Julia meets Sebastian

...and reunites with her mother dearest.
Don't let Julia's initial docility fool you. This is directly before she put on her cloak of gracehate, clung to Simon for dearest life and dared not look in my direction lest I turn into a wicked witch, breathe venom or smile awkwardly. It's fine. My heart is only 98% broken.

(update update: meeting number two went much better ... her little heart of ice is thawing ... fortunately)

where is the love?

certainly not here...quite yet.

Welcome to the World

Sebastian Xavier Patton

Seven Pounds Thirteen Ounces

(in case you can't read neon numbers)

30 October 2011

1:39 a.m.

You know I have 99 million trivial details to share but for now everyone is doing well, loving life, living the dream, eating, drinking chocolate milkshakes and trying to decide who on earth little X looks like ...

(so far the answer is: no clue). 

New Camper!!

Deets en route!!!

Human and healthy and happy!!!

bad mom

Reasons why I probably won't be picking up any blue ribbons/trophies/honorable mentions at the Steller Moms Go Above and Beyond Convention this year...

If I take Julia on a walk sans Simon...I always listen to music. The louder Julia whines...the higher the volume climbs. 

I won't tell you the exact ratio of chicken nugget to fruit/vegetable consumption on Julia's part but it is kind of a lot to kind of a little.

Julia usually sleeps in her (nonrestrictive, stretchy) clothing. Pajamas are for the coddled.

My answer to almost every whine: diluted juice in a bottle.

My answer to the whines that aren't pacified by juice: chicken nuggets.

My answer to the whines that aren't pacified by juice and/or chicken nuggs: ignore button.

Wait...there are two buckles to be fastened on Julia's car seat?

My two favorite times of day and night are nap and bedtime.

Yes, that 3-6 month sized dress works fine as a shirtunic.

Okay...you want to play in the front yard? Well, look before ways before crawlcrossing the street.

She has her own (retired) dedicated and labeled "J" phone charger to gnaw on.

By the time most frozen food I purchase makes it way onto the checkout conveyor belt it generally has leeeedle bite marks all over it.  One particularly cheery clerk generously and dramatically applied hand sanitizer to his hands, wrists and forearms--twice--once he realized he had been c-o-n-t-a-m-i-n-a-t-e-d. I think my eyes are still stuck in the rollllled position.

So callous, so mean,

bad m-o-m

found

this gorgeous ruby on my phone this afternoon

I better find some stylish shades for Julia's b-r-i-g-h-t future as a

a. cell phone snatcher

b. cell phone photo snapper

c. cell phone unlocker

d. one eyed dog photographer

and a long walk of shame for myself for posting

a. a fuzzy pet photo

b. a fuzzy pet photo my one year old took

c. said fuzzy pet photo that my one year old took on a Friday night

d. a fuzzy pet photo that my one year old took on a Friday night while drinking tea and listening to a baseball game on the radio

28 going on 70,

Grace

timing

Now would be an ideal time to have the baby. Simon is off this weekend (not next weekend), he is currently on a pretty forgiving rotation (not the case with the next one), my mom is coming to town to watch Julia soon, it is getting increasingly difficult to find someone to watch Julia during my appointments (I made the mistake of taking her once -- nightmare on neverever again street) and I need to spare you fine folk anymore cellular/tum/mirror snaps. Exclamation points.

But...I'm only 1/4 idiot and I know that's not the way these things work. I guess I just stupidly assumed the baby would similarly time his/her gestational expiration date to that of Julia's which was ... stupid. 

In a moment (or twenty) of desperation yesterday I made these and they procured nary a contraction. In fact, if possible my formerly plentiful Braxtons have come to an almost complete halt. 

However, I'm not suffering from any chronic back pain that can be so common at this point in pregnancy, my former heartflamage has completely disappeared and I'm getting ample and adequate sleep so I really shouldn't be in any sort of harried bebe hurry...I guess. I remember how draining and shocking the first few nights punctuated by needy newborn screams c/o newborn little J were and I know the old (albeit annoying) adage that 'babies are easier to take care on the inside!' (smiiiiiiiiile/polite chuckle) is very true.

But patience isn't my prettiest virtue, I can feel multiple stretch marks ready to attack attach attack attach and with every passing hour I imagine the baby padding him/herself with more ounces and I fear the birth of a ten pounder is imminent. 

So you see ... now ... would be the ideal time to have the baby. We'll see what Cruella the Obstetrician has to say this morning. I have my bets placed somewhere between 'see you next week' and 'see you the week after that'. I'll let you know. I never don't.

guesting, guesting

Morning. 

usual shenanigans around here...

~mapping out our day over a breakfast of shaken salt

~giving Lucy her allotted thirty seconds of hourly attench before someone's gnat-like attention span diverts her elsewhere

~and scream-reading Mother Goose passages one syllable at a time

Rachael is graciously hosting me and mine over at Letters to Ames this morning...check it.

Little Facts Linkage

I'm linking up with Rebecca

to present some unexciting factoids to you and yours this fine evening

1. One time...I ran four marathons in one year. This might seem more like a brag than a straight fact but if you saw my ugly fall from grace as I tried to run around the block the other day and made it to our neighbors' (as in the ones that live next door) mailbox...you would think this was actually a lie. 

So..a brag-lie. 

Take it.

I'm leaving it.

2. I love grocery shopping. In fact, my new finest moment came the other day when Julia and I went to Trader Joe's and on our way in absentmindedly snagged a stray cart from the parking lot. As soon as we had maneuvered our way through the (always annoying packed) produce section I realized that we were driving a massive Target cart while everyone was cruising around in their little midget 'I can hold two apples, one bag of Flax seed and a bag of dark chocolate covered pomegranate bits-max' TJ's carts. I don't know if your neighborhood Target has upgraded to the gargantuan, red, plastic (very nice) shopping carts but ours most certainly has and are capable of housing a small to medium vacation cottage. I was a literal diesel-guzzling semi in a store full of Mini Coopers.  Factor in the fact that it was 5 pm and everyone was buzzing about in their power suits while I was donning spandex and a tunic over my massive bell and Julia was wearing her favorite pajamas with her vegetable oiled mullet...we were most certainly a loud, neon sight for even the blindest eye.

(that got a little lengthy...sorry)

3. Some cynics might venture to say that Simon and I met online. I prefer the prettier version which is that we merely reconnected on Facebook. 

oil spill

Yesterday I left Julia alone for twenty minutes too long.
I knew when I saw that her mullet had a little extra sheen and that Lucy was closely following Julia's sprint-crawl tracks with enthusiastic ground licks that something was not quite right.
She got into, opened (yay for milestones...lid unscrewing!!), spilled and spreaddddd an entire economy sized bottle of vegetable oil e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.

Big deal, drama queen.

Actually..yes..it was a big deal.
A coat of flour had to be applied to the vat of spilled oil -- because -- according to my housekeeping bible, Google -- the oil needed to be absorbed (which Julia found more amusing than the slippery oil) and swept ... and applied again ... and again.
Simon and Julia (tweedle-lame and tweedle-lamer) tucked themselves in circa 7:30 and left me to enjoy a niiiiiice long date with the mop.
I think I got maybe 64% of the oil cleaned up.
The other 36% stubbornly remains, gives the floor a gorgeous shine and poses a serious slipping hazard for all house occupants.
The way I see it-

worst case scenario...I slip and fall and my water breaks...

best case scenario...I slip and fall and my water breaks...

winners abound.

39 weeks

helllllllllo Shamu.

(with a leather belt leash)
I won't complain but I will state the fact that at this point in my pregnancy with Julia I was actually not pregnant anymore and she was a big five day old

you see how much fun we were having? Melasma and mohawk y todo.

again. not complaining...merely fact stating. 

I'm actually feeling perfectly fine. 

Huge...but fine. 

My OB was a real sweetheart this week and gave me no hope for any sort of impending labor dreams and merely told me to start 'counting kicks' every hour.

Right...that sounds like a barrel of laughs and a shotgun full of fun

and 

after meeting someone briefly for the first time yesterday...she (weirdly) noted my pregnancy and immediately straight up asked, 

"are you dilated at all?"

!!!!!67 shades of red!!!!stammer stammer!!!!

who are you and how do I dodge your presence for the rest of my life?

My maternity wardrobe is dying a slow death and I'm left with some sad out of season remnants

 but...you know. 

Life goeth on. 

I have a nasty premonition that I'll be seeing you next week at the old 40 week mark and again at 41...maybe 42...
a large Thanksgiving baby perhaps?

In the mean time...I'll just keep on keeping on armed with my good attitude, my swollen earlobes and my penchant for being very pregnant.

adios, kind readers.

passing the torch to the internet

Nothing to report from our front unless you count...

~Julia's atrocious mood leading to a little lock-myself-in-the-bedroom while she perfects the art of whining-it-out for a lot of minutes

~Playing a little game of ... will Lucy live? after I caught Julia sneak-feeding Lucy fat fistfuls of chocolate chips

(so far the answer is yes)

~if at all possible the baby has moved further up into my rib cage and is showing no signs of making any debuts, premiers or births anytime soon

~making a new Olympic sport out of changing a crib sheet while rapid fire cursing with Julia looking on very amused. Why so difficult?  I don't know.

~putting away the majority of my now too small maternity clothes because I just wasn't feeling the sausage casing look...anymore

(leaving me with a paltry collection of: Simon's shirts, two pairs of white jeans, a swimsuit cover-up and all my socks)

sew....

I thought I would share some internet I've happened upon in the past few hours.
You know I love a good 'net scouring.

enjoy or don't. 

I'll never know. 

Jessica says it best regarding Mondays

Kendi is really tempting me to cut my locks

Jen makes having a baby sound less painful than a quick jaunt around the block. Jealous.

Cari hosted a brilliant little round the clock blogger photo montage

Lisa posted this terrible story last week...worth a watch
Suri and Julia really need to be bff+e

All these ladies! 

girl power.

and speaking of estrogen...I see that the ladybaby vote has pulled ahead on the gender poll...

will we ever find out?

will Simon and I ever agree and settle on bebe monikers?

stay tuned. 

I know I am.

Simon delivers

"a good mood on a plate,"

Simon said when he very kindly brought this to gracie sunshine this afternoon during a particularly rosy moment of a particularly pretty mood of babypotbelly watching and not boiling.

points scored.

points immediately taken away a few short moments later during a conversation about labor and delivery when he claimed, "well...if I were having a baby...I would definitely go natural."

(I fully intend to heroically go 'medicated' when I do have a baby in the nearish future)

never a dull moment.

decisions, decisions

I always knew Simon had strong opinions on what he calls 'Peter Pan boots' and now I guess I have another boot genre to toss in the cemetery.

the boots in question.

food

 unappetizing?

too bad.

Since I've done all the deep cleaning (mop floors twice, wash two mirrors one time each, open and put away package of tiny diapers) my little nesting bug cares to do...I've relocated my massive thorax into the kitchen these past few nights. Thanks to my many quality hours logged of blog reading and Pinterest pouring I found some nice recipes for you to make and eat and repeat just like I did.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins via Stephanie

These double as both breakfast and dessert.

multitasking little suckers.

Brilliant Macaroni and Cheese

(boil the noodles in milk-genius)

I made and devoured three batches in a 16 hour period. 

I have a problem. 

Who cares?

Butternut Squash Soup

I actually just Googled a recipe for the soup after being wild and crazy and buying a squash at the store and funnily enough Lisa's (a fellow alum - hollller) blog popped up at the top of the search results. I already read and enjoy her blog and felt a little bit famous for Googling someone I 'knew'. 

Amen.

Also...her soft pretzels

(I used white flour for the dough and brown sugar for the topping...much more fortifying)

quick quiche crust

obviously there was a filling involved but I don't know that you'd like

Julia liked none of the above, Simon claimed to like all but is looking too skinny to me (or maybe I'm just feeling puffy), Lucy was indifferent and the baby in utero doesn't talk yet, obviously.

...unrelated note...

Abri (also fellow alum) shared this great baby name blog with me...if you are in the market like we are.

Simon can't wait to comb through it this weekend.

The end of night float for now 

(well...tomorrow morning truly marks the end...but I like to count my immobile and unhatched chickens...easier that way)

Look how happy we are. . .

. . .until we weren't and Julia broke her screaming it out record at a heart and gut wrenching 40 minutes. 

(don't worry ... I had plenty to do from my heartless perch on the basement stairs ... I chewed off all of my nail polish, played Words With Friends-the most addicting game ever and Googled, "how to make the most delicious caramel in the world" -- busy me)

But really...rejoice and be glad for sound sleep and less complaining will be mine.

zesty nesty

 zesty nada.
Two bits of feather fluff for my nest!
I made these covers with the help of this great tutorial the other night and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily they came together. My sewing level is just below novice so I'm sure you could whip them up in 5-10 minutes flat. Basically it's just a mini fitted sheet, obviously.
Also, I finally had to put my Goodwill changing table search to a rest and upgrade to a Craigslist purchase...but am pretty pleased with the fancy dresser/table combonita we found.

And now I'm sure the baby knows that he/she is welcome to come on out...right now. 

Thank you.
(tomorrow I will enter the very scary uncharted territory of more pregnant than I have ever been...so excited)

and another

I know. I'm sorry. I think my month of 24/7 with a non-verbal being is getting to me. I'll try and slow my video roll soonish. 

In case narration is needed...this is more dancing...

and I'm certainly not doing her any favors in the coolia department with the placement of the waist of her pants...high and tight. Sorry J.

regression

 {photos irrelevant}

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise but it feels like the curse from the blackest lagoon...Julia has stopped letting us rock her to sleep/semi-sleep. Yep. She had been doing so well...going down after a bottle without a peep but now she won't stay in our laps for longer than two minutes before she wiggles out and off on a great adventure to find "see" and splash in toilet water. Instead...we are forced (or else I'm convinced she would literally never ever sleep) to plop her in her crib, run out of the room as she kicks her little legs as hard as she can against the mattress, flashes her (very scary) two front v  e  r  y   g  a  p  p  e  d teeth, arches her back in serious protest and then proceeds to put on an impressive show of blood curdling screams crying out for a savior for 5 minutes before she settles in for a nice nap/night.

Very dramatic.

The bright sides to this nasty new habit are that she wakes up a whole lot later (probably due to the cardio sesh/tuckering out she subjects herself to by way of full body tantrum) and a whole lot happier in the morning...which is a welcome change from the usual death glares I am normally greeted with upon bebe from crib retrieval. I'm sure deep down Julia is just being a selfless little big sister to be and knows that soon we won't have time for loooooong pre-nap and pre-bed coddle sessions but the small, non-heartless part of me hates this new routine and I really hope it can come to a non-dramatic ending very, very soon. 

now...go and carry on with your more exciting life. this is what is going on in mine. 

yawn? neverrrrrrrr.

38 weeks

And this would be the point in the pregnancy in which I think I'll let my appearance and Julia's appearance go completely. 

or maybe I already have. 

so sad.

in case you were wondering...her tunic and leggings totally clash and she is wearing a plus size diaper

 you see? my belt is buried in baby and belly and bulge

my shirt barely covers big bertha
and
this photo is deceiving
as the baby is actually housed tightly in my ribs where he/she can best s--t--r--e--t--c--h my cage to the limit and have easy access to toy with my fragile heart/emotions on a minutely basis

I had Julia at 38 weeks and 2 days but I have a feeling that this baby won't be showing face in the same timely manner...and might even meander beyond his/her due date. Which isn't okay...despite what I may have said in previous posts. I can only steam mop the floors, do mini loads of laundry, clip Julia's fingernails, tease my hair, bake-eat-repeat sugary goods and fast walk around the block so many times before Simon starts to claw around for an escape from my antsy/angsty presence.

And since my 'weekly' OB appointments were seemingly scheduled by the light of the moon with October as a dartboard and a blind man throwing spikes
...cue scheduling scene...
{receptionist: would you like to schedule your next several weekly appointments in advance?
Grace: ummm....no...thank you though. I'll just call.
(my logical thought being that if we schedule appointments up to Thanksgiving..the baby will wait until Thanksgiving to dismount from the womb)
recep: ok, great! (smiiiiiiile)
and out I walked with a printout of appointments scheduled up until turkey day.
love you too, Sherry}
...end scheduling scene...

I literally had mere hours between my last two appointments...
OB: oh...I see you are still wearing the same outfit as the last time I saw you...and didn't even bother to change undergarments or reapply deodorant but we did gain two pounds
Grace: blink blink staaaaare
and now have I have weeks (basically) until my next date with Dr. Observant
you know you care

Also...all of my trusty pregnancy literature seems to think that it is common to
'lose a pound or two at this point in pregnancy'
ummmmmmm
how?
please do share that little secret.
and finally...
while I kind of appreciate the almost genuine, "hang in there-s!" and "you're so close-s!"
I really just want my ribs to stop throbbing, my right leg to regain full feeling and my face to defluff...pronto

so pleasant,

G$

oh! and in case you were wondering...I am wearing my new favorite (panel-less!!) maternity denim

(I'm pretty sure they were modeled after toddler pants with an adjustable elastic waist with different button settings and all...but I appreciate the no panel breathing room so very, very much )

Simon...I know you will say this post sounds surly...it probably does and I probably am

up all night

{Last photo: my impulse (in bulk of course) purchase at Costco...substituting beuatifully for the tragically discontinued chocolate creamer}

Onto the importants

It has been raining-ish for the past 23 hours here. I would even venture to say that it stormed last night.  I mistook every thunder clap for a predatory knock and every lightning flash for an intruder's flashlight. Lucy fell asleep at her watch (under our bed) and Julia did what she could as guardbaby from her crib but despite their efforts to protect their cowardly guardian I was still wiiiiiide awake at 6 in the am. At least I was productive...and I know Simon greatly appreciated my multiple rapid fire texts:

"I'm scared"

"I'm pretty sure there is an animal or a human outside the window"

"I'm really scared"

"The light is off in the front entry..I didn't turn it off!!"

"nevermind..it's on..whoops"

"I hear something..definitely was something"

"I'm scared"

"Lucy is snoring"

"Julia is crying...oh wait...she stopped"

"I'm really, really scared"

I'm pretty sure if he weren't asleep right now -- he would be Googling, 

"how to block texts from the hours of now to forever from crazy bottom wives"

or

"wife tranquilizers"

Very sure.

Three more nights and then there will be great rejoicing in all of the land for two whole months.

!!!

stay tuned for a pregnancy update coming hot and fresh from pleasantville

oh! and re: post title...that show is not funny...I don't think

Simon Says

I cut Simon's hair this weekend and accidentally made a leeeeedle mistake behind his right ear...

whoops. 

I didn't make a big deal (or any deal) out of it but I knew he had happened upon the baldish spot when he calmly and politely asked, "next time you are on the internet...can you look up male hair extensions please?"

whoops, again. 

(referencing the same haircut which ... in addition to the mistake was also maybe a leeeeedle on the short/shorn side)

whoops.

Simon was running late for work but piped up, "its fine...I'll get there quickly with my new aerodynamic 'do"

whoops, again again. 

Simon kindly accompanied me to the fabric store to pick out material for some changing pad covers. He was absolutely convinced that, "they definitely have to have poop and pee resistant material...I just know it...why don't you ask?"

no.

also...the martyr himself queried that, "this is probably like the equivalent of dragging you to Auto Zone or maybe worse...right?"

yes. I suppose so. 

etc.

75% finished with night float for 2011.

 holler.

Quiche sounded good at the time (sleepless at midnight). Hope it tastes good for a zillion meals to come.

to the left: two separate elderly ladies told me with great confidence on Saturday that I'm having a girl due to how much my tum is sticking out
to the right: Simon and Julia (lest you thought it was a snapshot of Lucy sleeping...or something)

 tonight. so fun.
did I mention we are 3/4 of the way through with night float?
praise be.
my sanity has had a long enough vacation.

Happy

Anniversary to Bettina and Gary!

twenty nine years

seven kids

1.9 grand kids

no quarrels

bravo!

found on the computer today

(I found #4 particularly comical)

always jovial,

Grace

baby's first frameable

but where do we showcase?

mantel? refrigerator? bedside table?

(many thanks to Aunt Sarah for capturing and sending my way)

I love you, but sometimes I don't like your actions very much

You thought I was going to talk about marital strife didn't you?

Not tonight.

This is a post for the baby book.

Yesterday afternoon I stepped in a puddle of wet next to our deep freeze and immediately blamed a Lucy accident. After I sprinted upstairs to tattle to Simon, wash my foot off and voice my disgust to anyone that would listen, Simon went downstairs to investigate. He found that Lucy had not had an accident but that our other pet had actually unplugged the freezer...causing it to thaw out, leak freezer juice onto the floor and effectively ruin all of our formerly frozen food (which isn't a lot but enough to be exasperating).  Thank the procrastination gods that I haven't started making or freezing any meals for when the baby arrives...except for one apple pie that my postpartum figure won't be needing anyway. 

Julia predictably didn't voice any sort of regret or remorse and she didn't seek forgiveness from her parents which got me thinking about all of the other fun little things she tends to do on a daily or hourly or minutely basis.

Maybe it's irrational to be driven insane by a 12.5 month old but sometimes...she drives recklessly down irritating lane and drags me helplessly along for the ride.

A few of the frustratings:

No matter the time of day or night, if she falls asleep for even 4 seconds in the car--this apparently automatically counts as her daily nap or nighttime's sleep and is impossible to get back into sleep/tired mode once we get home. 

It really isn't any of my business and doesn't affect my life really but I still think it is really gross how much she loves to snack on dog food and wash it down with some healthy gulps of dog water. 

When she sneak feeds Lucy her chicken nuggets that I slaved over by way of 34 seconds in front of the microwave or her graham crackers that I took the time to gingerly break into quarters.

How she pretends to be in a deep sleeping beauty slumber while I rock her for kind of a long time and am justttt aboutttt to lay her down in her crib when she pops up, jumps down and sprint crawls away ready for hours of more recreation and play.

Her consistent ability to permanently hide all of her hair accessories in invisible pockets of our house that I didn't know existed.

How sometimes/always the only verbalizing of her needs/wants sounds like machine gun bullets of, "uh, uh, uh, eh, eh, eh, eh." 

 Always, always greets me with the nastiest, ugliest mood upon every single wake up. 

yikes.
I'm getting carried away and am kind of unpleasantly surprised how easily these came to mind. 

I should probably include some sort of disclaimer that I do actually love and cherish her and will continue to do so for the remaining days of my life.

A few of her nice tricks to balance things out and make me feel like less of a meanie:

Upon hearing the word, "song", hearing a song or anything resembling music...she starts to dance.

Occasionally (or is it my overactive imagination) will call for Lucy..."see!!?? see!!!"

Pushes her baby stroller around on her knees (no walking in sight) veryyyyyyyy fast....very funny. 

Any sighting of any medicine bottle (fiber, Benadryl, Ambien..) elicits a wide open mouth and an exaggerated, "ahhhhhhh" on her part.

Arm and leg flailing and shrieking when we pull into the driveway and she spots "Julia's house!!!!"

oh...you fell asleep?
you don't like hearing about other people's baby's tricks?
whoops.

maybe something more interesting tomorrow.
maybe.

fair weather fans

I'm normally pretty thorough about documenting every waking moment of our glamorous lives via camera and eventually blog post but for some reason...this little outing never made it to the post press.

 Sorry.

However...now it is timely to post since I believe the Cardinals are still in the running for a series...I think...and hope?

We were lucky enough to enjoy some great seats (and parking-equally important) to a Cardinals game several weeks ago. One perk of residency is that occasionally the attendings will offer their season seats up to a resident that is able to go to the game...'twas us this fateful night. 

Highlights of the game 

accidentally smashing Julia's little hand in my folding seat causing her to screammmm at the tippy top of her lungs just long enough for all of our fellow spectators seated in section H to stop and stare and stare and stare while her parents' faces slowly but surely turned the exact hue of her crimson onesie

the young man to my left being just intoxicated enough to pause his furious text messaging to give Julia super awkward half hugs when she enthusiastically lunged at his beer every 7 minutes

Simon putting his new Cardinals shirt on in the parking lot (from the comfort of our convenient parking spot) to find that it was actually a child's size large and not the adult's size large that he thought upon purchasing

(I hope he finds this funnier now than he did at the time)

and last but not least...I believe the Cardinals did pull out the big W for victory

Go sports, Go Cardinals, Go fun

37 weeks

 term, bebe.

excitement and adventure are surely around the bend. Hopefully just after this rotation comes to a close. . .thank you tiny dancer.

Shock of all shocks..no complaints this week. I'm feeling very large but perfectly fine. . .even the heartfire has toned it's flames down to a very low boil which has been really nice.  Granted, I am careful not to even kind of overexert and keep my gait at a slow to slower clip always and take full advantage of all modifications the prenatal exercise DVDs recommend.  I also eat a lot. I definitely think this baby is erring on the side of a Goliath rather than a David in the size sphere.

A not so funny story ... when Lucy was snapping these photos ... Julia had free reign of the backyard ... in her pajamas and was happily crawling about ... when our neighbor (whom I had never met) ventured over...concerned that, "the baby had escaped...I saw her walking all over the place by herself and no sign of any supervision!"

ok, Kyle.

1. she doesn't walk...that was a fast crawl...I know the two can be confusing (I guess)

2. escaped from the house to the fenced in yard on hand and knee? you overestimate our little underachiever...but we appreciate the concern.

Anyway...back to me. 

I made the mistake of thinking I could pour the babycave into a non-maternity top yet again...which is obviously not the case and probably permanently stretched and ruined my pink and khaki stripes...we'll see.

barring the missing beard, boots and jolly...why do I kind of feel like I resemble Santa Claus here...bowl full of jelly y todo?

and of course the requisite saving Julia's life candids
(please note: plural saves)

I'm sure the two roofing crews (two neighboring houses both getting new roofs on the same day? must've missed that Groupon....) with a crystal clear view of our backyard/my photography studio were mildly amused by the pregnant cat, mulleted mouse, one eyed poodle-rat game Julia, Lucy and I had going for a not small amount of time.

 and to them I say...you're welcome.

Have a pleasant night.
I'll be surfing Hulu and drinking water if you need me.