Here's looking at you, kid!

One thing that Riley will have to get used to now is sharing - so he might as well share the blog too!  We are about to make our big announcement that baby #2, "Matzo Ball" is on its way!  

Here are the facts to share to make things easy:

I am about 14 weeks along
The baby is due around February 10
I had one blah week when Chris and I were on vacation in Alaska but I am feeling great
We're not sure if we are going to find out the gender
I am showing as much at 3.5 months this time as I was at 5 months last time
Riley is excited to be a brother

Riley keeps talking to the baby, asking me/it if it wants food and he kisses my belly goodbye.  He also sometimes "takes" the baby out of my stomach and puts it in his belly to carry and has told us that he wants to teach the baby to swim...

I hadn't told anyone at the JCC yet when one of the teachers congratulated me.  She said that Riley has been telling everyone that he is going to be a brother, so it's a good thing we were ready to share!  And it's a good thing that he's excited!

So just know this, Matzo Ball - you will never have a secret cause your big brother is ready to break the news first!

Feel free to share the news with the family - we will be posting to the media outlets shortly!

Big boy Riley

Well, this has been a crazy summer with travel and going here and there, but I am happy to report that we are all back under one roof and intend to stay that way for a little while.  It is amazing how much Riley grows up in a short amount of time and both Chris and I realized that when we came home to a bigger boy after each of our trips. So in honor of his growing up, he gets to start sleeping in a big boy bed!

We told him we had a surprise waiting for him in his room and I think he seems pretty happy about it - don't you think?  What not-so-little boy wouldn't want a new race car bed with Lightning McQueen sheets?  

And the cherry on top?  I was invited into his special bed for our nightly book reading.  There was no question of where the pacifier is, so let's hope he makes the connection that big boys in big beds don't get paci's.  If it needs to be explained, I am ready to share that knowledge.

As I write this blog a little after bed time, I keep checking his video monitor to make sure that he is still in bed.  Currently, his leg is balancing precariously on the edge of the bed, but the saving grace is that there isn't that far to fall if he decides to take a roll.  On second thought... I think I will go put some blankets on the floor as a soft landing pad - just in case!

The Growing Tree

Things have been very busy with everyone going here and there, but all the while, the GeeGee Tree has continued to grow.

We water it lovingly, say goodbye to it when we leave for school in the morning and make sure that there are no sticks or leaves in its bed.  Riley likes to tell us when the dirt is muddy and reminds us of when we dug the hole.  I'm sure it will miss us while we are out of town this week, but the longer we are away from it, the closer we get to seeing the real GeeGee!

In other news:

GeeGee Tree

A few weeks ago during her visit, GeeGee told us that she would like to get Riley a tree.  She wants him to help plant it, take care of it and watch it grow over the years.  So we waited for the weather to warm up enough and today was the day to get the GeeGee Tree growing!

We made two trips and filled the car with the flowering pear tree, flowers, plants, soil and mulch galore! Good thing Riley was willing to share the back seat cause this is no small sapling!

We planted a few areas in the front yard and after lunch and nap time, it was time to get the tree in the ground.  Chris was the official digger, Riley was on filling patrol and I was in charge of documenting and overseeing the project.  (Don't think that I didn't get my hands dirty as well - I was playing with grubs and dirt all afternoon too).

We had all of the right tools and perfect weather for a day of planting.  Riley was very happy to get in there, take off his shoes and fill in the hole, water the plant and make sure that it felt very welcome in its new home.

We are looking forward to taking care of our new family member over the years and helping to watch it grow.  So feel free to come on over, introduce yourself to the GeeGee Tree and give it a good hug!

I am pretty happy with the way the front yard looks now!  What do you think?

The Watering Hole

What is one of our go to activities on a quiet night in?  Bath time!  I know that many people my age like to get dressed up, go out and celebrate the start of the weekend but I can't imagine a better date than this little guy that kept me smiling all night!

The only time I wasn't smiling tonight was when a toy boat full of water came flying out of the tub and turned the floor into a big puddle.  Nothing that we can't handle, though, so all is good!

So if you are ever wondering where we are when most people are out enjoying a relaxing dinner or a drink at the bar - just come to our private watering hole - the bath tub!

Petting Zoo Pals

Yesterday, the JCC had a celebration for Israel Independence Day and we are not a family who misses celebrations.  In fact, we were one of the first ones there to get the party started.  There was a bounce house, a balloon artist, a performance and arts and crafts - but the thing that really grabbed Riley's attention was the petting zoo!

While it took a few minutes to ease into it and get used to the fact that there were dozens of baby goats just roaming around and looking for food, Riley got right in there and made new friends.  He was asking them their names, telling them that it was time to go to school, making the rounds to pet them all and gave them bottles of milk.

Chris asked him a few times if he wanted to take a baby goat home, but luckily we got away from that conversation before it got lodged in his brain forever!

There's no crying in baseball

Yesterday, thanks to a friend, we had a very special baseball experience!  We planned to watch the Cubs take on the Pirates, but what started as an regular trip to the ballpark turned out to be extra cool!

We started our afternoon with a tour through PNC Park, got to walk on the field, had the opportunity to watch batting practice from right behind home plate and even walked through the dugout (on the way back from a potty break)!

Within 17 seconds of stepping on the field, Riley was tossed a baseball and took his place to watch the pros.  He was cheering and watching them swing the bat and was really taking everything in.  He knew exactly where to look and was totally in to it.

After dinner and a walk around the stadium, we took our seats to warm up and watch the game.  We saw the teams on the field, fireworks with homeruns, pierogi races and the Pirate Parrot (or Ducky according to Riley).  The Cubs were up by one when Riley and I left cause bed time takes priority - nobody wants to wake up to a grumpy Riley!