Crayons and Keyboards: February 2009

Update on Miss Annabelle

Momma had an appointment today. Doctor told her that if Annabelle isn't here by the 11th, then he is inducing her.

Robyn just walked in and asked if her belly "dropped." It has.

So that being said, we are less than two weeks away from #2.

Place your bets: Size & Date.

Winner gets bragging rights and a sack full of cash.

Bubblicious Mohawk

Sunday Afternoons Are Made For This

The Bambino was determined not to fall asleep in his bed, and after 3o minutes of crying and no end in sight, I broke down and did the only I know to do to calm a two year old. Hold him close and let him fall asleep on your chest.

You forget how the moments feel until they are gone.

Artistic Sunday Morning Sunshine

Riding That Train

Holy Guacamole!

Bambino helps Mimi prepare the guacamole for the tacos - good stuff.

The Boys

Framed

I Fell In Love All Over Again

With 3+ weeks until the due date Robyn and I have been trying to spend as much time with Jaxson as possible before we are a family of four. Along the way we have been preparing for Miss Annabelle. Her room is almost complete, outfits have been bought, and diapers are stored and ready.

Work has been extremely busy for both us and we really haven't had the opportunity to think about the coming weeks and how close we are to being a family of four versus a family of three. Yesteray afternoon I came home to an emotional wife who allowed the stress of the uncertainty to get the best of her and she just had to cry and get her emotions to the surface. After a small pep talk and some reassurance we headed to the last big doctor's appointment.

With Robyn's final sonogram and last round of test to ensure everyone's health is in order the reality of the events on the horizon stared us in the face today - literally.

While the nurse was doing the standard sonogram and taking measurements and snapping images, she smoothly switched into 4D mode and our baby girl was looking right at her mom and dad.

Within the darkness of the room and with a grin on my face I was face-to-face with my little girl. Speechless. Amazed. Humbled.

Knowing that the 4D sonograms aren't free, Robyn and I kept quiet while the nurse snapped image after image of Annabelle. After the last "photo" was taken, the nurse asked if we would sign a waiver to allow her images to be part of a marketing brochure to help sell the service of the 4D sonograms - with no additional cost to us.

So leaving the doc's office was more like leaving a photo shoot with our girl. With photos in hand and a clean bill of health we are now ready for our new edition. I think.

Safety First

"Wash Your Mouth Out With Soap!!"

When I was young, I had the tendency to say inappropriate words at the wrong time (mostly in front of my mom). When this event transpired, the next logical step was her marching me to the bathroom with a bar of soap in hand, and yes, I would have to literally wash my mouth out with soap.

Not sure if the Bambino is foreshadowing the coming years, but he has begun practicing while in the tub.

Ready For The Big Day

One month and counting until Miss Annabelle makes her debut - and the Bambino is ready to go if she comes on St. Paddy's Day.

It Has Begun

Momma WAS NOT leaving the store until we bought this:

Quilted From His Own

UPDATE: Since originally posting this, I have talked with Kelli via email and she supplied me with a few flickr.com photo links. Click here and here.

So, what do you do when you have a closet full of boys clothes that are used-and-abused - but yet you don't want to give them away because of your emotional attachment to those pieces?

Cleaning and sorting through Jaxson's closet a few months back, in anticipation of making room for Annabelle and just a general Saturday afternoon impromptu cleaning/uncluttering session, we ended up with a variety of piles of clothing. Those piles were designated as follows:

Too-small-but-still-in-good-condition-pile. Which we donated to local charities.

Too-small-never-worn-with-tags-still-on-them-pile. Those either went to charity or back in the closet just in case #3 ever comes and if it is a boy. (That is a LONG time from now.)

Destroyed-and-stained-beyond-human-use. Those turned into dust rags or trashed.

Then we had the Too-small-or-damaged-beyond-further-usage-but-we-are-really-attached-to-these-pieces-pile. So, with this pile we stuffed them into a bag to let the closet decide their fate, or so momma thought. Daddy secretly had a plan.

I wanted a momento made by hand to give to Robyn, and since the only thing I can sew is well nothing - I let the professionals handle this.

I found Kelli Davis with Deborah Lane Quilting (named after her childhood street name) through a local quilting store. I told her to use her design eye and come up with something good. The only specific item I asked for was his name and birth date somewhere on the quilt. She did not disappoint:

Enjoying his/Robyn's new quilt.

All the squares are old t-shirts or shorts.

The stitching is different for each square and varies throughout the trim work.

A Moment With T.J.

Dueling Bellies

Tiffany and Robyn show their goods.

Estrogen Filled Weekend (With A Dash Of Manhood)

While estrogen was filling the room during Tiffany's baby shower, the men took to the garden and got dirty.

Jimmy (the one on the ground) has a surprisingly nice sized garden in their backyard. Always a small oasis of veggies and fruits - whatever the time of year. Jimmy took the time to take Jaxson and Thomas (not the train, but Robyn's uncle) out to the garden to pick some fresh carrots. Nothing like men getting dirty in the garden to make a young one happy.

Running Towel

After a weekend of the Bambino and Momma being in Houston for a cousin's baby shower, it was fantastic to have a full house again with laughter and the sounds of feet running up and down the hallway. Moments like this is what makes being a parent worth every late night and tear-filled time-out.