Leap Day.

It only happens once every four years, right, so better capture it. I sat there in her room after her nap today and wondered, but only for a brief second, what she would be like on her next Leap Day. But then of course I realized she'd be six, and that put an end to that train of thought. And I quick ran and got my camera before the afternoon light faded so I could capture what she is on this Leap Day: a fun-spirited, happy, smart, beautiful, loving child who cannot wait to be a big sister. She knows tomorrow is March and she keeps telling us, Do you know what happens in March? Pondegore comes out! So they tell me, little one, but so far I'm not convinced.

Daddy even made it home before the sun went down, for a dance with his little princess.

No Time Soon.

Well, listen, this baby isn't coming anytime soon, so we might as well have a little fun.

A baby pool! Winner to receive a prize that we've yet to determine, but a prize nonetheless.

Just go to the site, register, and enter your guess.

A little information so you can all feel like you've made educated guesses...

My water broke with Alla 3 days after my due date.
She was born 34 hours later, at 9 pounds 5 ounces, 21 inches long, at 6:37 pm.
I am currently 50% effaced and not at all dilated, so don't guess that we're going to have a baby this weekend or something. I'll just laugh at you and you'll be wrong.


OK, let the guessing begin!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Despite my best efforts, I have contracted Ron and Alla's filthy cold.


2. Alla is in full animal-rescuer mode. She has taken my measuring tape to use as a rope to rescue animals such as baby humpback whales and tapirs, and is using an old toilet paper roll (that she decorated, no less) as a spotting scope.


3. It was so nice to have my husband home yesterday. Granted, he took a sick day to try and fully recover from his cold, and really just ended up taking care of me, but it was lovely not to be on our own right at the beginning of feeling crummy. Thanks, babe.


4. I can't believe this baby is due in twelve-ish days. Due dates mean nothing to babies, however. Maybe the new moon on the 7th will bring us some baby vibes.


5. We still haven't packed our hospital bags.


6. Let's revisit the topic of who Alla sleeps with. First, of course, there was Baby Rolla, who got kicked to the curb for the borrowed Kevin. When Kevin was returned, Zebra took his place. And then this weekend she rediscovered the penguin that Aunt Renee gave her for Christmas - a Happy Feet penguin, of course (I think it's "Gloria," but Alla just assumed it was "Mumble," so that was the official name.), who has now been renamed "Pepito" after a penguin that Diego rescued on a recent episode.


7. Picked up egg dye kits this weekend at Target, so we're all ready for Easter while I'm recovering from this birth and adjusting to new mom of two life. Just need a little bunny for the baby, but who knew those are not in any way gender neutral! By the way, when does the Easter Bunny arrive at the malls? Surely Alla will want to see him, and hopefully before the baby arrives.


8. Want the new Erykah Badu CD. New Erykah Badu. Been a long time.


9. I'm reading magazines like crazy. All the March magazines have already been read: Real Simple, Simple Scrapbooks, Wondertime. You'd think I would save some for the hospital or something. Truth is, I don't remember reading a single thing at the hospital last time. What on earth did I do there for three days?


10. Today Alla is 34 months old. Can't believe I've been taking a snapshot of her every month on the 26th for 34 months now.

Some shopping answers from the kiddos' room for those who were wondering...

The First Year Frame comes from Pottery Barn Kids

The canvas comes from http://www.canvasondemand.com/

Flashback Friday.

Because I'm really looking forward to doing this to a new one sometime soon.

Sharing.

Thought I'd share the kiddos' room now that it's for the most part done and just waiting for a baby. Well, waiting for a baby who sleeps through the night so as not to wake up the existing toddler. High hopes. There's nothing in the crib yet, however, since we'll be setting up a cosleeper in our room until such a time as we do have a baby resembling a good sleeper.

On with the show.

Here's what you see from the door. The crib, Pondegore's first-year frame (thanks Nana & Pappi) all set to be filled in (not too fast, though, I hope), and those zebras from Alla's nursery repurposed for the newest babe.In between the two kids Alla has herself a bookcase where she shoves her collection. The rest is divided between the living room and the playroom. There are books all over our house. Invariably she wants to read what's on top, but occasionally she goes digging for something specific, like Green Eggs and Ham. And then that's what we read for like six nights straight, til we're pulling our hair out suggesting other options.The smallish shared closet has become quite functional, due to Dad's mad closet-remodeling skills. Top half for baby, bottom half for Alla. Apparently this baby is going to wear yellow and green just like Alla did for her first three months of life. And just sleepers and gowns, since that's what's in there.That's Alla's footprint there on the right and Pondegore's frame is empty and waiting on the left! (Thanks, Dre!)The view of Alla's side of the room, from the door. A closer look at her framed trio: Alla Road, which I took in Marina del Rey, California, before she was born. I took a Carter Bl or Ave or something, too, since that was our boy name. Have to find some streets with the potential girl/boys names this time. Then her giant canvas. It's huge. And lastly the Hello Little Turtle print I ordered from a local artist on Etsy. I would link you but I'm almost 38 weeks pregnant and that would involve soem extra searching and I'm tired.Alla's pillows (thanks again, Jody!), her first-year frame all filled up, and, probably her favorite part of the room, a seven-dollar reading lamp from Ikea that she lovingly calls her "Charlotte light" because it has a plastic spider on it and a metal grate over it shaped like a web. Well if you're less sleepy than I, you'll notice the grate and lightbulb are missing, and that must be cause Alla wasn't so good at bedtime, and got her Charlotte light taken away. Not so good means, called for Mommy and Daddy like a million times for more hugs and kisses.

And that's it. That's the tour of the little room that's maybe ten by ten. A follow-up report once the babe has been moved it to come.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. Tonight I get to start watching American Idol! They've eliminated the crap and are down to the top 24. Here's where I step in. Except for the hospital hiatus, I guess.

2. Alla is obsessed with Color Wonder. Obsessed I tell you. She likes the page to have a border to color in and some hidden things that she can color over to reveal.

3. Left on the to-do list: pack hospital bags, finish some scrapbook stuff that I'll probably forget about otherwise, and just generally make it look like there's supposed to be a baby here. Maybe get out the swing, the bathtub, the bouncy seat, the mobile and gymini. Yep, clutter up the house a little more and we'll be all set.


4. Maybe the full moon on Thursday will bring on some dilation, says Mel, who will probably have her baby then. Let's see...when I was pregnant with Alla, my water broke the morning after a full moon. So, a girl can hope.


5. What Alla told me the other night while I'm lotioning her up and simultaneously pinching her cute butt: "You can't pinch my buns-hon. I know they're cute, but you can't pinch them." We've said 'buns, hon' to her so many times that she must think that's the official term for butt.

6. I just finished a s'more and am watching Runway Moms in the background.

7. So far The Body Shop's vitamin C night cream is divine, and maybe I'm just in a non-acne phase of my pregnancy (thus far, there hadn't been such a thing), but my skin is suddenly looking up.

8. Right now my back is aching. See how dedicated I am to Ten on Tuesday.

9. Alla requested that I take a picture of her at lunch. This is what she wanted me to photograph.


10. On tonight's menu is lasagna. Making one for tonight and one to freeze. Yum!

Weekend wrap-up.

I realize that any blog absence at this point will result in some thinking I may be in labor. Don't be silly, this girl will be around at forty weeks, I promise. Remembering last time...

I did, however, have a sick day on Thursday (Happy Valentine's Day), and am just now feeling caught up.

Having a good, productive yet relaxing weekend here. It's a balmy 33 degrees here today, which may sound frigid to you Californians, but we went out without gloves or hats today, that's how warm we all are. And saw someone go into Archiver's with flip-flops on. Ok, it's not that warm.

This weekend...

I cleaned the house top to bottom. Yeah, I'll probably be here at forty weeks, but just in case.

I napped.

Ron put Alla's new carseat in, and on her inaugural ride today she told me over and over, I love my big girl carseat. I never had a big girl carseat before! Pondegore's carseat is residing in Ron's car for the time being, til he or she comes home from the hospital. Anytime you're ready, little one, I'm just saying.

I froze another meal.

Alla ate her weight in edamame.

I put dates on all the photos I had printed from March - December of last year, and tonight's mission is to put them in the albums. Big job. Big relief when it's done.

We watched Eastern Promises for date night last night.

I'm enjoying Eat Pray Love. This would also be a great nursing book, since it's divided into 108 teensy chapters.

Last but not least, my daughter wrote her name. Not sure why it's giant at the top and normal-sized at the bottom, or why her choice of uppercase A's and lowercase l's but it'll do. We're just a little proud:)

Ten on Tuesday.

1. A close-up on those photos hanging over our bed, as requested by Erin.

2. I am way past officially addicted to Ghirardeli milk chocolate chips. Eat 'em straight out of the bag or use to make a toaster-s'more. Yum.

3. Last night's dinner: another yum.

4. Alla sings herself to sleep. Her tune of choice is still Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I'm sure we'll be hearing that one well into July, since last year it was Frosty the Snowman in July.

5. Two favorite bedtime books at the moment: I Saw an Ant in a Parking Lot and I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track.

6. Made this rice pudding recipe the other night with leftover cooked rice. Pretty good but next time I'm leaving out the cinnamon and the lemon zest. Oh, and I never ruin a rice pudding with raisins. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to rice pudding. All you need is rice, milk, butter, and sugar.

7. When you're two, it's essential to use this much floss for your itty teeth.

8. I hear the writers' strike may be over and shows may be about eight weeks away from returning. Great. Right in time for me to be too exhausted to watch them.

9. Alla is still mourning the flowers that Ron brought her that died a week ago. She always asks for a hug after you tell her they died. What else am I supposed to say?

10. And with that, I'm out. Time for a nap.

Thirty-six weeks.

Wow. Here we are. In that very exciting but, as I remember it, very slow last four weeks. At least we get to go for a check-up once a week now to see if anything is happening with Pondegore.

Here's what this pregnant mama with a giant baby in there looks like at 9 months pregnant.

And this one was Susan's idea...thank you! (And yes I measure like 2 inches bigger than this point in Alla's pregnancy but what are you gonna do?)

So at this point in the last pregnancy, I was sure that these would be the last pictures, but alas, thirty-nine and then forty weeks rolled around and there we still were, waiting for little Alla to make her appearance. I'm sure that there will be more pictures in a few week, because, if memory serves, I do get a little bigger.

A photo collage for a friend:)

Just a little celebration for a friend who needed a little lift. Happy Birthday Cathy! (I bet no one can figure out which one is my pic.)

Ultrasounds are ultra-wonderful.

Especially when you have polyhydramnios, or too much amniotic fluid. This means that they can see every single thing going on in there. Like the gorgeous eyes, nose, and mouth. Like fingers and kidneys and belly. And that baby is just wonderful in there. Heathy, swimming like a fish.

Good news: that baby is now head-down. Whew.

Pondegore weighs 7 pounds 13 ounces (97% percentile) today. And, yes, we still have just over four weeks to go.

Pondegore measures about three weeks ahead, meaning more like 38 1/2 weeks versus 35 1/2 weeks. The ultrasound tech thought maybe more of a February baby instead of March, but we all know that I thought I'd go early with Alla. No such luck. Not to mention my little cervix is thinning but that's it for this week.

Great news: no new weight gain! Halleluiah. If I had to hear one more time that I'd gained ten or eleven pounds between appointments I might just start pushing tonight.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. I swear if I have to go upstairs one more time during Alla's supposed naptime to cut a tag off of her zebra (why did the damn thing need two?), I will probably go insane.

2. Today is Jack Johnson day!

3. We are completely out of cheese. I cannot believe this. Must get some immediately. I need like a cheese of the day club or something.

4. Have you been to Skin Deep? Something addicting about that site. I am almost out of my regular Cetaphil moisturizer so I thought I'd check it out and see how it rates. Yikes, it's like a 5 or something. Not good. But here's my problem: I am not going to special order products, or pay $80 for a nighttime moisturizer. It needs to be readily available (preferably at Target) and inexpensive. I KNOW there is something out there that fits the bill. Here's what I've come up with: for day, for night, and for an extra treat at night.

5. Alla is hooked on Go Diego Go after watching it for the first time on Friday. It is a serious reward at this point.

6. Less than 5 weeks to go. Whoa.

7. If all of the airlines adopt this bullshit $25-for-a-second-bag policy, especially Northwest, I swear to God I will not ever.fly.anywhere.

8. Need to add this dear friend to my list at right, but in the meantime go check her out: Love Bug Squared.

9. Ron will be doing his political duty and caucusing this evening.

10. Pondegore's clothes are washed and put away. This baby has more socks than the rest of us combined.

Flashback Friday.

Awwww look at the cutie.

That's what Alla says whenever she sees a baby.

Well that's what I say whenever I see her baby pictures.

Here she is just shy of four months. In Malibu, California no less.