Pregnancy (not a new one)

With Becca's birthday less than a month away, I figured I better get caught up on all that happened before I started Monkey Girl.  I meant to months ago, but somehow only covered the ultrasound and Christmas.  So here's your next installment:

This is Becca and me in the kitchen on July 11th.

Here we are, August 5, 2007, on the roof of our hotel in California.  I was able to enjoy the hot tub here only by soaking my feet, but Rich got the whole experience.

As you can see, Rich opted NOT to gain sympathy weight along with me, choosing instead to try to lose as much as possible so that everyone would notice how good he looked when the baby was born.

Unfortunately, I'm always the one taking the pictures, and I don't have any belly pictures from here until the hospital bed.  Oh well.

I guess my morning sickness wasn't as bad a lot of people's, but it wasn't a picnic either.  And since I can't eat crackers I spent the first three months eating potato chips to feel better.  I kept a bag on my night stand.  And I spent the last three months eating Rolaids, since the monkey had her toes clear up in my ribcage the entire pregnancy--never dropped (at least not until "they" induced me/us).  But that's calcium, right?

My two cravings (I don't count the potato chips) were chocolate (which was not new) and salmon (which was).  I would've had salmon seven days a week if I could've, but I stuck to the recommended three.  I hated it before the pregnancy and now find it okay, but rarely crave it.

One of my silliest pregnancy memories was when Rich and I were debating where to go one morning and I broke out sobbing/laughing at the same time.  I couldn't stop.  First he gave me a big hug, then asked, "Where's the chocolate?"  I was better in minutes.

Trick-Or-Treat

This morning the local senior care center hosted a little Halloween party for our Moms' Club.  Rich and I think Becca's teething, because she hasn't wanted to eat too much since yesterday and was a terrible, terrible sleeper last night, so I didn't know if going was a good idea, but her whining pushed me into thinking that the trip out might take her mind off it.  Fortunately, I was right.

We had a parade, trick-or-treating, some singing, and a snack/chat time with the residents.   Becca got to show off her ADORABLE mouse costume (and drink a little un-diluted apple juice), and the residents loved her infectious smile and princess wave.   

While her falling asleep in the car is not unusual, staying asleep while I strip her out of a mouse costume is pretty amazing.  They really wore her out.  I can't wait for the Christmas party!

PetSmart

Since Rebecca's fish are too good at hiding, we took her to PetSmart this weekend for a new pet.  After a lot of thinking

she chose a fancy goldfish and a snail.  
The snail hangs out on the bottom of the tank and blends into the rocks, and the fish had a rough start, but we're hoping he's turned a corner.  If not, we're checking into that 2-week return policy (but don't tell the fish that).

Hat Season

So we've finally reached hat season here in New Jersey---and since summer hats went so well we've been pretty nervous about how things would go.  If distracted, she'll wear this one, but  not long once she gets inside.

If it's windy enough, she'll also wear her hood,

but it's coming off as soon as she's back inside.

We're the Walking Dead Around Here Today

Last night Rich had his follow-up sleep study.  Poor guy.  He was there from 9:15 PM until sometime around 4:30, getting home around 5:00.  Becca was the only one that slept well that night; she was in her crib from 8:15 until about 10:00 (when I *wanted* to go to bed) and from 11:15 until 7:00--a record!  If only I had slept so well.  I did better than Rich, who reportedly never reached REM sleep, but I was up at 3:00 (Becca usually is so I'm now on her schedule) had just gotten back to sleep when Rich came in, and seven came WAAAAY too early.  We're hoping she'll sleep as well tonight.  (I wish I were so lucky.)

As for the study, it'll be a bit before we know the results.  

First Pumpkin

We stopped by a roadside stand on Sunday and picked up Rebecca's first pumpkin.

She's a little obsessed with it--but like most things, it eventually ends up in her mouth.

Fishies

Friday Rich started up a little fish tank in his office, caught some lake fish, and introduced them to Rebecca.  Becca really loves them; she now does an adorable sign for "fish."  Me?  I like the fact that we can throw them back into the lake if we ever leave town.

Quick List

Some of Becca's signs from the last week:

1--"Trees" as we walked along the riverbank on Friday.

2--"All done" walking into the sun on our two mile hike back to the car after the (terribly over-rated) Apple Festival on Saturday.  Her little arm was flapping back and forth out of the stroller to make sure we saw it from behind.

3--"Flower" (sniffing) at the flowers on the table at our Mom's Club meeting today.

Others she knows:

1--moon

2--off/on

3--dog

4--elephant (sound)

5--big

Words she says:

1--dad

2--ma

3--bear

4--ba (bottle--Rich calls it that, too)

Words she consistently almost says/tries to say:

1--penguin

2--pumpkin

3--baby

Teeth

Another tooth popped out along the bottom overnight---and I managed to capture it (although Becca wasn't too happy about it).  You should be able to see it if you zoom in.

Yard Sale!

Saturday was our annual neighborhood yard sale, so we hit the streets. After years of complaining that all yard sales are mostly kid stuff, we were primarily met with books and old glassware.  Fortunately, the Methodists at the top of our street (it's the church with the 3-D Nativity, not the one across the street with the white one) also had a sale set up in their parking lot. Here's the haul:

And the best part . . . . . we spent $7.  We also spent about three man-hours scrubbing everything down, but $7.  Batteries included.

We may be out again this weekend.

Baby Signs and Other News

So another week has passed without my writing. Such is our busy life. I wanted to throw out a quick list, though, of Becca's amazing accomplishments, before I forget:

The other night we had a terribly loud rainstorm. Rebecca woke up and did her sign for "rain" to Rich before going back to sleep. Yes, she's still in our bed; my lack of sleep this past week is part of the reason there's been no writing.

Her new favorite sign is "all done." She does it when she's finished eating something, done with the bath, or just wants to move on. It's been VERY helpful, especially since it keeps her from screaming and taking the spoon from me or whining so much.

And this morning a dog came on TV while she was eating and she used our baby sign for dog, for the first time (panting). Sooo cute, even with a mouthful of oatmeal. (With her fear of dogs, I don't think the ASL sign, patting your leg like you're calling a dog, is good for her; one might actually come over--yikes.)

And now for a few pictures----

Rebecca now *refuses* to let me fold the laundry by myself, insisting on helping.   She's in charge of taking the clothes out of the basket.  

 

For about a month or so we've been talking about getting Rebecca the Little People A-Z Learning Zoo for her birthday.  I hadn't seen it anywhere and figured I'd better order in online, but Rich found it this week and snatched it up.  And, as most of you know, Rich and I are almost completely incapable of holding onto a present for someone until the actual occasion arrives.  She got it that night.

Looking back, we should have just given her the box the first day,

and then one animal each day for the next month.  

But then how would we know that the giraffe is Rebecca's favorite animal?

She also loves the elephant.  She made the elephant sound as soon as she saw it.  Of course I immediately switched the camera over to video, and the battery immediately died.  Bummer.  She now makes the elephant sound for both the elephant and the giraffe, but seriously, what sound does the giraffe make?  (The A-Z Zoo has it making a leaf-chomping sound.  Kinda weak if you ask me.) Anyway, she loves the zoo, and has played with it every day.  She even knows several of the animals, and will pick them out if I ask her for them.

She has had one particularly aggravating trait this week; she won't use her sippy cup.  She'll cough and point to whatever we're drinking, and is happy to use a straw, but doesn't want the sippy.  I guess she considers herself a Big Girl and wants a Big Girl cup.  So we picked out this one at Target today.  

So far, she loves it.