Michigan Weekend

Since I won't be able to travel this holiday season, we took a trip to Michigan this weekend to visit with my extended family. In particular, we wanted to see my Grandma one more time before she heads off to sunny AZ for the winter! Here I am with Grandma and 4 of her 12 great-grandchildren!

Sandhya, Calder and Ethan playing with silly Uncle Sean!

James and Reese blowing bubbles.

Family shot!

Calder and Ella coloring together. Actually, Calder wasn't doing any coloring. He was just telling Ella what he wanted her to color!


Grandma and her three grandchildren!

Another grandparent shot! Pictures like this are only going to get harder, once we add a 4th grandchild to the mix!

Sandhya amusing herself in the mirror.

Learning a few chords from Poppa.

Calder and Sandhya were very excited to see a tractor (it's actually a combine) in Grandma's very own backyard!

Another fall festival...

A few weeks ago, I took Calder to yet another fall festival. This one was much smaller, so I was a little leary about paying $8 each to get in...but it was totally worth it. Calder had a blast! He ran from activity to activity for 2 straight hours. We got there right when they opened, so it didn't start to get really crowded until it was time for us to leave.

He loved this pirate ship. You could climb up on top or down below. He's in the bottom part here -- where he kept saying "I ride Noah's boat!" Ha ha. We have a few books on Noah's Ark that are definitely on the top of his reading list these days.

This was his first-ever merry-go-round ride! He loved it, and kept saying "Whee!"

Taking a ride in the fire truck...

...and the caboose!

Picking out the perfect pumpkin on our way out.

24 Week Belly Shot

A few people have asked for belly shots...so here I am at 24 weeks and 3 days. I had my 24 week prenatal appt. this morning and everything is going well. The baby's heartbeat continues to be fast and strong! We love the opportunity to hear it each month. This baby is extremely active. Much more so than Calder ever was. I am constantly feeling kicks and somersaults -- I love it.

For comparison purposes, here's a shot of me at 24 weeks pregnant with Calder. Is anyone else alarmed at how much bigger I am this time??? Yikes! I definitely think I am carrying differently this time - not as much out front, and I just feel bigger all around. Perhaps a sign that this baby is indeed a girl??

By the way...how long have I had the exact same hair style?

Big Brother In Training

Calder and I were doing a bit of shopping yesterday when he saw this baby doll from about 20 feet away and insisted on holding onto it. I had been thinking about getting him a baby to "practice" with for when the real baby arrives, and I was thrilled that he decided on his own that he wanted it. So, I decided to buy it for him. AND, doing so meant that I avoided a public meltdown by not having to pry it out of his hands before leaving the store. Double Score!
When we got to the car, I could not get the baby out of the box fast enough -- Calder was dying to hold it. (Yes, it's an "it" since Calder hasn't decided yet if it's a boy or a girl.) When we got home, he carried it with him everywhere, and even sang "Rock-A-Bye Baby" -- which is particularly impressive, since we almost never sing that song to him. He loves his baby so much, I know he is going to make an excellent big brother!

Could they be any cuter?

Since I had the day off for Columbus Day, Vandana and I took the kids to the zoo this morning. It was a beautiful morning -- perfect weather for an outside activity.

Calder and Sandhya did a great job of holding hands while we walked along -- it was too cute!!

Calder was so excited to see Sandhya -- he chased her around for a good 10 minutes and tackled her with a giant hug at every opportunity.

For some reason, Calder is really into hopping these days. In this shot, I caught him mid-hop as he hopped all over the zoo's pizza play area.

Three little monkeys!

Happy Birthday, Great-Grandma!

We made a very quick trip up to Connecticut this weekend, and helped Calder's Great-Grandma (my Grandma) celebrate her 83rd birthday (a little bit early.) We wish we could've stayed longer, but we wanted to make sure we made it up there before I'm restricted from traveling.
Calder kept swiping the raspberries off of Grandma's cake!
My cousin Jennifer came up from NJ to visit for the day. Calder had a great time with both lovely ladies!

Fun at the park!

We enjoyed a great morning at the park yesterday with our friends Susannah, Amelia and Isaac!

It was a beautiful fall day for playing and picnic-ing. Calder and Amelia kept their mommies busy by repeatedly kicking and throwing their balls dangerously close to the nearby pond.



Calder and Amelia checking the group of bicyclists who were taking a lunch break.