Chloe

Our best girl, Chloe Elizabeth, arrived today at 4:02 pm, weighing 8 lbs, 3oz, and 19.75 in long. She's practically perfect in every way. We're madly in love.

More to come when we're settled back at home.

When raising a little boy...

...one must be prepared for the turn that every conversation will eventually take: to poop. And all it's associated bodily functions.

Example the first:

Noah: Knock knock!
Me: Who's there?
Noah: POOOOOOOP!!!  (falls on the floor laughing)
Me: ...

Example the second:
(While watching Little Einsteins and becoming musical geniuses)

Noah: Mommy! The French Horn sounds like my toots!!! (again, falls on the floor laughing)
Me: ...

Example the third:
(Lesson courtesy of his father)

Noah: If I get eaten by a crocodile, then I become crocodile poop!
Me: Well, I suppose so. I hope you don't get eaten by a crocodile though!
Noah: I want to be crocodile POOP! (falls on the floor laughing, of course)
Me: Of course you do.
Noah: If I get eaten by a robot, then I become robot poop! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Me: Go discuss this with your father.

Example the fourth:

Noah: Mommy, you have beautiful eyes...and you smell like my toots!
Me: Thank you?

It's rare a day goes by where one of these conversations doesn't take place in our house. If you have a little boy-type baby, consider yourself warned.

Whomp

Without going into much detail, I walked into work this morning after a long weekend and found out one of my bosses passed away suddenly late last week while at a conference in Lake Tahoe for work. To say I am at a loss for words is an understatement. This man is the reason I work here; he interviewed me one early spring morning in 2004, found out we were fellow Illini and I was in. He liked to sing me his old fraternity songs and always had a hug for me when he was in the office. We traveled a lot together before I had Noah and we always had such fun on the road. He was at my wedding and danced with me in my big white dress and he in is dark, dapper suit. He was a good man, a very good man, and I will be forever thankful that I knew him. I'm just so sad baby girl won't have that chance...he was so damn excited to meet her.

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Thank you for all of your solid advice on the potty training. I sat Tim down and explained to him that the Ones Who Have Gone Before Us aka You recommend we back off the kid and try again in a little while. Noah is clearly attempting to exert control over the situation and the building frustration on both sides isn't getting us anywhere. Amazingly, he did great most of the weekend with gentle reminders from us and no negative reactions to accidents (of which there were few). We'll keep reminding him but I'm not going to go hard core until the baby is here and we get used to the new normal. You people are so smart (and pretty!).

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Speaking of baby, she's making progress. 2 cm and 50% effaced for those of you who a) know about these things and b) like to be fully informed. Tim is convinced she'll be early, I hope she'll be a little early, and my mother is banking on her not coming early because she'll be out of town end of this week and the beginning of next. All I know is I'm not sleeping, the BH contractions have kicked into high gear, and I feel like crap.

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I forgot how much the last weeks of pregnancy kind of suck your will to live. I just keep telling myself that it's much easier with her IN than it will be with her OUT. Even if she will be all cute and snuggly and smelling like delicious baby. NOM NOM NOM.