New Arrival - Macy Layne Brownsen

Well she is here, it seemed like it had been forever, but I am assured it was just the same amount of time it always takes (9 months or 40 weeks, which ever way you look at it) and she is doing wonderfully. I went into the hospital on Thursday 6/18 in the morning, and even though my OB had been swearing for weeks that I wouldn't go that long. There it was, the date that had been identified as the latest that Dr. Chen would possibly let me go before my c-section, and that was to be the day. It seems like Macy might be a bit of a procrastinator, I mean tell her the last minute, and she will be there. Macy Layne Brownsen was born on Thursday June 18, 2009 at 12:17pm, and checked in at 9 pounds 2 ounces, 20 inches long. She is more fair than Jane, and she has a bunch less hair, but has big blue green eyes (right now at least), and the sweetest little pouty mouth.

The c-section was fairly easy and uneventful, much easier than with Jane, when it followed 30 hours of labor. I actually felt great most of the afternoon after the surgery and the reality of abdominal surgery didn't set into until the next day.

So far things are going pretty well, she seems like a typical newborn, sleepy, sometimes fussy, pretty easy to calm, and cute as can be. The smell of a newborn is literally one of the best smells in the world, and she certainly has that wonderful scent. We aren't getting much sleep, but I guess I knew that much.

Jane seems to be doing pretty well with the whole thing. She lets us know when "Macy upset." or when she wonders where Macy is "What that Macy doing?" She has had a few moments of totally crazy tantrums, and some times of really wanting her way about stuff she might not have normally cared about, but who knows how much of that is that Macy is around, and some of it might just be normal two year old stuff. One of the great things, is how helpful all the grand parents have been. She has had some great Grandma Sue days, a bunch of Grandma Read time, and lots of fun with Mana and Patah. Also with Jane's birthday party on the 14th, and then her actual birthday on the 25th, there have been plenty of new toys to distract her, and for Jane to enjoy when things seem kind of crazy. Mana and Patah (my dad and LaVerne) got her a new tricycle (and helmet), and she loves it. Oh the joys of being two!

Funny Things Jane Says

So one thing that Jane is for sure is verbal. I mean the little girl talks all the time.

(okay so to avoid snotty comments or getting my feelings hurt here, I will add all the disclaimers)

- I also talk a lot, and Mars doesn't, so she clearly gets it from me

- I am sure I talked like her when I was little, so any complaints I have, are just me getting what is coming to me

- Yes, I have found someone who talks more than me, and it is my progeny. Irony noted

- It may sound like I am bragging here, but believe me, it is more like commenting on something that seems so odd, and effects several parts of your life, and brings on funny stories. Like having six toes or something.

Okay, so all that aside, she does talk all the time. I mean there is running commentary, and comments on everything, including questions I can't answer, and clarifications if I get it wrong. All this from a little girl who isn't even officially two yet. I had to note some of them here, so that for you who don't see her every day you can have an idea of what we are dealing with.

She asks a lot of questions, most of them have to do with what people are doing. "Who that Papa talking with?" What that Mama doing?" "What that dull-dozer [bulldozer] doing?" "What that Papa eating?" "Jane make you a beet-o? [burrito]?" "What that Mama and Papa talking about?"

She adds "that" before every third person subject, even if it is her and me and Mars in the car, and the Mama and Papa she is talking about is us.

She also negotiates well. She said this morning. "Jane, five minutes of kib [crib] before shoes." She often says "Jane play kitchen, and no eat oatmeal." "Jane have picnic food, right here." (this means eating on the floor and not at a table or in her highchair) "Jane have bubbles in bath, no wash hair."

She also has distinct ideas of what things should be called. She calls skunks "gunks" and if you try to correct it, she says "No...gunks" She says that "Seagulls" are at the top of flag poles not "Eagles" She calls her self "Dean" including saying "J is for Dean" and she calls my dad "Pata" and Laverne "Mana" and who knows why.

Also at times she seems philosophical beyond her years. Saying things "Water makes Jane happy." and "Mama no likes this song, only Jane likes this song." And above all the other week Mars and I were driving and I was complaining about being uncomfortable because I am so pregnant. I asked him "When do you think this baby will come?" he paused, and Jane pipes up from the back seat "In due time." I kid you not.

So what does this all mean to us. Probably that it will only get worse from her to 14, and then she will completely stop talking to us for 5 or so years. Maybe she will be a talk show host. I can see her no, no pronouns, lots of referring to people in the abstract third person. It's a hit.

Jane's 2nd Birthday

So no pictures this time, but some wonderful times, and lots of hope that this new baby is healthy and happy, and comes sometime soon.

So Jane's birthday party was wonderful yesterday. Many of our friends and Jane's friends came, and had a great time.
Highlights:
- 23 months old Freddy relaxing IN the water table, my 29 year old brother commenting "Freddy is the coolest kid I know, I hope I can be like him when I grow-up."
- Norah wanting to play in sandy area of the park, as long as it didn't involve getting sandy.
- Freddy being the only kid who could figure out how to make the water come into the water table by himself, and Jane standing on the other side drinking the muddy water that flowed out of the water table
- Elana and Jane sliding backwards (butt first) down the slide together, and then screaming "Again" when they got down to the bottom together
- Marley artfully eating her cupcake, as Jane covered her mouth eating just the frosting
- Duncan taking our clean-up broom and deciding to sweep the park
- Mae and Zori trying to hold each others hands and chew on each others faces at the same time
- Dave taking Norah and leaping to catch the bubbles that Taylor was blowing

It was a great day in the park, and Jane sang herself to sleep last night singing "Happy Birthday to Jane" and then slept in to 8:15am. So a great day for Jane, and a great night for Mama and Papa.

This baby should come any day now, or so the doctors keep telling me. Though I am becoming increasingly convinced they don't know very much at all. It is all a big guessing game I think. Thursday will be the latest it will go, as it is the day I am scheduled for my c-section, if nothing happens before. Thank you for all the love and support.

Tough Days, and Tough Nights

So probably because I ask her, "Are you having a tough day?" when she is crying or seems unhappy. Jane has now taken to saying. "Tough day, Mama." when she is unhappy. And we have been hearing it a lot lately.

"Tough day, Mama." when she can't wear her orange crocks to school (I hate those shoes)
"Tough day, Mama." when I won't open the shower door and let her join me in the shower with her clothes on
"Tough day, Mama." when the plastic hangers don't work for hanging up stuffed animals in the closet
"Tough day, Mama." when she wants to eat yogurt and won't wear a bib
"Tough day, Mama." when Papa says you have to sit down in the bathtub
"Tough day, Mama." when she would like to ride in the open part of the shopping cart, even though we have never let her do that in her life
"Tough day, Mama." when I want to listen to NPR for just 10 minutes, and she wants to listen to "Row Row Row... Boat" for the 700th time

And now since I am 35 weeks pregnant, I am having a tough time sleeping, and I have caught a cold (I don't even know one other person in the world with a cold right now, so how did I get this?). So last night. which was like the 3 or 4th night in a row where I just could not sleep. I found myself saying to Mars, "Tough night, Papa."

This too shall pass.

Cut It Off, Cut It All Off!

So as many parents, I am sure, can relate, hair is quite a repeted battle in our house. Whether it is washing it, drying it, brushing it, pulling it out of Jane's face all the time, keeping food out of it, etc. It has become a topic all its own. That said, Mars and I, and Jane, had been talking about cutting it off for a few weeks. You know, I have a new baby coming, it is hot and summer, and why add any additional complications. So this weekend we did it. We went to a little barber shop in El Segundo, Marcy's, and Jane sat very still, and a lovely woman named Tammy, cut it all off. I love it, Jane loves it, Mars seems good with it.

Okay, so the picture took a while, but here it is.

Oh, that Easter thing.

So I guess, I loved holidays until I had a child of my own. I mean with the expectations, and the things you "should do" it sometimes seems like a lot, but this Easter was truly easy. We went to Pata and Mana's house, and did an egg hunt on Sunday afternoon. Jane was a happy camper, we really enjoyed it, and we had some of the best pictures ever. (scroll down)

There is so much Easter excitement

Let the egg finding begin!

Quite a good egg haul (the ones we could keep away from the dogs)

AND THE BEST ONES

The Jane you know.

The Jane we know, and love. She cracks me up!

Kayaking With Papa

So against my better judgement. Mars took Jane out on a sea kayak last a few weekends ago. Jane loved it, and was very well behaved (except for the picture where she is standing up). They did stay in the harbor, and though Jane was not clicked into anything, she had her wetsuit and life vest on. She got to see her favorite animal sea lions, up close.

It is all going so well, and then she stands up, but oh well. That's why kids have two parents, right?