around here

He's here!

Baby boy!! Henri Beckett, born 5/25 at 3am. Weighed in at 9lbs4oz (I'm counting every ounce after the labor and delivery of this big boy!). He's a delight. Eli slowed down enough about 1.5 days into his baby brothers life (this afternoon), to notice Henri and was very sweet with him. Mostly pointing out body parts. But so far, in the midst of newborn haze, I'm so glad Eli is pretty much life as usual and quite easy going. We are just so glad baby Henri is here! A few grainy iPhone images...

 

Due date

Oh boy

On the verge of this baby's arrival, any day really, I've been thinking a lot about our boy. We don't know if this one will be a boy or girl and I'm increasingly torn on my own guess (though we both still suspect boy for the most part). Eli is his own little man. And whether he gets a brother or a sister, I know they'll have some keeping up to do. They've been getting ready for it over these months on the inside!

He loves playing in our little garden/dirt patch but gets covered in dirt!! He doesn't like dirty hands though. 

Learning to be patient for the 3 minutes we had to wait before the pool opened for swim time. Always a ball in hand. He's gaining a strong arm and generally like throwing. All kinds of things. And while you may think moon and I go around yielding objects all over the place, clearly modeling this for our son, you'd be mistaken. :)

family appointment

Yesterday began the weekly appointments and the timing was such we all ended up there together. Eli was awakened from his car nap, but just in a sleepy mood, not grumpy. Moon had just finished a shift in the ER and walked over in time for the appointment. And the appointment went great. Chatting about labor, signing forms for the (hoped for) water birth, and of course listening to the baby and having the midwife point out some little feet up there at the top of my belly! Anyways, snapped these as we waited outside. Not the most glamorous of M or I (he was finally getting a chance to eat, I have the "I'm huge pregnant lady" excuse). Eli wanted to rest on me, and honestly the bump was as good a place as any.

The fam at 37 weeks:

a day in the life...

He may have discovered some sprinkles in the kitchen and was beyond thrilled to get this little dish of them to eat (also ate the carrots, so we'll call it even?)

I made sushi for dinner! (Without fish, just avocado, cucumber, carrot)

Boy went on a temporary nap strike (I thought I might die) which meant some getting him to sleep in the car... then he transfers fine to his crib. Whatever it takes!

We had a freebie thing to our neighborhood nickel arcade (very old school, portland). Eli had the time of his life watching this crane pick up and deposit balls for him. 

And here we are, this one is titled "weary mother with child at 36 weeks" or: "please give me a newborn soon!"

Practicing

Last night Moon set up the cosleeper, mostly so I could show it to Eli and explain where the baby would sleep. I took the one baby doll floating around his room to demonstrate. He played with baby's eyes and then I asked him to put baby to sleep and he set the baby in the bassinet. I was thinking this tutorial was going pretty good so I asked him to kiss the baby "night night" and he took the nearby boppi pillow and smothered baby. Oh well. Then he decided to undress baby. Hopefully I can get a few more "baby tutorials" in before the real thing... 

(And at least we have the bed set up!). Meanwhile his vocabulary continues to grow! He opens and closes the eyes saying, "up, down, up, down"

Happy Easter!

A very happy Easter! Here we greeted the day with Easter baskets (or Eli decorated bags as the case may be), pancakes, and then some church. Church was complete with a champagne toast (Eli enjoyed the kid version of the toast) and Eli getting lots of compliments on his seersucker coat. Now we relax before friends join us for Easter dinner. 

Last weeks as an only child

We aren't so sure Eli understands there is a baby inside me. He has sweetly been rubbing my belly on occasion. And he also refers to my belly as the "ball baby". Anyways, we are milking these last weeks of just him. He's a lot to handle some days, but he cracks us up, shows a sensitive side, and wants to run/play/climb/laugh as much as life will let him. So here's what he's been up to as he enjoys the end of an era. (We think he'll be awfully happy to get a sibling... eventually).

(That's Greek frozen yogurt ;)

(Breakfast in our bed. He does say,  "gank woo", or Eli for thank you)

(His rice box. Got rid of the sand when we moved and put in old rice. He loves this!)

Visiting the neat free fire station museum that is just a few blocks from us! You can get inside a real fire truck! (And the phones talk to you).

My (brown) baby

This little boy came up to us at the park today  (maybe 4 yrs old ?) and started chatting as Eli ran and climbed around him. The boy said, "why is he brown and you're white?" I told him it was because Eli's dad is korean, but the boy didn't know what that was (for the record this was coming from a dark/black kid). Like most things on the playground it was quickly dismissed as the monkey bars were far more interesting than a lesson in ethnic diversity. But it was funny to me because I think Eli looks so white. A lot of friends tell us they are surprised how balanced he is-- truly has each of us in him. Leaves me wondering if this next baby will enter the world with black straight hair. We'll see...

34 weeks

I'm not one for bump pictures. Mostly because I'm too busy to stop and document. But this baby is growing like crazy which means I pretty much look like I could deliver tomorrow! So I have to squeeze a few bump pictures in before it's all over.