Who's Life is This?

Ok Moms, do you ever find yourself mid- toddler on the pot yelling for help, dog running in circles, baby screaming her lungs off- moment and think, "Who's life is this?"

No? Just me? Here are some cute pictures that make me glad that although my quiet days are most certainly history for at least 17 more years, I'm sure glad this life is mine.

Getting Closer...

Our good friend and photographer, Erica recently took some maternity shots of me. This was a whole new thing for me, and ONLY with Erica (whom I've known for nearly 15 years) would I have exposed myself as much as I did. The pictures turned out really well, and I am really glad that I will always have them to look back and remember when my body did this miraculous thing of growing, feeding and fostering a child for 40 weeks.

I am feeling well. My doctor appointments are every week now. That is the point when you know you are really getting close. The baby was breech for a while, but an ultrasound this morning revealed the the baby has flipped to the proper head down position- HOOOOOORAY!! The baby is following directions already. :) My doctor said we will need to continue to monitor it each week, but the chances of it flipping back to breech now are less than 3%. All signs point to no c-section or manual flipping for me.

This weekend is go time with getting ready for the baby. We have done very little up to this point, and I'm really anxious to get everything in order- the car seat in the car, the crib mattress up, the swing set up, the bottles washed, the baby clothes cleaned and in the dresser... and you know, everything else that we need to be ready to bring that baby home!

Seriously, September?!

How can today possibly be September 1st? That just can't be right. September means fall, which is good, but fall means winter's next, which is bad.

We had such a great summer! Life is good on the outside (of work jail) and Marin and Norah and I have been turning this town upside down. We've loved taking multiple walks a day, going to the park, meeting friends for play dates, going to the pool, playing in the yard, and sometimes eating ice cream right in the middle of the day! We're eating outside almost exclusively, which means clean up means literally just hosing everything down.

Life gets even better when Daddy gets home, and we love taking walks to pick him up at the train. I keeping saying that I'm going to get this on video some day. Marin spots Jason from a mile away just about, and starts waving her arm from the shoulder joint likes she's trying to land a plane. Then she screams "Dadadadadadadadada!!!!!!" and jumps up an down in her stroller. Norah stands alert and on point with her little tail wagging. Surrounding train passengers always comment, many asking who is most excited to daddy- the baby or the dog. (The real answer, btw, is Mommy.)

As you know, we jam pack our weekends full of fun, and that isn't slated to seize just because the days are getting shorter. We absolutely L-O-V-E living in Geneva. We feel so fortunate to live in the house where we do in the neighborhood with do, and to have made the great friends that we have. All of our friends have children around Marin's age, and we can't wait to see them all grow together even more. It's so nice to have my parents as close as they are. Marin is cookoo about her Grandpa, who is a great playmate. We've loved taking in all of Geneva's festivals; most recently we packed Marin's wagon and headed for the Geneva Concours d'elegance, which is a car show with crazy fancy and in some cases, crazy old cars- one more beautifully maintained than the next. Marin loved watching the cars and telling us that cars go "vroom vroooooom!"

We had some beautiful family pictures taken this summer, by Erica. She took them the day of my parents 40th Anniversary party, and since Jake and Katy and Jason and I had a book made for them, we kept the pictures a secret until our family trip to Hilton Head, when we were all together again, and presented them with the book. We all love the pictures, and feel so lucky to have had Erica take them!



We've officially packed away our swimsuits and sunscreen for the summer. You know I hate to let go, so I seriously almost put Marin in one just for kicks one day. Still, we're excited to pick out pumpkins and snuggle up in the evenings. Our U of I season football tickets came in the mail the other day, and I anxiously marked the calendar for each game. All the children are back in school, the true mark that summer is coming to a close. Marin loved going to Grandma's classroom to help her get it ready for her fifth graders. She really took a liking to this fraction poster.

Life is moving quickly. I am realizing more and more these days how grown up it seems Marin is becoming. Some days I find myself realizing that these days (good or bad) are fleeting. Marin will only be a year and a half once ( and most days I let out a great big hallelujia to that). I am trying really hard to soak up every second. This is the good life. Baby snuggled in my lap asking to read one more book, is still a baby snuggled in my lap. I have never once denied her another book. Because I know there will be a day when she will prefer to read her generations Judy Blume, alone before bedtime.

I hope you had a great summer making memories that you and your family will look back on together for many, many years. Happy September!

A week in review in pictures..

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the past week (or so)...

This is Marin visiting my mom's class. The children (girls especially) LOVE when she visits. This gathering and surrounding in circles is what typically happens when Marin arrives. Note that she is carrying around the Dare Bear.

This particular day, Marin was wearing a ruffle laden outfit pledging her love for her Grandma, in bling (not so ironically purchased by Grandma).

Here Marin is very satisfied to be on the couch, repeatedly running its length.

This is Marin with Ms. Kathy and her friends at daycare playing in the yard on St. Patrick's Day, after the leprechaun visited. When I said I was going to take the picture, Lauren informed me that usually whenever they take a picture at Ms. Kathy's, she gets to hold baby Marin in her lap.

A new favorite... of my two very favorite people on the planet playing at the park. I love the look on their faces, and the "chuck-it" dog toy hanging out of Jason's back pocket. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: what. a. guy!

I love this one of Marin eating her snack of crackers and hummus. She loves hummus, as you can tell by the excitement in her eyes as she quickly shovels it into her mouth, thereby, smashing it all over her face.

Another one of my favorite expressions of Marin's. Here Marin eyes her strawberries waiting for her on the table with an "Ooooo!" and quickly tries to put her bib on so she can feast.