

Wilson and Friends (3/10/08)

Vocabumtary Update.

Wilson says many new words! Here are some of the highlights:

Lion
Otter
Hippo ("bippo")
Flower
Uh-oh!
Apple ("bappo")
NO!
mwah! (*kiss*)
Yah (as in, affirmative acknowledgment)

But my favorite of his newly developed verbalities is the *patooie*. Why *patooie*? It's what the camel says, of course! :D

Little Lover.

At some point in the past week, Wilson discovered how to kiss. Not that he didn't get the general idea before -- put lips together, apply to person you like -- but he's added some polish. The first person to get the new Wilson Love Treatment was Josh. Little Man put his hands on Josh's cheeks, puckered up, and planted a wet one right on Josh's lips.

Josh's response? "AGH!!" (It was entirely out of nowhere...)

Wilson does it all the time now. And you never see it coming. I think it's when he decides he really likes you, or after he gets in trouble and decides he's going to be good. Then he'll give you a biiiiiiiiiig hug (arms and legs), say "mmmmmmmm" and give you a looooong smooch. Or if he's in a hurry, he'll put his hand on your lips and say "mwah!" before running off to do something else. It's incredibly heartwarming. I really love it, even when he does it with a face covered with cookie bits, or when he still has mac and cheese on his hands and they end up in my hair.

Josh loves it too. Last night Wilson woke up upset, and Josh went down to comfort him. He gave Wilson some hugs and sang him a song, and then Wilson responded by giving Josh a big kiss and crawling back into bed without any protest. What a little love muffin.

It is sad to think that, as the years pass, he'll never like us as much as he likes us right now. But it does inspire us to treasure these little precious moments.

Good Baby.

Bad Baby.

I should say, Bad BabIES. Violet is quite a kicker, and took up residence in my chest cavity today. I just now managed to push her from my esophagus and extract her right foot from my gall bladder. And Wilson? Yikes. That little man...is such a butthead. His newly developed sense of defiance is much too big for his wee body. If his scowl and mimicky "NO!" weren't so damn cute, we might just throw him out the window.

The shirt Wilson made me for my birthday says it all: "I punch babies."

Cake, etc.

One of the more frustrating parts of late-term pregnancy for me is the sudden onset of ravaging food cravings. I don't pine for the strange like some of the pregnant, just for copious amounts of pretty much everything. Especially the stuff that isn't good for me.

Last time it was donuts. This time it's...everything else. Nutella. Bagels with cream cheese (like, 12 pounds of it, please.) Cheeeeeeeeeeezy pizza. Cookies. Brownies. Chocolate cake. And lest you forget, I'm the one woman on the planet who doesn't adore chocolate. And here I am, constantly jonesing for that hazelnutty-chocolately goodness smothered on crackers or toast or banana or a corner of the kitchen table.

It's frustrating, really. It feels like PMS-eating. (Y'all know what I mean, ladies.) It's compulsive, completely undeterred by rational thought or intervention. I actually start to panic if I don't have a carby munchy nearby when I get hungry. My latest obsession? Smucker's' Uncrustables. They are little pbj heaven pies.

I wish I could find the healthy eater that I know lives inside me. I generally love salad, veggies, oatmeal, fruit and lean proteins. I spent three years of my life not eating cheese, ice cream or other "thicky" foods because they didn't fit my healthy worldview. *sigh* But I also used to run 5 miles a day. And do pushups and crunches. I nearly had a six-pack once! Oh well.

Do I really care? Not really. Violet is extremely active and strong, and I know that as long as I eat nutritious foods (albeit sometimes too much of them), I'll grow a strong and healthy baby girl and that's good enough for me. Even if I have to put an extra 15 minutes on the end of my post-partum walks...it'll be worth it.

Wouldja look at that? Time for a snack! Later.

Djoosh!

Wilson knows what shoes are. You ask him, "Wilson, where are your shoes? Get me your shoes, please." And he'll run off and find them and bring them back saying, "djoosh? djoosh?" He'll also get his "gockies!" (sockies) and then sit down in your lap so you can put them all on. (Even if he is still wearing his footie pajamas; he doesn't care.)

But this morning, for the first time, Wilson said the word "shoes" properly! I was so proud.

(And yes, Wilson does wear Keens, thanks to Grama and Grampa Packer. They love him more than we do.)

Meet McSheep.

This is McSheep. He's a plush sheep hailing from the cold hills of Scotland. McSheep came to the States in a bag belonging to Nono and Grandmother Louise before coming to live with us. (Specifically, in Wilson's crib.) Where Harrod is the VP of House Animals, McSheep is the President. If one animal comes out of or goes into bed with Wilson, it's McSheep, numero uno.

McSheep was not always President. He and Harrod had a good stand-off going for a month or so there. But in the end, tough highland wool beat out soft city fur.

Like Harrod, McSheep would be difficult to replace. On our last check, the closest we could get a new McSheep delivered would be to Wales. Which is, you know, convenient.

McSheep is currently doing his best to console a very sad and not-interested-in-bedtime Wilson. Let us hope the tough highland wool is up to that delicate challenge!

Meet Harrod.

This is Harrod. He's a blue stuffed bear with a jingle in his belly. Harrod was a gift to Wilson from Aunt Beth, who found him during a trip to London. Wilson loved him right away.

Harrod plays an important role in our house. He's the current Vice President of Wilson's animal collection, second only to McSheep, who we will introduce shortly. When it's time for bed, Wilson tucks Harrod under one arm and McSheep under the other. It's terribly cute. (And comforting to know that pecking orders extend even to the stuffed animal kingdom.)

We lost Harrod once. He was waylaid en route back home from Grama and Grampa Packer's house, and we feared we'd never see him again. A mad internet scramble produced many ready-for-purchase Harrods, except when UK shipping costs were applied, they were found to cost like $80. apiece. (Sorry, Wilson; we love you, but not that much.) We decided there were other blue bears in the world, and we'd be more careful about where we put him once he made it back home safely.

Harrod was successfully recovered, and all made well. The little blue guy is currently nestled under Wilson's chin, who is snoring and drooling happily. Good baby, good bear!

Blueberries.

For many weeks I've been trying to get Wilson to enjoy blueberries. I mean, Costco carries them fresh and in bulk! (And I can only eat so many...) Well. At one point I got him to eat them if he could peel the skins off and munch on the insides. THEN. FINALLY. Yesterday he ate a few handfuls. And today, over the course of his 3 meals and 2 snacks, he ate, like, a pint! It's awesome. He can't get enough!

Bring on the blue poo...

Chairs.

Wilson can now climb up on chairs all by himself. He finds particular pleasure in climbing up to the table and engaging us in conversation. It's like it makes him feel big!

Week 23.

Violet is so big! (And so is Mommy!) She's about 1 pound this week, and about 8 inches long from head to rump. That's about the size of a small doll...can you believe it? She's very active, and gets the hiccups frequently. Her hearing is well developed, and she'll kick and squirm if I listen to loud music, or if something loud trolls by. (Like sirens!)

Her little pancreas is doing some developing this week, which helps her regulate hormones and digestion. She's slowly but surely getting fatter, although she still has a long way to go before she's the plump little raisin she's supposed to be.

As for Mommy, I've been SO HUNGRY the past three weeks. I have a doc appt. on Wednesday, and I expect him to tell me I've made up for any pounds lost and then some. I eat constantly. Aside from that, pregnancy continues to be fun and uneventful, so we're encouraged!

Photo Updates.

We know we're behind on putting albums up, and we apologize for that. I'm going to continue to rely upon my default excuse of "Physics is kicking my ass". Because it is. And I am. Sorry, that is.

Anywho, here are some pictures from the last month or so. Check out the dramatic difference between his pre-Christmas mop and the new 'do! I confess I came very close to sobbing when the stylist hacked all his curls off...it needed to be shorter, but THAT short?

Anyway, we mostly like it now.

On to pics:

Christmas 2007
Wilson and Friends (1/31/08)

A Man's Man's Ladies' Man.

My baby is cool because he loves football!

He watches games with the big kids, and exclaims "yay!" a lot. He loves throwing the pigskin with Daddy, who tackles him every time he picks it up. But even more fun than tackling Daddy is throwing the small pleather projectile at Mommy's unsuspecting face. Mommy is very patient.

But my baby is also cool because he hangs out with Mommy and does girl stuff. Like go shopping. Rock out to the Spice Girls' Greatest Hits. Drink Diet Coke.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: GOOD BABY!