the waiting game

So this is the week of my due date--technically August 23 (Sunday). It's so weird thinking that at any time labor could start, I'd head to the hospital at the recommended time, and we'd become a family of four! But I'm ready. Everything is ready, actually. We moved the furniture around in Miss M's room to make way for the crib (well, we don't have a crib yet but the pack n' play is set up to mark the spot) this weekend, all baby clothes and washable items are clean, my hospital bag is packed and my body is totally ready! I'm tired of not being able to bend over and pick things up. I want to shave my legs comfortably again. I'd love to roll over in the middle of the night and not be dragged down by a basketball belly. But most of all, I want to meet this new little girl!

Last week we had a beautiful day and decided to take advantage of it, since it was Kevin's last full free week before school started and we didn't know what would be going on this week. So we headed to the beach! Now remember, we live in Central IL so it's not like we were able to relish squawking seagulls and splashing waves. Around here it's more like dodging geese (and their excrements) and taking care not to swallow lake water. But we do have a couple of nice beaches to visit in the area. We tried to hit up Comlara Park/Lake Evergreen, but apparently they're only open weekends now. So we drove to Moraine View State Park
and luckily, their beach was open. We enjoyed a very relaxing afternoon, and Madison love, love, loved playing in the sand and water!









Other news: this has been an exciting season for gardening! I have really gotten into all aspects this year, even the dreaded chore of weeding (admittedly, however, I've slacked off recently due to the struggles associated with bending over to grasp the annoying suckers). So far we've been able to enjoy the "fruits" of our efforts by consuming delicious green beans, cucumbers, sweet corn, and finally, tomatoes! Had our first round of BLT's last night and boy, were they good. Recent garden pics:








And one final pic for good measure. Miss M, at the exciting age of 3, has moved on to a "big girl" bike. Our neighbors found it as someone had pitched it curbside and thought of her. It's really in good condition...could use a couple new tires, but we can take care of that. And we found a pair of training wheels at a garage sale ($1) so we're good to go! She doesn't like to go fast and chugs along at a snail's pace for now, testing the brakes every 30 seconds, but hey, it's a start! We've got a beautiful bike trail system in town so before too long we'll be taking family rides. Maybe next year, when Baby will be big enough to ride in the trailer and M has mastered the bike thing. Here she is:




And yeah, yeah, I know...no helmet. We haven't gotten one yet.

For the time of being she's wearing a baseball hat to prepare for having something on her head. Of course, growing up *we* never wore helmets, but it's the thing now so I guess we'll confrom.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading if you've made it through this novel of updates. Hopefully next post there will be news/pics of our new little one!

Miss M's first haircut!

Finally it came time to give Madison a haircut...her first *real* one. (This only took 3 years and 4 months!) I've trimmed her bangs many times and even once tried my hand at evening out the back, but this is what I consider her first actual cut. We took her to the same place Kevin and I go and had the same hairdresser tackle her locks. She did a great job! I was apprehensive about losing some of the length, but it was looking so scraggly back there that I understand why it had to be cut. Now her hair is to the middle of her neck and really looks cute...it lays so much more nicely and is a perfect summer cut. Of course I had to bring the camera for the big event!











She never did smile but seems happy to have had the experience. Here's a view of the back...it flips up a bit in back since there's some curl to her hair now, and looks super cute.




And on the preggo front...I'm now 36 weeks. Only 4 to go if I make it to term! My goal is to get most of what we still need this week, which isn't much. We still don't have a crib but probably won't need that right away. We'll use the mini-crib in our room for the first few months and the pack n' play has a bassinette feature, which I figure we can place in the girls' room to "mark" the spot until we find a good deal on a crib. I don't think M used hers until she was at least 6 months, anyway.

HOpefully I'll manage to get everything done before this baby decides to make an appearance!

We made our annual trek to the Iowa City Jazz Festival again last weekend. It's become an integrated family event, with both my folks and Kevin's attending. This year one of his sisters and her husband also came along. Got some good shots of everyone here and there, like these!
















And in case anyone is wondering, here are some pregnancy tidbits:

It's almost week 34. In one more week I'll technically be considered full-term! For the most part this pregnancy has been fairly easy, until just recently when I’ve begun to experience a few of the joys of the third trimester. Like...

...peeing every 15 minutes
...intermittent pressure in the abdominal area
...lots of pokes and jabs in the ribs and bladder (it’s so weird when you can feel an elbow or a knee)
...general minor physical discomfort

The last part really gets to me. I’ve been a pretty fit/agile person for most of my life, and now when I take a walk I feel pains that make me have to slow down. I resurrected a Pregnancy Yoga DVD the other day (took a break after I was able to get out in the nice weather regularly and start walking…mistake #1) and realized the exercises I thought were so easy before are now actually difficult. I feel like such a wimp.

But all in all I really don't have much room to complain. Some ladies have it so much worse!

And here's a fun story...today when Miss M and I arrived our Friday playgroup at the park, we were greeted by one little boy who eagerly steered us toward some picnic tables with food and gift bags. Turns out the ladies decided to throw a shower...which was a total surprise and super sweet of them. I received some adorable otufits for the baby as well as some much-needed practical items, and M was given a couple big sister gifts. Here's one of them, a tu-tu!




What a great group of gals. Their generousity is much appreciated. What a nice start for the weekend!

31 week u/s pics

I realize I promised ultrasound pics for Baby No Name a while back but I still haven't scanned them. However, I had a second u/s today to see why I haven't gained as much weight as my doctor thinks I should (everything's fine! measurements are good and baby weighs 3 lbs, on target) so I have a couple of really good pics to share now!

You can totally see her face here. Amazing, especially for a regular u/s and not a 3D one. And she has Miss M's chin...which also happens to be my mom's chin. Cool!




Profile shot. That little blob above the nose/mouth is a hand. She kept putting it in front of her face like she didn't want her picture taken. I guess she's already taking after my sister.




And we can't forget big sis. Here's a nice one my dad took recently:



Thanks for looking. More updates as stuff happens!

school daze

After much debating, I finally signed Miss M up for a preschool class. This isn't a year-round class but a summer session through the park district. Last week was her first time attending and as much as I worried about the waterworks being turned on when I left, she surprised me! She was a bit clingy as we entered the classroom, but I noticed a play kitchen set (the girl loves this sort of thing) and steered her toward it, and that was the end of her needing me for anything. I was able to leave guilt-free and we've since had 3 sessions of school, which she really seems to enjoy. On one hand I wish I had her signed up for the fall, but I still am uncertain about how to deal with getting her there plus the needs of a newborn right around the same time. I do plan on looking into having her start, if possible, mid-year in January. I think this is going to be really good for her and since she enjoys it so far, well, why not?

I am now 30 weeks pregnant. That means only 10 weeks to go! It's unbelievable how quickly time has passed. I still feel pretty good, but there are moments of discomfort every now and then, as Baby No-Name seems to enjoy sitting directly on my bladder. I also tend to get sore when walking...it's a feeling of having a stitch in the side when running, but it's just the ligaments stretching. So I walk through it and eventually it subsides. Baby No-Name is pretty active all day and night long. Kind of keeps my mind at ease, though.

I'll have to take some pictures of M at her school and post them...until I get that done, here's a recent one of Maddi and Daddy at Miller Park!

ages and stages

Unbelievable…I’m almost in the third trimester! One more week to go and then it’s time for the home stretch. I haven't talked a ton about this pregnancy, so I'll post an update on that aspect of life first.

This little girl (yet unnamed…more on that later!) is a very active one. I remember Miss M mostly being active in the evening, after 9 pm. This kiddo is active throughout the day. I wonder what that means? In terms of preparing for her arrival, I’ve done a couple of things on my list. First, my generous neighbors are handing over a few baby items I wanted but didn’t have with M (Boppy for nursing, baby swing for inside). Second, I ordered some cloth diapers/covers in small sizes. This time I’m being realistic and not planning on starting cloth right away. I figure I will need some time adjust to parenting two children, so I figure I'll wait until she's a couple of months old (or until she fits into the small sizes) before diving in. Besides, I can’t see spending the money on newborn sizes that will fit for such a short time--they grow so fast! I already have 2 dozen prefolds that I ordered but didn’t use with M. I just ordered some covers for those as well as some of our favs, BumGenius one-size. These have three different size settings so they can be used all the way through until potty training. Now that’s a great way to save money!

We've been spending a lot of time outdoors since the weather's been nice (as we do every spring/summer). But we've also had a bit of rain, so we've had to come up with indoor activities as well. Here are some pictures of "fun stuff" from recent days.

Purple girl posing with matching lilacs



New achievement--she's mastered using a mouse! Now on to computer games (Clifford, Sesame Street) geared towards preschoolers!



The drumset has made another appearance in the basement. Jammin' alone and with Daddy:

dis and dat

This is going to be a mish-mash of thoughts/news, so bear with me while I get it all out! I've got a ton of great new pics to share, but haven't uploaded them to my computer yet. But here's something just as entertaining, if not more so...a couple of videos of Miss M showing off her jazz knowledge. Not bad for a 3-year-old (and a 2-year-old in the older one)! Telling the world who her favorite saxophonist is (thanks, kiddo):



Jamming at the dinner table to a revised version of 'Salt Peanuts':



I am now 25 weeks pregnant and starting to feel like it. I'm not uncomfortable really, but I am at the stage where my clothes look like crap on my current frame. Most of my old shirts don't fit, save a couple of T's. (I've been in special stretchy pants for a little while now.) I bought some new stuff but it's a little baggier than I'd like. I know I'm only going to get bigger, so I don't want to buy smaller sizes, but for now I'm feeling frumpy. Thanks to my wonderful husband and daughter, I have two new tops--summer style--to wear. Great, thoughtful Mother's Day gifts!

I got a mild lecture from my OB last week about not gaining weight fast enough. I'm up 12 lbs from my pre-preggo weight, and I eat all the time! I'm just not eating cake and ice cream all day long. Plus we've started walking since the weather is nice again, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. So, I indulged in a fabulous ice cream cone this afternoon and at fast food for dinner, too. Doctor's orders, right?

I still have to scan and post pics of the ultrasound. No names yet, not even clever nicknames, so here I'm referring to our fetal friend as Baby X. Original, yes?

I'm sure I forgot to mention something, but that'll have to wait for another post. I want to put these videos up on my jazzwriter blog (http://www.jazzwriter.blogspot.com/) before I forget. After that, it's time for bed. 'Night, all.

spring fling

We've been outside a lot lately since we had a few warm & sunny days. Last fall K planted green onion bulbs throughout our gardens, and they've been up for a while. Finally they're ready to dig up, which is good news for him and Miss M. Not so good for me, however, since I don't like them and whoever eats these things carries around an onion odor on their breath. Help! I'm surrounded!




Another sure sign of spring is the early season flowers blooming, like these tulips on the ISU campus.

Other news...I've been thinking about some of the differences between my two pregnancies. Physically there hasn't been much...no morning sickness, moderate weight gain, feeling pretty good in general. But I did everything by the book with my first pg in terms of diet and exercise. I avoided all the no-no pg foods: hot dogs, lunchmeat, fish, and as much as possible, caffeine. This time, while I still eat fairly well, I've allowed myself occasional indulgences when it comes to deli sandwiches and dogs. My downfall, however, has been the coffee. During the first trimester I didn't drink any--couldn't, really. It never sounded good at all. Now, though, I treat myself to about a half cup a day (I'd guess maybe it's 8 oz), which from what I've read is acceptable (and by the way, it's usually half regular/half decaf). But I still feel guilty. I should probably cut it out for good.

Also, with my first pg I read all the time about what was going on developmentally with the baby and with my body, and I thought about the pregnancy about a zillion times a day. This time it's not on my mind as much. It's not because I'm not excited...I am! But I chalk it up to being busy caring for and keeping a 3-year-old occupied. That takes a good chunk of the day as we're always doing things and running here and there--errands, playdates, story times, etc. Again, I shouldn't feel guilty since this is a very different time in life, but sometimes I do. Guess once you become a parent the guilt just piles on in one form or another.

Speaking of the baby, I don't think I mentioned this yet here but we found out we're having a GIRL! I would have been pleased either way, but I have to admit it will be a little easier knowing that we're set on clothes and the fact that the two will be able to share a room (meaning we get to keep our office!). A 3-year age difference is pretty good...would have liked for it to be a little bit of a smaller gap, but some things you can't control (more on that another time). I hope the two girls become close. My sister and I fought all thoughout childhood, and while it's probably mostly because our personalities are so different (and yes, ok, I was kind of a meanie), I think it also has to do with the fact that we're 5 years apart. I mean, what does a 10-year-old have in common with a 5-year-old? You don't share friends or interests, usually. I guess only time will tell. I wonder if there's anything a parent can do to encourage friendship between siblings?

Ok, one more picture and I'll sign off. This weekend our friends came to visit. They have a little boy so M had a playmate--I thought that for the most part they played together well. Here's a pic of her giving Noah a friendly hug.

Easter fun

The holidays just keep getting better as M gets older, and really "gets" the fun activities that go hand-in-hand. This year we dyed Easter eggs, participated in a few egg hunts, and of course, got stocked in the candy department. I'm thinking the Big Bunny really should have brought a new toothbrush and some toothpaste for her basket!

Dying eggs...







Crazy egg hunt...we won't be doing this again! While I believe the folks in charge tried their best to organize things appropriately, there were just too many people.

Hope everyone had a nice Easter holiday!

3 years old!

Unbelievable. We just celebrated Miss M's 3rd birthday. Where has the time gone? I truly don't know.

It was a fun day! We had a family party plus one of her best buds, and this year she didn't seem to mind being the center of attention. Well, not that she ever has...but she certainly wasn't shy about opening gifts or anything like that. She did, however, voice her opinion that we were NOT to sing the birthday song. So we chorused a hearty "Happy birthday Madison" instead.

I'm not thrilled with a lot of the pictures I took this year, so I'm anxiously awaiting to see the ones my dad shot. When I get a few from him I'll probably add those here as well. Speaking of pics, I know why you all visited this blog, so here goes...

The theme was ladybugs...as you can see from the cake and accompanying cupcakes!

Make a wish...

Getting some help from her buddy Karsten, when opening gifts.

A nice shot of my dad and Miss M.

Loving the bouncer she got!

And these are always fun...comparison pics!

1st birthday

2nd birthday

3rd birthday

and baby will make 4!

With this post I have some exciting news to announce...come August, the star of this blog, the one and only Miss M, will become a big sister!

We've just started telling folks other than family. I still feel safer waiting until the first trimester is over, and now that I'm almost 15 weeks we're more comfortable sharing the news.

When I was pregnant with Madison, I kept a journal of how things were going. It was a separate blog, actually, posted to keep family and friends updated on our progress. I was looking though the printout the other day and realized I started posting at 13 weeks. Since I’m already worried about giving Baby #2 equal time—you know, where there are a zillion pictures and videos of the firstborn but half as many for any subsequent children—I figured it’s only fair to keep a pregnancy journal for him/her, too. I'm doing that in Word, but I may post entries from time to time here as well.

So far this pregnancy has been nearly identical to my first. I have had no morning sickness (didn’t think I’d be that lucky!) and have only the tiredness/exhaustion that comes with the body working extra hard to grow a little person during the first several weeks. I’m coming out of that now, so I’m feeling really good. I had my 12 week appointment two weeks ago and everything is going fine. Dr. Dutta (my new OB…Dr. Galvan, who took me when I was pregnant with M, left the practice) caught the baby’s heartbeat right away and it was perfect, at 160.

One think I’d like to do (but keep forgetting) is take pictures of my growing belly, week by week. I’ve seen people do this and it’s a really neat way to document growth. I’m just now showing a bit, so this would be a good time to start!

I do have ultrasound pics from the 8 week mark but haven't scanned them yet. If I don't get around to that (quite possible!) I will be sure to post the ones from the big u/s, which will occur around week 18, I believe. That's the one where we'll know if we'll have a girl or boy.

Hope everyone is surviving the winter doldrums. The good news is that Feb. is almost over...March is right around the corner! I know that doesn't mean warm weather necessarily, but at least "March" *sounds* springlike!

my funny valentine

You know the best part about almost-3-year-olds? They're pretty much game to try anything new and exciting. I made some sugar cookies the other day for Valentine's Day with the idea in mind that Miss M would get a kick out of decorating them.

We invited her friend Karsten over to help, but I forgot to take pictures of the kids that day. They both enjoyed using (and even more so, eating) the icing and sprinkles. M and I finished the rest yesterday, and I was on top of things enough to get the camera out this time. Here are some pictures from our artsy, edible event!

Mustard/ketchup squeezy bottles work wonders when you're trying to keep a mess at bay!

The sprinkle Queen

Ta-da! The completed batch.

we're goin' to the gym, gym, gym...

...And we finally got to take Daddy along! Since he was on break, we were able to all go to to the Open Gym at Rising Stars. What a great resource to have in town when you're looking for ways to burn off excess energy in toddlers/preschoolers...especially during these winter months when we're stuck inside all the time.

The gym has several in-floor trampolines, a big foam block pit, hula hoops, giant balls to chase around, stuff to climb, ropes to swing from, etc. I really think they need to have one day a month dedicated to adults, however. I'd LOVE to play on everything without having to worry about stepping on a stray kid!

Kevin thought it was cool, too. We took some pictures, but the lighting isn't great so they're a bit dark. Still, you can see some of the fun things to do...and you can tell how much Miss M loves this place!

Hmm, is it safe to jump?

The foam pit! Watch out, it eats socks....

Maddi and Daddy pose

january blues

Is it spring yet? Now that Christmas is over, the excitement of get-togethers and decorating and cookie baking is over. We're left with really cold, really cloudy, really depressing how-much-longer-can-I-take-being-stuck-inside days for the next few months. Well, good thing at least Miss M has a new stash of toys to pass the hours!

Here are some snapshots of our latest activity, dabbling in Play-Doh with fun accessories.







Winter is also the time for illnesses. Seems we three keep passing stuff around. Right around Thanksgiving we shared colds and M had a bout with strep throat, and now there's some weird stomach bug going around. Hopefully we'll all feel 100% before the week is up. And hopefully everyone out there is staying healthy!

happy holidaze!

It's been a while since I've posted. Between the holidaze that's setting in and the illnesses we've recently endured (colds for Kevin and I, strep throat for poor Miss M) I haven't had a lot of time. But now I have a reason to post...we took pictures for our holiday cards this weekend--which I am supposed to pick up tomorrow and hope to get in the mail early this week!

You'd think that we'd just use the professional pic for these cards (which we have yet to have taken for 2008...yikes, better get on that), since every year it's a job and a half getting M to sit still AND smile. Last year we took, like, 100 shots and she was blurry in every single one of them. This year was challenging as well, but finally we captured one that was ok. Kevin did a little fine-tuning, and we're all happy with the results. So, without further adieu, happy holidays from the Harts!