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Summer doesn’t just arrive to the North Olympic Peninsula, it explodes. Last week I wore hat and gloves to take the dog for a walk and this weekend it was warm enough for Zach to swim by 7 o’clock in the morning. Summers here are just spectacular, and we spent as much time outside this weekend as we could.
8am and 39 weeks pregnant, great way to start the weekend!
My friend Carrie invited us to Olympic Park Institute yesterday for a community picnic. OPI is on Lake Crescent, just a short walk from where Joe and I were married in 2004. We didn’t know very many people in Port Angeles at that time, which was a huge contrast to yesterday’s picnic. We have met so many wonderful families and people in this area and it felt like everyone we know was there. Even, (how convenient!) our family doc who will deliver the baby in a few days (hint, hint, Arlo). We feel so lucky to be making this wonderful place our home.
My boys and blueberry cobbler, well Z only ate the whipped cream…
Zach and friends playing in Lake Crescent
Zach asleep with (in decreasing order of importance) Moo, Rudolph, blue mimi and orange mimi, blankie, Turtle, Two Bears, Little Dog, Roar-Roar, and truck blankie. If he latches on to any more creatures, we’ll have to get him a bigger bed!
Looks like little brother is going to be a July baby. He seems pretty content at the moment to stay put. In the meantime, we are enjoying our big guy and looking forward to meeting little brother sometime in the next week.
We had a sign today- just after we put Zach down for his nap, “Alice’s Restaurant” came on the radio. All 18minutes and 20 seconds of it. We’ve been toying with naming the baby Arlo since Joe went to an Arlo Guthrie concert before we were married. My initial reaction to naming my offspring Arlo was “No NO NOOO!” but the name really grows on you after a while.
Our friends and family have had pretty varied reactions to our choice. My favorites so far are from my Dad (sorry Dad, but this needs to be recorded for posterity) who simply said “We’ll find something else to call him” and someone at work who said “Well, I might name my dog that, but not my child”. “Oh” and “Huh” have been some other common responses as people try to mask their surprise about our choice. (Joe wants me to mention that we have had many positive and supportive responses as well, those just haven’t been as memorable!)
I decided to use naptime today to research the name a little more since I’m going to subject my child to such an unusual name. Arlo means “hill” in German (not very exciting) and “strong, brave, courageous one” in Greek (think I’ll go with that meaning). It was most popular in the early 1920s and now is the 2671st most popular name in America. That is pretty far down there, but I’m just relieved it has a number! That means other people are naming their son Arlo too!
Oh, little baby, I hope you don’t mind someday that we gave you such a funky name. Mostly you can blame your father, ok?
Ok baby, after all this waiting, it is time to be here already! I am soooo done with being pregnant. I was doing great until last night, and now I am just sore, tired and really, really cranky. I wish I could relish these last few days of my last pregnancy (I am NOT doing this again) but I am just really ready to meet this little guy.
“Mama me draw my baby”
As for my other little guy, he is dealing with his “pregnancy” much more creatively than his mother.
One of the things I missed the most the last few months has been being outside, especially outside with Zach. He loves the lake and our stream, and especially the sand mountain the construction guys left behind. Let’s just say I have done quite a bit of laundry this weekend!
Yesterday, we went to the Farmer’s Market, which is my favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning. And it was wonderful. The sun was out, several of our friends were there with their kids and there was some great live music. All the little things that I’ve missed in the last few months just came together in a spontaneous little party.
37 weeks pregnant, at the Farmer’s Market
And despite predictions that I would be a mother of two by now, you can see that I am still very much pregnant! Little brother has decided he wants a little more time on the inside before he joins us.
60 lbs of Kids
I hit an important milestone yesterday- 36 weeks gestation! Now I am officially term and since the previa has resolved, I am DONE with bedrest and free to move about the world. Only now I am really pregnant and in really horrible shape…
Zach and I went to the park and the farmer’s market this morning. These used to be our Saturday morning spots and he was so excited to go for a “bye-bye” with Mom and Dad. Of all the things I am looking forward to the most, it is getting out more with Zach. I hope the baby stays put for a few more weeks so Zach and I can have a little more time and a few more “bye-byes” before life gets challenging again.
34 week shadow
I’m going back to work on Monday. Right now that seems very exciting but I’m sure after about 10 minutes I’ll start wondering why I complained so much about bedrest and why I was so anxious to work! In some ways, I think the bedrest was good for me. I’m not a person who slows down or relaxes easily and for the past few months I needed to find contentment with a very simple life at home. And even though I complained (quite a bit!) about being home, I did finally find contentment with my very simple days. My days won’t stay simple for much longer, but I hope to continue to find peace in whatever the day brings.
