Happy Birthday Amiya

Today was Amiya's third birthday. Seems unbelievable that this little dervish has only been with us for three years. Lately Vinay and I have been tired and so cranky with Amiya more than she had merited. And she's been more strung out and needy with the arrival of a second little Gupta. Today was a good day for us to remember exactly what is magical and special about Amiya.

And now, back to reality. It was also a day for her to have three servings of ice cream and cake, to tantrum over the most mundane details and to crash during naps and at night as her blood sugar slows back to normal. All in all, it was a very nice day. She had 18 friends over (18!!!) and their parents, too. Daddy had the absolutely fantastic idea to rent a bounce house after our park plans went awry. Amiya didn't bounce in the bounce house, but she did sit and talk with her good friend Tyler's Mommy for a long time. Amiya opened lots of fantastic presents and can't wait to play with all of them.





Amiya and Aubrey checking out the bounce house just as the party was starting.







To the left we see Amiya and Gabe relaxing and sharing a quiet moment. I love this picture - it reminds me of two old married people sitting together and watching the young'uns at a family reunion.

To the right - the inside of the bounce house. See those Mommies? I think they liked it as much as the kids. In the lower right of the picture you can see Amiya chatting up Miss Kim. Amiya won't bounce and she won't ever stop talking!

Mommy Coupons

See this?
That's a Mommy coupon. That's right, a Mommy coupon. It's "seventy dollars!!!" off of a new Mommy. Amiya pulled it out of the coupon section of the Sunday newspaper. When Vinay asked her if she wanted a new Mommy she replied, "No Daddy, I have the best Mommy!" Aw. Just about melted my heart.

The Napping House

Don't we wish???

There's a classic children's book called The Napping House. It's a delightful book all about a Grandma who sleeps with a dog, a cat, etc., etc., all upon her tummy until something happens that wakes them all up. That's a bit what it's like around here when I've got good karma coming my way. Witness:

Ok, so we're not really napping. Instead we were just having a quiet cuddle watching a Little People video before her bedtime. Amiya's been dealing with shared attention and less time so well - really, much better than I'd expected. She absolutely adores "Kevvy" (her nickname) and always wants to be right next to him. She's full of soft touches and softer whispers and if I turn my back, it's almost a sure bet that she'll be kneeling next to the playpen watching him sleep.

And then there was this. Amiya, Kevalin and Grandpa all lined up on the couch for an afternoon slumber. Notice, if you will, that again the Divine Miss A is not sleeping. Ah well, two minutes of pretend sleeping means two minutes of blissful quiet (minus the fake snores). We'll take what we can get.

Kev is a champion nurser - he is now 7 lbs. 1 oz - that's 7 ounces over his birth weight. Go, Little Man, go! Mommy and Daddy are proud of you but if you could just concentrate on eating during the day and sleeping more than 2 hours at night, we'd have more of our wits about us to celebrate your nursing successes!

And finally, if you're keeping score, it's now Kevalin 11, Mommy & Daddy 0. That's how many times we've been peed on by his little acorn. Today we were at the pediatrician's office to get his belly button checked since his cord fell off and he's been bleeding a bit. No sooner had we gotten him off the scale and over the exam table (vertically, still in my hands) than he unleashed a torrent of two very different bodily fluids (because we all know breastmilk bowel movements aren't exactly solid). Good times, good times. Happily, there is ample hand sanitizer at a pediatrician's office and we just about used it all up scrubbing the table. We're not sure what he'll be good at when he grows up, but he's already demonstrating proficiency in keeping Mommy and Daddy knee deep in laundry.

Baby Madonna

It makes no difference if you’re black or white
If you’re a boy or a girl
If the music’s pumping it will give you new life
You’re a superstar, yes, that’s what you are, you know it

Come on, vogue
Let your body move to the music
Hey, hey, hey
Come on, vogue
Let your body go with the flow

All the musicians we listen to, ten months of all sorts of different stuff and the kid chooses Madonna???

Grandpa's Pictures

Grandpa is quite a photographer. It seems to run on the male side of my family - my Grandpa, one of my brothers and hopefully Kevalin, too. Maybe there's a Hounsell scholarship out there that I'm not aware of because none of these guys use point and shoot cameras - it's all pretty fancy. Anyway, Grandpa's pictures came back from our very first hours with Kevalin and here are a select few:

Our first family photo. Sorry about the bare shoulder - morphine'll make a girl do crazy things!

Kevalin's first kisses from his Didi. Doesn't Vinay look absolutely miserable?

This isn't that exciting, as photos go, but he just looks so sage and alert here. One day soon we hope he'll look like this about 8AM and save the sleepy, droopy eyed stuff for the PM.

Makin' Pancakes

Amiya's been down and out with the flu since Saturday, but she's on the mend and is her usual sprightly self once again. Grandma got a cold, too, so both of these ladies have been more horizontal than vertical but before all that, they were busy together. Witness:

Oatmeal pancakes are a two person job. Grandma measures the ingredients, Amiya dumps them in the food processor. Grandma secures the top of the machine, Amiya pulses until smooth. At this rate Amiya and Grandma could have their very own show on the Food Network. They've got no quirky catch phrases like EVOO or Bam! but they're both pretty cute and they made delicious pancakes for all of us.

In other news, Amiya has finally gotten tall enough to pedal effectively. We've had this bike for almost a year. We had such visions of her pedaling around the block - we thought if she were up on a bike we might be spared the eternal acorn scavenging. But we were foiled by the combination of Gupta/Hounsell genes - her legs are only as long as her genetics allow. She's grown into her bike (but not into the helmet) and can now pedal all the way from our driveway to Mr. Chris' driveway. It takes roughly the same time as the Tour de France, but she requires no champagne when finished and we all get big hugs so the wait is worth it.

Enough is enough.

Grandpa's tired. Exhausted. He just can't take it anymore. Two grandkids to cuddle and hug and rock. Somebody. Anybody. Please. Send in reinforcements.

Check this out:

It's the world's youngest combover!

Welcome Kevalin Thomas!

Vinay and I woke up early Thursday morning preparing ourselves for just one more day of normalcy before the c-section on the 24th. But, it wasn't to be. After a quick call to the doctor's office because of a bit of bloody show, we were told we needed to be there as soon as possible. So, off we went to the doc's around 10:30 and we were quickly told that I was going into labor and the c-section needed to happen Thursday. We walked over to the hospital, got hooked up to IVs and the like and little Kevalin Thomas was born at 12:56 pm. It was rushed but fabulous - not a lot of time for Mommy to get worried.

Kevalin is a name from India. It means "he who seeks knowledge" and we like both the meaning and the easy pronunciation. Thomas is after my Dad.

Kevalin was 6 pounds 9.6 ounces at birth and 20.5 inches. Almost a pound and a half smaller than Amiya, but 1 full inch longer. He squawked when born but then spent the next three hours calmly looking at the new world - his name seems appropriate.

Amiya is completely in love. She speaks to him in a calm, soothing voice and uses only the gentlest of touches. When she came to see him the first few times it was as if no one else was around - Kev was her sole focus and don't even bother to try to get her attention. Unfortunately, Amiya has fallen sick with a high fever and upset stomach, so she's staying at Grandma and Grandpa's camper for a few days.

Daddy is a happy, tired man. We honestly did not open the envelope and so we were both in a bit of shock to see a penis where we were expecting nothing of the like. But just like Amiya's birth, Vinay quickly got things moving in the right direction. These kids are so lucky to have a Daddy that doesn't balk at diaper changing, soothing crying newborns and even golden showers. That's right! Vinay got a golden shower from little Kevalin before the child was more than 1 day old. He had a choice between dodging the meconium or dodging the urine. I think he chose well!

I'm doing well. I'm still in a bit of shock about having a Kevalin and not a girl. It seems so strange to open the diaper and need to navigate around to clean. But, he's a gorgeous, calm little guy and I've got absolutely no complaints. The c-section was alright and nursing is an entirely different experience this time than with Amiya, so I am grateful and feeling much less blue than last time. Plus, it's simply hard to feel down when I've got Vinay taking care of me, my parents spending all their time taking care of a very loving and proud Big Sister and two amazing children.

There will be many, many more pics of Kevalin and Amiya in the days to come when we've got time to get online. Thank you all for your well wishes!

Hear that?

Listen carefully.




Nothing?



Good, as it should be. That's the sound of quiet. Grandma and Grandpa came yesterday and Amiya is a happy little girl. Today Amiya, Daddy, G & G are off to the zoo and Mommy is home alone to rest. I have two little errands to run and then I'm going to put my feet up and close my eyes and enjoy an hour or two to myself without building towers, playing zoo or coloring. I'm not complaining, just relishing these last few times I'll have quiet for a long, long time!

We're at five days! Can't believe it. Feel free to leave a comment and tell us if you think it's a Boy Gupta or a Girl Gupta. Aside from that envelope (still sealed, thank you very much) we've got absolutely no inkling. I'm carrying higher than last time but when you're 5'2" that's a very subjective call.

Sunshine in 34"

Isn't she just about the cutest? This is a Mommy
created dress - she loves it, I love it, the pharmacist at Target loves it. She does nothing but twirl and run when she's in it because we all know nothing billows all about like seersucker. Now, if we could only get past this silly stage of making faces at the camera instead of smiling.

And for those of you wondering if it is really warm enough for her to be out in a sleeveless, lightweight sundress the answer is a resounding YES! It's between 75 and 80 here these past few days. I'm rubbing it in now because I know in a few short months you'll all be enjoying nice weather and we'll be sweating in the heat and humidity!

Like Uncle Like Niece

I have a brother, Andy, who would eat popcorn every single day if it were available to him. I fear our little family wasn't very hospitable when he visited us in December as we had no popcorn in the house. How he managed to bear us is beyond me. All this to show you how much he loves popcorn and now, one could easily guess, so does his niece.

Amiya will pick up blocks for popcorn. Amiya will clean her room for popcorn. Amiya will eat tomatoes for popcorn. Amiya will nap for popcorn. Popcorn is this little chick's currency and happily the exchange rate works in our favor!

Will you be my balentine?

Amiya is in love with the idea of love. We've been hearing nothing but "I love you Mommy." and "I love you Daddy!" Not that we're complaining, mind you. We also get a lot of "Will you be my balentine?" Not that she really gets what it means because she asks the checker at the grocery store, the babysitter, our neighbor and us. It's a sure sign of a polyamorous future for our eldest child. You can see the balentine she made for Daddy above. It was a mad dash this evening to make a few valentines for her party tomorrow - thank goodness for stickers, foamy flowers and construction paper.

In other news, Amiya is more verbose than ever. To the point where Mommy is contemplating piercing her own eardrums in an effort to have just a few minutes of silence. Do you think I might be at the end of a pregnancy and just a wee bit tired and cranky? I think so. Some recent Amiya phrases:

"Daddy, you have to play wif me. It's the weekend."

"Excuse me sir, where are the plugs?" (While pretending to go to the store with Daddy.

"Daddy, here's the deal: I'll eat three. Is that a good deal?"

Amiya-isms

Amiya. Amiya, Amiya, Amiya. Everyday is full of more and more idiosyncracies that make Amiya who she is - a little girl with her own set of ideas, wants and goals.

She's back to her big girl bed after being in the crib for a few weeks fighting off a sinus infection. Since being back she's decided that a pillow case makes a really, really good sleeping bag so she strips the pillow of the pillow case, inserts herself into said case and covers the pillow with her blanket. Whatever works, Little One. Happily she had a dry nap today in Big Girl Underwear, so maybe we'll be down to pull-ups only at night.

She's also exceedingly complimentary lately which is not something we're complaining about. Daddy and I are repeatedly told how great we are or that she loves us so much. She even told our waiter last weekend at breakfast that he was a "great guy." The poor server wasn't sure what to make of it, but he took the toddler compliment with grace and walked away laughing to himself.


Our first round of Knock, Knock jokes has come upon us. They go something like this:

"Knock, knock. Who's there?"

"No, Amiya. You only say "Knock, knock. The other person says "Who's there?""

"Ok Mommy. Knock, knock. Who's there?"

Groaning. "Who's there?"

"Orange pants."

Uproarious toddler laughter. Sometimes it's orange pants, sometimes strawberry pants and every once in a while a freaky combination best called fruit salad pants.

And finally, witness our child's sleeping position:
This is not Amiya at play or even half asleep. This is full out sleeping yesterday morning. We thought they only slept like this as infants still fresh from the cramped out space of Mommy's womb. Nope, not Amiya. She's still butt up, head down and snoring her time away. It would appear that Bear and Little One have to sleep just like their Mommy, but surely that must be coincidental.

A New Swimsuit

Amiya's been begging, begging, to go to the wimmin' pool. It's been nice in Florida lately, but not nearly nice enough to be in an outdoor pool the size of our community pool. So, no wimmin' pool for us. But she did get a new wimsuit and she was all about it last night. We ran to Target for a few sundries and ended up with a new double stroller (Daddy's really expensive whim) for Obie and Amiya and a new swimsuit for Amiya (Mommy's cheap whim). Maybe it's a bit premature, but the colors are great with her skintone now - how fabulous will they look when she's a bit more tan? And, Mommy was late with swimsuit selection for Amiya last year and so there wasn't much choice.
Our Little Peanut was so excited about said swimsuit that we had to try it on when we got home and then she wouldn't take it off. Despite the fact that it's warmer than most of the country but still not exactly swimsuit weather. Despite the fact that it was nearing bedtime and we were ready to get her into pjs. Ah, Amiya. We love your independence. And we hope you never lose the excitement of trying on and wearing a brand new swimsuit! Someday when you're 14 and bemoaning your blossoming (or not) body, Daddy and I are going to show you this blog and prove to you that you weren't always so uncomfortable or self-conscious. And to prove that point, let me just say that you think the super-sticky band-aid on your nose looks pretty good. If you'd only stop scratching at the remaining wound on your nose and let it heal you wouldn't have to wear it. But, because you won't, you instead have a big ol' piece of "flesh" colored material on your nose that makes it look like you had the world's most premature nose job. You like it, though, and if it helps you resist scratching well then, so be it!

Sleeping Beauties!!!

It is a beautiful Saturday afternoon and two sleeping beauties are snoring away with nary a care in the word. Welcome to a preview of exciting weekend life!!!

I can safely say that in 4 weeks one could update this post with a picture of a third sleeping person. The good thing is that daddy was able to finish the taxes uninterrupted by a two year old who makes him do all kinds of strange activities that range from dancing around a balloon, playing a show announcer, and the "much aspired and ambitious" cash register clerk.

As you can see I don't have the same panache as my lovely wife when it comes to the pen. But after all what else could you expect from an engineer!

Obelix

The countdown is on - we are at 29 days or less. I say less because Baby Obie very nearly joined us on Tuesday. Very, very nearly.

Monday afternoon and evening I noticed less and less movement. So, I laid down and did the appropriate kick count - not enough movement in the allotted time. Upon waking Tuesday morning I did it again. Again, not enough movement which meant I had to call the doctor and get an appointment to get things checked out. They penciled me in at 9:30 for a quick heartbeat check.

I dropped Amiya off at Vinay's work thinking I'd be at the doc's for only 20 minutes - I just didn't want her around if the doc needed to do an internal check. We're pretty open about things with her, but she's too young for that. She had a bag full of quiet things to do and she knew that Daddy had to teach his class so she would have to be a very good girl.

I was at the doc's at 9:30, but didn't actually see anyone until 10:30. The doctor took Obie's heartrate and everything was fine, but to be sure he ordered a Non-Stress Test (NST) which measures baby's movement and heartrate as well as any contractions I might have as well as a BioPhysical Profile (BPP) which is a more in-depth ultrasound where the baby can score up to 8 points - 2 for each of the following: breathing, fluid, tone (muscular) and movement.

So, over to the hospital I went in a hurry because I was starting to get worried. A BPP is serious stuff. The NST was fine - the baby's heartrate was good and while he/she wasn't doing any fancy footwork, there were occasional kicks and pokes. The BPP was great for breathing and fluid, but the baby did not move one time in 45 minutes. It scored 4 out of the 8 possible points as there is no way to score for tone if the baby is not moving. The BPP Tech went to confer with the specialist and left me alone in the room. I stepped out to ask if I could get a drink of water (it was now 12:30 and I hadn't had anything to eat/drink since 6:30 AM). I was told, "No. If they need to do a section now, you need to be ready."

Imagine, just imagine, how Christy who is normally quite emotional on any given day reacted to this statement when pregnant and not yet at term (34 weeks, 1 day).

That's right. Big weepy pregnant woman freaking out.

Luckily Vinay and Amiya found me at that point and all I can say is I married the right guy for me because he was my rock.

We went back for an additional NST and to wait for my doctor to come over and tell us what was going to happen. I'm still scared - torn between worry for the baby's young age and worry about Amiya witnessing Mommy lose it and in fear over being in a hospital. Luckily, while we were waiting a very good friend of ours was able to come up and get Amiya for as long as we needed.

Our ob finally comes to see us and lets us know that because the NST was good, the fluid and heartrate were good, and that the baby was measuring at 4 lbs. 15 oz., we would not, actually, be doing the section today. BUT, we had to go back the next day and do all the tests over again and that if the results were not much, much better we would have the baby tomorrow.

Fast forward to Wednesday morning - we dropped Amiya at our friend's house again (have I mentioned how fantastic this family is?) and made our way to the hospital. Vinay was feeling confident and I was hopefully optimistic that all would be well - since coming home Tuesday evening we had done three kick counts - all well over the needed number in well less than the time allowed. Obie was busy, busy, busy - both the NST and the BPP were as perfect as perfect can be and so Obie stays where he/she is until further notice.

I've edited out several details that make this even more dramatic and scary, but it's 9 pm and you have better things to do. Suffice it to say that little Obie is on strict orders to kick me often and hard so we don't have to go through this again. And, if nothing else, we got this:


That's a front view of the face, complete with lush little baby lips. For the second (8/8, successful) BPP, Obie waved at us, flashed us the peace sign and generally made him/herself very known. Ever since my meltdown on Tuesday, Obie has been kicking nonstop which is exactly what we want. Now the only remaining question is will we actually make it until the 24th?

Are these not the cutest?

A good friend of mine in the neighborhood loves to sew all sorts of very cool bags and purses, so I asked her to sew matching diaper bags for Amiya and I. They are fantastic from top to bottom and while it doesn't look like it due to the flash, the lining matches the colors of the bag p.e.r.f.e.c.t.l.y.

I didn't really know how I felt about the idea of the baby giving Amiya a present which is what a lot of people do now when the older sibling meets the baby for the first time. Not that I think Amiya is a baby genius but she knows that baby isn't out yet and she'll figure out that it hasn't really been shopping. So, instead I decided to make Amiya a little diaper bag and fill it with all sorts of Mommy things so she can play Mommy to her dolls and take her bag along if she wants. We'll fill it with a changing pad, diapers, a snuggli, burp cloths, etc. Mine says Mommy and hers says Didi which is what the baby will call her. Most likely hers will quickly be converted to an acorn bag, but for as long as she wants she'll have her very own bag that is just as important as Mommy's bag.

Ah, toddlerhood!

Amiya fell not one, not two, but three more times yesterday while at Busch Gardens. She is as bruised and banged up as she's ever been and obviously not as graceful as usual. Her nose is completely scraped, the skin between lips and nose a mess and her lips are pretty much hamburger like right in the center. The good news is the child loves to have salve put on, so we've been doing that and will continue to do so. She's far more concerned about the toenail she pulled off yesterday and the fact that it hurts. She won't admit that she caused that owie and has power to not do it again. Sigh. Mommy and Daddy are watching her carefully because we're now at 5 falls in 4 days. That's a lot of falls for Amiya. It's most likely nothing at all, but we (I, specifically, Vinay is a bit more grounded) are the epitome of paranoid parents.

Despite all the scrapes and lacerations, Amiya is sunny and cheerful this morning. Last night the Moms in our Mom's Club held a baby shower for me at a yummy Thai restaurant. It was a very, very nice time (when isn't it when we can actually talk without wiping noses and/or bottoms?) and we were given very thoughtful gifts. Amiya and I went through the basket today and found gifts for Mommy, gifts for the baby, a frame and a CD that Amiya and the baby can share and even a coloring book for Amiya. She was thrilled with the gifts but how can anything compete with the big yellow sun shining down on Amiya when she woke up this morning? The balloon is a big, big hit. Her only complaint is that Mommy won't let her play with the balloon unless I am in the room and can give her/it my undivided attention. See first photo for reasons why and you can understand the paranoid parent part. Anyway, an order of pad thai and crab rangoon and a night out with people I really enjoy - what an excellent way to pass an evening! Thanks Friends!!!

The Perils of Red Light/Green Light

Amiya was at a friend's today playing a game of Red Light/Green Light. She's old hat at this one and we use it all the time to get her to stop at driveways, corners, etc. She took it a little too literally though and came to a direct stop on her face. This picture is actually not representative of the split - the lip has a pretty deep crack in it - but Vinay promises me it's not stitch worthy. (I think he and my Dad went to the same seminar on whether wounds are hospital worthy or not.) Upon further review, though, I think he's right. It had stopped bleeding once and then she scraped it with her teeth so it let off another torrent. Eventually it slowed and stopped and Amiya quickly learned that a split lip equals copious amounts of Italian ices courtesy of Daddy, lots of extra stories and cuddles and even *gasp* the supreme privilege of being able to take a nap on the couch.

Baby Shower

I'll never say that the few months I spent teaching at a certain sport camp cum prep school near Tampa bring fond memories, but I did meet a handful of teachers that were, and still are, fantastic.

Here we are Sunday afternoon for a lunch and baby shower. It was very good to see these "girls" again - it's interesting how once you reach a certain level of familiarity (in our case brought about by a headmaster with brain chemical issues), you will always have a certain comfort no matter how long the time in between moments shared has been. We were an interesting mix: one squeamish at the idea of changing a diaper, one newly pregnant, one with a one and a half year old daughter and me about to pop #2. Unfortunately for the one squeamish, we all know that anytime you put three Mommies and/or Mommies-To-Be together, the talk will turn to babies, baby poop and the like. She survived and we all know not to call her for babysitting until the kids are potty-trained. ;-)

The girls gave me a lovely gift certificate to Publix - how did they know I'm obsessed with their deli's turkey sub? I've had two since Sunday night (one Sunday night, one Tuesday night) and only skipped Monday night because it's become Amiya's job to pick dinner one night a week and she picked quesadillas. Can't break her heart and not eat what she picked. But I'm thinking a sub sounds good for dinner, tonight! Nothing too bad about a turkey sub - lean protein and I get 'em heaped with veggies. (Let's forget about the white bread I like and the mayo.) Anyway, thank you very much to the girls for a nice afternoon out and for helping me feed my (at least I tell myself) healthy pregnancy craving!

Smoovies

Amiya's discovered a new love: smoothies.
Daddy decided one night that a smoothie sounded like a good, fresh dinner (understand it's 80 here on a daily basis) and ever since that fateful night, Amiya is the smoovie posterchild. Until this point I've been perfectly happy going to our local smoothie place and getting her one on occasion but she's had a nagging cough for about a week now, a clear runny nose and has been sleeping a lot more than usual. So, being the stay at home Mom (literally - we haven't been going anywhere so as to not spread the love) with time on her hands, I came up with a smoothie full of all that Amiya doesn't like (anything with copious amounts of Vitamin C and lots of juice).

We blend 1 c. fresh squeezed orange juice, 1/2 c. 100% cranberry juice, 1 c. mixed frozen berries and a handful of ice cubes. Chock full of Vitamin C, antioxidants and delicious flavor - Amiya thinks she's in smoovie heaven while Mommy and Daddy have the secret happiness of tricking her into drinking juice and getting lots of fluids.

Family Reading Time

Mommy went to catch a showing of Brokeback Mountain while Daddy stayed home and cleaned (what a man!!!) and Amiya took her nap. When I returned, I came home to find Amiya instilling a family reading time where she assigned the books to be read. She picked an old Fern Michaels novel, assigned me a book of her baby pictures and Vinay got a copy of the boardbook I Love You with All My Heart. Amiya's interest quickly waned when she found there are no pictures in a novel and (brace yourselves) the five letters she actively seeks in every book - A - M - I -Y and A (again) were interspersed with all sorts of other letters and some of them were even lower case. Nonetheless, it's fun to see Amiya and Vinay reading even if the material wasn't their favorite genres.

Are we dere yet?

Today we had to exchange the Roomba as the one we originally purchased was (unknown to us) a return and a bad return at that. So Amiya and I got in the car and headed out for the 25 minute trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond. What do I hear the entire 25 minute trip?

"Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?" "Are we dere yet?"

I answered the first three by saying, "No Amiya, you'll know we're there when we get in the parking lot and stop the car." From the fourth query forward I let her amuse herself with her little question and tuned myself in to some of those breathing exercises that don't make the slightest difference during labor but truly save this Mommy's sanity when toddler times are trying.

Air Mail Amiya

We were at the post office today to ship a small
package to Grandma. Amiya was very unhappy that she was unable to also be shipped to Grandma so the clerk gave her a priority mail sticker that Amiya proudly wore for the rest of the day. At 28 pounds postage would have been cheaper than an airplane ticket but try as I might, they wouldn't take her. Something about potential biohazard leakage. Whatever.

Our family is now the owner of a pet: a roomba. Or, if you ask Amiya a rrrrrrrrroomba! It's ok, not as fantastic as we had hoped but it was a roomba or a dog and we don't want a dog. Amiya loves it and follows it around. "Look what the rrrrrrrrroomba is doing!" "Wow is the rrrrrroomba going fast!" She even knows that the roomba was Daddy's pet because he "loves bacuums." Daddy is a bit vacuum obsessed and that's ok. Better that than other obsessions, right? Amiya told Grandma last night that Daddy was buying the rrrrrrrrrroomba because he really loves bacuums. Such a smart little girl!

And finally, if you're ever in need of a word and you just can't come up with what you need just take your favorite and add a y or ly to the end. A few weeks ago we had a very "acorny" day when Amiya was amassing acorns left and right. If we are walking at a good pace but not running, we are walking "fastly." And so on. Parts of speech are no issue to a three year old - if she gets the point across, all is well with the world.

Little Golden Presents

You may remember my excitement about Amiya going to the bathroom all by herself. I'm past that.

She now goes into our bathroom, as well, to the little toilet that is an entity in and of itself as opposed to the little seat we place on top of the regular toilet that is in her bathroom. She goes in, seats herself, leaves a sparkling present, dries up and places the toilet paper in our toilet. She flushes the paper, but doesn't pour out the liquid offering she's left behind.

We, umm, me, really, never looks in that tiny toilet because how can it even be possible that she's old enough to be doing this on her own? Just a few days ago she was banging on our coffee table in Illinois with a plastic hammer full of primary colored beads. Anyway, I never look in the damn toilet until my super sensitive pregnant nose picks up day-old urine odors and I figure out that once again she's done it. She's such a verbose little thing - don't you think she could find the words to say, "Mommy, I peed and it'd be swell if you could deal with it pronto."

Thankfully, there's Febreze.

Why?

Why on the days when I say that she needs to sleep (purple splotches under eyes, cranky, dramatic) does she not? And then when I tell her she only needs to lay down and rest she falls asleep like an angel and sleeps over the CD I had set to signal the end of her rest time? Of course I'm jinxing myself and this won't happen again tomorrow, but for these past two days it's been nothing short of fantastic!

In other news - Amiya's been screwing a lot lately. That's how she says it - minus the s - crewin. She screws all over the place with her screwdriver and a bolt. She walks around telling us where she's screwing and that's she doing it a lot. Precocious? Maybe. Worryworthy for the future? Probably.

And finally - we won't meet Obie on March 1st. A silly string of events has pushed the date forward to February 24th. Five days earlier and only 43 days from today. Can you even fathom? We can't.

The Week in Pictures

Mommy's tired lately, I know you'll forgive me!

A quick recap of our week - Amiya's favorite after-nap snack as of late: a small handful of mini chocolate chips and a glass of water to be shared with Bear and Little One while sitting on the kitchen rug. Mommy scores bonus points if she tosses in a few bits of cashew.
To the left is Amiya checking out Clifford in her View Master that her Uncle Matt sent. She's completely into this little toy. Good job Uncle Matt!

In this action shot you can see the lower 2/3 of Amiya and the right 1/2 of Aubrey - it's the best I could do given the circumstances. Aubrey came over to play on Thursday so her Mommy could do some errands and it was a non-stop parade (literally) around here. The girls had a great time making all sorts of music and messes and it was a lot of fun to see how the interactions have changed in the year that they've been playing together.
To the left we see Gabe and Amiya on the playground for a Friday morning playdate. These two were, as always, inseperable. There might be a chill in relations though as, for once, there was minimal kissing and hugging. Or, it might be that all fear is gone and there is nothing on the playground that these two won't scale, climb or attempt. Either way, they were busy and having fun until the Mommies got cold and decided to call it a day.

After our playground time we made a quick jaunt to the grocery store for a few supplies. Amiya was fascinated by the deli clerk's hairnet. So much so that she was given one of her own. She calls it a hairapron and refuses to consider that that might not be the correct term.

Not such an exciting photo to the left, but just in case you're ever here and wondering why there is a hairnet hanging from our dining room chair it's because that's where Amiya has decided it should be. I can move it x times and Amiya will put it back there x + 1. Just so you know it's not bizarre housekeeping or a really huge spider web. It's the whim (and will) of an almost three year old.

After lunch on Friday, Amiya went to the neighbor's house while Mommy got her haircut. Taking after her Mommy, it seems that Amiya has an allergy to pet dander - check out the purple splotches under her eyes. This picture doesn't really do the swelling and the bruising justice - this is after Tylenol and a rest. Her eyes stayed bruised for two days. Her doctor gave us drops and a prescription allergy medication. Amiya's biggest concern was not feeling bad, but rather that she thought she did something wrong with the dog. So, we're working hard on talking about petting an animal and then washing hands before touching anything.
Saturday morning found Amiya and Mommy making cut-out cookies. Mommy had hopes of getting the cookies rolled, cut and frozen before Amiya ever clued in to the activities, but it wasn't to be. So, Mommy cut out about 60 dog bones to be frozen and then baked before Amiya's birthday party and then Amiya went to work on the rest. Our cookie jar was soon replete with butterflies, flowers, stars and, of course, dog bones for Clifford. Once again, Amiya goes straight to the heart of the matter - placing the cutter directly in the middle of the dough so that Mommy has to reroll many, many times. In the picture here, Mommy helped her place it on the edge but quite a bit of resistance was felt, so that didn't happen again.

And finally, Amiya is still stuck on music. Her middle name is Clare and that was chosen to honor my late Grandfather on my Dad's side. He was a musician, composer and conductor and besides family, music was his life. Amiya's latest thing is to take the stick from her triangle set and be the condoctor. She waves that stick like crazy and expects Mommy and Daddy to play the other instruments. Her favorite instrument lately is the tuba and she's always looking for it if we should find a concert on TV. When that's not available, she's singing or clapping or being her bossy little self and telling us what to do.

The Divine Miss A

Amiya's been all over the place lately - playing with toys she hasn't played with in forever. The most popular two are an orange flashlight whose batteries have died - no matter, it makes an excellent microphone - and her $2 rummage sale paño. This girl is all about the concert right now - we have them hourly. Tickets are cheap if you're in the mood for some crazy music.

Witness:

Above she's introducing herself - the speech is as follows and it is exactly.the.same.every.single.time.

Ladies and gentlemens. Please find your seats. Amiya Clare is gon to play the paño.

Then she waits until we sit down and applaud.

She starts the set with a rollicking version of Rudolph. Think Jerry Lee Lewis doing Great Balls of Fire. Her hands are slamming down on the ivories (or fluorescent metallic keys, as the case may be) and her whole body is shaking.

Next we move to something a bit more soulful, although the method of playing remains much the same. Think Billy Joel singing his lullaby song.

Don't be a hater now - but we were laughing our *&^%@ off when we took this picture. She is definitely feeling Stevie Wonder's groove during this number.

And finally, the show ends with a very, very active song. Many kicks and steps and a whole lotta jazz hands. We think Elton, although it might be a bit Liberace, too. We're just too young to know for sure.

Happiness is...

... Amiya going to the bathroom for the first time all by herself!!! It was very quiet and Vinay and I both realized we didn't know to where she had gone. We found her peeing/wiping in the bathroom. A little pee was on the toilet seat, but overall a HUGE step for Amiya!

... scheduling a date to meet Obelix. If he/she stays put, we'll meet for the first time on March 1st.

... getting a big ol' list of things to do to give Amiya a fantastic birthday party. It's her third birthday this year and just a few short weeks after Obie gets here. Since she's so into birthday parties and because her whole world is going to be turned upside down, we've decided that she is going to have a big ol' party. (Um, sort of. Still no circus acts or minor celebrity appearances.) I've got the invitations done and am now working through a list of other things that can be done pre-Obie (p.O. from now on) so as to make the after-Obie (a.O. from now on) time as calm as can be.

... being told that I am the "best maker of all." Upon further clarification, it was amended to the "best maker of pork" as that was our dinner selection tonight. Do not worry if you do not have a "best maker of" title at this time. It has been made clear that I am not the best maker of tomatoes - I leave that challenge to you.

... having Daddy home for four days straight. Amiya's been in heaven as Vinay has had a four day weekend.