Monday, June 20, 2011
Weird
A pic of Avery in her end-of-year preschool program ended up on the last post in place of the pic of her feeding Kai. I cannot figure out how to delete that one and replace it with this one, so enjoy the extra pic below (she's the little blonde one closest to the camera).
Our Beautiful Children
A few pix from the last couple of days. Kai had a bit of jaundice so they told us to put him on a strict regimen of lying on the beach sipping drinks with a topless woman (i.e., put him in indirect sunlight, nurse him every 2 hours and supplement with formula). Here are some pix of his sisters feeding him and him sitting in the sun. Also a really cute pic of Avery spraying Iain with the waterhose while they were washing the car, and me with our 3 beautiful kids this morning.
Sassy Avery
So our soon-to-be 3-year old Avery has gotten a bit sassy in her old age. In the last couple of days, here are a couple of exchanges I've had with her:
Scenario 1:
[Avery is sitting at the table eating breakfast]
Me: Avery, what flavor yogurt would you like?
Avery: [Silence]
Me: Avery, I asked you a question and I need you to answer me. What flavor yogurt would you like?
Avery: [Silence]
Me: Avery, I'm going to ask you one more time. What flavor yogurt would you like?
Avery: [Puts a grape in her mouth, but no reply]
Me: Avery, go to the corner.
Avery: Mommy, it's not good manners to talk with food in your mouth. I can't answer because I'm eating a grape.
Scenario 2:
Me: Avery, please put your toys away.
Avery: [False, loud laughter, but no movement to put her toys away]
Me: Avery, I asked you to put your toys away.
Avery: Mommy, it's not bad manners to laugh.
Scenario 1:
[Avery is sitting at the table eating breakfast]
Me: Avery, what flavor yogurt would you like?
Avery: [Silence]
Me: Avery, I asked you a question and I need you to answer me. What flavor yogurt would you like?
Avery: [Silence]
Me: Avery, I'm going to ask you one more time. What flavor yogurt would you like?
Avery: [Puts a grape in her mouth, but no reply]
Me: Avery, go to the corner.
Avery: Mommy, it's not good manners to talk with food in your mouth. I can't answer because I'm eating a grape.
Scenario 2:
Me: Avery, please put your toys away.
Avery: [False, loud laughter, but no movement to put her toys away]
Me: Avery, I asked you to put your toys away.
Avery: Mommy, it's not bad manners to laugh.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Kai Larry McConnell
We finally picked a name! =) Yes, we know he will likely endure a lifetime of having to repeat his name, spell his name, and pronounce his name multiple times, but we hope he likes it. Larry is both my dad's name and Iain's dad's name, and we hope he inherits the sense of humor both of them possess. I certainly wish my dad were here to meet him ... they would adore each other.
Kai went for his 2-day check-up today. He has lost 7 ounces, but is a healthy little guy and is a really great sleeper when someone is holding him (so you might guess how my night was last night). =)
Here are a few more pictures from the last couple of days, including getting strapped into his carseat for the ride home from the hospital.
Kai went for his 2-day check-up today. He has lost 7 ounces, but is a healthy little guy and is a really great sleeper when someone is holding him (so you might guess how my night was last night). =)
Here are a few more pictures from the last couple of days, including getting strapped into his carseat for the ride home from the hospital.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Welcome to Our Son!
Our handsome son arrived this morning at 11:01am, 7lb 5 oz and 20 1/4 inches long. He is beautiful and perfect in every way!
We were actually scheduled for an induction this morning at 7am, so we arrived at the hospital last night to check in. I was a little nervous about whether we were inducing too soon, but in God's beautiful timing, my water broke about 4am this morning on its own. Had we still been at home last night, by the time we got to the hospital and checked in, it is very likely that they would have started me on the Pitocin at exactly the same time it was started by already being at the hospital. All of my fears were gone! He was born 4 hours later, and we are again utterly amazed at the miracle of life.
He doesn't yet have a name, but hopefully will by tomorrow's post. =)
Iain's parents, my mom, Audrey and Avery came to the hospital for a couple of hours this afternoon to meet him. Here are a few.
We were actually scheduled for an induction this morning at 7am, so we arrived at the hospital last night to check in. I was a little nervous about whether we were inducing too soon, but in God's beautiful timing, my water broke about 4am this morning on its own. Had we still been at home last night, by the time we got to the hospital and checked in, it is very likely that they would have started me on the Pitocin at exactly the same time it was started by already being at the hospital. All of my fears were gone! He was born 4 hours later, and we are again utterly amazed at the miracle of life.
He doesn't yet have a name, but hopefully will by tomorrow's post. =)
Iain's parents, my mom, Audrey and Avery came to the hospital for a couple of hours this afternoon to meet him. Here are a few.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Iain's Graduation from Johns Hopkins SAIS
I graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Affairs (SAIS) today! My mom, dad, sister, Aunt Siz, and Uncle Ralph came to celebrate. You can see the entire ceremony at http://www.sais-jhu.edu/graduation/index.htm. (I recognize that only true die-hard fans of me and graduations in general will likely be interested in the whole video...)
For a more managable clip of me walking across the stage, just check out the video my mom shot from her seat. The loud screaming is definitely Allison, who is glad to finally be finished editing my papers! She should get an honorary degree from this university too, owing to the amount of work she did to support me!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Chipmunks and Areo's
On our way home from Williamsburg yesterday, we stopped first at a Civil War battlefield (with a great field of yellow flowers) and then at a park on an island near downtown Richmond. We had to walk across a crazy-high suspension bridge across a white-water river, and then had a nice walk to have a lunch on some rocks right on the river. Both of the girls had a great time wading in the shallow part of the river and Audrey really surprised all of us by jumping up onto the rocks and then climbing all over them (don't worry ... the dry ones, not the slippery ones). She had so much fun that we even got to end the hike with a meltdown about not wanting to leave. =)
This morning started with Rufus bringing a chipmunk in through his cat door while Audrey & I were eating breakfast. He gave me a low guttural meow to let me know he had found something and then brought it over to show me. In the 4 seconds he had it out of his mouth, the chipmunk ran under the piano. Of course, Iain was out for a jog, so Audrey and I just watched the piano until he came home. After he got home, he and Audrey shoo'ed the chipmunk out from behind the piano and then chased it into the kitchen, through the dining room, into the basement, and back up again. Audrey was having a fabulous time and I could hear her gleefully yelling, "there he goes!". Iain finally trapped him into a corner where Rufus could get him back (as Iain puts it, "it was as easy as buying a hot dog from a vending maching"), but instead, Rufus slowly walked up to the chipmunk and the chipmunk jumped over Rufus and vanished again. The next time Iain cornered him, he just put him outside (no more chances for Rufus). We don't think he's hurt too badly, considering how fast he was scurrying around our house, but we do hope we don't see him back inside!
Separately, Audrey has been asking me for several weeks now if we can buy some Oreos for her to take to lunch at school (apparently one of the boys in her class brings them every day and she thinks she wants one, even though she's never had one). So today, I bought some at the grocery store and told them they could have one after supper. Avery, who has never heard of them nor seen one, kept asking if it was time to eat the "Areos" or the "Ear-ee-os" but never the Oreos. It was so cute.
This morning started with Rufus bringing a chipmunk in through his cat door while Audrey & I were eating breakfast. He gave me a low guttural meow to let me know he had found something and then brought it over to show me. In the 4 seconds he had it out of his mouth, the chipmunk ran under the piano. Of course, Iain was out for a jog, so Audrey and I just watched the piano until he came home. After he got home, he and Audrey shoo'ed the chipmunk out from behind the piano and then chased it into the kitchen, through the dining room, into the basement, and back up again. Audrey was having a fabulous time and I could hear her gleefully yelling, "there he goes!". Iain finally trapped him into a corner where Rufus could get him back (as Iain puts it, "it was as easy as buying a hot dog from a vending maching"), but instead, Rufus slowly walked up to the chipmunk and the chipmunk jumped over Rufus and vanished again. The next time Iain cornered him, he just put him outside (no more chances for Rufus). We don't think he's hurt too badly, considering how fast he was scurrying around our house, but we do hope we don't see him back inside!
Separately, Audrey has been asking me for several weeks now if we can buy some Oreos for her to take to lunch at school (apparently one of the boys in her class brings them every day and she thinks she wants one, even though she's never had one). So today, I bought some at the grocery store and told them they could have one after supper. Avery, who has never heard of them nor seen one, kept asking if it was time to eat the "Areos" or the "Ear-ee-os" but never the Oreos. It was so cute.
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