Good things come in threes

So, we have a few things to report. We'll let Jocelyn report the first to those of you we haven't spoken with yet:


Yep, we are very happy to report that the stork is again on its way! Julie is due with our second on March 24, 2009. We had our first ultrasound about a week ago. Here's a pic:


In deference to the Peanut, Pepere has dubbed the little one the Cashew. As to whether it is a boy or girl, well, the ultrasound technician had a strong suspicion but said we should wait before painting any bedrooms, so I guess we'll keep that one close to the vest for a while. She did say that all signs pointed to he/she being a very healthy baby, and some blood tests Julie took also seemed to bear that out. We couldn't be happier.

In other news, Jocelyn finally gets out of her cast this Friday! Although she's been very easy-going throughout this whole experience, I get the sense that she is as ready as we are to be done with it. She definitely shows signs of wanting to move around, and loves it when she gets to come out for a little play time and a bath near the end of the day.

One other news item that falls a bit lower on the priority chain but is noteworthy nonetheless: we had a meeting with the town of Manchester about our house situation last week and learned that they would like to purchase the property. There are several hurdles yet to clear, as we have yet to settle on a dollar amount, and they will have to have a measure on the ballot at the Town Meeting in April to ask for the funds. We feel lucky, though, to even be potentially so close to a resolution, as municipalities are notoriously slow to move on things like this. Apparently they realize how good a case we have, and they also have a dire need for playing fields, so they would like to kill two birds with one stone. Works for us! If things turn out favorably in April, we may be able to spend the first few months with the Cashew enjoying his/her company rather than moving several times - how about that - and we may finally be rid of the ball and chain that the Manchester house has become.

Pics

Here are some pictures of the Peanut (aka the Pumpkin, aka Punky, aka the Punk, aka Punkette, aka Punkacita, aka Punkus Maximus) during her grand return engagement to the tub.

The facecloth is to cover her halo, of course.

Pretty sure she will not appreciate this one in about 12 years, but what the heck.

The Wave Machine is back in business!

The Waterbug Returns

Big milestone last week - Jocelyn went into a split cast, so now she can come out for a short time each day, start getting used to using her hip again, and have a bath. So far, so good. She is being reminded how much she loves splashing around in the soapy water with her rubber duckies, and doesn't seem to mind going back into the cast afterward to sleep. (I actually think she kind of prefers having her legs in the cast at this point, as she gets a little freaked out sometimes when her legs move into a certain position. I think it will take her some time to get used to having full range of motion again.)

The x-rays that were taken when the cast was split are promising - her hip seems to be in very good shape. The plan is to have her be in the split cast for four weeks, meaning that the cast will come off for good at the start of October, which is a few weeks before we thought. This is very good news for Julie and I, as neither of us particularly enjoys our "Dawn Patrol" duties of turning her and changing her diaper in the middle of the night.

Despite her being a little uneasy when her legs move a certain way, I think she really wants to start moving around. Just within the past few weeks she has really started shifting a lot in the cast, and she just started raising herself up on her arms to push herself backward. Good thing having a cast on her legs kind of naturally puts the brakes on - we have a ways to go before the house is completely baby-proofed!