1 & 2

Noah turned 2 months yesterday, and I'm finally getting around to his 1 month milestone post. Might as well throw in his 2 month post too. Actually, it's late, and I'm trying to make sleep more of a priority. Let's just let the pictures do the talking. Sorry, Noah. But sleep deprivation has really started to take its toll after 9 weeks of caring for you + the sleepless nights I experienced in the last month of pregnancy.

You are so cute. We love you. 

Thought He'd Be Here

Though he'd be here by now. I was really hoping for another July baby, though the due date is August 6.
Wishful thinking, I suppose!
It was a 'mind over matter' mentality. I thought that if I was spatially prepared with nesting, and mentally prepared for delivery in July....the baby would just pop out before August.

Dang. It's August 2, and no signs of an early appearance. Willow was 5-7 days early (depending which due date you use--she had two). But now I'm four days away from this little guy's due date and starting to feel desperation set in. "Am I ever going to have this baby?!" I think that all the time. But then, I also am preoccupied with thoughts for his safety. I'm trying to be content with the timing of things, to be patient with all this anticipation and discomfort. I just want this baby to be here, healthy and happy. 

Some pics from nesting this past week. Changing table is stocked and ready to go. Clothes are washed and organized...not just for the first few weeks, but for the next two years. Hospital bag is packed. 

Willow's imagination station. Here is her 'restaurant'.
She likes to set the table, pretend to cook, and pray before she eats.
She's also pretty desperate for some customers--so if you want to play with a two year old...come on over.

Realized that I never posted the finished product. This is the baby's blanket I made several weeks ago. Not the best pictures, but you can kind of see what it looks like. 

Aquarium Birthday Trip

On Willow's actual birthday, July 8, we went to to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. It seemed silly not to do something a little special on her birthday. She probably would have preferred a zoo, but since the weather was around 100% humidity--which equals death to a pregnant woman--we went to see fish instead. The Aquarium has expanded many of its exhibits since I was a kid, but we only went to three small exhibits because of Willow's attention span. My parents and siblings (minus Tommy who was in summer school classes; Physics III and Differential Equations...sheesh...too smart!) were able to come along. Thanks Dad, for treating us with Aquarium tickets! 

This post is three weeks over due--but better late than never! 

You can read more posts about Willow's birthday and past celebrations too: 

Willow's Birth Story
Willow's First Birthday 
1st Birthday Party 
One Year with Willow
Willow's Toy Story Birthday Party
Letter to Willow on her 2nd Birthday

We parked in the Soldier Field parking garage--so Willow was checking out the monument fountain there. We found my family so easily! While we were driving around looking for a parking spot, we saw my parents' mini van driving around doing the same thing! 

In the very large elevator at the Shedd. 

Willow's attention span was minuscule that day. She was literally running from one tank to the next. Or she was avoiding them altogether. Some of the fish and mammals were pretty intimidating. There were also a lot of people around, and that didn't help the over-stimulating atmosphere.  

Emma, the Impressionist

"Let's get away from these fish, Dad!" 

"Hold me, Emma! That one is scary!" 

Touch screen information signs. 

On the left, you can sort of make out a giant crab. My dad wanted to eat it.

Stand in line to touch a sturgeon! Willow was all about getting in line to pet the fish...but chickened out at the last second. Brad said he had eaten one earlier that week in Texas.

Afterwards, we drove over to Panang to eat some Thai food for an early dinner. Willow is all about checking out menus for herself. She ended up trading food with Brad--who was very gracious about forfeiting his rice dish for her stir fry. Willow, apparently, had been dying for rice! We used to eat at Panang quite a lot while we were attending Moody because the price was reasonable, the service fast, and the food delicious! We still find ourselves there at least once a year to catch up with our favorite dishes. Thank you Dad for treating us to dinner as well! And paying for our parking....you are super generous and we weren't expecting you to do that! Thank you. :)

We love all of Willow's expressions, talking, and babbling! She is so entertaining! 

Can't believe Willow is 2 years old! 

After Panang, we returned to Momence. The skies are so beautiful in America!

This is what 36 weeks pregnant looks like. Just starting the ninth month of pregnancy and feeling so, so, so, uncomfortable.

I've probably gained more weight in this pregnancy than with the first, but I feel 'smaller' than the first time around. I think, to date, I've gained 35 pounds. That's quite a lot! I'll blame it on all the rich desserts, ice cream, and American-sized portions I've been eating this summer. However, to compare--at 39 weeks with Willow, I was 8 pounds heavier than I am at 39 weeks with baby boy. Does that mean I can gain 8 pounds in the next few days? Just kidding. Or maybe not. Pass the ice cream. 

For a little comparison...Here I am standing in the same field, two years ago, while pregnant with Willow. This picture was taken in late June when I was 38 weeks pregnant and HUGE.

Currently, I am 39 weeks pregnant and hoping that this baby shows up before next week!