The Many Faces of Penn

Penn is often my light tester. It serves double duty because I get studio portraits of Penn and I get to make sure everything is working before my client walks in. Penn, of course, hates it. For the most part.

He's also a natural born ham and has a plethora of poses that he churns through while I snap away. So, I have a lot of goofy photos of him. See below.

Mom, are we there yet?

We are 36 weeks along. Baby Margot probably weighs about 6 pounds and is around 18.5 inches long. I've gained somewhere between 24 and 29 pounds. (I'm having to guess my starting weight.) My thighs are almost touching and I can feel my rear when I walk. For some reason this is more distracting then the enormous moving belly in front of me.

At the end of the week Margot will be considered "full term" and for some reason we're all expecting to see her around week 38. Maybe it's just wishful thinking due to the unending misery that pregnancy is. Maybe it's because that's when Penn came. (Although his due date was a bit of a guess.) Maybe it's because my looming size is starting to scare us a little. I am beyond excited and impatient. My body is showing all of the happy signs that it's getting ready. Not there yet.....but getting ready.

I'm still constantly nauseous. This is a seasick feeling, not heartburn or indigestion. And I'm heavy. And hot. And tired. It's only being horizontal with a book am I truly content with my mind occupied and my weight distributed. Alas, there are still photos to edit and shoots to finish.

The doctor gave me Zofran for the nausea. Oh sweet Zofran! Up until last night it has been my new best friend. Last night it failed me, but I won't give up on it yet.

So.....I'm still pregnant and anxious and uncomfortable. But happy and very well taken care of thanks to Daniel who stops at nothing to make sure I'm as comfortable possible and tells me daily and sincerely that I am beautiful. Big. Fat. Swoon.

Belated Father's Day Post

Have I told you lately that my dad is awesome?

I didn't get to see him on Father's Day, but we did get to talk on the phone. I love and appreciate everything he's done (and still does!) for me and now for Penn and the soon-to-be Margot. He's always been an excellent example of morality and hard work and I'm glad my children have him to look up to.


We did get to see Daniel's parents who came through Dallas for the weekend. A while back Penny and Broom handed down a train set for Penn. Little did we know it's an actual proper model railroad! Mr. Dusty wasted no time in generously expanding it, adding a tunnel and replacing the controller that had a short in it.

There was also a lot of bubble blowing and trolley riding and a yummy dinner at Breadwinners. I can't stop thinking about the white chocolate mouse torte....

We got Daniel a bottle of Becherovka from Czechoslovakia to celebrate his acceptance into the parent club. I am surrounded by beautiful, capable, strong and intelligent men. May they give my little Penn the same wisdom.

Click here to see the rest of the photos.

Chock Full of Cute

I ran across this photo in the archives. Penn is around 2 and Ringo is around 6 weeks. If it doesn't elicit an audible "Awwww" from you, you might be dead inside.


Three years later! And still filled with cute.

James is so stinking cute

Three Million Ways Left of Sunday

If it's up he wants it down, if it's red he wants it blue. He wants it sooner later faster slower farther closer the other way, no, the other other way.

If he asks you a question and you give him an answer he will correct you beginning his sentence with a haughty, "Actually...." Because it is not enough for you to have the right answer, you must have the very specific scientific equation from the universe answering, "Why do we have cars?"

Bottom line, my son can think of three million ways left of Sunday as to how he wants it, but he cannot, for anything in the world, just be happy with the way it is.

And this drives me beat-my-head-against-a-wall-crazy. Because he can't enjoy the moment for trying to correct it. He can't let me enjoy the moment for placing orders to his minions.

And quite possibly (sigh) he learned all this from me...... But that's supposed to be okay because I am the entitled boss! The mother! She who invented this little tyrant!

Strangers and guests will drown in the ooze of his manners.

Dear old ma? She gets to mop up the mess.

Michelle and Russell

Michelle and Russell had their portrait taken as a gift to their mother. As a mother and a photographer I always think this is a fabulous idea.

Somewhere I heard someone say, "Kids make stuff for their parents until they are old enough to go out and buy them a bunch of meaningless crap." Family photos are always meaningful. When I think about my career and compare the stuff that gets published to the weddings and portraits, there is no question what is more important.

Penn has a photo album starting at day one and I still love going through it. Margot already has one starting with her sonograms. We all know kids grow up fast, but watching it happen in 30 pages is stunning.

Click here to see more of Michelle and Russell.

Summer

I've always been a frequent flyer of the library, but when I got what I thought was an illegitimate fine for a late book, I stopped going. As Penn will readily tell you, in this economy the library is a fantastic wonderland of free entertainment!

I paid the fine. It was totally legitimate. (whoops) And now we're there at least two times per week. Story time is fun plus there is a playground at our library. We're reading more books than ever before and saving a ton. Not to mention the movies! And music! All the Kidzbop (blech) Penn could ever want.

There are lots of fun and free library programs this summer. This week we went to The Electric Magic Show. Also coming up are Barnum and Baily Circus Clowns, crafts and Zooniversity.

If you have a 5-10 year old boy, I'm recommending anything by Dav Pilkey. We're reading the series Captain Underpants and Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot. They're hilarious. Hilarious. Hilarious and sometimes really gross which means every night Penn laughs until he snorts and asks me to read something again.


We also live right beside a free splashpark!

Penn is going to do one session of Discovery Camp at the Museum of Nature and Science and is right this second at a gymnastics camp session.

He's maturing really quickly these days. Testing boundaries and wanting more to do. I compared some children to some dogs the other night. "If you don't give them a run through the park they're going to eat the couch."

If you know of any fun and affordable "runs through the park" this summer, feel free to share!

Planet Margot Does Not Have Acid Reflux

Another checkup come and gone. All is well on Planet Margot. We're up another pound. I asked our doctor if he had any more evidence of a due date and he said we would start "checking" in two weeks.

He asked if there were any more questions and we all went blank. But then in the hallway I remembered I AM SO NAUSEOUS. The doc was in with another patient so I spoke to the nurse. She said she'd talk to him and they would call something in. Zofran or Phenergan, probably.

The nurse phoned when we were in the parking lot and said the prescription was called in. I didn't catch what she said it was, but, something for nausea I presumed.

This afternoon I went by the pharmacy. The prescription was $168. After I peeled myself off the counter I stuttered, "Are you sure?!" The pharmacy double checked it was for me, so I took it.

When I got home I looked up the name of the medicine. It's Nexium. Which is for acid reflux. I do not have acid reflux. Nor do I have $168 lying around to blow on medicine I don't need.

And by the way, I am still angry at the cost of my prenatal vitamins! Does that extra bit of stool softener really cost that much?

!!!


I emailed my doctor since it was afterhours, but ... I'm not sure what can be done. I'm angry that I was misunderstood and I'm angry that I didn't question it further before handing over my debit card. Not that I should have any pre-knowledge of what Nexium is, but...

Anyone know how to sell Nexium on the black market? Heh heh. (no seriously)

Pretty

He's being very still and watching the misters on the patio while I shoot shrimp and beef tenderloin. When he's like this, I could watch him for hours. He has bright brown eyes and pretty little boy lips and you can see what the little man inside will look like some day.

Until then, he's the five year old who suffers photo shoots with mom, just got turned on to the Smurfs and slides down hills at Cohabitat.

He's also the five year old who just got his bowels all straightened out. The details aren't all that important to give to the internet, but in short, he couldn't have a bowel movement. Not like you and I do. But with regular medicine, now he can. He can wear underwear. Spiderman underwear. :) And this means.......absolutely everything.

I've been bribing him forever with "whatever you want" when we reach this blessed day. We were thinking about the zoo. Maybe Chuck E. Cheese. Some newfangled Transformer he saw recently. After a lot of contemplation, he went with this.

The Firstborn

It's like he's almost a grown up. He has everything he needs and a charming little personality to make it happen. He's getting taller. His little baby roundness is thinning off. His cuddles are getting older. I'm not ready.

32 Weeks

We are 32 weeks along. An average baby at this time is 3.75 pounds and 16.7 inches long and I should gain about one pound per week until the end of the pregnancy. Awesomesauce. So far I've gained about 27 pounds.

I feel fine. According to our doctor, the baby feels fine too. She's still a mover and a shaker and tossing my insides about, not to mention she has incorrigible hiccups.

The Big Day is coming up and there is still nesting to be done! I am ready.

I am ready for the baby and to be able to sleep on my stomach. I'm ready to not puke up breakfast on a work morning in my eighth month because of some horse pill of a vitamin. I'm ready to feel the zing of an espresso and the slosh of a big glass of wine. I'm ready to fit into more than 4 pairs of pants and 3 bras and to be honest, only 2 pair of underwear are actually comfortable. I'm ready for my fingers and toes to stop retaining a half gallon of water each. I'm ready to suck down seafood and soft cheese! I'm ready to draw breath with ease and sneeze without fear. I'm ready to be able to press my stomach and my shoulders against Papa Bear at the same time. I'm ready to not be pregnant.

There is a certain joy to being pregnant. Right now Margot and I are a package. You can't hug her without hugging me. Her jiggles and burps and kicks and fingers are movements that are mine, created by me. Not to exclude the work and involvement and love of the father. But mom's get the physical part. Mothers and in-utero babies get to live in their own little world for a very precious bit of time. After the blessed labor and delivery, there will be a moment where I'm emotionally and literally empty inside.

And then, more beautiful family to wrap around.