Due date

A very fun day: ate muffins with Cap at the airport, hung out with Aunt Karen, had a healthy checkup with the midwife, drank bubble tea, cooked Indian food for dinner, and went to book club for East of Eden, my favorite novel. We also hiked Rancho San Antonio in hopes of getting baby girl moving -- nada. More time with these two handsome boys (and their ugly alien toy) it is!

Last time ... ?

Tomorrow is the due date. I keep wondering if each park stop, grocery trip, or bedtime will be my last as a mother of two. Trying to savor these moments with my boys as I move oh. so. slowly through the day.

All your friends are waiting for you!

Little girl, time to come out!

Animals crocheted by Aunt Ellen; cradle broken in by Mommy, Aunt Karen, and your two big brothers.

Just showing off

This is what the forecast looks like almost every day:

Cap was in town!

Some days

Some days the baby walks straight through the screen door that you just repaired the night before and pours a gallon of orange juice on the couch. But he says "Oh no! C'mon!" so cutely as he drags you over, and he did put the empty jug back in the fridge ...

But it's Friday evening and you're really tired and think you might just, like, leave it there or something, and you begin to lament your total lack of ability to get a task done and have it remain done, which is maybe he most frustrating part of parenting littles. And you feel your attitude sinking.

Then your neighbors knock to say goodbye because they're driving south to see their family for Eid, and they clean up the cushions for you! And so you decide to forget about dinner and let your wild boys (and yourself) play outside with the neighborhood kiddos until your man gets home and deal with it all -- sticky furniture and floors (Fabuloso and Little Green Machine to the rescue) nutrition needs (Mac n Cheese, whoop!), and filthy feet (eh, whatever) -- LATER.

And that was a good choice. :)

A lush life

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - from Mary Oliver's The Summer Day

A couple weekends ago Luke and I had a date day.  We left the (totally thrilled) boys with our neighbors and drove into San Francisco to take in the Museum of Modern Art, have coffees, wander around Golden Gate Park, eat at the Moss Room, and see the view from the observation tower at the de Young Museum.  For a few minutes I thought I was going to have a baby on the walk back to the car, but here I sit 2 weeks later and still pregnant.  39+ weeks.  Come on, baby girl.  We want to see you!  On the way home Luke suggested we stop by LUSH to buy some soap and my heart melted. 

LUSH is a fun soap store chain with a history for me.  I first found it when I was 20, traveling in Venice with my dear redheaded look alike friend.  Then, right before Luke and I got married, he was interviewing with Mozilla out here and found the store himself.  Without knowing that I loved it, he brought soap souvenirs back to College Station for me.  So the soap, in addition to smelling great, makes me warm inside with memories of independence and love.

And you know what?  The store name fits my life right now.  Not in the flirty drunk definition (honestly I'm looking forward to a little more drinking and husband-flirting to come, post-pregnancy), but in the rich green and growing way.  Our home, our yard, my body is spilling over with life and growth!  I love the tumbling pace of having these two little boys with me all day and knowing another child is on the way.  It is MESSY and oh I know how tired I'm going to be, and the rawness of preschool emotions just flattens me on pretty much a daily basis, but it is rich. And wild.  And just what I want to be doing with this one precious life right now.  Hooray for babies and my twenties and all this creative power.