Glamor Girl

2009. The Summer of the Princess (or Ballerina) Dress.

Gwen got a bunch of beautiful hand-me-down dresses from Rachel and Karin, and she lived in them this summer. Getting her to put on a pair of shorts was a major undertaking. Over the months, it took me a bit to realize that I should take some pictures of her in them.

This one is her favorite.

The accessories are important, too - check out those shoes! And that scarf!

It's a Girl!

Update: No ultrasound pictures, but here's one of me and my girls.

The amnio results are in, and we have a healthy baby girl swimming around inside me. Her name is Julia Robin. Julia because we like the name, although we'll probably call her Julie. Robin for my grandfather Robert, who would've loved my little girls so much. He was so important in my life. When I told Grandma, she told me that Robin was her pet name for Papa when they first married, the way I call Jim Jamie. I hadn't known that, but it makes the name even more special.

I have another ultrasound next Wednesday - maybe I'll post one of those blurry shots. In the meantime, Julie's really started to move around. I've felt her for a while now, but mostly when I've been lying down still. Now she kicks me at odd moments throughout the day. This is the fun part, when I can really tell she's in there, and Hello! I'm not sick anymore! (I really really hope I haven't jinxed that.)

And one of Gwennie, who decided her baby had better ride in her belly, too.

What happened to August?

Another portrait of our budding artist

Yeah, see, I promised to update more often, and then I fell off the planet again. The thing is, we're slightly computer challenged at the moment (both our laptops died within a month) and photo/blog management has been an issue.

Other than that, August was a great month for us. Jim's back at work, and it looks like it may very well turn into something long-term. It's something indefinitely long-term right now, but still in "for the time being category." His employment coincided with my second trimester, which means that I am far more of a human being than just a big bundle of pregnancy symptoms. I actually feel pretty good most of the time, particularly in the past few weeks. And Gwen - well, Gwen's a happy little kid, bar the occasional meltdown and the fact that she hates to sleep.

Oh, and we're having a girl! The amnio (which was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be) came back, and we have another healthy little daughter. Jim and I are both thrilled, and we're just about set on a name. I'm going to post a belly picture soon. (Ok, so I'm little bummed around the edges not to be having a boy, because, you know, one of each and everything. But you know what? I would have been bummed around the edges not to be having another girl, because you know, look at the one we've got! This is why I didn't find out the last time. I like the possibilites. But knowing is fun, too.)

We've been spending a lot of time at
this little river beach this summer. (Well, it's called a river, but half the time I call it a creek, which Gwennie says this way "keeek") (I was packing-challenged this particular day, which is the only day I actually took pictures.) It's a great little spot for a picnic and wading. There are little tiny fishies to watch if you feel like sitting quietly to watch them, but mostly Gwen splashes around and digs. We were there as a family this day, but mostly we go with friends, and the mamas sit in the shade while the kids entertain themselves. Lots of butterflies and dragonflies and the occasional duck or helicopter. It's in the same park as out wedding, and they use the grass area for med-evacs and trainings and stuff.

This is Gwen posing for an early morning photo opp, one of the first times she's actually asked me to take her picture.

Me and my girl, in one of her favorite princess dresses.

Not necessarily the cutest picture ever, but this is Gwen in her favorite mermaid bathing suit. Her Auntie Kathleen gave it to her. Mermaids are very big in our house this summer. We were swimmin with Keidi and Adessa and Eliana and her family this day. Here are the little BFFs
afterwards.

It was so hot that weekend that we had to get out of the house on Saturday night. We went out to dinner, and then we drove down to the beach at sunset, where it was much cooler. Gwen thought that was magic. It was a perfect night for bonfires, and the beach was studded with them. The waves were beautiful in the moonlight, and the sand was nice and cool under out feet. Gwennie wandered all over, finding sea gull feathers and other treasures. It was a wonderful adventure, and we thought for sure it would wear our little night owl out. It was full dark when we left, and we figured that if we took the long way home, Gwen would fall asleep in the air conditioning and we could slide her into bed. Great idea, and would have worked, too, except Gwen had other ideas. The whole way home, she was singing at the top of her lungs."Wake up, sun! Wake up! Go to sleep, moon! Wake up, sun!"

She is nothing if not determined.

Last photo - the one that Jim calls "I'd rather fight than switch to Huggies."

Gwen had a literal run-in with a boy at the mall playground the other day, neither one of them looking where they were going, humongous bonk, mucho tears. His big ol' bean collided with Gwennie's cheek at just the right spot, and we've been watching the evolution of a shiner ever since. It's a nice yellowy green now.

And now the girl is yelling, Mama! Come down here! Play blocks with me! so I gotta go.