Nursery

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Oh, baby

Here's to the not forgotten, but all-too undocumented pregnancy this family is currently experiencing (and yes, it is a group effort--in fact, I'd also like to give a shout-out to Graeter's Ice Cream, as they've played a pivotal role in the success of this gestation). We're in the final stretch: 34 weeks and counting, and we have pretty much everything set. Nana is coming down the first of November (the due date is the 7th, so we're leaving some wiggle room), the nursery is furnished (as you'll see soon, I promise) and my stomach is huge. All good signs. Today, Annie and I discussed at greater length what babies "do" all day. She's very excited to hold the baby, clarified that the baby can't walk or talk, nor does it have teeth, and all the baby's going to eat is Mama's milk. Oh, and she also asked if I was heavy. So I think we're set. As you can see, Roscoe has taken a shine to the baby as well. He jumped up on the table as soon as I exposed my belly to give it a little nuzzle. Little does he know that his world will yet again be rocked, and not by the quiet, soothing momentum of a rocking chair, but by the loud whaling and general chaos equal to that of an earthquake with a tornado chaser.

At my last appointment, I got to have another ultrasound and therefore see this little Poppy in action. This baby can move, let me tell ya. He/She had its fists waving in the air like it knew that we, perhaps, weren't giving it our full, undivided attention. The picture shows its profile (click on it to see it larger), albeit kind of blurry, but trust me. It was cute, and it made me all the more excited to meet this little one. It's measuring almost 5 lbs. which indicates that, if I carry it to term, the baby should weight around 8 lbs. ! Fingers crossed for that 10% margin of error in my favor. Annie was 7 lbs. 4 oz. so this should be interesting. Again, I'd like to thank Graeter's for their selfless contribution.

The big dig

This week, we have a guest writer, Annie's Papa, here to talk about their fun-fossil-filled adventure this weekend:

Today Annie and I ventured across the Ohio river to its northern bank in Indiana for the Clarksville fossil festival. A steady rain kept the crowds at a minimum and the limestone fossil beds slick. It also kept us from photographing the visit, but the local newspaper took a picture of Annie digging for treasures, which may make it to press in the Lousiville Courier Journal. (At this time, currently no pictures of Annie. Their loss.)

For the festival, they scooped up some of the limestone river basin and dumped it into piles for the kids to explore. (Two piles were rich in fossils and one pile had mostly crystals.) You could keep anything that you found, and we did, since fossil collecting at the Falls of the Ohio Park was not allowed elsewhere. The fossilized animals are about 387 to 380 million years old and are from various sea-dwelling invertebrates (corals, sponges, mollusks, etc). You'll see here some photos of what we found.

There were booths with local Paleontological and Geological Society members and also fossil vendors. There was a visitor’s center, which looked nice, but our clothes quickly became sopping wet and muddy, so we stayed outdoors and plan to visit it on a different day. Instead, we hiked down to the river’s outer bed, despite the warning that the terrain is “not suitable for children under 8 or 9.” Annie climbed down and back with little assistance, tightly gripping a yellow crystal all the way. Then, I drove home in wet jeans and Annie in her underwear. (Editor's note: to me, that's a sign of a good time.)

Annie gets some visitors

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A spectator sport

We were honored to have our first guests break in the basement guest "quarters" in the new house when "Becca/Sara Kate" (and now joined by "Baby Sister," also known as Elisabeth) from Houston came for a few days last week. Annie needed the familiar faces and, frankly, so did I. But with 2 toddlers and an infant ruling the roost, Rebecca and I realized quickly that we were merely chaperones to this reunion. At almost three, Annie and Sara Kate are truly a force to be reckoned with, but in a good way. We had a blast (although Roscoe and Mason may never be the same). We went to the zoo, parks, breakfast, lunch, made play-do and brownies. What could be better? Well, Annie didn't nap the entire time, so I guess THAT could have been better, but she held her own and I think she was just so excited she didn't want to miss a minute.

The above video gives you a hint of the effect these two have on each other. Prior to Sara Kate's visit, Annie wouldn't go down a slide to save her life. She was traumatized by a visit to a bouncy playground with her father--at Christmas, LAST YEAR--and still had yet to recover. And, I'm told, Sara Kate wasn't so much of a climber until she encountered our simian daughter launching herself up the slide on all fours. Ah, the power of friendship. And, if you're worried about the shaky ending of the video, don't worry, Annie made it down the stairs just fine, although I have a few more gray hairs than I did prior to their acrobatics.

Baby Elisabeth should not be forgotten in this post. She celebrated her half-birthday while visiting, and, at 6 months, this kid is already a heart breaker. Annie was certainly smitten. I'm hoping that it's babies in general she has an affinity for and not just Elisabeth, given the pending sibling. It was very sweet to witness her sometimes overly enthusiastic love for this baby. (I'm sure the bruises are healing fine.) All in all, it was a great visit and we were sad to see them go. Roscoe and Mason, on the other hand, probably are a little bit glad there is again only one kid running after them. Well, at least, for now.

What's in a name?

It all started when Annie found out what our "real" names were. Then it was "Jay!" this and "Jay!" that. This was back in Houston. Finally we got so fed up with it we manipulated her into stopping by saying that it hurts Papa's feelings when you don't call him Papa and then constantly reminding her of that. It took a while but it worked. Of course, not two seconds after she stopped with the "Jay!," she's all "Jessie!" And we tried to quell that one too, but it's much harder in my case because I'm with her ALL day long, so I'd have to be reminding her every second of every request to call me Mama. I try, I really do, but now the words "Jessie," "Jessica" and "Mama" are completely interchangeable in Annie's little head. People crack up when they first meet us. It's like we're a circus side show. So, lately, it has been bugging me more and more because I love it when she calls me Mama. Hey, I carried her for 9 months and pushed for 4 hours to earn that title. So now I'm bootcamping her into submission. I think it's kind of working, but now she's started calling Jay and I "Grownups!" or "Parents!" so the end is not near. What can I say? Variety is the spice of life.

P.S. The above photo was taken on a recent visit to Papa's office (on the weekend, he normally at least wears a tie with his T-shirt). If only she knew that all the certificates behind him said "Joseph" and not "Jay." It would all begin anew.

Kickin' it new school

Annie started school last week. She's switched from going two days per week (9-2) in Houston, to going 3 mornings a week here. The first week went great, as did Monday. Today, however, tears. Lots of them. It surprised me how hard it was for me to keep from crying too when she was that upset. I know it's just a normal adjustment, but goodness, does that girl know how to get to her mama. But focusing on the positive, last weekend we got to do our first homework assignment with Annie. The teachers had traced her body and we all got to decorate it together. Here's the final result (click on it to see it larger). Annie's favorite part was applying the rhinestone stickers in the lower left corner. Papa obviously loved him some glitter:

We also enjoyed our first "school picnic" to welcome the kids back at a nearby park (first photo at top). There are a lot of great people at the school and I know Annie is going to have a blast. I'm sure once Annie gets settled into the routine of school days, we will have less tears ... on both ends.

In other news, I promised a picture of the deck (nursery is still a work in progress, although you'll be happy to read, it is no longer a storage room). Again, click on it if you want to see it bigger. So here it is, deck furniture and all. Still no grill, but we're working on it. We also want to get one of those little fire pit things so when it gets chilly and the mosquitoes finally die off, we can really enjoy those crisp autumn evenings. And, we have plants and fresh herbs! I am such a grownup! I can't tell you how gratifying it is to go out on the deck and pick some fresh basil for our pizza. I feel like Mario Batali (and not just because I have a big belly and a ponytail, no offense, Mario).