A Watched Uterus Does Not Contract

I must have a five-star uterus. If AAA visited my uterus, they would surely take a look around and award me their AAA Five Diamond Award. If the fictitious hotel association from Ocean's Thirteen spent a night in my womb, I would have a diamond necklace dangling from my belly. What is Zagat's symbol of excellence? I'd have that, too.

Okay, so I'm still 11 days ahead of my due date, but I'm two days past the original due date I fixated on for the majority of the pregnancy, and once you have that first date in your mind, it's hard to get it out. It doesn't help my mind to know that altitude babies are often born early...three of my friends here delivered their babies an average of two weeks early. Of course I'm the one that will go past her due date.

I'm taking more walks than I typically do, hoping to 'walk the baby out'. I've considered taking some Castor oil on the sly, until I remember the particular look my OB gives me over his half-glasses when I mention such things. I've heard some women go into labor after having eggplant parmesan at a particular restaurant in the northeast - maybe I should email them for the recipe.

If anyone knows of any other labor-inducing tricks, I'm all ears. I just won't tell my OB about them...

Lynda

The Rundown

This Easter was very different from the Texas Easters of my youth. Our Spring colors were covered by layers of coats and we fought blizzard-like conditions to the car after the service. We were able to get in a family picture between flurries. My little boy looked like such a big boy in his Easter best.

Levi loves being outside. It's really amazing the difference that it makes in a day whenever we're able to spend just 15 minutes outside. For his part, it's never too cold to be outside since he has a snow suit to wear. It's cumbersome, though - we had a 'Christmas Story' moment last week when he fell and was stranded like a turtle on his back.

I don't love the cold, but I do love being outside with him.

Levi was awfully smiley when I went to get him up from a nap last week...

Then I saw this...of course he was smiley. He figured out how to remove his diaper and run free.



He may be 17 months old now, but my baby still likes to snuggle up like the little frog baby I brought home.


I am now somewhere between 35 and and 37 weeks along with Wren. Her last sonogram cast doubt on the original due date of April 22nd, so I don't really know when to expect her. It's a little harder waiting when you have two due dates to consider. Especially when you thought you were having an April baby all along. Her adjusted due date is May 5th. Happy Cinco de Mayo, baby. This picture was taken a few days ago. I may not be giant, but most days I feel like I am.


And here's a bonus picture. Some friends sent us this OSU jersey/onesie. I thought he was so cute running around with his skinny legs that I never did put pants on him that day. That's the beauty of living in the boonies. I can do what I want. Seriously though, don't you just want to bite his little legs? Maybe it's a mom thing...

Lynda

Dear Friends and Family

I am a blogging idiot. I have had several blogging misfires over the last few days, including two premature posts that I've since removed. I would love to blame it all on my laptop, or mom-brain, or something else that would make me feel like less of a blogging idiot, but I can't. Bear with me. I'll get it right soon.

Lynda

Three Years

Today is our third wedding anniversary, and I really can't believe how much has happened since the day we married. We started our life together hoping to one day work alongside each other and start a family of our own. I'm amazed how quickly God granted each of those dreams; by the end of May we'll mark two years at the ranch and welcome our second baby. God is faithful! I'm glad that our dreams were according to His will. I can't wait to see what He'll accomplish in another three.

Happy anniversary, Rob!

Lynda

Stephanie and Clint

I returned my best friend Stephanie and her baby boy Clint to the airport today, after nearly a week of fun and catching up. I've been hoping she could visit us here sometime, but circumstances over the last couple of years conspired to delay that trip until now.


Stephanie and Clint were greeted in Colorado by beautiful mountains, snow, wildlife, and cold germs (sorry about that!). It was great to hear what is going on in their lives, and show her what ours is like here. It was also good to watch our two sons play together. We made hopeful plans for another visit, next time to include Craig, her husband. One of the great benefits and joys of living here is sharing it with family and friends that feel like family.


I already miss you, Steph. Thanks for coming to see us.


Love,


Lynda

Cheese Grin

I suppose we have created a cheese-grinning monster. Sometime in the last two weeks, we noticed that any time a camera was produced, Levi smiled the most unnatural and ridiculous smile. When he smiles this way, he hardly looks like the little boy we know. We don't know where this smile came from, unless it's the result of us coaching him to smile for the camera in over-emphasized, plastic smiles. I guess it's our fault, and we're hoping it's reversible. In the mean time, it's just funny.





Here's hoping the days of authentic smiles are not far off!


Lynda

Big-Boy Levi

'Big-Boy Levi', as we like to call him, used a spoon to feed himself several bites of oatmeal this morning. Daddy 'loaded' the spoon for him, but Levi put it in the right place all by himself. He'll be fifteen months old on Saturday. We've been holding off on teaching him to use eating utensils, since our pediatrician told us it's a 15-18 month skill. No use trying too early, I thought, and cleaning more than the usual amount of food out of Levi's hair and off the floor. We celebrated his first self-guided bites with lots of praise and applause. As Rob said, "The little boy is a big boy!"

Levi is having a lot of fun these days. He plays independently for much of the day, keeping himself busy in his room, the living room, and the kitchen pantry. We've 'Levi-proofed' the pantry, putting indestructible things on the lower shelves, turning containers with handles backwards so that they're handle-side in, and 'hiding' his snacks on an upper shelf where he can't see them. His stomach is bottomless when it comes to snacks.

We think we may be raising a conductor. Without any example to follow, he started waving his arms around like a conductor whenever he turns on any of his musical toys. His waves his arms vigorously and smiles, expecting you to follow along. We're all conductors in the Luttrull house.

We're trying to teach him the sign for 'please', but he's not fond of performing the sign until he gets what he wants. It usually goes like this:

Levi: "Tup!"
Us: "You want your cup? Can you say please?"
Levi: blank stare
Us: "Say 'please', Levi."
Levi: avoids our gaze, pretends to be interested in something else
Us: take Levi's hand, make sign for him as he fights, then give him his cup
Levi: makes 'please' sign as he drinks.

He also loves throwing balls and chasing after them (now there's a good boy). Unfortunately, he likes throwing them in the living room, where they roll under the couch. I didn't mind going after then before my belly got in the way, but Levi has to wait for Daddy to come home now to get the balls back.

Lynda

PS- Thanks to all who have offered to send us their Levi photos. Rob found a jump drive yesterday with almost all the photos taken in his first five months. I evidently backed up everything from Nov. '08 to March '09. I'm glad that not all is lost.