30 weeks

Swollen ankles, thighs that resemble Stay Puft marshmallows, waddling . . . I was wondering when the heck my third trimester was gonna start. Turns out it was two weeks ago! Well, that explains it. I feel enormous and am fearful knowing I will only get bigger. If I gain the same amount of weight I did with Addie, I'll be looking at another, yes, another 23 pounds in a little over 2 months. Oye. Still, I can't seem to resist the pie, cheesecake and birthday cake that seems to be thrust upon me daily. Why is there so much dessert available at work?

Other then a growing ungainliness and a shrinking maternity wardrobe, the pregnancy has really been great. Little Miss is quite active usually in the early evening when Cap is treated to what looks like a stray cat trying to escape from a sack. We are both wondering if we are gonna be in for it. Luckily she'll have Addie to show her who's boss.

Addie continues to be excited for the arrival of her little sister. She talks about her a lot and likes to tickle my tummy saying, "I'm tickling the baby!" I'm getting more excited to find out if she's going to look like Addie or not. If she comes out looking like an eskimo then we'll know she's gonna resemble her big sister!



Thanks to Janne who reminded me I needed to take some photos and to Cap who took them.

Father's Day

On Father's Day, Cap was a little under the weather. To give him some time to rest, I took Addie to Franklin Canyon to (illegally) feed the ducks. We saw lots of lizards and Addie got to pet a turtle that was sunning himself by the edge of the pond. Another Dad came by and asked if you could get salmonella from wild turtles. Um, don't know but I did get out a wipe for her hands when we were ready to move on. I noticed he didn't let his kid pet the turtle but he did shove a camera about an inch from the poor turtles face and probably blinding him with the flash.

Later that afternoon, we had a little backyard BBQ for Cap and his Dad. This photo makes me chuckle. They sorta look like two patients relaxing outside Shady Grove Home for the Sick. Cap was wondering why I was taking their picture when the better photo opportunity was going on behind me.



Nothing like several yards of pink tulle to keep her entertained! Addie likes to have the two of us go underneath it for a princess picnic. I asked her what princesses like to eat and she answered carrots.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads in my life!

Get Your Craft On

Addie and I attended Cousin Esme's wedding shower two weekends ago - a first for both of us! We had a blast and I won a prize for my behind-the-back silhouette of a Bridal Esme (way too complicated to explain how to play that game). Then Addie and I got our craft on. For her wedding, Esme had her guests decorate the table centerpieces which will hold potted orchids. We all used different sizes and textures of hot pink and yellow ribbons. Ours is Kate Spade inspired. Addie was an excellent ribbon gluer.

The Backyardigans

We have cherry tomatoes fresh from my one pot garden.



We have new lawn furniture fresh from World Market.



We have a little girl that drinks beer. I'm jealous!

Actually, we were practicing blowing into the bottle, but when I wasn't paying attention she poured some on her play food tray and licked it off. Technically that doesn't count as drinking beer.

Untitled (Toes)

Addie "borrowed" my camera Sunday early evening and took her first photos. She struggled under the weight of the SLR, but she did manage to look through the viewfinder. I think she's got a pretty good eye, or at least a foot fetish.

Saturday Pancakes

Every Saturday, Cap busts out the pink kitchenaid mixer and Addie and Cap make pancakes. This is a pretty good deal for me since all I have to do is set the table and eat. This is probably the only meal we actually eat at the table so it's pretty special. We might even do a repeat on Sunday morning or switch it up with, say, waffles. Addie is now cooking in style thanks to her cowgirl apron from Aunt Karen. I do love cowgirl stuff. and pancakes.

What We're Watching

Elmo was so last year. Then it was Little Einsteins - one particular episode (Instrument Dinosaurs) that Addie watched ad nauseum. Right now it's Charlie and Lola with a little Angelina Ballerina thrown in too. I love the style of the animation on Charlie and Lola. Check out that wallpaper in their apartment and Lola always has a differently patterned dress on. To die for!

Charlie is the older and most patient brother to precious and funny, 4-year old Lola. When Lola accidentally spills pink milk on Charlie's diorama for school, he doesn't punch his sister and throw the soggy shoe box at her like I would have, but in his most exasperated voice, says, "Loooo-la!" Plus, they speak with British accents which means cash registers are money pingers and popsicles are ice lollies. All the more fun!

Addie Antics

After Addie's bath at night, she and Cap spend 10 or 15 minutes playing on our bed before we go into her room to read books. Cap has called it Romper Time since she was a tiny baby. He tosses her around, performs gravity defying stunts, tickles her and basically makes her hysterical with laughter. Most of the time I can't even watch because I'm terrified she's going to launch off the bed as he flips her around. Last night, Cap had some work to do (I know it's hard when work involves going to a movie) so I had to stand in for Romper Time. It's a little less acrobatic with me, but Addie and I nonetheless got the giggles anyway.

Tonight I hop on a plane to San Francisco for the weekend. Just me, myself and I. Can't wait! I'm visiting my second family - the Armstrongs of SF and VA .

Happy Birthday Princess!

Sunday we celebrated Addie's third birthday with a Painting Party in our backyard. We borrowed easels for creating masterpieces and set up a craft table for the kids to decorate their own king, queen and princess crowns with glitter glue and gemstones. We ate pizza and strawberry ice cream cake. Later that afternoon, we opened presents galore and then all curled up for a nap on Mommy and Daddy's bed.

I feel like I've been saying Addie is "almost three" for so long that two seems like eons ago. Having left Elmo and Little Einstein's behind, she is knee deep in pink princess garb and ready for Montessori pre-school to start this July. I love that Addie is such a little whipper snapper - alternately fiercely stubborn and independent, and then loving and caring the next. She can certainly hold her own on the playground but has taken on the role of protector to the younger kids at her daycare. She told me the other day, "Good job Mommy. I'm proud of you." and all because I'd polished off my own bowl of cereal. Gosh, I'm just so proud of my little girl.

Happy Birthday! Go get 'em Addie!




Hard at work at her easel.


In case you think she's all princess, here she is with her pal Clyde playing with an earthworm.


Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!


Parties and presents are tough work. Napping with her new rainbow baton.

Tummy Love

Rubbing my growing belly with cocoa butter every night before bed
was a task Cap lovingly performed when I was pregnant with Addie.
Now Addie has taken on belly duty.
Afterwards she likes to rub it on her own belly telling me
she has a brother in her tummy. or a puppy.

The Happiest Place

We played hooky on Tuesday, got up early (I woke up at 5:50 am I was so excited), and headed to Disneyland to celebrate Addie's birthday a few days early. Sure, we could have gone this coming weekend, but Disneyland over Memorial Day? No thanks.

So we decided to do it before . . .
. . . Addie turned three and we have to buy her a ticket. We're cheap.
. . . it got bloody hot in Anaheim. Mommy's comfort is a priority.
. . . school let out and summer vacation kicked in. Avoid the crowds.
. . . the new baby comes. Not sure infants add to the fun.
Maybe before Mommy got pregnant might have been good too but we missed that window. Oh well.

And it was a blast.

She told me in the car on the way that she wanted to know what color the soap was at Disneyland. She thought brown. Now that we're using a lot more public bathrooms, Addie always comments on soap. Oh, it's green! They have pink! yellow! clear! white! Turns out, the soap at Disneyland is blue. The two other things she specifically wanted to experience other than hand soap were 1) see scary ghosts (Haunted Mansion) and 2) ride in the elephant (Dumbo). Check, check and check!

The lines were all relatively short since it was a Tuesday. I think we waited longer for ice cream in the afternoon than we did to go on Pirates of the Caribbean. Addie was amazing and willing to try anything even though a handful of rides scared the bejeezus out of her. She recovered immediately and was ready for the next adventure, "I want to see scary ghosts!"

Ride we thought wouldn't scare her but did:
Winner: Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Runner up: King Arthur's Carousel

Ride we thought she'd be freaked out by and wasn't:
Winner: Pirates of the Caribbean
Runner up: Haunted Mansion

Sarah's favorite ride:
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters

Cap's favorite ride:
Haunted Mansion

I didn't want to lug the camera around, but I took some really lame videos. This at least proves we were there, right? Oh and the silhouette of Addie. I'm not sure it really looks like her though. Cap asked, "What's up with the bee sting lip?" Maybe it looks more like Shiloh?

The Little Ballerina

Addie looked so precious in her ballet outfit. All pink sweetie pie.

We didn't have much time to take photos of Addie in her ballerina outfit before her Saturday 9:15 am class. We almost didn't make it out the door when she demanded she wear a second tutu and then thought maybe she'd rather just take the whole outfit off. By 7:50 am we already had my car towed to the repair shop, got all of us dressed, fed and out of the house, and dropped Cap off at the Beverly Hilton for a work event he had to attend. Since he needed my camera, we only snatched this photo of her watching TV right before we left. Thankfully another Mom snapped a few before class started. The redhead is Addie's friend Arden.



I know it helped her to have a friend in the class. Sure, Addie is a pro about going to daycare, but I have never taken her someplace new and left her there with strangers. No parents are allowed in the room except at the very beginning as it is too distracting. The girls, ages 3 and 4, all dressed in pink, line up in front of the teacher, point their toe, curtsy and say their name before sitting down in the middle of the classroom. Once this ritual is complete, the parents are dismissed until class is over. We all camped out in the dark hallway for 50 minutes wishing we could install one way glass like they have in crime dramas.

Would she cry? Throw a fit, refuse to listen to the teacher, bite another ballerina, pee on the floor? I am thrilled to report that none of that happened. She did, however, excuse herself from class no less than three times to go on potty breaks. We'll be back this Saturday. Maybe I can slide a small mirror under the door and spy on them.

All About Me Day

Yup, it was a darn good Mother's Day. I was pretty clear with my wishes: french toast with berries at home and a subscription to Martha Stewart Living. Oh and of course spending the day with my little family of three. Did I get what I wanted? You bet. Plus, we trekked off to La Canada to stroll through Descanso Gardens mid-day and then Cap barbecued dinner for us in the late afternoon.

I'll admit (and apologize to Cap) that I might have gotten a little cranky a few times but that was easily rectified with sticking more food down my pie hole. Ah simple solutions.

Hugs to Po, Miss A and to all the Moms in my life who do so much for me all year!

Check out more photos from our trip to Descanso .

Sunday

Sunday we promised Addie she could go to the beach with her friend. Then her friend bailed. We promised her we'd go the beach just the three of us. Then we bailed. When I got out of the car after hunting for a parking spot, I declared it too cold for the beach. Actually, I said I was cold and Cap, from years of past experience, knows that when I'm cold I complain and when I complain everyone suffers. So he smartly suggested we abort our beach trip. So we promised Addie a pony ride instead. Do you think she's maybe a tiny bit spoiled?

Off to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market we go! Thankfully there was a pony ride, otherwise she would have had to settle for petting chickens, an activity she rather enjoyed the last time we were there. The place is getting so crowded you have to fight for food and a little spot on the lawn, but we prevailed. We shared a loaded baked potato and corn on the cob. Cap got Addie a pink magic wand balloon, which I foolishly thought was a sword she was holding the wrong way. Silly me! We listened to the bluegrass band and then Addie hit the dance floor. She's got an awesome little dance routine that involved stepping side to side and kicking out her heels. The market was shutting down and she finally got up enough courage to take a ride on a pony. She sat stoically on the biggest one.

Happy Birthday Cap!

Happy Birthday Po!

Addie made this card just for Daddy, and I'm excited for a birthday dinner for two at a new restaurant downtown!

Addie's been thinking she's pretty funny lately.
When Cap told her it was his birthday, she immediately sang, "Happy Birthday to Mommy!" giggling.
"Noooo, it's Daddy's birthday!"
More giggling and singing "Happy Birthday to Mommy"
Then came a second verse, "Happy Birthday to your bum!"
More squeals of laughter.
Then she decided it was her birthday.

Addie's Room

Before Addie has to share her domain with her little sister, I thought I'd post a few photos of Addie's room before it changes again. It finally has all the standard furniture in it - bed, dresser, toy shelf, bookshelf. When we moved from our one-bedroom into our current two-bedroom, her room only had a crib, a single tall bookshelf and a chair. I'm not sure how we went 2 + years without a dresser for her.


Much of Addie's room was decorated on a budget with pieces coming mainly from IKEA, Urban Outiffters or Craigslist. I didn't really plan on buying so much from IKEA but it's just so tempting and I don't feel like I have to commit as much as I would if we spent zillions on something from pottery barn. The antique bed was a find on craigslist and Addie chose the orange bedspread from IKEA after one she saw in the book Corduroy. The birdcage curtains I had made from bedspread fabric I bought at Urban Outfitters and the owl painting is a gift from talented artist and cousin, Max Neutra.

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The shelf and oversized floor lamp are also both from IKEA. The three framed pictures are of Addie's own drawings and the owl decal I found on etsy.com.


The dresser is, you guessed it, IKEA. It was sort of an impulse buy as we saw it before checking out. I had originally wanted some sort of mahogany antique. The artwork above was painted by Addie and Clara at LACMA a little over a year ago. The lamp is Peter Rabbit, a gift from my Mom which I believe she found on e-bay.


The school desk we found on the street in Brooklyn years ago. Our old neighbor refinished it for me after I tried to sand it myself and gave up. The blanket was Cap's when he was a baby. The felt octopus picture is by Cap's friend and artist Amanda Barr. You can't have too many baskets to store stuff and these two orange ones were snagged from the clearance section at Urban Outfitters. I love their home section but unfortunately we have to drive all the way to Burbank to find one since not all the stores carry home items anymore.

There is not much left to do in her room, but I'm on the lookout for a cool (an inexpensive) mobile possibly with birds on it. I pretend I'm going to make one but don't hold your breath. Cap told me enough with the bird thing, but I can't help it! Birds are so cute!

When Threes Company

Last week commemorated the theoretical halfway point in my pregnancy - 20 weeks. Jamie shared with me, not only her reaction, "Holy Crap" (where did the time go?), but a sweet post from well-read baby blogger, Dooce , who is also pregnant with her second child. I don't follow her posts regularly, but every time I read something she's written, I'm like, "Dang! That girl can write!" Here is the last paragraph from her April letter:

"But we've been told countless times by couples with multiple children to stop and enjoy the time we have alone with the first child. Because it will very soon be a bit of history, when we were only three. When it was just Mama, Daddy, and the one who changed our lives forever. Leta, I think you're old enough that you will have memories of this time, of when it was just us, and that is something we will share for the rest of our lives. You knew us when. You are the one who ushered in that monumental phase of our lives and have lived with us as we fumbled our way to this next phase, and here we are are about to go on this ride together. I'm so excited that you are here to experience this with us, and I cannot wait to see the ways in which this little sister opens up your life. I am as excited about meeting her as I am about watching your life grow to include her." - Dooce, April 2009

I cry everyone time I read this. It makes me sad to think about not being just the three of us. I'm glad things worked out this way though, that I have had 3 selfish years with my little Addie monkey all by herself. Of course, I'm excited too to meet her little sister, but I feel like, somehow, I'm letting Addie down. Everything belongs to Addie now. All of our attention. Our love. Her own room, finally. How could I take this away from her? I guess she still will have all of our love and attention (definitely not her own room though), but that 'all' is just going to have to get bigger to fill the four of us now.

29 Hour Vacation

I think I've hit on something. The 1 night/2 day vacation. I really felt like I got away and only had to pay for one night in a hotel! The key is to go someplace relatively close, and I love that Palm Springs is just over 2 hours from our house. We drove out Saturday morning to spend the day with my friend Sara, her hubby and her son Alex who is 4 years old. She and I are friends from NY and I only see her when she does her once a year mother-in-law visit. I'm a little embarrassed I haven't been back to New York in almost 5 years. Oops.

We spent Saturday morning with them at the Living Desert Zoo. It was our first time there and I loved it! Addie was shy around 4-year old Alex and it only took her about 3 hours to warm up to him. Maybe that's not so long since she told me recently that she doesn't like boys because they are too loud. By the end of the day, after the zoo, lunch at a Mexican restaurant and swimming at the pool, Addie thought Alex was hot stuff. He introduced her to Scooby-Doo and she requested to sit next him at the amazing outdoor feast that Sara's mother-in-law cooked for us. We didn't get to our hotel until after 10 pm and the three of us crashed out family style in the King sized bed.

They had to fly back Sunday, so we had all day to explore on our own. I wasn't expecting much from the Travelodge we booked. Prices were outrageous and availability slim so we took what we could get. I was more than pleasantly surprised. We even liked it enough that, instead of spraying ourselves with Lysol and heading out first thing in the morning, we hung out by the pool in the morning, after a glutinous diner breakfast, and took in the view of the San Jacinto mountains behind us. Heck, I'd even go back!



After pool-time, we headed up, 8,000 feet up, the mountain via the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. I had to explain to Addie that it was aerial as in up in the sky, not Ariel as in the Little Mermaid. It was in the mid-80s when we left the valley and was 49 degrees at the top. I love that we cooled off in the pool and then Addie got to hack at snow all in the same day. After putting in two full days, she fell asleep first on my shoulder and then on Cap's during our shortened hike. Check out a few more pics of our weekend here.

Princess Me

"Just who could this princess be, the lovely, faithful Princess Me?" - Karma Wilson

At little Lyla's birthday party, her big sister Rya and Addie shed many a tear over who could hold the fairy wand. And the princess tiara. Oh the tears! and the screaming! and the wailing! Oh the horror! Rya owned no less than 6 pairs of plastic princess shoes so thankfully that was one less thing to fight over. Addie and Rya have been in daycare together since they were both 3 months old. They know how to share, except, apparently, when it comes to anything princess. (Note to self: get at least two of each princess item or be prepared to have a house of wicked stepsisters.)

In general I'd say Addie doesn't have much of an opinion on her attire but I think that has begun to change. On Easter, after we let her choose which dress she wanted to wear, she immediately asked, "Where's my fairy baton? I want to wear my princess shoes!" Sorry toots. You don't have a fairy baton (how the heck did she even know the word baton?!) or princess shoes. You can wear your sparkly red converse if you want. They are like magic Urban Dorothy shoes! We bought Addie a new pair of awesome brown converse recently which she refuses to wear declaring, "those are for boys." Oh great. Then Cap told me this week she didn't want to wear a blue and white striped t-shirt because that too was for boys. Cap is starting to rethink his plan that she'll be a skater. Maybe she just needs a board with Hello Kitty on it?

Bee Mine

Saturday we went to the 1st Birthday Party of Addie's friend Rya's little sister, Lyla. And we never left. Cap had to attend an event for work, so Addie and I went over at noon. We were still there just chilling in their background when Cap came around 4 and I left to get my hair cut. At 6:30, Cap said he was still there and that everyone who left for naptime came back. We didn't go home that night until almost nine. When the sun set, they hung a sheet from the side of their garage and all the kids watched movies wrapped up in blankets. Awesome. I love a good neighborhood party where everyone wants to stay all day, and night.

Sunday, we were invited to celebrate Greek Easter with Cap's Aunt and family at their house. Beforehand though we stopped by Travel Town. I'd like to say that trains hold about zero interest for me. We rode the cute little choo-choo around the park which was fun and that was about as much as I felt like I needed to check out. All trains look about the same to me and since we could only get inside one of them (an empty snack car and the engine) we didn't stay long. Perhaps it's a good thing we're having another girl!


Greek Easter Feast

Blood of Christ Eggs (so cool!)

Riding the little train

The Empty Snack Car

Engine #5