We won't ever give up our favorite drink (margaritas) but we are in the process of selling Margarentals. I know in my heart of hearts that we just don't have the time to dedicate to it, but it's still a hard thing to do. It's been a fun - albeit short - ride and we've learned a lot. We've had a lot of fun but we must move forward.
They (those random, smart people out there that say things that are true) say that "timing is everything" and they are absolutely right.
I'm still sad. I love that company. It will always have a special place in my heart. Right next to those frozen tequila drinks. (Is it September yet?!?!)
Picking out a name for our little girl was a much more simple process than it was when we chose Connor's name. Everything seemed harder the first time. Or maybe we just had more time and energy the first time we circled the moon. Or perhaps we just fell upon the right choices sooner for baby #2.
Connor's middle name is Dennis. That was an easy one for us to choose because we wanted to follow what Dennis' dad, his dad's dad, (and so on) had done. The fathers name becomes the son's middle name. We went back and forth between several first names but came up with a reason why each one wouldn't work. We either knew someone (or someone's dog) with that name, remembered a booger picker at school with that name, or just plain didn't like the majority of the names on our short list after considering them for some time. Except for Connor. It was just right in every way. And I couldn't imagine him with any other name.
Sweet. Meaningful. Individual. And perfect. That's all we want for our little girls name.
With all of those requirements in place, we decided to name her Blake Elizabeth Martin. The last name was the easiest to come up with. It's nice having her name chosen and it's so much better to say, "Blake's room", or "Blake needs to hurry up and get here!" rather than "that-random-kid-in-my-belly needs to make her debut. Duh."
The name "Blake" just came to us one day. We tossed it around, talked about it, and after a few weeks decided that Blake is it. Elizabeth, on the other hand, has more than one bagillion family ties. Elizabeth Henrietta Coleman Peyton is Bettyann's mom (also known as Mema to Dennis). My grandma on my mom's side is Elizabeth Earlene Schlotzhauer Loesing. On my Dad's side, his mom's name was Margaret Elizabeth Aggeler Lang. And her mom's name was Anna Elizabeth Stanfield Aggeler. Now if Elizabeth isn't any obvious choice for Blake's middle name then I don't know what is. It's very feminine and a strong compliment to her first name.
I'm in love with her already and cannot wait to meet Blake in 12 weeks! Or a little less. My c-section is scheduled for September 2nd so the countdown has officially begun...
I hope you like Blake's name as much as we do. And, well, if you don't...then too bad for you.
I'm in my OB's office this morning. As I wait, and look around at the glorious surroundings, I notice one thing: I am surrounded by vaginas. Sectional views, schematic sectional views, external, internal, you name it and it's here. Over the years, I've become accustomed to this but I can't help but remember how uncomfortable Dennis looked when he entered the OB office with me for this first time several years ago. He smiled at me, sweetly, and looked incredibly uneasy when his eyes strayed anywhere but the sink, me, or the magazines placed so neatly beside him.
Feeling exhausted at my almost-28 week-checkup, I plopped on the exam table a few minutes ago and then noticed a very uplifting (if you can call it that) poster. The poster has pictures of different mammals and their gestation periods.
As you are well aware, the human gestation period is approximately 260 days. Ten months, 40 weeks, a very long time. Apparently size plays a large role in determining the gestation period of all mammals. So, I'm not so excited to see that cow's have a very similar gestation period to humans with theirs lasting 280-290 days. I do often feel like a cow being pregnant in this summer heat ... but that's a topic for another post.
Elephants are pregnant for almost 2 years! Six-hundred and sixteen days is the average gestation period for that very unfortunately mammal. I hope the female elephants tell their male counterparts that this is a one-time deal. Two years is an insane amount of time to be with child. And here are several words that I never thought would come out of my mouth: I wish that I was a hamster. They are only pregnant for 15-18 days. Can you imagine? That would be awesome. But then, after you have the baby hamsters it might not be so great because then you'd just be back to being only a hamster. And I don't think that I'd do well in a cage. And hamster food has never appealed to me.
So, anyway, these are my random thoughts. I guess that's what happens to you when you are surrounded with medical textbook type photos and views of vaginas. And lots of them. Probably at least 10 in the patient room that I am sitting in right now. I've become immune to the strangeness of it all and I'm starting to get a little wacky...
There are a million great things about being pregnant during the suffocating Atlanta summer heat. I mean there HAS to be at least that many, right? I just haven't uncovered many (or any) of them yet.
While working yesterday, I did see a sign that made me smile. And it gave me priority parking with a very short walk to the customer that I was visiting.
Booyah. I might have just uncovered the first great thing about being pregnant in the summer heat.
I cannot believe that you are two years old today. The last two years have literally flown by. I wish that there was a "pause" button that I could push so that we could stay here, in this place, for a while and enjoy it as long as possible. I'm not sure that my energy level would be able to keep up at the pace you are running things these days but I would find a way to make it through if we could continue to have as much fun with you as we are having right now.
You are 100% boy and love every opportunity that you have to run, jump, climb, or fall down. "Nonnor", as you refer to yourself, is a very athletic little boy. You enjoy kicking the soccer ball, hitting the ball off of the tee, and throwing the basketball (or anything, for that matter) through your basketball hoop. You and Echo have become quite good buds but it is difficult when you play ball because you both want the ball in question in YOUR hands (paws) as quickly as possible. She usually beats you to it but will grudgingly drop the ball for you to have when you come up to her.
She gives you kisses on your face and you laugh and try to kiss or hug her back. "Eh-ya", as you call her, will keep up with you as you sprint back and forth (and back and forth...and back and forth) through the foyer and living room.
One of my most favorite things that you do is that you willingly give your Dad and me kisses - especially before bed. You think that Eskimo Kisses are very funny and you usually follow up with a wet, sloppy kiss to the lips and then a tight hug around the neck. Those are some of the perfect moments that I want to bottle up and store for a rainy day. You are such a sweet little man.
You are talking quite a bit these days. Three-word sentences are not uncommon ("Eh-ya gone, walk", "Dada home, eh-ya, Mack (your favorite character from Cars)", "fast, mama fast") and when you say something, you mean it. You know exactly what you want - and you usually wanted it yesterday.
You graduated to the "Crabs" room several weeks ago even though children don't typically move up until their 2nd birthday. We (the teachers, your Dad and me) decided that you needed to be moved up because you were definitely the Big Man on Campus and had the attitude to show for it in the Turtles Room where all of the kids were younger than you. Well, younger and/or more passive than you. When I'd peak in the window to see what you were doing before I picked you up at the end of the day, it was not a surprise to see all of the other kids along the walls and you running back and forth as quickly as you could with the shopping cart. And you weren't stopping. Not for anyone or anything. Now that you are with kids that are bigger than you, you seem to behave a little more and it might be because they could beat you up instead of you beating them up.
I am so happy that we were able to celebrate your birthday last weekend with Grandpa & BAM Martin, Nana & Papa Lang, and "AK" (and you called her by her name for the first time this past weekend!). No surprise here, but you loved the attention and completely stole the show. You had your first (of many, I'm sure) Cars cake and pulled the Mater and Lightning McQueen figurines off of the cake as soon as the cake was put in front of you.
Connor, thank you for all of the smiles you have given me over the past two years. I couldn't imagine a more perfect son and I am so thankful that I get to call you "mine" (one of your favorite words).
