Gwennan Serves Tea

Pardon the noise from the our loud, depressed dishwasher in the background.

Gwennan the Monkey

What I found when I went in to get Gwennan after her non-napping period yesterday afternoon:

Okay, already!

I wanted to wait until I had some photos to post before I updated my blog, but I had trouble uploading pics this past weekend, then I left the camera on and the battery died, so I decided to just post a "word-oriented" entry this time to save all 3 of you who read my blog from checking in only to see that darn Britney post STILL. I know you're probably disgusted that I even MENTIONED her on my blog, but what can I say, I'm concerned for the girl. She's the proverbial train wreck - tragic and horrible, but you just can't look away.

Now, on to the update:

We had a fun, relaxing Christmas break with Catri with us most of the time. We didn't really plan anything other than for Catri to hang out with her BFF Isabel some of the time, and to watch some movies. We went to a matinee to see "I Am Legend" (which I recommend doing, rather than seeing it at night, where you'll come out of the theater looking over your shoulder for vampire zombies), and we watched "The Simpsons Movie", "Blades of Glory", "Transformers", and "Live Free or Die Hard" at home. We really enjoyed the time at home. Of course, I'm home all the time, but I loved having the whole family together. It was wonderful.

On New Year's Eve, Catri was in New Orleans with her mom, so Mark and I made a night of it: dinner at home, bathing Gwennan & putting her to bed, then going to bed ourselves by 11. At midnight our neighbors' firecrackers announced the new year, Mark rolled over, kissed me, mumbled, "Happy New Year" and we went back to sleep. I know many of you are concerned about our crazy, party lifestyle, but you only live once, you know?

And I guess in further news (although most of you probably already know), Mark and I are expecting again. I just finished up my first trimester this past Friday. Mark's been so sweet since all this started, making dinner most nights because the very thought of touching raw meat makes me green, giving G her bath most nights because I'm too exhausted. In a typical pregnancy the nausea and exhaustion are supposed to abate after the first trimester, so I'm praying like crazy this pregnancy will be "typical".

Oh, and for those of you who keep track, the due date is July 18th. (Yay, I get to go through a Georgia summer pregnant.) We will find out the sex (hopefully) at my 18 week ultrasound on February 13. We'll let you know when we know. I'm guessing boy. But then, I thought G was a boy too.

Speaking of Gwennan, she is growing up fast. She's 21 months now, and has a full vocabulary:
Mommy, Daddy, Catri ("Tachi"), Charles, Dawn, hold, up, broccoli ("bolopoly"), orange, rice, milk ("mich"), apple juice, kitty kitty, airplane ("ahpolane"), truck ("chuch"), and on and on. To the chagrin of my mother, she still does not say Granny. Says Paw Paw just fine, though, and when I say, "Granny's coming to see you today!" she looks at me and says "Paw Paw?"

Mark and I are going to focus the next few months on moving Gwennan to Catri's old room and a "big girl bed". (We gave Catri the downstairs room.) We figure we better do it before she starts climbing out of her crib. Today I was in our room folding laundry, with Gwennan running between our room and hers, doing her thing (taking stuff out of drawers, carrying her plush animals around). Suddenly I realized I hadn't seen her in a few minutes and went to see what she was up to. I walked into her room and my jaw dropped. There she sat, on top of her changing table. How did she get up there? She smiled at me and put out her arms like, "Help me get down," which I did, but I was still in shock. She had to climb up two shelves to get on top of that table. I had left one of her (formerly Catri's) purses up there, and I guess she wanted it. Time to transition her to the big girl world.

We'll also begin potty-training her soon. Come July, I don't want to have to change two kids' diapers.

Hope you're all well. I'll post photos soon.