Random quote

"Big hunky blokes with picks and shovels."
"Yes, and a couple of deck chairs."
"Deck chairs?"
"Yes, so we can sit and watch."

Sayings

More things Tjabe has said lately:
- "I need an adjustment." (on our way to the chiropractor)

- "Aaawwwww.... cute!" At the time he was referring to the gummie vitamins I was handing him, although I don't know why, but he often says the "Aaawww" part whenever he is referring to the baby. For example, before bed he says goodnight to Sam and me, then we go through this discourse:
Tjabe: "Open." meaning "Please scoot up your shirt Mama so I can see your belly." Apparently his goodnights to the baby don't work through fabric.
I pull my shirt up to show him my belly.
Tjabe: "Aaawwwww...." placing both hands on my belly button. Not my stomach, but right on my belly button. I think he thinks it is some kind of port hole to the baby, or maybe even the baby itself. He holds them there until I make my stomach move, so he thinks the baby has "kicked him". He would never hold it there long enough to actually feel her move though. Then he puts his face up to my belly until I move again, then he laughs and puts his hands up again. We do this a few times, and I get another "Aaawwwww," and then he kisses my belly button and goes off to his bed. I can't wait to see how he reacts to a baby actually coexisting in his house with him in a few months.

- "In the moon like, In the moon like." He was trying to sing along to a song that was playing that actually goes, "In the moonlight, In the midnight..."

- "Go Mama, go!" wanting me to push him faster in the shopping cart.

It's been a while...

I don't really have much to add right now. Things are going well. I and Baby are healthy, as are Sam and Tjabe of course. Right now Sam is cooking a fabulous roasted chicken for dinner while Tjabe and I play. He and Tjabe have gotten some quality time together while I've been trying to get some extra work in this summer. Here are some recent pictures of Tjabe.

We did some watercolor painting - it's about time I got some use out of all those art supplies I bought for college! Of course Tjabe soon realized that it was much more fun to just make the rinse water turn colors with the paints than to actually create something on paper.

An intense artist at work

A not-so-intense expression of Tjabe's

Tjabe found a sunbeam coming in through the window and was mesmerized by it - he kept wanting to walk through it.


A not-so-flattering picture of my pregnant belly, but you get the idea, for those of you wondering how big I am. Tjabe is in there for scale reference. And yes, I could take him out with my stomach if I moved too quickly.

I just realized that Tjabe is topless in most of these pictures. It has been pretty hot here, for my standards. I would be the same way if it wasn't offensive (or dangerous...). That is how hot it is.

Our baby

And the verdict is... It's a girl! I'm always a little unsure about the girl findings, thinking maybe they just missed something, but we basically had the ultrasound done twice yesterday, once with the tech and again with the radiologist, and both agreed that it seemed to be a girl (plus they got two different views of that telling region). Everything else on the ultrasound looked great, and I am still set to be due November 12. We took Tjabe, who seemed interested while it was happening ("I see baby on TV?"). He liked looking at the pictures afterward too. We didn't explain the pictures too much to him, but just told him that this was the baby. Sam thought he might have nightmares if we tried to explain the pictures to him, especially the face one, thinking he was going to have some kind of monster sibling. They are all pasted below for your viewing pleasure. It always amazes me how strange the baby looks in ultrasound, especially the face shots. Kind of creepy if you don't know what you're looking at... Anyway, we are excited to have a daughter, and Tjabe still doesn't really have comprehension of boys vs. girls, so he was just excited that we let him watch the baby on TV (poor kid doesn't get to watch much TV).

View of the arm making a fist on the left ("You talkin' to me?"), the knee/shin on the right

Baby's face on the left, rib cage on the right

Baby's right leg and foot(upside down)

Sayings

Some of the random things Tjabe has been saying lately:
"I'll be back." This is usually used appropriately.
"Woody, no bite." We walk a puppy named Woody who, as a puppy, is constantly nipping at Tjabe, mainly because he is at the perfect height to get a hand in his mouth. Tjabe has learned how to tell him no, but sometimes he will just randomly say this - at the dinner table, driving in the car, etc. No Woody necessary.
"You stay there." Usually told to Mama or Daddy
"Tjabe do it." No explanation needed here, usually coupled with the phrase above.

More Pictures

Sam and our adorable nephew! He got a kick out of Uncle Sam - I think it was the beard, but he always had a big smile for him.

See "Water" post below. This was after the head dunking.

Tjabe sitting on the turtle sculpture in Great Falls.

Tjabe and his cousin Micaiah

Not sure what Tjabe is doing here...

Giving his cuz a kiss

Water

Last weekend Tjabe was playing in a little backyard pool that was full of water. He wasn't wearing a swimsuit and I didn't really want him to get wet, but he was throwing the basketball into the pool and then fishing it out from the side, only getting his hands and shirt cuffs wet. It seemed dry enough for me. Then I saw him look at this water-filled pool and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head - "I wonder what would happen if I ...". The next moment he went up to the edge of the pool, bent over at the waist, and dipped his head in the water. He immediately straightened up, looked at me, patted his sopping hair, and said, with a slight note of dismay, "Mommy, wet!" Live and learn, buddy.