What did you call me?

As you know, we've been pretty tight-lipped about the baby's name. (Or have we? Hmmmm....) But don't worry. When the big days comes, we'll do the big reveal.

Meanwhile, I've been thinking a lot about nicknames lately. Not in the sense of "I've just got to have a nickname for the baby" but rather just about how they come to be. With a name like "Laura" I never really had a nickname. Feeling deprived, I always begged my parents for one and they would sometimes call me "LauraBell," but that's as much of a nickname as I ever had. Damon doesn't have a nick-name-able name either, so he knows what I mean. I sometimes call him "Dame" but that's about it.

So when we were choosing names for the kids, one requirement was that it lent itself to a nickname. For Adelaide, we have Adela, Addy, Adele. For Kestian, we have Kes, Kessie, Kestiano. But this hasn't been all that important to us after all, and we mostly go by their full names. We've realized that we don't want their nicknames to be the only thing they are ever called. Otherwise, why did we choose their names to begin with? We didn't carefully chose their names only for them to never get used.

But the kids are natural nicknamers. They used to call me "MommyMama" (although that has become all but extinct). And they affectionately call Damon "Poppie" which I think is the sweetest thing ever. But there was another nickname that we used to use all the time. It all goes back to when Kestian and Adelaide were much younger and learning to talk. Kestian always called Adelaide "Lolly." He just couldn't say "Adelaide" and it was really the only thing he ever did call her. It was very cute and endearing and soon we found ourselves calling her that too.

Well time has passed and while we still sometimes use their nicknames, somehow we have all gotten out the habit of using Lolly. Then the other night, I was comforting Kestian who was in bed and telling me he was scared. For whatever reason, I told him "Don't worry, Lolly is right here." He said "Who's Lolly?" I asked him if he remembered that he used to call Adelaide "Lolly" and he shook his head. My heart just sank. He didn't remember? Was Lolly gone? I asked them about the name today and they said they still remember it, and Adelaide said she likes to call her Laa-Laa "Lolly." Maybe it's not gone forever, but it's not like it used to be.

However, this time around, I don't think the name we have chosen for the baby is quite so nick-name-errfic. I'm not bothered by that because I really like the name we picked and having a nickname is not the end-all-be-all in this world. Should a nickname arise, that will be fine, but no worries.

Anyways, lately, to get the kids involved in the whole baby-name thing, we've asked them what we should name him. Amongst the most popular are:

• Sleepy
• Thomas the Train (not "Thomas" but "Thomas the Train")
  
• Jacob
• Zeke
• Toothbrush, flower pot (or any inanimate object in eye sight)
  

Certainly all worthy choices, but lately it's just been "Pickle." Adelaide came up with this name and it has kinda stuck with us. It just kinda came out one day and we have kept using it. Nicknames are fun like that when they aren't forced or contrived. Who knows if we'll call him Pickle once he gets here (probably not), but for now, it's fun. It seems that in our family, nicknames are more of a fluid thing than something more permanent. I'm sure, soon enough, we'll be onto some new nickname for any one of the kids...

I can't think of a title...you try

Yes, we are still here... Yes, I am still pregnant... No, I can't believe it's been a week since I have written anything... So let's grab that cup of coffee, that comfy chair, and get all caught up!

Actually, there's not much to get caught up on. It's just been a week of being sick, being busy at work, and a whole lot of nothing more than the usual. The last doc appt was one of those "Yup, you're still pregnant" visits. No ultrasound. No major tests. Come back in a week. But one thing that has happened is that we have crossed over into "we're almost done" territory. 3 1/2 weeks. That's it! (Give or take.) I think we are as ready as we will ever be. Bring it on!

Meanwhile, we did tour the brand new Women's Hospital that opens up today! This is exciting news because since I made it to the opening date of the new facility, I'll get to use it. It's is very nice. See - look at these pictures. (Yes, the pictures are photoshopped, but it actually does look a lot like that.) Not that I'm against going back to where Kestian and Adelaide were born (which is just next door to it), because that would be kinda cool, but something about a brand new, state of the art facility just screams at me: "Have your baby here!" We took the kids too, so they could see where their brother would be born. I think they were more interested in the kids' play area and the unlimited supply of marshmallows.

Anyhow, with all the busy "nothing" we've been doing, we found some time this weekend to make our own pizza. What does this have to do with anything? Nothing, but I can't think of a good segue.

Mmmmm...pizza.

Spring has sprung...

Ahhh... Spring! That lovely time of year, where the days are getting warmer, longer, and seemingly brighter. The birds are chirping, the pond is thawing, and the grass is starting to turn green again. Isn't it just wonderful?! Unless, that is, you have allergies, you don't have any "spring" maternity clothes, your kids question why they have to take a bath when it is still light out, and you feel the comings-on of a cold. Ahhh...lovely spring....

But this is not a bitch-and-moan post - I promise! I am actually excited about spring. I love all the seasons for what they offer. The summer for it's long hot days, warm oceans to swim in, never needing a jacket. The fall for the crisp cloudy days, the crunchy leaves, the yellow pumpkins. The winter for freedom from yardwork, snuggly blankets, the smell of wood burning in someone's fireplace. And, of course, spring. Spring for the respite from snow, the return of the birds, the warm sun, and (as it seems in this household every five years) a new life in the Orsetti household.

I remember this time five years ago. The kids were just home from the hospital, the air was getting warmer, the world was so bright. Soon there would be walks to take, babies to nap with, a new world to adjust to.

This time it's a bit different, however. Once you have kids, adding more seems like no horrendous hurdle. How hard can it be this time? I know how to change diapers. I know how to deal with sleep deprivation. I know what I am in for. And, mind you, it's "just one" this time. How wonderful that will be? Just one baby to tend to. Two adults and one baby. Now that's something I've never experienced. And something I'm looking forward to. Everyone I know who has twins and then a singleton has summed it up in one word: "Cake." As in "piece of."

I believe it too. Oh, I'm sure I'll complain. I'm sure I'll be tired. I'm sure there will be challenges with balancing 5-year-old twins with a new baby. But having survived twin infancy and toddlerhood, really...how bad can it be? I can only think of all the wonderful things I'll get to experience for the first time thanks to this new baby: a single stroller, a smaller diaper bag, only having to ever tend to one crying baby at a time, being able to hold my baby as long as I want without another baby needing me, and never having to decide which crying baby I hold first, feed first, and change first.

Oh I could go on. But remember, this is not a bitch-and-moan post. I do sometimes feel sad that this baby has no twin to do all the wonderful things my twins get to share in, but as I think about all the wonderful things that I can get to do (or not have to do) with "just one" I am very excited about the day he arrives.

We're still looking at another 4 1/2 more weeks if the baby reaches his "guess date." Will he be early, will he be late? I wonder just what day Junior has in mind for us. Every day that passes I am proud that I am still pregnant. Proud that he is getting the time he needs to grow and develop. And happy to spend just that much more time with only Kestian and Adelaide. But I am starting to get selfish too. I'm uncomfortable all the time. I want to meet this little guy already. I want to get on with it. It's complicated. But when he does come, we'll can all enjoy this wonderful spring and all it has to offer as we enjoy this new life. We're waiting....

Baby, George, and Brackets

Thanks for everyone's concern lately. Everyone wants to know what's going on (which I appreciate) but I didn't want to bore everyone with too much of my complaining. Anyhow, yes, I'm still pregnant. The contractions I was having earlier seem to have become less frequent and regular than they were. They did get down to about 10 minutes apart for quite a while, but then puttered out. Of course, I still have some and they are still as intense, and I don't expect that to change. I know that my body is practicing for the big day, and, for the moment, I don't feel like things are as imminent as I thought they were earlier this week.

As someone put it to me this morning: "This is new territory for you!" Indeed. I've read all the articles, I've done all the research, but I've never been through this part of a pregnancy. My trouble is that I can't see beyond two days from now in terms of being pregnant. I know nothing will happen today. Probably nothing tomorrow. Who knows after that? And as each day passes, I just move up my wait-and-see approach another two days. It's about all I can do, as I just can't grasp being like this for 5 more weeks. That is like forever! In fact, here's proof that it is forever:

for·ev·er
[fawr-ev-er]

–adverb
1. without ever ending; eternally: to last forever.
2. continually; incessantly; always: He's forever complaining.

–noun
3. an endless or seemingly endless period of time: It took them forever to make up their minds.

—Idiom
4. forever and a day, eternally; always: They pledged to love each other forever and a day.
5. the last five weeks of a woman’s pregnancy

Use forever in a Sentence:
The last five weeks of a woman’s pregnancy are without question “forever!”

See?! It's true. Ok so maybe I fudged a bit on that, but it might as well be. I guess I need to get myself a distraction. I've gotten so many things done so I would be ready for the big day, that now I don't have much left to do but obsess with my discomforts, which is just as well since I don't have the physical capacity to do anything anyways. So I just sit around and wonder...and wait...and wonder...

Meanwhile, so as to not bore everyone too much, I invite you to indulge in our latest tribulations here at the Orsetti household. No, it's not about the 30 minutes it takes Kestian to eat a small bowl of green beans at dinner. No, it's not about the screenings I have to do every time the kids "wash" their hands. This is about bedtime!

Oooo! Bedtime! Such a fun topic. We have always had such "fun" times with this aspect of the day. Anymore, though, we have a pretty set routine: potty, bath, brush teeth, stories, hug and kisses, bedtime. It's mostly the last part, the actual "bedtime," that continues to be a ... uh... challenge. You see, the kids like to talk to each other before they fall asleep. No one here has a problem with that. But this often goes on for a good hour or so. It also often includes team trips to the bathroom, to get a Kleenex, to get lip gloss, to get a drink of water, etc. Or it involves calls to Mommy or Papa to ask about important before-you-fall-asleep questions like: Why can't I ever see any bats? or Can we name the baby "Pickle?"

The other night was just one of those nights. Everyone was getting up. Everyone was calling for Mommy or Papa. I finally pulled out the big guns, and after one or two warnings, took away their sleeping toys. Of course this was met with protest, but of course I had to follow through. Laa-Laa, Big Pooh, and the Lorax were taken. No one was happy. A few minutes later, Damon heard footsteps upstairs and he went to investigate. He overheard the following:

"Kestian, we're going to keep George and not give it back until Mommy give us back our toys."

This was Adelaide whispering to Kestian, in a most devious voice to be sure. So Damon walked in and said "Where's George?" to the most shocked children evar.

Stunned, Adelaide finally spoke up, and with no loyalty whatesoever, immediately offered up her brother: "Kestian!" she said, who then produced the infamous George.

You may, by now, be wondering who or what is "George?" George is only my favorite teddy bear from back when I was a child. I still have him and he sits on our bed. I was trying to find a picture of him to show all of you, but Damon thought it best to use an artistic interpretation instead. Here is Damon's 60-second rendition, created in Paint:


Here's mine:

Yes. It is hard to draw with a mouse. It's also hard to draw. Sorry Mom. I think your talent skipped a generation.

Just in case you are still curious, here's what George probably looked like when he was new:


Now just add about 25 years of love and hugs to that....

So yes, we have little schemers in the house. We are actually quite proud. They came up with a plan. They executed it. They worked together. They also sold each other out at the first sign of trouble. Awesome!

Now, getting back to my not-so-quiet misery, since I need a distraction from this all-consuming belly, I have recently put my energy into Damon's work. I'm talking about March Madness, baby! Damon put together the bracket, I entered it to win! He's picked West VA to win it all. I'm good with that. GO... uh, what's their team's name? Oh! GO Mountaineers!

Walking the line

Just yesterday I was complaining, as I like to do, about STILL being pregnant.

Today I find myself paying way too much attention to contractions. (Just for the record, I am still pregnant, and not in active labor.)

But last night, as I laid perfectly still on the couch watching Johnny Cash's movie Walk the Line, I found that the nuisance contractions I'd been having were now... uh... different. Every 10 minutes or so, and my whole body just seemed to be on alert. Sweaty palm alert. Not wanting to sleep alert. And strangely, not even a hint of restless legs. Something just seemed "up".

I eventually mentioned this to Damon, and since we didn't know what to make of it, we did the most logical thing: laid in bed while Damon read to me H.P. Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu. Of course I only heard about every 6th word he said as I kept looking at the clock and pressing the "Start Contraction" "Stop Contraction" button on my phone. (Yeah...there's an app for that.)

After several hours and not much change, and maybe even a "slowing," I gave up and we went to sleep. I figured if anything was truly happening, I would know. Still, I fully planned to wake up from my water breaking and us scrambling to figure out what to do with the kids. (Have I packed a bag for myself? For the kids? No. I'm so not ready. Maybe I should do that tonight.)

Today the contractions are less frequent/regular, but they do feel stronger (probably because I'm paying more attention to them now) and now I feel the need to write down the time every time I have one (I'm averaging about every 20 minutes while sitting still; more often when I get up). Damon is on high alert, calling me every hour. He says I look "done." But no major change.

The nurse I talked to said that I don't need to come in unless it gets progressively more intense and more frequent. She also said "We don't want you to go into labor until at least the 19th" - and I know exactly what she meant too. I've been down the pre-term labor road before. Usually the options are 1) bed-rest or 2) going to the hospital (or both!). You all know what bed-rest means. Going in means: They try to stop your labor with magnesium sulfate or terbutaline. They give you steroids for the baby's lung development. They hook you to monitors. They don't let you eat. Ask me how I know!

Neither option is preferable.

And I'm wondering that should I go into pre-term labor, will there still be the chance to VBAC? Sometimes, though, I don't even care. I'm tired. I feel that I have lost sight of everything I have planned for and all I really care about is having a healthy baby.

So I'm sitting around, keeping busy at work, wondering what will happen. Wondering about this line I am walking. I want to stay pregnant as long as possible, but I keep hoping for this pregnancy to end. I don't want to do anything that can start more active labor, but life goes on and I need to care for the kids I already have. I want to have a healthy baby any which way I can, but I've done all this work to avoid a c-section.

At this point, only time will tell.

Just let me have this one thing

"Suck it up Laura. You're pregnant!"

Yes, that is what someone said to me recently as I was complaining, yet again, about STILL being pregnant. I laughed, because you know, she's right! I should be very grateful (and I am) that the baby hasn't come yet. We struggled so much with issues from the kids coming early that I would not care to have another preemie baby. But I have a deep understanding for all the women who find themselves wondering "what if" they were released from their torturous state and allowed to move on to the next phase - albeit a different torturous state! I will not entertain the idea of induction, but I can see why some women might. It is very tempting.

I know. It's all about keeping perspective. This is only temporary. It's a wonderful, blessed time. He'll come when he's ready. Blah blah blah. Pregnancy sucks at this stage. Sucks. I can't bend over. My back cracks every time I roll over (if I am able to roll over). There's the acid reflux. The unrelenting jimmy legs. The swelling. The fact that I am down to 2 pairs of pants that I can squeeze into and dammit I'm not going to buy some new clothes to wear for 5 weeks. Complain, complain, complain. You have to allow me that much. Being physically miserable all the time is no fun, and I need to share! I know it's temporary, but for me it is the here-and-now. And it's a long now. The least you can do is join me in my pity-party. Then you can go home in your glorious non-pregnant state and shake your head at me while you put your non-swollen legs into your perfect-fitting pants, touching your toes any time you want.

All I have to say is: thank god I'm not an elephant. How's that for perspective?

The numbers don't lie...but apparently Mommy does

Ahhh...the annual doctor's visit. With every birthday always comes the well-check. Honestly, we have not seen the kids' doctor in many many months. Looking at last years health insurance statements, the kids went to see the doctor hardly at all last year (Adelaide twice, Kestian five times). That's pretty damn good!

So in my prepping them to go to the doctor this time, their first (and only) question was "Will I have to get a shot?" of which I proudly told them "No. Not until you are 11 - except for your flu shot in the fall" to which they were relieved. This was just going to be a "Yup, they're healthy" visit. Plus I needed a form for their Kindergarten, but I knew we'd be in and out of there in no time.

Little did I know...

We got there to find a waiting room full of people. Nevertheless, we were taken back only after a few minutes. The kids were weighed and "heighted" (why don't we say this?) and we headed off to the exam room. After confirming that there would indeed be no shots, then fielding dozens of questions from the doc relating to development, and then asking even more questions of our own, we were given the green light. "Yup, everyone is healthy."

We got our forms, picked out stickers, and were headed out the door, when the nurse reminded the doctor "Do they need to go downstairs for a finger-prick?" The doc quickly agreed and had us go down. Down into the bowels of the clinic. Down to HELL!

Not realizing what we were in for, we happily headed down, and while we waited several minutes, we tried to prep the kids. You know what those finger pricks are like, don't you? They snap that needle thing on the end of your finger and squeeze the blood out. If you ever donate blood and get your blood tested for iron you know exactly what I am talking about. It freakin' HURTS! So we said to the kids "It will hurt, but just for a minute." "Is it like a shot?" "Well, not really, but it might hurt for just a second. Then they will take a few drops of blood..." By now the kids had stopped listening. To them, this was a "shot." Mommy lied. They were betrayed. Panic set in.

Soon we were called back. Adelaide was reluctant, but dutifully went in. Kestian...he feared for his life. Adelaide sat pleasantly on the chair, by herself, and got "pricked." Then she started to cry. She wanted it to be over, but the lady had to squeeze like a million drops out of her tiny little finger. I held her other hand as she weeped. I wanted to cry too. Soon enough it was over and she got two more stickers and a fancy band-aid. Little consolation.

Meanwhile, Kestian was watching all of this as he hid behind Damon. The door was shut, but that didn't stop him from trying to get the hell out of there. I don't blame him. But it was his turn and Damon held him as he got pricked. He kept saying "I don't like this!" and then turned white as a ghost saying his stomach hurt. We all thought he was going to hurl and then pass out. Eventually, after what seemed like an hour, the lady had gotten enough drops and it was all over. We sat him down and gave him some juice as he slowly regained some color. I know my kids hate shots and all, but this was the strongest reaction I have seen from either of them. A physical reaction. This does not bode well for future shots.

After being there forever, we finally left. I had to go back to get Kestian's stickers that he lost in the commotion, but then we were back in the car, and like any good mother and father after such a traumatic event, we dropped their little asses back off at school.

Cruel? I know. But actually not really. The school said they would save lunch for them, and I knew they'd get a nap after that. Had we gone home, the whole event would have seemed like a bigger deal than I wanted them to remember it as. Just get them back to their routine... ya know? And that's what happened. By the time we picked them up at the end of the day, their band-aids were gone, their stickers had been shared with friends, and they reported having a great afternoon. Of course it was a great afternoon. Anything would be better than the "finger shot".

---

As many of you know, I love data. If I didn't marry Damon I would marry data. Ok. It's not totally like that, but I do enjoy looking at numbers and information and seeing what it all means. Here's the latest in regards to the kids' height and weight:

Adelaide:
35.6 pounds - 20th percentile
3' 5.75" - 34th percentile
She gained 4 pounds and grew 3 1/4 inches this year.

Kestian:
36.4 pounds - 18th percentile
3' 6.5" - 39th percentile
He gained 3 1/2 pounds and grew 3 inches this year.

You can see by the percentiles that the kids are skinny for their height. Always have been. Even though they are now 5, I am just getting them to fit into 4t clothes (except for pants...4T is great in the waist, but not in length...). You can see their entire height/weight history here. Their numbers, as far as what percentiles they are in, vary all over the place, but you can see overall that they are "catching up" - whatever that means. I mean, someone has to be the small/short kid. But having started out in the less-than-3rd percentile and to now be more consistently in the 20th or 30th percentile shows they have come a long way. With Junior on the way, and already guaranteed to weigh more at birth than either Kestian or Adelaide, I wonder where he will fit in to all of this.

Where DID we mention that name?

For all you people who took what Laura said about us mentioning the name on a previous post as a call for clue searching, I have something to say. End your search! Nope, it wasn’t ever actually mentioned (sorry, heehee). The idea was that Laura would make a little funny offhand comment and people would think “where did she mention that?” and go back through the old post, but we didn’t ever actually say it. Or did we?!!?!?!! (No, we did not.)

Good job to those who searched around and came up with creative guesses like Maxwell (I’d never thought to be clever like that, but no that isn’t it) or Gollum (which my mom asked me about, apparently having never seen or read Lord of the Rings before). Obviously there wasn’t any mention of the name or clues, but at least you got to go back and relive all those wonderful blog posts that we wrote. Strolling down memory lane is your reward! So anyway, you guys will just have to wait until the kids is born (which will be relatively soon) until you see his name.

33 weeks

Hooray...33 weeks! Technically 33 weeks and 4 days, but who is counting? I tried to take another belly pic with the kids, but Kestian didn't want to be in the same picture as Adelaide...hence:

Yup, the belly it taking over. I have given up on giving the kids baths, it's getting harder and harder to put my shoes on, and trying to roll over at night is...well...very comical.

Such as it is, because while I can't wait for this pregnancy to be over, I'm glad the little guy is getting more time - after all, the kids were born at 33 weeks. Once I passed the 33-week mark, great relief settled in. I feel now that no matter when the baby comes now, it can only be better than when the kids came.

Anyway, a recent visit to the OB shows that all is well. The baby now measures 4 lbs, 13 oz and is developing well. Not much else to say really, other than we are still looking good for the VBAC, I've written my birth plan (which I'm sure no one will read), and my doula and Damon are all ready to get me the birth that I so hope for.

Here are the latest pics of the little guy:


In the top picture, (ignoring that he looks likes half his face is missing, which it isn't but the tech just didn't get the right angle) we can really see how he looks like Kestian in the nose/cheeks, but I think he has Adelaide's mouth/chin. I know you can't tell, but since I stare at pictures of them all day long, I can see it. It's there!

Dino discoveries

Kestian has been passionate about dinosaurs ever since his 3-year-old class at school did a unit on them. His interest in them never went away, and was only intensified when his 4-year-old class did the unit again this year. So, having heard on NPR that a nearby town was having an exhibit, we went to check it out. Forty-five minutes and one dinosaur CD later we found ourselves at the Danville Community Arts Center, where we were immediately immersed in all things dino. Little did I know that I would learn a lot about dinosaurs, but even more about my children.

We saw some great fossil replicas...

Damon, who also knows a ton about dinosaurs, showed the kids all the fun things about those wacky beasts...

The kids traced and colored dinosaur pictures...

Went on a dinosaur dig...

And put "skin" on a T. Rex...

They also got to make some cool dinosaur masks and see all kinds of minerals. It was a very nice exhibit and I'm glad we got to take the kids there.

Now, we went mostly because of Kestian's obsession, but that's not to say that Adelaide isn't into dinosaurs. It's just that Kestian is just over-the-top crazy about dinosaurs. He can name probably 30 dinosaurs on sight and can sometimes tell you if it lived in the Cretaceous, Jurassic, or Triassic period, whether it was a herbivore or carnivore, and why it might have a long neck or have its head low to the ground. I'm telling you, what this boy picks up and carries with him is amazing! This boy eats, sleeps, and breathes dinosaurs. He keeps saying how he wants to have a Brachiosaurus, and although he knows that he can't have one, he says that if he could only just find a wishing star then he could get one. Judging by his level of interest and passion for learning about these animals, we may just have a future paleontologist on our hands.

Now, all this talk about Kestian's interest in dinosaurs is not to ignore anything about Adelaide. As I said before, Adelaide likes dinosaurs, but she's not obsessed. She said she had a really good time at the exhibit and would also like some of her own dinosaur toys (which we are happy to oblige!). I don't want anyone (especially her) to think that we are just catering to Kestian's interests, but she hasn't really expressed a strong interest in anything that we can enable. She's into art, into Barbies, into princesses, but not in any life-absorbing way that we can take her to something to learn more about it. We have an area in our house devoted solely to arts and crafts and coloring, and she has her own paper, markers, scissors, tape, glue, etc, but she's not obsessed with it. And it's not like there's so much to learn about Barbies or princesses. As soon as we find something that she really wants to get involved in, we'll be right on it.

But after thinking about all this for a while, trying to neutralize my guilt of seemingly doing more for one child than the other, I realized something - something that probably all 3 of you readers have already noticed: Kestian is sooo like Damon, and Adelaide is sooo like me. Kestian, like Damon, can get so engrossed in something that he enjoys that it's all he can do to learn more and more about it. Adelaide, like me, tends to enjoy many things on a less intense level and not really focus on any one thing. The boys are obsessives, we girls are generalists. I'm finally just realizing this about them, and realizing that Kestian's passion makes it easier for us to direct him towards his interests, while Adelaide's more global approach just shows me that we don't have to drive her one way or another. She's happy to learn about everything. And if Kestian ever loses interest in dinosaurs, or Adelaide ever becomes so involved in soccer or dancing or planting flowers, we can just merrily go along with it. After all, Damon and I are just here to help.

Avete cinque anni

My dear, sweet, now five year old children, oh how you’ve grown so much. I can remember the day you were born as easily as your mother can and the first time either of you really opened your eyes and got to look around you thinking “what the hell is all of this?” I remember you guys being SOOOOO small, and that winter we’d dress you in little nightgown type things that were longer than you were (you didn’t walk or crawl, so it didn’t matter). I STILL think about how adorable you guys were in those, and thinking about it breaks my heart in both a strangely happy yet melancholy sort of way.

I’m amazed at how much you are people now, and wow how much do you guys talk! The level of speech sophistication is just amazing to watch develop, but you guys need to remember that, since you just had your birthday, if I tell you to do something and you say ‘no, I only do what I want to do’, then you’ll be in timeout for a full five minutes now. That goes into effect immediately.

Happy 5th Birthday

Today is the kids' fifth birthday.

Let's say that again: Today is the kids' fifth birthday! Let's just reflect on that a moment...


I'm in amazement of this fact. How can this be? I remember their birth like it was yesterday. The crazy chain of events that brought them into this world. How I was pregnant one day, in the hospital the next, and then not pregnant the day after. How it was way too soon, but at the same time it was "time." It was an emotional time in so many ways.

But now they are five. Five. They will start kindergarten this year. They are learning to read. They are almost "people."

When I woke them up this morning, and was feeling sorry for myself, I told them that my babies were growing up and how soon they will leave me to go to college. I was immediately rebuffed with "We're NOT babies!" but was informed by Adelaide that she would "come back." I felt some relief.

It's just funny, this whole "aging" thing. While they were younger I was always wishing for when they would be older and could do this or that. But every time we get to a birthday, a little bit of me dies. I miss their younger days. I don't want them to grow up. To leave me. I want them to be successful adults in this world, but still the cute little adorable babies they once were. It's a hard thing to describe. Even harder to accept.

But, for now, I know that I need to enjoy them, celebrate them, love them as they are. Sometimes, I think, this is the hardest part of being a parent.

Survey says...

Thanks to all who participated in the Official Baby Boy Orsetti pool. The poll is now closed. We had a whopping 11 respondents fill out the survey, but I know that is because most of you are just too confident in your ability to predict the outcome of this birth and are being nice enough to let others have a chance. So nice of you!

Anyway, here are the results...

1. What day/time will the baby be born? (9 responses)

1st Guess	2nd Guess
04/22/2010 12:04 AM
02/27/2010 3:36 PM	02/27/2010 2:35 PM
04/12/2010 10:15 AM	04/10/2010 10:15 AM
04/14/2010 4:12 AM
04/01/2010 12:12 AM
04/26/2010 3:27 AM	04/28/2010 11:57 PM
04/15/2010 7:13 PM	04/19/2010 3:24 AM
04/11/2010 1:37 PM	04/05/2010 1:37 PM
03/28/2010 3:20 AM	04/01/2010 7:56 PM

If you will all recall, my "due date" is April 23rd. I don't think the person who guessed Feb 27th remembered that, or they were thinking we would have a very premature kid. Judging by the rest of the guesses, just about everyone thinks the baby will be early. I'm going to go along with that.
MY PREDICTION: April 15th at 2:44AM.

2. How much will the baby weigh? (10 responses)

8 lbs 9 oz	6 lbs 7 oz	8 lbs 2 oz	7 lbs 12 oz	10 lbs 5 oz
8 lbs 7 oz	8 lbs 8 oz	8 lbs 10 oz	7 lbs 8 oz	7 lbs 12 oz

Whoa! 10 lbs? Let's hope for my sake (considering I want a natural delivery) that he's not that big. My goodness! Everyone else seems to think he'll be about 8 pounds. Yeah, sounds good!
MY PREDICTION: 8 lbs 2 oz.

3. How long will the baby be (inches)? (10 responses)

23 inches	20 inches	20 inches	32 inches	28 inches
21 inches	17 inches	7 inches	22 inches	21 inches

This is the most interesting response set of all. 32 inches? You do know that's almost 3 feet? Have you ever seen a 3 foot baby? And 7 inches? Get out your ruler everyone... That's shorter than a piece of paper is wide! I could just put him in my pocket! (Really, how cute would that be??)
MY PREDICTION: 19.5 inches.

4. Will the baby be born with hair? (11 responses)

Most everyone thinks the baby will have a full head of hair. I'd have to agree.
MY PREDICTION: Not only will he have a full head of hair, but it will be dark.

5. Who will the baby look like? (11 responses)


Oooooo! A tie between dark hair/light complexion and light hair/dark complexion!
MY PREDICTION: I'm going with a Harry Potter impersonator. I think he'll look like Kestian, but have the dark hair.

6. What will we name the baby? (10 responses)
Harry
Maximillian
Alexandre James
Zeke
Junior
Ha! Like ANYONE could guess this!
i can't tell you -- it's a secret
Alexander Spartacus
Damon Mathew Orsetti II
Damon Jr.

OK, no fancy chart for this one, but interesting responses. Several "juniors" in there, but no one guessed the name we chose. Haven't you been reading our blog? I'm sure it's in there...you just need to go back and read it more carefully. Tsk...tsk...tsk...

7. What will you think of the name we choose for the baby? (11 responses)

Hehe, I guess some of you think we have chosen some weird names so far and predict yet another oddity. I can guarantee you, it won't be anything like "Seven" but it will be a very uncommon name. That's all I'm allowed to say! But you know that already, right?


Thanks everyone for taking our poll. Obviously, we cannot announce the correct results or the winner at this time. But in the game of life everyone is a winner, right?

Updates...get your updates...!

As I seem to be nesting, or what I like to think of as "keeping up with life," I have yet again updated the Orsetti.com site and the pics on Shutterfly. Feel free to oooh and ahhhh.

But the big news is that I put the family tree up on the web at http://mccaugheyorsetti.tribalpages.com. Family members will need an access code to look at the guts of it all but if you enjoy all that dorky family tree stuff, I know you'll be drooling over it. I am.