Progress

I'll admit. I doubted. But it looks like Josh is going to prove me wrong and have this addition sided and heated before the cold weather comes. Yesterday, he put the first few boards of siding on and it looks amazing. He's aiming to get the entire house resided before Thanksgiving. It's definitely a little too ambitious for my taste, but I guess I'm really not in a position to cast doubt! Meanwhile, we had our favorite Rhode Island plastering team (Manny and his son Manny) come and finish off the inside walls. While I momentarily considered doing tape & spackle myself, I decided that between all the tricky angles and my pregnant state it probably wasn't the best idea. So now, all that's really left is flooring, paint, and heat!

We've also managed to make some progress on the baby's nursery, having almost totally transformed the former oversized closet into a cozy (read: extremely small!) nursery. Thanks to some serious internet sleuthing, I managed to the Pottery Barn Kids elephant bedding I had my heart set on basically for free. Whoa! We're all ready for baby boy Heebs to arrive (15 weeks to go!).

And just in case there was any doubt, Anna is still just as cute as ever. She's definitely turned into a bit of a toddler handful, but the spicier she gets, the funnier she gets too. The other day she comes up to me, puts her hand on my arm and says, "Mommy, I going grocery shopping. I be right back. You have fun and don't cry. I wuv you." What a munchkin.

Saying Goodbye To My Baby

Due to an unfortunate turn of maintenance-related events, the time has suddenly come to say goodbye to my baby. My 1996 Honda Accord, that is. After sinking $900 into it just six weeks ago, the check engine light came on again this past Thursday and we were looking at another $600 in repairs. I suppose that after 167,000 miles, this is what happens, but I will say that up until about 155,000 miles, this car was nearly flawless, and my most prized possession. Last night I went to sign the paperwork for a new Honda Civic and took a trade in of $1,600. I asked the salesman if I could take the Accord home for one last night and he agreed, so after the dirty work was done, I walked out to the dark parking lot and saw my sweet, faithful 1996 Accord sitting there (looking very lonely) waiting for me. Sure, I'll admit it. I cried. Maybe that's pregnancy hormones at work, but I'm going to have to believe that some of the emotion was genuine. Afterall, my baby has been with me since I was 16 -- through five mailing addresses, four boyfriends, the advent of cell phones, four years of college, two jobs, marriage, and the birth of my own baby (who, frankly, I was hoping might drive the Accord someday!). I opened the door and got a wiff of the old Honda funk. I'll openly admit it's an awful smell, but it unleashed another barrage of tears that lasted the whole ride home. When I walked into the house all puffy-eyed, Josh was pretty much sure I'd lost my mind. I suppose that being an American-made car man, he simply can't understand the connection that one forms with a perfectly crafted Japanese automobile over 14 years! This morning I cleaned out the car which, thanks to my husband's less than loving care over the past three years, was chock full of junk, including a lifetime supply of Dunkin Donuts napkins, 53 FirstComp pens, 27 golf tees and, most disturbingly, a Miller High Life cap. (Josh, any comments on that?). So anyways, here's where a bit if history ends. Goodbye my sweet friend!

Anna, Suddenly Seeming Very Grown Up

After sawing corn off the cob for Anna at every grilled chicken & corn dinner we've eaten this summer -- and there have been plenty -- it suddenly dawned on me that she just might be able to handle corn on the cob. Turns out, I was right. It's now become one of her favorite things to eat, especially since it means she gets to use the cool plastic corn "hoppers" (that is, holders).

I guess that for whatever reason, I still tend to think of Anna as our little baby so every time she accomplishes something new -- and seemingly very adult-like -- I'm amazed. A few months ago I started pulling a chair up to the kitchen counter and lettting her help me when I cook. Even now, I'm continually surprised at how relatively good her dumping and mixing skills are. (She's also got taste testing down too). One of our favorite things to make together is pancakes...