Update

I cannot believe it is almost July!

I will have a scheduled c-section sometime in the next few weeks, according to my doctor. I do not have an "official" date yet, but I will soon. Helena seems to be doing okay, which is a blessing.

Thank you ... all of your well wishes and prayers have meant so much to us. We still have one more obstacle to clear i.e. her birth and subsequent surgery.

At the last doctor appointment, they estimated her weight to be around 4.5 pounds... which means she will be on the "light" side, just like her sister (6.4 pounds) on January 31, 2008.

Laura, one of my best friends, has been a real blessing to us, taking care of Alexandra while I have all of my doctor appointments. Over the last month or so, these appointments have become weekly. (I thank God for you every day.) She started her own catering business (http://www.lauras-catering.com/) too, yet she still has time to be "Aunt La La" to Alexandra. She is the sister I always wished I had. Thank you, Laura. Anyone out there need a caterer??? I know somebody... :-)

Speaking of little miss "A"... she is an active and VERY busy child! (She seems to be taking after her father too, i.e. trying to figure how things "work," bores easily with the same activity, tall and skinny... 65 % height and 20% in weight) She has become a climber, which has been interesting, to say the least. She will stack books and toys (or climb a nearby chair) to get on the window sill, chairs, tables, desk, the bed, etc. She even pushed her potty chair over to the toilet to gain access to the nearby sink! Keeping up with her is wearing me out!

Speaking of potty (she will probably kick me someday) ... lol... she has learned what #2 is and how it feels and will occasionally let us know that she has "pooped" by pointing to her diaper right after and saying "poop." I know, I know... this is such a crass conversation for such a clean blog, but it means that this Fall we're going to actively start potty training. :-)

Alexandra has also increased her vocabulary lately, bringing her word total up near 50. Her pronunciation isn't always spot on, but she repeats every other word for us. Eating has also been fun lately because we are teaching her how to use a spoon and a fork. She has the concept down, but her execution can be a little sloppy. (Good thing we have dogs!) She will use both her left and right hands, but seems to favor the right one for now.

We recently put together the nursery for Helena. We chose a sage green color for the walls, light pink/red/green/cream for the color scheme, and are using the furniture Tommy made initially for Alexandra. Tommy installed ceiling fans in all the rooms too, which will help out with the heating/cooling.

In "A's" room, we've had to shuffle a few things around and buy a few new pieces, but it all came together nicely! (Yes, it's true... the second child always gets the leftovers and hand-me-downs.)

The dogs seem to be adjusting okay too. Ally is, by far, the favorite with Alexandra and is the most gentle. We do take Ally with us on short trips around town, which helps I'm sure. Baxter (or Back-Buh, as Alexandra refers to him) slowly warmed up to Alexandra and will now relax as she does her toddler marathons around the house. Clifford, on the other hand, is still standoffish and we have to pay particular attention when they are together. We're hoping as the girls age, they will become best buddies!

In a couple of weeks, my mother-in-law will be coming to stay with us for a short time, as we adjust to life with two kids. I haven't been able to get around and travel much lately, but I'm looking forward to having the baby and getting back on track with life.

We moved to Westerville last fall, but due to my stress fracture I was unable to use the awesome trails, paths, and parks in our neighborhood. How fun is it going to be running with the kids! Tommy has already taken the bike and trailer out with Alexandra and she LOVES it! (He also runs with her in the stroller, too.)

Over the last 9 months or so, I've become really good friends with a few other moms I met in swim class last fall. As it so happens 2 of the other moms are also pregnant with their second children and due in September... both are expecting girls too... which means... yes... 4 mommies and 7 little girls for future play dates!!! We all live within a couple of miles of each other, and I cannot imagine life without them. Becki, Celeste, and Jerri... thank you for your friendship. You girls have been awesome, and we're still having so much fun!

I think I've updated you all on what's been going on... I'll try and start getting pictures and videos uploaded again. I cannot believe how fast time has flown!!!