Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

We love you so, SO, so, SO, so, SO much!!!

Placing all bets

I had the pleasure of sneaking a peek at Baby Suitcase today. Ultrasounds are grainy and completely unclear to the untrained eye, but it's always a thrill non-the-less to see the little being inside of you kicking and moving and beat beat beating away. Not knowing the sex, especially after having known the first time around, is rather strange. It's hard to focus on names and picture our baby and our not-so-distant future with two children...however, we are so excited about that moment when we find out. Our eye is on that prize and so far it makes the thought of labor and delivery that much more exciting. We can't wait for our doctor to exclaim "It's a girl!" or "It's a boy!". The other fun aspect of the surprise is the guessing game. Some woman just seem to know with certainty what they are having (ahem, Halley), but that is not at all the case with me. My mind changes several times a day. So, I thought that we'd ask and take a little poll...

Do you think that Baby Suitcase is a boy or a girl?

Dora popsicles in the park!

And Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea has become an everyday after nap affair with lemonade tea and snacks, Darling.

Perhaps they're not so Terrible Two's

I lately find myself so frustrated throughout the day and utterly exhausted by (her) bedtime. Elle's imagination has completely taken off and throughout the day I am a doctor, patient, teacher, babysitter, chef, baby, Dora or her sidekick Boots, Eloise at the Plazas pets Weenie or Skipperdee, or just some random guy named Randy or Steve. We pretend to grocery shop, bake, ride the bus, paddle a boat, ice skate, climb a tree, rescue the mermaids, you name it. It's literally non-stop. But at the end of the day, for all of the "No"s that I've said and the times that I've counted to three and the timeouts I've administered, I've really laughed a lot too. And I've given so many kisses and received just as many hugs. Thinking of the things that she does that drive me crazy is easy...thinking of the things she does that I adore is even easier.

Just a few...

The way she talks with her index finger near her face and pointed up, as if to really drive home the point.

Listening to her make-up stories as she sits so quietly and reads books to herself.

Her play-by-plays while going to the bathroom..."I'm pushing...that was just a toot", you get the idea.

The words and expressions that come out of her little mouth...divine, dapper, give me a break, I give up, etc.

Announcing that she is a Conditioner and can make anything disappear (meaning Magician).

The embarrassing and public moments that make the best stories just hours later.

She really is the most polite 2 year old...usually. Okay, sometimes.

She dips her Oreo cookie in milk before each bite, down to the very last crumb on her fingers.

Her compassion for people, her affection, and her self-assurance.

When we play hide and seek and I am the one hiding, she pretends that she can't find me and looks several obvious places first, just like I do when she's hiding.

It's my birthday everyday complete with a pretend cake and lots of singing.

When I get sidetracked and distracted while shopping at Target she tells me to "focus, Mom, focus".

The way she says "My Daddy" over and over when talking to Andrew...right, My Daddy?

She gets so excited and happy to see me, even if we've only been apart for an hour.

Spending time with me is her favorite thing...my favorite too.

Go Cubs

Our first Cubs game of the season. Nothing makes a 2 year old more popular in the stands than cheering "Let's go Cubs" and "Fukudome!". Notice the mustard on her lip, Uncle Jon?

Eloise and Baby Suitcase will be meeting pretty soon

Happy Mother's Day, indeed

These are a few of my favorite things...
sleeping in until 9, serenades with an original song, coffee, chocolate croissants, mimosas (just a smidge), flowers, lip gloss, sentimental cards and handprints, long walks in the sunshine, lunch alfresco, window shopping, happy-go-lucky goldendoodles, snuggling, reading, and most importantly my Eloise, and my Andrew. I'm not sure how I ever got so lucky but I am so very thankful for my family.

Big Sister Day

Since Baby Suitcase's arrival is right around the corner, we had a very special big sister day today. We began our morning with a Tike Hike class at the hospital. Eloise met the other soon-to-be big sisters and brothers, watched a sibling video, learned to hold a newborn baby and toured the hospital (including viewing the babies in the nursery). The class was a success, minus the audible gasps from the other parents when Eloise dropped her "baby". It's a doll people...give me a break.


After our class we played in the playground across the street from the hospital on Lake Shore Drive. What a happy surprise...we weren't expecting it to be such a beautiful sunny day!


We finished our big sister day by celebrating with lunch downtown at Ed Debevic's complete with hotdogs, burgers and fries, dancing on the countertops, balloon animals...

silly hats...

and chocolate milk shakes!

Big sister is getting excited to meet her new baby!

We also had a great time on Saturday with Nonna! She had an 8 hour from GR Amtrak ride on Friday that caused her to stay an extra day in Chicago. We are not happy for her long ride, but were thrilled that she could stay and spend the night and day with us. And thankful that the ride home was smooth, even arriving back home a bit before schedule.