Numbers Game

As we begin the ninth month of this pregnancy, numbers have become prevalent in our daily discussions. 

Mama: You can take ONE more swim.
Thomas: No, TWO more swims.

Nearly everyone we encounter asks how much longer we have until Baby 2 joins us.  Thomas tells them that a baby is coming to live with us in July.  I tell them FIVE weeks.

Side view of Mama's belly while seasawing last week

Another (sort of) shot of the belly from one of our last outings, the 50 Yard Line Dinner at West Point

THIRTY ONE days left to make sure the house is ready to bring a child home to.  This means getting the sleeping arrangements in order, stocking up on tiny diapers, wipes, and formula, and preparing Thomas as well as we can for the arrival of his baby brother.  But of course, I need to take a little time to just put my feet up and relax.   Thomas helps with this.

"I take your flip flops off, Mama."

Putting them in the water

Or just trying them on?

Every SEVENTEEN years, the cicadas make their way out of the ground and infest our part of the country.  It's a fascinating life cycle they have.  Thomas is not phased by how humongous and heinous they are.  He methodically picks them up and places them in the yard waste barrel.

FOUR in there so far

Maybe it's because of the cicadas, but the nuts from the walnut tree in our side yard are falling early this year.  Thomas loves to pick up the little nuts and throw them down the hill so that Dad won't hit them with a mower.  "One, two, four, sex, evan, eighteen."  This is what Thomas' counting often looks like these days.  If we say, "One, two, three, four..." Thomas will say, "five, sex, evan, eight, nine, ten."  I'm not sure how in his mind, the counting works, but we do love listening to it and find ways, like counting nuts, to encourage it.

Gearing up

Giving up on weedeating to pick up nuts

Quick iced tea break

TWO o'clock.  That is what time most things happen, according to Thomas.  Probably because that is what time Elmo is playing ball with Zoe in a book that we have.  Whatever the reason, Mama's friends are coming for lunch at TWO o'clock and another day, we're going to a tea party with some friends at TWO o'clock.  Very rarely does anything actually happen at TWO since that usually falls within naptime.  But at FOUR o'clock on a wonderful afternoon, we had a tea party with some friends.

As I sit here thinking about how much this baby is moving and how large I feel, I wonder how many more times THREE of us will go to the playground.  We're just going to have to take it ONE weekend at a time.

Family

Try explaining the concept of FAMILY in terms that an almost three year old can grasp.  Seriously, try it.  It's very difficult even with a pretty bright 34 month old boy.  With Mike as an only child and me with just one sister, our family is fairly small and manageable for the ever-expanding mind of little Thomas.   He keeps the two Nanas and the two Papas straight by assigning them pet names.  We have a decent sized extended family that he's able to keep in check because we see them in small numbers.  Holidays with one great aunt, trips to Oklahoma to see the other great aunts and a great uncle and a couple of cousins, and now he has added another set of great aunt, uncle and cousins to his working memory.  He's met plenty of family up until this point, so that is nothing new.  What is new is that on a recent trip to Nana Wuff's house (VanDusens' house), he asked about our friends.  "Where is our friends?"  With our soon-to-be expanding immediate family, it seemed like a good time to explain the term family.  I told him, "They aren't friends, Thomas, they're family."

These friends that Mama calls family started off on the right foot by appealing to Thomas' sweet tooth.  Together with Mama's Aunt Barb and her kids, we decorated cookies that Nana made.

Thomas giving frosting lessons to Barb, Douglas, Nana and Sara

Thomas' second cousins, Douglas and Sara, also scored major points for "Putting our feet in a water."  The lake was likely 60 degrees and must've been cold for the Floridians, but they unselfishly humored Thomas.

On the way up to Lake George, Thomas declared, "I think our need a go out in a boat in a water."  Anything that begins with, "I think our need..." means that Thomas will not forget what he thinks we NEED to do.  Barb happily took Thomas out for a very early morning boat ride! 

Thomas helps paddle

And off they go!

Thomas also had the typical fun with Papa's tools.  This time, finding the air compressor and seed spreader yielded lots of fun and entertainment.

Air compressor as funny noise maker and skin jiggler,

Air compressor as hair styling tool,

Air compressor as weapon?

Pushing the spreader all over the yard

As if all this fun weren't enough, Thomas had many more adventures to go on!  He made a trip to the nearby park where he played on the playground, watched an all-star tennis match (between Mama and her cousins), and met a bunch of kids.

With a little help from Douglas

Climbing up to see who is at the top

Thomas sits waaaaay in on the most dangerous piece of equipment on the playground

He also took some dangerous rides and some risky shots at the arcade in LG Village.

"Miter cycle" lessons from Douglas (A.K.A. Jane)

Yee haw!

Taking shots with Nana in the shooting gallery

Despite being 33 weeks pregnant, Mama took on (and beat) Douglas, Nana and a wandering Thomas in Skeeball.

On the last day there, Barb and Nana brought Thomas on an exciting excursion to the Aviation Mall.  While it does not belong on the hit list for most tourists, it was absolutely perfect for Thomas.  The little mall had all of his favorite things: a playground (indoor), Auntie Anne's Hot Pretzels, and a super store.

Check out the climber all the way in the back!

A friend on the ice cream truck

Trying out baseball gear at Target

At the end of each day, before bed, I ask Thomas the same question: "Did you have a good day, Buddy?"  On the last night in Lake George, Thomas replied, "I had a fun with our family."  Fun indeed, Little Buddy.  Fun indeed.

Cousins

Family

Our Current Reality

For the most part, all three of us enjoy our current reality.   My mother cautioned that once you get used to a baby or a child's pattern, they will up and change it on you.  This has been fairly true with our almost three years with Thomas.  In another eight weeks or so, another little bundle will join our little family and change whatever the reality du jour is.  So for now, we will enjoy all of the funny, charming, and sometimes frustrating things that Thomas does.

Like trying to get into a garbage can

Thomas loves to help, especially when it involves things outside.  "I think I eed (need) to help you, Mama." 

"I think I eed a help you pump gas, Mama."

"I think I eed a carry that garbage, Mama."

"I think I eed a carry that hose up a stairs, Mama."

"I think I eed a fill up a pool wiv dis hose, Mama."

"I think I eed a weed wiv you, Mama."

"I think I eed a fix dis chair, Mama."

Thomas is a really good eater, but we've struggled with getting him to sit down and eat a good dinner.  We used to let him have dessert when he asked for it in the beginning of dinner because we knew that ironically, it would ensure that he'd eat a better dinner.  Thinking this was not a good long-term solution, we made the painful change to if he ate a "good, good dinner" then he could have dessert.  It doesn't always work, but we feel like it's a better long-term plan.  Tonight, Your Dad was at tennis, so Thomas and Your Mama (he still calls Mike Your Dad and me Your Mama) had breakfast for dinner.  Thomas had a good, good dinner of two waffles, some sausage and a couple of strawberries.

Sitting at the table for an entire meal is still a battle, but he did eat a good, good dinner

Thomas' favorite

Ice cream while watching Scott Pelley on the news

Right now, at 8:27pm, Thomas has been in his crib for 34 minutes.  For almost all 34 minutes, he has been talking and singing to himself.   Singing things like, "Our in jamas (pajamas), our in jamas, yes our is, yes our is" to the current favorite tune of Frere Jacques.  He's still chatting about putting things in the attic.  Most notably, early this evening, he declared that he'd like to sleep in a bed and when I asked what we should do with his crib, he declared that we would put it up in the attic, which is where things go when he outgrows them.  Clever little observer knows this!  I was thinking maybe give it to the baby who is going to come live with us, but Thomas has him sleeping in the garage, which, according to him, is the second best place in our house, losing out to only the shed.

Shed: home of the mower, etc.

Garage: home of the basketball hoop, Mama's car...and a baby?

We've been super lucky that he still likes (and hasn't tried to escape from) the crib, but we do know that some day, we'll have to transition to a bed.  We tried the bed in Sweden for a bit and it looks like our current reality will be changing soon and we'll be trying a bed here at home.

Starting out at one end with covers...

Moving to the other end...

And moving yet again to Mama's bed

Thomas is a fun little guy and we hope that this reality doesn't change anytime soon.

Jamming out in his underpants, but not ready to lose the diaper yet.