Ballet and lessons

Kalina in dance class.

The other day Kalina and I were listening to some lovely classical music while coloring. "Just a second, Mommy, I have to go dance," she told me before twirling around on the rug. I've posted about ballet before (see January), so you can probably already picture this.

Kalina was soon placed just left of center in the line of dancers for her class's performance piece (Bippidi Boppidi Boo from Cinderella, which happens to be the only Disney princess movie suitable for a 4-year-old)--a fact that I interpreted to mean she's really good. Which she is. She watches her teacher and can generally follow along, and in Predance 1, you don't really need more than that to stand out (other girls chose more negative methods, which I would sneakily ask Kalina about after every class).

At the dress rehearsal, waiting for
their turn.

Soon, Bippidi Boppidi Boo was running through my head day and night, and apparently Kalina's and Elise's, too, because they've both been singing it frequently. And getting the lyrics wrong, I might add--it's pretty cute. They have also each independently asked me for their own fairy godmother. I am not one, so, much to their disappointment, I couldn't grant this wish.

I got to watch Kalina make progress each month during observation, and then sometimes every day as she practiced. I also learned the dance, as did Elise, who learned the hard way not to get in the way of Kalina's wand. For some reason Matt never did (or at least never admitted to).

Isn't she great?

We did have at least one mishap: the ribbon from Kalina's wand unraveled in the middle of their routine one time during an observation class. I didn't notice the wand--I only saw my girl barely succeeding in choking back tears (a skill I have to commend her for, honestly, because she certainly never did that in the first 3 1/2 or 4 years of her life). As I rushed to her side, I did notice the wand and as I consoled her, her teacher noticed too. Soon a triumphant Kalina was being upheld as an example for what to do if something goes wrong on stage: just keep dancing! This became a mantra of sorts at our house.

Kalina's excited audience!

Kalina's success has been due to her own hard work--but we should give at least a little credit to an enthusiastically supportive little sister, who mimics her every move (or tries her best to) and encourages her big sister in every way a 2 1/2-year-old can. It had been strongly recommended to me that I not attempt to bring Elise to the performance--"it's just too long for little ones! Take her to the dress rehearsal instead!" But the girls were adamant: this arrangement would break both of their little hearts. Elise desperately wanted to see her sister dance in the real performance, and Kalina desperately wanted her sister to be there. We arranged a system in which Grandpa Tom would take Elise out when she needed to go home for bed.

The star of the show and her
flowers!

The last month or so of class time was devoted mostly to recital happenings (to my minor annoyance), and Kalina moved gradually from quite nervous ("What if I mess up?") to mostly excited. All the moms learned, more or less, how to do a high bun in an unwilling 3- or 4-year-old's hair (not sure who enjoyed that experience less--the moms or the girls). And then, after a "dress parade" and a dress rehearsal, it was performance time.

Grandpa Les and Grandma, who didn't want to miss the show, traveled down from Minnesota for a long weekend (and a happy 10th anniversary for Mommy and Daddy, and a happy Father's Day!). We all, along with Grandpa Tom, found seats in the front row of the balcony--which turned out to be a good thing as Elise had plenty of room to squirm, and wasn't the only one who occasionally forgot to whisper.

I'd gotten Kalina prepared in the large dressing room earlier, and torn myself away from my slightly nervous--but mostly brave--little ballerina, having been on vacation when the signup sheet for "helper mommy" was posted. What was she most scared about now? That Mommy and family wouldn't be in the audience watching her! Poor thing, I think it's hard for her to comprehend how much it'd take to get us to miss it. I think we both blinked back a tear or two, but another kind mother had given Kalina a Mento, and in the midst of all the chaos, she placidly watched me leave. We've come a long, long, long, long way, haven't we? I have been traded for a Mento.

Early birthday brownies!

Shortly afterward, Elise was perched on my lap and we were counting down the minutes until the show started. Fortunately, Kalina's class was third on the program, because Elise carefully searched for her sister in each piece (whispering frequently: "But I don't see Kalina!"), and probably wouldn't have lasted long if she hadn't spotted her soon. Thank goodness the little girl could pick her big sister out in an identical high-bun Cinderella crowd, from the balcony. Or at least she thought she could--good enough.

It's quite a feeling when your tiny little 4 1/2 (nearly 5)-year-old marches onto the stage, adorable and confident, and gives it her all. Her actions were confident and enthusiastic, the mishap of having her wand accidentally stick to another Cinderella's was quickly fixed, and by her own admission, she belted out the "Bippidi boppidi boos" louder than any other girl (I think we really could hear her even from the balcony). She seemed to be quite enjoying herself, and she was quite good.

Birthday Girl's Sister gets a
present, too--a purple pony
she will love forever (she told
us).

There were more than 2 hours of performances, with dozens and dozens of dancers. But my mommy bias has rationalized that Kalina herself--my own little girl--was the star of the show (a truth I can justify logically, just ask me sometime! I dare you.).

But the second star was sitting far from the stage (only because we weren't crazy enough to get in the line for seats an hour before the performance). Almost as important as a star of the show is a star of the audience. From the beginning of the performance, I enjoyed watching Elise almost as much as Kalina. The girl was riveted for nearly the first hour. I caught a whispered, dreamy: "I just love ballet! I wish I could take ballet lessons!" "You may, when you're a bit bigger," I whispered back. "Oh, good!" she beamed at me before turning back to the show. Her favorite part, other than Kalina? The music, she said. But I imagine she also liked the colorful lights and costumes.

Kalina and Grandma work on her
fairy house craft.

Elise sat on my lap almost the whole time, switching to Grandpa Tom for a portion (to Mommy's lap's relief--it's a little crowded there nowadays, especially when both little girls are fidgety). We kept asking her if she wanted Grandpa Tom to take her home, or if she'd rather stay--the answer was always the same. But after the last dance was danced, and they'd started in on the loooong credits, Elise happily allowed herself to be carried off by Grandpa, and then put to bed, long after her usual bedtime, but still earlier--and drier (they very narrowly avoided a massive downpour on the walk to the car)--than the rest of us. The rest of us yearned to join them, Kalina included, I'm sure.

Finally, we were rushing toward the stage to scoop up our own little Cinderella and help her enjoy her success. She was overjoyed at the beautiful flowers Daddy and Grandpa Les had picked out for her (including a couple purple blooms for Elise to see when she woke up the next morning), and not at all whiny about the looong wait she'd had to endure after her performance (she wasn't allowed to see the rest of the show, but did have to appear in the finale). What a trooper!

And what a success! When you consider she had to not only remember her dance routine (with a little help from her teacher), but also appear on a bright stage to an audience of hundreds, with virtually only strangers for support--I'm not sure I could've done it! But if you ask her, she'll tell you she loved it.

Will she continue? She's not sure--she doesn't like changing clothes and the fact that her hair feels funny when I take her ponytail out after class. Hmmm. Do I tell her that those aren't exactly real reasons, or do I let them conveniently excuse us from next year's high bun (or whatever they think up for us?).

Although there won't be a high bun next year in any case--we've potentially located a simpler place that we'd take her to instead. Several other moms from her current ballet class have asked for the number--it turns out that many moms share my dread of bobby pins and hair gel on their little girls, and  would rather focus on simple fun than stardom. I'm pretty sure Kalina will agree.

Meanwhile, Kalina has started piano lessons with her preschool music teacher for the summer, and perhaps the fall, and then eventually full-time (once Mommy has her energy back from the impending newborn). She loves it, as evidenced by her 35- or 40-minute attention span at her first lesson, a feat that barely surprised her mommy, but I believe astounded her teacher.

It fascinates me that Kalina is already making good progress. She's a lovely little student: she soaks up the one-on-one attention, engages and participates, and incorporates her vivid imagination. She loves her lessons, and even willingly practices--for now.

But again, we'd be remiss not to mention Elise, who has taken it upon herself to begin piano lessons, and has already successfully copied Kalina's finger positioning. When do you start a 2 1/2-year-old who has already started herself? During Kalina's lessons she watches intently, participates in conversation and munches her snack. "Un-involved" is simply not part of Elise's vocabulary. One of these days, I imagine, she'll sit down and play us a song.

And finally, a lesson that I didn't attend, but heard about later and thought was well worth noting. Grandpa Les used to coach girls' softball! So with my girls practicing their throwing, he pitched right in (pun intended).

Elise had the habit of throwing a ball at about a 45-degree angle from where she intended it to go. So Grandpa Les carefully showed Elise how to step with one foot and throw with the other. They practiced, and sure enough, the ball went straighter!

But some things are lost on a 2-year-old, who does not yet know the value of throwing straight. The girl looked straight at Grandpa and said, "Now I'm going to do it without all that stuff." And she happily went back to her original methods.

You can teach, they can learn, but will they use what they learn? I'll tell you in 20 years.

Elise-isms

At the Botanical Garden,
outshining the flowers.

It must be remarkably fun to be a 2-year-old. The line between real and imaginary is constantly blurred, so that not only are you a purple baby kitten, but wishes really do come true, because, poof, as soon as you wish on a dandelion seed and let it float away, an imaginary green stuffed bear appears in your hands, out of thin air! Wow! If only we could all be 2!

And the things Elise says or talks about usually reflect exactly what's going on in her mind, whether that's, "I changed our old house into a purple hotel!" or "When I close my eyes, I see purple!" It's a combination of a massive vocabulary with a minimal filter, and it's hilarious (and usually purple).

Elise's new big-girl bed! She wanted
to be sucking her thumb in the picture
since that's how she sleeps.

The ice-cream flavors she comes up with, for example, would put even Willy Wonka to shame. "Chocolate vanilla marshmallow M&M chocolate ice cream with purple sprinkles and chocolate chips and peanut butter to keep the chocolate chips on." Yes, please, says the pregnant mommy.

And then there are the random revelations along the lines of: "I do not like sticky milk. I do not like sticky Cheerios. Write that down, Mommy," and, "I have a great idea! Let's have a boy party!" (presumably for Daddy), and, "When I clean house, my pups lick the house clean!"

We have intriguing questions: "Why do people color?" or,
Elise: "What if an elephant picks me up by my shirt?"
Me: "What would you do?"
Elise: "Just hang there."

Kalina's new big-girl bed!

Elise loves to be a baby kitten--a purple one, of course. As she's naturally happy and curious, this suits her. Plus, it can be remarkably convenient at times. For one, it gets her extra cuddling--who can refuse to pick up a baby kitten nuzzling their knee? Even Kalina can't. Plus, if there's a question she doesn't want to answer, she can respond with a simple, "Meow." And then there are the side perks: "I have a rainbow tail! I painted it rainbow!" Wouldn't we all like a rainbow tail? When she's in kitten mode, she refers to herself in third person: "It wants its pink bear," which sounds a little strange coming from a 2-year-old, but can work in my favor, too. She's more likely to cooperate if I address my request to a baby kitten ("Does the baby kitten want to wear its purple shirt?"), and especially if her big sister dangles imaginary catnip in front of her as motivation.

And if you've been in Elise's vicinity lately, you've undoubtedly heard the big news: "We're having a girl baby, and we went to a seal show!" They are both true, and entirely unrelated. But she tells everyone.

Renee came to visit!

But my favorite has to be the random insights Elise has had on first waking up in the morning. Since she's started to sleep in, sometimes I wake her up--and the very first words out of her mouth have me smiling all day ("I want to eat at a restaurant, and I will be a helper and help carry the food," and, "My feet need a drink!" and of course, "I dreamed about making purple marshmallows. I know how to make them. You need purple food coloring. You can get it at a purple grocery store. I have a purple grocery store! They have purple carts.") What in the world was she dreaming of? Sometimes I greet her in the middle of morning playtime with her stuffed animals: "We were just making a lemon meringue pie and a juice pie!"

We made porcupines! And more
porcupines! And food for the
porcupines! And then we had to
squish them, but they'll be back
again someday (like Frosty) 

I could go on--and often, so could Elise. Let's hope she does, because the world really could use more purple, couldn't it?

Family Visit 2013

The girls with "Sue."

It seems as though I just blogged about our last vacation! I guess I must be getting lazy nowadays. Or something...

Anyway, our goal was to visit hoards of family and friends, make it to the Minnesota Zoo, and not run ourselves entirely into the ground. Check, check, and mostly check.

We began with three nights at Ms. Allison and Mr. James' house, and introduced ourselves to Coffee, their 11-year-old new dog. He's as tall as Elise standing up, which intimidated her every time she turned around, but Kalina immediately adopted him as her new best friend (and perhaps, at times, vice versa?).  I'm pretty sure he was a highlight of the trip for the 4-year-old. (And a very sweet dog!)

Coffee!

It should be noted that for the first time ever, both girls went to sleep peacefully and slept through the night until normal times in a new location. There might be more travel in our future! (It should also be noted that next time, Elise probably won't be in a pack-and-play, which may elevate the game to a whole new level.)

As it had snowed (yes, in May--a historic record!), and was rainy and cold, all of our outdoor plans with family were scrapped on Saturday, and we had to make new ones. After a little playtime at Ms. Allison's house, we took our well-rested sweeties to Grandpa Tom's hotel pool.

Freshly laid, sweetly
gathered. 

The kids are spoiled by zero-entry pools, so I wondered how this normal pool would be accepted. While Kalina appeared a bit nervous at first, I'd remembered to pack innertubes, so both kids were soon floating happily along with Daddy (Mommy no longer fits into her swimsuit). Kalina soon found her "sea legs," and noticed that she could easily touch the bottom in the deep end--and crept quite a ways away from the stairs. Too bad it was so cold--they were blue and shivering before the fun had officially ended.

That afternoon, after Kalina and I played kittens for a bit in Aunt Nancy's hotel room, we all gathered at the cousins' house for food and fun. I was overjoyed to see my girls and cousin Emma (age 8) bonding over bins of small plastic animals, while I swapped Grandma's recipes with the grownups. Matt managed to catch a fish in the pond in the backyard (despite the weather)--we were all happy!

I like how proud she looks to be
entrusted to carry an egg.

The next day, we headed to the pool again--it was too much fun to pass up. Then, after a quick goodbye lunch with some of the relatives, we met more (Uncle Alan and Aunt Diane) at a really fun farm attraction. We took a tractor ride to a 100-year-old working farm, and learned a lot from the tour guides there. Since we were virtually the only people there (the weather was barely nicer than blah), the girls were allowed to shell corn using a corn sheller, gather tan eggs from the chicken coop (and even carry them over to the house!) and use a stereoscope. Fun!

After several cold, wet days, we finally were able to play outside Monday morning. We went to a local park with Allison, and had a blast just playing. Then, after a stop at our favorite-ever restaurant, it was off to melty Minnesota for some good-quality grandparent time!

Launching a rocket in Iowa!

The first thing on Kalina's mind when she walked in the door was crafting with Grandma. Fortunately, Grandma was prepared with a tulip-making activity. Even better: Elise, for the first time, got to be the first to dig into Grandma's toys. The little girl dashed back and forth to her "own" room, created her own kitten cage behind the couch, and generally enjoyed herself. They heartily dug into tacos for supper (real food!!), then watched as we launched model rockets in the yard and settled snugly into their beds without much protest.

The next day, we were all ready for a rest. But as it looked like this would be the nicest, sunniest day in the near future, we headed to the zoo instead. Without our wagon--but with high hopes for a perfect day. We all found something we liked--I was rather excited to wander through the well-done Russian animal exhibit (look! The signs are in Russian!); the girls loved getting up-close to a leopard and watching the otters, not to mention climbing on all the pretend rocks; the grandparents loved observing their grandkids in the wild; and Matt, in his element, loved it all.

One of the best parts of the zoo was
picking which hands to hold.

We saw a lot, but there was still much more to see by the time the pregnant woman and young kiddos were ready to call it a day. But eager Matt managed to rustle us all through the Minnesota Trail walkway before finally consenting to head for the car. We didn't mind--at least one of use was still little enough to be carried much of the way. Elise napped on the way home and Kalina got a cookie.

Speaking of cookies, one of my favorite things about the trip was that with Elise older and not in desperate need of a daily nap, and being hundreds of miles away from my nutritiously stocked pantry and refrigerator, I decided that Mommy was on vacation, too. I won't say I didn't do my best to get my kids healthy meals and limit the flow of sweets, not to mention get the a survivable amount of sleep--but I did lower my standards. Amazingly, we all survived!

They will probably never be this close
to a leopard again. 

The boys had a fishing outing planned for the next day, and the girls finally got a little downtime. Which meant craft time! Craft, craft, craft! We pulled out some new stencils that neither Grandma nor I thought would be a hit (good reviews, but a little inferior in person, we thought?) and Kalina, to our amazement, was in her element. They appealed to her perfectionist nature, allowing her to create as flawlessly as Mommy (or more so--and by the way, while I'm no artist whatsoever, I seem to be Kalina's gold standard). She was an immediate pro--and the electronic pencil sharpener was off and running as she wore down colored pencils and needed them sharpened up again (we bought our own electronic pencil sharpener at Target upon returning home).

The statues were almost as
fun as the live animals!

After that, we did some more crafts, went to the park, had an indoor picnic, and then crafted again after downtime. Craft, craft, craft. Meanwhile, Daddy and Grandpa managed to catch some fish!

Upon his return, Matt led the kids and me on a nature hike through the woods. We found a cool feather, but we also had to hack our way through lots of bush. Elise was nervous about the venture (as was Mommy, honestly), but found the courage she needed. Kalina, however, forged ahead, helped hold branches back for Mommy and Elise, and even led Elise the final few steps before breaking out of the woods and back into Grandma and Grandpa's yard. She rivaled only Daddy in her trooper status and foresting abilities.

Dinosaurs!

The next day, following the girls' avid interest in dinosaurs, we visited the science museum. What a sight! We were greeted by a full-size pteranodon skeleton over our heads, and found more amazing specimens inside the exhibit. And we also found plenty of other play opportunities--including a museum-quality spirograph!

Then we did more crafts.

And the next day, it was time to leave for the final leg of our trip. By this time, Grandma had passed a moratorium on crafts so we spent part of the morning playing a sweet board game (even Elise could join in!) and running around outside a bit.

The girls and the tulips!

By this time, a 5-hour drive was a piece of cake (actually, all 20 hours of driving between locations went marvelously well, except for when I got tired of being questioned as to when we'd have another "trip treat."). We arrived at our friends' house in time for a little outdoor playtime, and managed to see some lovely tulips in bloom after dinner. For about 20 minutes; then all five kids started crashing and we rushed them home to bed. (The grownups enjoyed playing games and chatting probably a little too far into the night!)

Our family with the tulips!

In the morning, while we had all rested, none of us were actually well-rested. That, combined with the massive wind that kept us from playing outside, sent us back on the road a little bit earlier than planned. We arrived home mid-afternoon, and were all glad to get here--I still haven't heard any, "But I wish we were still on vacation!" yet.

We do, however, still hear a lot of, "That was a lot of fun!"

Kalina passed some of the
time reading to Lisa
(not "Lamby" anymore!).
Yes, really reading!

Triple the fun!

Baby Girl #3!!!

What's more fun than two little girls in the house? Three!! That's right--the big sisters are extremely happy and relieved to announce that a baby sister is on the way, and not a baby brother, for which it seems that Elise would've never forgiven me, and Kalina would've held a grudge for a while, too.

Do you see her face and nose?

We toyed with the idea of not finding out, but none of us could stand the suspense. Not the kids, and not us. This is what makes us a family! On the way over: "Mommy, what if it's a boy?" -Kalina. You know I was thinking the same thing, despite the fact that I'm pretty sure we would've muddled through just fine.

The baby is as healthy as can be, and supposedly average for size, in the 47th percentile. So were my other tiny 6-lb. newborns at this point. She moved quite a bit for us (surprising to me, as I'd only felt the occasional kick), and even seemed to strategically point her thumb toward her mouth. What a sweetie!

The girls seemed to enjoy the ultrasound, only getting feisty toward the end. Kalina "helped" the tech count all the picture, and Elise jumped over the lengthy printout of them. As I was out of the room for a minute afterward, the tech even gave them each their own picture! When I came back in, I happened to ask Elise what she had in her hand. "It's a picture of Baby Ellie in my tummy!" she exclaimed. (Baby Ellie is her baby doll.) She insists on this story to this day. 

And so we're to have three girls! Kalina and Elise didn't seem surprised--I think we couldn't picture much of anything different. I, for one, am looking forward to extra years of sweet dresses, animal tea parties and pink, not to mention seeing the amazing person our littlest girl will grow to be. 

Elise insists she has Ellie,
her baby doll, in her tummy.

And even though we can't do an outer space theme in a little boy's bedroom (not that we couldn't do it in the girls', just that it isn't likely to happen), Kalina has decided that she's fascinated by the solar system. I'm getting more than enough of rockets and planets, a welcome change from princesses, honestly, and Kalina's learning so much that she's sleeping an extra 1 1/2 hours every night and asking for lima beans before supper. (Elise, for her part, can define gravity and name at least a couple planets!)

My little astronauts!

Every day, the question is the same: can we do a space craft? Even if we've already completed three. Or a million. We've also made stuffed felt planets, visited the library's space section twice, emailed a friend at NASA for more information, dressed up as astronauts in homemade costumes, built a rocket and turned our family room into the surface of the room, complete with craters (Kalina's idea--necklaces spread out in circles!), painted a solar system model using styrofoam balls, made shadow puppets to help learn about the sun, and much more. We're kind of exhausted, but still going strong. Next week: a planet suncatcher, constellations with star stickers, rockets with Uncle Tom, a possible trip to the planetarium and astronaut ice cream. And then, it's onto dinosaurs, also by Kalina's request. I'm already getting ready, seeing as her enthusiasm often exceeds my energy (but I'm also very excited!)

It seems that life will be an adventure no matter what, and even more so with three little girls! We can't wait.

P.S. Excuse the formatting of this post--I don't know what the deal is.

Krista visited and took the girls' pics!

There are more--but I love
these expressions!

Awww!!!

Celebrating Easter!

One quiet day we made Easter cookies! Kalina decorated
precisely and sweetly; Elise's method was based on the
theory that there's no such thing as too many sprinkles.

It's an Easter parade, the day before!

Uncle Tom arrived to help us with the eggs! Fun! Elise
could not be disturbed to smile for a picture--too busy
checking eggs.

Elise not only outlasted the other two, she
also demonstrated perfect form in balancing
eggs on a spoon, dipping them, scooping
them out and lifting them to the tray. There
were no casualties. She loved it so much,
we might just have to dye Christmas eggs!

The Easter baskets have been found! Elise still hardly lets
hers out of sight, although the treats are long gone.

With Grandpa, Uncle Tom and soft Easter chicks!

Jewwy beans. Elise would not allow herself
to be separated from her treats until they
were safely in her tummy. 

A family picture!

Kalina picked out the dresses, by the way.
Elise readily agreed. It started to
warm up just in time, so that these pics
were smiley instead of quite chilled.

Our Easter crew!

Not sure why Kalina has a fascination with
chins lately.

The hunt is on!

Elise fully participated--finding not only the
"easy" ones!

Three for me!

Elise and her beautiful, long
hair, pre-haircut!

Kalina and Elise play together well, we're all getting lots of sleep and our various work and other involvements are currently fun and exciting. Wow, life is so easy! Should be smooth sailing from here, right?

It seems that "easy" is not in our vocabulary. So it's with much giddy excitement that we are all anticipating the arrival of Baby #3 on our around August 30-ish. Or, judging from the pattern my previous two presented, early on August 24th, which puts me in labor on my birthday (I will be celebrating a week early). I always was a planner.

We're all thrilled with the news, but we've found that it might be Elise who's most looking forward to a new little one. Although Kalina loves babies, she doesn't quite believe us that it's going to happen ("Are you sure there's going to be a baby, or is it just pretend?"), even though she knows the routine. She sweetly cuddled a newborn we got to see the other day, and will be a remarkable second-time big sister (not to mention an even bigger help than last time).

And yet, it's not so pretty
after being drug through
food, paint, toothpaste,
etc. on a daily basis. Time for
a trim!

Elise, on the other hand, seems to be as much of a planner as her mother. "Where will the baby sleep?" she wondered within five minutes of us giving her the news. Beating even Mommy and Daddy, who still don't quite have a final answer. Fortunately, she did: "I know! The baby can sleep in my crib! And me and Kalina will have bunk beds, and I will be on the top bed! And we will all sleep in my room!" I admire her optimistic enthusiasm, but we have as little intention of putting a newborn in with the good sleepers as we do of putting a toddler in a top bunk. Back to the drawing board!

If you ask Elise is she's going to be a big sister, she'll like as not tell you, slightly irritated, "No, I am a big sister. And she's right. She has already dug out plenty of toys for the baby, and will ensure that the baby has a blanket as soft as hers. Kalina is right there with her: "Mommy, you should lay down and rest since you have a baby in your tummy." No, I didn't bribe her. Elise is also giving up the chance to go to preschool in favor of "staying home and being a big sister to the baby." Of course, we will let her change her mind if she finds that big-sistering in the newborn days isn't nearly as fun as bossing around a little person as you play with the same toys. (Incidentally, the latest insult at our house, which today brought poor Kalina to tears, is, "You're a little sister!")

Before! Who's more excited?

However, I think Elise took the cake the other day. I'd mentioned ahead of time my afternoon doctor's appointment, followed by some errands. The girls were left with Grandpa, since the wait can be a bit long. As I was putting away the groceries, appointment long forgotten, Elise asked, "How is the baby?" "Um, good," I returned, absentmindedly. "I mean, is the baby okay?" Oh! She's asking about my appointment! How sweet! I assured her that the baby was growing just fine. "Good," she said. She doesn't want anything to jeopardize her newfound Big Sister status.

For a while, Elise wanted a girl while Kalina wanted a boy, but now Kalina has switched to the girl team. We frequently repeat the rule of, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit," lest they be disappointed. (A second common insult happens to be, "You're a boy!I") Fortunately, they both agree that a boy would have fun chasing Daddy around, and vice versa (in fact, it was for Daddy that Kalina initially thought a little brother might be a nice arrangement).

After! "I'm done, Mommy,"
she kept insisting. Finally,
she really was done! Cute!

I do wonder, however, what will happen if we do have a boy. I've noticed that the girl:boy ratio at library storytime is about 4:1, and approaching 7:1 by the end of the 30 minutes of sitting still (interspersed with songs). To be honest, library storytime and crafts kind of define our household at the moment. Would a boy fit in, or completely change everything? Not to mention the fact that both girls are scared of boys. Maybe we do need one after all....

We'll find out more in mid-April. Stay tuned.

How am I feeling? Decent, now. My first trimester found me quite sick, but fortunately it didn't set in until after the holiday festivities. When I ate, I got indigestion, and when I didn't eat, I quickly became nauseated. I hated food for a while, even chocolate--although in the rare moments I did feel okay, I also felt fully justified to gorge on my favorite foods. Lying down to rest was really the only thing that helped, as did having Matt do the supper dishes (which he actually took on during my worst nights through a couple weeks!).

Pajamas, soft blankies and M&Ms:
all set for movie night!

The girls mostly took good care of me, and sometimes even enjoyed the long stretches I spent flat on the couch, unable to do anything but watch them play (honestly, I enjoyed that sometimes too). They tried to fix me with their doctor's kit, and Elise was always quick to find "my" stuffed pink doggie to help cheer me up. Kalina even made me a card, after I drew a bunch of hearts for her to cut out, and helped her track down paper, markers, scissors, a glue stick and other supplies.

Life is better now, but according to the past few days, and at 17 weeks already, I'm not out of the woods yet--however, I am able to thoroughly enjoy chocolate again!