Who's Ready for a Baby?

As I sit here considering whether or not Edith is ready to be a big sister, I'm realizing that she might be the most ready out of all of us.

Paul and I? Well, we have the house set up -- baby's bed, swing, changing station, all that stuff is ready to go. But mentally ... hmm. As I overheard Paul once say, we might be less ready this time around. With Edith, we felt ready only because we didn't know what we were getting into. Now we know exactly what we're getting into and how hard it can be.

But Edith? She's just excited to have a baby in the house. She's excited to go to the doctor's office (that and the hospital are synonymous for her). And while I'm sure there will be a period of adjustment for her, I think in the end she'll do just fine. Plus, she's a pretty heavy sleeper at night, so at least one of us will be nice and refreshed in the morning!

In any case, ready or not, here he comes.

Photo Friday: Reading All of the Books

Library, March 26, 2015

Girls' Day Out

With baby on his way any day now, my one-on-one time with Edith is limited. That's hit me harder than I expected. So I decided to plan a special day out last Friday, just the two of us.

First, we got our hair cut. Then we went shopping. (OK, that was mostly for me -- I needed to pick up some stuff at Target!)

After that, it was out to eat. We went to the mall in nearby Worthington to eat at First Watch, a breakfast/lunch spot that's like a much nicer Denny's. It was the first time we'd ever been to a restaurant alone! We split my meal and muffin. I now know she loves lemon poppyseed muffins and clam chowder, but she wasn't that much of a fan of my veggie sandwich.

Then the part that was just for her. The mall has an indoor playground which Edith has been to before. But this time she absolutely loved it. She went up the stairs and down the slide for almost an hour.

As I've gotten bigger and more uncomfortable, it's been difficult to give Edith the attention she's used to. It was rewarding to have a unique day for just us girls.

Photo Friday: Peekaboo at the Playground

March 12, 2015

Nesting for New Baby

Nesting is real, and with about three weeks til D(elivery)-Day, it's in full swing.

We bought a new couch last week. We set up the baby swing and pack-n-play a few days ago. The car seat is installed. When I last looked in the closet, I had 17 rolls of paper towels.

Next up: cleaning our bedroom, filing papers and packing my hospital bag. And who knows what I'll think up next. In the weeks before Edith, I was washing a hallway wall with a mop after a leak from the upstairs apartment caused barely noticeable streaks.

It's hard to believe that in all likelihood, this baby will be here in less than a month. And yet with all the cleaning, laundry and preparation, we're bound to forget something.

With Edith, it was buying a travel-size container of wipes. I went to her first pediatrician appointment with a full container in the diaper bag. Two years later, I now know that a few wipes in a resealable plastic bag would have been just fine!

What have we forgotten that we will learn all over again? What will this baby teach us that we never knew before? We'll find out soon.

Photo Friday: At the Playground

March 12, 2015

Visiting Where Daddy Works

We've lived here more than a year and a half, and I had never seen the inside of Paul's office. More importantly, neither had Edith. That's more important because Edith seemed to think that Paul worked in a car.

Almost every weekday we would have a conversation like this:

Edith: Daddy home?
Me: No, Daddy's at work.
Edith: Car?

Then I would proceed to explain that Daddy drives a car to work, but that's not where he actually works. Instead of having the conversation a million more times, I asked Paul when we could visit him and go to lunch.

That day was last Friday. Edith seemed shocked to see Daddy meeting us in the lobby, but she soon warmed up to the coworkers he introduced us to. Then we went to Chipotle. A win for all of us.

Photo Friday: Edith at the Library

Library, March 5, 2015

Gymnastics Classes with Edith

I never would have guessed that Edith would have liked the balance beam so much.

But thanks to a toddler gymnastics class we're taking, I've realized she's not quite the fraidy-cat I've taken her for!

One of the benefits to our location is that the local rec center is a nice walk (or extremely short drive) away. And one of the benefits to the rec center is the variety of classes it offers throughout the year for kids and adults. This gymnastics class was the first we've signed up for -- only $30 for about two months of weekly classes.

Edith seems to love them, and it's been a great excuse to get out of the house on cold, snowy mornings and burn some energy. The classes certainly aren't about serious gymnastics -- this is a class of 18- to 30-month-olds, after all. But they do have gymnastics elements.

The first part of the 45-minute class is spent in free play -- jumping on the tumbling trampoline, hanging on the bars, playing with and on the mats scattered around the floor. Then we do a routine of songs with the kids that involves some kind of movement. After that: A real gymnastics skill, like somersaults, head stands or walking along the balance beam (with help, of course). The class ends with the group playing on and under a giant, colorful parachute.

I'll be sad when the class ends next week, and I would bet that Edith echoes my feelings. I expect we'll be taking advantage of further rec center offerings as she grows older.