T -6 days

T -8 days and counting

Very excited happy lucky yet somehow - cranky.

I've had a headache since yesterday but no other sinister symptoms... We see the doctor tomorrow - 39 week mark.

Frankly, I'm surprised Burl's not already here or happening... And he's just gonna get bigger... and... what if I can't sleep cuz of headaches and heartburn (one makes it uncomfortable to sit and the other makes it uncomfortable to lay down) and then I'm too tired for labor... But I know it'll be ok and better than ok... I just feel crappy. And too crappy to do too much to take my mind off the crappiness! Had my hair washed and blown-dry today - with the excellent head-shoulder-upper back massage. Only 150nt.

Ivo had a great day - he reported it as "funday" with Grammie and Papa. They went to the arboretum at the science museum and played, ran, bought plastic sea animals and huge bugs. He puts the bugs on me, I scream, he laughs. He says, "bug scare mama." Then he gives me a bug or two and tells me "Bug scare Dash." He does a good job playing attacked by bugs! Earlier, he was telling Grammie that "caterpillar turns to butterfly." He also knows spider, rhino beetle/bug, honeybee, ant... He may also be saying mosquito - he certainly hears about them enough! Ivo also has recently started imitating elephants, swinging an arm and whinnying... Super cute!

He's playing with Grammie right now (pics in moonman suit) - building towers, knocking them down. He spent an hour or so in our garden playing in his old bath - washing and swimming with his animals (pics obvious - from today 14 fe 07 - it's hot!). He's now dressed in his moon-man/astronaut-boy suit... I'm so happy he's happy!

Oh yea, last night we made chicken parmesan - it was awesome! Even Ivo liked it - and he only ever has a bite or 2 of chicken or meat... As a reformed vegetarian, I haven't had chicken parmesan (though I've had eggplant parmesan- but not in/since Taiwan) since high school. It tasted magical - fulfilling my flavor hopes and satisfying some kinda lost memory...

These pics are from yesterday at the plant market. Ivo, Grammie, Karin and I went to pick up pay from school and then shop a bit. Super hot - but it makes pretty flowers! Ivo bought a little mossy plant inside a ceramic pig.

Burl is happy right where he is...

And it's Grampie Doug's birthday! A proven good day to be born... But it's just about 9:30 am and nothing new seems to be churning in the belly... I'm thinking there'll be hints long before Burl arrives.

So Valentine's Day also seems like a good day to be born. Easy to remember... might even garner a guy extra kisses...

(Ivo was born exactly 1 week early at 7:02am on Friday 24 Dec - and easy date to remember. I knew something was going on from 8am the 23rd. We didn't go to the clinic until 4am on the 24th. I hear/read that 2nd babies are often faster to make the scene... but I'm thinking we might have a 10-12 hour heads-up.)

Yesterday I didn't get dressed or leave the house. It was awesome. I packed my hospital bag and napped. Ivo went out with Grammie and Papa. The house gets better looking everyday. Gail made us a big pot of veggie chili - YUM!

In case Burl's waiting for his stuff to be in order - it's ready! He and I are going to be sharing a closet and drawers:)

Ryan got me an mp3/voice recorder which I got working yesterday too!

Ryan and are have almost finished watching LOST season 2 - it's addictive!

Ivo's started playing a new game called Papa booby. Last night he watched a little tv with Grammie in her room. He chose bits of his favorite DVDs; Garfield and the Iron Giant... I should have only given him one DVD but I moved a few into Grammie's room and Ivo couldn't choose - or rather, couldn't stick to a decision. He also couldn't pick a room to stay in - he was happily back and forth between our room and grammie's for about an hour, never having known a world with 2 tvs or cozy options!

The angry apple juice picture is from this morning. It is the face one makes right before announcing "NO PICTURE!"

Ivo in action

Sho came over for a short vist on Thursday after the dr but before the science museum.

On Friday - which Ivo can say - and we were also calling it "funday," we went to the school park to play but it was tooooooo hot! 29C. So we came home and got ourselves ready to go to Mitsukoshi to play in their version of the kidsland. Ivo had a great time. He can say "mitsukoshi" and "freckle."

Burl: 3.2kg

Yesterday morning, we all went to the hospital to see Dr. Wang - who's filling in for Dr Fu. At 38 weeks, Burl weighs 3200g. That's up from the last 2 weeks of 2700g. Ivo weighed 3200g at 39 weeks the day he was born. Doctor says he looks good and assuaged my worry of the last 2 days that he wasn't moving enough. He showed me that the cord is far from his neck and his heartbeat and that he's grown so much this week that he hasn't got much room. I guess he'll be a little bigger than Ivo. But NOT TOO BIG. At this point Ivo was "small for date" by 2 weeks...

Also, I think Burl is gonna be born during the day. We won't have to go to the hospital til after breakfast and he'll be born between 2-6pm. I'm still working on my birth-vision.

I tried on 5 different things today. Everything looks awful. I gotta say, getting dressed infront of a mirror was probably a big mistake. It looks like I'm carrying quintuplets. And how can I be too big fr maternity clothes? Plus heartburn - Burl's gotta come soon because I'll get depressed if I can't go outside (clothes) or sleep (heartburn).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lots of work getting done here. Lot's of genius coming from Ivo's mouth. Yesterday he ate so much - culminating in a late supper of 8 pork dumplings ("dumpings").

Ivo Analogy

Ivo is enjoying having Grammie Gail here. Usually he calls he "Grammie" yet he often refers to her as "Gail." I think he's under a bit of stress as he's living in a state of promises coming to fruition... If Grammie's here, could the baby be far behind?

His vocabulary is exploding! Ivo can almost say anything he wants to say... He at least can repeat it. His pronunciation is good - but I usually know what the context is... Yesterday he said: fast (sounded like fat) - fast for the hot wheel cars (which he also says: "Hot...WHEEls"), porkchop, school park, "I drumming booby," play tennis... MORE SOON

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yesterday was Ryan's last day at work til Feb 26th. Yay! Ivo's been missing him, too. He understands Papa's at school/work/teaching the kids, but he's like Papa to "stay in the home."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So here's the grown-up analogy to Ivo's situation: Listen, Sweetie. I'm gonna be bringing home another wife. I can't tell you exactly when - but don't you worry. It'll be great. It'll be good for all of us. You guys'll probably be best friends - what I mean is, you'll love her too! And don't think for a minute that having her here will change my feelings for you. Hey, I love you- I always will. Now, let's see if we can get rid of some of your stuff to make some room for her clothes...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's Wednesday now - 15 days til Baby Burl is due - 8 days til 39 weeks which is when Ivo arrived...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We have been super busy. Gail keeps saying she's not doing anything - but anyone who knows Gail - knows that's a) ridiculous b) impossible c) delusional d) polite e) all of the above.

Over the past 4 days, we've been to parks, play spaces, successful and unsuccessful shopping excursions of varying ambitiousness(es), she has single-handedly separated and sorted my weight in baby clothes - and helped me get rid of stuff, cooked, read books, played, washed dishes, cleaned kitchen - bathrooms - the tea kettle!!!

And all this while pretty successfully, though not entirely, managing to avoid being photographed! Don't forget the jet-lag!

Also, she's messing with Ryan a bit - which is always fun! On Monday morning before work, she mused that "this baby's coming - Sandy's getting ready to have this baby..." Ryan had trouble swallowing his coffee. And despite assurances that Gail meant this in a more general way - a not so much today-way, let's just say that the arrow hit the target!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ivo got hit by a bicycle on Monday at the playground near our house. And I didn't kill anyone - I'm not even charged with any crime and don't see incarceration as a real likelihood. Obviously, it wasn't too bad - but super scarey AND stoopid cuz he was also running around with 2 pieces of bamboo drumming on stuff. The 12 year old kid on a too-big bike had mostly stopped and was able to lay the bike down without running into/over Ivo. The only problem was that he laid the bike down with the front tire ON Ivo's head.

I'm viewing this as a great lesson/warning - about traffic, cell-phones, running with sticks... I'm taking it as an opportunity - a protective learning experience that will save us from something worse. Prophylactic?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yesterday, after playing in the park and a nap, Dylan and Heather came over. Those pics (and Tues) are at the top. The rest are from Monday. Ivo standing under the red archway - he's pretending it's raining! He invented this game - he says, "oh no - raining!" And puts his hands over his head - and expects you to cover up as well. A pillow, book or your arms will do.

I think that sums stuff up.