Maj Bitches

Too bad black is slimming because there are some big bellies there

No, we did not call each other beforehand to coordinate our outfits.

Erica wore white and she's the only one who is still skinny! The fatties (sorry ladies) wore black. We are just about to enter the Season of the Baby with Baby Buzz set to arrive next week, followed by Fred, then Sister. All four of us have children the same age and I feel privileged to be going through this again with them and even though Erica is not expecting (she values sleep, free time and not being covered in spit up) she has been a wonderful support for the three preggos. It takes a certain group of women to be able to commiserate on the wonder that is pregnancy (leaks of various sorts, veins, etc).

In addition to all of this magical bonding over expanding bellies, our children also play together, love each other and we do actually play maj, not just exchange stories about our husbands. I am so grateful to have these women in my life even if I pee a little when they make me laugh too hard.

25 Weeks

25 weeks in all its glory

Avery also has a baby in his belly that requires documentation

This photo was all his idea

Avery loves to come with me when I go into the bedroom, set the timer on the camera and take a shot of my every growing belly. I think it is a combination of not wanting to be on the other side of a closed door and the "silliness" that is Mama standing in front of the door smiling at no one. This week he wanted to have his picture taken, but not by me, by the timer. He insisted that I join him for the last shot and I had to put the camera on the nightstand rather than the dresser so that he was in the shot.

Sister's location vacillates between being in Mommy's tummy and Avery's tummy. Daddy's tummy only has food in it. He really seems to grasp the idea that there is a real baby in there who, when she's big enough, will come out and join our family...and cry.

At 25 weeks, I think that this is going to be the best that I feel. The nausea is over, but I'm as uncomfortable now as I was at the end of my pregnancy with Avery. Mostly, I'm feeling very excited and have even purchased the the makings of a (gasp) pink art project for her. Although, the way Avery gravitates towards pink, he just might think it's for him.

Sunday Morning

Avery opted to stand for the duration of breakfast

After, he retired to his box for some light reading.

Yes, he is sitting on a chair, in the box, with a book and a bucket of blocks

On the days that I do not work, I really enjoy making breakfast for Avery and I. Scott typically does not eat because he's usually heading to the gym and eating is not on his list of approved pre-gym or pre-soccer activities. As you might imagine, the list of pre-soccer no-nos is MUCH longer. Anywho, on Sunday I made cinnamon chocolate chip pancakes with the help of a certain 2 year old and he decided to enjoy our culinary success while standing on his stool at the counter.

With regards to the box, rated the number one toy of all time, Avery has found dozens of uses for it. This mostly entails filling it up with all sorts of toys and then wondering why there is not any room for him. He has also figured out how to get in and out since the sides are taller than his little legs. Again, it involves the stool. That thing gets toted around the house several times per day because it enables his independence and he is a big fan.

The biggest sin Scott and I can commit is picking Avery up when he would prefer to, "walk by self." I made this mistake a few weeks ago at Annabelle's when he was having a particularly heinous meltdown and the time for negotiating had expired so I picked up the screaming mess that was Avery to take him to the car. Well, he immediately forgot that he was upset about leaving his friend's house and with renewed vengeance, launched into 45 more minutes about wanting to "walk by self." Lesson learned. Now, no matter how terrible the meltdown (these typically happen while leaving Annabelle's house) I let him walk because no meltdown is as bad as the "I've tried negotiating with you, child, but now it's just time to listen so I'm just going to pick you up" kind.

Boulder

See, Scott can take a decent picture if he tries :)

Avery watching intently as the balloon man makes his choo-choo

Waiting very patiently

Look what I got!!!

The ketchup on his lips looks suspiciously like lipstick

Playing on the grassy knoll

Daddy is not trying very hard to catch him

Since Saturday was so beautiful and we're starting to come out of winter, we headed up to Boulder for the afternoon. Avery does really well in the car and luckily there are a number of cow pastures on the way to Boulder to keep him interested. The cutest part was when we came over the crest in the highway that looks down into the Boulder Valley and Avery exclaimed, "Wow! That is sooooo cool!" He was so very interested that we were going to the Mountains. Wait until we drive to Steamboat in a few weeks!

We enjoyed people watching, window shopping, playing on the various play structures and watching Avery have a balloon train made for him. Pearl Street is a great way to spend a day since it always feels like some impromptu street fair. There are performers, gobs of people and tons of kids. We ate a Salt which was voted one of Colorado's best restaurants and it was pretty darn good. Avery got 3 meals out of those butter noo-noos. His pregnant mommy ate her entire portion of noo-noos in one sitting and then some!

AAAAVVVVEEEERRRRRYYYYY

After I set Avery up to "play letters"...

This is what he had typed...BY HIMSELF!!!

Now, on to writing.

Avery loves to "play letters." This means setting up a Word document and letting him go to town. We made the mistake of showing him once that the letters can change colors and after a few lines, we'll hear a call for, "different color!" This, at times, gets a little tedious because you'll never meet a more discerning 2 year old when it comes to shades of pink. I rue the day when I teach about different fonts!

A Blanket Conversation

A conversation between Avery and I while we were snuggling in bed this morning:

Avery: Mama, does Sister have blankets?
Me: No, not yet. We haven't bought her any blankets.
Avery: Oh, no (seeming very concerned). Avery no share Bebes.
Me: No, you don't have to share your Bebes unless you want to. We'll get Sister her own blankets.
Avery: Pink ones?
Me: Sure.
Avery: What Sister's blankets called?
Me: I don't know. We'll have to come up with a name for them.
Avery: How about Kiki?
Me: That's what Hannah calls her blankets. We'll have to think of something else.
Avery: Hmmm, not Bebe.

Some of the Best Photos to Date

Not to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT! These are some of my favorite pictures of Avery so far. The courtyard is one of my favorite places for photos and coupled with my new camera lens, I think that I got some pretty good shots. Avery had both bubbles and a Grandma for entertainment so the smiles are genuine. My favorite is the one of him in the tall grass. It's not my favorite face, but I love the composition. Now, I need to go get some frames.

Obama Mama

Apparently the phrase "Obama Mama" can elicit the most uproarious laughter and chortling from both a two year old and his Daddy when said over and over (and over). Such repetition can lead to kissing and loving of all sorts. This post is evidence that, from time to time, Avery does love Scott!

Sport Illustrated M&M Issue

The top picture is posed, but the bottom two truly show how interested he was in the Green M&M taking off her shell

I found Avery looking very intently at the Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Issue the other day. He had relatively no interested in the ladies (they going swimming, mama) but was entranced by the M&M ad at the back of the magazine and I had to laugh thinking that in another 10 years, this is going to be a very different story. There was a flash forward and I started thinking about Avery becoming a Man. Yes, capital letter M, Man. Luckily, I have about 10 more years to mentally prepare for this transformation but it is nearly impossible for me to imagine whiskers on that perfect little face and the attitude that will most likely accompany it. Luckily, we are still in the days where an M&M ad beats out almost naked women.