Lighten Up

The first official ob appointment was today.  Ten and a half weeks.  One hundred thousand questions all to get to the money:  the first fetal Doppler.  Heart rate 168.  Just one.

I may have cheated and peaked at the little nugget of baby earlier this week using the ultrasound at work.  It may have been my third time.  But still, it's reassuring to have that impartial third party confirm that it's all really happening (again).  My eyes could be playing tricks on me.  I could have gained seven pounds in the last seven weeks just by grazing on stuffed mushrooms, venison jerky and clam dip at the Christmas Eve party.  You never know.

There is no picture of the nugget yet, but BabyCenter.com tells me he's the size of a kumquat.  This is a kumquat.

Adult Kumquat

By the way, everything is going to be just fine.  My grandma assures me that having a third child is nothing to get all anxious about.  She kind of told me to lighten up.  "Lighten up, lady," to be precise.  She would know.  Her four all grew into normal, well-adjusted (as far as I can tell) adults, none of whom (as far as I know) hate their mother.  That's more reassuring than hearing the nugget's heart beat.

I've gotta spend more time with that lady.

Before Santa

 

Hi, Good Lookings.

Pajamas at Grandma's

I don't have a good caption for this photo.  I just like it.

Big

Noah was transiently miserable at the Christmas Eve party.  Holiday Joy overload.  Look how looooong he is in this picture.  He's so big, I can understand him on the phone.  So big, he has an opinion about his hair style.

Small enough to sit on my lap for awhile when he's feeling sick.

Hey! Unto You a Child is Born!

Greta as an angel and Noah as a wise man.  I'm a little fuzzy on the details of the play.  Greta did deliver her one and only line, and you can hardly tell how oozy and crusty her eyes were from the pictures.  Christmas success.

Don't Be Fooled

He may not look excited about Buzz and Woody here.  Believe me, he is.  He can't wait to turn five so he can go to college and take Buzz with him (sorry, Sheriff).

Two Things I Love

1. This girl.  2. Her skirt.

Lindsey, let's open an Etsy store.  You can make beautiful children's skirts and home knit coffee cup holders.  I can make diaper covers, and probably bibs, although I haven't actually tried that yet.  We can call it Atom Heart Mother.  First, my sewing machine needs some repairs.  Like, a non-bent-in-half needle.

Check it out

REVERSIBLE!

Recharge

After a night of brain injured, septic and just plain sick, it is a beautiful thing to come home to chubby, pink and smiling.  Thank you, Universe, for keeping us all so healthy and intact.  Not every family is so lucky.

Some pics of the small ones painting Christmas ornaments, made with help from G&G last week.

Noah with Sheriff star, just like Woody

Greta painting snowman. White on white.

Distractions

Some pictures from today. Racing the sunset for just a few trips down the sledding hill.

There are big changes coming up in 2011. The upgrade from two to three is HUGE for me. We're going to be outnumbered by our kids. We're going to be overachievers in the parenting world (or at least above average in family size).  We're going to be surrounded by diapers and searching for lost pacifiers and drowning in sleep deprivation again.  It feels crazy at times and incredibly comforting at others.  Could be the pregnancy hormones, but I'm really having trouble focusing my attention on anything else.

Fortunately, I have Natalee to remind me to post pictures.  Repeatedly.  I'll try.

Tiny Dancer

There's a reason the two- and three-year-old dance class is called "First Steps" rather than "Dance".  You'll see why.

She was too nervous to get up on stage at first.  Grandma helped her warm up and Greta totally rocked the stage.