Brother Gets Married

Whew what a few days we've had!  We flew to a far away destination via two plane flights of several hours each.  Delphinium did a fabulous job on the way there, and a great job for the first flight on the way home.  Then came the final flight, and things broke down a bit.  The trouble lies in traveling past her preferred bedtime.  Naps are all fine and good, but when it gets to evening she wants a real sleep in a real bed, and no amount of cuddling or coddling will change that fact.  She did not cry the whole way, by any means, but she woke up and complained from time to time.

That all being said, it was entirely worth the trip.  The entire slate of wedding-related events went off without a single problem.  Everyone was good-natured, kind, and beautifully dressed to boot.  It's worth remembering that one's family cleans up very nicely when the situation demands.  My brother and his new wife were, of course, the jewels who stole the show.  They practically glowed, and I am not over-stating the point even one little bit.  The grounds of the museum where they held the ceremony were lush and green, and the small number of guests were people who truly know and love the couple.  Much crying ensued as soon as the first glimpses could be caught of the bridal party.  I am really not sure who cried more, the groom or his mother.

The dinner that followed, on the balcony of a favorite restaurant, was again perfection.  The decorations were simple, but festive, and the cityscape outside was just right.  Vegetarian party food can be hard to come by since so many caterers and restaurants think that celebrations equal meat.  However, this vegetarian couple chose very carefully, and the menu included all sorts of delicious choices.  I had the appetizer trio (mmm, mushrooms!) tomato salad (well really I got a the few pieces that Delphinium didn't scarf first) and fried green tomatoes with polenta and black-eyed peas.  Then there was a dessert trio (and the waiter gave the baby her OWN PLATE!) AND cake AND the cookie table.  What's the cookie table?  That's another post.  Let's just say that both of my nieces were in sugary heaven.

In the end we rode the trolley back to our hotel in a state of complete satiation.  The toasts, the food, the setting, the people were all just right.  The next morning my brother and amazing new sister looked relaxed and happy as they sent us off to the airport.  I can say with absolute certainty that it was my second favorite wedding of my adult life, and that is really saying something.

Lexicon 26 Months

Pilyo - Pillow
Yoyo- Yellow
Yo - Yogurt
Chippa - Picture
Bisik - Bicycle
Ponoto - Potato
Wa - Water
Tomyato - Tomato (with two different pronunciations one for Mom and one for Dad)
Hop Hop - Rabbit
Hoo Hoo - Owl and Monkey
Nernie and Nert - The Sesame Street Duo
Tuck - Truck
Muse - Music
Peas - Please and Peas
Tan Ooo - Thank You
Bank or Blank - Blanket
Yights - Lights
Yibray - Library
Seep - Sleep
Amuls - Animals
Ou Si - Outside
Nooyuls - Noodles (often she asks for noodles with pasta)
He Yo - Hello
Cun She - Crunchy

And a hundred more that I can't quite remember at the moment.

Wedding and Travel Madness

We are officially in wedding week!  My baby brother will be a married man in only a few short days, and we are all SO excited!  There is much too-ing and fro-ing as we try to make all our last minute adjustments.  Thus far, dresses are altered, jackets are purchased, hair is cut, feet are pedicured (is that a word?), and we've even collected a "treasure" box of goodies for the airplane rides.  Now all I have to do is pack for three people, schlep a million pounds of luggage through the airport, and entertain a toddler for seven hours of flying time.

On this trip we have a four hour flight followed by a two hour lay over followed by a three hour flight.  Of course there is no way to predict how she'll behave, but I'm crossing my fingers (oh please! oh please!) that she won't cause too much trouble.  It could happen right?  While this flight is much longer than our last one, we have a serious ace in the hole: Daddy.  We left Daddy at home last time, and went with just Grandma.  I'm really hoping that the combination of the three adults will help to keep her occupied.

By far the dodgiest part of our whole itinerary is the last flight home.  We are smack in the middle of a wide body plane (no windows or aisles) and we arrive at MIDNIGHT!  Now many children would fuss, but then fall asleep in such circumstances, but there is a very likely possibility that she will have none of that.  Wish us luck.   

Moving, but not the House Kind

In spite of a placenta in the front this time, I can finally feel the baby move!  This is an especially reassuring moment for any expectant mom, so I'm glad it's finally come.  She's a busy little monkey just like her sister.  Any time I sit down to relax, she decides it's time to play, so reading, watching TV, and trying to go to bed can all be interesting.  Keep dancing little baby; you've got to get ready for you big debut!

Braxton Hicks!

Whew I do not remember having any of these "practice" contractions with my first baby.  According to the doctor, everybody has them, but many people never even realize it.  Mine have ranged from tingling, tickling, to almost painful, and they start sometimes in the middle of my belly and wrap all the way around to my back.  It is the strangest sensation!  At least I'm not having too many of them, so there's no cause for alarm, but they certainly do stop me in my tracks sometimes.

Airplane Activity for Toddlers

On our recent trip down to visit Great-Grandma, I was determined not to let our girl get too far out of hand on the airplane.  Of course there is nothing anyone can do to ensure good behavior, but I was very much wanting to try and hedge our bets.  A friend of mine told me that her mother used to hide toys in balls of yarn, and then she and her sister would have to knit the yarn to get at the toy.  Genius.  Unfortunately Delphinium (her nickname, but it's a long story) is not much on the knitting, being only two years old, so I wanted to come up with a way to use the same idea for her.  Thus we boarded the plane with a "treasure box" tucked into my backpack.

The treasure box was really a child's size shoe box around 4"x6"x3."  Inside the box were several old jewelry boxes of all different sizes (I knew there was a reason to keep them!) and inside each of them was... something special!  I actually went to Target and spent just $10 on small items I knew she would love.  First she opened a box containing a matchbox car.  That bought us at least fifteen minutes as she drove it all around her carseat.  Next came a purple pony with its own rolling suitcase. This was followed by a squish ball and a string of plastic beads (no no she doesn't play with them alone).  Last, but not least was a collection of stickers and a small box of crayons.

I am proud to say that she played and played with her various goodies.  In hindsight, I would not recommend including a ball because they want to, well, throw it.  However, the other items got all sorts of action both on the plane and after we arrived at our destination.  After she exhausted the fun of the toys, she took out the crayons and stickers and began coloring and decorating the various boxes.  We are planning to take a longer trip to the east coast this summer, and I will absolutely be making another treasure box for that trip.

The Wild Ride of Genetics

Once the green wore off, it just seems like this pregnancy is sailing along.  The first time everything seems so new and uncertain, so you spend a lot of time thinking and worrying about how everything will turn out.  This time I do have a toddler to keep up with, but the flip side is that I am so much more relaxed.  Doubtless everything is unfolding as it should.  Right?

At our twelve week appointment, our doctor walked us through the many different tests and appointments we have to look forward to (many of them I actually do look forward to because I love reassurance that all is well). Ultra sounds, blood tests, pee tests, the glucose challenge (disgusting!), and all that other fun stuff we remember from last time.  The one thing that has changed is the genetic testing.

When we were expecting the first time, there were three genetic tests available, and only one of them was actually recommended for the general population.  We went with that one, and found that while I do have a risk factor for cystic fibrosis, my husband does not, so we're all in the clear.  Yay!  Does this mean we don't need any genetic tests this round since we already have our info?  Oh  no, in two years things have really changed.

Now the recommended genetic test covers one hundred different mutations known to cause disease.  ONE HUNDRED!  Since this test is one that screens the parents (no amnio required, so no risk) and I'm the sort of person who wants to know, we both trotted off to lab to make a deposit.  In only three weeks we had our answer.

The doctor called me herself, so that scared me from the outset.  Then, over the course of our ten minute call, the toddler managed to fall and bump her head, the neighbor decided to take up loud tree trimming, and the cats got into a huge hissing match.  Oh yes and my cel phone managed to drop the call THREE TIMES.  It was like a bad joke.  In the middle of all that I tried to take in the news that the husband and I are both carriers for something called Alpha-One Antitrypsin Deficiency.  "But don't worry" she said helpfully "you have the S variety."  She gave me the number of a genetic councilor, and that was that.

First I called My Dear Husband (MDH) who was wonderfully calm as he always is about upsetting news.  We then turned to our friend the internet (I know! I know, but can you really tell me you wouldn't have done the same?) to find out more about the condition.  To be brief, the disease consists of having low levels of a protective protein which the body needs to keep tissues safe from harm.  Those who have the severe form can get lung and liver diseases especially if they drink, smoke, or inhale lots of particulate (like in coal mining or living in a very polluted place).  People with the Z type of the mutation can have very low levels of protection, while those with the S type tend to be much less effected.

After doing our research and meeting with the genetic councilor, we felt much better about the situation.  Each of our children has a 1 in 4 chance of inheriting both copies of the bad gene.  Even if they do, most likely they will feel no effects, and if they do, it will probably not be serious.  Of course there is a small chance that they will see something major over the course of their lives, but I'd like to meet the person who faces no risk of illness.

When you read about genetic testing, there is always the question of whether or not it is worth knowing the truth.  Some people would much rather not know anything.  In fact I spoke to one mom (who knew nothing about my story) and she basically said that if you love and accept your baby you will not have any genetic tests done.  I was taken aback to say the least.  Personally I want the facts, so that I can be be prepared for the realities whatever they may be.  In the end, knowing about Alpha-One does not change one single thing, but it does give me the chance to be prepared come what may.

Preschool Pick

It is official!  Delphinium has been accepted to preschool!  After all our searching and hunting for just the right fit, we were happy enough with a choice to put down money and an application.  We chose a school with a lovely natural setting, small class sizes, and a philosophy that seemed to work with ours.  Now I should feel this lovely sense of release right?  Instead I feel a mixture of sad and anxious.  I want her to go to school because I know she need socializing and play time that I won't be able to give her once the new baby comes.  Still, it's a very tough thought to imagine her away from me, and in the hands of strangers.  What if they aren't nice to her?  What if one of the other children is a pill?  There is just no way to know if you're making the right choice, but no amount of research or classroom visits is ever going to change that.

Attempting a Garden

Spring (or at least our PNW version thereof) has come to our area, and I always get that itching to go outside and enjoy it!  I want to spread a blanket on the grass, eat dinner outside, and generally soak up as many bits of sunshine and warmth as possible.  I also want to go out and get started on the garden.  I can't stand the thought of an empty garden bed!

This year, though, is a bit different.  If we had our druthers, we would be in the process of moving out of this house and into a new one.  However, we have yet to find that new house, so, for the moment, we are staying put.  We keep hoping that each weekend will bring that perfect house.  Thus I am in a garden bind: to plant or not to plant?  Will I end up reaping the benefits of a veggie garden, or will it all just whither on the vine when we finally do find that new house?

For March and April I dithered.  Now that it's May, I finally had to make a decision.  I've purchased my tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, and peas and planted them in the beds.  Delphinium also helped me plant lettuce, radishes, gem squash, and zucchini from seed.  We have a full garden in the works.  Either we'll have a lovely bounty of veggies in a few months time, or maybe Murphy's Law will ensure that we will finally find our new house.    

Groomsmaid and Flowergirl Get Dresses!

Whew! We did it!  I feel like we've looked at a thousand dresses between us, but now we are all clothed for the wedding.  We tried David's Bridal, but aside from a shockingly unpleasant sales lady, we found nothing but cheap-looking choices.  While my brother and his fiance were very flexible with their guidelines, I'm pretty sure that ruched purple satin with sequins and black net is not to their taste (or mine!).

After looking at $100+ flower girl dresses in the bridal shop, we headed over to Macy's, and enjoyed much better luck.  Since it was only a few weeks after Easter, we found all sorts of fancy little girl dresses on the clearance rack.  It cost us only $13 to buy a sweet little pink seersucker dress with tiny roses on the bodice.  Next up was JCPenny, and still our luck held.

For the baby we located a beautiful cream satin gown with net overlay embroidered with green and pink flowers.  Sooo cute!  And only $18!  While at Penny's we actually do very well and find rehearsal dinner dresses for all the grown up ladies (Grandma and the cousins) as well.  Who would have thought we would have such luck there?

The bargain prices continued when we took a quick trip up to the outlet mall.  In the one maternity shop (they are NOT common let me tell you) I found several dresses to try.  They ranged in price from $20-$140, but it was the least expensive one that looked the nicest.  Honestly I had not yet looked at the tag!  Of course it does still require alterations, so the price will go up a bit, but still I am so happy to have found most everything we'll need.  Well, maybe not shoes, but that's another story.

Preschool Search Continues

We have yet another preschool visit scheduled for tomorrow.  It is so hard to pick a school when we don't know where we'll be living by the time fall rolls around.  I think what I will do is find one I like in our current town, and one in our goal town, and then get her on the list for both.  I will lose one application fee, but at least we'll have a space for her when the time comes.  This assumes, of course, that I can find two schools worth considering.  All this uncertainty is killing me!

I am still really having trouble locating places where I would feel comfortable sending my child.  It shocks me to see some of the dingy heaps many people seem happy to choose.  The strangest part is that the price of the school does not seem to track with what I see as the quality.  One of the smelliest and most dead-eyed schools we visited was also one of the most expensive.  If I had the guts (and funds) to open a high-quality daycare or preschool in our area, I think I would make a mint.  

So Cal Visit

Well we made it back from our adventure visiting with Great-Grandma.  She is getting on a bit, but she still manages to do most things for herself.  My big girl was such a big girl that it made the whole trip so much easier!  She did not offer to climb the furniture, play with the millions of antiques, or chase the cat, and her behavior on the airplane was very good as well.  The best, the most wonderful part, was her sleeping.  In the past we have never traveled to a new place without crying and troubles at bedtime.  The first night is usually especially rough.  Often she doesn't sleep through the night either.

This time, she went down late (due to our arrival time), requested about three or four blanket adjustments, and then just went to sleep!  And she stayed asleep THE WHOLE NIGHT! And she did it EVERY NIGHT WE WERE THERE!  Ahhhhh that is the sound of one big part of my mommy anxiety just letting go.  If she will do this on all our travels this summer, we will all have a much easier, happier time.  Here's hoping that we've turned such an important corner.

Doctor Visit

Yesterday we had our nearly half way doctor visit.  I am floored that we are nearly half way!  It's so exciting to think about meeting the new baby, but I am seriously not ready yet in an organizational sense.  I'm also worried that the big girl is not ready yet either.  When I got pregnant I kept telling myself that she would have nine whole months to get older and more mature, but now that time is cut in half and she still seems like a baby to me.  I'm sure we'll figure it out (people do!) but there will certainly be some logistics to overcome.

That being said, the doctor declared us both to be in good health.  The baby is measuring as it should, and everything is still locked up tight.  It is strange to go to those appointments the second time around.  When the whole thing was new I used to go in with a list full of questions (what is that jabbing pain when I roll over?), but now we spend much more of the time just chatting.  May the second half be as unremarkable as the first.

Tummy Bug

Ugh!  My poor little girl has contracted some sort of nasty tummy bug.  Let's just say I change A LOT of diapers these days, and leave it at that.  She's been so sick that we haven't left the house in about six days, and it is starting to wear on both of us.  Between bouts of illness, the poor things says "Go bye bye?  Get new books at library?" So I know she's bored as well.  I've even called in the TV while sick rule to try and keep her happy.  We've spent many an hour with her collapsed on top of me watching Sesame Street.  May things please be better soon!

Groomsmaid and Flowergirl!

Wow!  It seems that not only do we have the excitement of my brother getting married, but he would also like Delphinium and I to be in the wedding party!  That's right, she will be the one and only flower girl, and I will be a groom's maid (groom's matron sounds a bit prison-y).  I was wondering if he might ask for the flower girl, but I am taken completely by surprise to be asked as well.  It is such an honor, and I must confess that there was a bit of teary-ness at the time he asked.  On top of it all, I can wear whatever type of gown I would like with no stipulations on color or style.  That's a good thing since formal maternity dresses are few and far between!

Still House Hunting

Well we've done it.  We've finally passed the average number of houses (40) seen by Americans before they buy.  House #40 was not even tempting.  I don't know if it's us or the houses, but somehow it never seems quite right.  I swear we are not THAT picky!  All we want is a fairly normal house (some neighborhoods around here are architectural history lessons from the 70's) in fairly decent condition in a fairly decent location.  Is that so much to ask?  Unfortunately that's what everyone else wants too.

A new part of the game seems to be bidding wars.  When we started out there was never any pressure to put in an offer because most houses sat for several weeks or months before selling.  Now we are seeing properties that have six full-price offers and 50k escalators within the first day or two.  One 60's era house with a view of the lake got 26 offers in its first weekend on the market!

At least the number of houses available is starting to increase.  I think those people who were holding out as long as they could because they didn't want to sell at the absolute bottom are starting to edge back into the market.  Of course they're doing so because prices are edging up too.  The old double-edged sword is definitely in play here.  With only five months left before the baby comes, I'm starting to get a bit nervous.

Brother Getting Married!

It's true!  It's true!  He's asked (he baked her cookies!), she's accepted, and now the wedding is on quite soon.  We all think she is a gem of the first order, so there is nothing but excitement and happiness being passed around.  When people get married many will say "oh they are the perfect pair" even when they are like a badger and a giraffe trying to be a couple.  These two, however, really are extremely well-suited to one another.  They have decided to split the difference when it comes to east coast and west coast families, so there will be a wedding out there, and a reception over here.  We are beyond excited and madly making travel plans.  

Talking Like Mad

Delphinium is now a chatterbox of the first order.  Oh not when we're out in public or around our friends, then she's usually Little Miss Observant.  When we're home together, just the two or three of us, she does not stop.  It all started about six months ago when she was on her changing table early one morning.  She looked up at the picture of a bear holding a jar of honey and said "Bears like honey!  Bees make honey! Buzz buzz!  Mommy like honey!" Before that she'd been sticking to two word "sentences."  Now the lid was off the jar.

She does ask the usual toddler questions of "what that" and "who that" quite a bit, but she also uses more complex little tidbits that she's learned as well.  When choosing something she will often start by saying "Hmm let me see..." She loves to announce the next activity or destination, so we get a lot of "Mommy and Del go to the library!  Get new books!" She also likes to offer commentary about the people she sees so "Baby cry.  His mommy say 'no no baby no cry." is quite common  The other day, out of the blue, she said "Nice pants Mommy."

Then there are all the South Africanisms she has threaded through her vocabulary.  I assumed she had an American accent (I am around her waaay more) until I took her to visit some of my old co-workers, and they admired her cute little accent.  She says "plasters" for bandaides, "wee" for pee, "bum" for butt, and both tomatoes and vitamins come out with a South African flair.  It's incredibly cute if you ask me.

This morning on the way home from toddler class, she was sitting in her seat and singing along to the music.  As we turned off the main road I turned down the sound since it no longer needed to compete with the sound of the engine.  I assumed the change would go unnoticed.  Pretty soon a voice from the back said "Mommy! Mommy!  Muse more LOUDER!"

New New New

Gah!  Not only am I forced to use Chrome, but there is an entirely new blogger to contend with!  I suppose if I don't want to be classed as a bitter old lady who hates all new tech, I will have to give these things a try.  Just forgive me if I accidentally post pictures of my cat.

Second Birthday Parties

In all my gushing over Delphinium's fabulousness, I forgot to record what we actually did for her birthday  Well actually it was for her birthdays.  One celebration simply was not enough, so we opted to break her events up into two.  First we held a toddler party at her music class.  Two year-olds and near two year-olds only!

Kindermusik and Miss Anna did a wonderful job of throwing us a party where all we had to do was show up with food and guests.  They did the set-up, clean up, and all the other hosting jobs.  It was FABULOUS.  Being pregnant and planning a party in our home for lots of people was just not in the cards for me.  This way the kids had an absolute ball singing songs and playing games, and when it was over we walked right out the door!

That was over the weekend; on her actual birthday we went out for fondue with her uncle and cousins.  Since going I've read that The Melting Pot is not suitable for children under six, but we did not find it to be so.  She enjoyed the cheese and broth portion of the meal, but the choc dessert was what really made her happy.  Given that chocolate and fruit are pretty much her most favorite treats ever, I knew it would be thus.  Her face when she ate her first bite was priceless, and then her face when she was finished was pretty funny as well.  Happy birthday Baby.