Real trains

These are some of my very favorite pictures.

Ringing the bell was a big hit!

This is how Leah enjoyed the trains.

Little Lady Jane

Underpants

We took Eli to the Railroad Museum the other day and found there were tons of great photo ops. Unfortunately after drinking a lot at breakfast Eli's diaper didn't last the trip, and his shorts fared worse. Figuring he is just two and it wouldn't matter, he spent the whole day in his underpants, shirt, clunky shoes, and eventually a hat.

After the museum we decided to go to lunch and then the beach. Eli was still in his underpants.

We ended the trip with even less on!

Ferris Wheel

The days leading up to Leah's birth were pretty full so I could forget about being pregnant for awhile. On this particular field trip, instead of feeling very pregnant, we all just felt very hot. The days festivities included a trip to the aquarium. We saw fish, lots and lots of fish, creepy spiders and bottom swimmers, and white tigers. I don't even think tigers eat fish so I don't really know why they were there. We also rode a train that stopped under 2 tons of water filled with swimming sharks that may or may not have had their meal for the week. Eli thought the train ride was great, except when the train got "stuck" under the sharks.

After the fish and the sharks and the train (which we rode twice) Jason thought a ride on the ferris wheel would be fun and then we would head home. I decided to go with them on the ferris wheel. I also am afraid of heights. We happened the be riding the wheel when it got stuck and maintenance had to be called. That's right, we were the second car from the top, swaying in the wind, with a nice view of the highway. Eli was hot and tired by this point and decided to get fussy and wiggly when we stuck at the top.

Here is Eli. Red faced and sweaty right after we loaded in the car.



This is Eli and Daddy. Happy because we weren't stuck yet. This is Eli's only picture face at the moment so I am assigning it as happy face in this picture.

Eli and Mommy. We finally got Eli distracted watching the trucks and boats and cars driving by on the highway. At this point we were stuck. I was less than thrilled.

Could you imagine if the stress of the whole thing (I really think I was having the beginnings of a panic attack) made me go into labor?!

More pics

Here's a rare shot of Leah with her eyes open and her hands away from her face. She loves to snuggle up with her hands, or wiggle her face next to yours. We still like her.



When you bring a two year old to visit in the hospital, you better have some crafty plans for entertainment. Donning surgical gloves and smacking imaginary bugs on the floor amused Eli, if only for a minute.

We were so glad to be out of the hospital, and Eli was equally as glad to have us home. The only way we could get him to sit still for a family picture was to allow the hospital water jug to be in the picture as well.

Hey! We're parents...again!

Jason keeps asking me this morning: "Can you see how beautiful she is?" I believe he is one proud daddy!

We are all doing well. Jason and I are happily ;) sleep deprived, Leah is not quite certain she likes life outside the belly, but she seems to be adjusting. Eli has sensed that it's time to show off how ultra well-behaved he can be, and Grammy is feeling, well, I think she's happy too.

Once Eli shows up this morning I'll have a new family picture to post. Until then, please enjoy the following picture of my daughter's self-styled mohawk.

Leah

Beautiful baby....

...brown hair, beautiful round head, plenty of pudge, long skinny feet, Matthews cheeks.....all that from one upside down view through a nursery window! Pictures soon!

Leah Jane Matthews

12:48
7lb 12 1/2 oz......

Doctor's Visit

Let the pushing begin....in ONE more hour!

Eli peacefully napping through this bit of exciting news.....

Moving right along....

6cm, 70%.....for those of you that like data (like me!) Epidural is doing the job....doctor is coming back at noon to check on her.

Eli: "Mama? Mama?"
Grammy: "Mama's at the hospital picking up your new baby sister!" (Sounds like she is out getting groceries!)

Update

Well, it turns out that labor had actually started.....4 cm....contractions going....but no pain! Way to go, Julia! Broke the water, started the Pitocin (had to look up that spelling :-))...just a matter of time! Waiting with Eli.......

Let the Inducement Begin!

7:10 AM just left for the hospital.....excitement abounds! (posted by Grammy...on Eli duty!)

Not yet...

Well today is the day! Her due date.

I don't think she cares.

Still pregnant.

Not lovin' it.

I think someone else should get to hold her once and a while.

We'll let you know.

My boys

As I was scrolling through the plethera of photos we have taken of Eli, trying in vain to negotiate it to a lower number, I came across quite a few recent photos starring my boys. I also noticed that when I take pictures of them, they NEVER look at the camera. The effort is there in some of them, but they just don't quite make it!

This first one was after church a few weeks ago when I was trying to get a good photo of Eli in his new clothes. Jason's grandparents sent him (and Leah) outfits and Eli's looks quite spiffy on him. About two seconds after I took the picture, Eli was off and running again, and I believe baseball was on the television.

In order to protect our floors from the constant chair re-arranging Eli enjoys, we needed to put new chair/floor protecting things on the bottom of our chairs. Daddy+hammer+anything else = great fun for Eli too. He first learns and mimics the technique on the same chair as Jason and then...

once confident that he won't mess up on his own chair, he flips it over and gets to work.

A harder days work was never done by two men. Mowing the lawn in Texas is no small feat. After the task was completed they cooled off with some ice water (believe me Eli made sure there was ice) and rested on the porch swing. I believe Eli's hat was staged, but that's all. If you zoom in, Eli's cheeks are as red as beets, but he had a grand time.

Today I decided a visit to the Children's Museum would be fun for Eli, since I have been a bit of a dud being pregnant and all. Little did I know that it would also prove to be fun for Jason as well! Here they are hard at work. Jason is probably playing the right way, and Eli is just trying to get the puzzles that are glued onto the table off of the table. It still looks like fun!

Here is some lego construction. Jason taught Eli that spin move with the red lego. He made that tall tower all by himself!

Pleased to introduce Fish!

Jason and I have been talking a lot recently about getting Eli a fish for his second birthday. Since little sister is expected and Jason will be out of town on his official birthday, we thought yesterday would be a great day to get a fish! We finally decided on a red Betta fish that Eli named Fish. Red is the color Eli always guesses when you ask what color something is, so this way he will always be right! Fish lives on the bar in the kitchen and Eli has set up shop on the bar stool watching Fish.

A little movie about a boy and his fish. If he keeps looking this closely, he'll realize the fish faces Jason and I make are not accurate, his whole perception of our knowledge of animals might be altered forever. Or not.

Here I am almost 38 weeks pregnant, not wanting my picture taken, but definately wanting to deliver this baby!

Where's Daddy?

Eli's vocabulary has been expanding rapidly! I have been trying to explain where Jason goes everyday and this is how far we have gotten.

Summer 2008

The next step will be to teach him the song my mom would sing with me and my brother waiting for my dad to get home:

Daddy Daddy where are you?

We are here and we're looking for you!

Daddy Daddy where are you?

Please hurry up and come home!

Good and Pregnant

Here I am at 36 weeks...40 weeks is a really really long time, even longer when you are achy all over, have to limp around, and be energetic and creative for your two year old. Trying to be cheerful and remember nights with no sleep and the fact that we will be able to hear her crying once she is born. The fact is, I'm up so much at night anyway it doesn't matter at this point, and I'll take crying over ninja kicks to my bladder.

Appy Mama Day!

I had a great Mother's day yesterday. Here are some of the highlights:


1. Jason and Eli had a secret errand to run Saturday evening and I had to be out of the house while they got a surprise ready for me.


2. When I got home, Eli was already in the tub and I was told not to look in the refrigerator.


3. Jason got Eli out of bed Sunday morning and he came running in to our room with Jason close behind. Jason whispered in his ear and with some pauses this came out..."Py Mama Day", then he ran away.


4. After church we came home and it was time for my surprise! Cards are nice, but an edible card is even better (because then I don't have to feel bad when I throw it out a few days later because I just ate it instead!) Jason left off the H since Eli can't really say them yet...it was very cute, and Eli was thrilled when he was told he could eat some and not just look at it!



5. Jason let Eli chase him around the backyard with the hose last night. It was so adorable.

Passing the time...

What a grouch huh! You ask him to smile and he waits until the picture is already taken to smile...what a goof. We had dinner with the Umbriacos a while ago and we all wore brown (only Jason was by design, I find myself dressing me and Eli alike a lot, by accident...weird) Erin graciously took a family picture for us.

Sometimes his morning routine is reading books in the big chair. He jabbers away as he turns the pages and I can only tell what he is reading by the occasional "choo choo" "duck" "dirt" or "dump truck" that he utters during his story-telling.

Leah Jane is still in there. Growing as far as I can tell. The doctor says everything is going great, both the baby and I are healthy. She sure likes to tumble around though. I guess being little gives you more space to explore...and by extension I get exhausted just by sitting still!

Emergency Medicine seems to be going well. Jason got to insert a chest tube yesterday to help out a patient with a collapsed lung. I know from experience that collapsed lungs hurt, but Jason said the patient was unconscious, so I'm glad he got to practice! It was his first time to be on a team that gets a call that an ambulance was coming in, and he said he was a little nervous, this being his first code and all, but I think he learned a lot. I could tell the experience energized him and I'm glad he has found a specialty that he enjoys. Also, he called to say he was going to be late, and I just want you all to know that I really love that he is that kind of man!

Let's play catch up!

We've been pretty busy the past couple of weeks, so here are some highlight pictures!

This first one proves that mommy has power tools too!

We got a new double stroller for when Leah Jane gets here and while we were babysitting Clara, we took it for a test drive. I love it, but they love it more! When we got back to the house I unbuckled them and they did NOT want to get out! They only look unhappy in the picture because we had to stop walking to take it.



Here is Eli watching pictures of himself on the laptop. I thought it was cute how contemplative he looks with his hands in his pockets.

Our latest escapade included matching haircuts for Jason and Eli. I think he is even starting to act older now too, and it's only been a day!

Bluebonnets

Last fall we planted bluebonnet seeds we got from Jason's parents. For all the non-natives, bluebonnets are Texas' state flower and have been known to produce beautiful landscapes such as the following:

They do not bloom for long periods of time, but when they do, they are quite extraordinary. People flock to their fields and plop their children, husbands, wives, and pets in them for that one great picture to send to grandma. Someone once told me that you have to be careful of snakes in the bluebonnets, so there will be no plopping for me or our children! (Jason however does not believe the snake story). While our little seedlings will not produce fields full of bluebonnets, I am proud of our current performance. Perhaps we won't make the list of bluebonnet photo destinations, but I think we are well on our way...

29 1/2 weeks

Above: Eli at about the same time (maybe a little later)
Below: Leah at 29 and 1/2 weeks

Sippy Cup

I believe I am sippy cup obsessed. I am always trying to find the perfect cup that won't leak or drip or anything else. Eli is so hard on them, they really have to be durable. I just picked up a new one at the store and what I didn't realize is that when Eli drinks out of it it looks like he got a double mocha half-caf latte with skim milk no foam cinnamon blah blah from Starbucks!

but so far so good!