Tuesday, May 17

welcome to our world



April 1
Henrico Doctor's
Welcome to our world, Edwin Jonah Smith!
My body didn't want to be induced so it jumped the gun with the whole labor thing five hours before our scheduled appointment. I was more than happy about this because I didn't want this baby to come before they were ready. After an epidural, playing yahtzee, breaking my water, giving me a small hit of pitocin, and listening to Van Morrison, "It's a boy!" graced our ears at 9:56 am. 


And now we have a perfect 7 lb, 21 inch addition to our family.


April 2
Henrico Doctor's
The supposed-to-be March babies. Sorry for the unflattering photo, Porter. We know you are cuter in real life.


Now he's on the outside, but still a tiny ball of sweetness.

 

April 3
Henrico Doctor's
Making our getaway in some homemade hand-me-down knits. Excited to see our baby girl again and get started with this family of four business.


April 4
Sunroom
The second of many lasagna dinners, but oh so grateful for food being made by other people.


April 5
Living Room
Grandpa Bud with all of his grands. They kind of even cooperated for the photo.


April 6
Kids' Room
Kiki doing double time. This was a sweet moment to witness.


April 7
Sunroom
Also a sweet moment to witness. Leena Bea loves her dad so much and it's heart melting to see them together. Even when they're just eating.


April 8
Living Room
Already regressing. JK, but she does love to play with all the carseats, and for some reason we now have four. Also, crazy that she was riding in this one not long ago and now she looks like a giant in it!


April 9
Living Room
Just your classic baby sleeping photo. With cute, long fingers.


April 10
Living Room
Leena introduces Grandpa Tim to Meno.


April 11
Mini
The van, in all it's glory. When I get desperate I'm going to sleep out here because it's just that spacious.


April 12
Yard
Teaching Leena how to blow dandelions. (She thinks you put your mouth on it still.) We have a couple books with a page about blowing dandelions and each time we get to them, Leena takes out her pacifier and goes, "Wow" in an elongated whisper voice.


April 13
Back Yard
A couple shop walls are going up today.


Living Room
And meanwhile, this is happening.


April 14
Living Room
Scrunched up tummy time.


April 15
Kitchen
Let's just pretend Andy has newborn brain and that's why he put the wrong soap in the dishwasher.


Here's the newborn. He is pretty distracting.


April 16
Cyborg Room
Staying close because this girl is a little heavy handed. But she loves him!


Library
This doesn't look like much but it is quite monumental...My first solo outing with both kiddos. Kind of. Because I was meeting my sister. But the kid to adult ratio stayed the same.


April 17
Original Gravity
Neighborhood outing to the local brewery. I've been dying to walk over, sit outside, and drink a beer, and I finally can now!


April 18
Living Room
More sibling love. I just have to make sure Leena doesn't climb in. Because she has done that...


April 19
Front Porch
Looks like all he does is sleep. Not true.


April 20
Back Yard
The trusses were delivered and put in the wrong place because they didn't tell us when they got here. The bozos came back and tried to get them back on the truck and after about 1.5 hours decided they just needed to move them by hand. Time sucks like this do not go over well with me these days.


April 21
 Back Yard
Trusses on the correct side, crane on the correct side. Andy building.


Us watching.


April 22
Back Yard
Making roof progress. That's a steep pitch.


April 23
Sunroom
I don't even know. But we should really start strapping her in.


April 24
Back Yard
A roof with a view.


Neighborhood
Meanwhile, another accomplishment: walking to the garden with both kids solo.


April 25
Arc Park
In review, I'm pretty proud of myself for the outings I've managed with the kids. I was very daunted by this task, but with a willing sister and friends, it's been not so bad. (I can say that today because I'm feeling pretty well rested and Andy is off work.)


April 26
Sunroom
I don't remember why I gave Leena an early bath, but it was probably because she had a poop explosion or something.


April 27
Cyborg Room
The new normal.


April 28
Kilmarnock
Edwin meeting his Great Oma for the first time. It's something incredible to see the beginning of the line meet the newest member of her family. I imagine when I'm a grandma and hopefully a great grandma, I will feel pride and responsibility for the kids of my kids, etc.


April 29
Attic
Talking on her air mattress land line.


April 30
Larkum House
Potluck's newest member, but not for long! So great to gather with friends. Makes me feel kind of like an adult and not just a mom.






Tuesday, May 3

still pregnant




March 1
Front Yard
We all voted today and this little miss dressed the part in her red, white, and blues.



March 2
Kids' Room
Second crib built = second baby being on the outside is getting closer!


March 3
Living Room
Just talking on her domino phones before bedtime.


March 4
VMFA
Family day-date to see the Rodin exhibit. Leena wasn't so in to it. We had to resort to phone distraction to keep her quiet enough to make it through the entire thing.


March 5
Pad Thai Restaurant
Adult only date night. All we can muster in creativity and energy is going out to dinner. But an uninterrupted meal is a treasured time!


March 6
Kids' Room
Unfortunately this is the only photo I took today to show Andy Leena's run-in with a cat (not ours, though that wouldn't have surprised us).

 

March 7
Shower
We introduced her to showers when she was sick and now she asks for one nearly every night.



March 8
Engine 7
Just some hose folding at work.


March 9
Kids' Room
Leena is at Ducky Daycare and I have been dying to get my hands on their closet and make some sense of it. All the things on the floor and all the things in the closet. So satisfying, even if it did only look like that for about a day.


March 10
Kids' Room
One more of the prepping. Kiki got to town and brought the crib sheet for Tuco's bed. Pretty pleased with how great it looks with Mr. Snake!


March 11
Terrrace
Andy and Rick bucked up a little bit of wood today.


March 12
Terrace
Kiki and the kiddos!


March 13
Bedroom
Thirty-eight weeks and counting. Thinking this kid is going to make an appearance any day now because, well, feeling huge and feeling other things.


March 14
Terrace
Art lessons with Kiki. Leena's really improving. She wrote her name in all caps after getting marker all over her fingers.


March 15
Side Yard
Getting the garden going again, but this year we are trying raised beds. So we have to build them.


March 16
Side Yard
Ducky daycare yields another day of productivity. Finished the boxes by noon time! Here's the muscle overlooking his work. (I just swung the sledgehammer a few times hoping it would induce labor.)


March 17
Kitchen
When the baker bakes exactly what she wants: an all clementine fruit tart. Now that I see this photo, I'm pretty sure I had a dream about pastry cream last night...


March 18
Terrace
Cousins! Hanging out and eating!


March 19
Bedroom
Family FaceTime with our new friend Indy and our old friends, his parents! He's giving us the ole' tongue hello.


March 20
Sunroom
Holy cow, this kid! She's starting to develop a camera smile and I think I love it.


March 21
Backyard
Groundbreaking for the new shop. Leena is monitoring the depth of the trench, hip height is what we are going for.


March 22
Front Yard
Doing some seasonally festive activities. Note that it took three adults to keep Leena from dumping all the dyes out and cracking all the eggs. She was a good little helper though. Andy just sat back holding Porter and laughing.


March 23
Station 7
I'm pretty sure the location just told you what you were looking at. But I'll go on with more about the day. Andy got transferred to Station 5 (our neighborhood) and the guys came and poured the concrete slab for the shop.


March 24
Lewis Ginter
Nearing the due date (I didn't think we'd be making it this long, but I've also mentally changed the due date to April 1 because here we are, still pregnant) and feeling the emotions that come with Leena not being our sole attention holder. She's still so little and she's about to not be the baby anymore.


March 25
Terrace
Unprompted adorable photo op seized by Andy.


March 26
Bott's
Due date's come (and it's probably going to go), but we are hunting eggs. A great distraction and LB did a fine job spotting her loot. (They were filled with things like clementine slices, animal crackers, plastic frogs, pennies, and tiles. She doesn't care.)


March 27
Terrace
Kiki got the girls matching outfits for Valentine's day. This is the best we could do for a group photo, but the joy captured is better than plain smiles.


March 28
Side Yard
Picked up our good dirt and now we are filling our beds. Again, trying to induce baby labor with manual labor and starting to wonder what this kid is waiting for.


March 29
Terrace
Benefit of Kiki across the street. But they are watching a video of Gwyneth Paltrow read Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and it's weird.


March 30
Cafespresso
Having a morning coffee and treat date after dropping Leena off at Ducky's (man, are we lucky to have her so close and willing and great) and before ultrasound appointment to check on this tardy baby.


March 31
Ducky's
So that ultrasound appointment was actually today. And Tuco didn't pass all of the tests so we are getting induced tomorrow morning at 6 am. Ready or not! Leena's ready to spend the weekend with Ducky! Our last photo as a family of three. Also, remember how I mentally changed the due date to April 1? I guess I knew.