Family photos...

As I'm usually the photographer, it's rare that I'm in the pictures. This means, of course, that there are no photos of Marques and I in existence. Or at least there weren't until today... so I guess this means we can add a few pictures of the family to the baby books.

Big sister... and other rambling

One of the things I am quickly discovering as Laura gets closer to becoming a big sister is that she is acutely aware of who is excited and how they demonstrate it.

She understands that my son's father is Marques (she calls him Marq, like I do) and she happily boasts about it whenever a new person meets him. She goes into stores and amidst picking out something special for herself, she makes sure that her baby brother gets something, too. Right now it's mostly little rompers, but sometimes she tests toys that she thinks he'll like (and she'll get to use with him).

And at our 3d4d sonogram session yesterday, Laura stared at the blurry, indistinguishable images and tried hard to figure out if her brother was really as cute as she imagines him to be. She also looked at the printed sonogram photos and inquired to mom (her Oma) whether Mommy (me) had photos like that of her. Of course I do, and I spent the first few months of her life arranging them in one of 3 baby albums all about my baby girl.

Honestly, I haven't even begun to scrap about our newest addition, I have so much to do about my princess still and she's the priority for the albums. Perhaps I'll have her help me do a few pages about waiting for her little brother...

As we get closer to our due date, I realize just how blessed I am at the timing of his arrival. How fantastically perfect my daughter's prayer has turned out to be. She wanted a baby, and her baby is on the way. I'm overwhelmed and excited to help bring her prayers to fruition and I'm grateful God still has a plan for my life.

Infant See 3d4d

After a bit of an issue over our appointment time (I scheduled for 1 p.m. a month and a half ago, they lost the appointment but "fit me in"), and a lot of traffic into Fairfax, we got to our elective 3d/4d session and saw little Marques Yadon doing what he does all day...

Favorite pastime? Sucking on his umbilical cord... His feet stayed near his face the entire session, and for much of it his hands likewise criss crossed him. In the picture to the left, you can see the cord in his hand going across his nose and cheeks.

Laura admitted she only saw blobs on the screen, but she tried hard to see her brother and was very observant the entire time. Marq got a DVD of the session, so I suppose we can all sit around trying to decipher body parts and features at some point.

We wanted desperately to see a full on facial shot, but were thwarted - - the photo shows how close we got, though we can't see his nose clearly... He has chubby cheeks and according to our ultrasound tech, his ears are like mine. He's ultra skinny and we're hoping he packs on some pounds or we'll have to return his baby clothes because they're too big!

I should also mention that my frustration with the directions and the traffic were taken out on Mom/Oma who volunteered to drive ... oops. I could blame it on pregnancy hormonal mood swings, but anyone who knows me knows I'm always terse when it comes to misdirection and being lost. Me and wandering in the hopes of reaching a destination "eventually" just don't go together... Sorry Mom.

Trying the third trimester

Officially, the final run of this pregnancy begins today. We're at 28 weeks - 7 months exactly. Laura came with me to the last doctor's appointment and heard her brother's heartbeat for the first time. The doctor chastised me about not gaining any weight in the 2 1/2 weeks since the last appointment. And Marq was a bit surprised to hear that the speculative date of our c-section is Friday, 8-28-2008. I like the numbers, although I'm not a fan of moving this birth forward by 2-3 weeks...

Tomorrow we're scheduled for the 3d/4d sonogram and hopefully we'll see what our little man looks like. Laura insists he's a cutie. I pray he's a healthy, happy, well-adjusted and handsome youngster. Is that too much to ask for?

We splurged a bit on a few more outfits for the new arrival at a sale... and picked up some too-cute-to-pass-up booties from another store. Laura upgraded her car seat to a pink princess chair with cup holders. And we acquired two photo albums with slide pages for both my kids. (That sounds so weird to say!)

Nesting has certainly begun... and is on overdrive. I want the crib up pronto! We already put up Laura's playhouse in the backyard and painted 2/3rds of it on Thursday. My craft room is almost put together too, with just a few adjustments to be perfect.

And now, I'm off to scrap book a few more pages of my baby girl before bed.

Zoo for a Few

Today was yet another adventure for my Chioma... she wanted something new and interesting.  I wanted something inexpensive.  Technically, the zoo serves both purposes as it includes a cheap train ride on Metro, a brisk walk, a few bucks here and there for drinks or snacks, and the unpredictability of animals and fellow zoo goers. 

We arrived at the Metro around 12 pm and were at the zoo by 2pm. 

It could have been a better trip if I'd splurged and paid the $2 for a map... but I was cheap and didn't think I needed that souvenir. Ha! The zoo is a maze of hills and stairs and closed exhibits, and most of us mapless folk audibly uttered "I should have bought a map" at least once during the journey. And the folk with maps were non too eager to share or even offer advice about how to get to anything. They acted like a secret cult of knowledge speaking in whispers and hand points and then vanishing to various exhibits in front of the crowds and without the major detours the mapless seemed privvy to. Live and learn, I guess.

For five hours, Chi and her camera captured each exhibit's inhabitants. She didn't complain about the walking, rarely sat in the stroller, and only needed two bathroom runs (thank goodness, they're situated on opposite ends of the park!)

It was kinda cool watching my little photographer at work, asking the animals to hold on a second so she could get their pictures taken:

"Um excuse me, can you stand here for a minute while I take your picture?" "Can you lift your leg a bit?"and then she politely said "thank you" if they obliged (which many did, surprisingly). 

She took at least 100 photos and we went through them to delete those with glass glare or missing animals ("He ran away...")  Once edited or cropped, many of them were extremely good photos.  My baby is a natural!

Now there are several animals with an abundance of photo portraits - especially this one blue bird with a crested head that Chi spent about 20 minutes capturing on camera.  She did the same with a monkey  - - in fact I lost her at the small mammal exhibit because she was busy taking pictures in front of a large crowd of assembled patrons!

Oma didn't take any shots this trip and I wonder if she was feeling okay.  It's hard to gauge how each trip goer feels when there is so much walking involved up and down hills.

As for me, everything hurts.  I am sweaty.  I am hungry.  I suspect I am dehydrated; fear of needing the RR kept me from downing the water I carried around.  And I am sore - especially my behind and thighs.  Baby must weigh a ton, cause I hardly think I'm that out of shape!

I almost carried home a large beetle, which Oma swatted away before I saw him.  Had I caught a glimpse, I'd no doubt have a ticket for indecent exposure for stripping down to nothing to lose him...


The Metro trip home was a quick one, with Chi begging to eat despite the "it's unlawful" warnings all over the trains.  Parking was free, so we didn't need to buy a $10 Smart Trip card with $5 deposit and $5 fare on it.   We also had off-peak  prices, so each of us walked away with almost $5 on our Metro cards.  It'll be great if they are locatable next time we take a trip to the city...

Literally Speaking...

The temperature between my second and third floors changes by about 10 degrees - colder in the winter, hotter in the summer. Hiking up that single flight is compounded by the temperature change... and staying upstairs in our bedrooms during an 80 degree heat wave is a sweat-laden experience.

I combat the ill effects with frequent showers and sponge baths.

Enter this morning:

I have a glass framed shower. This morning, while getting ready for another summer "adventure," I got into the steamy water and began the usual rituals. Midway through the shower, Chi's voice calls out:

"Is this called a baby shower?"

I couldn't stifle my laugh and was beyond amused by her logic:

Mommy is carrying a baby in her tummy. She and the tummy (or baby) are taking a shower. This must be a baby shower.

Of course, it was a teachable moment, so like any good English teacher I explained the figure of speech:

"No honey. A baby shower isn't a real shower. It's a party where people 'shower' you with lots of gifts for the new baby."

Ouch!

Any medical appointment that includes a phrase like "Stand over here [the corner], lower your pants, and bend over" is not fun... such was my morning at Potomac hospital. 

This, after a half hour registration process where they ask if I want family notified if I have to stay and if clergy should likewise be notified... Hey now, this is an out patient proceedure, right?  Just a simple RhoGAM shot...

Why does it feel like the beginning of a long commitment?  Flashbacks of 2002's two week stay from December 18-30 began to run through my head and I admit I was flushed.  I also had to sign for the "newborn" who isn't making his entrance - God willing - until August/September.  Odd, very odd.

Summer Vacation Update

Week 1 June 16-20
Monday: Movie: Kung Fu Panda
Tuesday: workday: GTT and cleaning
Wednesday: Park: Fantasy Playground and Rollingwood Village Park
Thursday: scrap
Friday: relax at Oma's house
Saturday: National Zoo

Week 2 June 23-27
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday: pool, doctor's appointments
Thursday: pool, breakfast at Old Country, sleepover at Oma's
Friday: park
Saturday: sonogram appointment, Nasir and Aunt Cheryl visit
Sunday: pool

@ the park

LC at the park... she's trying to keep from getting touched by me standing below her... the idea was that she get high enough to touch my hand - she reversed it!

Nasty Orange Yuck Juice

I must be nearing the end of this pregnancy... with a RhoGAM shot in the rear scheduled for tomorrow, doctors visits down from 4 weeks to 3, and the dreaded Glucose Tolerance Test this morning.

That GTT test is an hour long wait for a blood draw. But the needle isn't the problem - it's the nasty orange yuck juice they force you to drink within a 5 minute time period before the wait begins. It starts out like bad Kool Aid or one of those Mug juices. But by the third swig, the drink is so sugary that it elicits a gag reflex and makes your stomach turn. Add to it that the attendant at check in monitors the time of consumption... at 60 seconds to down it, more than 4 of the 10 ounces remained in the container. Pure agony!

It was crowded in the lab this morning. People with appointments waited beyond the usual time - some more than 30 minutes after their appointment. I watched the clock closely, knowing that more than 10 minutes beyond the hour draw time would negate the test (and I'd have to endure the yuck again). An elderly woman, who had to be at least 70 years old and was rail-thin, called me with a voice so soft I had to strain to hear it. I was a little fearful about her capabilities, as she looked a tad shaky and was very slow moving. But with wisdom comes expertise, as the poke didn't hurt at all and the draw was pain free for the first time ever. How's that for a good ending?

Photo Shoot

Who would have guessed that Babies 'R' Us would open a photo studio? I was skeptical at first glimpse, but the results were pleasantly surprising. The store gives you a coupon for a free 8x10 when you register there, and surely the free session was a big draw. People were lined up outside the store before its 11 a.m. opening time! Perhaps it was because they were after Father's Day gifts last minute, but more likely it was because the photographer, a young woman named Toni, actually tried to produce great shots.

These are two of my favorites...

Copyright Kiddie Kandids 2008

Growing Up

My baby isn't a baby anymore...
This morning I woke her up to start her last day in kindergarten.  She patiently waited while I curled her hair.  And she didn't shed one tear or holler "ouch!" She put on her first pair of high heeled shoes ::gasp::  And for the last time, she put on her increasingly shortening uniform.
On the way to school she announced from the back seat "This is my best day ever! Graduation!"  And it was obvious that she understood the magnitude of the day.
I watched my baby march in a processional and sit with her graduating class.  She sang a song about "potentiality."  And she scanned the audience to ensure that her guests had arrived to watch her receive her diploma.
On her way up to the podium, Mrs. Williams made one of the first public mispronunciations of LauraChioma Jones.  We're sure there'll be many more...  Then Chi's mortar board began to slip off as she hugged Mrs. Kleman, her teacher, and began the walk toward the hand shake row of School Board members.  Pastor-elect During attempted to put the cap back on, but as she accepted her diploma from Pastor Jones, SBCA principal, it slid off again.  Chi took it in stride, rolling her eyes, blowing a puff of air at her curls, swooping down to pick up the cap and then nonchalantly smiling for my camera before she decended the steps of the stage and returned to her seat.
My baby, the graduate.   
And how very grown up she is.  A big girl, she insists.  Soon to be a big sister (when summer's over, she tells everyone).  And now a soon-to-be First Grade student in public school.  She's 5 years and 6 months old and she's accomplished so much.
Mommy's proud.  Mommy's overwhelmed.  Mommy's seeing first hand just how much promise and hope one little girl can bring to her family. 

Farewell, RINGO

Not the Beatle, the photo server...

This is one of those sites that brought our family closer together with frequent pictures of both everyday and once in a lifetime events.  And now?  Closed. 

As if the $5 a gallon gas prices, foreclosed homes, and generally pathetic economic stresses weren't enough? 

Seriously, the site will be missed because it was a chance to see the distant relies grow up.  We're talking sonogram pictures, pregnancy photos, and beautifully healthy babies that have grown into toddlers before our eyes.  And just flipping through the folders of friends and family is a great way to see who and what is most important in our lives. 

June 30 is destruction day, and then there will be a tremendous void on the net.  I've reached the end... what else will I frequent?

Ta, what're we gonna do?

Adios Craft Kingdom...

I gave in... my little slice of heaven on earth is no more. Yes, I am slowly disassembling my craftroom in preparation for MYD aka "MIGHTY". He'll be here soon enough and it's only proper to give him a room since we have the space. Chi thinks it's great to have him in the room adjoining hers - - she'll continue to think that until the first time he keeps her awake.

So the great transport has begun. In about 220 trips, I'll have the whole room relocated to my bedroom. Then it'll be the ceremonial hanging of my curtains to divide "craft kingdom" from the resting retreat.

I know, small sacrifice for a big blessing when he is finally here...

SUPERstar

My baby is amazing.  Despite missing the memo about the awards ceremony at Star Bethlehem, I could not be a prouder mommy.  Chi racked up FIVE awards including: Most athletic, Most Creative, Most Improved, Math Acheivement, and Drama Award.  Can we say superstar?  So, I took my little princess to Michael's where she picked out $20 worth of stuff to entertain her creativity... This mommy is all about awarding achievements.

Insatiable

I have this new thing for sweets... not candy sweets, but cereal.  Specifically, I crave Trix and Cap'n Crunch.  What is wrong with me?  Others say they obsess over fruit and veggies.  While I desperately want a Bloomin' Onion and corn on the cob (which I can't eat cause of the braces), I'm only really into Orange Juice at least once a day.  But you can give me cereal anytime.  Hell, I'll beg for it.

Ikea Conundrum

So what if I can't spell the word?

Mom and I just spent the good part of three hours working on putting together my Expedit room divider/cubby system.  It's basically in one piece, except we can't get the top secure... that, and it looks like a giant maze on my floor because we couldn't even budge it to try to lift it into place.  Wonder how long it'll sit like this blocking the whole 9x9 space it is occupying before the menfolk rescue my room and put it on the wall?  Just knowing how heavy it is means I need to locate the stud finder and get this thing safety latched to the wall. Last thing I need is for it to fall on me or one of the kids once I get it loaded down with my stuff!

I got the last one (slightly smaller) on the wall alone, so I'm starting to think this pregnancy has me crippled...

Contemplation

Today was one of those days that challenge your spirit... a day of mourning the loss of a 17-year-old who died well before he should have, but according to God's plan.... a a day of triumph as people came together to celebrate the precious moments of their lives with those they cherish... and unfortunately, it was also a day marred by an unrelated scandal at the hand of a colleague who apparently burned a bridge beyond repair.

It's not easy watching young people grieve.  Do you reach out to them?  Pray with them?  Shy away from them?  Lecture them?

And what of coworkers who lost their "child"?  I've said many times before that once a student walks through my doors he or she becomes my kid... and it holds true long after the school year ends and they move on to new lives somewhere out there.  It's true for all educators, whatever education they are providing.

I'm sure as funeral preparations are made and we try to spread happiness on graduation for the seniors who earned that moment of glory, things will continue to be difficult.  We learn to cherish what we have and are reminded of how fragile life really is.  We learn that those people placed in our lives are there for a purpose, and we've only to ponder how  they'll touch us.

I'm removed from this tragedy - watching it from afar.  Yet I am regretting the moments of this year when I could have done better by my own students.  Maybe could have made their days brighter...

The coworker will likely have some legal issues to contend with... and of course, the looks of skeptism from those who believe the rumors (however ficticious and vicious they are).  Can people libel you without recourse?  Even if they are sued, can you repair the damaged reputation - personal and professional? 

Certainly I hope never to make someone so angry as they feel the need to lash out.  I prefer amicable splits, the kind where I can still congratulate success and happiness despite no longer being a part of it.

Weekend Too Short

I've got the gotta get outta here fever and I think Chi caught it too.  We're counting down the days before school lets out and with 10 days to go, it seems there is a horizon not too far away.  Granted in a week Chi will be bored, but right now all she can think about is freedom from class.  And of course I have major cleaning and arranging to do in preparation for our little man late this summer.  Supposedly I'll be crazy hot (already am), but I think the timing might actually be beneficial considering my schedule.  Time has flown by and we're ready to be done with work/school and to move into our summer activities.