A second voyage

We had another ultrasound yesterday and learned that the Cashew is very healthy, very active and doing great. We also saw visual evidence that we definitely have a little boy on the way!

It was pretty funny to watch him keep giving the ultrasound wand high fives. Jocelyn was a kicker every time she felt the wand - maybe he will be more apt to use his hands than she is.

Julie and I have decided on a name (we actually have had male and female names picked out for quite some time, so the only question was which we would be using) - Ian James. James was Julie's brother's name, so we always knew that if we had a boy, that would be his middle name. We picked Ian for a first name originally because we just liked the sound of it, but when we discovered that it means "God is forgiving" we thought it was especially fitting given everything else that's been going on in our lives lately. Having a happy, healthy little one seemingly on the way makes all of life's other challenges fade into the background. Last week, when Julie told her Mom that was the name we had chosen, she reminded Julie that a boy named Ian had been Jimmy's best friend growing up, so that made it seem all the more special. Those of you who know Julie well know that when she found this out, things got a little misty. :) I'm not too proud to say that I may have also had to wipe an eye or two.

Another little one calls into question the name for this blog, since we are no longer on "the maiden voyage," but our second sojourn. We may have to give some thought to a new name. Feel free to fire away with any suggestions you may have!

The other big news on the home front is that Julie's Mom starts caring for Jocelyn full-time a week from now. I can't tell you how excited we are to have Jocelyn (and eventually Ian) be cared for by family. Although we think our daycare provider in general does a good job, yesterday when Julie went to pick Jocelyn up she found her just sitting under the kitchen table, all by herself, with no toys within reach. Someone was nearby so she was in no danger, but it just seems like a symptom of caregivers stretched maybe a bit too thin. And speaking of symptoms, Jocelyn seems to be getting sick much too frequently since going back to daycare in October - we have to believe that being around a group of kids all day is causing it - and suddenly has a diaper rash that won't go away. It's also gut-wrenching when she cries when we drop her off in the morning and grabs on for dear life when Julie picks her up in the afternoon. All in all, we will be very happy to put daycare in our rear-view mirror. We feel very lucky to have this as an option.

Some new shots

Punky was sick a few days last week, so Momma stayed home and had the chance to take some new pics. Here are a few of our favorites.


She's just recently been able to sit up on her own - her recovery after being in the cast for a bit is coming along, although she still doesn't use her legs all that much unless we put her in her walker. We use the nursing pillow to give her a little stability.


Look at those rosy cheeks! Unfortunately it was probably more indicative of her fever than anything else...she had a rough go of it for a few days.


She just loves these new blocks she just got. There are few toys that can occupy her attention for more than a few minutes, but these do the trick. The funny thing is that she hates it when blocks or other toys are stacked - she knocks down the stack as soon as she is able. Her new nickname around the house is Destructo.


She is drawn to TV shows with bright colors - Blue's Clues (which she's watching here) is one of her favorites, but occasionally I can get her to sit with me to watch a football or baseball game if the right teams (with bright colored uniforms) are playing. Unfortunately the Sox and Patriots rarely qualify.


Showing off the toofers! These arrived a few weeks ago. No sign of any new ones in a bit.


Another great shot of the beautiful eyelashes she gets from Momma.


It's pretty fun to watch her little mind work...


...no matter what catches her attention. She is quite a blessing.

Sick little Peanut

So we learned something new about the little one this weekend, and that is that she is not one to curl up in bed when she is sick - nope, she wants everyone to share in her misery. The poor thing has had a fever and congestion for a few days now. Saturday night she had trouble breathing and was up crying at 11, 1:30, 3:30 and 5, and finally Julie took her out in the car for a drive when the sun came up at 6:30. She had a good long nap in the car then until we brought her to the doctors' at 11. The doctor thinks her fever is just due to her cold and nothing more serious. Hopefully that is the case - she wasn't even interested in her beloved swing time last evening, let alone eating anything substantial or playing with her toys.

My strong suspicion is that she caught something while spending last Monday through Thursday in daycare last week. This affirms my belief in two things: (1) parents who knowingly bring their sick children to daycare should be subject to criminal prosecution; and (2) we are very lucky to have Julie's Mom to care for Jocelyn (and the Cashew when he/she arrives) during the day when she retires from her nursing job at the beginning of November. Obviously kids come into contact with disease in many different settings, but I'll be very happy when we're able to limit her exposure to reading hours and play dates. Yes, I am overprotective, and not ashamed to say so.

Cast Free!!

Jocelyn's cast was removed last Friday and she is doing great!