The week in pictures

It was a busy weekend with JB's Grannies visiting. He was a big fan of shovels and wanted to help out with the dirt. He learned a LOT of new words including ant, worm, shovel, rice, teapot, and tofu. He also discovered playing "water" outside (a fun and simple game consisting of pouring water on yourself, anyone nearby, and getting as soaked as possible).















Thanks to the Grannies for a great weekend!

Heat wave

I think it should be mandatory every year in New England that the last weekend in April is sunny and 85 degrees outside. Two days of heat gives you the option to spend the weekend, cleaning up your yard and mowing, and weeding and planting. You can fire up your yard tools, make sure your summer clothes are clean and still fit, work with your muscles, and get a little sunburn on your nose, arms and the back of your neck. Then, come Monday, you can go back to the spring weather for several weeks, but have tasted a little of the sweat of summer after the arduously uncomfortable winter.

The grannies are in town. Let the gardening and pruning and mulching begin. JB is super cute and has begged for them to come "save him" during at least three diaper changes (his new 'least favorite' thing) and a few other battles of wits.

Our house looks great which is good b/c we had a "good showing" this weekend and the couple is coming back for a "second look" tomorrow. Yes, remember? the house has been on the market since 3 days before the Lehman Brothers went under. We've had 2 open houses, a lot "good feedback" in seven months, but zero offers to buy. We're hoping that yesterday when we planted a garden of sweet peas and proved our loyalty to the property by deciding not to let katy's parents take the roses out of their bed in our front yard and pack them up to store and bring to the next house... that the very act of putting our hearts into staying for the season opens up the universe to a sale.

Things at work continue to be nuts and our friend, IBO (my work wife) is in the hospital trying not to deliver a 24 week-er.

Our 20 week-er is behaving himself. Mama is starting to feel kicking at regular intervals. I have also felt a few baby jolts from the outside. Katy has a developing belly bump and is kind of glow-y.

Our son is saying a lot of words. We think he has over 200 words... but about 108 of them are the word "no". He repeats nearly everything and actually got down and played in the dirt this weekend. (For those of you that don't know him, this is very unlike Mr. Clean.) He saw a lot of animals that he's only heard about in books this weekend too: worms, squirrels, bunnies, flies, mosquitoes, ants, spiders... as well as the old favorites- birds and puppies. Really cute pictures of JB in the yard and my pregnant wife to follow.

Oh, I got her pregnant

K: (In a thrilled, tremulous voice) Oh my god the most amazing thing happened to me today!
T: (eagerly) oh yeah? Do tell...
K: I was eating my peanut butter and banana for breakfast, and there was a chocolate chip in the peanut butter and i didn't even know that it was in there until it was in my mouth.
T: (staring lovingly)
K: it was hidden in the middle of the peanut butter, and then it was just magically in my mouth.
T and K: (laughter)

This is the second trimester for Katy... After months of puking and gagging, she recently said to me, "Food has never tasted this good." To which I replied, "Welcome to my entire life." It was a little magical moment like when Willy Wonka opens the doors to his chocolate factory to poor, underfed Charlie and shows him the chocolate river and the production capacity of an oompa loompa workforce.

Last night she sat on the couch spooning chocolate chips directly into the chunky peanut butter jar and then dipping a tablespoon in to bring both delicacies into her mouth, and today, she found a leftover nugget.

Moving on to bigger news...

We had the ultrasound. If you know us on facebook (or in real life) this is old news, but to all GSO fans, the baby she is growing is looking good. The brains and heart, the bones and bladder and liver and circulation all are awesome. Measuring just a little bit bigger than dates, all looks great. (Including the dangly bit that makes him a BOY!) We are thrilled. Of course we would be thrilled if he had been a she, but since the news came to us last Thursday, we have been reviewing the top 3 reasons this is perfect for us:
1) We love the name we had for a boy and we don't have one for a girl (no, we're not telling)
2) Seriously, siblings born in the same month of the year, it would be heartbreaking not to be able to use all those adorable hand-me-downs.
3) Our sweet little JB is a pensive thinker, surrounded by loving women and only a handful of men... a brother to protect and who will also watch out for him seems to be the perfect set up!

Katy is 20 weeks tomorrow. Half way through the pregnancy. He's kicking and moving and she's got the cutest little bump. (pics to follow.)

19 month newletter- never makes it out of DRAFT form

JB,

You are repeating everything!
You are counting...
You are reciting your A-B-Cs...

You are a snuggle bug and like having your feet tickled and played with. "More" you always say.

Our biggest battle lately is your whining.
You are all "no.no.no." Even when you mean "yes"... you definately have trouble making up your mind.

You can see trucks a mile down the road on both sides of the highway.
"Truck"... you shout and then, "Another one!"

You finally get it that I am "Mommy" and Mama is "Mama" and now you sometimes call us the wrong names sometimes on purpose. You grin and see if we will laugh and tell you how silly you are. (Which we do.)

You are a peculiar little dude when it comes to things unexpectedly freaking you out. When you got vaccinated at the doctor's office this month, you didn't say much until we got home and you saw the green, round, snoopy band-aids on your thighs... You jumped away like they were snakes, except they were attached to you and you were screaming and slapping at them like they were attacking you. When I tried to get to you to get them off, you kept pushing me away. I had to practically pin you down to get them off. It was heartbreaking, but it also was pretty funny. I wanted to be like, "CHILL OUT, Little dude!!!"

We love you!

I dare you not to smile...

I'm off from work today... I've got a lot of plans but promised myself that it's okay to fall short on all of them. First on the "low pressure day off" is checking all my favorite blogs, and JMG had this:



Improv everywhere is a group that sets up little skits in public places, actors are volunteers. They usually are just attempting to get smiles out of innocent bystanders.

Hat tip: JMG

I don't know what he ate but...

Worst diaper change to date... ever.
Gross and gross.

I'm afraid I'm going to have nightmares about it.

Some more gays got it

After today, there are 4 states in the union where same sex couples can get legally married. To be clear, same sex couples are getting married in every state of the union, but it is only legally recognized in 4 states: MA, CT, IA, and VT.

Last Friday, the Supreme court in Iowa ruled that limiting marriage to heterosexuals was unconstitutional.

Today, both houses of the Vermont legislature summonsed the 2/3rds majority required to override Republican Governor, Jim Douglas' veto of the bill yesterday. Vermont was the first state to enact civil unions 9 years ago, but the 4th state to provide actual "marriage."

Neither Iowa or Vermont has a residency requirement. Meaning that, anyone can go for the day and get married. They take that piece of paper back to their home state and for the vast majority of gay Americans, their new marriage certificate becomes as valid as a 50% off coupon that expired in December of 2008...

Also today, DC voted unanimously to recognize any marriage (including same sex marriages) performed in another state. Unlike the district, however, the federal government does NOT recognize same sex marriages. So all federal rights and protections for married couples including medical benefits, social security, retirement benefits, etc DO NOT APPLY TO same sex marriages... So much for leaving it up to the states.

This week has been a very good week for gay rights. Not only because of the above mentioned strides, but also because of the relative quiet that has surrounded all of these major changes. But still, look at the map which shows where our family is and is not treated equally under the law:

Life is a highway

I took the kid to school today on my way to work.

About 10 minutes into the journey, in addition to shouting "truck" and "bus" every time he sees one, he starts bidding farewell to vehicles on exit ramps.

"Bye-bye" with a wave every time we pass an exit ramp.

Somehow, he gets that we are staying on the road, but those folks are getting off and going somewhere we are not going.

"Bye-Bye"... drive safe... stay well... (other) cars... as you get off the highway...
"Bye-Bye."

Genetic predisposition

Yesterday morning i was getting JB out of his PJs and into his clothes.

As I pulled his feet out of his sleeper, I held the left one in my hand and gently stroked the sole with the tip of my forefinger for a few minutes, then I kissed the bottom of his foot.

He's a moderately cuddly kid. He's more than willing to hug and kiss us when we ask, and likes to put his head on our shoulders when he's tired, but he's a fidgety kid and not one to sit still for more than 2 dozen seconds unless he is asleep.

So after I kiss the bottom of his foot, I smile at him and he signs: "more". So I lift his foot back up and start stroking it again for maybe 2 minutes, a light touch, almost tickling... the entire time I'm doing this, he is totally still and quiet... *kiss*.
JB: (signing) More.

I called katy in so she can witness the cuteness and while I repeat the stroking, he's perfectly still. After my third kiss, he starts wiggling (which I expected, much sooner.) He wiggles and rolls over and nuzzles into child's pose. Since he is wearing only a diaper, he rounds his back and kind of wiggles it at me. I look at katy and we laugh silently. As i answer his not so subtle invitation and start to lightly stroke/tickle his back, his wiggling ceases, and katy cracks up...

She's seen this request before.
Many times.
But I've never done it wearing only a diaper...

Katy (to me): "I guess I should stop holding it against you if this type of begging for a back scratch is innate and seemingly genetic."