Elizabeth and Grandma

Last Thursday Barb and I went on a date. When we got back to Grandma's, Elizabeth was still picking at her dinner and we all four had a nice conversation. Elizabeth's articulateness continues to astound me, but perhaps I don't have enough points of comparison. Also, as Barb points out, Larrisons are talkers. Sometimes it's hard to get us to shut up.

Grandma and I have both quit drinking alcohol as we are on high alert for the imminent baby. Grandma is #3 on the go-to list for Elizabethsitters while Barb labors (and #2 until 12/12, when Wendy returns from Mexico). So she needs to be ready to spring into action at any time of the day or night. Same with me, for obvious reasons.

A technical note: I shot this video on the Droid X using it's normal-TV resolution, in the hopes that it would fit on the blog better. I will see shortly after I hit the Publish Post button.

Update: Well, a sliver of the right side of the video is cut off. It's a lot better than the widescreen 720p video posted below, but still not perfect. Hmm.

Baby Suzanne is Coming!

Barb is humongous with child. She is bigger now, at 37 weeks, than she was when Elizabeth was born. Way bigger.

Another cool thing about the differences between Barb's body this time in contrast to last time is how much thinner the wall between the baby and the outside world seems to be. Baby Suzanne makes her presence known with aggressive use of her elbows, knees, feet, and rump. They poke through the bellywall with surprising prominence. At night I can feel her forceful kicks.

Elizabeth is anxious and excited about the new addition to our family.

Aren't we all?

Season of the Gourd

It's that special Season of the Gourd. Elizabeth is digging it to the max. Today we carved the pumpkins that we picked on Sauvie Island last weekend. We made four, one for Daddy (the big scary one), one for Mommy (the big scared one), one for Big Sister Elizabeth (the small, happy one), and one for Suzannie (the medium happy-baby one).

As I write they are out on the stoop glowing with candlelight and looking mighty good.

Elizabeth was afraid to put a candle in Daddy's jack-o-lantern through the mouth, because she was worried it might bite her.

Smart girl.

Balloon Hilarity

We had a fun day with Lily Joy and her parents, topped off by some balloon madness. The girls couldn't stop laughing!

Happy Birthday Cake, Grandma!

 

Elizabeth was pretty excited to celebrate Grandma's birthday, but her focus, truth be told, was on cake and presents as much as, if not more than, Grandma Sherry.

Elizabeth helped bake the cake, mix up the frosting, cook the dinner, wrap the presents, and celebrate. She was very sweet with Grandma throughout the evening, even if she did demonstrate a little (understandable, given that she's two) jealousy over Grandma being the center of attention for the evening.

At first she didn't want to eat dinner, but thought skipping right to the cake-and-candles was advisable. However, hunger got the better of her and by the time dinner was served she was ready to dig in.

My Shadow Is Bigger and Bigger

 

We spent the weekend at the coast, and the weather was glorious Friday and Saturday and rainy Sunday: the perfect weather for the last gasp of Summer. Elizabeth wasn't so interested in the sunset, but she loved what the sunset produced: tall, skinny shadows to chase.

Galen Rowell, a photographer and writer I admire, advised his readers to always turn away from the sunset and photograph whatever that gorgeous pink-orange light was illuminating, rather than the cliched sunset itself. Elizabeth seems a natural student of this theory.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lily Joy!

 

Lily Joy turned two on September 11th, but celebrated today with lots of family and friends. Elizabeth was there to share the fun... and the cupcakes!