Cutting it close

With the last two pregnancies, I had everything ready to go a few weeks in advance- everything. This time around- not so much. We're getting a bassinet tomorrow morning, and Zach should have the crib put back together sometime this week. I've organized all of our newborn through 3 month outfits in a little tupperware dresser in the girls' room. Other than that, we haven't really prepared anything. It's so weird- like it hasn't sunk in yet that we're actually going to have a baby around... really soon.

It seems the twins finally believe there's a baby on the way. I'm not sure they understand that he'll ever be a baby on the outside of Mom, though.

Mia, on the other hand, knows a change is coming. She's excited to hold her brother.
We keep trying to get her to name him for us. I stuck her on the computer and had her look at a baby name site. She has a much more open mind than I do- and asked about some names that I would have passed over without a second glance. She got pretty attached to Hamish for a few minutes, but when she realized we were still going to have the final say, kind of lost interest in the search. Now when I ask her how she feels about a name, she says reassuringly, "You just name him what you want, and I will like it."

So we're still in name limbo. When we were expecting Mia, we were dead set on Samuel if she was a boy. Then my cousin used it, and now it has gotten a lot more common, which is less appealing to me. It's just annoying to hear some mom calling your kid's name in the park. I can't imagine how all the Emmas and Isabellas out there feel when that happens probably every day. Anyway. This time, we thought we had settled on Greyson, until I heard it in reference to about five different boys in one week. Seems that one is getting too popular, too. I'm already so sad that Mia's name jumped in popularity the year after we named her, and I'm worried that with the new Eclipse novella, Bree's name is going to start popping up more often, too. Lame. We still have about two and a half weeks to decide on this kid.

I realized we might miss our last chance to get belly pics, so we went out today and took some. Zach does a pretty decent job, no? :)

Spoiled!

My sweet aunt did it again. When Mia was born, I was just overwhelmed by the gifts she presented at my shower- all color coordinated with a ballerina teddy bear theme. Then again, when the twins were born, she packed a million coordinated gifts into one gift bag, including my purse that became a conversation piece for strangers at grocery stores and parks for the next few years. We just got an authentic Aunt LuJean box in the mail- I should have known, but I was completely awestruck again. I have no idea how she manages to fit so much cute stuff into one package! It takes me back to the Christmas Eves we would spend at her house- when Santa blew our minds, and the holiday had a magical quality that was never quite duplicated anywhere else. I think I'm beginning to understand what made those years so special.
Everything had it's own coordinated, hand-drawn tag, cute ribbons, "Do the Blue" theme- it was like a complete baby shower in a box!



I felt the love in every mark of her blue pen, and almost wish I could leave the cute tags and ribbons on the outfits when this kid wears them- just so everyone knows how special my aunt is. Thank you Aunt LuJ!!!

Zach's on call tonight

Ever notice how the words "Bed time!" magically get your children focused on brushing their teeth, getting their pajamas on, and climbing straight into bed?

Me neither.

Three weeks! Maybe less!

Fishies

This morning Zach took the girls fishing. He was going to leave Anya with me because she threw up twice this morning and had a 105 fever yesterday when they checked at the pediatrician's. But as they were getting ready to leave this morning, Anya merrily obeyed when Daddy told everyone to get dressed (while Mia and Bree played in the toy room and needed to be asked a million times to go choose some clothes.) Then Anya came downstairs, found her sandals and waited happily while the other two got ready. When she found out she wasn't supposed to go, she crumbled, and we changed our minds pretty quick. If she's healthy enough to run around all morning with a smile on her face, she's probably okay to sit with a fishing pole.

They went up to Hoover reservoir and found a perfect spot with tons of little fish nearby. Mia's Barbie fishing pole did all the catching: four blue gills and a yellow perch. They threw back the blue gills, (apparently you're not supposed to keep them alive, and we didn't want to bother cleaning and eating them) and kept the perch thinking it could go in the spare tank for a while.

Mia called me from the car on their way home. (I didn't go- got the fever last night and still have the remaining sore throat and cough. Weird little virus.) I don't hear her little voice on the other end of the phone very often- I think the last time was while we were in Vegas. It sounded so small and exuberant! She was so excited about her accomplishments, she said she wanted to tell me right now, instead of waiting 'til they got home.

When they burst through the door, they were all talking to me at once. Bree was trying to get the words "Blue Gill" out, and Mia was repeating everything she'd said on the phone.

While they were jumping around telling me about their adventure, Zach was out getting the pool set up. It's one of those with the edge that stands on its own, and turned out to be too tall for them to get in and out. So he cut a little curve out so they could get in and out, and reinforced it with some rubber thing so they wouldn't cut themselves on the unfinished egde. As I write this, he's out getting our groceries for next week. He asked if I needed help getting the girls to bed, and I said no- I could get it. Kind of sad that that sending him to get groceries sounded like I was letting him off the hook, no?

He's been taking care of pretty much everything since we got back from our Vegas trip. I've been mostly immobile with a stupid back and messed up insides from carrying twins. I didn't realize that this pregnancy would start out the second trimester with the same discomfort level that ended the third trimester of the last pregnancy. This one kid just picked up where they left off! So chaos reigns at our house. But we're getting through it because of a wonderful father and husband who sacrifices not only any free time he might have had, but some studying time, too. His priorities are unquestionable: us, us, and us.

I'll have to admit, it's driving me nuts that I'm unable to run things my way. (If you want something done...) But he's even patient with me when I think things are going wrong.

I feel awful that his birthday and Father's Day both fall right smack in the middle of this crazy crunch time. He deserves so much more than we can give him right now! Time to get creative...

Horsies

We went to the Field of Dreams Equine Education center today with some friends. When I told the girls they were going to ride a horse this morning, Mia was the only one who seemed excited at first. Then Bree realized what I meant and started telling me every half hour, "I want to ride a horse, Mommy!!" I wasn't sure Anya would be up to it. All of them, especially Anya, have always had a little trouble getting comfortable with new slides and all sorts of other normal kid stuff they have encountered over the years.

But when we got there, Anya raced over and was the first to put on a helmet and climb up the platform. Mia had ridden once at the zoo, but I was really suprised at how comfortable the twins were with these huge, live animals. Anya grinned her head off the entire time she rode! She and Bree took turns riding "Jane."


Bree couldn't contain her excitement, and ran out of patience before the horse got back. But she dried her tears as soon as I took the helmet off Anya and put it on her. She was giggling when she first mounted, and then started waving and yelling "HI!" to everyone.


Mia rode a horse named Miracle. She was lifted onto the horse at the zoo last year, but once she was on the platform, all I had to do was point to the stirrup and she got on by herself no problem. I had trouble mounting the first time when I was twice her age!



I think I've been just as enchanted with horses growing up as every girl- but seeing my girls so smitten really makes me hope we have a chance to let them ride more someday. :)

Arrrrrr-guh!

WANTED: Translator fluent in Strangese.

About once every three hours, you will hear Bree tell Anya, "I be a pie-yut (pirate) and you be Jesus, k? AAARRRR-GUH!"

Then Anya will reply with "When I grow up, I be a ballerina, go in time out."

The conversation never varies. They don't laugh, but apparently it is just as interesting the tenth time as the first.