Can't Help It, The Girl Can't Help It

I was finally able to catch Elsa doing one of her favorite activities (besides jumping). She often goes off alone and when I find her, this is what she is doing. Reading. 

Reading is something we do often, especially with Nyah. We read to Elsa, introducing her to the wonderful activity but by no means do we push her. Looking at books is something all her own and I couldn't be more proud. She just can't help herself, can't get enough and its awesome. I guess she is trying to figure out what all the hype is about. 


There is no secretly if Elsa has been in the room because books litter the floor. George and I have to do a mass book clean up a couple times a day so we have room to walk. Will she be our scholar? Probably, but if not she will no doubt have a madly successful career as a stunt devil.

Here's One for the Good Guys

No need to ring the alarm. Crisis adverted. My dinosaur camera is home, found all the way on the other side of the island. Steps were retraced and I was able to recall the last place I used my camera (can't believe I could actually remember). 


The girls and I had spent the better part of Sunday moseying the grounds of Estate Whim Plantation Museum, gawking at the local art, indulging in Starving Artist Day. If you have never been, its great. St. Croix is blessed with some amazing artist and jewelers. I was mostly into the fabrics this year. 

The girls really enjoyed the smoothies and entertainment. 

Guess who just had to dance?

Our little artist even got the chance to work her magic.

So on a chance, I called the folks at the museum to see if a kind soul had turned in a camera dropped by a fuzzy minded pregnant woman, and sure enough, they had it. George raced over to pick it up and it feels so nice to have her back. Lets see how many more years I can make this camera last.

I am so thankful for kind people who inevitably always renew my faith in humanity. I needed a little reminder after my rough run in with the rude, forward, down right mean crack head yesterday who was trying to beg money from me, the obviously pregnant momma, as I was attempting to buy food for my two children. Ha dude, nice people win...again.

Lost & Hopefully Found

I am an all out panic. I have lost yet another precious item, I know, I know. I suck. The victim this go around, my camera. My old, out dated camera. My friend. Maybe this is the world trying to persuade me to get a nice, of this decade camera so I can capture better shots to post on here. A camera which would allow me to control little minor things so many people who take pictures control regularly like shutter speed and aperture. I am not ready for an upgrade though, I just want my dinosaur back.


I will admit, I have issues and am prone to stupid mistakes, mostly involving my cell phone, but my camera? Why? I had some great shots on there, great memories. The pregnancy brain thing is really driving me crazy. Is it true? I believe so, my forgetfulness seems personified these past few months. Lost stethoscope, forgotten grocery items, daily hunt for keys, getting in the wrong car, and the list goes on.


I have put Nyah in Elsa's car seat and vice versa at the store and many other places more times than I care to admit. Seriously, its embarrassing. The look they give me when one is on the other's respected side of the car is priceless, not to mention one car seat is HUGE and the other is small. The sad part is, I will go through the full buckling process before I do a double take at one of them knowing something doesn't look right. Nyah gets such kick out of this. She just sits there watching me go through the whole process with a smile waiting for that moment when I realize, I have done it again. She then giggles for hours and reminds me repeatedly what I did. Crazy Mom. 


Our house isn't big, at all, so one has to be quite skillful to loose things in here at the rate I do. The thing that frightens me most is Elsa is really into throwing things away these days. We have found some odd things in the garbage. George just shakes his head. He is that guy who puts everything in the same place over and over and over again for years and years and rarely looses things. He's the guy who gets under my skin when I loose yet another item, because he doesn't. 


Sad still to have such a long time companion gone. The one who captured my early St. Croix days, my pregnancy with Nyah, her birth, Elsa's birth, our wedding, family, and now up to the last trimester of my pregnancy with the little guy. And George just figured out how to use the camera without help. Great, here we go again. 

The Best Medicine

As I sit here at the kitchen table to upload these photos on this beautiful island morning, with the calming breeze blowing my bed head hairdo around, I am realizing that I need to be more like the girls in these photos. As things are changing in our lives these photos and our girls are the constant reminder that I still need to take the opportunity to lighten up, laugh a little and stop worrying myself to the point of exhaustion attempting to plan and predict the future. Relax and surrender, things will work out. They always do.  


I need to finish up my computer time. Nyah is out with George on a morning walk to take the garbage out (her chore) and to pick tamarinds. Elsa is deep into her morning slumber. I need to psych myself up because I have no doubt in my mind that my thoughtful little girl will pick a special tamarind just for me and bring it back and proudly hand it to me and watch to see if I eat it. They are an unbearably sour treat, perfect for kids, but more on tamarinds another day.


I guess when I need a reminder to chill the mind, I can always come back to this page because, honestly, this is life, and its good.

Parents & Chicks

She got to spend the dreary, rainy morning in town with her parents, sister busy at school. Two hands to hold, the two people who adore her most all to herself. 

She accompanied us to complete our passport renewal. Today, the day we renewed. Who would have thought, two strangers from worlds apart coming together and having to renew passports on the same day. We thought of ourselves then, ten years ago, applying within one day of each other. I, a young wide eyed girl (literally, you should see the photo) eager to head to New Zealand, freshly free from high school. He renewing as an island boy for easy travels between the islands.  St. Croix the rendezvous point. This busy little girl, the result of our love. 

Independent but still requiring an occasional helping hand to walk up steps and for the occasional swing with each of her hands in ours. But in true Elsa style, she takes the swing from her parents to the max and kicks her feet out mid swing and throws her head back. Attempting a back flip? Probably.

We met another mother on an outing in town with babies in tow. 

She gets it, she is also the mother of an indepenant baby. A baby who still needs the occasional assistance of helping hand after being separated from the group. Our precious chicks.

Sisters

Sending a little mid week love your way.

Song: Beautiful

Artist: India Arie

It's a Go

We have the ultrasound pics of baby boy taped to one of our cabinet doors. A special place away from the photo and art work cluttered fridge door, the perfect location to display our latest creation. I glance at the fuzzy black and white images daily, letting my imagination run free. I often catch George pausing in passage to take yet another look at the little man in our life, who we are both so eager to meet. I look and think. He looks and thinks and the other day he finally said it. I admit, the thought has been hanging out in my mind too, floating around in there somewhere, not quite developed and definitely not worthy of verbalizing but when George came out with it the other day, I could do nothing but agree.

"Do you think that could be his umbilical cord?"

"Do you think it's disproportional to his body or is it just me?"

Mind you, neither of us have never seen an ultrasound of a boy, but dang.

So, though I don't really care, and in all relevance of important things in life, this sits pretty low, I have been allowing myself to think, what if he is really a she? It happens to families all the time, right? Mistaken ultrasounds. I have been psyching myself up just incase the little one decides to surprises on labor day. But today my friends, all side thoughts and hesitations in excitement were put to rest. My co worker did quick ultrasound to check for the manly goods and oh let me tell you, they were all there, beautifully there. No umbilical cord in the way. Its boy ladies and gentlemen, baby brother 100% confirmed.

It was so nice to see the little dude again. He looks perfect. The hesitation in my mind has been replaced by anticipation and excitement deep in the pit of my growing abdomen. Can't wait to get my hands on my baby and make a momma's boy of him (don't tell George).