Adam!!

he's here!! Adam Robert was born yesterday November 23rd at 5:22pm. He weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. He has a nice head of blond hair and was nice and pink and healthy from the beginning (apgar of 9 if you know what that means). He's nursing well and slept some last night so we all got a little rest. Big sister laura is beside herself excited and gets to meet him today.
Pictures to follow when we can.

Conversations

You know, I can definitely see what we as a society have sacrificed to have our independence from each other. In neighborhoods like ours, where you sort of know your neighbors.  You wave as you go in and out of your garage but don't really spending much time with each other. Having my mom here the last few days has made such a change in my perspective. Its crazy to have another adult around all day! True, the help with the housework and Laura has been great, but I don't think that's everything. The adult conversation, and with another woman (no offense, Jim or Laura), really makes a difference in your day. I'm sure Jim appreciates that I don't just run from the mouth when he comes home now. This is what it must be like in cultures that live in close quarters with their extended families. Sure we'll probably get sick of each other after a while, but it is really nice to have someone to communicate with throughout the day. I know I chose to not work, so I don't mean that I'm complaining about my choice. Its just that stay at home moms really do have a tough time when their only interaction during the day is with a child. I can see why my other SAHM friend and I generally talk several times on the phone each day (also because we're good friends and enjoy each other's company). I hope I don't neglect her while my mom is visiting. 

nope, not yet

i'd like to blame my 9 day blog hiatus on the fact that our new baby is taking up so much of my time. But...that's impossible because he's still in my belly. And my mom is now here helping do EVERYTHING (its truly wonderful!) so i can't even say that I've been too tired from housework and toddler care. 

Everything here in this household is pretty good. I'm a little anxious about when the baby will come, but not really just dying to have him show up. I'm excited to meet him and all, but he sure is easier and safer inside than outside. We'll take him when we get him. And Laura is pretty thrilled to be an almost-big sister. 

That's all I've got right now. Will say more when there's more to say.

Budding artist

Here is Laura's first happy face. 100% her idea and 100% her handiwork. 

And so it begins....

Our first real snow of the season last week. It had melted by afternoon, but the kids had fun for a little while. Those are the poofy-est mittens ever! 

Laura-isms

A few things that Laura has said lately that I want to remember...

"I'm Dr. Seuss the Bandage Girl!" (ala Dr. Dan the Bandage Man Golden Book)

"Your fur is soft, Mommy" as she lays her head on my arm. Yes I know I have hairy arms, thanks for pointing it out, kid.

"When I grow up into a big girl, I will paint my fingers blue and my toes purple. And I'll buy the paint at the store!" (I clarified that she meant her WHOLE fingers and toes, not just nails)

"When I grow up, I will put cold stuff in the microwave and push buttons. Then I'll check it and it won't be warm enough, so I will push more buttons until its warm enough."

What would a good mom do?

So, Laura slept really long at nap time today. To the point that I wanted to check on her. I opened the door slightly and she was rolling around groggily. I tried to close the door, but she spied me and said "I just want to sleep more". From experience, I knew that if I just left the room, it would spark a total breakdown. So I came in quietly and curled up next to her to enjoy the infrequently witnessed 'wake up procedure'. She closed her eyes and wiggled around a little. Then, she proceeded to shove her pointer fingers up her nose. I mean, seriously shove them up there. Sometimes both sides at the same time. She was really digging for gold. So then I get the Mom Instinct to say something like "Laura, please don't put your fingers in your nose. Use a kleenex if you want to get the boogers out." But then I thought, I barged in on her alone time and how sad would it be to have the first words I say to her be an admonishment? It would totally ruin the mood. Plus, she's not really a nose-picker yet (or so I thought). So I chose to stay quiet and cringe during the 10 minutes of nose digging. I didn't see any go in her mouth, thankfully. I'm not sure if she's thought about that yet. I was rewarded with a nice, cuddly time with my daughter and some nice, germy hugs after she woke up. 

Parenting is full of moments you never would have imagined.

Big big pumpkin

Haven't put up a belly shot lately. I'm sure the orange is very flattering! 3 more weeks to go...

Halloween Ladybug

OK, I deserve some award for getting these up within an hour of returning from trick or treating. We opted for the free members' party at the zoo instead of going around the neighborhood. It was a lot of fun and we got a nice variety of stuff instead of just candy. There were small toys and things like animal crackers and Cheez-its too. Plus, it was before dark, which is much better for Laura. We spent about an hour there and really had fun. Here's some pics:

fashion trends

I don't know if its something she picked up in school or she made it up herself, but Laura's really been into this new way of fastening her velcro shoes. It cracks me up and makes me think of french-rolled jeans or the way we used to tie our dexters with little curly-cues instead of bows.