Moving On

Mom's been on a scanning-old-pictures kick lately and tonight a few of us got an email entitled, "Does this child look familiar to anyone??!!" Besides the obvious answer (it's me when I was two), if you haven't seen M in a while, well, you're looking at him. I've always been able to see Dad and Ryan in him from their baby pictures, but never me...until now. Genes are crazy things.




Speaking of genes, we'll be visiting with our second child tomorrow morning. David and Mom, and possibly Dad, are coming along to introduce themselves. Little Man is staying with Auntie Yana and BreaBrea and will be having a lot of fun with them, I'm sure. He is still very interested in caring for Brea, poor girl. I think I actually want a big baby this time, in his or her best interest, in order to withstand Micah's love and care. Baby has been an active little one as of late, but nothing compared to M, it seems. So maybe there's hope for a calmer baby? A mommy can hope and pray...and dream.

D is on a CT rotation now and that involves a regular day shift for two weeks and kind of an odd evening shift from 5pm to 11pm. He's on the Night CT shift now and it's so fun having him around all day until 4:30ish. M is loving it since he didn't see D four days last week when D was on long call. Every third minute we hear, "Daddeeeeeeeeee" belted out for no reason in particular. And he wants Daddy to follow him around or wants to follow Daddy around with a truck or two of some sort. It's very cute. And I'm not minding mid-day errands without a toddler in tow (although I enjoy his company and he's always very well behaved in stores...it's just nice getting things done in half the time and not having to stop and wave or say hi to every person or inspect every rock or ant on the ground...). Anyway, that's for two weeks out of this month and I'll enjoy every day of those two weeks!

That's all for now, off to read more about my garden. Just picked up Purple Beauty Peppers, Celebrity Tomatoes, pickling cukes, and a few herbs for which I have to find room in my garden.

M is taking one of his long naps and I am caught up on chores, Bible reading, and rest so I actually have time to blog...yay! If you can't tell from the above pictures, our little man is a big cheese. It's hard to catch him with a natural smile because every time he sees the camera now, he pulls out "that" smile. Oh well, he's still the cutest kid I know (until October when I'll have two of the cutest kids I know...).

Days just keep going by without me knowing it. There was one day that I would have promised you it was Tuesday when, in fact, it was actually Wednesday. All fun times, though, as we are enjoying the beauitful weather (past two days have been rainy, but the next week promises to be sunny and 80s!). M is a big "help" with my garden, which turned out to be mostly container gardening this year. Really convenient and saves the back and the belly from the work of tilling the ground. I am planting a few things in my in-ground garden, though: herbs, one cucumber plant, spinach, potatoes, and carrots. Everything seems to be growing well, we just need those sunny days to really get things underway. Dad helped me plant a few containers at his house, mostly pumpkins and zucchinis and a few tomatoes. He also bought some tomato sprouts to plant, so we're guaranteed some yummy home-grown tomatoes this year! I bought one sprout this year: a jalapeno plant for David for only $1.18. He LOVES those things, so hopefully they'll produce some good ones over the summer. I also bought an aloe plant for medicinal purposes: a drop or two of aloe juice in your nose clears it up instead of using all those chemicals in nose sprays (which you can't use on kids anyway!). I've used it on M a few times and Yana has used it on Brea and it works beautifully. I snip a tip off and it seals itself back up and keeps on growing. I guess it's good to drink and good for your skin, but I haven't looked into that yet. My grandma in FL always kept (and still keeps) one.

Baby seems to be doing nicely, we go for our ultrasound in a few weeks, so it'll be nice to see her (or him) for the first time. I feel her moving around the most after I've just eaten, but not much more. She's probably moving a lot and I'm just so busy I don't notice or my constant motion rocks her to sleep during the day and she's up at night but not enough to wake me. This is where all the day/night confusion starts, I'm convinced. I had a plan to sit during the day and move around a few times during the night to avoid this confusion when she enters the world, but, yeah, that's not possible. I'm still eating like crazy and wishing I could hire a cook to think of yummy, healthy snacks to create so I didn't have to. Meals are easy, it's the inbetween that's annoying since most snack food is junky. D scolded me for going overbudget on our grocery bill last month, but I told him that his toddler eats like a teenager and his baby makes me eat like a teenager, so just be happy it didn't double (notice they are "his" babies to make my case more pitiful...). Haven't heard another word from him, poor guy. I'm making a pot roast in the slow cooker right now and it smells delicious...

D and I have our monthly date night on Friday. He's working til 8pm every other day, so we see each other in glimpses on those nights. He doesn't usually get home til 9ish and I'm usually making myself comfortable for night by 10. He's such a great guy, I couldn't do any of this without him. He's so helpful and patient and loving and supportive. He's always texting me nice things throughout the day even though he's superbusy. We'll be married six years this year and it doesn't seem like it could be that long. We still have tons of fun together and thoroughly enjoy being together whenever we can. I love him. Ok, enough mushiness...

To end, there was one day that Dad was reading M a lift-the-flap firetruck book that is a new favorite and all of the sudden they both pop out of the seat with Dad announcing, "I'm going to bring him to the fire station around the corner if you don't mind." M got his "fireman boots" on (snow boots that are at least a size too small for him but he jams his pudgy feet into them anyway...all by himself...) and Dad loaded him into our van and off they went. Not only did he get to see and touch and sit on a firetruck, but he got to sit on a steamroller and a rescue boat, too. Dad couldn't tell which he enjoyed most, but sufficed to say that every time he sees or reads about a firetruck he says, "Grpa" and "Minah" and points to himself, meaning that Grandpa and Micah went to see the firetrucks. As if Dad wasn't his favorite person in the world already...

Last night, the stars aligned perfectly and D was able to take a picture of my 16-week belly. I'd think of it when no one was around, D would think of it when we were in bed, we both thought of it, but the camera was at Mom and Dad's, etc. Anyway, here we are:

It kind of looks like I'm pushing my belly out, but I'm not...that's how it looks when I stand. It totally doesn't get in the way of anything at this point. I think I was remembering (and dreading) how I felt at the end of M's pregnancy when I was huge and uncomfortable and didn't want to do much. For all the queasiness I had with this one, I haven't had any belly discomfort, for which I'm thankful because M LOVES to read and is always on my lap with a book.

Some other baby-related items include my ultrasound which is scheduled for June 1st. I'm excited because D is on night CT that month and doesn't go into work until 5pm, so he'll be able to come along. I know Mom is coming and I invited Dad, but it's mid-day, so he might be working. Not sure if we'll bring M. I'd like him to see the baby, but it might be too long for him to stay relatively still in a room full with knobs and buttons and everything else he would want to get into. It'll be fun to get our first peek at the baby. We're not going to find out if she is really a she (I'm 75% sure she's a girl) because where's the fun in that? I was trying out baby names on M the other day to see what he could pronounce and what proves to be difficult. He did pretty well on most names, but he does well pronouncing most words, even three syllable ones. (I can get off on a tangent about him, but I'll just mention that he's pointing things out and saying their names now without any "What's that?" prompting. Very fun.). We won't be sharing any names, either, in case we change our mind last minute, to avoid all the potentially-annoying, "Oh, I thought you chose such and such a name. What happened?" questions. I think we're in agreement on a girl's name, but not a boy's name. But we haven't sat down and looked through any baby names, either, so I'm sure we'll find something when that happens.

In preparation for Baby, I'm in the market for a Sit and Stand baby stroller. The older child can sit or stand on a particular spot on the stroller and the other part has a place for a infant car seat which can also be a regular stroller seat when you are past the car seat stage. Found a few on Craigslist, but nothing I've settled on. I'm also reviewing slow cooker recipe books because I'm going to be using that thing like crazy during those first few months. I might even buy another one if I find I'm using it a lot. You can make anything from dips and breads to desserts and cakes in it. I'm also going to be making double meals the last month I'm pregnant and freezing the extra to store up a good reserve. We actually won't need them for a while because we will be staying with my parents for the first six weeks of Baby's life. I can't lift or drive for those six weeks after a C-section and obviously D can't take that much time off, so we'll be moving in for a time with them. Not to mention all the help that Mom and Dad (and all large number of people who are constantly in and out of that house on a regular basis!) will be with M and allowing me to rest whenever I need to. I'm not sure how people do it without help, but I don't want to find out! I firmly believe that even though you are ultimately responsible for your child, family and good friends should be a big part of their lives. I'm so thankful the Lord brought us back to our family and that they are a big part of daily life.

Well I think that's all on the baby update. I've got to finish my second summer reading book while M is still snoozing because when he is up, he is UP and ready to go.

I'm so excited about my garden this year because I was able to start it from seeds (it feels less like cheating). Much cheaper, but definitely more time consuming. I started my herbs a few weeks ago and they're coming along nicely now, too. As you can see, I used seed starter containers that will decompose after I plant them in the soil. Here's what I planted:

2 squares of scallions
2 squares of bell peppers
2 squares of carrots
3 squares of tomatoes
3 squares of peas
4 squares of green beans
4 squares of cucumbers
5 squares of watermelon
5 squares of cantaloupe
7 squares of pumpkins
10 squares of zucchini






...or something like that. Most of the seeds grew; all, I think, except for one or two. I'll have to transplant them in the upcoming weeks, so I'm working out a garden design. I'll be planting the tomatoes in an old compound container and I think I'll plant some potatoes (who are already growing in a plastic bag with absolutely no effort on my part!) in a similar container. I might plant the pumpkins at Mom and Dad's since they have a lot of room. I'm picking up a book at the library that should help me with this next step. I'm constantly amazed at how God designed a tiny seed to hold everything it would need to produce more of its kind. Watching the process up close it a fun experience. M has taken to "helping" me water the plants each morning...so much "help," in fact, that he now has his own plant to water (Spanish moss) so he won't drown mine. It's cute. I got some books out of the library on growing seeds for him, but trucks are his new fascination (obsession!!!) so they didn't hold his interest for long.

My child, I find, is highly entertaining. Most parents probably think this about their kids, so I am definitely part of that club. We've got it so his behavior/listening skills are good about 95% of the time, which allows for lots of fun times. Mom and Dad watched him for our Date Night last weekend and said that he was excellent for them, easy to care for, and he even used his manners without prompting (!), so I'm proud of him. Definitely room for improvement, especially around nap or bedtime, but that's to be expected. I don't tell him that, though :). All that to say, I enjoy his daily company and his happy, inquisitive personality. Now, for the videos...

This is the week that D has a four-day weekend, so we are excited about spending some time together before he starts a semi-crazy schedule until his second year of Radiology starts in July. I'll have to post about my garden next, it's coming along nicely in my seed starter containers. All seven of the pumpkin seeds I planted sprouted, so we're going to have us a lot of pumpkins come early Fall! Ok, off to bed, it's already after 9pm! ;)

Dad is being inducted into yet another Hall of Fame this evening (the third, if my count is correct). Doesn't make us less proud of him, but it does make us wonder how many other Hall of Fames he can possibly make it in to considering he had a relatively short stint in the world of baseball (he made it to the minor league Phillies organization before leaving it all behind to get married). He was just that good, I guess! We, as in Mom, Ryan, Nick, and I, have happily tagged along to the induction ceremonies in the past for the free, delicious, expensive-looking meals and tonight the tradition will continue. Dad received three extra tickets and invited Ryan and me to go with him and Mom. Mom said it was the same place we went to for his Eastern Connecticut State University's Hall of Fame dinner and as I recall the food was particularly delicious. Really, any food is delicious to me at this point in my pregnancy eating frenzy, but it promises to be a good meal.

The local paper wrote a very nice piece on Dad, the first inductee they highlighted. For some reason they don't have it online, but a few people cut out the article and sent it to Dad so we all got to read it. They did have this on the website, though:

The New Britain Sports Hall of Fame has announced its induction class for 2010 and eight new members will join the elite club at a dinner and ceremony on April 22. Donald Fusari led the Eastern Connecticut baseball team in batting for three years in the 1970s and played baseball and basketball at New Britain High.

D will be watching Little Man, some nice father-son bonding time. Then D has tomorrow off and we will be dropping M off at Mom and Dad's later in the evening for our Date Night. Fun times ahead!

Keeping busy around here as usual, especially with all this nice weather that’s been coming our way:

• We ended up going to IKEA when D had his day off since it was a rainy day. Got two wooden toys for M and siblings for great prices. On the way back, we stopped by this lady’s house who had listed a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, Police Car Edition on Craigslist. Can you imagine the torture M had to go through sitting next to this new, way-fun toy the entire ride home without being able to touch it? He did very well for himself, I was proud of him. He kept saying “Hi!” to it as it rolled his way and he held out his hands a few times, which is his way of showing that he wants to pick something up or he wants something to pick him up (like birds, cats, bees that he sees from a distance). Being the mean parents that we are, we put him right down for a nap as soon as we got home, but he was zonked so he didn’t even notice the little car as I pulled him out of his carseat.

• We visited with D’s parents the next afternoon and D was digging around in their attic to find a coffee/tea press that he remembered storing up there. He ended up not finding it, but we came home with a carful of items from the attic! Some of D’s belongings, a wooden table and chair set from D’s mom’s childhood, a wooden youth chair that M uses instead of the Bumbo seat at the table now, a lot of Golden Books from D’s childhood, and probably some more stuff I’m forgetting. Dad and D refinished the youth chair and it turned out beautifully. M is really enjoying his new seating arrangement and so am I because he can get up and down from it all by himself. We were looking at something similar at IKEA so my back and belly would be saved from hauling M’s 30 pound self up and down at each meal and snacktime, but we were glad we ended up not buying anything!

• Nick is enduring Week 3 of Boot Camp and doing very well from all accounts. Everyone has been writing him and he’s been finding time to write back to all of us, too. I try to write a letter to him every third day because there are only so many Micah stories one can tell, but he insists he likes getting the letters and hearing about life back at home. So I keep writing. I had to buy stamps at the post office the other day since I was running low from the last time I bought them….at least a year ago! We never use them.

• M came down with a stomach bug last Monday night and was up a few times throwing up. A whole mix of emotions came with that since he had never been sick like that before. D was a HUGE help since his crib had to stripped and M had to be stripped and I had to try not to get sick. I don’t do throw up; I hardly ever get that sick and I definitely don’t like experiencing it with other people. You can imagine how comforting of a Kindergarten teacher I was during these [thankfully very few and very far between] instances. So, like any good toddler, M shared his sickness with us and forty-eight hours later D and I got it. Couldn’t have been more perfect timing since M was in bed and slept great, but the next day was kind of rough. D called out of work and we were going to send M to Dad and Mom’s, but Mom ended up getting sick later the same night we did! So the two of us managed quite nicely to entertain a very busy, bouncy toddler throughout the day as we tried to recover and get rest. It’s a day for the books, that’s for sure, but in some sort of weirdly odd way it was a cozy day. Since M didn’t expend much energy during the morning hours, he didn’t take a long nap, but we slept while he slept and D felt a lot better after his nap. I was just tired in general from a bad night’s sleep and from being in my first trimester. By the next day, we were all better and back to normal (except for feeling bad that Dad and Kristina caught it, too!) I guess this bug was going around the school attached to our church, which, had I known about, would have never put M in the nursery aka germ factory.

• I’m technically in my second trimester now and feeling 90% better. I still have to eat like crazy or I’ll feel sick. I go for my second doctor’s appointment tomorrow. It’s been a month already since my last one! M is good for making time fly while having fun.

• BreaBrea is as cute as ever. I love her little face, it’s so defined. She’s smiling at people now, which makes her that much cuter. M is so good with her and absolutely adores her. He wants to help feed her the bottle, pat her, push her in the swing, kiss her, and today he got to hold her for the first time. Which, of course, became a photo shoot and they both performed very well. M is going to be such a great big brother, maybe a little too helpful… Maybe I should pray that I do have another nine-pound-plus baby so s/he can withstand M.

• I’m in the market for a new cloth diapering system. gDiapers are awesome, but I think I’m ready to make the jump into full cloth diapering. Not the kind my mom used, but the twenty-first century type. My plan is to buy three or four types to try them out and pick the one we like best and buy that system. The one I think I’m going to like (which means it probably won’t work…) looks exactly like a disposable diaper, except it’s made of this plush minkee fabric on the outside (aka super soft). It doesn’t have a lot of parts to it and it’s a one size fits all deal, so I don’t have to buy different sizes. I’m testing them out on M, but hopefully he’ll be potty trained by the time Baby is here and after size one disposables, I can use the new system on him/her. I’m definitely using the organic-type disposables in the beginning because I remember how much M went the bathroom in the beginning and I’m not about to do that much laundry. And I still use the organic diapers at night with M, so I guess I’m a semi-cloth diaperer. Anyway, I’m finding good deals on Huggies Pure and Natural diapers: a small pack of 26 diapers is only $6 which is a great deal. That’s with a $3 off coupon. And I managed to print out six of them this past week.

• M can say his name now and answers the question, “What is your name?” when asked. He’s a talking and mimicking machine. I’m working on a Day in the Life of Micah post, there’s so much to include, but I won’t make it a book. I’m writing things down here and there as we go. For general stuff, I write on his calendar that I’m continuing from the One Year Baby Calendar to however-many-years-I-keep-it-up. It’s quick and practical and I hang it on the fridge so it’s easy to write milestones, cute sayings, or something fun we did that day. And it’s easily extendable to a number of kids since it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort. That’s the theory anyway!

• And finally, one book down in my summer reading list: Son of Hamas. It’s about a top Hamas guy who informed on the organization for an Israeli spy agency and found Christ in the meantime. Talk about cross-cultures. His story was really amazing and truly inspiring; I read it in three days. There’s another book along the same lines (Muslim turned Christian) called Once an Arafat Man. Here’s the last part of the description: “This book is a fascinating window into the book of Genesis, Islamic culture and the Arab-Israeli conflict. More importantly, it is a story of the ultimate hope rooted in Christ, the Savior of all--including Jews and Muslims.” I put it on hold at our library, so hopefully it’ll be in soon.

• Sorry no pictures, we got this new 4 GB memory card and our card reader won’t read it. D told me another way but it’s nearing my bedtime.

Completely enjoying this nice weather we're experiencing here. I was so ready for spring, but it feels a bit like summer out there, which is just fine, too. Saturday, while D was on long call, Grammy and Grpa wanted to take M to a local playground that was perfect for his height. He looked so big and grownup the entire time. The slides were a favorite and he turned around and went down on his belly all by himself. He wouldn't even attempt sitting up and going down, which I liked because next would be getting up and walking down the slide. The little cars also held his interest, and if all goes as planned, we'll be getting him a police car version of the yellow and red Little Tikes Cozy Coupe (that's what they're really called!) tomorrow off of craigslist. I've learned to test things out before buying them for him because most of the time what I think would hold his interest completely does not and vice versa.

We stayed until we couldn't take the heat any longer, but who knows when M would have been ready. Maybe never. Now, every time we pass a playground or a play set in someone's yard, he'll point it out and say something in his I-know-what-I'm-saying-but-not-many-other-people-do speech. I ended up bringing him to another playground yesterday, but it was for slightly older kids and he didn't enjoy it as much. He explored the surrounding area instead...and certainly didn't complain about the picnic lunch I packed!






In other happenings, I'm feeling a lot better as I approach week thirteen of my pregnancy. The weeks are flying by. I have another appointment in two weeks, so it'll be nice to hear the heartbeat again!

Continuing with the new life theme, the seeds M and I planted last week are well underway. The green bean, pea, pumpkin, and cucumber seeds are all starting to sprout. Sprouting seeds is more work than I anticipated: I have to make sure they're in the sun and properly watered throughout the day otherwise they won't sprout. I put them in seed starter containers and keep them inside for now, like our own little greenhouse. I planted three or four little containers of each kind in hopes of a big garden this year. Dad offered some of his land if all my pots aren't enough. There's a neat system called Square Foot Gardening that allows you to plant a lot in a small space, so I may or may not try that. Anyway, I'm excited about yummy, fresh, organic, cheap fruits and veggies (and herbs, when I get them going...) this summer...hopefully!

D has a three-day weekend starting tomorrow...yay! We'll probably take M to the park for a picnic and to feed the geese, if the weather cooperates. My backup plan is IKEA, so I think D is hoping for good weather :). D scored well on a big exam they had to take a few months ago. But that's not really news because he is one smart guy...and has been for a while!

I got a text mid-afternoon on Friday from D saying he had a surprise for me. He'll come home with cute things for me from time to time, so I was excited but didn't think too much about it. I was completely shocked when he later told me that he would be able to spend Easter with us after all. I guess he had asked a co-worker to switch a few weeks ago and the guy got back to him on Friday saying that yes, he would switch. He didn't tell me about it before because he didn't want me to be disappointed in case it didn't happen (does he know me or what!?). Anyway, he still had to work 8am til 8pm on Saturday and he has to work another Sunday to make up for Easter, but we got to spend a beautiful spring day together with friends and family celebrating Christ's resurrection.

Mom cooked up a delicious meal that actually filled me up for more than an hour...four hours actually. An all time record for the past few weeks. We headed over D's parents house to see Ayyyi (cousin Ari) for a bit before heading back to night church. M was w.i.p.e.d by night's end, poor guy. We all were, actually, but happy to have spent the day together.

My belly at 11 weeks. First one is with M, the second one is now. Angles are different, but you can still get the general idea.

Lots of little things going on here and there. I really should dedicate an entire post to Micah, he's growing up so quickly and changing so much. I enjoy his company and watching him learn and say new things. He's quite the conversationalist--with anyone and everyone. People are so gracious in the stores, going along with his stream of nonsensical words, nodding, and responding. It's fun to see that side of people, too, one that only a little one can bring out! He's such a little mimicker, too...of words, but especially of sounds and noises. I decided to extend his First Year calendar into a however-many-years-I-keep-it-up-calendar. It's something I will easily be able to do for however many kids we end up having, and it's a great replacement for a baby book that I'd probably never get around to doing (he has one for all his pre-birth and birth stuff, but then the calendar took over). I hang the calendar (that I got for $1) on fridge and write a snippet of something we did that day or a new word or sound that he said or anything that I think he might find interesting in years to come. It's working out great so far!

Another Micah project I have in the works is printing out some pictures of our baby in utero and putting them up on the fridge. Not sure if it'll help him make the connection, but it might since he's a smart one. I have a list of big brother books I want to check out from the library, too, so maybe that'll help. He's already fascinated with his little cousin Brea-Brea so this very well might be a waste of time, but you never know what will click when with toddlers. We're also making a baby collage by cutting out pictures of babies (and I might dig up a few family members' baby pictures for him to see), but Dad had a better idea: have the babies be with a big brother-type figure. Anyway, just trying to introduce him to the world of babies a few different ways.

Yet another thing we're working on (M and me) is starting the seedlings for our garden. We bought some seeds from the dollar store and the food store (and I have some basil seeds from my basil plant Rita gave me last year) that we're going to start sprouting in egg cartons. All you have to do it cut an X in the bottom of each egg holder, fill with soil, plant seeds, water until sprouts appear, and then plant in the garden. The egg carton is biodegradable, so you plant that right into the ground. Last year I got a late start (in May) in my garden because I didn't know this sprout-indoors secret.

Last night Mom had another one of her haircutting parties. There had to be at least twenty people there, some husbands included. A few people from our church were there and they had kids M's age, so he was a happy man. He did so well sharing all of the toys at Grammy's house (I never call them his, I just say "the toys" in hopes of lessening the greediness...don't know if it works or not, but it's worth a try!). I only heard a few "no, no"s when someone went near something he had and he was promptly corrected by Daddy or me. It's hard to teach a first child to share because most of the time they aren't around people who care to share their toys. Over the past few months I've been pretending I want a few of his toys as he was playing with them and used those times to teach sharing. Being in the church nursery three times a week also helps, I'm sure! All that to say that he had a great time with friends and I did, too! Mom always outdoes herself with the food she makes and since she's cooking healthier like us, it's always that much more yummy to eat! Last night she made crockpot orange chicken and brown rice along with some very tasty desserts. People filled in the rest: veggie platter, cheese and cracker platter, salad, rolls, and drinks. I didn't get anything done to my hair (Dad had recently cut it and did a great job), but Mom said people liked the results, so I'm sure there'll be another one in the near future.

D is on call for Easter, otherwise we'd all have matching outfits. Mom bought Micah and Brea matching outfits for the occasion and I have a dress that matches M's suit. I can't wait to see them together, they're going to look too adorable! Since Easter isn't all about new outfits, I'm reading a portion of the Easter story each day to M. I'm sure he isn't getting a lot of it, but again, you never know how much they understand. I won't be doing egg-dying with my kids, since bunnies and candy and eggs are not what Easter is all about, but there are a few other fun activities we will be doing (Easter cookies, Resurrection eggs, and I think I will do baskets, but with cross-centered items, not meaningless junk that gets thrown out in a week). We'll do egg dying on the first day of Spring, along with eating our free Rita's Water Ice, so no one is confused as to what Easter really means.

M had such a good time feeding these geese and ducks a few weeks ago. I'm sure it'll become a habit in the summer when it's warmer and less windy!



Alright, it's time to go scrounge up meal #14 of the day. I'm eating us out of house and home, rather, this baby is making me eat us out of house and home. Amazing pregnancies can be so different. With M, I ate only the suggested extra granola bar a day for the first two semesters. But this one...I should keep a food journal. I think I'd surprise myself!

In anticipation of this baby, as well as in consideration of my back (which has been pulled or twisted a few times since bending in the car to put my larger-than-average son in and out of his infant carseat) we took the plunge and bought a van. Not just any van: a Grand Caravan van. So there is no mistaking that what I am driving is indeed a van. I'm so not a van person. I thought I'd be able to survive any number of kids in a Volvo, but if you've seen my Volvo, it looks like I already have any number of kids, not the one that I do have. Vans just seem so cliche, but now I know why: they are very functional and they support back health. We've been in the market for a used one (we never buy new) for a few weeks, but at Nick's going away party on Saturday, Dad found out that a friend of the family was selling his 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. We test drove it that night (on our way back from free Rita's water ice, yum! Not to be confused with free Ben & Jerry's ice cream yesterday, which was also, yum!) and decided to buy it for a great price. I've had to take M out to the van for a few tours and of course he's loving it. He loves to play in any car, but this one he can actually walk around in and climb on the back seats and stand on them. So I just try to look casual sitting in a parked van in my own driveway for minutes on end...




I got the van officially registered today and transferred the necessary equipment from the Volvo to the van, including M's carseat. As I was strapping it in, he climbed in and asked to be buckled, so I asked him, "Where do you want to go, Micah?" Without pause he said, "Grpa." You can imagine the tears when I pulled him out and told him "nap" instead. Ironically enough, Grpa stopped by, but M was still napping! Anyway, we're off to Grpa's now that I hear him chattering (he wakes up with a burst of conversation, it's quite funny to hear!).