I only have time to write for a few minutes before going down the hill to pick Tobin up frm school, but since I got up early & cleaned the house this morning I have a few minutes to sit and chill. It's raining again, which always makes me want to curl up by the fire and read or write- even clean, if I've got to stay indoors- I can't sit and chill in a living room full of misplaced odds & ends! I can hear them taunting me as I sit... unless I'm too busy (or have been) throwing up to notice, which has seemingly curbed over the past few days- I've been going strong since Thursday! (about time @ 21 weeks- sheesh!)

Thursday was also the day I got my ultrasound, which was fascinating. We checked all of the vital organs, bones, brain activity & facial formation- all of which are perfect & wonderful! It's so reassuring to be able to count all of the fingers and toes myself and hear someone who actually knows so say that I have a perfectly formed (and long legged) baby...  girl! :)  <3  (:  

We are so excited!! I mean, well obviously, but we are so excited!!! It's a bit intimidating to me for some reason, if only because it's new. The "pink section" that covers 75% of the children's clothing area has always seemed like another planet to me. I'm not paticularly fond of ruffles & poufy little doodles, either, but perhaps they'll grow on me, like ears attached to baby hats did. I loved Tobin's Pooh Bear hat! I think I still have it in his baptismal box along with all of the amazing and adorable outfits Aunt Dottie (Grammy's sister) has made for him. SO cute!

Well, it's about time for me to go, but I just had to spread the good word! I'll try and fanagle a way to get the ultrasound pics up here, but the technician said the she (the baby) would not hold still long enough to have her picture taken! There is one good one of a teeny foot and another more typical profile shot, although she's halfway upside down and it's slightly blurry because... well, she's half Randal. :)

alright, off with me!

quote for the day:

"If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging."

~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

 

 

Okay, okay. Now Holly can chill.

Okay. Here I am. Hello. Hello! :)

Things are crazy busy as you may already know or have guessed by the lack of entries. And, as you may already know (or have guessed if you're good like that) ... I'm pregnant! :) Since about.... well, about the time I started writing "I'll write more soon, I swear!" which makes me about 4 1/2 months. (Yes, that 1/2 is IMPORTANT.) I'm due approximately March 24th, but we'll see for sure when I get my ultrasound next Thursday at two. I'm so excited!! :) We didn't get one with Aiden and I have one of those fuzzy black and white pictures with the two "X"s at the head & teeny booty of Tobin. The ones they have now are 3D and in color! That's part of the reason I wanted one this time in the first place, other than because I haven't stopped puking YET (at 19 weeks) and everyone and their mothers has a hunch it's going to be a little girl. Ohhhh, man. My mom's coming with us along with Auntie Amy so they can go SHOPPING afterwards, regardless. I'd have to say my mom is *preeetty* happy about having a new grandbaby right around the corner. I know all you other grandmas are turning green! (except my grandma, (who the kids call "Gram") who also lives around the corner :)

We get to walk (or drive if its one of those mornings) past her house every morning for school, since she lives practically across the street. Tobin is doing well in school in terms of academics (his language & comprehension are top of the class, like that's a surprise) but socially it's a bit challenging, especially since he's one of the youngest. Their party was so much fun! Aiden officially turns three tomorrow, but as you will have seen by the pics, we had a combined party which was hectic and expensive but really really fun for everyone, especially the kids. They all got tickets to the train, the pony ride & the carousel and there is a huge playground there as well. I'd say it's the best park around here, really. They've also got a lake to rent paddleboats & canoes where a lot of kids go feed the ducks & geese & lots of hiking trails, too.

 Oof! I just got kicked from the inside. THAT is feeling like no other. It kind of creeps me out a bit a first because the only similar thing I've witnessed is from Alien. It's wonderful though, too, to have some validation for all of this morning/afternoon/evening sickness I've been having. I had to go to the ER at 9 weeks because I couldn't even keep down water for almost 2 days. Not the most fun ever. Poor Randal has been wonderful through it all (Mostly. we both have our moments, but heck, it's our first year living together!) He's working as night baker with the Coast Guard (soon to change to day baker or some other better sounding title) and working PT at a local natural foods market in the bakery department as well. It's a nice excersize for his food aesthetic skills and the first time he's had a non-military job in California, which is a *big* change from the norm for him. It's a lot of working, but if there's something to be said about Randal, t's that he is, and likes to be, busy. And we are!

Aiden is skating as much as ever- we got him a ramp for his birthday that Randal will set up tomorrow- pics DEFINITELY to follow of that. He is really speaking well now, which is proving to be HILARIOUS. I could list story after story of things he has completely destroyed of times he's snuck into the most cleverly placed chocolate (or butter- gross!) but I haven't the time at the moment to get into THAT much. Some events worth mentioning are when he poured an entire bottle of wood glue onto my parents' wood floors (thank god it wasn't carpet!) and started finger painting with it. YEAH. Or the time he dumped the entire bottle of soap into the whirpool bath & made bubbles come out of the tub up to his armpits- standing up. Yeah. Or when he dumped out all the spices onto the counter because his dinosaur needed to eat. I just let his dinosaur "eat" the damn spices a wiped it off, just like I let him play in those bubbles (& took pictures with my phone!) but I did NOT let him continue with the glue. (which we got up *quickly* with hot hot water & towels) Each time is an opportunity for me to see what a creative thinker he is and what a the meaning of "two year old boy" really is. Whew.

Well Randal has his day off today, so we're going to go spend some time together when we can. I hope this has helped tide some of you over for more info behind the pictures- I'll try and get in individually and write a little about the photos in the previous entries as I get the time. I hope you all are well, please feel free to say hi via the comments here, I want to hear from you, too!

quote for the day: "The years teach much what the days never knew" Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tobin & Aiden's Bday @ Howarth Park

Sorry for the random order of the pictures (and some of them are dark, although luckily the prints we got weren't as much so) but I'm trying! We'll have internet access at home soon, which will make writing a bit easier. At least here are some photos for you guys to help in the meantime! :)

Petaluma Pumpkin Farm

(& some pics @ Kira's the weekend before she left for a stem cell transplant and some heavy treatment for her Lymphoma at Stanford a couple weekends ago)

Dad & Boppa's Birthday at Clear Lake