Thor

The baby is measuring 7 lbs 6 ozs right now.
This is the size of 50% of all newborns.
I'm 35 weeks along.
Will the baby come early?
Probably not.
That means I'll have a 9 lbs baby.

The weight predictions are often off but since Addie was 7 lbs 12 oz and Eliza a chubby 8 lbs 8 oz, I'd say that 9 lbs might even be a low estimate. The good news is of course that he's totally healthy.

I have 5 days left of work before maternity leave begins. I plan on reading, napping, going to the movies, sorting boy clothes, sorting girl clothes to give away and maybe I'll actually crack open and fill out Eliza's currently blank baby album before her baby brother arrives.  Once he arrives, it's just breastfeeding, diaper changing and napping.

I'm also taking the girls out of the extended day program so I'll be picking them up at 2:30 instead of after work. I'm wondering if I'm crazy for doing this during a time when getting up off the floor is an 8 step preparation for me and fatigue is the name of my game. Add a newborn into that picture and I'm trying to imagine life at home with just me and my brood.


I know these ultrasounds are almost impossible to decipher. The top is of baby Thor in profile and the bottom is a face shot with his cherry nose and kissable lips. We watched him smacking those lips. He was probably enjoying his root beer flavored amniotic fluid. I can't get enough root beer these days.

Little Me

Here is a photo of me back in 1975 looking, I think,  pretty much like Eliza. I'm her age in the picture. Notice the bells on my white shoes.


This photo was taken on my first day of school in Tokyo, 4 months shy of my 5th birthday. There is something in my expression that reminds me of Addie.

I wonder who little brother will look like - hopefully like his handsome Daddy. One more month (plus 6 days if he decides to follow the trend of his sisters).

21.5 months

During the last month we started Eliza in swim lessons. She spent the first 4 lessons crying "Mommy!" at the top of her lungs for 20 minutes while we hid behind a one-way glass window. After almost giving up, last Saturday we had a break-through. No tears after the first 10 minutes. Thank goodness! We started Addie when she was 3 years old. She was afraid of the water and clung to James, her instructor. He still reminds us of him getting clawed and beaten by Addie.  Eliza at 21 months happily bobs around in her arm floatees but was not at all interested in hanging out with James. Different ages, different kids.

Eliza is also mastering two word commands her favorite being "Sit down!" where she then emphatically points to the floor expecting us to sit and read her books or play with her toys. There is also "this way!" pointing to where to she wants us to go with her and most recently "My turn!" as she learns to share with Addie.

And I really need to get this on video but she's started to sing. She yodels "Happy Birthday" incessently and sometimes her own version of the Alphabet song. Very cute.

She cracks me up all the time but also has the power to push my buttons when she refuses to get into her car seat or thwacks me over the head with a wooden spinning top. What can I say. She's a toddler.

Last Day of School

Friday was the girl's last day of school for the year. They were both back on Monday though for the summer session so our routine hasn't changed. Nonetheless, the day marked the ceremonial end of Addie's pre-school career. Addie's friends will all be attending different schools in the fall and some will be with her a little longer this summer.

We attended their Spring Recital where Addie sang out from the back row (no tears this year!) while Eliza stood motionless and expressionless for the duration of her recital - similar to her Christmas performance. Maybe Eliza thought the parents were the show and she was the audience.

School Pictures

What is there even to say? School photos crack me up. I get them dressed, make sure they have a clean face but after that, anything can happen. It's sort of the fun of school photos. Last year we were out of town for photo day so I'm super excited the girls made it into their classroom group photos this year. I think these were taken way back in March.

Today was the last official day of school before the summer session starts. We love their Montessori school which goes up to Grade 5, but with our growing family Addie will be making the transition to our neighborhood public school for kindergarten. It's pretty highly ranked (thank goodness!) and I finally turned in the enrollment forms. Eliza will continue at Montessori for at least three more years if not four since she'll just miss the cut-off for kindergarten by 12 days with her September birthday. And then Baby Brother will be starting in the Winter.





On Monday we had their end-of-year parent/teacher conferences. Here is what their teachers had to say. Addie is one of the oldest in her mixed-age classroom and Eliza is one of the youngest.  I think Addie is an introvert like her Mom and Eliza is the extrovert. Addie loves art and told me she wanted to grow up to be an artist and a builder. Eliza is completely fearless and confident and both girls have a great sense of humor. We're pretty darn proud of our little girls.

Dirty little Addie feet

I'm the worst with videos. I rarely take them and when I do they are neglected either left on the device or downloaded into video obscurity on our computer. I haven't a clue how to edit them either.

I found this from a couple of months ago. I like that it shows the fickleness of a toddlers moods.

The Campout

On Saturday, Cap and Addie decided they wanted to try some backyard camping. Cap busted out our tent which we bought in 1996 when we spent the summer after graduating from college back country camping around several national parks.  We were 23. We are not 23 anymore.

This was Addie's first time sleeping in a tent. After Eliza went to sleep at 7, the two of them changed into PJs, gathered up their pillows, a flashlight and the ipad and headed out the tent to watch Barbie: A Fairy Secret snuggled in their sleeping bags.  Addie was so excited I could hear her yakking away until close to 9. Addie finally fell asleep and was woken up the next morning at 6 am by Eliza and I who were peaking at the campers from our bedroom window. Guess we weren't being very stealthy. Addie had such a fun time she announced that sleeping in her regular bed gave her a stomach ache and she needed to sleep outside in the tent.

Maybe one day we'll all go camping as a family. I'm not quite ready to try it with Eliza and the little guy. When we do though we'll need a bigger tent. A much bigger tent.  Actually I really want to rent an RV once in my life. It's on my 40 under 40 list I'm mentally compiling -- 40 things I want to do before I'm 40. Any suggestions?