Mini Playroom Makeover

We haven't posted a DIY update for a while, though Stace has been very, very busy. Here, he and his trusty assistant prime the playroom. Bye-bye, green, hello Devonshire Cream.
We think/hope the new color, which is throughout the dining/living rooms and hallways, helps unite the addition to the rest of the house. Stace also took down the (horrible) cloth vertical blinds, a big improvement in itself.
You can see the beginnings of the current project on the right side. Stace removed the old kitchen window completely, frame and all, and is installing drywall, plaster and paint. Then he'll put in trim around the hole, and it will become a nice, pretty opening, mirroring the opening on the other side of the kitchen into the hallway.
Our yard is looking really flowerful at the moment! I'm so happy with how these Pink Lady bushes are blooming; this bush in particular was in sad shape last year and barely put out one flower. Stace gave it a thorough trimming a few months ago and it certainly is showing its appreciation. The pink flowers in front are Mexican primrose, which bloom like this, then die off, and then grow back again.

An overall shot of the back planter...

And, our first set of gorgeous irises. My mom gave me a few cuttings from her yard last year. Last April, we were set to have just one bloom. I was very excited about it, and just when we could see that it was going to be yellow (Mom also has purple irises, so I wasn't sure which color I had), Cora shredded it. Needless to say, I'm thrilled to have all these beautiful flowers here. We planted some more bulbs this year, so next year we'll have some lilies, too.

New building, new paint

Cora has become adept at riding her tricycle in recent weeks. For the longest time, she chose her scooter each time she played outside, and mainly went backwards when she got on the bike. But now, she is a cyclist.

On Friday evening we walked and she rode around the block, with a stop at the park for some swinging.

On Saturday, we went to Adrian's fourth birthday party. Cora was the only girl, but since most of the boys were a bit older, she had a great time. She played dinosaurs, a new thing for her, as that was the party theme. Brooke did a fabulous job on Adrian's chocolate-with-mint-icing dino cake.

Sunday morning was special, the first time our church has met at its brand-new location. This week, services were held in the grassy outdoor amphitheater, and next weekend will be the grand opening with services inside the auditorium. The church was born about eight years ago and met at the movie theaters for the first six or so years, and then moved to the high school 2 1/2 years ago, just after we started attending.

As things would work out, the weather turned cold and rainy Sunday morning, just in time for an outdoor service. It was gratifying to look around and see hundreds of others, in coats and under umbrellas, who didn't let the weather deter them from this long-awaited event.

After a shortened service, we all got to check out the new facility. Wow. It would make a great venue for a concert, Stace pointed out. We also found the bricks we bought for our girls on the front walkway. I would have loved to get Cora in this photo, but she didn't agree. We also found Duckie's brick - no photos yet since the brick has her real name, the one we aren't sharing quite yet.

Also this weekend, Stace decided to paint the playroom. We're attempting to make it blend in better with the rest of the house. Photos coming, when it's finished!

Showered at Stroller Strides

On Friday morning, Cora and I were showered with love after our last-for-a-while Stroller Strides class.
As you probably know, we've been Stroller Striders since Cora was about five months old. I've loved the friendships we've made, the routine, and the great workout.

The program recently went through an ownership change, and I'm so pleased with the new owner, Amanda, and the work she's done to rebuild the membership. Every Friday after class, she hosts a moms' club, with planned activities, which has been bringing in new moms who aren't (yet?) taking part in the workouts.

Today, the after-class activity was a party for me, Cora and Duckie! In the top photo, the kids all colored a congratulatory poster for us. We had drinks, cookies and cupcakes, and even some great gifts. Such a special morning!

A special thanks to my friend Michelle, who has become a dear friend to us since she joined almost two years ago. She became an instructor a year ago, organized many moms' nights, and has been the constant as the program has transitioned over the past few months. She also took most of these photos!

The last photo shows me and Cora just after our workout. It was a little funny, at our last class for a while, we didn't get to take part in the group workout.

Just after class started, when we were at our first stop (for some strength training), Cora told me she needed the toilet. Back to the park we went, and by the time we used the toilet and backtracked, we were never able to catch up to everyone. I am now walking much slower than I used to, and I have to stop for breaks to rest my aching shins. But at least we did complete the circuit!

Assuming Duckie doesn't come too early, I have some little projects and things-to-do I'd like to accomplish in the free time I'll have with us not going to class. And, hopefully we'll rejoin everyone when Duckie is around six weeks old. I must say, after observing for almost three years, none of my Stroller Strides friends who've had second babies have managed to get back into the Strides routine. We'll just have to see how it goes, as I know it will be harder to get out of the house with two little ones, and the hot summer approaching... If nothing else, there will be the Friday morning playgroup!

One of God's Greatest Gifts...

... family.

My dad took these shots of us on Easter. In retrospect, we should have tried harder to get together a month or two ago, as my belly was more "cute" then and less - um - huge.

Lately, I get a wide range of comments on how I'm carrying. Duckie is just straight out in front, and I'm told I don't look pregnant from the back view. I have gained less weight this time than last (thanks, Stroller Strides!), so the rest of me, particularly my face, isn't as big as last time. But the belly! My, oh my. But when you put a 7-pounder inside my petite frame, it's got to go somewhere, right?

Consider these the official 37-week photos; I'll be 38 weeks along Thursday, which will put me at full-term, medically speaking.

I've felt better Tuesday and Wednesday this week, but the prior week wasn't the best. Lots of common late-pregnancy complaints cropped up, and I was generally uncomfortable a lot of the time, not to mention the resurgence of morning sickness.

Yesterday and today, I've concentrated on eating a lot more, and more often, like I did early on, to keep the sick feelings away.

We got some amazing, excellent news today, news so happy it made me burst into tears. (Being this pregnant will do that to you!)

For months now, our hospital, with lots (all?) of the other area hospitals, banned children from visiting patients because of the H1N1 virus. I had been hoping that with my due date in the spring, presumably after flu season, the policy would be lifted in time for our delivery.

However, as we get closer and closer, with no change in policy, I was getting really concerned. Cora has been so excited about her sister coming; she kisses my belly and talks to and about Duckie all the time. I didn't want her to be kept from her sister for days after she arrived. And, logistically, it would have made things complicated if Stace and Cora couldn't spend hours with me and the baby in the hospital room.

On Monday I wrote a letter to the hospital president, urging him to change the policy. I noted that two hospitals in the area (at least) are allowing siblings to visit their moms in the maternity ward. I received a quick email back saying that the hospital is reviewing it... and today, I got an email saying that the policy will be changing back, this week. The Centers for Disease Control said this week that pediatric cases of the virus have not risen in the past six months, according to the email from the hospital.

Stace and I are both so relieved! It's an answer to a frequent prayer of mine lately. Having a second child is so different from the first, in that I have so much more to think about this time around with how Cora will take everything. I can't wait for her to hold her sister, and I know she can't wait, either.

Just today, minutes before I got the great news about the change, Cora and I drove past the hospital and she said, "that's the hospital where Duckie will come out!"
She then asked if she would come in the hospital when Duckie comes out; I didn't know how to answer, and just said, "I hope so!"
Then she asked, "What's 'Hope so'?"

As I tried to explain I got a little teary. Then, we got home, I checked my email, and the floodgates opened. And for good reason.

Easter Weekend

Our Easter weekend started off on a painful note for Stace. He had all four of his wisdom teeth removed Friday, and lived to tell about it.

Here you see him recovering Friday evening, with a helpful Cora. He said he feels like he's been kicked in the jaw.

On Saturday, Ave stopped over and helped Cora paint some Easter eggs.

I was thinking Cora would be the only decorator this year, so I only boiled four eggs. Unfortunately, one egg was dropped on the floor during the transfer from me to Ave. And Cora's second egg rolled off the table when she had only painted a bit of it. So, we got out paper and the girls finished off the paint. Next year, I'll boil a few more eggs!

Stace wasn't feeling too good Saturday as he recovered from his surgery, so it was great that he felt well enough Sunday to come to Easter service, speak to all the family in England, and go to Easter dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's house (though Stace's dinner pretty much consisted of mashed potatoes and macaroni).

Here you see Cora after church in her Easter best... excuse the dark photo, but it was pretty cloudy and she would only wear her hat for a few minutes.

Silly Daddy wore the hat for about as long as she did.

Next, we have an Easter hug between Cora and her best friend, as we again had to collect her from the yard. She likes to race out and eat grass (and then get sick in the house, preferably on the carpet rather than the tile).

And then Cora enjoys opening her Easter basket at Grandma's house. Somehow this year, the Bunny forgot to come to our house; thankfully he still got Cora the goods!

Cora also really liked her Benjamin Bear DVDs, from Nan and Pop. She watched them Monday and renamed one of her bears "Benjamin Bear" and played with him the rest of the day.

Cora's a Terrific Tot

Cora started her Terrific Tots preschool program this week!
It's a grand total of four hours a week, so it's not exactly intensive, but I think it will be very good for her at this point, with Duckie coming soon.

It's a parent-participation preschool, so I helped out Tuesday, which was her first day. She did very well for the first 90 minutes, but then ran into some trouble. She fell a couple of times, and was then prone to crying easily.

She cried a lot about not being allowed to play on the swings - because there are more children than adults, the kids have to stay in one area of the playground. In the My Buddy class, the whole park was their playground, since each child had his or her parent there.
I convinced her to not spend the whole outside playtime crying, and added that it might be time to go inside soon. She then said, "If I don't get to play outside, I will cry."

Anyway, today I was a little nervous about dropping her off. I was not nervous about her missing me or having trouble with me not there, oh no. I was nervous about her potentially not listening to the teachers or other parent helpers. Thankfully, when I picked her up, Miss Diane said she had been just fine. She did say that Cora responded with "why?" when she was told to do something or other.

At class today, the kids had an Easter party, with a little egg hunt. While Cora was in class, my friend Melanie came up to visit. She's a teacher on spring break, and we had a nice childless lunch at a new place in town, the Lazy Dog Cafe. We shared lunch and a yummy dessert.

The final photo is from Wednesday. Our weekly library time is over for now, but Genia and I took our Fearless Foursome to Starbucks where a MOPS friend of ours has started doing a small reading time on Wednesdays.

Two recent Coraisms:
Me: Cora, I have one more job for you - I want you to match up the socks so I can fold them. Cora: Not right now, because I'm wearing my princess shoes.

And, this is how Cora sometimes wakes up from her naps -
Me: "Wow, feel that nice, warm, breeze!"
Cora: "NO!!! I WON'T feel it!"

Last Hurrah?

We're only a few weeks away, give or take, from Duckie's arrival, so Stace and I seized the opportunity this weekend for one last child-free getaway.

We spent Saturday night in Manhattan Beach, which welcomed us with GORGEOUS weather. It was truly stunning. Oddly enough, plenty of times in the summer, it can be hot as Hades in SClarita, but you go to the coast and it's cloudy and cool enough to need a sweatshirt. But here we are in March, and the sand was hot enough for me to keep on my sandals.

The second photo here can be my official 36-week shot...

On Sunday we lazed around and then headed for the beach. The water was too cold for swimming, but it was great to relax near it. We did a bit of shopping, too, stopping in some little boutiques and a few furniture stores. Stace is just about done with the list of house projects he was aiming to complete before the baby comes. So, next in our sights is a new television and new living room furniture.

On Saturday, we had dinner with our dear friends John and Linda. They are Cora's godparents, and their daughters were our flower girls. We haven't seen them as much the last year or two as we used to, so we really enjoyed reconnecting at a "grown up"restaurant, the kind with table linens and a great wine list.

And earlier on Saturday, we cheered on Melanie as she performed in her first paid acting role, as the princess in The Emperor's New Clothes at a children's theater near Universal Studios. It was fun watching her sing and act, and even more fun to watch Cora watching her. It was the first time Cora has seen her perform.

Day in the Life, at 3

Since Cora's life will soon be changing in a major way, I thought I'd do one last "Day in the Life of Cora" post (at least, before the posts get a new title, with two girls' names!). As I've said before, if you're not a direct parent/grandparent/subject of the post, you will probably find this a bit too detailed to hold your interest.

Wednesday, March 24
8:20 a.m. - Cora wakes up, after I've opened her curtain. We're skipping Stroller Strides today because we had a bit of a late night on Tuesday and will have a full mid-day, so I don't want to be rushing. I am very pregnant, after all. Cora tells me she's hungry, hungry for honey. (This is one of Winnie the Pooh's favorite things to say.) "Maybe we can get a honey pot?" she says.
8:40 - Cora comes out and eats oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts. We read from her preschooler devotional book; this day's entry is about singing to God, and asks what song the child might be able to sing. I suggest "Jesus Loves Me," but she quickly says no. "Heffalump song," she says, again, a Winnie the Pooh thing.
Cora plays with her toys in the playroom while I clean up after breakfast.
9:30 - We shower together, and Cora plays with her Lightning and Doc Hudson cars in the shower. She washes them over and over again, chattering away about whether they are clean or dirty. We then get ready to leave for...
10:30 - Library time at Newhall Library with Ave, Johnny and Owen. Today's books all have to do with colors, and the little craft project involves creating a little flag with a drinking straw and strips of crepe paper.
Library time, and then a picnic-park lunch with Genia and the kids, has been our routine the past couple of months.
11:30 - Genia suggests we stop at Starbucks on the way to the park. Who am I to argue? We park next to each other and I stay with the kids while she runs in. While we wait, Cora says she needs to wee, so when Genia comes back with the drinks, we head inside.
Then it's on to Newhall Park. On the way, Cora has lots of questions and advice about driving. "Go mummy, go. Why did you stop? If the light turns green, I'll say, Go, Mummy, Go. What is that car doing? Where is Miss Genia's car? Are we following her?"
11:45 - We eat lunch and the kids have fun playing. Well, it's all fun and games until Cora falls off the bridge and hits her head in the sand. After cuddles and kisses, her tears subside, and she shows no lasting effects.

1:30 p.m. - Time to go home. Once there, Cora uses the bathroom, we put on a diaper, and read a story. One part of the story mentions a dog pulling a sled through the snow. Cora says, "When I was in the snow, I put Somie in those (pointing to the harness in the picture), and Somie pulled me in the snow." Cora frequently puts herself into her stories and movies, and becomes part of the action.
I say good-night at 2 and she's asleep about 20 minutes later.
4:30 - Time for Cora to wake up, so I go in and open her curtain. Daddy's home, so Cora plays outside with him - they play a bit of tennis and then she hops into her car.
5:15 - Dinner time. Genia and I switch off every other week making dinner for both families, and tonight was my night to take it easy. She brings refried beans and a yummy tamale casserole.
5:40 - Time to get ready for Skipper Club. While I get Cora dressed, she hugs my belly and says, "I love Duckie. When Duckie comes out, and you sit with her on the rocking chair, I will come and give her a big huggle." She later asks if Duckie has legs now. I think this comes because months ago, I read to her that at that particular week, the baby was about the size of a banana, and Cora must have got confused about the baby's actual shape.
She then runs to the playroom and jumps from rubber square to square, announcing that she will teach Duckie this game when Duckie is big enough.
6 - Skipper club time! Cora really has enjoyed Skipper club this year. The start of club has all the ages together, on stage, dancing and singing. Cora LOVES this part, though she doesn't really try to follow the leader's dance moves, in any fashion.
6:30 - Stace and I are back in the Skipper Club room, as it's the end of the "I Can Learn" unit so the children are being awarded their badges. Before the badges, the children sit in a circle and Miss Heather goes over the evening's lesson, about friendship. "How do you feel when people are not nice to you?" she asks.
"I like Ave!" Cora shouts out. Cora can incorporate Ave into just about any conversation. Cora then announces to the room that she's hungry. She's definitely no shy wallflower.
7:15 - After Skipper Club, we do a bit of family shopping at Target, and get a new colorful rug for Cora's room, plus an art activity.
8:45 - We're home, and Dad puts Cora to bed since I'm feeling sick and need to eat again; she's down by 9:20, about 40 minutes later than we aim for. Oh well; we don't have to get up early for anything.
It was a successful day!

Tennis and Gardening

Cora's affection for her daddy is growing. Thankfully! Part of it is just her growing up, we're sure, but I will add that Stace is very intentional about spending time with her.

On Sunday evening, they cuddled while sharing an after-dinner snack.

Before dinner, Cora helped Stace plant this year's tomato plants in some pots.
Stace worked very hard in the garden Sunday, planting strawberry plants in the raised bed he built the prior weekend.

He also planted some bulbs. All that planting involved a lot of digging, through roots, to mix in a lot of amendment because our soil is so spent.

Cora and Stace also have been playing tennis this past week, even in the late afternoons, since we put our clocks ahead. (You can see the raised strawberry bed behind Cora's head.)

Stace got Cora her own racket, and she is doing well with hitting the ball. Stace has been playing most Monday evenings with Auntie Kelly and her family, and on Thursdays he plays with his friend Scott.


Kelly came over Saturday with her birthday/Christmas gift for me - a friend of hers who is a masseuse. I loved my pregnancy massage, and Kelly entertained Cora in the back yard by playing tennis with her.