Here we go again...

David and I have been saying that Elliott needs a sibling for some time now, but we are finally as "ready" as we'll ever be and have been lucky enough to conceive again quickly.

I've been in to see the doctor twice. Once to make sure things were ok after some spotting and one "business as usual" check-up where I chatted with my OB about the strong chances that we were going to have a repeat C-section.

One thing, of many, that being Elliott's Mommy has taught me is that I'm not in charge. Being prepared and planning are two different things, so I will be prepared for both opportunities, but planning for one and not the other is short sighted.

We are really excited about baby #2. I'm doing my best to focus my efforts on not throwing up and continuing to function at work when really I want to be buying up everything pink possible to sway my fetus toward being the little girl I have been dreaming of raising my whole life.

Again, I'm not in charge. Baby's gender is determined and the old wives tale about a fast heartbeat being a girl weren't true for Elliott, so we'll wait patiently until December, when we'll have our ultrasound.

Thanks for joining us on this adventure. It is sure to be that. An adventure.

Photos copyright: Andrea Kerbuski

What Month Is It Again?

Sometime after the two-year mark, parents stop reporting their children's ages in months. This is both a blessing and a curse. You see, Elliott is between two and two and a half. Given how much he changes month to month, it's easy to try and compare him to an "almost three-year-old two-year-old."

What I'm trying to say is that Elliott is growing fast in body and mind and keeping us eternally amused and frustrated. His latest feat has been his superhuman powers to stay up until 11pm and want to bounce around in his bed and play at all hours of the late evening. David and I are accustomed to some down time between 9 and 11pm, so we're both just about done playing "put Elliott back in his big boy bed" after three or four nights of this.

As compared to the beginning of his life, though, it's all relative. We're spoiled, David and I, expecting quiet time and more than 6 consecutive hours of sleep!

Things are really good for us. Our holidays were lovely and family-filled. There is never enough money in the bank account or hours in the day, but we're not alone in this phenomenon. Mostly, we're happy to have amazing friends and family on this journey with us.

Enjoy a few photos and videos.

Our Little Chatter Box.

In a move that surprises no one, Elliott is a talker. I distinctly remember my personal horror when realizing that my mother could tune me out. I'm beginning to both understand the reasoning and hone the fine art of tuning out Elliott's constant chatter.

Here are a few videos I've finally gotten around to posting.




We were trying to get Elliott to say something else, but by the time I got the video rolling, he wouldn't say it again. But I still think it's funny telling Dave to "get up." :) It's not the first time he's said this. And I hope I always remember his signing of "please" well into his second year.




The video above demonstrates my propensity to have random dance parties at all times in our house. We need music. And we need Mommy's phone to plug into the dock in the kitchen that usually spills out some random hip hop mix that we dance to. I refuse to apologize.



I think my favorite part of Elliott's second year so far has been his interaction with toys and the beginnings of his imaginative play. With very little prompting, he sits his favorite stuffed animals on chairs and uses any available utensil to cook for him and feed them. It just about melts my heart when he tells Diego or his favorite stuffed animal, Froggy, to "take a rest" or "lay headie down." And of course I laugh when one of them gets put in time out for being naughty or "not listening."

Parenting Elliott is most definitely an adventure, and one that I'm so happy to be on with David and our family.

A Rainy Photo Shoot.

I have some amazing connections in our adopted hometown of Lansing. From my college friend Becky making her high school friends our newest friends to the talented and innovative public relations and communications professionals that I've met through PRSA and Twitter, I'm just thrilled to be a member of this community.

Elliott gets to enjoy the fruits of those connections as well... Weekly playdates with Becky and her twins, a new swim class through Lansing Parks and Recreation, a weekly nature walk at Fenner Nature Center, outings at Jumpin Jax Bounce Arena and the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden through Lansing Moms Like Me, and this weekend, we got to put the talents of one of my fellow Lansing PR professionals to the test for our family pictures.

It wasn't the clear, cool, sunny fall day I had hoped for, but we had a good time with Andrea Kerbuski. She's more accustomed to photographing brides, who don't move nearly as fast as Elliott, but I think she did a great job. We'll get the full series of photos later this week, hopefully in time to have some developed for the big TWO birthday party on Sunday.

23 Months

Dear Elliott,

You are almost two years old. How the heck did that happen?

We've had a really fun summer. And our adventures aren't likely to end anytime soon.

I love taking you new places and exposing you to different sights, sounds and smells. You are, however, still my child, so you don't hesitate to tell me, "I don't like it."

I could write a novel about being your Mommy, but I don't have the time right now. Instead, just know that I miss you. I can't wait until Grandma and Grandpa bring you home tonight on their way south. I'm so excited about showing you more of the world. And I love you more than I ever thought possible.

Always,

Mommy

With Grandma and Grandpa at the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden and the MSU Horitculture Demonstration Gardens.

At the Airshow with Gram and Pap. You like "quiet airplanes" and scream inconsolably in response to "loud airplanes."

Water fun. It didn't matter how cold the water was... you wanted to play in it.

Driving big trucks and seeing a helicopter at Touch a Truck Day in Lansing. Each truck you sat in you asked me "Keys?" Yeah, right Buddy.

Riding the "big bus" with Auntie M in Chicago. It might have been the highlight of our weekend trip for you.

I can't wait to see where we go next.

Elliott's Kitty

I think our cat, Runa, would beg to differ, but here are a couple of videos of Elliott trying to convince Runa to let him pet her.

He's taken to asking me to "get her" and I have been known to wrangle her out from under the table to let him pet her. He does an excellent job of being gentle, she just refuses to trust the small creature that continues to turn her quiet kitty world on its head. The funny part is that he isn't sure how to get her loose fur off of his hands after he pets her, so I'll spend 10 minutes convincing Runa to let me hold her only to have Elliott get two small swipes of petting in before wandering off saying, "Hair."

I love these video because it shows a few of the things that amaze me about Elliott.

• He picks up EVERYTHING these days. From his calling her "goo" [what I do when I call her] to wiggling his fingers and clicking his tongue, that is exactly what I do when I beckon Runa. It is amazing to watch him pick up these nuances of communication.
• "Calling" her. This started during our bedtime routine when we would "call Daddy" when it was time to give goodnight hugs and kisses. Now Elliott is known to "call" anything he can't find. I'll say, "Where's your ball, Buddy?" and He'll call out "Baaaaaaaalllll." It never fails to crack David and I up.
• Overall, he's a talker. His vocabulary has absolutely exploded over the last couple of months. There isn't a word that he won't at least TRY to say, and he usually does pretty well.

A toddler named Elliott.

Yes, we're still alive. Yes, we're doing well. Yes, it's amazing that Elliott is almost 2.

A picture says a thousand words, so I'm hoping this video will help make up for the thousands of pictures we've missed posting these last few months. I promise Elliott was wearing pants earlier in the day, but close to bedtime when E gets his pants dirty, pantless is how we roll.

Translation: Sweetheart is what E calls my maternal grandma. Pap is my dad. Gram is my mom. Grandma is Dave's mom. Grandpa is Dave's stepdad. Oscar is their dog. Ming is their cat. Good luck translating the rest. We're still working on some of it.