Failure Times Two

First, a video of my little "failure to thrive" kiddo. Really, he is the poster child for malnourishment, don't you think? Ugh... Still so annoyed!

(FYI, Gus was hitting him with the washcloth because, up until I started taking this video, it was making Nikos laugh hysterically. Of course he had to stop when the camera was rolling!)

On another note, I found out today that I failed my one-hour glucose test yesterday. Doh! After one hour, my glucose level should have been somewhere between 80 and 130. Mine was 150, which is considered "slightly elevated." Slightly enough that my diet yesterday could have affected the results, since I was not required to fast prior to the test. And, being the sweet tooth that I am, I could not pass up the lovely sugary cake that was sitting in the teacher's lounge at recess. So I think I pretty much shot myself in the foot on that one.

So what does it all mean? It means that I could possibly have gestational diabetes, though I honestly doubt it. I have to go back in for a three-hour glucose test, which I have heard is decidedly un-fun. I have to fast all night, skip breakfast, and go for the test first thing in the morning. If my glucose levels are normal, then all is good. If they're not, then I have to set up an appointment with a dietitian and go on the diabetic diet (which also sounds quite unappealing). So... let's just hope I pass, because I'm tired of "failing" at everything this week! I will call tomorrow to set up the appointment.

New Due Date, etc.

Well, I had an appointment with my OB today, and he officially changed my due date from May 11th to the 7th. Which means I will most likely have a scheduled c-section sometime the week before that. Which therefore means that I have officially lost a week, and that it's time to panic! Ok, not so much. But still, this pregnancy is going at warp speed, and I feel like May is just around the corner. This is such a change from last time, where the weeks seemed to stretch on forever. I guess it helps to work full-time AND have a toddler around!

Speaking of said toddler... I am still mad about his appointment on Monday (the whole "failure to thrive" business). When Gus left the appointment, he also happened to forget Nikos' immunization record and the information sheet they give at all the well-baby appointments (with his stats, etc.). So it arrived in the mail today, promptly causing me to become irritated all over again. For the record, our "failure to thrive" child is now eating two (2) breakfasts-- one at home, one at daycare, gigantic snacks, and all the milk we can get in him. Bonnie, our awesome daycare lady, is aware of the whole situation and is attempting to fatten up the little goose as well. It really upsets me, because I don't want him to have an unhealthy relationship with food or become a kid who expects to eat 24/7 (a "grazer"). We are pretty much just trying this out until March 2nd, when he has his follow-up appointment. I guess we'll see what happens then. Personally, I think that he is a very happy and healthy kid as is, and that he is not "failing to thrive" by any stretch of the imagination. (oh, and for what it's worth, Nikos is the same exact size as an 18-month-old little boy he goes to daycare with-- who is also happy and healthy.)

But back to happier things... Like I said, I had my appointment today, and was measuring at almost 27 weeks (right on target for a May 7th due date). Her heartbeat was strong and fast, probably because I had just chugged the lovely orange-flavored glucose drink for my gestational diabetes test. I should get those results back fairly soon, but am pretty confident that I will pass (since I did last time). I talked with my doctor about getting my tubes tied, which I will most likely do if I have a repeat c-section. And other than that, the appointment was as routine as ever. I got the pre-admission paperwork for the hospital, and scheduled my 30 week appointment for the 25th. Yes, that's only three weeks away. And I will be in the third trimester(!!). Like I said, time is flying... Yikes!

Good News & Bad News

First, the bad news... Gus took Nikos for his 15-month well-baby appointment today, and it turns out that our wiggle-worm has not gained a single ounce since his 12-month appointment. He has, however, grown taller. I attribute the lack of weight gain to his newly discovered mobility, but the doctor still thinks there is some cause for concern (or vigilance, at the least). She wants Nikos to be on a high-calorie diet for the next month, and then come in for a follow-up visit. She used the words that sounded so terrible: "failure to thrive." Essentially, it means that he has temporarily fallen off of his normal growth curve. While his weight is generally at about the 50th percentile, he has dropped to the 10th-25th percentile. I find it so frustrating, since he is a great eater and eats many of the foods that are on the high-calorie, high-nutritional-value list she provided. Her one suggestion was to put Nikos in his highchair for snacks, so that he focuses on eating the snacks rather than playing. She also suggested adding powdered milk or Carnation Instant Breakfast to his milk at breakfast time to boost his calories. Still, I feel like I have somehow failed at one of the most basic aspects of parenting. And it's really upsetting! I am certainly not starving my little guy... Maybe he just takes after his daddy and is meant to be skinny??

The good news, however, is that Nikos likes his toddler bed! He thinks it is great fun to climb around on during the day, but has conked out right away two nights in a row. In fact, he even slept until 6:40 this morning (which was okay because he had his doctor's appointment, and didn't have to get ready for daycare). He was so excited to play in his room today, too! He loves his beanbag chairs, and was so excited to have his books moved to a different area with easier access. We still have to wait until this weekend to see how things go during naptime (when he's much more likely to attempt to climb out and play), but I am cautiously optimistic. I can't believe how quickly he adapted to this big change-- I am impressed!

Busy Saturday

I. Am. So. Sore. I am fairly certain that almost, if not all, of my joints and muscles are screaming at me right now. The good news is that we got a TON of stuff done today! I actually took Nikos up to my parents' house this weekend, so that he could get in some quality Grandma and Grandpa time and we could really focus on our home improvement projects. And that is exactly what we did all day today!

I started the morning by scraping the "popcorn" off the ceiling of Rainbow's closet. It's not a difficult thing to do (spray on water. wait. scrape off.), but it involves working with your arms over your head, which can get pretty exhausting. And it makes an awful mess, though I did have the foresight to throw down a vinyl dropcloth beforehand. Once that was done, I handed the closet over to Gus to work on his built-in drawers. It took him almost the entire day, but it's finished! Well, the installation, at least. It still needs paint (as does the rest of the closet interior), but that will be on the "to do" list for tomorrow. It looks fantastic!

Meanwhile, I removed and painted the closet door, and hung new white curtains over the window. I then assembled Nikos' toddler bed. I convinced Gus to help me move the bed into Nikos' room, and then I proceeded to disassemble the crib so that we could move it to the new baby's room. We ended up moving the crib, the rocking chair, and the changing table all into the new baby's room, which meant that Nikos' room got a makeover of its own! He got two new beanbag chairs (one that looks like a football and one that looks like a baseball), the toddler bed, and some new drawers in his closet for storing his clothes. I even made him a little reading area, with his comfy chair, stuffed animals, and lots of books. I can't wait to see his face when he sees what has happened to his room!

His sister's room is looking great, too. There is still a lot of junk in there (remnants from the room's former life as our office), and the closet needs to be finished inside, but everything else is looking fantastic! I made up her crib with all the linens and everything, and it is just how I imagined. I also attached a mirror to the back of her closet door (which I repainted and reinstalled with new hardware this afternoon). Oh, and I found a really cute little message board while I was out shopping that totally matched the colors in the bedding, so I will be mounting that on the wall, too. So much to do!

Anyway, that was our day... Tomorrow should be a little slower, since we got the big stuff finished today. Plus, our friends Bryce and Aditi are back in town for the weekend (they live in Texas now), so we'll be meeting them for brunch. I can't wait to see pictures from their big wedding in India!

She's So Heavy

(and if you don't know the Beatles song I am referring to, I suggest you get yourself a copy of Abbey Road ASAP!)

Anyhow... I feel gigantic. All of a sudden, my belly is starting to get in the way of my day-to-day activities. Like, say, putting on socks and shoes. Up until very recently, I could sit on the bed, pull one leg up at a time, and get the job done. Tonight, after showering, I hopped around the bedroom for a few minutes, trying to get a single sock on. I ended up just sitting on the floor to do it. The problem with doing that is that it has also become more difficult to hoist myself back up to standing. Let the fun begin!

I've also noticed I just feel, well, heavy lately. After sitting for a bit, I will stand up and notice that all the joints in my pelvis feel sore. I guess it's the relaxin starting to kick in-- that wonderful chemical that causes pregnant ladies' joints to go all loosey-goosey in preparation for delivery. Well take note of this, body: I am having a scheduled c-section! So really, you can ease up on the relaxin production, because it's just not necessary. And downright uncomfortable, too!

In happier news... We are making slow but steady progress on preparing ourselves for Rainbow's arrival (hehe! I giggle whenever I call her "Rainbow!"). We stayed out of her room completely this weekend, mainly because Nikos was too cute and we decided to spend the time playing with him instead. But we did make several big purchases that will help everything come together: a toddler bed, two bean bag chairs (one that looks like a baseball and one that looks like a football), and a small computer armoire. The first two items will free up the crib and glider that are currently in Nikos' room-- they will be moved to Rainbow's room. The armoire will go next to the piano, and give us a place to hide all our computer stuff that used to be in the office. So, we're getting there! Next weekend will be a work weekend, so here's hoping we get a lot done!

And finally... I found this pattern online today for DIY nursing covers, which I am very excited about! I am hoping that I can find some fabric this week, and that my mommy (the expert seamstress) will make one for me. (pretty pretty please??? I know you're reading this!) She has already agreed to re-cover the cushions from the glider so that they will match Rainbow's room AND she's working on a top-secret quilt, but I hope she can squeeze this in because it would be AWESOME! :)

Party Time!

Today was the day Nikos has been waiting for... Teagen's birthday party! He had a great time playing with his buddies from daycare, eating cake, and crawling around in the bouncy house (he didn't want to get out!). Anyway, he had a ton of fun, and is now conked out in his crib. He's all partied out!
Party time!
With Teagen (left) and Noah
Playing at the sand table with Noah
Bouncy house!!
Teagen says, "Any day now..."

Nikos: Rock Star

As it turns out, Nikos is very popular with the little girls at his daycare... Two quick stories:

1. After I dropped him off at daycare yesterday, I stopped on Bonnie's front porch to sift through all the free Hallmark Christmas stuff she got from another parent and was giving away (woohoo! Free stuff!). A dad showed up with his little red-haired girl, whose name I can never remember. At any rate, the little girl (probably around 3 or 4 years old) ran into the house without giving him a kiss or hug goodbye. When he called after her to try and lure her back, her response was classic: "But I have to say hi to NIKOS!! I have to say hi!!!" I love it!!! This is the same little girl who, once upon a time, clung to Bonnie's leg as I was dropping Nikos off. She kept tugging on Bonnie's shirt and asking "Can I say hi to Nikos now? Can I???" hahaha!!

2. Today, after I got home and picked him up from Bonnie's, we made a quick run to the supermarket to get a few things. As we were headed toward the meat counter, I suddenly heard a little voice SHRIEKING, "MOMMY! That's NIKOS!!! THAT'S NIKOS!!!!!" And no, it wasn't the little red-haired girl... This was a little blondie, about the same age, and her mom looked mortified that she was making such a scene in the store and pointing at my son (I've met the dad before, but never the mom). Personally, I thought it was hilarious! Nikos, obviously recognizing her, smiled and pointed back.

That's right, my son has groupies. I guess this is the perk of going to a daycare where most of the kiddos are slightly older girls?!? hahaha!! :)

Busy, Busy Day

Today was a "pupil-free" day for us, which meant that we had meetings and whatnot but didn't actually have to teach. The upside, of course, was that our principal let us out in time to run to our classrooms and watch the inauguration! Yes! So a bunch of us ran to my room, only to find that a) the cable TV was out school-wide (thank you, construction workers), and b) we couldn't watch it on any of the major news websites because of bandwidth issues (they were all jammed). Great.

Luckily, one of my coworkers lives just a few blocks from school, so we decided to hightail it over to her house, where she was recording it already (thank you, digital cable!). When we started out, it was just the three of us fifth grade teachers. By the time we got to her house, there were over 20 teachers trekking along behind us!! It was great, though. We rewound to the beginning, and all watched it together. It was such a powerful experience, and it was even better to share it with a bunch of people who I genuinely like. I'd have to say it was pretty memorable!

Anyway, after we listened to Elizabeth Alexander recite her poem, we figured we should probably head back to work. And work we did! My brain hurts from today. As a team, we met to discuss all the end-of-year activities that I normally run. I had to delegate a whole bunch of things and explain a lot (I ended up typing a ton of notes for them, too). And then I got started on putting together a binder for my substitute when I'm out on maternity leave. It won't be as hard as last time, but boy is there a lot to cover! I am revising the Word document I created last time so that it fits with how I do things this year, and already there are so many changes. And so many things that need to be added, because of all the aforementioned end-of-year activities. It's insane! I'm glad I started early, because it made me realize just how much there is to do. And with Nikos around now, I don't have nearly as much time to stay after school and work on things as I once did!

But yes, it was a busy day indeed. We went for a quick lunch at Taco Bell (where else?), but I never stopped working when I was in my classroom. And I didn't accomplish even half of what I had planned to do today. Yikes!!

Haircut

Well, I cut Nikos' hair today, since it was getting out of control. He hated every second of it, but it didn't turn out too badly, I suppose... It could have been a lot worse, considering I am no stylist! I am still mourning the loss of his curls, but I know they'll be back in a flash. His hair grows so quickly! Anyway, here he is, Mr. Happy himself:

I think he loves it, don't you? :P

A Day in Photos...

The weather has been beautiful here lately, so we decided to play outside today! We packed up the wagon and walked to our neighborhood park, where we managed to stumble upon not one, but TWO dog obedience classes. Nikos, who is OBSESSED with dogs, was in heaven! He kept shrieking "Doggie!! Doggie!!!" over and over, and even tried to crawl halfway across the park to where all the doggies were. He had a great time! He went on the swings for a long time, ate his crackers, and was just generally a happy camper.

After the (uphill) walk back to the house, we thought it might be fun to fill up the wading pool and let him go for a dip. Though the air was nice and warm, the water was still pretty cold... He loved standing in the water and splashing around, but had no interest in sitting down or getting his belly wet. Once he was done playing in there, he toweled off and played for a bit on his play structure. All in all, a very fun morning/early afternoon!









Tonight, we're going to go out to dinner as a family, just the three of us. This is actually a first! We've gone to lunch with him before, but never dinner. I'm excited-- it should be fun! :)

The Queen of Bargains Strikes Again!

I don't know what it is lately... First, I found the impossible-to-find crib sheet on CraigsList for a whopping $10. Then I found the great crib mattress for under $12. And then the nice girl from my web forum sent me the Ergo infant insert for free! And now, well... "now" takes the cake!

I posted the other day about how we had decided on a double stroller. After reading all the reviews and test-driving various models, the decision was an easy one. Sadly, the stroller I loved retailed for about $270. Not cool! I then found out about an offer where this very stroller was selling for $149 on Amazon. By the time I convinced Gus we needed it, it was sold out, and I was mad. BUT... it turned out to be a pricing error, and all the people who ordered it had their orders canceled promptly. So I didn't really miss it, anyway.

Fast forward to yesterday... I paid a visit to my newest BFF, CraigsList. And wouldn't you know-- someone was selling my dream stroller, hardly used, for $120! They said they didn't use it more than ten times-- it was one of numerous strollers they had for their triplets, and they ended up using another one instead. So Gus drove to check it out after work today, and ended up buying it! So we got a nearly-mint-condition stroller for $120, when they most certainly paid at least $250 for it. I'd call that a good deal! And ain't she a beaut? :)

Anyway... I seriously cannot believe all the amazing bargains that I've been finding. It's like the universe knows that we aren't getting as much help as we did last time (in terms of big-ticket gifts). I am determined to make sure our baby girl has just as much nice stuff as her big brother-- even if that means getting a little creative! :)

(which reminds me... I used some old gift cards to buy her the Daisy Garden quilt from Pottery Barn Kids, and then used another gift card from a student to buy the supplies for the name plaque I made her this weekend. I love "free" stuff!!)

Oooh!! And I nearly forgot! I decided to buy a new cover for our infant carseat, mainly because I got sick of looking at the old one and found a good deal on this replacement set. Well, wouldn't you know-- it's the exact same pattern as the stroller! Pure coincidence-- no joke!

Solo Time

What? A weekend all to myself??? That's impossible, right? These things do not happen with a husband and a small child around. And yet, that is exactly what happened this weekend!

Gus took Nikos up to Orange County so that they could visit with his (Gus') cousin and grandmother, who are visiting from Chicago and Greece, respectively. I have had so much work piling up (papers that need grading, etc.) that I opted to stay home and get things done. And what a productive time I've had!

It's amazing how "free time" takes on a whole new meaning nowadays. In the days of yore, I would drag a chair out onto the back lawn and read in the sunshine until I fell asleep or got too hot. And the weather was definitely nice enough to do that-- mid 80s and not a cloud in the sky! Instead, I went shopping for necessities, cleaned the entire house (including scrubbing every square inch of our bathroom, which needed it), did three loads of laundry and put it all away, removed the vertical blinds from baby girl's room, spackled/sanded/painted the window frame, bought and installed a room-darkening shade to replace the blinds, installed a curtain rod and curtains over the shade, worked on my art project for her wall, did the grocery shopping, AND did all my school-related work that was piling up. And I even had time to start on the fourth book in the "Twilight" series, so I did relax a little bit.

Also, on one of my various shopping trips, I decided to stop and test-drive different double strollers. And we have a winner, folks! I think we'll be getting this one, though I'm hoping to get a deal on a used one on CraigsList (I'm waiting for a seller to email me back... she's selling her gently used one for $130). After going back and forth about it, I just don't think we'll be able to avoid getting a double stroller. Nikos is just barely walking, and I'm sure he will still want to sit in the stroller once his sister arrives. This particular one was easy to steer, had plenty of room, and was really easy to fold/unfold (this was the selling point). It will take up the entire trunk of the car, but oh well!

I also bought a new cover for our infant car seat, since I never really liked the one we had. The new one is black and silver, so it will "go" with everything nicely. I should have just bought that pattern to begin with, but I didn't know it existed! Oh well. C'est la vie.

Anyway... I am exhausted. I am pretty sure I overexerted myself this weekend, which is why I am now sitting on my rear in front of the computer. But Gus and Nikos should be back any minute, and then it's back to my other full-time job: Mommy! It's a great job, just a tiring one (especially when pregnant). :)

Friend

The great Vocabulary Explosion of 2009 continues! In addition to saying "waffle" (waffuh) and "pizza" (pita), Nikos has recently added a very important (and frequently used) word to his vocabulary: "Tee-tee!!"

What the heck is "tee-tee?" Well, that's what Nikos calls Teagen, the little boy who lives next door and goes to daycare with him. Bonnie calls Teagen (her grandson) "T" for short, and apparently Nikos has picked up on it. He calls out "Tee-tee! Tee-tee!" when Teagen wakes up from his nap, and even starts saying it when we walk over to daycare in the morning. And if we happen to walk by the refrigerator, he goes berserk over the invitation to Teagen's second birthday party (which has T's picture on it). The invitation is now all bent and crumpled because Nikos insists on holding it and pointing to "Tee-tee." And it's just the cutest thing ever!

The best part is that Teagen says Nikos' name, too, and Bonnie says he will sometimes point toward our house on the weekends and say "Nikos?" Like he wants to know where his little friend is! In a few months, once Nikos has perfected his walking, these kiddos will be able to play together outside on the weekends. How fun will that be?? :)

P.S. I got my Ergo Infant Insert in the mail today, and the lady who sent it is insisting I don't send her any money-- she says she got it as a gift and never used it, and is just glad that someone will get some use out of it. How nice is she??? I'm still going to send her a little something, but I can't believe my good luck. OH, and stay tuned... I found a really super-duper good deal on a great double stroller ($150 for a $300 stroller!)... I just need to talk Gus into agreeing with me! :)

Another day, another appointment

You know, sometimes I feel like I might as well just live at the doctor's office! In addition to going for all of Nikos' well-baby (and sick baby) appointments, I have to go for all my prenatals, too. And that adds up to quite a bit of time! The receptionist in Ob/Gyn and I are on a first-name basis now. And I'm barely halfway through this pregnancy yet!

Anyhow... I was originally supposed to have an appointment with the Nurse Practitioner on December 23rd, but she had to cancel because she was sick. Debbie (my new receptionist friend) tried to get me in as soon as possible, but today was the first available day. And I ended up seeing a substitute doctor, since my doctor was away on business. At any rate, this other doctor was very nice, and we sat down and went through mu ultrasound results, line for line. He told me that everything was "disgustingly perfect," haha! :) And, according to the ultrasound, my due date has been moved to May 6th. Now, I happen to know that's not correct, but it basically means that the baby is measuring ahead. We listened for the heartbeat, and it was strong and steady. She's been bouncing all around in there all afternoon, so she must have heard all the good news! Hooray for good appointments!

We had to do some rearranging, since my next appointment was originally scheduled for two weeks from now (but I'm only supposed to go every four weeks). So my next appointment will be on February 4th, and that will include the lovely 1-hour glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. Fun! It wasn't bad last time, but I'm still worried that I could end up having GD because my mom did. But I guess I'll know in a month, right?

In other news... Nikos continues to be the cutest baby ever, and has even added a new word to his repertoire today: pizza! Thanks, Gus, for teaching him THAT one, haha! I guess Gus was eating pizza and trying to bribe Nikos to do something by giving him a few bites, and now the kid is a pizza fanatic. Great! Oh, and he's a dance machine, too, but I have yet to get a decent video of him boogeying down. It's hilarious!!

The Lucky Streak Continues!

As some of you may know, I regularly visit an online discussion forum dedicated to moms whose kids are all right around Nikos' age. Quite a few of them are pregnant with baby #2, also, so we have a lot in common. I love the site and all the support it has provided me, and actually feel like I've gotten to "know" some other moms on there who are really cool. It's the best-kept secret on the internet, I swear!

Anyhow... I was on the site a few weeks back, reading through the most recent posts, and someone mentioned that they were looking for the infant insert that goes with their Ergo baby carrier (the best carrier EVER! I raved about it here.). Another mom replied to her request, saying that she had the infant insert and would gladly GIVE it to her because she had no use for it. She just asked for shipping costs, which was totally reasonable. Well, after I saw that, I realized that I wanted to try the infant insert, too, so I posted another reply. Basically, I said "Ooh! If anyone else has one they'd like to sell, please let me know!"

Well... As it turns out, the mom who posted in the first place has the black/tan Ergo and didn't want the (basically free) teal insert because it didn't match. Foolish, if you ask me! But guess who has the black/teal Ergo??? Awww yeah!! So the mom who was willing to give it away sent me a note saying I could have it, if I wanted. YES!!! She said she used it once or twice and couldn't get used to it, so it's practically in brand-new condition. This thing retails for anywhere from $25-$38!!! I didn't want to pay that amount, in case I didn't like it, but to pay just the shipping costs? Awesome! Even better is that she lives in Los Angeles-- so the shipping costs should be really reasonable AND it should get here quickly.

I just can't believe these great deals that keep falling into my lap. Thank you, universe! :)

Happy News!

Mary is engaged! Sherry and Dave (well, mostly Sherry) had their baby girl yesterday morning! And another friend (who shall remain anonymous for the time being) is going to be a daddy later this year!

WOOHOO!! :) I love happy news!

Video Extravangaza!

It's been a while since I've posted videos and, well, I'm here to make up for that! The big problem is that a certain child (who shall not be named) is very easily distracted by the video camera... and tends to stop doing whatever cute thing he was doing when the camera is turned on. Today, however, I had some success! Enjoy!

Here he is taking a few steps (while drinking his bottle). He's multitasking!


And here he is playing outside, pushing his wagon around:


Finally, a giggly baby! He loves it when I attack him and make lion noises, hehe! (I think that's how he learned to do it himself... RAAAWRRR!!!!) Also, check out all those teeth!

Ahhh, Snoogle...

Oh Snoogle, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways...
Have I ever mentioned my Snoogle before?? It's only the BEST pillow EVER invented! I convinced Gus that I needed one when I was pregnant with Nikos and sleeping became really uncomfortable. Well, the past few days, I've started to experience some minor back pain and oh-so-fun round ligament pain (in the lower part of my belly), so I figured it must be SNOOGLE TIME! And sure enough, I slept like a baby last night (pun intended) and woke up feeling great this morning. I swear, that pillow is a lifesaver! It's like sleeping in a little nest! Last time, I tried just using a combination of body pillows/regular pillows, but nothing even comes close. Best. Pillow. Ever.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
In other news... Nikos refuses to walk if he has shoes on his feet. He stands rooted to the ground, and would rather fall over than try to take a step! (is it bad that I think this is hilarious?) I bought him some flexible-soled shoes (baby Nikes-- they are SO cute!), but I don't think they're quite flexible enough. My original plan was to buy him some soft all-leather shoes, but there's a slight problem: most stores don't carry that style of shoe in a big enough size! This is a serious drawback to having a child who walks later AND has big feet (size 6!). I'm currently bidding online for a pair that will (hopefully) fit, but we shall see. In the meantime, we'll just keep practicing barefoot. I really wish he would walk in the shoes, because I know how much he loves going outside!

And now I will just take a moment to brag about my kiddo, who says more and more new things every day. As it turns out, he's better with the verbal stuff than the physical stuff! Here's a list of the things he says right now and what they mean:
cack-cack! = duck
uh-oh = uh-oh
doggy = doggy
cacka = cracker
nana = banana
duh! = done!
neh = no (funny, because it means "yes" in Greek!)
Dardee = Charlie
Corky = Corky
Daddy, Papa = Daddy (though he also uses this as his "default" word for everything!)
Mama = Mom
Yaya = Yia-yia
Pappou = Pappou
Mamaw = Grandma
Papaw = Grandpa
raaaawr = lion (roar!)
ba = ball
baba = bottle
pbpbpb (car noise) = car, truck, motorcycle (anything with wheels-- including wheelchairs, haha!)
bah bah bah = chicken (bock, bock, bock!)
baaaaa = sheep
tee = tree
nigh-nigh = night-night (bedtime)
chee = cheese
And I know there are more, but these are the "for sures" I can think of right now. And I have to say-- that ain't bad! The kid has 20+ words, and he's not even 15 months old yet! So I'd say that makes up for the late walking. :) Way to go, Nikos!

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On the baby girl front, I finally went through all of Nikos' old clothes and pulled out everything that I think would also work for a girl (or just be plain comfy or useful, regardless of looks). As it turns out, this kid has quite a bit of clothes now! As soon as Gus is done with his closet renovation (this weekend or next), I'm going to start putting things into their proper places. Right now, everything is just in bags on the floor of her room. I can't wait to "unpack," so to speak!

I've also started working on an art project for her wall. Nikos has his name on his wall in colors that coordinate with his room, so I'm doing something similar for her. I bought a cute wooden plaque and little wooden letters that are more "curly" and less "blocky" than the ones I used in Nikos' room. I've painted them all white already, and next I will paint the letters so that they go with the bedding we've picked out (pink/yellow/aqua/pale green daisies). And after they are finished, I'll attach them to the plaque, and then attack the plaque to the wall using ribbon. It's going to be so cute, I just know it!! I have a vision! But alas, I can't show any of it, because that would mean revealing the name. Maybe I'll just show one letter when it's all done and painted?? We'll see! :)

The Price Was Right!

Let's play a game! I am going to tell you all the stuff I bought at Target this afternoon, and you guess how much I paid. Ready? Let's go!

• A name-brand crib mattress (highly rated in the popular book, Baby Bargains)
  
• A crib mattress pad (waterproof)
  
• A Boppy pillow slipcover
  
• A three-pack of adorable baby girl onesies (name brand)
  
• A giant thing of conditioner and
  
• Two gallons of milk

What would you pay for all of this? Well, the mattress alone normally retails for $70... But GET THIS! It was on clearance for $11.99!!!! I kid you not! It was the only one of its kind, so I snagged it right away. The mattress pad was also on sale for nearly 50% off. So, all in all, I spent $49.35!!!!!!! But wait, it gets better! We got a $50 Target gift card from my Uncle Kerry and his family for Christmas! So I didn't have to spend a dime! SCORE!!!

Anyhow, I am very excited about my finds today. Nikos must have picked up on my good mood, because he was cheerful and delightfully babbly all through the store. He'd see various animals and make their sounds (he's into animal sounds right now). It was so cute! What a great day! :) :)

Happy New Year!

Baby New Year himself would like to say something:

Alright, alright... Maybe "Happy New Year" or "2009" might have been more fitting, but he's kinda small and that's all we could fit! :) Actually, this is the scene I saw when I walked in on Gus giving Nikos his bath tonight. Nikos LOVES those little letters, and normally sticks them all over the tub, but I guess tonight was daddy's turn to play? At any rate, I couldn't resist grabbing the camera!

We had a nice New Year's Eve this year. We opted to spend the evening working on the new baby's bedroom, and progress has been made! The walls are now in great shape, after some spackling, sanding, and painting. Gus got the crown moulding up without any problems, and caulked it all (along with the baseboards, which have needed it for a while). I just need to go in with my magical paintbrush to touch up a few places, and voila! The "bones" of the room will be in great shape! Gus even spent the day working on the built-in dresser that will go in the bottom of her closet. I'm thinking it will be finished in the next few days. Oh, and to top it all off, he was finally able to feel the baby moving this morning! Hooray!

Because this pregnancy is just flying by, I've started to panic a little bit about how Nikos is going to react when we bring home another little baby. He's so young, and he totally doesn't understand what's going on! On a shopping excursion yesterday, I decided to buy him a baby doll. Yes, you read that right: I bought our son a doll. Take that, gender stereotypes (Ka-POW!)! And I think it's cute, too!

Anyway... He's not all that interested in it yet, but I'm hoping we can teach him to be gentle to the baby, etc., so he's not too totally thrown off when the real baby gets here. But only time will tell, right? *Fingers crossed!*

Ok... off to touch up the paint with my aforementioned magic paintbrush. I'll post pictures (including "before" and "during" shots) when the room is all done! :)