Piglet Pie

two. beautiful. kiddos.

two. beautiful. kiddos.
Originally uploaded by jodimama.

I love these kids.

Arden is three and a half, loves her brother ("he is also my son!") and loves purple, brown, cats, and everything connected with spooooooky halloween. She also loves a good dance party, loves to play house and to play with her dollhouse, and taught us this week about geometrical shapes that I didn't even know existed ("Mama! This is an ellipsoid!"). Thank you Primavera...

Oscar is 7 weeks old today, loves to flash us a goofy smile, loves to show off his neck control while on his belly or on your shoulder, loves the boob and the swing, and is anxiously awaiting the chance to hang with his newest little friend Beatrice, and his birthday buddy Ike-a-saurus...

We're in the thick of mindnumbing sleep deprivation and we're working hard to anticipate and deal with preschooler meltdowns. The days are chaotic, a whirlwind of energy and emotion. The nights are both too long and too short.

But every so often, a moment of calm descends. We breathe in. We smile. Arden announces "I looooove you, Mama! You are my love." Oscar smiles and bonks his head against my jaw. And then the wind whips up again and we're right back in it.

My two tiniest loves...

First photos to enjoy...

Oscar...day 1
Originally uploaded by jodimama.

Hi friends!

A whole lovely set of first photos of Oscar, and of Arden meeting Oscar, on my flickr page.

Many lovely stories to come...but first we have ourselves a bit of a babymoon and start settling in. But know that somehow, amazingly, Arden slept through the entire birth (and post-partum breakfast taco cooking in our kitchen at 3am) and woke this morning to the perfect surprise of a new brother. She completely adores him. She has spent all day loving on him. She is beyond delighted at her new baby...

Enjoy...

Also...what he said.

He's here!!!

two and a half hours from "call the midwife,  I think it's really labor!" to...baby!!!

he's asleep on my arm right now.

he is perfect.

the birth was perfect.

more stories and photos soon...

still haven't settled on a middle name, but his first name suits him well...

friends, meet Oscar Egerton.
born in my bed at 1:57am, August 25 2008.
19.5 inches long, 7lb 12oz  (a full 1lb 3oz bigger than Arden at birth!)
Absurdly adorable.

wow wow wow.

wow.

My due date...baby still inside!

Hello out there to the few friends who are still checking in on this sadly-underused blog for news of baby boy Egerton's imminent arrival!

(photo by arden, our new resident photographer)

Yesterday was Arden's first day back at school in her new primary classroom (on the "big playground"). It was a wonderful success. She LOVED school today. LOVED it. I was expecting a lot of "I don't know"s on the ride home, but instead she was totally chatty, telling me about friends she made, things she did in the classroom, etc. Matching games! Pouring! Drawing! A mystery bag that had a cold key inside! She even had rave reviews of the toilet! She was all smiles at pickup, running to me with a hug and a big big ole smile. I was expecting an energy-release first-day meltdown (especially after finding out she didn't really nap...and I told them I was pretty sure that would take a week or two to happen comfortably for her) but instead she came home ready to play some more! (Mama, of course, wanted to sleep, and was way relieved when Dado came home so that someone could help Arden burn off her no-nap energy!).

My favorite moment: I asked Arden "Do Rachel and Marianne seem like fun teachers?" and she replied "YES. And...I love them. And...I like them! And...I like their class." Well. That about sums it up!

I'm so happy. Yay. She seemed so...almost *relieved* to be back in school. I remember that feeling, like all my cogs and wheels were finally getting exercised again. She is my girl, no question...

Well. Now that that's all good, I think I'll go and have myself a baby. Right, baby!? Right!??!

Today is my due date--though of course, an actual date is really arbitrary in the world of birthing babies. Babies usually come when they're ready. My midwife thinks this one might have a few more days to cook in there. Arden came three days after my due date, and I wouldn't be surprised if this little guy follows a similar pattern. Basically, I think we'll get to meet him on the outside sometime in the next week...and I can't wait! I'm big, and round, and achy, and tired, and it is HOT in Texas. Hottest summer in 83 years.  Over fifty 100 degree days. SO HOT. Really wears on you when you have a whole other human being inside your body.

I'll post baby's arrival here. But you can also find me (more reliably, really) by becoming my friend on facebook, you can follow me on twitter as of last week (short updates! much easier on pregnant mama with preschooler climbing on her back!), and probably the most fun way to keep up to date with us is by checking in on our flickr page (add me as a contact to see our complete collection of photos).

Send us some good birthing thoughts, and we'll let you know when the little guy is ready to make his grand entrance! 

Happy Birthday to Me

Jodi and Arden 3
Originally uploaded by jodimama.

I'm 33 today. It was an excellent day. Much fun. Many sweet hugs and kisses and exclamations of love. I feel lucky.

Three!

Happy birthday to my piglet pie...on Tuesday April 15, Arden turned THREE!

Three looks like a few things in our house.

Hilarity:

And sassiness:

Sweet tender love:

And unbridled joy:

High flying adventure:

And wondrous friendships:

Three. We love it. (Okay, we're completely exhausted too). But we love it.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

Houston, we have a penis.

In my uterus.

You see that? That part in the circle? Yeah, that's his penis. In case the shot isn't clear, it's as if he's sitting on a photocopier. Bum to the left, legs sticking out. Penis prominently announcing itself. I knew the second it was up on the screen--it was pretty clearly not the vague mysterious mass of lines that Arden showed us...this was quite clearly a penis. Owen was way proud.

At one point he had his hand up to his mouth, and we saw him smack his lips and swallow. Every part of him measured perfectly, and we saw many intricate parts of his brain, every vertebrae of his spine, every chamber and vessel of his heart. He is a cute little guy, even in two dimensional skeleton view. Seriously, I may be a bit biased, but is that not the sweetest little baby profile ever? It is. I love it.

The doctor's office where we had the ultrasound done was unbelieveable--by far the nicest, most well designed, most soothing and comfortable medical office I've ever been in. The waiting room had a wall-fountain made of slate tiles. The floors were slate tile or wood. Everything was light and bright and airy. And then, the ultrasound room. A lovely bed for me--inclined so that I didn't have to lie flat. Much room for my entourage (Owen, Arden, Nana and Papa John). And then, on the wall in front of me, in perfect view as I lied there covered in goop, a giant plasma screen tv, which displayed the whole ultrasound. It was wild.

Arden has joked all evening that it's a girl--she gets that he's not, but she's holding fast to her desire for a sister. I'm glad we found out early so that she has some adjustment time...I remember (sorry Brett) being disappointed to find out that Brett was a boy when he was born, and I'm glad that if Arden does feel disappointment she can work through it over the next few months! She has a lot of sweet little boy friends (Enzo, Hugh, Benji...) and I have a feeling she's going to love having a little brother. I didn't mind it all that much, in the end.   

A little guy. Wow.

Changes a-foot...

1-26-08 smiley girl
Originally uploaded by jodimama.

Hi friends.

Look at that face. Ooooh, I love this girl.

And this isn't just any girl. Nope, this is Arden the Soon To Be...Big Sister!

Yup. Surprise! A babe on the way! Due late August. When it will be absurdly hot in Texas. I'm just coming to the end of the first trimester now, and am feeling like myself for the first time since mid-December. Hence, the lack of posting, and hence, the sudden onslaught of photos uploaded to our flickr site today. (Click Arden's photo above to get into our photostream).

Arden, not surprisingly, is absolutely over the moon at the idea of another baby. Here are a few of our conversations over the past few weeks...

First, a transcript of the night we told her we were pregnant:

Owen: What would you think if we had a baby?
Arden: YEAH! Maybe you (mama) have a baby girl and you (dado) have a baby boy!

Owen: Where would you grow a baby?
Arden: (pointing at my belly) In your belly!

Owen: What would you say if we told you there was a baby inside mama right now?
Arden: In your belly?! Can I see it?
Jodi: Well, right now it's really small. But in about eight months...
Arden: It's going to come out! And meet me, Arden!

Arden: Can I see your belly?
(Showed her my belly...she was quiet and smiley. Didn't want to touch it or anything).

Jodi: It's going to take a long time to grow big enough to come out.
Arden: I want...yesterday...for the baby to come out!

Owen: So what do you think?
Arden: Yay! It's a girl!
Jodi: Now, it could be a boy.
Arden: Now, it *could* be a girl!


Since that first day, Arden has gotten way, way excited about the baby. She rubs my belly, kisses it. One day, going down for a nap, she asked first for her "tiny puppy" and then for "my baby." I said "Tiny Baby?" (her doll) and she said "No, my REAL baby, the one in your belly!" We explained that it would be a long time before the baby was big enough, and that my belly would first grow as big as Amy's and Stephanie's and Lanell's had been. Then she pulled up my shirt and kissed my belly...

If you ask her about the baby she'll say "It's going to grow big BIG BIG! And then it's going to come out! And I'm going to play with it! It's going to come out of my mama's yoni!" She'll tell you that "some babies come out of yonis, and some babies come out of bellies, and some babies come out of bum bums!" We were reading a book about a mama having a baby, and there's a page with a picture of a mama pushing out a baby, and she's standing up and leaning over a bit, and the baby's head is out...so it does look like it's coming out of her bum. Arden gets very upset if you try to tell her that babies do not, actually, come out of bum bums.

If you ask her when the baby's going to come out, she'll tell you "Tuesday night."

She's already got a few names in mind. First, our baby was going to be called "Baby Vera," which is Berkeley's baby sister's name. But now she's set on Bethany, who is one of her beloved teachers at school...

So that's our update! Hopefully posts will be more frequent, and please pop over and enjoy our updated photos...there are a few gems on there...

One last burst of 2007

12-15-07 big smile
Originally uploaded by jodimama.

Happy New Year's Eve...

Owen had declared 2007 The Year of Writing, and oh, it was so. It was also the year of Toddlerhood, of Mama-Returning-to-Academia, and of the fun and festivities of Tuesday Night.

I have a feeling 2008 will be quite an auspicious one for us all around. Stay tuned...

Much love to all our friends and relations...
Jodi, Owen and Arden

Santa Owen's Annual LapSit Extravaganza

12-1-07 jodi meets santa
Originally uploaded by jodimama.

I'm pretty sure Santa's going to bring me what I want for Christmukah...if only I can figure out what I want.

Arden was Extraordinarly Scared of Owen-as-Santa. She knew it was him--the whole way over she said "My daddy turning into Santa!" But the costume, the booming voice, scared the absolute shit out of her. She did NOT like it. She did NOT want to sit on his lap. Poor girl...

Sad Arden #1

Sad Arden #2

And for those who missed the earlier incarnations of Arden-Sits-On-Santa-Dados-Lap...
Here's Last Year

And here's 2005

Slightly guilty mamafeeling--I plonked her on his lap to get the photo because I really like the sad-kid-with-santa image. But she was *really really* sad. I feel a bit bad. Not too bad, but a bit bad...

The walk home in the stroller, she and I had a long conversation about the whole thing. She told me that the other kids "went to Moxie to sit on my dad's lap," but that it made her "scared and sad." Poor thing...