Loud and (relatively) Clear

My son sent me a message tonight, and the message is: Ma, I want to potty train. Now.

Said message was delivered through a performance piece entitled, "Surprising New Use for Tupperware." Miles made a liquid deposit, clapped, and shot me a knowing look. Me, mouth agape, hoping that this wasn't borrowed from someone, and quickly realizing that a formal "potty" will have to be purchased tomorrow- lest we never have leftovers again.

Yet another teachable moment brought to me by my son. Clearly, I am a visual learner.

Such a big boy! : )

It just dawned on me...

... that in less than 15 weeks we will no longer be a little family of three. We will have gone nuclear, zero population growth, the FOUR!

I am now compelled that make this Miles-only time extra special. While welcoming little Penelope into our home is a magical and wondrous event, so is having Miles the center of our daily lives. My son, the sun. Now our universe is on the brink of a major expansion. Life will never be the same; then again, no day is ever the same under this roof.

Time to go tickle the crab cake and give him some extra mommy-time!

*Got any good leads on a cool "I'm a Big Brother" t-shirt? If so, please post the links here. We are in the market. : )

You've heard of navel gazing...

... I now give you belly browsing. Yep, the baby bump accidentally sent off an e-mail (to my boss) before I had finished typing it. Here's the proof.

Big Boy

Miles officially made it through his first day of Pre-K with no tears yesterday. HUGE accomplishment! The transition has been a bit rocky for him because the days are long (9:30 to 1:30- not including the big yellow bus rides), and he's going 4 days a week. Plus, his wingman Daddy isn't there for every whim and whimper. Luckily, he's in an amazing room, with great staff, and a buddy from his former playgroup. We've had chances to peep in on him, and we've seen him have a wonderful time. Hooray for school!!!

We knew we had turned a corner with school on Sunday- when Miles put on his pack-pack (little red backpack), stood by the front door, and continuously signed "school." He then went upstairs, with pack-pack on, and played for another 3o minutes or so. Man, he loves that backpack- must be magical. The fact that he's spontaneously asking for school (and willingly wearing pack-pack) is already a massive change. Maybe he's going to be a school fan like his mommy (who loves being in school, too)!

Little Man is growing up very quickly. Sigh.

Technically...

... technically I am doing school work, so this post doesn't actually exist. Just wanted to share that Miles has successfully started school. His been a bit teary, missing his wing man (Daddy) and his nap time (there's no napping on the pre-K level), but he's loving the bus and the extended opportunities to play and wave to people.

I, too, have resumed my schooling- this time as a teacher. This is year 5, believe it or not! Frankly, five years blows my mind. Aren't I due for a door prize at this point? Every five years earn a new Subaru- wasn't that in the fine print? : ) But seriously, I am loving my job. Loving it.

Penelope now has a pending name. We just need to get the a-okay from the namesake. This will take some planning on our part- but that's all on this topic for now. Pregnancy in general is kicking my butt. PT was a veritable bust- expensive and chock full of stretches I am doing on my own. Luckily, I have reached a maintenance level- the back still aches, but the "et tu, Brutus?" stabbing pain has subsided a bit. Chocolate and frozen raspberries have been easing my discomfort. My belly's quite ball-eqsue now. A stranger last night asked when I was due (always a risky question)- and she was shocked that I wasn't minutes away from entering labor. Thanks, I think. This baby ball is much higher and sticks out much farther than the Miles bump did. Perhaps Penelope is stowing a lovely set of matching luggage because I look like I ate a duffel bag.

Back to work.

Little Man in the Capital City, aka Uncle Dude Territory

How Miles spent his Saturday in D.C.

Though he didn't get much of a nap, Little Man crashed hard that night. Very hard.

It's a Penelope!!!

And she is beautiful. Absolutely beautiful!

The calm before the (spaghetti) storm

The Weather Channel will be posting pictures of the aftermath. Regardless, kudos to the crab cake for trying new foods! Yes, I called Miles a crab cake.

In 9 days...

Greeting from 2.0!

... we find out what side of Old Navy the 2.0 will be eventually shopping on. Will it be for dresses or cargo shorts? Most folks tell me I am lugging around a little lady because this pregnancy is very different from Miles. At this point, I am only leaning toward girl because we have absolutely no boys' names in mind. Nothing. Nada. Zilch- but the girl's name is covered.

Honestly, I have bigger worries on my mind than gender. This go around, as mentioned in early posts, we have forgone with much of the prenatal testing. This ultrasound, to be conducted at a special clinic, will give us the most insight, outside of the AFP test, on potential developmental areas of concern. I ditched the quad screen because it didn't work last time, and this time it would already begin as inaccurate because it can't report my rates for trisomy 21, which are inevitably much higher than the general population. So in this ultrasound we are looking for soft markers in addition to decorating directions.

I am anxious because that is who I am. Not that evidence of genetic defect would lessen my love for this child or discourage me to prepare for his/her arrival, not in the least. Besides, trisomy 21 has opened my heart and mind in dimensions that I didn't know existed prior to becoming a parent. I worry because I want so very much for Miles to be a big brother. This is a role he was born for- his spirit and courage are so inspirational. And his constant love for the baby ball, which is how he is signing my tummy's name now, melts my heart on a daily basis. His excitement over the bump is only a glimpse into the joy he's going to experience meeting his little brother or sister. 9 days also marks the halfway point, so we are halfway to arranging that meeting!

Belly Woes

Today has been a total guttural washout. Silly me, I thought the "morning sickness" was over. Oh no, it was only taking the vacation I didn't get to this summer. Sigh.

Without getting into too many details, I have just kept my first meal of the day down (and it's 2 p.m. EST). Don't think I haven't been trying, and that's the sick part. As violently ill as I have been, I am still dreaming of tomato bisque with white cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches. My gut's gone bi-polar: ill, starving, ill, starving, ill, starving... I am exhausted, even after a glorious nap made possible by the grandparents. And my tummy's still acting pissy, but I would walk across a field of broken glass right now for an M&M Blizzard. Literally.

But blasted all- that picture is making me feel queasy. Here's hoping I don't toss my cookies and cream, again.