Thursday, April 16, 2009

Ummm, Jesus?

Baby #2

Most of you now know that the Guenther family is expanding. We've been blessed with a 2nd pregnancy (albeit a nauseous one) and are due on November 9th. Whether this baby is a little early or right on time, he/she will be born around family birthdays, just like Greyson was. Mike's mom, my mom and my brother all have birthdays between mid-October and early November so let the baby pool begin.

Greyson has been pretty indifferent about the whole thing although daddy is having to remind him not to jump on my belly. A couple of months ago, we asked him if he wanted a brother or sister and he didn't think twice before replying "brother". When asked what we should name the baby, his answer after a pause was "Jesus". Since that's a bit much to live up to, we're going to keep thinking about it. If you have name ideas, we'd love to hear them.

So, I was dismayed to learn, after my first pre-natal appointment, that I am considered an "aged mother". I'd like to lobby the medical community for something less depressing. Combine the "age" with Greyson's prematurity and that makes double the number of appointments, blood tests and other invasive and annoying procedures. I'll suck it up but continue to complain about the sacrifice of my time and a $15 co-pay for every visit. Mike, per his usual, is an amazing and patient husband and father. I'll spare you the annoying gushing, but let it be known that he is the reason I am.

I'm not a good pregnant person. I have yet to experience the beautiful skin and hair, sun beams radiating all around me, queue the happy music "mom glow". It just doesn't happen for me. The better picture is a tired, red-faced, bloated, panting lady walking to the beat of Twisted Sister. Come and see me after this baby comes- I'll get my glow on.

Thank you to our family and friends for the well-wishes and congratulations. We're enjoying the time with Greyson who makes us laugh every day. He just finished soccer and started baseball at the Kirkland Community Center and we're enrolling him in a day camp where he'll get to explore his fasincation with bugs, dinosaurs and marine life. He has officially said "No" to more art classes. It was fun while it lasted and if you happen to receive a package containing the remnants of construction paper, finger paints, glitter, glue, colored cotton balls and pipe cleaners, I have NO idea where it came from!

Greyson and his friend Jayden on their last day of soccer

Grey told Mike yesterday (in his words) that "Hayden freaked out when I showed him my ow-wee!". We decided that, yes, it's a good thing he has a sibling on the way who might appreciate his ow-wees more than our poor cat. Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Changes on the horizon...

Sunny Days!

70 degrees and sunny in April. We'll take that! We're coming off of a gorgeous weekend and are told it's going to stay that way for the balance of this week. Lexi and Hayden (our Persian cats for those of you who haven't met them) got their bi-annual groom on Saturday. This entails a bath, a "lion-cut" and comb. The first time they were groomed this way I laughed out loud. the pics below are from last year, but you get the picture. When you're used to seeing a big mass of fur, the picture of a shaved cat save the tip of the tail, face and feet, is shocking. We all got in the car to pick them up from the groomers and when Lexi meowed in her carrier, Greyson said "Shhh, it's OK Lexi". He's going to make a great big brother. This weekend was the first since before we left for Cancun over a month ago that we had very little on the agenda. We made the most of it by chasing bugs in the backyard, doing a little spring cleaning, grilling steaks with friends on Saturday night and having breakfast at "The Original Pancake House" (there's one in Brookfield and if you haven't been there, we highly recommend it) on Sunday morning. When the sun comes out in Seattle, the parks, sidewalks and beaches are packed. It's energizing!

This is Hayden. He's very masculine and not at all happy about the scarf. He loves Mike & Grey
This is Lexi. She's a total girl, very sweet. She'll snuggle with anyone, except Greyson :-)

Potty Time!

When I got home from work last Thursday night, Sara and Greyson were very excited about a new project- Greyson's potty chart. Together, they came up with prizes that can be won after 10 stickers are collected (1 sticker for every visit to the potty). Sara made the potty chart over the weekend and it's now proudly displayed in Greyson's bedroom. He's been pretty good about going on the potty for a while now, with reminders, but Sara wanted to take this approach to see if we can get him out of diapers for good. I'm all for it and Grey is pretty excited. He refuses to wear a Pull Up. It's either Spiderman underwear or his Pampers size 5s, so stay tuned for updates!

A big boy bed!
This month, we're shopping for a big boy bed. Most of our friends and family transitioned their kids out of cribs at a much earlier age and to them, I say "good for you". But, I will staunchly defend myself on our decision to wait for a number of reasons the least of which is I have enjoyed a restful night's sleep since Greyson was 4 months old (this being the official age at which he consistently slept 13 straight hours) due to the fact that he is unable to crawl out of his crib. He tried once, about a year ago, and it was enough to scare him from trying again. (His crib is a sturdy, solid wood model that does not "adjust" in a manner that allows the rails to come down- combine that with the fact that Greyson weighs about 30 lbs soaking wet and is not the tallest in his age group and we have a recipe for easy nights).

Grey & mommy before bedtime. He used to request 3 books. Now it's 1 book and some baseball

That being said, it's time to make the move. So, I'm looking for advice. Cute little car bed close to the floor? Full size bed with mattress that will take him to college? Bunk bed? Something else entirely? In addition to this, I'm also looking for the anecdotal scenarios to consider...what works to keep your kids in bed all night? Do they get up and go to the bathroom on their own? Did you change your nighttime routine to accommodate the new room arrangement?

Most of you know me well enough to know that I'm not good at asking for help/advice. It's a weakness and I'm working on it. So, I'm seriously interested in your feedback. Have a great week and if you're in the Pacific NW, enjoy the weather!