Happy Tree Climber

Yes, today is the due date. No, no baby yet. ;)

Instead, here are some pictures of my big girl climbing a tree, which she tells me Blaise (the cat) taught her to do.

Hannah & Emily

It had been almost two years since we'd seen the McCunes (we've both moved a few times and started new jobs), which is waaay too long. So, before Hannah turns 2 next month and our baby comes, Virginia & Hannah flew up to visit us for a long weekend. It couldn't have gone better (well, except that Emily was sick & shared that with Hannah!)... the girls got along so well! They have fairly similar temperaments and had lots of fun sharing clothes and toys. Of course each one wanted to do whatever the other was doing at all times. We just looked through all the pictures from the weekend, and Emily keeps plaintively asking for Hannah and Virginia. It makes me so sad not to be able to tell her when we'll see them again!

Oh, and we had perfect fall weather, and lots of time for Virginia & I to catch up too. :)

UPS

Ok, I just wrote this story out for some friends, and it cracks me up every time I think about it, so I'm reposting here. The same UPS employee who I mentioned in an earlier post delivers most of our packages, and since I've been ordering lots of random things lately* he's been here a lot. Here's an overview....

Monday UPS Man: "are you alone" Me: "Uh...no" (kind of freaked out by this greeting & very much wishing someone else was home besides Emily!). UPS Man: "I wouldn't want you to go in to labor while you are home alone with your child." Me: "Oh. Uh...thanks. I think I'll be ok. You kind of scared me." UPS Man: "You are scaring me!"

Wednesday UPS Man "You're still here! I don't want to have to drive you to the hospital in my truck!" Me: "Well, the due date isn't until next week, so you'll probably see me a few more times before then."

Thursday I see UPS man pull in, but don't bother to get up, thinking he'll just leave the package outside. UPS man opens my kitchen door, sticks his head in & calls "UPS!" (Seriously? Is that legal?)

Friday This time I open the door when I see UPS Man coming. UPS Man "I'm going to strap you to a cart and drive you around in my truck, the bumpy ride will help that baby come." Me "Um, thanks for the offer? I think I'm ok for now!"


We have very few stores around here, and 1/2 of them just got destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene, so I've been ordering some last minute baby stuff online. Also, we get free 2-day shipping, since when I signed up for AmazonMom (free), we got AmazonPrime for free. Awesome.

Remnants of August

A few miscellaneous pictures of Emily that I found on my phone...

Emily's first hike up Balch Hill, all by herself.

In the car on the way to visit some of my college friends. Emily loves sunglasses and currently sleeps with "Papa Bear" (as she named the stuffed bear my dad bought her when she fell in love with it in a bookstore...he's a sucker;)

Remember this post? Emily still loooves corn on the cob. It's one of the only foods she devours, and she would probably eat 5 ears if I'd let her.

For the last few months, there have been brightly painted pigs & wolves around our town. Some kind of fundraiser I guess? Emily has to stop and visit any one that we pass; here are a few from a recent walk down main street.

Scenes from home

Becky's been taking some pictures of Emily around the house -- here are a few classic moments.

Watching Dora

Baseball hat is the best thing for keeping that hair out of her face & out of her food

Mommy trying to work while Emily climbs the furniture

Morning devotions

Helping cook

Modelling shoes

Comments

Apparently I am officially looking large enough that everyone asks me questions about the baby!

Today the man who works at the dump asked me if I was having any contractions yet. I also talked about babies with the man at the car repair shop and the guy who came to clean the chimney.

Then, just now, the first words out of the UPS delivery guy's mouth were, "Are you alone?"
(Uh... what?! At that point I started looking around and wishing that I was not home alone...) "I wouldn't want you to be home alone with a child with that baby about to come. " Oh. Uh, thanks for your concern?

One last trip

We snuck in one last overnight trip before baby comes, to see good friends we haven't seen in 3 years (and 3.5 children!). We led a Navigators summer program in Burlington VT together in 2005 back when we'd only been married a year and J & MB had 2 adorable little boys. We have fond memories of exploits with college students (Alasdair & I lived in a fraternity... not an adventure I plan to repeat), evening "staff meetings" spent playing Settlers of Catan, and learning that people with kids could still be our friends. :)

We finally were able to visit them in their beautiful (self-built) home in MA so that we could meet their youngest two kids and they could meet Emily. I don't have any pictures of the whole gang, but here are some with Emily and Annie (5 and a great babysitter!), Lauren (2.5), and Aidan (3 mo and the 1st baby Emily has held).

Getting close

We are in the home stretch here, and getting excited for little sister's arrival. The infant clothes are washed & in the dresser, the bassinet is up, Emily is settled in (and loves) her new big girl bed... just a few last little things and we will be good to go. Emily is very excited it all. She insists on trying all the baby things... which I'm sure will be an ongoing challenge, but I think she'll be a great big sister.

(cell phone doesn't take great pictures in dim lighting!)

I don't think I've mentioned here that Alasdair's sister Becky moved in with us last week. She's here for a few months to help with the girls, and we could not be more excited (or spoiled!! She's actually outside mowing the lawn right now!). Emily is loving having her around, along with her stuffed penguin Percival, who E claims is her best friend.

I rarely take pictures of the belly, but here are a few of me at 38 weeks. Yikes!

Granny Ware

My Granny Ware passed away the week before last after a long battle with cancer. We are so grateful that all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were able to visit with her in the last few weeks, and that the end was swift and peaceful. She died at home with family around her, and that she's now reunited with my Grampy.

We spent last weekend in MA participating in the calling hours (so neat to see who came) and funeral & luncheon back at her house. After all the formal activities were over, we spent the rest of the weekend with my cousins, swimming in Granny's pool and being together. It was really good time. (A few more pictures are in the September photo album.)

Emily, Izzie & Rosalie

Emily spent hours in the sandbox. (Thanks to Rachel for the photo.)

Oh! And I was just reminded about one funny Emily line from the weekend. She napped during the drive down to MA, and woke up as we pulled into my parents driveway. As her eyes popped wide open, she immediately burst out "Papa's house!! And mimi! We made it!" And throwing her hands in the air, "Hosanna!!"