Thu, Mar 2, 20062:27 PMAviana makes kissy noises when she kisses you now. It is just too sweet. Today she accidentally bonked me in the face when she was trying to hand me a book & I said “ow!” The next thing I know she is towering over me, kissing my face. I say again, TOO sweet.Mon, Mar 6, 20061:33 PMI thought I’d try to sneak in a quick update while Aviana is entertaining herself with her shape sorter. If it fits through the holes in the top it goes in, so she has spheres, cubes, pyramids and assorted farm animals in it right now.
She is saying a lot more words these days. This morning while being my sous chef, she even said “stir, mama” because it was my turn to stir. We made some yummy yeast oatmeal bread after we got in from shoveling snow. We had a wonderful snowstorm yesterday and then today is mild and sunny. We stayed out as long as we could, which we gauged by how pink her cheeks & fingers got. She couldn’t keep her mittens on–they stymied her exploration too much. Thu, Mar 9, 20067:20 AMFunny story about my dear husband:
I had made this wonderful (& for us, pretty fancy) meal of Moroccan Lamb Shanks (except I used beef) complete with couscous. It was so good that our guests all asked for the recipe, and raved about it.
The next morning, Kevin said to me “honey, can I be completely honest?” Well, that question always makes me nervous, but I valiently said “Sure”. He continues on, “I know you worked really hard on the meal last night, but I really like the tator tot casserole you made the other day better than any Moroccan food”
That’s my man! Just give him some ground beef and potatoes and he’s a happy camper. I’m still laughing!
Wed, Mar 15, 20067:00 PMWe had our last music class today (Of this session) and it did not go as well as one would have hoped. Well, the class was fine, but the precluding event was not: About 2 minutes before class was to start, Little miss made her poopy face & I got a whiff of something fierce, so of course I took her to be changed. The class is held in a town hall, so the best place to change her as recommended to me by another mom in the class is actually down the hall & around the corner on the floor. So I proceed on our little errand, trying to hurry so we won’t miss anything. To my horror, the poo was VERY loose & had travelled out of the confines of her diaper, soiled her pants, her onesie, her legs and one sock. Naturally, I didn’t have any other clothes with me (and an adorable outfit it was too). And naturally, the pregnancy tears started rolling & I was ready to just grab a blanket & carry her out to the car & leave, but naturally, I didn’t have a blanket with me, so I would have had to leave Aviana unattended and clothed in a shirt, a diaper and one sock, in the hallway whilst I went out to the car & came back in. Then I calmed down enough to realize that everyone in the class is a mom of a toddler & if this hasn’t already happened to them, they would at least be sympathetic. And they were. I WAS going to take pics that day (again, an adorable outfit it was too) to post here, but decided against that as I really didn’t want to remember that day any more clearly than I already do.
Thu, Mar 16, 20067:00 PMStory about how the pregnancy brain doesn’t function properly: We went over to a friend’s house yesterday -a friend from music class & MOPS who coincidentally graduated with Kevin & graciously loaned us a pair of pants and socks- and she has one of those growth charts hanging in Corinne’s room. It was marked simply with a large 3, 4 and 5. Corinne is almost 3 and she, as proven by the markings on the chart, is almost 3 feet tall. We have a growth chart at our house that has inches going all the way up the middle and ages & places for pictures on the sides. (Can you see where this is going yet?) So I am looking at that chart & looking at that chart, and I blithely say, “Do they REALLY think that a 5 year old is going to be THAT tall?”
My friend didn’t even laugh at me. (Maybe because she’s pregnant too or just too polite) Just said “I think that means ‘feet'”
Oh.Sun, Mar 19, 200610:17 AMHope you’re all enjoying this fine afternoon. Aviana is napping, Kevin went to visit a sick friend & I think I am going to do a scrapbook page.
I’m 18 weeks along & we are going to find out the gender on the 30th. So excited! Little babe is just flipping around in there all the time. Kevin has even felt it once or twice.
Aviana is doing great too & adding words to her vocabulary daily. It’s so cute to hear her repeat what we say (guess we need to be careful what we say)Every morning she comes in my room & says “Up Mama”. Then touches my eye & says “EYYYYE”, then points at my glasses and says “Asses” She wants me to start playing at 6 a.m. which is too darn early, even if it is light out.
We put in an order for some ‘chick-lets” so they should be here April5. If you want some farm fresh eggs (in a few months) I guess you’ll have to come visit! Let me know how you are too! Lots of Iowa Love, J, K & Baby A
We’ve read “Watch Your Step, Mr. Rabbit” and “Cookie’s Week” about 7-10 times each today. WYS, Mr. R is about an inattentive Richard Scarry rabbit who gets stuck in cement & they try all manner of ways to get him out. Do they work? NOOOOO. (That is her favorite part…she’ll turn all the pages herself saying “nooooooo” on each one) Cookie is a mischievious cat, much like Tessie we used to have, who gets into all kinds of trouble & messes every day. Aviana likes to say that she is naughty & “mess”. Do you see a theme here with her literature choices?
She also likes lift the flap books, but she has been known to tear the flap right off. I think she just wants to see what will happen.
She is running now, which could quite possibly be the most adorable thing in the whole wide world. She LOVES to be chased, and often you’ll see her running & pulling a ribbon behind her so Ellie will chase her. She can’t run and giggle at the same time yet, so she has to stop when she gleefully laughs & Ellie pounces. It’s quite entertaining for all involved.
Aviana is fearless when it comes to climbing and exploring. She is, however, terrified of the sound of air being released–like when they filled a helium balloon at ToysRUs, or when the older kids had whoopie cushions at the birthday party the other day. Poor little critter. What can you do?
My belly is growing so much I can’t really lie on my stomach anymore & I can’t breathe that well on my back, so I am resigned to side sleeping. Yuck. I am feeling Baby Elmer –KEVIN’S idea– move all the time now, which is precious & amazing all over again.
I’m trying to break my soda habit & am going on week 2 of not having a soda every day. Pat me on the back, why don’t you? My midwife recommends that I drink a gallon of water (yes, a GALLON) each day, so the transition has been rough, but I’m persevering. I know it will be better for the baby & for me.
Gotta go. There’s a consequence to drinking that much water, especially when you’re expecting!
Wed, Mar 22, 20066:53 PMAviana turned 20 months yesterday & I discovered she’s a baby genius. Maybe. Her little “growth” calendar said that by the end of the 20th month, most babies will have a vocabulary of around 15 words that rarely will exceed 50. And guess how many words our sweet baby A uses on a regular basis? Around 75! And she is adding more every day. My favorites include: buff, as in “in the buff”, mummuf, which means muffin (& I don’t count that one in her 75, I just like it ;-)), and Mooooo, which is done with boundless enthusiasm at random moments on a car ride. Plus she is still signing like a pro.Sat, Mar 25, 20066:49 PMOn her way to her room to get something, Aviana walked by this little endtable w/ a cabinet. She noted that cabinet door was SLIGHTLY ajar, stopped, did an about face, shut the door, said “close” with much satisfaction and went about her merry way.Wed, Mar 29, 20066:42 PMYou know the song If You’re Happy & You Know it, Clap Your Hands? Well, Aviana’s Leappad plays that song w/ TOTALLY different words, but she immediately recognized the tune & clapped her hands. I was indubitally impressed by that.Wed, Mar 29, 20067:22 PMWe go in for our BIG U/S tomorrow & if Baby is cooperative, we will find out if it is a boy or a girl. SO I took a quiz at childbirth.org to see if we could get an inkling ahead of time.
I have a 49% chance of having a boy.
And a 51% chance of having a girl.
And Here’s Why…
You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it’s a boy.
The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your preganacy, so it’s a girl.
Boys are carried low. You are going to have a boy.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
Dad-to-be hasn’t been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother doesn’t have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.
You are looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a boy, because girls steal their mother’s looks.
Your chest development has not been very dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a boy.
Since the sum of the mother’s age at conception and the number of the month of conception is even, it will be a boy.
Your urine is a bright neon yellow color, so you will have a boy.
You are craving sweets, which means that it is a girl.
Your nose hasn’t changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
You have been craving fruits, so it is a girl.
Your baby’s heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it’s a girl.
You have no desire for orange juice, so it’s a boy.
You are having headaches, so it’s a boy.
Your belly looks like a basketball, so it’s a boy.
You show them the palm of your hand, so it’s a girl.
You use the handle of your coffee cup, so it’s a boy.
So be sending us “Open Leg Vibes” tomorrow so we can know a tad more conclusively than that!