Pooling Resources
The girls create their list of must-haves for an afternoon at the pool.

TinyE:
Waterproof Sunscreen, SPF 45
Solaroo SPF swimsuit
Solaroo SPF swim hat
My Daddy - to follow my every move, toss me in the air and carry me through the waterfalls.
My Momma - to pack a lunch for us and smear me with more sunscreen every time I walk by her.








BabyS:
Momma - to periodically reach into my carseat and make sure I'm not too hot. And to provide a meal, should I demand it.
That's about it.

Little Gym Days

Since I've been on maternity leave, I've had the distinct pleasure of tagging along to weekly Little Gym class with TinyE and her Dad -- it's fun to watch them go through the routines, sing the songs, and work together on new skills. This week's class marked the end of this particular session for the "Birds" (toddlers class), and the kids were awarded nice red ribbons for their achievement! Next week, TinyE moves up to the "Beasts" class!

Enjoy the pics below.

Our little gymnast...





Bring out the balls!



Now that's teamwork!
Dad and TinyE work on spinning around the bar.




Check out that shiny ribbon! (and pigtails...)

Hearty update, part III: 6/4/07: Scenes from The Perfect Day

To begin: BabyS wakes up just once during the night: at 3am. Other than that, we all get some good sleep between 10pm and 8:30am.

7:30am
Anticipating TinyE's awakening, I get up and have breakfast and coffee – bonus that I'm only tending to BabyS and not both girls while trying to feed myself. TinyE is still sleeping when I finish, so I take my coffee out to the deck and clip BabyS's fingernails while we both get some sun (I read that early morning sun helps regulate baby's melatonin and helps establish appropriate day/night wake/sleep patterns… hey, I'll take what I can get!) Tiny E is still sleeping, so I catch a few moments to do some writing.

9:00am
TinyE wakes up, after sleeping in much later than usual.

10:30am
It's opening day at the pool: time to break in our season passes. 10-11 is Tot Time, and the whole aquatic center/pool/sand box is open just to families with kids age 6 and under. The pool remains pretty empty even when it opens to the public at 11. We have a fabulous time; BabyS and I rest on the sidelines while Dave plays and splashes with TinyE.

1:00pm
We return home, TinyE goes down for a nap, and I grill burgers and brats out on the deck. Dave and I enjoy a grown-up conversation over lunch while admiring a quiet-alert BabyS.

3:00pm
TinyE still napping, I prop BabyS on my chest and lay down while Dave plays guitar and sings. Baby S and I both trail off into naps as the acoustic concert continues.

5:00pm
TinyE finally wakes up from a 3.5-hour nap! The family loads up and goes to the library, where Dave and I each pick up books that have been on hold for us.

6:30pm
Another first event for our family of four: we go out to eat at one of our favorite restaurants. BabyS sleeps the entire time and TinyE charms passers-by with frequent exclamations of 'Hi!'

9:00pm
Finally home, and Dave puts TinyE to bed while I feed BabyS. We close the day by watching an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Later
BabyS wakes up 3 times during the night to nurse, at regular 2-hour intervals. Oh well!

Hearty update, part II: Ramblings
A collection of topics—conceived, pondered and previously trapped in a sleep-deprived mind—presented here for your perusement.



Getting to Know BabyS
Her belly button is a perfect swirl, like a cinnamon roll.
I ate a lot of cinnamon rolls when I was pregnant with her.





Hot Duck
The hot duck detests me. Because I defy him.

I sit in the hottest bathwater I can stand, per doctor's orders, at least every other day. Sometimes twice a day (glorious). And the hot duck sits in the corner and glares at me. You know the one… he's the little rubber guy whose stomach blazes the word "HOT" if the bathwater you've run for baby is too pipin' hot for her tender skin.

He doesn't scare me. I draw up that close to boiling water, gingerly step in and my flesh immediately turns dark pink. I've got crossword puzzles to pass the time and a cup of coffee to turn up the luxury.

But I can still hear him. And if I lower the book and peak over the water-warped, pulpy pages of my "Happy Crosswords" book, he's still staring at me.

"Why do I even bother with you?" he grunts.

I tell him to cool it. Ha Ha.

No seriously, he hates me.




Who me, worry?
When TinyE cries at night, I tell Dave that it's all her frustration and sadness coming out… all her grief over losing our complete and direct attention. It's all our fault. We've ruined her, the perfectly happy and charming little girl we used to have.

When BabyS cries, and I can't get to her because I'm tending to TinyE, I know I'm ruining her. And then, all of a sudden, she stops crying. And I think, "That's it. I killed her".




Question
Is it a bad thing if you discover fragments of Sun Chips in your baby's neck folds, long after you ate lunch while wearing her in the baby carrier??

Hearty update, part I: Photos
Seven days old.



Glasses and hat from Grandma J!




Learning about Star Trek with Dad.



Big girls can hang out in their rooms and read books!



Featherweight champion! (robe from Great Grandma L)



Matching outfits from Dave's Uncle W and Aunt B.