Walks and Playmates

I can't get enough of this kid. We have been taking walks and playing outside (aht-tide) every day, and it's been a fabulous Spring to do it. We walked the other day to a park where we watched the dogs play and run around. We sit out on the curb and wait for "dada" to come home from work and wave to buses and trucks. (Sometimes they wave back.)

"Mama, why are we stopping? Let's go already."

Kindred and I were called upon to babysit for a friend the other day, so we gladly went and spent the morning with little Jack, who is about 5 months old. Jack is a beautiful baby with these gorgeous blue eyes and amazing dimples. Kindred and Jack do little else than laugh at each other. They are fabulous playmates. Watching them together makes me so much calmer and even excited about seeing how Kindred will do as a big brother. He's really caring, for a toddler. Check out the moments below:

"Jack, you dropped your pacifier. Here you go. Nah, I don't want it. It's yours. Why are you laughing?"

"No seriously, this thing is the best. I'm only telling you because it's true. That red block just won't be as satisfying. Why won't you take it?"

"See, Jack, the green ring can fit right on here, even though it isn't really supposed to. Try it."
"Wow, Kindred. You think of the coolest stuff."

"Kindred might be right about the pacifier, but I'm not in the mood to be subdued."

"Jack, this is your arm. Wanna go outside? There are some things out there I think you might really like to look at."

"Mama, can Jack and me go outside?"

"I brought over the ball I really like to chew on. Here, Jack, try it."

"And that's what happens when you drop it. It rolls. It's OK. Mama will get it."

The Project

Michael and Kindred worked on a project the other day-- building a box with drawers in it. Kindred used his own hammer as well as helping daddy with screwdriving and hammering with the big hammer. They finished successfully. Good job, boys!

The Easter Series

Look out world. I'm about to color on some eggs.

We didn't have any egg dye, so Michael suggested just food coloring and vinegar. Ok, great! But we didn't have that either. So we settled on crayons. This worked, well, kind of alright, until Kindred discovered that it was much more fun to pound his egg on his tray than actually color on it.

So he ate the egg...

and colored on paper.

Then we played "Boo!" with the clean-up towel...

which he loved.

(Here's where we get to my stuff.) So this was fun, but in some ways I feel like a really inattentive mother. It didn't even occur to me that I should maybe get an Easter basket together for my son, or that we might color on some eggs so I should think about dyes and stuff. I don't know. My rationale (upon thinking about it later) was that I knew he wasn't going to remember it, and wasn't sure he'd find egg-dyeing fun, and knew he didn't need chocolate bunnies or jelly beans or other "Easter goodies", so why spend the money? But does that mean I'm starting out this motherhood business by being a holiday scrooge? I know there will be many years to come where there will be all these "goodies" and good times and the focus will be on them, but I also know my son is content right now to just sit with crayons and paper just like any other day of the year. I still fear for my own grasp of fun and stuff.

In other news of feeling like a crappy mom, I just found the pregnancy calendar that I had received for my first pregnancy. I had stuck belly pictures in it and talked a little about my midwife visits and how much weight I'd gained and things I was excited about, etc. I realized with a sinking feeling that I had nothing like this for the current pregnancy, and I'm already more than halfway through! 22 weeks, to be exact. It's in some ways been fascinating to see how differently I'm handling this pregnancy than the first, and in other ways it's been disappointing. I'm just not as attentive to myself. I don't have time to sit and do "Fit Mama" exercises, so my body is suffering much earlier this time around. Last time I was working the equivalent of 3 full- time jobs from a 3rd floor office until my 9th month. Now I don't even have a stair to climb! I have to wear this funky brace called a Prenatal Cradle which is going to be really exciting through the summer with its oh-so-sexy cross-straps in the front. It's easier now that Kindred is officially a walker, but I'm still feeling like my body might fall to pieces if I don't figure out how to pull it together. I should exercise. At least stretch, which I'm trying to so every morning and night. Keep it going.

On a positive side, I feel much more excited about this baby every day. Michael and I have started talking about names, and that has been a challenge. (No no no, we will not be telling anyone what we choose, or even what we're contemplating, so don't even bother to ask.) But picturing life with him here is much easier and feels good to me. I know it will be hard at times, but I'm getting more and more anxious to meet this little one who plucks on my tendons and ribs from the inside. He's cute already. I can feel it.

7 Years and Counting

Michael and I celebrated 7 years of marriage this past weekend. (Can you believe it?) We decided it would be a perfect time to leave Kindred with my parents for a few nights while we had some exclusive grown-up time. We went to a small B&B in a very small town called West Newton many miles outside of Pittsburgh and spent a few lovely days together. We were the only ones in the house and had free reign, which was wonderful.

This was the B&B. It was right along a trail that stretches from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, and is across the road from the Youghiogheny River (yawk-oh-gain'-ee). We walked the trail for 6 miles on Sunday, and my poor psoas muscles (so'-az) were killing me so bad we had to stop 3 times on the way back. Ah, what pregnancy will do to the body you thought you knew so well.

For our anniversary, we decided to go all out and buy each other a new car.... (pause for unbelieving silence). I'm actually not kidding. The car pictured below is not our rental car. It is a 2006 Subaru Legacy Wagon. My brother works at a Subaru dealership and was able to get us a great deal on this brand new fancy schmancy spanking shiny new ride, and Michael's grandparents decided we shouldn't play around with old vehicles anymore so they sent some cash our way. We still haven't gotten over our own shock of having a new car. We've never owned anything like this in our lives. I mean, sheesh, we haven't even had a radio in our car since November. But we feel blessed, and only a little paranoid and weirded out.

Oh, and here it is. The belly. Five months along, and already he is doing somersaults and karate chops. It's great fun...except when I'm trying to sleep.

And here he is, the child who will eat anything. He was dragging Michael's belt around the house in his teeth.

He has become quite a walker by now. He still needs some prompting sometimes, but he is well on his way to making his new 2-legged discovery of the world. He and I went to the park today for nearly 90 minutes. He gathered sticks and watched cars and buses, and trucks. He says "Buh" for bus, ball, and bird. He knows buses very well. He waves at people regardless of whether or not they wave back, and he plays by himself for hours. His newest and most wonderful word is one we've been working on for months. When he eats and he wants another bite, he says: "Mmmooowrrr" and he giggles almost every time because he knows he is making his face go all silly so that he can say "more." It's the most fun new thing.

Parties and "Outside"

This is Kindred's friend Anthony. Anthony turned 2 a few weeks ago and we were invited to celebrate with him and his family. We had such a blast!

Anthony was very excited to see Kindred, and kept pointing at him or touching his face and announcing, "Like me! Like me!"

Kindred was excited to party and attempted to don a party hat. He knows where a hat goes, but his aim is still a little off.
We played outside the other day. His new favorite word is "outside". He now attempts to say applesauce, octopus, uncle, and various other words that begin with vowels. I can't get him to say simple words like "ball," but give him 3 syllables and a vowel and he's off and running.

He got a new bike thing from Anthony, and he loves to push it around the yard.

He also loves to chew on it, apparently. What a weirdo.

The Profile Shot

Well folks, here's our little Alfred Hitchcock. It's as though you are looking at the left side of the baby, and you can see the shoulder and top of the arm. (Head is to the right and arm is to the left on the picture.) The ear and the head (and cheek, not surprising) are pretty unmistakable. The baby is healthy and looks as perfect as they can tell. 12oz so far, and still an August 28 due date.

And although his name will not be Alfred, he is, most certainly, a "he"! Boys boys boys everywhere boys.