Cha-kick

Wednesday is the day we usually shop for groceries at Henry's. As we made our list for the most recent trip, Natalie went to the kitchen, pointed and said, "Cha-kick." I've learned this word for chocolate often means anything that comes out of the freezer. I said, "What chocolate?" It would have been impossible for her to have learned of the chocolate Mochi Nate just bought. So, she repeats herself, and much slower so that Mama can catch up. "Chaaa-kiiiick." "Sweetie, there's no chocolate." Probably a blatant lie. Natalie proceeds to walk over to me, point at my lap where our growing list is, and says, again, "Cha-kick." I gave a look to Nate, who mirrored my "Is this for real?" eyes. So, I wrote down 'chocolate' on our list. Natalie reaches for the pen, so I showed her the list and I asked her if what I wrote was correct. She tapped 'chocolate' a couple of times with the pen, and seemed to be satisfied.

Familymoon

For our honeymoon, Nate and I went to the west coast of British Columbia. It seemed to usher in a time of hibernation that following winter where we spent a lot of time learning how to start being married, and we loved it. Before Natalie was born (the weekend of her due date, in fact) Nate and I traveled through a snow storm to the quaint little town of Stokholm, WI, where we spent the day browsing stores, sang carols with a Santa that had trouble staying warm, and stayed at a lovely bed and breakfast during the town's Christmas celebration weekend (a Babymooon, as it were). Natalie's birth rang in the Christmas season and we once again settled in for a long, winter's hiding as we learned about being a family. Boy, did we need it.
The time between Nate returning from Bolivia and the still-pending birth of our newest baby didn't seem promising for any such get-away, especially one involving a toddler. But, we have been pleasantly surprised and quick to embrace opportunities close to home that have kept the three of us enjoyably busy and together. Many of our daily activities involve errands for things we feel will help the baby feel at home, help Natalie feel included, and that will help Mama get through labor and post partum recovery. (I think Nate prides himself on just needing a change of underwear and a toothbrush for the hospital stay; these are things he, of course, already has.) We have also taken advantage of free passes to the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, took a morning at the beach, and celebrated Ethan's birthday in L.A. (which included babysitting so both Nate and I could go to a show with Ethan, Erin and Ian). We are all getting a lot of rest, love strolling to the park here at Mesa where Mama and Papa get to visit as much as Natalie does, and we enjoy time in our apartment watching Natalie T.V. In the evenings Nate and I have re-discovered a few luxuries that come with extra time and a spirit of celebration, including (but not limited to) eating Chinese take-out while watching a favorite show online, reading aloud to each other (Bill Bryson is often a good choice for this), or just finishing up baby-prep tasks that are more difficult to do with a curious little girl around to help. Nate even made it to join Ethan for Quiz Night at Shakespeare's (Ethan's favorite state-side pub).
All these things have brought more growth and bonding to our 3-person family on the eve of this new baby's birth. We've learned again and again that these changes don't mean the other things disappear forever. The are simply made better for it.

Day to Day

When I met Ethan at the airport to await Nate's arrival from Bolivia, I couldn't fathom the fact of having made it 3 weeks without him. When he descended the staircase with his hat, sweatshirt and jeans, and charango sticking out of his backpack I felt not only relief but immense nostalgia. Here he was after having visited Bolivia, where we lived for three years, having walked the same paths we trekked together and supped with our old friends in the places we called home. It was comforting to have him home, and I was anxious to hear the stories.
We took about a week to heal from colds, rest up from separation anxiety and get used to each other again before Nate needed to begin a part-time summer job that a CILAS associate helped him secure before his departure. It didn't take long for anybody. We were most preoccupied with the adjustment Natalie would have to make, but she remembered Papa immediately and their special connection was soon alive with all its affection and intimacy and without a hint of affectation on her part. ¡Qué milagro!
I'm in my 39th week of pregnancy, meaning there is officially one week left before the doctors start pressuring you with all the ways to induce labor. As of today's appointment, not much is indicating imminent labor, but things are starting to change. There are a few observable changes in our apartment that a new baby will arrive soon, but the changes mostly have to do with the pre- and post-natal care of Mama. We'll initially have the baby sleep in our room, with plans to eventually have him in where Natalie sleeps. I guess that comes when we are either sick of sharing our room or feel life isn't wild enough and want to step it up a notch. It could be awhile.
In the meantime, as I move slower and with more effort, Nate is balancing Natalie cares with household and job-related duties. I don't know how he would answer, but most people, when they ask me how I feel, assume my answer will be, "I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore!" In fact, most answer their own question. But for me, though there are times when I grow weary of pregnancy-related body changes, the end of this time doesn't simply mean "not being pregnant" any more. It means the advent of many life changes that are more difficult to handle: less sleep, a change in our family's demographic, a revisiting of all those first-year worries and simply the fact of learning to be a new kind of parent. The spike of a learning curve during crisis is only appreciated in retrospect. That time seems distant on the horizon. So it is with mixed emotions we move forward to this new phase of life. It is also with much anticipation and growing excitement that we look forward to meeting this little guy, guessing where all his features came from, and discovering his personality. We feel confident that Natalie knows there is some being about to be presented to her, that she will do outstanding as an older sister, and that one more Weaver Olson will only make this world a better place.