Aunt Katie,
I would like a Pecan Pie when I come to visit you for Christmas. Thanks, you're the best.

Love,
Anna

Sweats, puppy chow, Casablanca, Christmas cards.

Last year we planned to go to New York City in Dec, but we had to take a raincheck, because it did rain. This year, we got to go! And the Livingstons came too. We drove to NJ and took the train into Penn Station. Here are the bundled up girls on the train.


Within a block of the train station, Anna was out. She slept for three hours of sight-seeing plus lunch.




We walked up to see the big tree at Rockerfeller Center. The guys used multiple sources to secure a lunch site.
We had Ray's Pizza...the pizza was great. The bathroom was...wow. No words.


Anna woke up in Central Park.





We watched some ice skating in the park.




Then we exposed the kids to FAO Schwarz. Anna fell in love with a massive pink stuffed puppy. Sorry to say, we just couldn't drop 100 for it. And we'd have had to bought another train seat. She got over it- see, she's smiling here in Playmobile land with all the Liv kids.


We showed Anna the tree on our way back to Penn Station and some more ice skaters.






Then back to the station, back on the train, back in the car and homeward we went.

I'm watching my belly move! Hello baby. =)

Envelope please....



and the gender is...okay, this is a shy little baby, so we can't say for sure, but the tech was leaning towards girl. We aren't banking on it yet. And I have to go in for another ultrasound anyway, so perhaps then we'll know for sure. Not climactic, sorry. =)

So, a sister for Anna, probably, or maybe. That makes me feel good about Anna's girly car seat, pink bunting and winter coat, garden theme room. No changes necessary, I could just use it again. And this baby would be set for her wardrobe, being just about the same season as Anna. So, girl means easy transition. But also means I need to make a new set of announcements and the boy ones from when Anna was born will have to wait a few more years. Again though, this still could be a little boy...

Okay, I have pictures. These are from Thanksgiving/Christmas time with Chris' family.
The first gift took Anna five minutes to open; then she was too interested in the current toy she had to care about the unwrapping of her other gifts.




She loves this doll house! We spent hours this morning playing with it- she always puts the baby in the bathroom and plays with the toilet...

She is going places with her backpack and rolling giraffe luggage.





We had a good time with everyone there. We drove home on Friday afternoon and Uncle Roo and Aunt Manda came up Saturday. And we all had cheese steaks...soooo good.




Sunday afternoon we headed north to acquire a Christmas tree. For the first time, in three years, we actually found the tree farm we set out towards (Thanks to Garmin, thanks to J&M). The farm had most of its trees maybe a half mile back from the entrance so they hauled us out in a wagon behind a tractor. It was great.









How about this one?




And finally we bagged us a tree.

Well, tomorrow's the big day. We are scheduled for an US and hope to find out whether we have a little boy or a little girl here. I'm excited, into it, gung ho, operation go. And if we have a girl...our Christmas card next year will be out of this world, cause we'll name her Mary.

MARY CHRIS MIS ANNA Happy New Year

Kidding though. We will not name our child based on pun usage. Cruel and unusual punishment. That's bad.

Anyhow, I don't have much for pictures this week. I did take this blurry picture of our yard.


The lawn guys were here one day and our yard was spic and span- all the leaves were sucked up and carted away. And that picture is approx 15 hours later. Depressing? Yes, considering that the exact same thing happens inside this house on a compressed timescale. I can have everything in its place, no cracker crumbs or jam handprints in sight, all toys and books in their ranks, chairs pushed in around the table. And then Anna wakes up from her nap and 15 minutes posthence, the above picture says it all. Ho-hum, and I have only one.

Other news, Chris and Jonny put up crown molding in the kitchen this past Saturday. Chris is finishing up painting, but I'll post a picture when it's done. Along with his project in Anna's room.
"Suction, please."



And lastly, Anna is developing a love for shoes. Everyone's shoes, especially Dad's.



We're down to MD tomorrow after the ultrasound, for Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one. Does that mean we're having Turducken? No, thankfully. But we are excited to watch Anna enjoy opening her presents this year instead of contentedly eating wrapping paper. We'll post soon if we find out baby's gender.

Well howdy there. These posts are growing a little infrequent, I know. But I'll just start out with a cute picture to make up for it.


Feel better? I do.
Well, busy is the word of the month. Beginning in October, I started working for LandsEnd, three weeknights and Saturdays. The other two weeknights I tutor. The other weeknights I update this blog.
On Wednesday, I started feeling the baby kick. Those little kicks send your mind into maternal daydream world, so I'm warning you, we're operating at 50%. And that's 50% of whatever brain capacity I was at before. So add up your percentages and watch out for typos.


Onto more pictures. Anna's morning hair.




Alphabet magnets! She's getting into it.





She learned how to open our trash bin this past week. The following were deemed trash by Anna- my shoe, the letter F, blocks T and L, several snack bowls, and a fabric flower. So, the rule is- check before you chuck, to see what Anna's put in.
So, what else?
This morning, I checked online to see when Anna's jacket would arrive. The UPS site said "Delivered." Really? To my house? So, I looked outside the door and no package. I looked back at the screen and it said, "Location: Frt Door". Oh. So, I went to the front door and there it was. It was sort of strange that the UPS site was more aware of my immediate surroundings than I. That UPS man must not have knocked.
Anyhow, Anna looked a little puffalumpy in her jacket so I had to take a picture. As soon as I picked up the camera, she started saying, "Cheese....cheese...chee-eese." She is saying so in this very picture.

This week, we mourn the loss of a dearly loved friend. Mr. Morning Nap passed away unexpectedly (and with no warning!) this past Sunday. Mom is having a pretty hard time with it, but Anna is coping well. I just never realized what a great joy Morning Nap was to me and didn't know how much I'd miss him. =(
This morning, Anna was so good though in playing by herself with her books and toys for a full 45 minutes in her room, so mom could
A) do dishes
B) do laundry
C) mop the floor

Haha, none of the above, mom laid down. I am pregnant, you know.


Anna is gaining new interests in her toys. She understands how to do the puzzles and though she can't get the pieces in every time, it's a new challenge and entertains her in a novel way.
She also digs these finger puppets.


Putting shapes in. When she gets them in, the applause is deafening.









Dad started a little project for Anna's room this weekend. He's turning some plain ol' pieces of trim into something darling cute. I'll wait to take pictures until he's finished painting it. =)

Anna was project supervisor.

So, here are the few pictures from football weekend.

Goofing off with Uncle Rob.



Me and my Grandpa.



Off to the game.






This past Friday I had another OB appt. This time I took Anna with me and it went okay...we waited over an hour though. By the end, well into supposed-to-be-napping-time, I was taking Anna's BP and letting her play with the office equipment to keep her semi-quiet. It was fun to have her there though when we did finally see our doc. This was the first she had seen Anna since she discharged us from the hospital in August 06. We heard our little baby's heart beat- nice and strong =)-and the doc held the speaker to Anna's ear so she could listen too. We are scheduled to have an ultrasound the day before Thanksgiving and we're thinking we are going to find out this baby's gender...I don't know though. I keep chickening out. I liked being surprised when we had Anna. But I think that if we do have a little boy, Anna's baby wardrobe will be entirely too pink for him. Hmm.

Lots of updates. =)
Anna is talking up a storm. Half of it is still unknown, but she's saying new words almost everyday. She also sprouted her fourth tooth, at long last. She is looking less pirate-like everyday...her other front tooth is all the way in. =)
Last week, we went to visit my friend Sonja and her new puppy! Daisy was laying down so Anna went over and laid next to her.




Can I drink out of a bowl, too?





This past Friday, we went to the zoo with Maddie.




Checking out the puma.





Looking like a big kid.





Maddie, not even a toddler anymore.




Back home, we moms were tuckered out but the girls thought they'd just go for a spin around town.




While we were at the zoo, Dad had the whole day off to play in a golf tournament with some friends. He had a great time. He had some lobster tail dinner there so Anna and I had Pizza Hut with our friend Jenn. Dad definitely missed out.
After the tournament, our good friends, M&T Lair pulled into town and we had a good time catching up with them.
Then Saturday morning, we left the house at 9AM for a wedding downtown. Here's Anna and her good friend Allegra coloring at the kid's table.


And here we all are outside the reception....all four of us.


Yes, that's right. That belly's not (just) from Cinnabon...we're having another baby! We are 13 weeks along and enjoying that sweet second trimester bliss. =) So, yep, we are excited. This baby should be coming late April, early May. The "due date" is April 28th, but I'm guessing it will be May.

Anyway, more on baby later. To finish out the updating. We left the reception early to meet up with my dad and little bro Rob in MD. They flew up to meet Chris and his brother for the Ravens vs Rams football game. So, went with them to ESPN Zone and had a lot more fun than I thought possible at an arcade. You can call me queen of waverider. Then walking around the Inner Harbor, we ran into Mav, one of Chris' best buds from GCC. Then dinner, then met up with all the rest of the Schwartzes. Then Mom and Anna passed out for the night. Church in the morning at 8:30, KRISPY KREME my love, dropped Chris off with my dad and Rob, NFL time for the boys. My camera battery died so I only have a couple pictures. =( And blogger won't let me load more pictures, so I'll post this and try to put up pics later.