Belly Update

I went to see the doctor yesterday afternoon and actually got right in instead of waiting an hour and a half in the waiting room. Wohoo! Apparently the exchange for speedy service was dealing with a nursing staff with no personality. I guess I'll take that exchange any day. In good news: I've gained weight! *ahem* ...6 lbs. in a week and a half to be exact. Sooo....I got a little overzealous with the campaign to pack on some pounds. The nurse actually gave me a little stink eye for gaining too much weight to which I wanted to reply with any number of snarky pregnant lady comebacks: Seriously? Lady, you've been giving me stink eye for the last eight months because I haven't gained any weight and now that I finally go overboard you're disappointed? Gah! I just can't win. Luckily my doctor had just come from seeing a woman who had gained 20lbs over the last two weeks, so I don't feel bad. It was worth it for the pie.

But seriously, things with Bailey are looking good. She scoots away and kicks any time they try to listen to her heart beat, but the fact that she's so active speaks well for her. The Doc checked and found out baby's head is "way down" I'm assuming that means she's already dropped, but she couldn't tell if I'm dilated or effaced yet (I would guess that means no). Apparently my uterus just wasn't feeling cooperative. Better luck next time.

I'm to the point now where I'm going in every week for appointments and people are starting to look at me yet again like I might explode. Looking at the January calendar, I've tried to pin point some event every week that I'd like to make it to while still pregnant, so's not to get my hopes up that Bailey will come early. It's not easy. Mostly because these "events" are silly things like hair appointments and Bunco night. It's going to be a long month!

A Very Jedi Christmas

Christmas has swiftly come and gone, yet again, in a blur of wrapping paper and turkey comas. This Christmas was really exciting since it was obviously all about Audrey. It makes the holidays so much more special to see them through her eyes and the excitement is contagious. This year, her biggest gifts were her Jedi robe (from Papa) and a super sweet light saber (from Uncle Joe). Mama and Papa also got her a pink retro play kitchen and refrigerator...she hasn't stopped playing with it since the grand unveiling.

We celebrated with all the normal family traditions: Clam Chowder on Christmas Eve, candlelight service at church, biscuits 'n gravy for breakfast on Christmas morning, a marathon session of opening gifts (pretty much all for Audrey) and one heck of a Christmas Dinner. YUM! We did break from tradition, for me, and went to see Sherlock Holmes on Christmas Day. (Fantastic, by the way)

By the time Sunday rolled around, the amount of transient family members about had dissipated and the house looked like a bomb had gone off. We spent most of the day trying to get things cleaned up and organized. I also fell into a fit of intense nesting; I'm motivated to get things done early because I want Audrey to have time to adjust to all the new stuff that's going to be around the house. (not to mention springing a new baby sister on her) So, we got the pack n' play and most other stuff we'll need for Bailey set up in our room. John also dragged the swing back out of the closet and I've compiled an official To-Do List to complete before the munchkin makes her appearance. I remember the day we brought Audrey home from the hospital being a very stressful experience; we really didn't have our act together as far as anticipating how things would need to be set up in our room and the entire evening was spent running around, moving furniture, trying to shove food in our faces, and figuring out how to care for a newborn. I'd like it if that were a little less intense this time.

That being said, all this nesting is really bringing back a lot of good memories too. Now that the crazy holiday season is over for the most part, I'm starting to honestly get excited about meeting this kid and if she wanted to make an early appearance, I feel like I'm at least ready for it. Ideally, we'll get most of our To-Do List checked off and then have plenty of time to revel in some quality one-on-one time with Audrey. It's a little sad for me to think that the days of us being a super-awesome duo are numbered. We've got a routine...we hang out and eat snacks...life is good. But pretty soon we'll be thrown into the chaotic world of new babyhood again. I have a feeling Audrey will take to big sisterhood like a duck to water and will be critiquing me on my parenting techniques in no time.

I'm working on getting all the Christmas pictures uploaded on Picasa, but it hasn't been easy--I got John a new computer game for Christmas and have been lucky to check my email, let alone upload and caption new pictures. On a side note, our camera died half way through opening presents and we couldn't find the power cord for about 12 hours...which explains why they cut off abruptly and also why John didn't get to take any sweet candid photos of relatives stuffing their faces with turkey. Tragic.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Believe it or not, even though we're crazy busy, we're thinking of you too!

Did I say something about not nesting?

Scratch that. I've got Bailey on the brain.

Ironically, the same night I wrote my last post, I had a little preterm labor scare. I had had a low backache all day and felt like Bailey was putting a lot of pressure on my hips, but being used to discomfort, I naturally ignored it. I was just settling down to sleep when I had a contraction. I kind of pawned it off as a fluke and was trying to drift off to sleep when I had another one. And another one. And another one. This lasted a little over an hour, which is really no big deal, but let me tell you--that was a long hour of laying in the dark THINKING.

John really needed to get a good night's sleep because he had to be in for training super early in the morning and I figured it would be less trouble to deal with contractions at night than a sleep deprived husband in the morning. So, there I was laying in the dark trying to make myself realize that if these things didn't peter out relatively soon, I might be headed for the hospital and consequently another child soon thereafter. I was making mental notes of what would need to be done around the house, things to take to the hospital, loose ends I wouldn't have time to wrap up and counting contractions in between.

...and then I woke up. It was morning. Audrey wanted to get up and all was well with the world. But let's just say I'm no longer in La La Land where pregnant bellies stay that way forever. The next day was spent making sure I at least have the essentials ready just in case Bailey feels the need to make an early arrival. I still won't be surprised when my due date comes and goes with nary a peep out of Bailey, but at least I'll be able to rest easy knowing I've now got my head in the game.

I haven't had a hint of any funny business since that night, so I'm taking this particular incident as a divine reality check. Thanks for the heads up, God. Turns out, there's a baby in there!

Let it Snow!

It has been a cooold week in the Tri-Cities and Audrey got to play in the first snow of the season this past weekend! We've been busy, busy, busy getting things ready for Christmas and baking up a storm around here. Audrey is officially my new baking buddy; she likes to stand on a chair at the counter next to me and help mix up cookie dough (read: eat flour). We've been baking goodies for Christmas presents and a cookie exchange we're going to today. Consequently, Audrey has cookies on the brain. She says "coo coo" for cookies and this morning it was pretty much the first topic she brought up after waking up. At least I'm teaching her young!

In Bailey news, I'll be 35 weeks tomorrow. I have no idea how that happened so fast, but it's got me thinking about how unprepared I feel this time around. I've got the security blanket of having been through it all before, so I'm really not worrying too much about the logistics of going into labor and subsequently bringing home a newborn. That also means I haven't been nesting at all. Aside from pulling out the cloth diapers we'll be using and depositing them in the proper place, that's about all I've got going for me. This could get scary, y'all.

Anyway, I'm going in to the doctor this afternoon for a Bailey check up and I'm pretty sure I've packed on at least a few pounds, so that should make the medical folk happy. I'm still on progesterone and scheduled to quit next week--the week after that I'll technically be full term and they theoretically wouldn't stop me from delivering if I went into labor. Yikes! I'm still planning on being at least a week overdue though...it's the only thing keeping me from a frantic fit of nesting in the midst of Holiday chaos.

Don't forget to check out the latest Pictures on Picasa!

Nutcrackers and Bone Crunchers

Well, gang, we ventured into Portland (and Vancouver) this weekend to see the notorious Duck (aka D'Arcy and Audrey's best buddy) play Clara in the Nutcracker. She was so beautiful and danced so well, it was really an amazing show. We've only been privileged enough to see her dance about the living room (usually with Audrey in tow) but seeing her on stage was just amazing; the girl's got talent! I can't tell you how proud I was to see her lead the bows at the end of the show. I know she made two of her grandma's cry if that's any indication.

Our trip was a short up-and-back trip on Saturday and Sunday. We stayed in a nice suite in Vancouver and Audrey actually did really well with the car rides, wacko nap times and nonexistent bedtime. Kathryn and Jeff rode the train down from Seattle for the weekend and Elizabeth rode over with John and I, so even though we didn't get to spend as much time as we'd have liked with the Moore clan, we still got to get in some quality time with the Paynes.

I thought I was handling the travel amazingly well until I tried to get out of the car when we got home Sunday afternoon. YOWZA! I'm starting to understand what all those crabby pregnant women are talking about. I've had hip issues since I gave birth to Audrey that have, until recently, gone untreated. For the most part, it's not so bad, but apparently having a four-pound baby in my belly brings out the worst of it.

I've just started going to a new chiropractor who specializes in pre(and post)natal care. He (honest to God) looks like Lex Luthor...almost a perfect cross between the guy from Smallville and Kevin Spacey. This just makes him more awesome. Anyway, it looks like I'm going to be going in every week for adjustments and he's really been helping pin-point a lot of my hip problems. Yesterday I got the elbow-of-death treatment on the back of my hips and he noticed that when I think I hear my hip popping, it's really almost coming out of it's socket. Wow--what a mess! I'm so used to either being medically boring or just sucking it up that it's very strange for me to admit that I need treatment for something.

I'm hoping that most of this is purely related to toting a bun in the oven and that it'll be relatively easy to maintain a healthy back and hips once Bailey gets here. I know John at least is tired of me moaning like Mama Seal and sleeping with twelve pillows, but I do have to brag on him too. After a looong weekend of driving, I sent John out at 7pm on Sunday to buy me an exercise ball so I could sit comfortably. Not only did he do it without complaining, but he came back with cookie dough ice cream and Ghirardelli chocolate too. Now, that's love!

Eggnog Day and other festivities

I'm beginning to realize that I celebrate a lot of strange personal holidays. I guess I just feel the need for excessive celebration when making pies, being allowed to drink eggnog or when Halloween and Valentines Day candy finally goes 50% off. If that's wrong, then I don't want to be right.

Curiously, eggnog day does have a history. I think it's safe to say that I was (am) addicted to eggnog and once upon a time, the lengths I would go to to procure it knew no bounds. I was running rampant in a world where there were no rules about how much eggnog one could imbibe within a 24 hour period. Startling, when you realize that 1 cup has 200 calories. *yikes* Something had to be done...so my ever-faithful husband stepped in and decreed that no eggnog would be had before December 1st every year (he tries to do this with Christmas music too, but I cheat) and I'm also only allowed 1 cup a day. I won't lie...the first few years with this rule were brutal. But, alas, life goes on!

Anyway, because of this, December 1st is kind of the kick-off for the holiday giddiness to begin for me. We've decorated the tree and brought out all the annoying plush singing, dancing toys. The stockings are already hung by the fire and the amount of Christmas music blaring from the stereo is almost nauseating. I'm pretty much constantly thinking about what cookies and pies I'm going to bake in the coming weeks; it really is the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Eggnog Day to one and all!

Gobble Gobble!

That was then...


This is now!

Funny how we look like we're pretty much wearing the same clothes. I think this is how those "I've had this shirt since before you were born" conversations get started.

True to tradition, we kicked off our Thanksgiving morning with the Red Cross Turkey Trot. It was a lot of fun even though we briefly thought it might turn into a media frenzy because Sarah Palin was in town to visit family and had registered for the race this year. We didn't even see her, so that actually gives her cool points in my book. Audrey seemed to enjoy the festivities, but was tuckered out. As soon as we got home, she ate her approximate body weight in bread pudding and then took the world's longest nap. When she woke up, the house was a frenzy of activity; we had close to 30 people over for dinner...that means more than enough people to watch the kid for me; it was really nice to be able to stuff my face without interruption. I'm sure Bailey appreciated it too.

The day after Thanksgiving, the house was divided into two camps: People who went out at midnight to do Black Friday shopping and people who actually value sleep. You can guess which camp I was in. Instead of braving the crowds in the hopes of finding something I couldn't live without at an unbelievable price, we took the Riviera out of the garage to get her running and ready for the winter; it was much more satisfying and less time consuming.

I think we're planning on getting some Christmas decorations up around the house this weekend and Eggnog Day is right around the corner! Don't forget to check out the newest pictures on Picasa!

PIE DAY!

What is Pie Day? Why, it's the most wonderful day(s) of the year! Most people, I'm sure, spend the days leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas preparing food and treats for the big event, but no one--and I mean no one--enjoys pie day like a Gamelin. Who else could spend 14 hours standing in the kitchen and go to bed with a look of giddy satisfaction on their face? Someone who's been making seven pies, two dozen apple cider donuts and cranberry bread pudding...that's who! Audrey helped out a lot by being generally awesome and hanging out with me in the kitchen all day. It turns out she loves eating pie dough almost as much as her Auntie Em. I can't count how many times I saw a little hand poking up over the top of the table to grab a hunk off the edge of the dough I was rolling out. I'm really looking forward to next year when she'll be able to actually help make pies...and by that I mean half-eaten balls of dough and cherry filling.

I do have to admit that the day was not all flour and giddy laughter. My Pie Day euphoria was temporarily dampened when I woke to find the Awesome Apple Pie I had painstakingly made the night before with a gaping hunk cut out of it. I will admit to having a Clark W. Griswold reaction. That's right--the Goon was the culprit and it's a good thing she was at work when I found out. I have since recovered, officially cut Elizabeth off from apple pie as a punishment and made another apple pie to make myself feel better.

Well, it's back to preparations for Turkey Day for me. We're expecting around 30 people for dinner so I really shouldn't be wasting time on the internets!

A Dragon of Many Hats

It's taken a while for this to dawn on me, but Audrey loves playing dress up.

She strutted her stuff as a lil black kitty for Halloween:

She beat her Papa down as Rocky Marciano:

And now she's channeling Holly Golightly:

The girl likes accessories! ooohhhh...Papa better watch out! I'll make her a Mama's girl yet!

Yet Another Update From The Nuthouse

It was crazy, but great having so much family in town for Grandpa Bob's memorial last weekend. The service itself was fantastic. Rick Horne put together two great picture sideshows and the family arranged for military honors to be performed too. There was a full-fledged 21-gun salute and Marlene was presented with a flag in Bob's honor as well. It was really amazingly touching. After the memorial, the family settled in for a dinner and then attempted to take some family photos. John's cousin Nathaniel (God bless him) was in charge of trying to capture that herd of monkeys and get them to look at the camera at the same time. Needless to say, we weren't very cooperative and much hilarity ensued.

Most of the visiting families were headed back home by Sunday and Marlene left to take a short trip to the Oregon Coast as well. Last I heard, there were reports of 90 mph winds in Seaside and the hotel Marlene was staying in had lost electricity. Assuming there was still good clam chowder available, I couldn't think of a better solo vacation!

The house has been back to feeling empty during the days, but I know it won't last long. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we'll have a full house yet again! The weekend after that, we're traveling to Vancouver (WA) to see D'Arcy as Clara in The Nutcracker. John is also intent on getting some Moroccan food at Marrakesh while we're near Portland. All in all, it should be a grand old time!

Bailey is almost 31 weeks old; her space is getting a little more constricted and I'm starting to feel her whole body shifting around from time to time. I'm just thankful she hasn't lodged her butt or any appendages into my ribcage yet. Other than feeling like a mother seal every time I try to roll over in bed, I'm feeling great. I go back to the doctor on Monday, so I'll keep you posted on whether I've managed to slip back under the radar again.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to check out the pictures on Picasa!

New Videos

We've been having a good old time around the Schweighardt house this weekend. I captured some cute videos of Audrey and wanted to share them.

Here, Audrey was helping Hannah arrange flowers:




She also spent a lot of time with her buddy Seth:




I'll try to post an actual update early this week, but enjoy the videos until then!

Quality Time with The Bailey

Bailey is 29 weeks & 3 days old! We had our second ultrasound today to make sure Bailey is growing all right and all my measurements came back normal. I think, technically, she is measuring 3 days behind, but that's sissy stuff. They also said her estimated weight is 3lbs. right now, but bear in mind that these things can be significantly off too. Anyway, even though I'm not a huge advocate of excessive ultrasounds, it was nice to get to see Bailey this morning. She was kicking and squirming and hiccuping the entire time; she really gave the technician a run for her money. I love, love, love getting to see that swishy little heart beat and we got some great shots of her face and profile. From what I can tell, she looks like she has her Mama's nose and lips. The rest, we'll have to wait to see in January!

The rest of this week is going to be busy; the Moore family is coming in tonight and there'll be a steady trickle of family coming from all over for the Memorial on Friday. It's going to be nice to have so much family together and I know that was one of Grandpa Bob's favorite things too. Even though it's for a sad reason, I'd like to think it makes him happy that he's bringing us all together for the weekend.

I'm off to go make birthday cake. Angela just celebrated her 40th birthday yesterday and things like that just don't get to slip by unnoticed! I think the cake will mostly act as an apology for the harassment she's going to receive from John and Gary for turning 40, though. That's what you get for being related to the Schweighardts. Prost!

Can I Go Back to Boring Now?

Ok, so technically I have absolutely nothing to complain about, but I must have really been taking being medically boring for granted. I went to the doctor yesterday and have officially moved from "boring" to "nothings wrong with you, but there are some things I still don't like" Agggh. Like my iron levels being low, my fundal height being 3 weeks off and not having gained any weight so far. I guess I just feel like I'm being poked and prodded and given the stink eye a lot. Add to that the fact that I'm going in to see the doctor every two weeks from now on and I feel like I'm under the microscope. I don't like it.

I just took my 28-week 1-hour glucose test in which you have to get blood drawn, chug a bottle of ice cold "lime flavored" sugar water, not eat or move much for an hour and then have blood taken again. (We all know how I feel about starvation and being poked with needles) I got my Rhogam shot yesterday because I'm Rh negative and now I'm being sent in for more blood work because of my iron levels and another ultrasound to check baby's fluid levels. And NOTHING IS WRONG WITH ME.

So, maybe I am complaining and it is a good thing that my doctor wants to be cautious and make sure everything's going as well as it possibly can. It's all really relatively little to do, but it's pushed me out of my laid back, so-what-if-I'm-pregnant-what's-new? attitude.

...I'm going to go eat chocolate and be thankful I don't have gestational diabetes now.

Holy Halloween, Batman!

I can't decide if the combination of Halloween Night and Daylight Saving's Time is the greatest thing known to man or unbelievably cruel. Because you definitely need the extra hour of sleep after parading a toddler about to beg for candy, but being woken up by said toddler at 5:30am because they have no concept of "Falling Back" makes it all seem like a sick joke. So, I got an extra hour of being awake today. Joy!

Stepping off of my Negative Nancy soapbox: Halloween ROCKED! And in a completely different way from being a kid. Kathryn and Jeff were here this weekend and they brought with them a hefty supply of Halloween spirit. I decided to dress Audrey up as a black kitty because it's really the last year before I have to start bending over backwards to make some ridiculously requested Halloween costume. Audrey was adorable as a little kitty and it cost way less than $25 to throw together, which seems to be the going rate for pre-made kids costumes made out of polyester, tool and poor stitching. Something tells me I might want to buck up my sewing skills before next year.

Anyway, we spent the day carving pumpkins and decorating the house before getting ready to go out. Audrey was very interested in the whole pumpkin carving process, but she did not like the idea of getting her hands yucky. Anytime we tried to get her to touch the pumpkin guts, she would pull her hand away and say "Pleh!". Add to that the fact John, Kathryn and I kept yelling "Bleehhhh!" at every possible moment, I'm pretty sure we drove everyone else in the house crazy. I carved Audrey's little pumpkin from the neighbor into a cute, innocent Jack-O-Lantern and John, Kathryn and Jeff turned the gigantic one into a puking pumpkin, which is currently stationed directly outside our front door. We felt it fit the overall maturity level of the house's occupants. BLEEHHHH!!!

We ended up hitting up the mall for Trick-or-Treating and Audrey had a great time. She mostly loved seeing all the other kids in their costumes and was easily swept up in the hub-bub. Somehow, we lost her kitty ears before we even got to the mall, but she still looked darn cute in her costume. After that excitement, we stopped for ice cream at my favorite place in town. They've added a corner for little kids' ice cream tea parties since we were last in and Audrey went bonkers over the Lil A-sized accommodations. We were all pretty well worn out by this point and returned home to de-kitty and change into fuzzy monkey pajamas. It was a good day.

...Turns out we might have overdone things a bit though; Audrey woke up sick this morning and has been miserable all day. She's been getting plenty of fluids and lots of loving and I really hope she starts feeling better soon. It's hard to see her so unhappy when she can't really tell us what she needs. In the mean time, feel free to check out our Halloween Album! I added a few pictures to the end of the last album as well. Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween and took full advantage of their extra hour to recover from the festivities.

Can Life Get Any More Interesting?

Why do I even ask the question? The answer is: Yes it could, but I don't want to find out about it. The Dragon and I have both officially caught a 24 hour stomach bug. Luckily, I got it first and had a day or two to recover before being showered in vomit myself. Nothing says motherhood quite like willingly allowing someone to throw up on you. And if you don't believe me, just think of how much harder it is to clean carpet with a sick kid than to just throw your own clothes in the wash. 'Nuff said.

Things around the house have been nuts. Sometimes I feel like I'm living in the opening scene of Home Alone where all 56 relatives are stepping over each other trying to get to the pizza and someone's mother is yelling about drinking the milk so it won't go bad. Then Audrey throws up on me. It's a nice reality check. But seriously, I started this post for a reason other than complaining.

Audrey had her 15 month check up today and I knew I wouldn't remember to post the stats if I didn't do it immediately...immediately after being thrown up on approximately 20 times and then putting the kid to bed. (Have I garnered enough sympathy yet?) ANYWAY. Lil A has had a pretty big growth spurt since her one year appointment. I gathered from the Doc that most kids' exponential growth starts to taper off around their first birthday, but not Audrey...she just continues to go higher off the charts. (What are freakishly tall parents for!) She is now 34 inches long and weighs 25 lbs. That's 3 inches longer and 2.5 lbs bigger than she was in July. This has to stop at some point, right? All I know is there are several 2-year olds that Audrey now dwarfs.

Mess with the best...

I feel like the blog is starting to run away from me, mostly because there are a lot of dumb everyday things going on I would like to share, but they all pale in comparison to the passing of a great man.

John's Grandpa Bob passed away yesterday morning after battling long and hard with a myriad of health issues. I don't feel like I can do his memory justice, as I knew him for such a relatively short time, but it's amazing to hear how many great memories are pouring out of people he touched in his lifetime.

I don't really have anything poignant to say at the moment, but I wanted to let you all know what was going on. This is one of my favorite pictures of Bob; he's wearing the hat I knitted for him for Christmas and striking his best boxing pose. Even though you can't see it, he's also rocking some seriously awesome bell bottoms. We posted this picture on the wall after it was taken and John entitled it: "Mess with the best, die like the rest"

So, cheers to one hell of a guy--he sure is with the best of 'em now.

Pumpkin-palooza

Fall is in full swing 'round these here parts and we have pumpkins out the yin yang! Our neighbor, Christopher, planted some pumpkins on his hill, forgot about them and then realized one day they had grown to the size of boulders! We asked if we could have one and he agreed as long as we could roll it up the hill, we could take it. Now Audrey is the proud owner of Jumbo pumpkin #1. Chris also brought over a few smaller ones especially for lil A and Grandma S. cooked one up yesterday to make a homemade pumpkin pie. YUM!


As if that wasn't enough pumpkiny fun, Audrey and I joined the MOPS group at the Country Mercantile pumpkin patch this morning to pick out yet another addition to our expanding gourd family. We got to traverse a hay-bale maze, play on a hay pyramid, pet a bunch of animals in their barn and then we took a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect Audrey-sized pumpkin. They had snickerdoodle cookies waiting when we got back and Audrey even let me have a bite. It was a heck of a morning! Of course, I couldn't resist a trip to Country Mercantile without buying a jug of their yummy apple cider and now I'm paying for it because Bailey L-O-V-E-S cider...and snickerdoodles...and I might have eaten a brownie too. My belly is tired just thinking about it.

Speaking of Bailey, she's getting bigger and I've been trying to keep her out of my ribcage for the past few weeks. It's only a matter of time before she wins that battle. In the mean time, I'm craving sweets constantly and indulging in them just means another opportunity for lil B to beat my innards to death. Most nights I go to sleep feeling like my belly has been the ring for a wrestling match. And I'm only 26 weeks. Oh, Lord!

Our weekend was pretty productive. The menfolk pulled out the carpet in Marlene and Bob's room and put in a laminate floor. The Dragon got some quailty time with her cousins and we've been eating Italian for most family meals, as Grandpa Bob has been craving marinara sauce like nobody's business.

Speaking of Grandpa, he's not feeling too hot. He's been at home, but it seems like he had a pretty rough night last night and is worried about being able to travel to Spokane for his heart surgery this Thursday. He has two doctor's appointments today and is hoping to hear whether they'll let him travel up and admit him to the hospital early. Either way, I'll keep you posted.

Also, just wanted to let you know that Karen will be having minor surgery on her gallbladder this Thursday as well. It's kind of a crazy coincidence that these two have surgery on the same day, but please keep them both in your prayers.

I almost forgot!

Check out our newest pictures on Picasa!

...And We're back!

That was fast! I don't think I ever want to take a weekend trip home again--a week-long visit is my new minimum. We left Thursday morning at 5am to head out to the Midwest. Three flights and a 4 hour drive later, we were in Mtn. Home! It's amazing how a place can change so much, yet remain the same. I always love coming home. It usually means days focused around eating, no TV and no agendas. Of course, this time we were busy getting ready for Matt and Jessica's wedding, but it can't be anything other than fun when you're around so many old friends. Uncle Joe, Steve, Julie and Isaac were all in town for the weekend too. It was hilarious watching the two kids interact with each other (or not). Isaac initially tried to deny Audrey's existence, but I think he finally warmed up to her after a day or two. We got some good video of them on their first lunch date at El Charro's. Grandma & Grandpa G. actually ended up watching Audrey most of the time we were in town. John and I got to have a night out on the town for the rehearsal dinner and I was busy flitting around town with the girls on Saturday.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. It's not every day you get to see two people, so devoted to each other, pledge their love to one another. ...I have to stop being schmoopy, because now I'm starting to get teary. (I blame Bailey!) The reception was tons of fun and the food was incredible--I think I ate my body weight in shrimp, at least three cupcakes and a piece of the groom's super-duper chocolate cake. I got to introduce Audrey to a bunch of my old friends and coworkers too. All in all, an amazing night!

For some crazy reason, we chose to fly back to the Tri-Cities on Sunday instead of taking it easy for another day (or four). We made it back to Kennewick around 10pm and immediately had to face the fact that life in the Tri-Cities had not stopped while we were gone. Grandpa Bob is doing very well and it looks like he'll be coming home this Thursday. This is great news, but it also means a LOT of work for the family. Marlene and Gary especially have been working their butts off trying to get everything arranged for him when he gets home. The physical therapist visited the house with Grandpa yesterday morning to take a look at things and make suggestions of ways to accommodate him better. It looks like he'll be mostly restricted to the downstairs for obvious reasons, but there's a lot of hard work being done to make sure he's taken care of. Grandpa's local doctor is also in the process of working out his heart surgery in Spokane, which he seems to be pushing hard for. I'll keep you updated as we find out more about that.

Now I'm back to the crazy! It seems Fall is quickly passing us by to make way for cold, wintery weather. I'm actually embracing the cold and the overcast skies. Maybe it's just because there's a pellet stove on in the living room and the house smells like spiced cider, but thoughts of Thanksgiving and Christmas are running through my head. I'm starting to see that life is just going to be a continuation of crazy moments and for now, that's fine with me!

Yowza

Is it getting redundant to say things are crazy 'round these here parts? It's coo coo banana crackers crazy.

We had a fun-filled weekend; Kathryn and Jeff came over from Seattle to visit and we actually managed to get in some quality time with that duo and (finally) take our day trip to Leavenworth. Not the one with the prison...the other one...with quaint Bavarian stores and restaurants. It was great to get out of the house to have a little adventure with just the three of us. The trip is a little under three hours (conveniently, just about the same amount of time Audrey can stay in a car seat without going bonkers) We took our time getting there and made it in time to see the Oktoberfest parade. Lil A looooved seeing the horses and she really got a kick out of the bands that were playing. We shopped around, ate a delicious Bavarian meal, bought John a super sweet stein and I got my pickle ornament for the Christmas tree. Did I mention that I also bought a bunch of the crumbliest, most delicious pastries from a Dutch bakery? No? Well, I guess it's better that way since I didn't share them.

Having the last name Schweighardt, I think there's an obligation to appreciate all things German. I feel a special attachment to Bavaria, since that's where I spent the majority of my time while I was abroad and it was very comforting to get even just a little feel of what it was like to be there again. I would definitely recommend Leavenworth to anyone who has the opportunity to go. It's designed for tourists yet still manages to retain its incredible beauty and charm. We were glad we got to see it in all it's Oktoberfest glory, but I think next time we'll go out of season since I have a tendency to want to kill people when they're in great numbers.

Anyway, eventually we had to return to reality. It was great to see Kap and Jeff and I'm glad they got to spend so much time with Grandpa Bob too. He's been moved from the rehabilitation unit of the hospital to ICU since his heart has been having trouble keeping up with the rehab exercises. The man is incredible: it's been an emotional roller coaster ride for the entire family. He's been oscillating between being alert, peaceful and able to have conversations with people and then he'll take a turn for the worst, which involves administering morphine to help him relax so he can breath. Overall, it doesn't seem good, but the man has literally come back from death before, so please keep him and the entire family in your thoughts and prayers.

John and I are headed to the Midwest for Jess and Matt's wedding this Thursday and I'm taking a break from packing to get this uploaded. It's been a while since I had to pack for all three of us and I'm a little rusty. Let's hope I'm not forgetting anything of vital importance in my pregnant-brain stupor. I'll try to update again when I get back, but Lord only knows how that will pan out! In the mean time, I've created a new Gmail account for Picasa pictures--check 'em out!

We've got a runner!

Audrey is getting fast! Check out this video expertly directed by her father:

Good Times

I don't know about you, but my favorite weekends are the ones spent without an agenda of crazy activities. It's been too cold out at night to even think about a camping trip and we couldn't swing our day trip to Leavenworth this past weekend with all the comings and goings between here and the hospital, so we chilled around the Tri-Cities for John's three-day weekend and it ended up being a lot of fun!

We kicked off the weekend with some Toy-sploring at Toys 'R' Us. This is shopping in its most glorified form; meaning, we let Audrey loose in the store to have a ball and we don't actually end up buying anything--Audrey thinks she's just had the best time ever and Mama and Papa get some good ideas of what to get her for Christmas. Everybody wins! By the way, toysploring is a word completely made up by John and it is also his favorite Audrey activity. I can see them having many toysploring dates after Bailey gets here, probably including stops at Red Robin and Sports Authority.

Liberty Christian's Apploosa Festival was also this weekend. They have tons of games set up for kids and it's very family-friendly. (*cough* better than sausage fest *cough*) Audrey is still a bit young for most of the stuff there, but we love taking her out to see new things. She made friends with some ponies and got to 'bob' for apples. We ate lunch and some apple crepes--it was a lot of fun and it supports the local christian school where several family members teach.

I FINALLY picked out carpet for the man cave (with Audrey's help) so that should be in the works in the next few weeks. I don't even want to talk about the Seahawks/Bears game. And the men continue to work on the never-ending challenges involving the projector. Have I mentioned how much work a mind-blowingly awesome Man Cave is? Those guys on TV make it look so easy...

In Grandpa news: Bob is doing much better; he's been eating more than he has in months and the Physical Therapist is working to get him up and about. It seems like he's handling recovery really well and we hope to see him home soon. The last I heard, heart surgery will probably be put on hold until he's fully recovered from the hip surgery, so I'll keep you posted on that too.

On the schedule for this week? Apple Picking, (yum!!) incubating Audrey's little sister, and hopefully a little day trip to Leavenworth for some German culture this weekend!

Look at this

Then look at this:

Now guess how nice this feels:



...In case you were ever wondering why it's cruel to let tall men date shorties.

I'm so glad I found a freakishly tall family to be a part of and can now make freakishly tall children of my own!

And Now...What You've All Been Waiting For!!

A belly picture!

Seriously, this is what I get when I ask my husband to take a belly picture. Welcome to my life. For better pictures, go here.

Bailey is 23 Weeks old! Right now she should weigh a little over a pound and be about 11-12 inches long. Her favorite activities are practicing her soccer kick and enticing me to eat sweets so she has energy to keep kicking! I think this little bub might even beat out Audrey in the level of activity going on. At least it means I won't have to put any serious effort into kick counts later on.

I just went back to the doctor on Tuesday--everything remains boring! We did talk about my issues with breastfeeding Audrey and it looks like the doc is going to start me on a prescription of progesterone next month to help my milk production. I feel like preparing for breastfeeding with this one is like preparing for battle. Last time, I had NO idea what I was doing...and really, aside from actually observing someone else breastfeed (which seems frowned upon) there is no way to be realistically prepared for it. I could go on for hours about how the natural process of breastfeeding does not come naturally! Anyway, stepping down from my soap box...this time I have an arsenal at my disposal. Not only do I have past experience, but I feel like I have a million tricks up my sleeve. Maybe I should make up a motivational chant or a battle cry or something...I'll get John right on that.

In other news: Audrey is learning to sign! She has picked up two signs pretty consistently. The first is: eat. I think she's been using this sign for 'drink' too, but she gets the point across. The second sign she's picked up is: stinky. Also of vital importance! We tease her about her stinky feet all the time because it makes her laugh. Then a few days ago while we were in the Man Cave, Audrey pointed at Grandpa S' feet and made the sign for stinky. It was hilarious! Her first real communication with her Doo Doo was to tell him his feet stink. (a disclaimer: he had shoes on and no one else noticed anything smelly. This is just further evidence that Audrey has a killer sense of humor)

The house has been really empty for the past 24 hours. Karen and Gary went up to Spokane early yesterday morning to see Grandpa Bob. He had his hip surgery yesterday afternoon and it seems like everything went well. From what I've heard (probably 2nd or 3rd hand) Grandpa was down in the dumps for a while about the surgery until he really got to talk to Gary and the doctor about it. They reassured him that it wouldn't be as bad as he thought and he seems to have a positive outlook on things now. The surgery wasn't nearly as complicated as they had anticipated and the doctor said Grandpa would be able to (theoretically) stand on both legs directly after surgery. So, now they're focusing on keeping him happy and healthy to help recovery. I haven't heard word about whether they'll go through with the heart surgery too while he's up there or not. I'll try to keep posting updates as I hear what's going on.

We're still crazy...

True to form, things remain interesting around the Schweighardt Complex...

First of all, I wanted to give everyone a heads up that John's Grandpa Bob is in the hospital with a broken hip. He's had problems with his heart for quite a while now that have led to other health issues and, long story short, after taking his sleeping pill for the night Sunday, he got up to go to the bathroom, fell asleep and fell down. He was taken to our local hospital and then MedEvac'd to Spokane Monday morning. He's heavily medicated for the pain, so he hasn't really had a chance to come to yet, but Marlene made it safely up there to be with him and they're doing some testing and meeting with the surgeon to see how well he'll handle hip surgery today.

Before this all happened, he had been pursuing valve replacement surgery to try to remedy his ongoing heart problems and was actually supposed to be in Spokane for some final testing for that surgery this Thursday; strange how these things pan out. There's not a lot we can do for him right now, but we just ask that you all keep him in your thoughts and prayers--He's a heck of a guy.

On a less somber note, we did have a good 'ole time this weekend. The Annual Sausage Fest was this Friday and Saturday and it was a first for all the Schweighardts in attendance. Grandpa S. got some great quality time with Audrey, showing her around all the carnival games and even playing duck pond with her.

There were three separate areas split into games, food and a Bier Garden; the games were tons of fun, the food area was a jam-packed chaotic mess of people and the Bier Gardens were up two tiers of stairs and really brought out the gems in the crowd. Since there were so many people waiting in line for food, the men decided to go grab a beer while the women-folk waited in line for sausages...with lots and lots of dumb people who have no courtesy toward someone with a stroller. (can you tell I was getting irritated?) By the time we got our sausages (and no, they didn't sell beverages...or have napkins) loaded up said sausages with toppings, plowed Lil A's stroller through the crowd of idiots, enlisted some poor teenage kid to help me carry the monstrosity of a stroller up the stairs to where the men were supposedly lounging in the Bier Garden, was ID'd and given a wrist band, only to be told I could go no farther than the door because Audrey was with me (blocking everyone in line behind me)...two police officers show up and make some joking banter about being arrested for allowing minors in a "bar" (meanwhile, a ten year old has somehow found her way through security and is walking through the "bar" behind them) We get through all this--and we find out the men aren't even here--there's more than one Bier Garden! By this point, I was tired, dehydrated, hypoglycemic and perhaps more than just a little bit psychotic.

Meanwhile, John is having a really nice time hanging out with his Dad and Buddy, Seth, drinking a beer and relaxing...Enter: his half-crazed wife...on the phone, demanding he find her immediately, and eat his stupid sausage so she can go home before committing homicide. It was not pretty. And it was probably a really good thing you weren't there. Next year, I'm staying in my happy little world at the carnival while John goes to get the sausages.

We spent the rest of the weekend chilling around the house. The men have been tinkering relentlessly in the Man Cave (harr harr harr!) And even though the Seahawks lost, it was still a good Sunday.

Now I'm back to the weekday grind. The house feels empty without Grandpa here, but we're praying for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.

WOW...

We've been busy. Like, crazy do-we-even-have-a-legitimate-reason-to-be-this-busy. I can't believe I haven't updated since the first of the month! Apologies to all the addicts--I would understand if you hate me.

We've been spending a lot of time in the Man Cave the past few weeks. John and I spent all day on Labor Day painting the walls and ceiling. The new projector got here just in time for the opening Seahawks game and I've been busy cooking for the men while they tirelessly work on making their manly, manly dream come true. That being said, we've still got work to do. Carpet is being installed in the beginning of October, we're waiting on a receiver and a universal remote to be delivered...and THEN...we'll be closer to being finished, but not quite there. It's exhausting! Who knew manliness required so much work?

In unmanly news: Audrey is still awesome...just in case you were wondering. She is EVERYWHERE. We've had to buck up the childproofing all over the house and she just keeps finding new things to get into. She has also decided that now she can walk, it's time to re-test all the old boundaries we had established and we're back to "NO" being a funny word. She has especially been trying to get into trouble with the outlet covers in the past few days and I've progressed from telling her "No" to pulling her arm away while saying "NO" and now, I have to pull her arms away, hold them down and tell her no before she starts to figure out I'm not joking. She hates (and I mean H-A-T-E-S) anyone telling her what to do with her arms, so this is probably worse than time-out or a spanking in her book.

p.s. When did I even start thinking about time-out or spanking for that matter?

That being said, Lil A is still the most fun EVER to be around. It's amazing to see her learning--she can understand a lot of things I tell her and follow instructions (like pick that up and put it in the cabinet) She just has also discovered that she can make the choice to do what I ask or not. And sometimes it's more fun not to do what Mom wants!

We went back to our first MOPS (mom's group) meeting for the year yesterday and Audrey has moved into a new room with the 1-2 year olds. This is a big deal! She doesn't just sit around playing anymore--they walk through the hall in a (confused) group to go do singing and dance time and then to another room for snacks and, of course, lots of playing with cool toys we don't have at home like big BOUNCY BALLS!!! She's doing so much better when we leave her with other people now, it actually makes me happy to see she's ok with gaining a little independence. Just ask me how I feel about that when she's on her way to college.

Bailey is getting bigger! I'm 21 weeks now--I think this week's vegetable is something ridiculous like a carrot. I'm starting to sprout a legitimate belly and I'll try to post a picture soon. Lil Georgie is kicking a lot more, especially when I eat sweets (which I crave constantly, but try not to go overboard on...too often) and when Audrey is sitting in my lap, squishing my belly.

I'm pretty sure I have new pictures on our camera to post on Picasa, but I have no idea when I'll get around to it. I see no cessation in the craziness in the short term, but I'll try to update more often! I promise!

Remember, Remember the First of September

Ok, so I took some liberty with the title...but I think I will always remember the first of September as a significant day in my life. Two years ago, today, John and I officially made it to the Tri-Cities after three days of trekking half way across the country with our Dads and all our worldly possessions.

It's significant, not only because it marked a fresh start in our lives, but it was also the biggest leap of faith we have ever taken together. We knew the Lord was calling us to Washington, so much so that we marked the date on the calendar and left the Mid-West without looking back. We were going on nothing more than faith that the the Lord would provide for us and did he ever! Two years later, we're still living with an amazing extended family (and intend to raise our children that way), John is constantly being challenged and growing in his job which allows me to stay at home with the craziest little girl I've ever met. And, blessing of all blessings, we have another amazing daughter on the way.

If you had painted this scene for me when we first arrived in Kennewick, I would've called you a liar.

So, basically, I am thankful...life is good...God is great. It's almost scary to think he could have anything better planned for us as a family.

Dear August,

You are the longest, busiest month of the year. You make me want to sleep for a week. Good thing you're also lots of fun or we might have to have words.

I was looking through our August photo album last night and it hit me: This month has gone on FOREVER! I'd like to think that the coming months will be a bit more laid back, but we would never let that happen around the Schweighardt house.

Our visit with Auntie Em this weekend was phenomenal. (as usual) Audrey did really well in the car going to and coming home from Portland. She only really started getting fussy toward the tail end of each trip--or when it was important for me to be able to hear the instructions from the GPS. I told you--this kid is smart!

Once we got to Portland and met up with Emily, we headed straight for sushi. Audrey loved the restaurant and ate all of the avocados from her avocado roll. She had some edamame too and spent the rest of the time trying to fling the super sticky rice off of her fingers. It was classic! We stopped by Voodoo Donuts on the way out of town and picked out a delightful selection of sugar-loaded, strange-looking yummies. My favorite is the voodoo doll donut. (complete with raspberry filling and a pretzel stick through the heart)

Friday, we three girls hit the town while John was at work; we got Audrey some sweet new clothes and some more sugary treats at Kelley's bakery. Auntie Em bought her a lady bug cookie and Audrey now has red and black frosting stained into her car seat--It gives it more character.

Saturday was Fair Day!!! Audrey had a ridiculous amount of fun. The adults ate a ridiculous amount of fair food. And we were all ridiculously exhausted by the time we got home. Bunnies were petted, goats and ponies were screamed at, giant pumpkins were drummed on...it was a good day.

Next up in the crazy world of the Schweighardts?

John and I are trying to plan a camping trip for just the three of us sometime in September. The end of the fiscal year at PNNL is coming and he has some vacation time he has to use up before October. I can't really think of a better vacation than chilling with my two favorite people in the middle of the wilderness...and eating s'mores. (it never hurts!)

My best buddy from High School, Jessica, is getting married in October (she somehow willingly convinced me to be a pregnant bridesmaid) and we are getting very excited for the little trip back to Mtn. Home. I am, however, not stoked about taking Audrey on an airplane when she can walk...and attempts to escape anyone's lap she is sitting in. As I type, John is forcing her to sit with him in the man cave on his lap. She's got two remotes and a teddy bear and is still periodically testing the waters. Do you think they'll let us take Bomb Pops on the plane? Is the name too suggestive of something potentially hazardous? I guess I'll just try not to think about the actual traveling until I'm at the airport.

That's all the update I've got for today. Bailey/Georgie is still 19 weeks old, the size of a Mango and is kicking Mama a LOT more. She's not gonna let that big sister of her's steal all the attention.

George Bailey Lassos Stork!

That's Code for: It's a Girl!! Again!!

Lil Bailey Marie is looking good! She was all curled up on one side of my uterus for most of the ultrasound, but she finally woke up and started playing toward the end. We got to see her waving and 'breathing' amniotic fluid and we also got a good look at those girl parts. Take my word for it; even I could tell it's a girl!

We are so excited to know who's been hiding in there! Even though we've been referring to Bailey as Audrey's brother for the past few months, I told John I'd be surprised if she were boy...and I was right! I know John is just as happy as I am, but the fact that he is truly outnumbered now is starting to hit home!

Audrey seems to be remaining skeptical of the whole situation. Boy or Girl, I don't think she was too keen on sharing her room or her parents. Emily has promised to teach Lil A all about sibling rivalry and how to steal attention from her parents. She couldn't have asked for a better tutor!

Speaking of Emily...she has openly admitted to not being in love with the name Bailey for a girl. (it reminds her of It's a Wonderful Life) So, John decided, as a compromise, Bailey's new nickname will be George...hence the title of this post.

So, there you have it, folks! I'm on my way to having alphabetically named offspring. Next up? Claire! (just to put John firmly in the minority!)

Never Say Never: A Case of Mom-Karma

Fact: Nothing soothes a fat lip like a bomb pop. If you had asked me if I would let my one-year old daughter eat popsicles before I had children, the unequivocal answer would've been "No; kids that young don't need sweets." Ha! Hahahahaha! Old you, you are so funny!

It wasn't long into this parenting thing that I figured out Mom Karma. Meaning: Every parenting issue you get up on your high horse and swear to God you won't do...you will. And even if you don't, it won't be because you didn't already try and fail. A little advice for any new/ thinking of being new parents out there: do not throw off your Mom Karma. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at some of my sordid experiences mothering Audrey:

First of all: Somehow, formula companies know who's pregnant. They know which women are thinking about getting pregnant. They probably know you're pregnant before you do. Then the mass mailing begins: formula samples, odd coupons, strange magazines and pamphlets of useless pregnancy advice. Unlike many first time soon-to-be mothers, I pretty much just trashed these items without a second glance. "I don't need to worry about formula", I thought "I'm going to breastfeed!" (said with head held proudly high and nose prominently in the air) Ohhhhh, what a good mother I was going to be! Not like people who use formula; people who formula feed are either quitters or failures. Common knowledge.

So, it should come as no surprise that karma bit me in the butt, took me down a peg (you name it) and blessed me with an inadequate breast milk supply. BAM! Where were all those free cans of formula? Why is this stuff so incredibly expensive? Where are the coupons? I was right in the middle of something I had not only not prepared for, but pretty much despised. Thank you, humility! And even though I learned my lesson on that one (fyi: parents who formula feed are capable of loving their children just as much as parents of breast fed babies) Karma decided to make sure I didn't forget and started sending me sweet, sweet $11 formula checks...the month Audrey switched to whole milk.

That one pretty much took the cake. From then on, I started making a concerted effort to be more understanding of others' parenting choices. Just a few ways I've slipped further from my old image of the ideal parent? Using OTC drugs for teething, letting my kid gnaw on my cell phone/car keys/wallet, giving Audrey solids before 6 months and praying to God it would help her sleep through the night, having the kid with graham cracker crumbs on her face in public. We even tried to get Audrey to take a pacifier for a while and (thank God) she wouldn't.

The point is: Bomb Pops are not only a potentially addictive, super sugary treat, they're also the fastest way to heal a fat lip. The secret to good Mom Karma for me? Audrey's happy--I'm happy.

Norbert is almost 19 weeks old, the size of a mango and is happily kicking Mama's belly because he got to have a bomb pop too!

Walking!!

I finally caught Audrey on camera! Enjoy!




...and here's another for good measure. I mostly just love the gremlin noise she makes at the end.

Weekend Update

I went to Norbert's doctor on Thursday and I have been, yet again, deemed "medically boring". This is good! Now I just have to work to keep it that way. We scheduled our ultrasound for next Friday (while Auntie Em is here!) and we've been thinking of possible cute ways to tell people the sex of the baby. Here's what we came up with: "cute" takes too much effort, so you'll have to read it on the blog, hear it through the grapevine or (if my brain is even functioning that day) on the phone...probably from John since he's responsible like that.

This weekend has been a lot of fun; the Moore clan has been in town. Audrey is becoming more and more attached to my mother's little helper D'Arcy (a.k.a Duck) and we definitely miss the rest of the rugrats who temporarily took over the house too!

We're starting to transition back to working on indoor house projects since it's been so hot out. Grandpa S. has been slaving away building a mud room onto the kitchen in the garage. He's raised the floor already and is set up to install the new utility sink and move the deep freezer up too. It's exciting! I also finally picked a color I love to paint the Man Cave and, let me tell you, it's niiiice! In a few more months, we'll have carpet installed and the remaining black panels up on the stage--all we'll be missing is a HUGE TV, which John will not cease to nag me about until I happen upon several thousand spare dollars. Let me know if you find any.

Audrey has really started taking an interest in walking the past few days. She's gone from hesitantly taking two or three steps at a time to walking all the way across the pool room by herself today! We're so proud of her! I know, I know! You're yelling at the monitor about why I don't have video of this so you can stream it 24 hours a day. We were just too darn excited to even think about grabbing the camera! I promise I'll work on it in the next few days to appease the addicts. I love you. Please don't hurt me.


This week promises to be lots of fun too. Auntie Em just flew into Portland today for a conference and Audrey and I will be picking her up Thursday morning. We have plans for sushi and donuts (best combo EVER) in Portland and then we'll head back to the Tri-Cities for the fair. Audrey gets to see the bunnies again!!! And this time she better not be sleeping. Maybe we'll even get to take one home!

Norbert is 18 weeks old, the size of a sweet potato (I know--these veggies are getting sketchy) Tonight, when I was putting Audrey to sleep, he kept kicking her in the bum like "Hey! This is my room! Get up and find your own!" That's the most movement I've felt at one time so far...spurred into action by aggression toward his big sister. Classic. We're in for a ride!

Don't forget to check out the new photos I posted!

Now, Even More!!

Pictures!!!

P.S.

I forgot! I uploaded pictures! Check 'em out!

Servitude, Schmervitude

Quick Story: When we were still living in Illinois (I was probably a few years old) both of my parents came down with what they call the Alien Death Flu and couldn't physically keep up with all three of us kids, so they pulled an air mattress into the living room and Joe (I'm assuming he was about six...I only have these memories falsely implanted in my brain, so what do I know...) was in charge of making sure we generally stayed out of trouble and made cereal and chicken noodle soup to eat. That's right--the six year old was in charge of caring for the family and from what I understand, he did a darn good job. If Mom hadn't instilled a sense of independence in us and encouraged us to do things on our own, life during the Alien Death Flu would've been that much more miserable for her and Dad.

Reflecting back on that, I've officially decided to take a page out of my mother's book and lead the charge in making our kids as autonomous as possible. This definitely goes against the grain for a first time mother, but I think crossing over from baby to toddlerhood has really helped me realize that Audrey is capable of doing things herself and also helping me do things; the sooner I start encouraging her, the better.

Considering life is going to become significantly more challenging come January, I've started having Audrey help me with little things around the house so she'll have the hang of it by the time Norbert gets here. Right now, her chief responsibilities are mail lady and laundry gal. Every day, we take a bag to get the mail and she pulls it out one at a time to help me sort it. Then, we deliver the mail where it needs to go in the house--It's good one-handed walking practice! When I do the laundry, she pushes the laundry basket wherever we need to go, pulls out the clothes and hands them to me to fold and once we're done, she pushes the basket full of folded clothes to go put them away. How many one-year olds are that helpful??

It sounds kind of like indentured servitude and some moms may consider it making my daughter grow up too fast, but Audrey loves getting to be a helper and it's an important step for us to take to remain sane with two under two in the house. Next step? Cooking dinner and vacuuming.

Norbert is 17 weeks old, the size of an onion (really?! I don't find onions to be cute.) The little onion is kickin' Mama every once in a while to remind her that she's not alone and is also going through a growth spurt that makes her super hungry and tired!

The Monkey Turns One...and many other shenanigans

So...I'm a slacker. Big time. Do I get to play the "I'm the mother of a toddler" card and the "I'm pregnant" card at the same time? Does that make up for the fact that my kid has been a year old for a week and a half and I haven't uploaded pictures or posted about it? Probably not. Bad Blogger!

Enough guilt tripping--let's get down to brass tacks! A LOT of stuff has happened in the past two weeks:

First and foremost: The Dragon turned one! And she's really more of a monkey now with her enhanced verbal skills and climbing abilities...we may have to make over the blog again.

I wanted to write a post about all the things I've learned thus far as a parent--figured the one-year mark would be a good time, but we'll save it for another time when I'm not recovering from...well, we'll get to that in a minute.

Top memories from Audrey's First Birthday?

1) Starting a new tradition of getting Daily Donuts on Lil A's Birthday morning. Audrey got an apple fritter the size of her head. yum!

2) Uncle Joe and John's cousin Jasmine decorating for Audrey's Birthday: The Engineer and the grade-schooler make an amazing team when it comes to balloons and crepe paper!

3) Everyone but Audrey wearing crazy hats

4) Auntie Em spending the day making a mini strawberry cake from scratch with pink icing and decorating it with fruit for Audrey...and Audrey picking every piece of fruit off of it without touching the cake. Classic Fruit Monster!

5) Audrey's favorite present? The floating xylophone from Grandma G. It's amazing how the most ridiculous gift became the most practical--Audrey will actually sit down and stay down in the bath tub now. Wohoo!

John and I are proud to say we survived our first child's first birthday party and are unbelievably exhausted thinking of how many birthday parties are still in the future. Whew!

The day after Audrey's Birthday, we headed into the wilderness with four Grandparents, one Uncle, one Aunt, a Mama and Papa, the coolest kid in the world, a great family friend, three cars, three tents, one trailer, enough food to feed China for a week and a partridge in a pear tree.

We camped at the Ohanapecosh Campground near Mt. Rainier and on Monday, Grandpa G, Auntie Em, John and his buddy Dustin headed for Camp Muir. (elevation. 10,080 ft.) John had committed to hiking as far as he was comfortable and made it up to the snow field (a little over half way) and the other three made it to Muir in 4 hours. This was a really big acomplishment for my Dad, who has been training for months to get to hike Rainier. Next year, he and Dustin are planning on going for the summit. I'll commit to staying at the campsite and having a ton of food ready for them to eat when they get back.

Audrey took to camping like a duck to water; she thought living outside under the trees was the best idea ever and even made friends with a chipmunk ...who I consequently attempted to kill. The stupid thing was scavenging at our campsite and I found it in Audrey's diaper bag! Eating a banana! If I had better reflexes, we would've had chipmunk stew for dinner. I did trap him in a tree trunk while I finished getting all the food in the trailer. ...stupid chipmunks.

Anyway, we had to come back to civilization sometime, even though I think Audrey and I would make it just fine living in an tent, eating chipmunk meat for the rest of our lives. We spent the rest of the week bumming around the Tri-Cities with the Gamelin Fam. We ate a lot of food, Audrey got a ton of quality time with her Grandparents and Auntie Em and Uncle Joe, and I actually got to sit around, relaxing and reading...which is why I haven't posted anything in forever--I've become accustomed to time for reading and that leaves no time for anything else since I'm back to watching the kid full time without my devious mother's helpers about.

It took a few days to fully recover from the festivities--the house looked like a bomb had gone off and I had to see if I actually had the physical stamina to chase around a toddler all day after such a long break. So, things are pretty much back to normal, meaning I'm sure to update more often with a bunch of mundane, everyday information. Maybe I'll even get around to uploading pictures!

I guess I can't end without spouting off some stats about my Big Girl!

Audrey:

• Is almost 24 pounds and 31.5 inches long
  
• Can walk, but she doesn't know it yet...we'll let you know when she figures that out
• Calls EVERYTHING "Caba", but has an ever-extending vocabulary that she never feels the need to use
• SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT! 3 times! 3 times, she has slept through the night! This is an amazing accomplishment after a year of sleep deprivation for Mama.

That's pretty much all I've got for now...If you've made it this far, you must have either read this in installments or have the patience of a saint. I'll make the posts brief(er) from now on...until the next big thing happens and I'm too busy to post. I feel a trend coming here.

Norbert is 15 weeks old, the size of a navel orange and is starting to kick for Mama. We go back to the doctor on the 20th and will schedule the first ultrasound soon after. We'll keep you posted on the Norbert vs. Norberta debate!