Going to School

For Etta's birthday Grandma Cathy got her a Little People School Bus. It came with a driver, Eddie. Cathy also picked up two extra Little People: Baba and Grandma. While in Washington D.C. Aunt Molly got her a bride and groom. Aunt Molly and Uncle Jim of course.

This creates a bus load. They are the only Little People allowed on the bus. No Farmer Jed (aka Baba Eddie), no Noah or Mrs. Noah and NO animals! Etta opens the door and has them climb in and ride around. And apparently we have been to school enough that Etta knows proper etiquette is to line up.

The result?

38 weeks

Dilated to 3 centimeters and 70% effaced. Sound like any other time I've been pregnant?

When I took the belly pic this morning I noticed something.



Lower this week than last. You may not be able to tell, but last week it was more like a perpendicular shelf, this week...not so much. I thought I could tell a difference between Saturday evening and Sunday evening. It was confirmed today. The doctor said, "I feel a bit more pressure than I remember feeling last week." Always a good sign - when you are going to be INDUCED in one week from today!! So Labor Day on Labor Day. I am pretty darn excited to meet this little person. Nervous yes, excited yes. I am just truly hoping and praying that she decided to chill out and bake for just a little bit longer...

Squeezing out the last bit...

...of summer vacation. Bob goes back to work tomorrow. Should be some interesting times around here. But Etta really does seem to know when we say, "Daddy is at work" that that is just the way it is.

What do you see? "A stop sign!!"



Tongues out!



[And if you look really, really closely you can see we have the return of the ponies! (Pig tails that is.) But, sigh, she still really doesn't want me to put them in much...]

Good Friend, Good Times

Etta and her best friend Elmo. ("Elmo's World. Doot do do." ~Etta Grace) Thanks for the gift Caleb! Etta loves Elmo!!

I believe that on this afternoon they had been riding the bike together, Etta likes to help Elmo ride, and then were taking a break to share a peach with me and have some water.

Bucket Head

Isn't it fun to see the different ways that kids think of to play with non-toys?!



[These were the buckets that we used to hold the wheat (for guests to shower us with) for our wedding. I KNEW they would come in handy again some day...]

More building pics

I realized this morning that I had mentioned more pics of what our farm looks like...

This is where my dad spent a lot of time when he was growing up. Or as we now call it "The River".

A barn



The hog house



Some buildings



The view as you are driving in

Hi Grandma Cynthia

...if you ever wonder what Etta is doing when she is talking to you on the phone.

37 Weeks

And the time-line looks as follows:

Thursday at 3:45 - Head to the hospital for 24 hours to change from Lovenox to Heparin. (Did I mention that they JUST came out with a generic form of Lovenox? Of course...)

Saturday the 28th - Bob shampoos the downstairs carpet and our recliner - yucky.

Monday the 30th - Next OB appointment. Get checked again. Not pleasant. Hopefully schedule the induction for...SEPTEMBER 6TH! Oh yeah, and Bob goes back to work...

Wednesday the 1st - Lewiston school starts.

Saturday the 4th - Bob & Etta head to Coeur d'Alene with Cathy & Steve to attend Rachael Sheck's wedding. I stay home (again) with the little dogs.

Sunday the 5th - Prepare for the last day of being a family of 3.

Monday the 6th - Hoping and praying that this is the day that Mae Victoria will join our family. I know that God may have a different plan, but this is what WE are thinking right now...

And I look as follows:



Um, yeah. Bigger...lower...popped...than at Week 35

Not really any other place to go than out...

Little Green (and red) "men"

Last week we stopped by one of our local elementary schools to visit Grandma Cathy. Teachers had put a huge "discard" pile of books and stuff out so we felt free to rifle through it. Besides a big box of books we also brought home these little "men". They aren't really men, I think that the green are dinosaurs and the red hippos. But Etta has already enjoyed using them. Am hoping to think of creative counting, matching, pattern etc. activities that we can do - along with just playing of course!

Helping mommy with the pattern and creating her own. She may be a *little* OCD like I am...



Putting them all in the bus "to go [back] to school"!

Organist

Last week Etta was in sitting under the piano bench playing the pedals with her feet. I said, "Are you playing the organ?" She replied, "[Duh] No, I'm playing piano!" But then later (when she was being quiet...) I went in to check on her. She said, "I'm hiding!" But when I looked she was actually putting on Bob's organ shoes. She came out to model them for us...

Fast Food Friday - Guest Edition

Last Friday we had my lesson girls, Jackie and Rachel, stay for dinner and a movie after their lesson.

Etta loves "her girls" and wants them to "come to my home" all the time. Most likely because 1) they play with her, 2) she gets to watch a movie while they're here and 3) she gets to eat popcorn and drink juice during said movie!

Etta likes her "Jackie/Rachel" so much that apparently no one else can be called Rachel. When looking at a picture of Bob's cousin Rachael Sheck Etta said, "Who dat girl?" I replied, "That's Rachael". Etta countered with, "DAT not Rachel!"

One night when they stayed for dinner and a movie I made a home made pizza. Last Friday I made stir fry and cooked up some eggrolls from Susie in Fort Benton. Even though I had included some veggies that they weren't too sure of they were very happy with the results. And because I have some leftover pork - and a fresh batch of veggies from my in-laws garden we are just happening to have the same thing tonight. I love summer!!

A couple of parting shots

Some last Etta shots from the last day of "Etta and Bob's Great Adventure".

(Tomorrow I will be putting up some scenery shots for those of you who may be interested.)

I couldn't choose between the next two - so you get them both.

Serious harvesters.

A bit more relaxed.

Check out that SWEET wheat!

Etta knows and loves her road equipment so they had to stop to check out the road grader. (I hope that I spelled that right...)

Checking the levers.

A full view shot.

Up close. (Check out the look on her face - wonder.)

The sun is a *tad bit* bright. And Erik was a little hungover. Or maybe it was the mono...

(None of them look that enthused.)

And the full family pic. Well, minus me - and Bob. But since Etta was born everyone has told us it's all about the grandkids anyway!!

The Bo-Zone

The first part of Etta's and Bob's "Great Adventure" was spent in Bozeman. We love Bozeman. Always fun things to do.

Checking out the Recycle Buffalo in the Yellowstone Kids Room at the Museum of the Rockies.



(Just after this picture was taken a geyser "went off" and scared Etta. She refused to go back in to the museum.)

So it was off to the Tinsley House. Stopped to check out the chickens.



A train and blocks. Two of Etta's favorite things right now!



A baby doll.



Yes, she does have on pants. Apparently it was that cool in Bozeman that day. I am trying to imagine that as we are canning carrots today in Lewiston - when it is supposed to get to 100+ degrees. We started early as to escape the heat of the day. And we will probably crank our air conditioning later. I don't know how they did it "back in the day".

Thank Goodness!

Heard from Etta from in her bedroom tonight:

"I found Nemo!"

Fresh Deliciousness

Etta is a child who never eats green beans. Didn't really ever eat anything green for a long, long time. But apparently green beans fresh off the vine are tasty, tasty.

Beans soaking in prep for canning. Thanks MT Gram!



Mo' green beans!

No go, mo' Montana

Etta's quote on Tuesday morning while she was sitting on the couch with her Uncle Eek-Eek. A different tune than on Saturday in Bozeman. "Go to my home, see mommy" was what she was saying then. But who can compare to the ultra cool uncle? I mean, really?

And just to re-emphasis her devotion to him...On Wednesday:

Mommy: Etta, did you just go to Montana?
Etta: Yes.
Mommy: Who did you see?
Etta: Grandma Cindy.
Mommy: Who else?
Etta: Baba.
Mommy: And...?...Uncle...?
Etta: Eek-Eek. (Sigh) I miss Eek-Eek.

Bob was in charge of the camera for this trip. And Etta. By himself. So there aren't a ton of pictures. Although I don't always get a lot either... Oh well, there are a few good ones!

Baba Eddie and Etta heading out. I would have to say this is one of my favorite pictures - EVER!



Chatting with Duke.



Learning the ropes.



And "solo" driving!



Peeing in the field. A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do!



Bye, bye combines.



[I am very sad that I didn't get to be there for her first harvest. But I am very thankful that she got to go and spend time during this very important season. Am hoping that next year we can all make the trip together! And (even though I shouldn't be...) I am thankful that it rained a bit so that she actually got to see Erik & dad more than just a few times in the field...]

35 Weeks

So, I am at 35 weeks (almost 36...) according to MY calculations. But according to my OB I am at 34. Who DOESN'T think this baby is going to make an early appearance? (Based on the doc's thoughts...)

Today's shot.



Week 35 with Etta.



[I have had virtually no bruising with my shots this time. My blood doctor says it is because Bob's technique is better!]

Silly Girl

When I take my belly shots Etta gets very interested in the computer camera. It's darn hard to get a two-year old to "look at the little green light! Right there! Right there! Now! Now!"











And we get it!

A Perfect Summer Evening

After watering the other night I decided to break out the bubbles. Made Bob do the blowing because it is so fun to watch Etta and not worry about producing enough for her to play with.

Thinking about laying down. But the grass was a little wet.



So fun to chase, catch and *try* to eat. (That doesn't work very well, thank goodness!)

Our Monkey Family

The other day Etta found some of the sock monkeys that MT Grandma had gotten her. We made an interesting connection...

Mommy, Etta, Baby Mae, Daddy

We have been trying role playing. As in, "Look! Mommy can hold the baby and then mommy can hold Etta. Daddy can hold Etta and then hold the baby. Mommy can hold BOTH Etta and Baby!" And so on and so forth...I know that it will be a rough transition, but we're working on it...