Happy Early Valentine's!

 Happy Early Valentine's Day!

I love this picture because this is one of the faces Claire makes when I tell her to smile and look at the camera.  Most of the time when I try to take a posed picture of her, she just says, "NO!!"  Too bad because she's such a doll.  Anyway, so it was awesome that she actually posed, even though it's a little bit hilarious. This one is super cute too, though doesn't show her personality quite as much.

So, as we expect the arrival of our little boy here within the next couple of weeks (both me and my doctor expect a later-than-the-19th arrival), I've realized that I'm a bit in denial of all of the change that's going to occur.  My past 2+ years have been completely devoted to Claire (I'm realizing now that I should have helped her learn to play by herself a bit more...oops), and now it's going to change a lot!  I've been able to talk to a few moms who have recently had their second to get a fresh opinion on toddler+newborn life.  I mean, obviously moms have done it since forever, and we'll get through it, but it's the little details that got lost in that 0-3 month fog that I'm starting to be reminded of.  Waking every 2-3 hours, night/day mix up, etc.  Anyway, what it comes down to is that it's going to be awesome, but exhausting.  I love newborns.  I love how their little bum fits in your palm and how they curl up right next to you.  I love how their needs are so simple and that you can usually, (minus colicky babies and those with other special needs) fulfill those needs and they are happy campers again.  I'm praying for another newborn like Claire, but you never know.  And, Claire is at such a fun stage right now too.  She's extremely verbal, so much so that the English language is not enough right now and she has resorted to making up her own words, which she finds tremendously funny. I thought it was cute for a few days, now it's wearing on me... But that verbal skill is so nice and I think will help the transition a lot.  She also is obsessed with babies.  Nathan and I have talked about how the purchases of her two babies were absolutely priceless. She could wrap them, put them down for a nap, pretend that they are baby Jesus, etc., ALL day.  Hopefully she won't hold our little boy by the ankle or throw him across the room like she sometimes does her plastic version, but I think overall she'll be a pretty good helper.    Anyways, any tips for having 2 kids?

We're doing great.  I'm very blessed to be feeling well, minus having some difficult nights of sleeping, and we're hoping for a safe and healthy arrival of this little one.  Nathan has been very happy at work and is loving our weather which enables him to get out on his bike a couple times a week.  So, that's kind of our update.  I suspect the next update will be full of newborn pictures--yay!