great pumpkins.

2006
First outing with a group of moms I barely knew. I remember being self conscious about her lack of adequate layers.
2007
She ran around. She ate donuts. She had a ball.
2008

First big outing with both of them. I flashed a group of 6th graders while trying to nurse. She threw a fit in the parking lot. I was in tears by the time we got home.
2009

I love fall. I'm not exactly into Halloween, but I do love a good costume. And all forms of squash. And I love visiting our little local patch. This year, because our family has been hit with plagues, we managed to squeak into the patch 15 minutes before closing time on Halloween. Claire refused to smile for pictures in our usual spot. I have a handful of photos of her with her tongue out, in tears or glaring at me. I sort of love those pictures.

I'll share some of those tomorrow.

a day without vomit.

Our evening routine looks something like this:
Dinner, baths, stories, milk, brush teeth, a little singing and bed

Sunday night, Everett decides that we need a change:
Dinner, baths, stories, milk, empty stomach contents onto mama, second bath, water, bed

For three nights we did this. Then, yesterday, he stopped.

Our morning routine looks something like this:
Mama gets up for a little quiet time, then breakfast, bible reading, brush teeth, get dressed and Sesame Street.

This morning, Nate calls me to Everett's room at 5 AM so we can strip sheets, clean the baby and wash more clothes. At least he didn't aim it at me this time.

just kidding

Two hours after I posted an update with the news that Everett seemed to be better, he went ahead and threw up again. I can't imagine where a little person like him could have been storing all of that food. Also of note: both of my babies find my lap to be the most comfortable place to upchuck.

So far, the resident ballerina has not been infected.

request.

This is my boy. Tonight he is sick. He puked twice this afternoon and I'm trying to remain calm, but when you're told that your baby may just be a kid who gets seizures when he has fevers, it's hard to remain calm.

Please pray that we are able to rest. Please pray that he doesn't have anything seriously wrong. Pray he doesn't have another high fever. And that the One who made him and loves him and gave him to us would cover us all.

(unfried) green tomatoes.

Maybe your tomatoes came up a bit late.
Maybe you like to pretend that you're on the prairie.
Maybe you want your house to smell like delicious vinegar and dill and garlic.
A most recent canning endeavor. Pickled Green Tomatoes. I'm pretty sure this officially enters me into a unique segment of society. Just not sure what that segment is.

that claire, she's so hot right now.

What happens when I tell her she needs to wear something besides just a swim suit if we're going to go outside.

*That is a dress, a pair of striped yoga pants and a striped skirt underneath her (backward) swimsuit. The girl has style.

training wheels.

He is fearless. He climbs. Everything. He has given me a fat lip with the exuberance of his hugs. His love is a force. He is always in motion. He rarely speaks, unless he doesn't know we are listening. And I? I am still a girlmama trying to keep up.

welcome, 2LO

Postpartum brownies are on the horizon for the tiniest babe in our circle of friends.

Don't worry, I won't let these two help make them.

you turned me into somebody loved.

I make brownies that use black beans instead of flour. He tells me he's proud of me. He says, "A lot of people wouldn't do that." They taste like crap.

We visit a friend after her normal birth of a normal sized baby. I lament my hard births with my huge babies. He says, "Why would you want to be average?"

unrelated.

Teddy has recently taken ill and has been spending his days in a cage made of laundry baskets. His Teddymama is keeping his fever at bay with cool cloths and frequent doses of pain reliever. His temperature is being checked regularly and he's taking lots of extra liquids.

He's not up for visitors yet, but his very efficient nurse will gladly pass any well wishes on to him.

i am the luckiest.

Last night Everett had a seizure.

I held his hands as doctors tried to figure out why he was sick. I stroked his cheek and whispered what comfort I could.

It was midnight, beside me was a very small girl in pink princess jammies holding my hand, all the while whispering, "It's ok. It's ok. It's ok."

And it was. But she's still three. So she still requested juice for herself. Still wanted to be held when he needed to be held. Still wanted stickers and to go home and a teddy and blankie and to play games on our phones. And I whispered back to us all, "It's ok. It's ok. It's ok."

And then it was.