One Month, Eighteen Days

Here's the most recent ultrasound picture of Bingo Bongo.

32 Weeks

Our due date of 3/31 is fast approaching! Here is baby's foot from an ultrasound session this morning. All is looking great with baby. Baby has turned!!! This is great news. Avery remained breech even after intervention to turn him. This is something I didn't experience the first time around. Its a small little bum that is up under my ribs causing my heartburn, not a little head (as I suspected before my appt). They estimate baby's weight to be 4.3lbs and anticipate about an 8lb baby at birth (A was 7lbs-10oz). Baby was licking and sucking it's index finger - pretty amazing to watch! Big brother Avery is very pumped up to attend his sibling class at the hospital tonight. He plans to be very helpful with the baby. His plans include teaching her to fish and ice skate; keep her safe at the fireworks; and he's going to feed her and change her diapers. He has also decided that daddy can hold the baby and momma can hold him.

Ice Fishing

My Mom and I spent the day ice fishing on Long Pond--something that neither of us has done for a very long time. Despite leaving our thermos of coffee in the truck, we had a great time and actually caught a lot of fish. We both managed to hook a couple of big pickerel and caught more yellow perch than we could count. It was a great day to spend outside and we are both looking forward to going again soon.


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Nesting

This past weekend was the first weekend of nesting for me. I remember having this feeling in January while pregnant with Avery as well. While I did not get everything crossed off my long to do list... progress was made. Avery's orange tractor room now features his name letters (moved from his little room), his new redwood tree to record his height, his George tractor paintings from Gram with the Fiddles, and his new John Deere tractor curtains fresh off the sewing machine. (Before photo shows nice wood paneling.) J trimmed out the baby's room new skylight, I unpacked the newborn gender neutral items, and washed the carseat cover. Avery has enjoyed playing with his old baby items with his own "babies". The living room windows have their final coat of paint and curtains hung. (The before photo is from Avery's first bday... note the nice blue carpet and you can't quite see the lovely paneling behind the woodstove). The computer loft is almost tidied up as well. Sigh. I need a nap.

Shoveling the Roof

We decided to shovel off the shed roof because the snow-load was making us nervous. Avery climbed on up and had fun jumping into the snow pile below.

The Products of Santa's Workshop

Avery was a blast this Christmas. The train set that he requested from Santa arrived fresh from Santa's workshop where it had been carefully crafted by his elves.

Fun with Reptiles

Avery enjoyed our visit to the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine, FL over the weekend. Devon went there as a child and wanted to share the experience with Avery! It took a little bit (and a demonstration by Devon) before he was brave enough to take a silly photo in the mouth of the gator. Avery has no fear of snakes though. His dad had quite a different experience with a Florida snake a few years ago. We also had the chance to play with little lizards in Devon's backyard.

Clarabelle's somersault

Here is Clarabelle at 23 weeks. Yes, for those of you who don't know, Avery has named our baby Clarabelle (which he made up by himself). We have decided not to find out the gender of the baby again, though Avery and I think we're having a girl and J thinks a boy. In March, we'll see who was correct. So, here's a 2D image of the flip she did during my ultrasound this morning to fold herself in half and a 3D image of her hands on her head and feet in front of her smiling face. Really, just squint a bit and you'll see it!

Santa Train

Avery is very interested in trains and tractors at the moment. Yesterday, he was very surprised to wake from his nap in the car to awake at the Unity train station. He had the chance to sit on Santa's lap and ask for a Kubota. We sang a few carols and had a snack in the dining car. We had a very nice afternoon together.

A Productive Week

"The guys" have been getting a lot done while Mom's away. We're managing fine, having some deep conversations about the pilgrims and the daily schedule, and looking forward to seeing Jen again on Friday.

Trick or Treat

Avery enjoyed his first time trick-or-treating. We visited most of the houses on our street and then Avery enjoyed handing out candy to the kids that visited our house.

Happy Halloween!

Avery first wanted to be Mater, then a pumpkin and then a carrot. Thankfully, he hasn't changed his mind again. He "helped" make this costume... using his Play-Doh scissors and the counter (otherwise known as a quilting square). He's looking forward to Trick-or-Treating and handing out candy to "the children" (yes, that's really what he says!). I had hoped to not corrupt him this year with trick-or-treating... but he totally gets it!

Batgirl Ensures Family's Safety

So it wasn't a crazy squirrel afterall? We came home this afternoon and went through the process of climbing the ladder to the attic to check on the squirrel trap. Again, no squirrel. But there was something scurrying around the attic. And there it was, a giant bat climbing on the screen covering the gable vent. The attic trap door was quickly closed.

A short time later, a scratching sound could be heard as the bat slithered above the kitchen ceiling, down the kitchen walls behind the cabinets, then back above the ceiling. It tried, to no avail, to climb down through the light fixtures. Then, suddenly, it was there, peering out from atop the cabinets.

Bat girl quickly sprang to action, shouting orders, broom in hand. "Put Avery upstairs!" she shouted, "Lock Buggy in a room." She flung open the doors and windows as Max retreated, slowly, quietly upstairs, out of harm's way.

This bat was stubborn. We prodded it with a broom handle. It wouldn't budge. It flew around briefly, but returned to its perch on the cabinets. Flung dog food wouldn't move it. Direct hits from a squirt bottle had no effect. It licked the water from the wall in defiance. The suddenly it flew out, diving at our heads as we stood our ground bravely. A swat from Jen's broom and it landed on the floor where it quickly found itself trapped by the "Bin Shopping" Canadian grocery bin.

It was flung out into the dark night.

The Squirrel Chronicles (continued)

Last night, for the first time in many weeks, we heard an animal scurrying around in the attic. We haven't covered over the hole that the squirrels were using to get into the house because we haven't figured out how to get to that spot on the roof.

So I opened up the attic hatch and poked my head up there. I was met with a terrible smell. I had left the trap set in the attic and hadn't checked it for quite some time. Apparently, we had caught squirrel number 3 several weeks ago.

I bought some hardware cloth to cover over the entrance hole. The trap is not baited with some fresh peanut butter and reset. We will see if we can catch this new varmint, then get someone to patch the hole for us. I climbed up on the roof this afternoon, but it's just not safe to try to reach the hole with the steep roof pitch.

We will keep you all posted.

Tractors Tractors Big and Small...

The bedroom relocation project has moved to a new stage. We are moving things from our former bedroom to our new bedroom. Avery's new "tractor room" is moving closer to reality.

Pickin' Pumpkins at the Pumpkin Patch

We visited the Treworgy Orchard to pick pumpkins visit the animals, take a hay ride, and otherwise enjoy the fall weather. We didn't try the corn maze, but we had a great time and Avery picked out a 20-lb pumpkin.

Oh Baby!

Baby No.2 is due 3/31/08!

Meet Pearl (the squirrel)

Captured squirrel No. 2.

The thing is, it's not just Earl.

Either Earl (the squirrel) managed to navigate about 10 miles back to the house, or we are dealing with a family of squirrels.

I was in the kitchen tonight pouring myself a drink when I heard a creature scrambling around above the kitchen ceiling. I've reset the trap in the attic.

Captured!

Earl (the squirrel) has been captured and relocated.