Transition

 

I guess when you are raising kids maybe it always feel like they are in a state of transition.  Right now definitely feels like one.  



Lucy vacillates constantly between insisting that she is a "little bitty baby Lucy" and a "big girl" -- on her way to getting "bigger, bigger, bigger, biggest." 



I can see the internal conflict -- wanting to be little, cooed over, taken care of... and also wanting to be the big sister, capable, thoughtful. 



Yesterday she politely but emphatically asked that she be allowed to sit in Elliot's high chair at breakfast, because she was a "little bitty baby Lucy" -- but then she delighted in breaking apart her bacon into little tiny pieces and sharing them with Elliot (in the extra booster seat).  Her bacon.  A most beloved culinary delight usually guarded tightly and consumed quickly. 



"Silly gross" is a phrase we've been hearing a lot lately.  As in--I licked your nose!!  That's silly gross.  Lucy loves this "game"--if you can call it that.



Lucy definitely understands there is a baby in mommy's tummy -- and she can tell you that the baby is coming in the summer.  And that we don't know if it's a boy or a girl.  It's very different this time around.  When I was pregnant with Elliot, Lucy was still a baby herself.  She wasn't even 18 months when he was born.  She was, I'm sorry to say, completely taken by surprise by the new arrival of her brother.  But this time, she can't wait to hold her new sibling!  It's exciting to see her looking forward to baby #3.  She lays her head on my belly in the evenings and says, "Goodnight, baby!  I'll see you in the summer!"



Elliot is everyday more a little boy and less a little baby.  He is so affectionate and cuddly, though.  I hope that doesn't change any time soon.  He loves giving sweet kisses -- to stuffed animals, to Lucy, to our friends, to Daniel's and my legs while we're cooking in the kitchen in the evenings.  And to my computer. 
 

I can't tell you how many lip marks I've rubbed off my computer screen.  There is always a cute baby or friend's child showing on my computer screen (or photos of the kids), and he never misses an opportunity to share a kiss. 



Spring has arrived, and the last few signs of winter are quickly disappearing. 





I love this time of year.  I love the storms and the cooler weather, and the mystery of exactly what kind of weather the day will bring.  In August there is no mystery. 



Ten more weeks till baby #3.  Eight more weeks till my medical re-certification exam (PANRE).  Procrastination time is over. 



It's a relief (I hate procrastinating) and also terrifying.  The 5 hour exam will not be enjoyable to take, but I'm guessing that at 38 weeks pregnant I'll be ready to get it over with. 



I finally have begun a small amount of experimentation with macro photography. 
 

I know almost nothing about it, but I realized this morning how enjoyable it is to get really close and be really still -- it's drastically different from photographing two moving toddlers, and I'd like to get better at it.