1:00 A.M.

Halloween, first words, Sarah's visit. All things I haven't written about here. I will, but right now, as I let my toenails dry before I get under the sheets, all I can think about is baby.

We visited the OB today, and I half expected him to say I hadn't progressed at all (as he did last week). But today, at 38 weeks, he began to talk about this thing like it's really going to happen. He's not a big induction guy, but he seemed to think I'm a good candidate for one, and that next week would be a good time. I never really considered being induced, but the doc will be out for Thanksgiving week and I'd really like him to be there for this girl's coming out party.

So. This could be our last weekend to get things done. This is definitely the last time I'll paint my toes  (not important, but floating around my head. Also, can't reach anymore). This Sunday could be our last with one kid at church. We'll remember bringing both our kids home to this apartment. On that note, we haven't lived in one place long enough for me to consistently remember our address in the past 7--10!--years. How did we become a family of 4 here?

It's all so different than it was with Daniel. The doctor said he would predict a 6 hour labor if I were induced next week. Wha??? Daniel took 28. I caught myself thinking how silly people are for packing a hospital bag. After all, I'll just run home and grab anything I need right? Or are we not staying for 6 weeks this time? This time, the nursery is all ready. Last time, we stayed up all night painting when we found out our little boy could come home. All the clothes are sorted. We've already had our baby showers. She might be able to nurse! Jesse won't be working nights! Different!

Anyway, the little girl is doing well. She's a squirmy worm and I swear she's going to curl around my back here pretty soon. Besides feeling like I swallowed an octopus, I'm feeling fine. Can't complain too much (though I do, poor Jesse).

Danny's busy tearing down the world and being the sweetest boy ever. Jesse's busy with work and school, but still finds the time to be my lifter/carrier/cheerleader/emotional support person.

Catch ya later.

Where the Watermelons Grow

Cousin Steph had her nuptials in San Francisco last weekend. I can't tell you how great it was to get out of town for a while and into a real city. We did some touristy stuff, hung out with the Thorson Clan, and watched Steph and Tim tie the knot. Aside from traffic, it was a great time. Daniel was pretty happy hanging out with his grandpa Thorson. 

Sarey met us at Pier 39. Love those sea lions.

 Sam and Addie stole the show.

Awesome bride and groom.

Beautiful Jen

Poking the bear.

The pink binkies were a gift for the baby girl from Sarah, but after hours in the car, they ended up saving the day. This kid hasn't taken a pacifier in at least 6 months, but it did the trick.

Kelly, Jared, Jen and the kids followed us up and crashed at our house. Sweet, funny Addie on the air mattress.

Exhausted, weddinged-out Jen went to bed after 2.

Friendies

We were pretty stoked to be able to visit with Sarah and the Niemans on our way out of town. Sarah met us in downtown Clayton to play in the park. She and Danny were buddies as usual. And you know, we kind of liked seeing her too... Wish this girl lived closer, but we're looking forward to her visit later this month!

Jess and Dave are our friends from the Comic Frenzy days, and I wish we had hung out more when we lived in the same little town. Jessica fed us an amazing dinner. There was a game of pool, a youtube session, a batch of cookies, and a first game of Settlers of Catan. Really, we had so much fun. We ended up spending the night and getting an early(ish) start home the next morning.

Daniel is One!

We had a low-key, grandparents party for Danny Boy's first birthday. He got some sweet gifts and a nice piece of chocolate cake, which he wasn't sure what to do with. In the picture above, you can see Danny's very first portrait. One of those embryos is the big-head boy.

He loved Woody!

He got very excited when everyone started singing to him.

Side note: We were at Ikea in Sacramento, and Aunt Kelly started playing with Daniel and a plush baby (boy) doll she found in a display. He LOVED it. I thought it'd be a good idea to get him a baby to play with to help him understand how to treat his baby sister when she comes. I see nothing wrong with that. Well, Jesse was opposed to a "baby doll," so this is Gonzo, the Great Baby. He was a gift from Grandpa Thorson, and now Danny and I rock him and...honk his nose. Gently.

He figured it out.

Huckleberry Hound

Huckleberry picking is the opposite of peach picking. You drive up a mountain, get lost, keep driving up, and spend 2 hours picking 6 cups of fruit. But you're in the mountains, and it's crisp and cool, and your berries go kuplink, kuplank, kaplunk. Like this:

Daniel got changed on the truck bed. Like a real mountain man.

Peach Picking

Oh, peaches. We love them, and we love picking them. This year, we had an extra pair of hands. I can still feel the juice running down my back...

Visits

Just a few fun visits we had during August:

I got to go to a play with a big TV star. Our long-time (long, long) time friend, Zach, was in town, and he had an extra ticket to OSF's My Fair Lady. Zach and I played Henry and Eliza (respectively) our senior year of high school, so it was an extra-special good time. The show was fantastic, and the company couldn't have been better. No really, you can imdb him here.

We went to dinner at our old friends' house. The Wileys have been like grandparents to Jesse, and they're some of our favorite people. Check out this beautiful high chair that Bro. Wiley restored.

 Grandma Kim came for a visit. Danny was thrilled!