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Would you just look at those big blue eyes?  Sometimes I forget what an incredibly gorgeous baby Jack was – after all, it was 9 years ago!  He’s still the most handsome 9-year-old in the WORLD, even if he does give me heck about the X Box & get a bit grumpy after school most days.  Oh dear.  He is going to be a teenager before I know it!

As we struggle to name our soon-to-be-son, I imagine what he will look like.  Will he have Jack & Margaret’s baby blues?  Is this child going to have darker eyes like his mama?  I’d be thrilled if he inherited my sister’s big chocolate-brown eyes.  Will needs someone to match!  He already seems to be so gentle-natured.  His kicks and stretches are so sweet & rhythmic – nothing like when Jack used to try to tear his way out through my belly button or when Margaret would dance for hours & hours on end, leaving me feel like I’d been beat up.  This baby is almost apologetic in his movement, “Sorry mommy, I was just stretching my legs a big.”  I keep saying that this will be an “easy” baby – but Brad reminds me that he doesn’t have a choice!  After being dragged all over town to speech, football, cheerleading, this school, and that — this baby will either be content snuggling against my chest in the baby carrier — or he’ll be grumpy & out of luck snuggling against my chest in the baby carrier!  Such is life when you are the fourth child. 

As for names – we are still stuck.  If you have a suggestion, we welcome it!  (That doesn’t mean we will use it, but we are still happy to hear your ideas   Brad said today that we should sell naming rights to our baby on EBay.  Um, no.  Well the extra money would be nice I guess.  As you can tell, we prefer traditional names.  We’d prefer a short name, and Margaret would prefer that it does not start with an M.  She wants to be the only M&M in the family I guess!  Will is still pulling for Elmo – and still insists that little brother is NOT sharing his room.  Guess again, little man!

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Spring break is over.  Poor us, we had to put up with near-perfect weather & a whole week of little-to-no responsibility or obligation.  We planted our spring flowers (made mud pies), washed the car, played with friends, and visited the zoo.  The boys went Friday for their 4 & 9-year-old well checks.  Unfortunately, Will’s appointment got billed as a sick visit.  He had been coughing a bit, which I chalked up to allergies.  Instead, the doctor declared him full-on sick with a fever & everything, and I didn’t even know!

I went Monday for my 24 week prenatal check.  The baby & I are doing well.  He is  really active & moving a lot these days.  My belly is getting huge – almost a big as when I delivered Margaret at 39 weeks.  (Ok, at least it feels like it to me.)  So by summer I am going to be the size of that blimp from the city where I was born   Margaret took this AWESOME headless photo of me.  You can see my big belly, but you can’t see my gray hair.  Sounds all right I guess!

Ok, since I’m so delinquent in my posts I’m throwing in my new favorite silly photo (taken today!).  Margaret is wearing a size 2-T vest and X-Small boots with Will’s toddler mittens.  She is oh, so cool.  Uh huh!  And Will is doing his very best to imitate sister’s cool & sassy pose.  What a goof!

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Unbelievable.  Jack is 9 today.  I remember so clearly the day he was born — it was overcast & rainy.  My dad rubbed my feet in the pre-op room and my mom helped Brad change the first yucky diaper.  Heck, I remember riding bikes with Amy & Heather, my Cabbage Patch Kid (Charlie Sue) in my backpack, when I was 9.  So how is it possible that my little boy is 9 years old?  

His sleep over party was Saturday.  It was a great time for the boys – the rain broke just in time for an Air Soft version of capture the flag.  Both big TV’s set up in the living room for some serious X Box play.  A late-night showing of Alvin & the Chipmunks.  And lots of pizza, soda, cheetos, and cookie cake.  Will finally fell asleep around midnight, Brad & I passed out around 12:30, and Jack says he eventually fell asleep around 1AM.  I awoke Sunday morning just after 7:30 to the sound of the boys engaged in yet another X Box battle.  Not too bad.  It’s spring break, so we have all week to recover.  Thank goodness!

Today was a busy day.  Jack enjoyed shopping & lunch with his mimi, and the kids enjoyed open play time at Jump Town (another bounce house place) with some neighborhood friends.  We had a quiet family dinner at I Hop & then Jack & Margaret were off to Mimi’s again for a sleep over with the cousins.  It was such a busy day, I just sent the small cake I had for Jack’s official b-day day to Brad’s mom for him to share with his cousins. 

I am going to have some very tired kids tomorrow.

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Brad will be embarrassed, but I couldn’t resist sharing this photo of him & Will.  (He doesn’t even know I took it

Will is doing so great lately.  We have notice in the past few weeks that he is seeming to change right before our eyes.  Even though is speech is still significantly delayed, he is really communicating through signs & attempted words.  We can see his true personality start to evolve as one would see in a child transitioning from infant to toddler.  He is less about reactions & survival and more about relationships and preferences.  And I guess that seems right when the general rule is that it takes a child 1 month at home for each 3 months in an orphanage to start to unlearn those institutional behaviors  & figure out his place in a loving family setting.   When I talk to him about being born in China, he is quick to tell me, “Don’t like China.”  So he is doing a lot of internal processing these days.  He’s been having a lot of bad dreams, too, so I keep a stack of blankets on the floor next to my bed.  He is welcome to sleep there any time he needs to feel safe. 

We are busy getting ready for Jack’s birthday party tomorrow.  He is having a sleepover/airsoft battle/x-box night.  I don’t anticipate much sleep going on, but it’s just Jack’s 2 cousins & our neighbor, so as long as they don’t keep Margaret & Will awake, it should be ok.  Can you believe that Jack will be 9 on Monday???

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It was a rush to get out the door in time for Will’s 9AM party, but so worth it!  Will was thrilled from start to finish.  He loved being the line leader and going on the first ride.  He loved the gigantic inflatable slide.  He loved the special attention he got from his big brother and special friend/neighbor, Chris.  In short, Will love, love, loved his birthday party!  What more can I say?  Right now he is napping very, very soundly.

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