Hey, what is this, I have a blog? Oh, yes, I remember. This is the place where I regularly, frequently and often update all my far-flung family and friends about my whereabouts.
What, the last post is from April? Is that three months ago?? Oops.
Well let's just get the full disclosure out of the way, before I lose steam and another three months go by. I am 17 weeks pregnant.
I asked C.J. why he's been pitching in with the cooking and cleaning so much lately, and he said, "because you are always asleep."
So that is the story. Liam + work + pregnant = totally worthless and void of energy. It's hard to blog when I am incapable of keeping my eyes open after 9 p.m.
All those unreturned phone calls, the items lingering on my to-do list indefinitely, the sudden rash of frozen foods and fried egg sandwiches around our house, it's all making sense now.
Although, I may make a blogging comeback in the second trimester. I am feeling so much better that I usually forget I am pregnant. Except for that problem I'm having with my jeans. How long can I use a hair tie to fasten them in lieu of buying maternity pants?
The great thing about pregnancy is, you find out the big news and perhaps you feel shocked and surprised because it was a bit sooner than you planned, and then, nothing happens for a long....long...time. When the baby finally arrives it will feel like perfect timing to have a second child while my husband's in med school in the winter in New Jersey. Perfect timing!
So let's go ahead and forget about that pregnancy thing for a minute and try to piece together what happened in these pictures that I uploaded six weeks ago but then never wrote about or posted.
Going back to April, there was a trip to Texas, the beloved home land. This involved a visit with my family and a weekend camping at Old Settler's Bluegrass Music Festival. Naturally, I forgot my camera, but there were a few special moments captured on my phone.
Liam having a nap on Grandma Sally's lap (priceless!)
Grandma Sally's homemade chicken and dumplings (also priceless!)
Onion Creek (before Texas turned into Scorched Earth)
The fantastic Bluebonnet Stage
Liam loving corn on the cob
The camp fire
Back in New Jersey, at the end of April, Liam turned two. This big milestone coincided with me noticing some fatigue, nausea and a heightened sense of smell. I would like to blame these symptoms for my complete failure as a mother in doing anything for this child's birthday besides making him some lame cupcakes and snapping this picture.
This was no mother-of-the-year moment, and I only forgive myself because thankfully, he didn't know the difference and will not remember. And, I did throw a pretty kick-butt party when he turned one. Remember the home-made pinata? Surely some credit carries forward from that all-out effort.
Looking very sweet and mommy is so proud, even if there's not much to show for this big day
In the first part of May we were again so happy to have visitors - Amber and Matt made a trip up from Texas to celebrate Matt's birthday. This ended up being such a fun weekend. We splurged and got a babysitter two nights in a row for some really special evenings out.
A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Hanging at the Brooklyn Bridge Park (hippie kid needs a haircut)
Daddy and Liam playing in the park
Railroad Earth at The Wellmont in Montclair, New Jersey
Holy steak for four at the unforgettable Peter Luger's Steakhouse in Brooklyn for Matt's birthday (and a Mother's Day treat for me!)
Sometime in May our friends Sandy and Penny came up from Staten Island, and we went to a little zoo that is only four miles from our house. The zoo has a train that goes around the perimeter. It's a great place for young kids.
Thinking this was a routine Sunday afternoon outing, I didn't take my camera, which I regret because the trip made a huge impression on Liam. I snapped this one photo with my phone and that's it (Haircut, finally! Look at this big boy!).
When we got home, unprompted, Liam said his first sentence: "Mommy, baby ride choo choo train."
And then he said it about 200 more times over the following weeks. And then he added "Mommy, baby see goat." and "Mommy, baby see cow." and "Mommy, baby see lion." and so on with many other animals that we had seen that day.
And then, basically, my kid started talking. Nonstop. Repeating everything we say. Counting, colors, A,B,Cs, animals, please, thank you, back hoe, limousine, race car, garbage truck (we read our Things that Go book A LOT). His verbal skills have just exploded. It's pretty awesome, especially since he didn't say a word for so long.
He also says his own name, although he pronounces it "Ee-min-a." Hasn't quite mastered the "L" sound yet. It's so sweet.
And that brings us up to today. Except for a few other little details like C.J. bought a truck, we are moving in August, third year is wrapping up and he is now in a stressful and frantic period of finishing a personal statement and CV, asking for letters of recommendation, preparing an application for residency and studying for a major board exam in September.
And summer is here finally, thankfully. Summer in New Jersey is a breeze. Literally. The high today was 80 degrees. I am scarred for life after what happened last winter, but this is sort of making up for it. Almost.
Hopefully there will be another blog before the announcement about baby number two in December. If not though, now you know why. I am too busy sleeping.
