Need Snow Tires

All of our snow is here to stay and we are projected to get a big storm in tomorrow and Wednesday! Woohoo! Finn is still highly resistant to snow gear, but once he gets it on and we get outside, he is highly resistant to coming back in, go figure. We keep his sled in the same place we keep his little bike and now when we get his sled out, he also wants his bike. It really isn't the best snow vehicle, but maybe we will see if Radio Flyer has studded tires in their after market parts!

26 Weeks

Well, I blinked and we are now in the double digits with less than 100 days to go! And this is the last week of the wonderful second trimester. I am crazy excited, but so not ready for just 3 little months left of this pregnancy. I feel like there is just so much to do and I am starting to get that nesting need.

Here is the latest belly picture. I am always surprised by these pictures because they really don't seem to represent how gargantuan I feel. I was reading in a pregnancy book this week that from here on, I will gain 1/2 inch a WEEK! So, I really should embrace this "little" belly while I have it as peapod is going to be acquiring a lot of real estate in the coming months!


What else is new? Mmm...oranges! An insatiable need for navel oranges. I just can't stop eating them. One day, I counted eating 5, with 3 in just a couple of hours. On average, I have 2-3 a day. I am ready to move to Florida just so I can sit under a tree and eat them all day.

I am also considering the move to Florida due to the SNOW! Oh my goodness, do we have snow. And it is beautiful, and any other time, I would be so happy! But, right now, I feel like the stay puff marshmallow man whenever I try to stuff myself into my snowpants that I can no longer zip or button, but still stay up due to the tightness. And, Finn's favorite game is to climb onto big piles of snow and jump into the fluff below, which right now is around 3 feet. Then, he gets stuck and says, "Mama, help me" and I have to waddle myself into the snow and extract him only to have him do it all over again. It is a great game, but I fear the day I get stuck and we are just stranded until Sean gets home. He also really wants me to jump around with him and fall into the snow and I feel so sad that I just can't play like that right now. The bright side is that by the time peapod arrives, it is going to be beautiful and we can just open the door and run outside to play. I will definitely appreciate being pregnant during the winter to reap the rewards of having a newborn and an active toddler during the summer.

Other than that litany, I really can't complain too much. Peapod is still practicing acrobatics quite consistently. Sleep isn't too bad yet and my pelvis pain has receded quite a bit so I feel pretty good...ready to bring on third tri in all its glory!

Sit n' Spin

Finn got a Sit n' Spin for Christmas, but we had set it aside to bring out for a rainy day (or snowy as the case may be). We put it together this week and he thinks it is pretty fun. He doesn't always try to use it in the proper manner, so we have to keep a close eye on him, but when he gets going, it is a dizzy good time!

Recycled Crafts

Although, we are getting a lot of snow play in, winter still leaves us with a lot of time indoors. I have been trying to find new activities to keep Finn and me busy. We play a lot of trucks and trains and read a lot of books. Play dough and painting are usually good for some fun too. Still, given Finn's age, it is difficult to sustain any given activity for a long period of time. His attention span just doesn't last that long, so I find myself in constant need of new and fun things. I have been trying to find crafts that we can do with recycled household items. Family Fun is a good resource for this. Here is a whale bath toy we made from a milk carton. Good for playing in the sink or tub, or just running around the house and swallowing motorcycles (seriously, anything you can do to incorporate motorcycles is an added bonus!).

Snowing Again!

Woohoo...it is January in New England and we keep getting the snow! Last week, we got close to 20 inches, on Tuesday, we got another 12, and just today we got another 6. It is beautiful. And Finn is really loving it. The only major struggle we have, is getting on the snow gear. Oh boy, he just runs around and gets cranky when the snowsuit comes out. But once we get it on, he is happy as a clam to go outside. I don't know how to make that transition easier. In the snow, he loves to leap into snow drifts and climb to the top of snow piles and slide down, and pretend that big snow drifts are motorcycles that he can ride. He is also a big fan of sledding:

A good Nor'Easter!

We are having a most fabulous snow storm today. It is about darn time! Finn and Lily and I got outside for a bit this morning and enjoyed it so much. Hopefully will have some more fun this afternoon with Sean. I am so happy Finn loves the snow as much as I do. He is so adorable in his snowsuit!

24 Weeks

We are just cruising right along in this pregnancy. I had my 24 week check up on Monday and all was well. Measuring right on schedule, which is interesting because I was always a little ahead with Finn. Gaining weight readily, but midwife isn't worried. Blood pressure is low. All in all, not much to say, which is good! Peapod's heart rate was around 155, and my midwife just giggled, and said so whatever you believe about heart rate there you go. The old wives tale suggests that if the heart rate is above 140, then baby is a girl, but I looked up Finn's heart rate at the 24 week appointment and it was 157. As due date approaches, I will do a more comprehensive survey of all the old wives tales to see if we can pinpoint the sex before birth. For now, here is the latest belly:

Hiding

Finn really likes hiding these days, behind doors, in closets, in empty boxes, and in our cabinets:

In The Middle

Finn and I were playing trains the other morning. I stepped out of the living room to get some bread out of the oven, came back in to find he had really immersed himself in his train set. "Look at me, Mama, in the middle"

Happy New Year!

Oh, yea, it's gonna be a good one! Sean, Finn and I went to a friend's house for a dinner party. We had the intention of leaving early when Finn got tired, but the party animal stayed up til midnight! Finn and Sean jumped off the step into 2011 and it was a fantastic celebration. We have been playing catch up with sleep ever since, but it was a really good time.


The big joke of the evening was that we toasted the new year with "dump champagne." One of the guys who came to the party was at the transfer station earlier that day and noticed a case of champagne was sitting there. He asked the workers what it was and apparently someone had dropped it off for recycling and the workers pulled it aside and they gave a bottle to our friend. Let's just say there was a good reason someone dumped the champagne at the dump! There was a collective shudder as we all took a sip at the new year. Here is Sean taste testing the good stuff versus the dump stuff (plus, he is drinking for two these days):