Update your links!

Growing with Girls has been reborn over at Everyday Inklings, as the "girls" moniker is now a bit outdated.

Getting to Know Max

He's only 5 days old, and he's already had us worrying.

Not that it's his fault of course. So far he is the perfect representation of the easy-going baby I signed up for. He eats like a champ, happily snuggles the day away, and sleeps whenever he's not snacking or peeking at his new sister-filled, energetic world. We're all madly in love and marveling at every coo and squeak and newborn, dream-induced smile.

But even as we've come to know his peaceful, charming baby personality, we've been dashing to a variety of pediatric specialists for scans of his insides! Seeing his little body full of electrodes and wires as they took astoundingly precise pictures of his tiny heart left Joe and I breathless with the What if's. Then there were questions about his kidneys - concerns that have haunted us since the first ultrasound, months ago.

Sweet baby Max, snuggled, content, and voracious, kept us from completely panicking over the what if's. But getting the call from our doctor this morning with a clean bill of health and no related future health risks had us dancing around the house. All of those worrisome scans revealed a healthy, fully functioning little body!

Max's first bath time audience!

It took him a minute, but he decided he loved the warm water.

Aaaah.... nothing like a good soak.

Thanks daddy.

 He's here, he's healthy, he's wonderful... and he's going to be snuggled up like crazy!

Meet Maxwell Joseph!

Little Max joined us Saturday! After a week of fits and starts, it occurred to me around 4 that we might want to think about heading to the hospital. By 6:10, only 40 minutes after checking in, Max was in our arms.

He is beautiful. At 8 pounds 11 ounces and 23 1/4 inches long, he's definitely our biggest baby. He alternately looks like Joe, Maya, and Elliot, depending on the light and our mood. The girls are ecstatic, if a bit emotional, about his arrival. We're settling in at home and getting to know each other. Wish us luck!

Mind Games and an Unpredictable Third Baby

Baby, baby, baby..... that's all we're thinking over here. I'm officially at 39 weeks, so a week or two can still be expected.... except Elliot was two weeks early.... and I've been having semi-regular contractions since SUNDAY! That's FIVE DAYS. They're distracting, to say the least, and my oh-so-poetic attempt to close out every day as if a chapter was ending has now become an endless ritual of evening walks and questioning looks from Joe... and periodic debates over whether to call the doctor or not. They wax and wane, and when the time is right I'm sure we'll know. I'll know. Until then, it is difficult to think or talk about much else. It's difficult to plan for tomorrow, when any given night could be the night. The good news is, the bit of pre-labor I experienced with Elle made things relatively easy when we finally got to the hospital. Apparently this sort of early labor is fairly common with third or subsequent children! Who knew!! I'll just think of these distracting days as a good way to get some of the work done ahead of time without the stress and discomfort of the delivery room!

Off to walk.... and maybe bust out the yoga ball. Come on baby, the curiosity is driving us nuts... we're ready to meet you!

All of Summer in a Week

Given that we're at the "any time now" stage, we're packing in as much summer now as we can. It's such an add perspective, to be both childishly eager to meet the baby and grateful for these free, warm days of unscheduled time.

Our most constructive projects were these lovely little pillows. The girls gathered flowers and leaves around the yard and arranged them on one half of a spare piece of muslin fabric. We folded the fabric over and went crazy with a couple of hammers. The fabric ended up beautifully decorated with a unique floral pattern. Each girl helped sew up her pillow, stuff it, and proudly display it. It was the perfect backyard project.

 Then there was the end of year party, thrown by one of Maya's classmates. It doubled as a reunion with their teacher, and you would never have guessed they had only been apart for a week!

  Today we did some belly art. Then a walk in the park. And finally a visit to the local pool, just to round out the day. Much-needed naps are in the future.

Somehow we're cramming as much summer into every day as we can, because all too soon the clock will stop again as we celebrate the arrival of a new little one.

The Homestretch!

We have between 5 and 7 weeks before our little newcomer bursts onto the scene, and we couldn't be more excited! I might be the only person in the world that enjoys these last weeks, uncomfortable as they can be. The are full of anticipation, of planning, of day dreams. They are the very essence of a pregnant pause.

  

Elliot is as enthralled with her mobile as she was when she was an infant!

Of course, it's tempting not to pause at all. The list of "to do's" before baby continues to lengthen. Editing blog books, pre-posting for Doing Good Together, a sewing project or two, a birthday party to plan and the vast garden that awaits....

Even with this list, we're all taking our leisurely time on these projects. They'll get done, or they won't quite... in which case company will be put to work! In the meantime, I'll still nap when I can, put my feet up each evening, and revel in these last nights of 8 hours of sleep.

The girls rediscovered and fell in love with their baby quilts from Grandma Bobbie!

This weekend we did accomplish the one thing that really needs to happen. We prepped the baby's room, unpacked the new cadillac stroller (how is it that number three is the only baby to get all new stuff!), and sorted through the tiny baby clothes. It was a family affair, and the four of us couldn't be more excited to meet our new little one!

Baby Name Suggestions Welcome

What in the world will we call this baby?

Not on our list: Joe Junior, anything requiring a matching mullet (see the cast of the show Earl), anything made up, and anything requiring us to fake a stronger connection to Norway than a general appreciation for lefse and for the trek made by our great-grandparents.

We like Max so very much, but our neighbor's dog and my Aunt's dog share that name...  

Which leaves the field pretty well wide open.

So let me hear them. What are your favorite names for sweet little boys who will become strong, kind men? Think novels, think movies, think grown ups you admire? (Joe's not biting on my suggestion of Wellstone as a first name).

Stumbling into Spring

Ahh, the babymoon. An advent of the modern tourism industry, surely, designed to eek the last bit of travel money out of us parents-to-be before all travel stops for a bit. Given time considerations and, um baby-girth-to-airline-seat ratios, we opted to drive north instead of fly south like the rest of the world.

As always, Superior was a balm to the soul.

We found a wonderful hike nearby, trudging through the slush to reach a lovely overlook. I've discovered the recipe for the perfect day for me: a vigorous, you might even say overly-challenging hike, followed by a massage, followed by a luxurious dinner.

As it turns out, the perfect day of the four we snagged away from the kids was also the only day Joe managed to do much of anything. The guy that miraculously avoided the plague that swept our house in March, who rarely gets a cold, was nearly motionless most of the weekend.

He still is. And apparently will be for some unknown number of weeks to come.

I won't dwell on the fact that at 29 weeks pregnant, this baby thing is just a shadow of the cumbersome challenge it's likely to become for the next 11 weeks. Or how badly I don't want to be sick during these last, fleeting weeks with the freedom to focus on the girls and snag extra sleep. I'm refraining from all google-based research on incubation periods and durations of illness.

Nope. Extra meditation. A lot of perspective. A little creative planning to make things easier on myself even as I give Joe all the leeway I can to get himself healthy as soon as possible. Perhaps a plea to whoever is operating that voodoo doll to let us loose....

I'm glad I shrugged off the notion of a complete second draft before June. There will be time again some other day. For now, bring on the lysol and wish us luck!

The Nest

No time to write! Elle's busy entertaining herself with an animal/train city. I'm nesting. Is it a bit early? Sure. But I began spring cleaning after the last cold snap, and the girls' room just sort of happened. I had little time to get choked up over their big move downstairs (no more little snuggly bodies finding my bed in the early morning.... they snuggle each other and read books until breakfast!). The next thing I knew the crib was up! Now, just a few rooms left to clean/organize, and we'll head outside until baby comes!

My Belly Button Keeps My Toots In

Yeah, the title is a direct quote from Elliot Rose.

She has been on a real "why" and "how do you make" kick lately, trying to figure out the origins of things. Apparently she has solved the mystery of the belly button.

We're still working on how do you make light bulbs and how do you make jars and the ever-popular where do babies come from.

Clearly, this search for origins has its roots in my growing belly. While Maya seems generally excited about a baby brother, she also gives of a pretty solid meh vibe about it. Perhaps she is now an expert on big sisterhood and has no worries. Perhaps it just seems too far off.

Elle on the other hand goes back and forth between playing baby, cooing and snuggling her lovey and sucking her thumb, or playing big kid, mastering the role of sidekick by folding my laundry, washing my dishes, and "reading" aloud to her lovey from her favorite books.

She brings up the topic of our actual baby only around others, informing friends and family (who clearly know the source of my basketball belly by now), "we are going to have a baby brother."

So as these mysterious kicks and thumps grow stronger and my lap grows smaller, Elle and I are especially tuned in to the coming changes.

These girls love their baby.....

Brother!

Good thing we have a cousin to shower with pink!

All we wanted was a healthy baby truly. This three kids thing was the plan, even if it ultimately meant three teenage girls at one time! I have a few months left to pump the vitamins, avoid coffee and (sniffle) red wine, and otherwise do what I can to safeguard our little addition. Regardless of gender, curiosity did get the better of us, so we decided to find out at our big ultrasound session. Let me tell you, this kid wasn't shy. We have the funniest ultrasound picture that doesn't seem fit for a family blog (the words "is that an arm" have been heard more than once). So you'll have to take my word for it.

Anyway, we vowed to keep the secret.... just between us...

But do you have any idea how far away June 30th is?  Or any idea what I'm going to do with a boy? Probably all of the same stuff I do with the girls.... but what do we call a boy? Inspiring boy names are hard to come by!

Needless to say, this secret was too big for our 'heart-on-our-sleeves" mentalities. Before it dribbled out, we had to tell all.

So, yea! A boy. 

Blind Date

We met the baby yesterday, in a splotchy, black-and-white sort of way. The chattiest technician in the world assured us that everything measurable looks really good, including several new things they have added to the check list since the girls were born.

Just like the last two times, I found myself wishing for more time. I just want to watch all the swimming around the baby does. It's amazing to watch. Baby started out snuggled up on one side, then did a back flip and ended up on the other. It all looked very graceful.

During Maya's ultrasound, she sucked her thumb.

During Elliot's, she moved so much and so quickly the entire event took twice as long just to get the right measurements.

During this baby's time in the spotlight, pip just lazily tumbled around, often making it easier for the technician to get better pictures of all four chambers of the heart, the lobes of the brain, and various major arteries. Still, pip generally snuggled up in one corner or another so much that a full body image was impossible. All we have is a profile,and the growing sense that this baby thing is absolutely real!

Let the Shopping Begin

We dug out the crib yesterday. Sure it's early. And yes, we have no place to put it just yet.

Elle loves to make bread with me.

Listening to all my talk about a sporadically but powerfully kicking baby-to-be put Joe in the mood to check into our crib recall situation.

You remember the vast crib recall, of course. And ours is on the list. Thankfully it made it through to girls no problem, but we're not taking any chances of course. Thankfully, there is an easy fix. We simply took the old crib back to the store (minus the missing hardware we couldn't find and plus several chew marks from Maya's cranky stage) and received a full refund for a new crib.

The mess is her very favorite part.

With our firstborn, we managed to gather together a ton of hand-me-down things from friends. Our second, of course, added the final touches of hard won wear and tear on all of that gear.

This means that pip (as he or she has come to be known - and this alludes neither to a gender nor a name preference) will have the unique privilege of newly purchased gear. Quite a lot of it actually.

Is there any wonder? What fun!

And really, the shopping is making the whole waiting-for-baby process a lot of fun!

Bump

 Hooray. I've emerged from that awkward stage. For the past month I have looked exactly as though I've overindulged at Christmas. Now ( I want to say finally, but I wasn't showing with my firstborn until after the 20th week) I'm sporting a much more maternal profile.

It's not just the bagels, I swear!

There's no question, a baby will be joining us in just a few months.

As my list of "To do before baby" grows long and my energy reserves grow short, I'm focusing instead on enjoying this lull before the chaos

Elle "baking" cupcakes in her kitchen.

Favorite moments this week include Elle's new habit of sticking her head under my shirt, by my belly, and saying, "I'm the baby!" Also, Maya's constant name suggestions, ranging from Felix and Franny to Hunca Munca and Katie. Elle lobbies for Gola.

If mom's too busy to play Trouble, there is always another option! She played a whole (surprisingly competitive) game with these guys!

I've made it clear that I have the final say!

Bagels

The bagels were the highlight of my weekend, gastronomically speaking. Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day has an amazingly simple recipe.

I may never buy store bought bagels again.

Of course, they disappeared too quickly for a picture... unlike the French bread I made on Saturday. It tasted delightful, but it looked rather... odd. We served the bread with lunch. The girls had PB&J while Joe and I made an herbed olive and feta spread complimented with a fruit and veggie platter big enough to offset my carb guilt. Maya's was the pregnancy of pickles; Elle's was the pregnancy of ice cream (and oddly, much less weight gain); and this is shaping up to be the pregnancy of bread (and ice cream and pickles).

Unlike the bagels, the French bread deserved a photo. I'll reserve my commentary, as this is a family blog. But it did make me giggle.

A Small Peek

It was just a small, gray, fuzzy blob. A Pixar alien, cute in its own little almost-babyish way, swimming around, turning this way and that, hiding coyly.

We almost didn't get to hear a heartbeat, the little creature moved so much.

Until we did. That faint, fast thump, thump, thump, thump so distinct from my own, and so promising. Maya was enthralled. Elle was asleep. And Joe and I were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

The first, fragile three months are behind us. We can peek ahead to summer daydreams of a new baby. To next Christmas with a six month old. We can wonder together about the big sisters Maya and Elliot will be next year.

Ellle was stunned by the news. Well, puzzled actually. "You'll be a big sister," we told her. She simply shook her head and pointed adamantly at Maya, her own big sister. After the ultrasound, even though she napped through it, she finally believed us. "A real baby? In your tummy? Oh, hi baby," she gently patted my middle.

Maya took the news with all of the shock and excitement we had hoped. One hand on her forehead, she exclaimed, "aye-aye-aye" and for a while offered no other words. Then, for the next two hours, she marveled over all the would be's, could be's, and will be's that await us.

The girls are already playing the name game with their little brother or sister: our soon-to-be family of five's first activity together.

Maya's favorites: Sparkles, Joe Miller, and Clayton John.

Elliot's favorites: Hip Hop (for a boy of course) and Madeline or Butterscotch (for a girl).

It's funny how a small peek at a wobbly little Pixar creature can give us such a large peek into our future!