Lately

Lately:

 

I've been spending time with my sister.  I'm so happy to live close to her and explore beautiful California with her. 

Blocks from their house we watched seal mothers and pups practice swimming ...

and we saw this pretty waterfall in Big Sur ...

and isn't she beautiful???

The JELLIES EXPERIENCE exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium IS an experience.  Karen loves Jellies.

My man turned 29.  We first met when he was 18.5.  I have known of Luke Wagner for 36% of his life.  He probably isn't creeped out that I calculate things like that, but I'll have to get to know him a little better to be sure.

This is a sour cream chocolate cake with cream cheese peanut butter frosting.  (Luke loves those things.)  It is delicious and addictive and will put you in a sugar coma.

 Our boys are all boy and awesome:

Haircuts involve a wagon ride to the barber shop across the street.  Wagon rides involve toy power tools.

Trampoline time at our super neighbors' house!

We eat lots of popsicles in the summer.

I'm almost 30 weeks (110 weeks) pregnant and, whoa, I am feeling and looking it.  In the evenings when I am sitting, the little girl wakes up and moves around ... but most of the day I have a very hard time remembering that THERE IS A BABY IN THERE.  It feels like I'm carrying gallons of water around my middle (because, well, I am) and it's exhausting. The boys want airplane feet rides and I can't lay on my back; I want to carry Mark and that's not working so well; blah blah blah. 10 more weeks seems impossible!  I need an attitude adjustment big time because I want to appreciate this moment.  I am round and life-bearing and blessed. 

And tired.

And it's okay to be all those things. 

I am a capital letter B.

106

 Hey guys, want to see something fun?

 This is what I look like 106 weeks pregnant!  I'm 26 weeks pregnant this time, but I've been pregnant for 106 weeks since 2008.  That's a lot of shape-shifting.

We hiked Rancho San Antonio this Saturday and saw skinks.  The menfolk were mesmerized.  Daniel was up this weekend hanging out and is about to pick up Karen at SFO.  She's been in DC and Vienna for 2.5 weeks because she's a rockstar. 

Happy Mothers' Day, loves.  I am so blessed to have my mother and, now, to be a mother.  These  sons make my life wilder, brighter, simpler, and more meaningful.  It's a roller coaster of a life sometimes, and sometimes just so very predictable, but I love the ride.  Thank you God that this is the way I get to live, that this is the way human life grows in this world.  Amen amen amen.

Springtime Wagners

It was a very nice Easter weekend.  We visited the beach on Saturday and had Karen and Daniel visit on Sunday.  Here, in our Easter best, are the Wagner fellas:

And the Wagner ladies:

Yep, I'm growing a girl this time!

Hope your weekend was just as nice.

Bloggy bloggy

Good morning!  I woke up with a cold and 2 coughing babies, but after tea, milk, and bananas, we're all much better and I'm feeling bloggy.  Little bits:

• This weekend Aunt Karen and Uncle Daniel are staying with the boys and sending Luke and I to Cirque du Soleil!  Scott's excited, I'm excited (and Luke and Mark seem happy too).
• Spring has SPRUNG here and it's time to plant.  I'm hoping to pick up some city compost today and get the hardy seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, lettuce, cilantro, chard) in the ground.  I might even get the delicate tomatoes started inside if all goes well.
• My jeans didn't button this morning!  This will probably be the last time in my life that is good news.  The rubber band trick is holding them over for a little while because I'm still hung up on SEVENTEEN being the magic week # at which I'm allowed to bring out the maternity clothes.  9 days, rubber band.  Hang in there.  (Pregnancy 3 is a lot different than pregnancy 1 for me, shapewise!)

15.5 weeks #3! Also, mystery body because I haven't brushed my hair yet.

Happy super Wednesday dears.

Lazy days

I'm done with work (pretty much).  Aside from spurts of cleaning where I madly scrub the bathroom floor and steam clean the carpets, Scott and I are enjoying long, lazy days.  Want to see?

Round, happy

We are 2 days from full-term (37 weeks). The clothes are washed, the cradle is set up, the car seat is assembled, and I cannot imagine how Baby Boy can continue to gain 1/2 a pound a week for 3+ more weeks. This womb is FULL!

So, child, Scott wants you to come out and play! But Luke and I think you need to stay in for at least 10 more days so we can finish our work commitments! (Which do not include blogging! got to go, doses need reconstructing ...)

Week 29

Week 23

Baby boy is 11 inches long, just over a pound, and the doctors say he's measuring a little bigger than average for his dates. It's great fun to feel his flip-flopping while I sit at my desk. I had forgotten what fun company babies are in the womb!

Here's the belly! It's baby space from about the belly button down. The upper part is where my organs/intestines are since they've been crowded out by womb. And my tricep is bulging with pride! (Those arm muscles were hard won over nearly 19 months of lifting ever increasing weight in the form of the most adorable little boy, currently 26 lbs (47th percentile) and quite tall (89th percentile.))

Scott's new riding spot atop the babybelly (it's okay, he's only squishing my organs and not his little brother or sister right now)

Me: I wonder what kind of baby (s)he will be. /I wonder if that bird over there is a mockingbird./I wonder if Luke should be practicing his trapeze skills up there while it's so windy.
Scott: Mine. (new favorite word)

Starting new things

I enjoy checking the Teutons blog and thought I'd start one for our family, too. We're enjoying a very calm, rainy weekend here as the rains from Hurricane Ike kept us inside most of the day. We took a walk around campus and everything looks to be in good shape: we saw a couple traffic signs blown over and one tree down (which seemed to have a damaged root system already), but very little standing water.

We're expecting the baby to be born any day now (2? 10? 20?), but no news yet. Here are some pictures of how he and I have grown!