Knocked up & Laid Up

...yep, that's how to describe me. Went to the doctor today, where I learned I likely broke my ankle - but he can't be 100% sure because I'm pregnant, and thus no x-rays. So, this is what my left leg now looks like:


I guess it could be worse - I could have had this injury AFTER Cupcake's arrival. As it is, the treatment is the same as for a bad sprain (wearing an ultra-sexy Bledsoe Boot, and doing "RICE" treatment - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).

I wasn't waddling in pregnancy before, but I sure am now! Sigh. At least everyone's being really nice. Including Deven, who already LOVES playing with the velcro on the boot...

Mom & Aunt Sigi arrived today, and Deven enjoyed the evening with his Naani and Auntie - including a bath where he got 'devil horns' - how appropo (photos coming). Looking forward to Halloween (Deven as Tiger) and a party with them this weekend!

New Cousin in the family

My cousin Melissa had her daughter, Harmony Rae Johnson, on Thursday, ~ 6:05 PM in Maryland. She (Harmony) was 8 lbs, 3 oz, 19 1/2" long.

Mama & baby:








Harmony:


Ain't she cute?

Klutzy Katie

It's a widely known fact that pregnancy makes women clumsy. Makes sense, as the average woman gains 25 - 35 lbs; and in my case I'm well beyond that (hoping to not double it, but on the way there).

...and as I was on the way to work this morning, I fell. Not your usual stumble, but a walking-fast, in-the-middle-of-the-intersection, really-bit-it and hurt myself kind of fall. Skinned the right knee, twisted the left ankle somethin' good - and almost got run over by the cars roaring by me as the light changed @ 24th & Guerrero.

I guess it wouldn't have been so bad, except that no one helped - and as I limped back up to the sidewalk, I missed the light anyway.

Here's the damage:




I can't even remember the last time I fell down; let alone just by walking. I recall falling on a lacrosse field (still inelegant as an umpire, but somewhat more understandable)

In other news, we've gotten a nice used play structure for the back yard (similar to this one), and the seller even brought it to us, for $65 (I love Craigslist!)
It's the blue-thing on the right side (view is looking down from our window...now you see the distance, and you know why we didn't used to go down to the garden very often).


Deven has used it a little bit so far; but I suspect it will be invaluable next year when #2 comes along and I want to get outside...but can't be bothered to go too far.

Toddler Terror

Deven - our firstborn, the apple of our eyes, the Muffin, the Marauder... is becoming a terror. Our nanny regaled me with stories about how he will now:

- Climb on furniture - not just the couch, but onto the table tops and other dangerous places; then smile charmingly so Daadi wants to let him stay there. Try to take him down? He screeches and throws a tantrum.

- Steal his buddy Noah's toys - in & of itself not a big deal, but roughing-up Noah in the process - while smiling sweetly. Try to stop him? You got it...screeching and tantrum-throwing ensue.

...and with a face like this, we know how he gets away with it. :-)

Hop on Pop

Deven has a new game, we call it 'Hop on Pop.'







I don't think we even have this book yet (Yogesh wasn't familiar yet anyway).







But, it's fair to say that the beloved Dr. Seuss classic will be a hit here as Deven starts to read more!





HOP POP
We like to hop.
We like to hop
on top of Pop.




STOP
You must not
hop on Pop.

This is what happens to little boys who Hop on Pop!

Business Trip with Cupcake

Taking business trips with #2 isn't very hard for me right now, but even in the course of 3 days it got harder. How? On the way out, I could still reach below my seat on the airline (Economy Plus) to get the laptop I'd left in the footwell... this was NOT the case upon the return flight! I had to get out of my seat, crouch down in the aisle, and kneel to get to the laptop. I have ~ 2+ more months of this - but luckily travel should end for me by 10/14 (my last trip).

Before I left, Deven Kissed The Baby - it's too cute to see him do this - Yogesh and I just melt - regardless of the Toddler Terror that he was beforehand.


Of course, he's also taken to tickling me - he thinks it's great fun to put his finger in my belly button and make me laugh, a la the Pillsbury Dough Boy (a character who I now bear a shocking resemblance to).

Cupcake hiccups now in utero. Deven did the same thing - and when he was out for a few weeks, too - it's quite cute. In general, I think I'm enjoying this pregnancy more. Though I'm much bigger (already look 8 mos pregnant instead of the 7 that I am) this pregnancy, I'm more relaxed - I often don't even quite recall what week I'm in (late 20's / early 30's).



All-in-all a good week; a good business trip (Philly, Atlanta, NJ/NY...I miss the east coast weather!)
I even got to see my old friend & classmate Junko - who's a hotshot M&A banker @ Morgan Stanley and looks fabulous - in NYC. Let's hope this goodness continues!

Toes! Kiss the baby!

Deven has learned what "toes" are - and loves telling us, any time we're about to go outside. He knows shoes go on feet (not quite how yet, but all that fits him right now is his Teva sandals, so not surprising - I still have a hard time putting mine on).


He's also learned that Mommy (that's me) has a baby inside. If you ask "Where's the baby?" he'll point towards my belly...and then if you say "Kiss the baby" - he will! He has the sweetest little kiss - anyone who sees it can't help but say "Aww."

Then, when he sees my belly button, he thinks that it's a requirement to stick his finger inside and wiggle - which makes me laugh, which makes him laugh, which makes me laugh harder, which makes him laugh harder...which makes him insist upon doing it some more. Pretty funny.


This weekend we finally went out to our little garden - overgrown and ignored - and raked and cleaned up a bit. Though we're thinking about moving, we're also considering getting a small play structure, so Deven (and perhaps Noah, his little share-care buddy) can go play in our yard. It's relatively safe - a small plot - though Deven did a head-first dive down the stairs this morning while showing off how he can go down the steps face-first. I guess that will help him learn to hold on and look down when going down stairs!


We're thinking of buying something like this 8-in-1 playground structure (used if we can get one of course) - looks good to us, but any ideas welcome!

Small - Medium - Large (Mama Bellies)

Heather's baby shower was this weekend, and my cousin Rea was also there (along with Aunt Marsha, Gina, Aunt Sigi, my mom, Yogesh, Deven, and me). My dad didn't come - and I think that means he's now relegated to status of MRWWHTMIUTHL (that's Male Relative Who Will Have To Make It Up To Heather Later.)


Here's the 3 of us pregnant gals:
- Rea is "small," due in January with a girl, and taking good care of herself - eating right and watching her health!
- I'm "medium," due in December with a boy and watching what I eat...which, truth be told, included 1 slice of cake, 2 cookies, 3 brownies, and 4 pieces of quiche at Heather's shower. Gosh, I could be The Very Hungry Caterpillar of childhood-book fame!
- Heather is "large," due in November and, in my wholly unqualified, unscientific opinion, will go into labor before her due-date (Yogesh's birthday) and have a girl. She & Tommy don't know (or aren't telling us) whether the baby is a girl or boy, so I'm with her friend Barbara (the professed resident Gypsy of her group of friends) in picking "GIRL!"



It was great to see Aunt Sigi, Aunt Marsha, Gina and Rea again. Apparently Gina's been enduring a recent basement flooding in her Chicago home (brought on by recent heavy rains), so life goes on, regardless of drywall status. Aunt Sigi gave us some great little tips - like, when Deven is whining (screaming) to be picked up - do so, but only once he isn't actually screaming...that way you don't reinforce the Pavlovian cycle of scream to be picked up. Gosh, I wish we lived closer to relatives!


Heather's baby shower was very good, overall. Their friends threw a lovely bash at her friend Lisa's gorgeous home, they received lots of useful stuff (including the obligatory 2-of-the-exact-same-thing, and a few too many onesies for a few items - no worries, it's all exchangeable!), and everyone was well-behaved - including, surprisingly, Deven.



He spent the luncheon time being cute and eating toddler-style (that means eating a bite then walking outside, then eating another bite and walking back again) - and spent the gift-opening session saying "Baaaow" and "Woof-woof" to the stuffed animals that his future-cousin received.





Generally, he was a toddler - hanging out with Uncle Tommy, hanging upside-down with Naani:








Cap off the weekend with a pretty-good flight on Southwest (SO much better than other airlines) - and a good time was had by all.





I wonder when Heather & Tommy's baby will wear this cute shirt? :)

Shoe time!

Deven had a grand time this weekend @ Mausi Heather and Mausa Tommy's baby shower in Chicago. Photos of that coming soon.

But before that, we had a couple of days without Daddy @ home - and Deven discovered Daadi's shoes in that time. Discovered, played with, and giggled and giggled.


He giggled when he realized he could wear her shoes...



And giggled some more when he tried to walk.



Chased the cat away (didn't get a photo of that)...



In the end - this photo shows it best: He's taken a dislike for wearing pants (or any kind of clothes for that matter) - but loves wearing shoes!

Uncle Hans, rest in peace

My mom just called to tell me that my Uncle Hans (Grandma Frieda's brother), passed away in Innsbruck today. He was 83, and is survived by his new bride Cristel, sons Albin & Norman, and their respective families (see below).

Photo: Uncle Hans with his sons Norman (younger, on left) and Albin, at Uncle Hans' wedding last year.



Albin & Norman sent a sweet email to many of us about Uncle Hans' passing; I won't repeat all of it, but these comments from Albin, then Norman, struck me:
"He received the best care possible and the hospital staff was exceptional. I think that he was happy that he did not have a prolonged disability.
We all will miss him very much and will celebrate many happy memories."

"While Dad probably had the strength to live to 100, he had 83 great years. He was frequently with his family and never really learned to slow down. We should all celebrate his life."


When we had Deven last year, Uncle Hans sent us a gift of some reusable cloth diapers that we wanted. I'm sad Deven will never know him. He was smart, practical, energetic, and had a quirky sense of humor that I can only attribute to his being an Austrian anesthesiologist with a pretty thick accent, living in Southern Cal.

I didn't actually know Uncle Hans that well - he lived in Laguna Beach, CA, and was an anesthesiologist. My mom and other relatives stayed in pretty close contact, and Albin and Norman lived with my family in Maryland for some time while they were in graduate school @ Georgetown.


Photo: My dad, Uncle Hans, and Uncle Helly (my mom's older brother), before Uncle Hans' wedding last summer:






I will remember Uncle Hans as a kind uncle, who always wanted me (and all the kids in our family) to learn. Learn a LOT. The best memory I have is from my teens, when he came for a visit (for a conference, I don't remember), and wanted to go to D.C. to the museums. He wanted to go with me - and Heather, I think - and we spent the whole day in some of the larger collections - the Natural History museum, American History, etc. He was SO happy to be with us as we were learning, about anything. Native Americans, bees, ancient Greece - it was all valuable knowledge to him, and he wanted us to have it. I think the thank-you note I wrote after that day was one of the first I ever penned - it was one of the first I remember enjoying writing after spending time with someone, anyway.

Photo: Uncle Hans & new bride Cristel, at their wedding last year:







He passed fairly quickly, which is good in my opinion. His ashes will be partly scattered at Laguna Beach, and partly laid to rest in the cemetery near his parents.

Photo: the family @ his wedding last year.
Bottom row, L-R: Kaitlin, Kampbell (Norman's daughters), Paul (Albin's son), Uncle Helly, Aunt Carolyn (Uncle Helly's wife), my mom
Top row, L-R: Loni (Norman's wife), Norman, Albin, Cristel, Uncle Hans, Jacqui (Albin's wife), and my dad.










This last photo is how I'd like to remember him. It's not a good photo, but he loved dancing, and I'm pretty sure this is him taking Cristel for a twirl, on the beach at their wedding reception last year. I hope that Cristel, Albin, Norman, and others who were close to him are doing OK - our thoughts are with them.

I'm sure he's dancing, where ever he is now. :)