Ready for fall - and our new addition

Swimming in Lake Pinneo in Quechee


Charlie and Morgan jumping off the starting block at the pool in Vermont


What a great summer! We really enjoyed every bit of it, going to the beach in Duxbury a lot and enjoying a vacation in Quechee, Vermont, which is where the videos above are from. We swam in Lake Pinneo and at the swimming pool and explored Dartmouth's campus and Woodstock. We had lots of visitors (Randi, Dom, Andrew, Grampy, Sam, Jason, Michelle, Morgan, Hailey and Grammy). It was very relaxing. Charlie is a fish. He loves jumping in and going under water and he is definitely ready for swim lessons next year.

Charlie has advanced a lot in his playing, using his imagination and keeping himself busy playing independently more (woohoo!). He fell in love with the movies Cars and Toy Story and now thinks he is Buzz Lightyear most of the time and spends time reenacting any one of the three movies. (He can quote pretty big chunks which promoted us to limit how much time he spends watching them.) When Aunt Edie came to visit he even went to the movie theater for the first time and saw Toy Story 3 (and sat and watched the whole thing!). As we have entered football season, he spends a fair amount of time running around the playroom with his helmet on playing football. The other night when I asked him to come to dinner he informed me that he couldn't because "his team needs him." His love for sports extends to pretty much anything - he loves to play soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball - you name it. (Of course I'm hoping the hockey and basketball die out but I'm realizing that I probably won't get to pick.)

He is starting to think and argue with some logic which is fun and interesting to watch. Although he has been potty trained since April, he recently had a few weeks marked by accidents and I was convinced that they were really him choosing not to stop playing to go potty so I told him if he went all day without an accident, he could have a Toy Story sticker. So when I pick him up one day, Randi tells me he did have an accident so no sticker. On the way home he proceeds to tell me he didn't really wet his pants, it was the water from the water table. I told him Randi smelled it and it definitely wasn't. Then he asks me if I heard what a good boy he was and how he used his listening ears, took turns, shared and didn't hit or push his friends? He suggested that maybe those were good reasons to get the sticker after all. Have to admit I was impressed at how he was trying to work the situation (but I still didn't give him the sticker).

We are all getting ready for the arrival of another baby boy Roberts. Still no name. I will be so relieved when there is a birth certificate and something to call this kid. I keep saying I hope he pops out with a name tag on. Charlie is excited although unsure what to expect and already wants to play with all of the things we have dragged out of storage. I'll be surprised if he doesn't end up in the bassinet before it is all said and done (which will surely be the end of the bassinet). Charlie tells me he is going to help his baby brother learn to swim, and he's going to carry him in from the hospital and he's going to change his sheets if he wets through his pull ups at night. I'm a little nervous about the swimming but these all seem like nice gestures to me. The baby dropped about a week ago, very early at 32 1/2 weeks, which has alleviated some of the discomfort and created some new. I was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes a few weeks ago so I've been on a modified diet and testing my blood every day. All in all, it is a minor condition that is manageable and not dangerous for the baby when it is managed so that is a relief. And it is temporary, but I have to say for someone with a sweet tooth like me and a love for breakfast cereal in the morning, it has been a bit miserable. I've already given Matt a list of food to have on hand after the baby is born :) And my doctor said he would induce me after the 37th week and by my due date at the latest so we are looking at 6 1/2 weeks at most before I get my hands on some Cheerios!