A.B. Kagledom

Dear Little George,

On Saturday we drove you and Simon to and from Sacramento to celebrate your Cousin Sarah's birthday. Simon is much better in the car these days and did really well in his underpants until halfway through the way home when he was uncomfortable using the dirty bathroom at a fast-food restaurant and decided wetting his pants was a better alternative. After needing a second change of clothes in less than ten minutes, we learned that traveling and potty training really don't mix well. What also doesn't mix well is having an enormous basketball attached to my front and sitting in the seat of a car. You'd think sitting wouldn't be a problem - I do it all the time - but there is something about sitting in a car and being pregnant that is just completely uncomfortable.

This morning we went out early (it was 48° outside!) and met our friend Lennie for the Stevens Creek Trail 5K Walk. We weren't speed racers but walking 3 miles or so with you attached at the front was no problem at all. The people running the race did take a number of pictures of us though and I have to wonder if it was the race number attached to my very large belly that was attracting the attention. People on the street have started to glance at my belly before quickly looking away. I remember this from last time. I've got three more months of "WOW THAT IS HUGE!" looks coming my way. I guess that is the downside of incubating extra large boys.

Tonight Daddy surprised me with a dinner out. Simon stayed home with a sitter. It was good. Your brother has been difficult lately. He REALLY isn't appreciating the potty training. He says he doesn't want to be a big boy and I have to wonder if that has anything to do with you. He is my baby. He also claims, however, to have a baby in his tummy and it is kicking him. His stuffed cat "Balcony" is also apparently pregnant. Clearly, you are on his mind.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 06:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

Ten years ago today I was sitting in my graduate dorm room on the twelfth floor of Joe West Hall at San Jose State. It was a Sunday. I was taking a break from studying for lunch. I entered the Yahoo Bay Area chat room to watch the conversation scroll past while I ate.

Ten years ago today Daddy was sitting in his cube at Oracle. It was a Sunday and he didn't have any plans. The Internet connection at work was fast. Oracle provides free sodas. He went in to the office for entertainment.

Ten years ago today I watched as Daddy typed. I came in half-way through the conversation and thought Daddy's comments were obnoxious and could not be ignored. I started typing back to stick up for those poor people in the chat room (I missed the part where the other people were acting like trolls).

Ten years ago today your Mama and Daddy realized that they had everything in the world in common (ok, maybe not a love of Babalon 5 on my side or a love of avacados on Daddy's). It was the strangest sensation I've ever had. I felt that, if this guy was for real, I had to have him as my own.

Ten years ago today your Mama and Daddy met (near the campus police station) at San Jose State. It turns out Daddy is cute as well as EXACTLY LIKE ME (ok, he did need some fattening up, some better clothes, and a new hair cut).

I would have agreed to marry Daddy a few weeks after ten years ago today. It is Daddy's fault that 2007 isn't our official ten-year anniversary. He's cautious that way. I knew it would happen and I was willing to wait.

What are we doing to celebrate ten very happy years? We're having a second baby boy (and, prior to that, maybe dinner).

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 01:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dear Little George,

We switched your brother from pull-ups to big boy undies today and have had resounding success. Pee and poop, at home and in a public restroom, with no accidents. He FINALLY got to eat the Cadbury Crème Egg that has been waiting for him since Spring (the rule was he actually had to tell us he needed to poop and then follow through on the toilet).

We're so proud it hurts (oh wait, maybe my pain is your feet pounding up against my side).

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

Your brother got his first bike the other day. He had to agree to wear his helmet before we would let him ride it. Simon is very stubborn. We finally got him to wear his helmet this evening but only after we BOTH agreed to wear ours...

[Some translation: Simon stops the bike at his friend Jack's house and asks where he went. He then calls his name a couple of times. Simon has just started naming his favorite stuffed animals - kitty one is now "Balcony" and kitty two is now "Meow-Meow." He named his new bike "Purpose" which we think is pretty clever.]

He's cute, no?

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm feeling better now, thanks. And at almost two pounds lighter I can see my belly button again. I had no idea that much could be stored in one stomach. Incredible.

I don't think Little George even noticed. Simon seemed a bit freaked out by the vomit scene so we let him stay up later than usual.

Both he and Matthew have been especially nice to me.

Posted by kagledom at 03:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

Sorry about the lack of food. It's better this way. Trust me.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Not much new to report. Little George has a good heartbeat and all tests are normal. He maintains his large status and is another week ahead of schedule. He is currently measuring at 30 weeks. I'm hoping for tall and skinny like last time.

Posted by kagledom at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

You have an appointment at noon today. Welcome to the third trimester! I was talking with some other moms over the weekend and we were comparing our two pregnancies. Honestly, I can't remember the fetal movements of Simon enough to compare but I do remember that he was really active. I don't remember him trying to hatch an escape plan from inside my belly button. My new stretch marks tell the tale. I'm starting to get some just around where you push; proof that I'm not making this up. I've started to need to rest every now and then and this isn't because of the weight - my feet feel fine, my back feels fine - it is because you're pushing so hard that my skin actually aches. Lying down shifts you into another position for a while. You never stop moving. Ever. You must kick and twist in your sleep. It is hard to imagine anyone being more active than Simon. Frankly, I'm a little scared.

Simon and I went out without Daddy again yesterday (he's still painting your room). Until recently we haven't spent much time apart from Daddy outside of the house. The thing is, I don't actually *need* to take Simon anywhere. Daddy runs the errands with Simon during the day and takes him to school and other activities. I take him around the block in the evening or play with him around the house. On the weekends we go out as a family. Simon must have recognized the importance of being without Daddy. Several times during the weekend he wrapped his arms around me and said, "I love you, Mommy." I'll be taking him out more for the next two months and then, of course, it is going to become difficult.

On one of our trips he picked out a sleeper for you to wear. He said you needed an outfit with "purple polka dots." We found one. It is lavender with butterflies. It is supposed to be for a girl but Simon is still clueless about the differences in styles, colors, and toys based on gender so buying you an outfit intended for a girl isn't an insult to your manhood. He also said you needed some fizzy tablets to color your bath water - we bought some but I'm sure there won't be any around by the time you're old enough to use them.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

The top half of your room is now a perfect yellow (which makes the bottom half - still the old yellow color - look very green). Daddy did all of the work while Simon and I (and you) spent the day adventuring. We took the Light Rail from Mountain View to San Jose (an hour long trip, if you can believe it) and got off at the Tech Museum, had some lunch, saw an IMAX documentary about the Human Body, played around the museum, bought a few small space ships in the shop, and played with them around the fountains at the Convention Center (where Daddy picked us up). Once we were home we quickly changed and drove over for the last twenty-five minutes of family swim in the warm indoor Palo Alto pool. A lot of people have told me that swimming while very pregnant feels really good. It's not that it didn't feel good but it didn't feel any different than regular non-pregnant swimming. I didn't float more than usual and the weight didn't magically disappear... What gives?

This evening we had a great time at a housewarming party. Simon was ready to pass out by the time we got there but he was having such a great time with all of his friends that we ended up staying past his bedtime. A lot of these same kids were sick with the same thing around the same time. One family doctor said it was the Rotavirus, another said it was a flu. Neither diagnosis seems to have the appropriate list of symtoms and incubation period. In any case, I'm hopeful that Simon will sleep in tomorrow. We're going to have more fun while Daddy continues to paint. He says he doesn't want us exposed to the fumes. I think he could use some time without us around.

You have developed this really annoying habit of punching/kicking/squeezing/pushing this one patch next to my belly button. It actually burns it is so raw from all of the abuse. You also seem to be awake a heck of a lot for a fetus. I ASKED FOR A SLEEPER!

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Simon has been feeling fine since yesterday morning and it appears we adults have managed to escape.

Posted by kagledom at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Simon vomited everything he consumed until about 8 pm last night. This morning he asked for a "white bar" (a Kashi cereal bar) and has managed to keep it and a cup of water down. He feels like he has lost a couple of pounds and he looked terrible yesterday but today he claims to feel "good" and his imagination and ability to make up new songs is back. He'll be watching a lot of cartoons again today. His new favorite is based on a book he has (oddly enough) come to love, The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics. Thank goodness for YouTube.

Matthew has been an incredible germ wrangler and, so far, we both are symptom free. Entire families have succumbed to this nasty virus in our playgroup.

More updates as events warrant.

Posted by kagledom at 08:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

Your big brother is really sick with the stomach flu. We each went in to check on him last night when he was moaning in bed. When I went in he asked "Sleep with Mommy and Daddy?" Even though it was very cold he wouldn't let me cover him with a blanket so I suspected something was wrong. I picked him up and he collapsed in my arms and whispered "I love you, Mommy." I took him to the guest bed but he couldn't sleep. Daddy took over putting him back to sleep in his room and that is when the vomit started. Over the next few hours he vomited on Daddy three times. Each time I ran out with new towels and pajamas. Simon was afraid to give in to sleep because every time he did the vomit would start again. They finally got to sleep at 6 am. This morning he walked into our room and vomited on the floor. He vomited again after I left for work.

If you stop getting a fresh supply of food over the next few days, you'll know I've succumbed.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

This is our final week in the second trimester and three months from today is your due date. We're in the home stretch. I am convinced this time around that you will be born late. I won't be starting maternity leave until you start to burst forth. (I want as much time home with you as possible.) My guess is that you'll be born a few days earlier than Simon - which means Christmas Eve or Christmas. I suspect those unfortunate days for a birthday will work out better for us than for most families. Daddy will have an excellent excuse to celebrate something other than Christmas. We'll all have something to focus on besides the holidays. No one out there plans to give the wee one Santa sweaters or holiday music for his birthdays, right? See, we'll be fine.

You're probably around fifteen inches long and weigh just over two pounds. I've gained 18 pounds - still adding a pound a week. Last week's acrobatics must have been you shifting to a new position because, since then, your movements have been frequent but gentle.

Daddy and I signed up for the Stevens Creek Trail Walk (we've walked the 5K pretty much every year we've been in Mountain View) and it occurred to me over the weekend that I am, well, very pregnant. While walking three miles with a few extra pounds is no big deal, walking 3 miles with twenty extra pounds sloshing around might just be a little too much. Our friends, Paul and Micheline, came over this weekend and we took them to nearby Rancho San Antonio for a two mile walk to see if that would be a problem. It was only in the last few minutes before we reached the car that I started to feel like I needed to sit down. After driving home we walked another mile to the coffee shop and back. The walk is on September 30. I think I can do it. Daddy and I plan to take a few long walks between now and then.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

A month ago we bought you a rug, similar to this (only with bigger patches of color):

And then I could no longer tolerate that the yellow of your walls was so pale and uninteresting. Daddy doesn't particularly care for it either; he thinks it has an unattractive greenish tinge. So today we went to the paint store (twice - the second time we brought the rug) and we bought three colors: two bright blues and a warm (darker) yellow. The plan is to paint the top half in yellow, the bottom half in the lighter color of blue and a stripe between the two colors in the darker color of blue. Now we just need to find a sitter so Simon can be distracted. He'll want to paint too and he has a recent history of painting and coloring everything around him BUT the space we intend.

Daddy also set up Simon's crib today. Once it was set up we decided to keep the new crib and sell Simon's. His still has a really annoying side release and, well, that is a pretty important feature when putting a sleeping baby to bed while keeping him asleep.

My hope is to have your room ready in a month or so. We still need to buy a dresser and a chair for Simon (since you'll be getting his). I've chosen the items - I'm just hoping for coupons to magically appear in our mailbox. This is turning out to be an expensive year. It's a good thing you'll be born before January 1, we need the tax break. (It turns out December 31 is exactly 14 days past your due date which is the medically approved expiration date of my womb.)

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

You are very strong. I'm not quite sure how my womb will be able to contain you if you get any stronger. Also, you're resting really low and this is causing me some trouble. You see, the majority of people out there? They want to see me in pants (not to mention underwear).

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Dear Little George,

This is what happens when you completely fill your sleep chart with stickers:

MATTHEW: "Can I have one?"

SIMON: "No."

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

Recently you've been waking up to strange sounds: one kinda sounds like a fart, another a squeal, and there are some words - high pitched and very low pitched voices. That would be your Dad and your brother. They're initiating you into the Silly Boy Club. I'd get used to it if I were you. Or? Kick the area of the sound really hard.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

Less than 100 days to go! I still feel amazing - much better than when carrying Simon (not that that was bad). I imagine this is because I don't have any of the aches and pains that come with getting ready for birth. There have been a few annoying side effects: it takes me a while to stand up when sitting on the ground, I couldn't finish cleaning yesterday - it became too exhausting to hold myself up while reaching to the back of the tub, and my belly button (still an innie) occasionally feels like it is being pulled in every direction. I'm not very fast at chasing Simon and it is hard to maneuver him in and out of the car (he never goes in the desired direction). We're starting to be able to feel the outline of your little feet when they kick. I think I even felt your itty bitty toes brush against my hand; maybe it was your fingers.

We had a very full weekend. Friday evening we dropped Simon off at Calvin's house for some play while you and Daddy and I went to a Shabu Shabu place in downtown Mountain View. The food was good but I've started to get SO HUNGRY that it felt like it wasn't enough. I decided to treat you to a black bean cake from the Hong Kong Bakery (I'm generous that way) and then we walked around downtown which put you right to sleep.

Saturday morning we emerged early for a hair appointment followed by a birthday bash for one of Simon's friends, Juliana. It was at an indoor bouncy house place and Simon had SO MUCH FUN. After the party we picked up some food and had a picnic at Cuesta Park (see Flickr site for photos). We decided to wear Simon out because Daddy and I were in desperate need of a nap. After a long drive up 280, over 92, and back down 101 Simon FINALLY fell asleep so we drove home and Daddy gently placed him in his bed. All three of us slept for two hours, waking moments before Calvin and Baby Finn arrived for a playdate and their parents turn to take the evening off. Simon was so sweet with Baby Finn - when he started to cry Simon came over and hugged him and told him "It's OK, baby." When that didn't work, Simon brought Baby Finn his Laa Laa doll and turned it on (turns out that Finn is not big a fan of dancing, light-up Laa Laa). I hope he is this sweet with you. Calvin and your brother wore each other out playing but, because of the nap, Simon didn't get to sleep until 10:30 pm (NO MORE NAPS).

Sunday we spent the morning and early afternoon at the Mountain View Art and Wine Festival (see Flickr site for photos). It was the first time we had any reason to visit the kid's area - last year we were in Chicago and the year before that Simon wouldn't have had any interest. Simon and Daddy rode in a helicopter and went through an activity maze. My imagination feasted on the idea of feeding you everything in sight but we only sampled a few things before letting Simon choose a restaurant for lunch.

Later, I took you and Simon for a walk along Shoreline Lake and we rested while Simon played with a little girl in the Sand Boat area. Daddy was worn out and needed some rest at home. Ironically, he isn't sleeping as well as I am.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 09:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

My lab results came in the mail this aftrenoon. I am really far from having gestational diabetes and I am not anemic. I didn't expect anything different but still, it's nice to know we (you through me) can still consume large quantities of dark chocolate right before a diabetes test and be just fine.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're into the name guessing game, I've placed five hints in the comments of the name guessing post: here. Scroll to the bottom and enter your best guess!

Posted by kagledom at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

Your new crib arrived today. You know, the one we ordered and then pretty much immediately canceled. It turns out that sending it back is almost as expensive as keeping it. You now have two cribs. Which do you prefer?

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

You'll notice that the issue of sleep (or lack thereof) is a hot topic in our house. Here are some recent events:

Through Simonial experimentation over the past couple of weeks, we've discovered that we need to stop Simon from napping (not a difficult thing to do). On days when he is allowed to skip a nap, he goes to bed early and sleeps in late. On days when he does nap, he stays up until nearly midnight and gets up early. When he doesn't nap he can be a little terror but we've discovered that he can play nicely until 4 pm at which time a half hour or so of cartoons is mind numbing enough to whip him back into shape before dinner, bath, books and bed. We tried enforcing "quiet time" in his room but his crying and anger was wearing him out even more.

Also, according to your father, I have developed the new talent of snoring like a lawn mower and, for some reason, he doesn't appreciate it very much. I, however, am sleeping really really well which isn't my normal state even without the enormous basketball dancing inside me while I snore happily along. I'm even able to pass out while being pummeled with little fists and feet. You don't appreciate me lying on my side and taking up some of your space. But, HELLO, I can't exactly sleep on my back or front now can I? I've tried to explain this to you but I don't think you're listening.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 08:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dear Little George,

Once again Labor Day was labor free (thank goodness). We spent the day in San Francisco with our friends Cindi and Mike. You'll like them. They're fun. They go down dirty cement slides together and enjoy cake sampling and everything. We walked around a lot so you slept through pretty much the entire experience. Your brother did a couple of interesting things to note:

1. He showed modesty for the first time when he was obviously too embarrassed to take his pants off for a change in Cindi's living room.

2. He expressed his feelings really well on the way home by telling me: "Mama, you make me sad and that makes me angry" (over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich).

In any case, thanks for not making me labor. I realize you're uncomfortable.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Little George,

I'm hot; baking scorching hot; stay in air-conditioning all day hot (only we're not equipped). I'm one of those people who love to sit in the sun and soak up the heat. But it has been in the high 80's here for the past week and I feel like I'm about to collapse. It is especially bad when taking Simon for a walk or walking from the car across a hot pavement parking lot to a store. For the past few nights my feet have been so hot that I can't sleep. My FEET! They're on fire. Tonight I may put them in an ice bath before bed. I blame this all on you. You are burning me up from the inside out. The sun is burning me up from the outside in. There is no escape until Fall.

Love,

Mama

Posted by kagledom at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)