Misery

Can I just say how much I loathe pregnancy? I love the end result (the very, very end), but the means...the sick first trimester (and for me, it's lingering into the second), the fattish second trimester (where nobody knows you're pregnant, but they can't help but think you've put on a few too many), the tight and totally uncomfortable third trimester, where your skin is stretched out like a drumskin across a drum and your insides feel squuuuueeeeeezed, where you have to "make water" every hour on the dot, even in the middle of the night...it's all a horrible, downright miserable experience. I think it's all part of the "pain in childbirth" curse that God bestowed upon Eve, really. I don't think we're actually meant to really enjoy it. And if you do, you're psychotic!

Visit with the Greats

While in Palm Springs, we visited my Great Uncle Rich and Great Auntie Jo. Jo is my mom's aunt. They are in their 80s and living the life. How fun it was to share my two kiddos with them. They shared all of their pictures of their kids and grandkids and great-grands with us. What a pleasure it was to see them.

Palm Springs

So here are some pictures from Palms Springs...

It was so beautiful -- hot, but beautiful. We played by the pool most of the time, that is, when we weren't up in the room, napping. We really are thankful to Mike and Chris Johnson, good friends of ours, who invited us along with their family to this beautiful resort.

I love the beads of sweat on Esther's head here...it's pretty typical of summer with her. She's such a hot-water bottle.

She looks like a dog, ready to lap up a bowl of water. Poor hot baby girl!

Enjoying the 1-foot kiddie pool

Waiting for Mommy and Abby to go down the slide...and not very patiently...milky chin and all

This was a HUGE slide, probably 100-footer. Abby was so brave. She just kept wanting to go on it again, regardless of the fact that, at first, I kept dunking her in the water when we landed. I just couldn't keep her up.

I am smiling here because it was a successful keep-her-from-going-under slide ride this time.

Below are some photos of our gorgeous villa. I think because of the time-share and the group rate, along with off-season for Palm Springs, we got an incredible fare for this room. Again, many thanks to the Johnsons.

View from outside our room, up on the patio.

This was Esther's favorite thing about the room -- the fact that she could open and close all the doors with these kid-friendly door handles. She was opening and closing doors all around the villa...constantly!!

More Posts to Come

We've been gone to Palm Springs for a much-relished vacation at a very swanky resort, thanks to some wonderful friends of mine who have family with a time-share. It was really fun vacationing with friends.

So I still have some picture-wading to do...I will have some new ones posted soon. :)

Inside or Outside

On the way to the last OB visit, Abby was in the car with us, and she was very inquisitive about the baby.

Abby: "Mommy, where are we going?"
Me: "Well, we are going to the doctor. We are going to see the baby today."
Abby: "Are we going to see the baby inside or outside?"
Me: [Taking her a bit too literally] "Well, of course, the doctor's office is inside, so we'll go inside to see the baby."
Abby: "No. Will we see the baby in your tummy or outside of your tummy?"
Me: "Ohhhhhh, we will see the baby inside my tummy."
Abby: "In two weeks we will see the baby outside of your tummy, Mommy, in two weeks."
Me: "Well, no, honey. It will be MUCH longer than two weeks." :)

Visiting Tito and Tita

Here are some photos of part of our visit with Tito and Tita (Joel and Richelle). They took us down to 2nd Street in Long Beach to a delicious crepe place called La Creperie (or something like that). :) It was awesome. The food was out of this world. We all split a lunch crepe with ham, swiss cheese, and parmesan (mmmmmm!) and a dessert crepe called "Romeo and Juliet" with chocolate, bananas, and strawberries -- to die for! Of course, the best part is the fact that we got to hang out with them!

Visit with Aunt Cari (and Uncle Carlos)

We visited Joel and Richelle in Long Beach last week, and while there, Cari and Carlos stopped by. I snapped a few photos of the girls with Aunt Cari, but Unlce Carlos was inside with the rest of the gang, so unfortunately, there are no photos of him. Sorry Uncle Carlos!

Robbed

We've had a difficult couple of days. Our house was broken into while we were at a doctor's appointment on Thursday morning. We went to see the baby, who is now 13 weeks, and thankfully, s/he (she or he) is doing well, very healthy and active. But while we were gone, someone got in through our slider in the backyard, which unfortunately was unlocked and cracked for the swamp cooler. They took both of our laptops, our modem, and our newly purchased portable DVD player. Thankfully, we are unhurt, and it didn't happen while we were home, and we are insured. It still has us a bit shaken up.

When Abby saw how troubled I was about the whole thing (having just discovered it when we returned), she said, "It's okay, Mama. I'll help you find it." So I had to explain to her what "stolen" meant. Later on, when we were getting her ready for her nap, we couldn't find her blankie. She gasped and turned to me, hand over her mouth, "It was stole'd, Mama. Somebody stole'd my blankie." :) Thankfully, her blankie was safe and sound in the toybox.

At dinner that evening, she explained to everyone about how our house was broken. ;)

More Grab Bag from G & G Carmichael's

Testing the waffles...it's a good thing they're cooked when you eat them! ;)

This is what Eric and I discovered as we were heading down the hallway to our room at 11:30pm. Abby made her way out into the hallway and made a bed for herself on the floor -- lights on and all. Hilarious!

Abby enjoyed a day of baking with Grandma. They made several kinds of cookies. She thoroughly enjoyed it, as you can see. :)

Riley Bug

Here are some of the photos of seeing Cousin Riley again for the first time in six months. What a precious angel!