Monday, May 22, 2023

The Clock is Ticking Now

I found out I was pregnant with this second baby in mid December, and since then, it's definitely been a different experience than the first time around, and mostly being way more calm and expectant this time around. I didn't even tell AJ until Christmas as a surprise gift haha. Since then I've mostly been chillin', just cause after the first time around, you know that not only is 9 months quite a long time, but there's really nothing to be done but wait. Until I started showing and feeling the kicks and movements I would have moments of "oh yeah, I'm pregnant." Once, AJ wanted me to do something, and while I completely forget what it was I said "do you forget that I'm pregnant?" and he even stopped for a moment and said "actually yeah, sometimes," HA!

But that is no more, because I'm slowing down, third trimester is approaching soon, and the realities are really starting to hit. We actually really need to start thinking logistics, like cribs and any supplies for the second (which won't be much, but won't reuse pacifiers and stuff), planning our parental leaves, and trying to anticipate how we're going to not only do this all over again, but this time with a toddler in tow. The heat has ramped up now on getting Sophie potty trained, off of her bobos (pacifiers) and trying our best to help her comprehend the changes that are coming her way. And I am officially feeling the small amount of freedom that I have (as a mother of a toddler anyway) slip away as I get more aches and pains, am slowing down getting around and having to use more and more effort to switch to my other side when sleeping.

We're also trying our damndest to get Sophie enrolled at the French school preschool and everytime we think we have it solved something else comes up. Like okay, we can swing tuition, yes! Oh she has to be picked up by 3p? Okay, how do we also pay for the afterschool care. Okay we can squeeze it further if we're clever. Oh you're on the French system and have a week break every 7-8 weeks of instruction? Now how do we manage that too? How any parent manages these days is nothing short of miraculous.

To make this a little less pessimistic, here are some fun things we've been up to lately!

Hanging out at Luca's last t-ball game
of the season




Sophie enjoying dress up in her room


She prefers to help the adults with the
parachute in French class rather than
play under it!


Loving having sunglasses more and
more to match Mama and Dada


Cutie in her unicorn robe after her bath

I made a tent over her bed the other day
and now she's obsessed with tenting

Supermodel Documentary Hour



Usual Kiwi shenanigans

Sophie and Kiwi are turning more and more into siblings - they play together all the time, but they're also starting to fight - mostly Sophie getting territorial and annoyed with Kiwi playing with her stuff. She will make us inform Kiwi of the situation: "Mama, tell Kiwi this is Sophie's" and then I have to say "Kiwi, that is Sophie's crayon, not yours." Gosh if she feels this way about a cat... how's her baby sister going to fare??

Tuesday, May 9, 2023

The Coronation of King Charles the Third

Well, if you read this blog, you probably know I won't miss a royal broadcast event. If you think I'm just obsessed with the British monarchy you're wrong, but for some reason we can never seem to get access to the events happening in other countries with monarchs (Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Luxembourg, Japan, Thailand, Bhutan, etc...) so it's mainly the United Kingdom for us.

I also have to take a moment to mourn being on the west coast for these events. I don't think I had to wake up before my normal time when I was living in NYC and wanted to watch Will & Kate's wedding, but here in California, on Saturday, May 6, 2023, I had to set my alarm for 3:45a and even then it's cause I couldn't bring myself to get up at 1:45a to start at 2a and instead decided to be an hour or two behind the live feed.

At least I have faithful (and way more obsessed and knowledgeable in all things royalty than me) Iris to join me in these ridiculous life choices of ours.

And we had some surprises! My mom shipped a box of Biscuiteer cookies (excuse me, biscuits) specifically for the coronation and wow, those things did not disappoint!






This was the commemorative tin of
McVitie's biscuits that I bought in London
and was saving for the occasion, although
the Biscuiteer box blew these out of the water

Notice how dark it is outside??





Despite how painful the alarm was, getting up and getting the TV on and the coffee brewing and having Iris over, I felt really awake and we had so much to talk about and discuss. We were pretty bummed it all went off so well - no one dropped anything or sneezed at the wrong time... nothing! Just Camilla's awkward AF crowning moment, and Prince Louis's showstopping waving from the balcony.

Sophie woke up at some point and made her way out to the living room and actually very calmly joined in on the watching. We tried to explain to her it was a new King and tried to see if she recognized being there. When they were waving from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, I showed her our family photos from last month in front of it, and she was either thoroughly confused or mindblown.



Iris had gifted us this Coronation Sticker Book that I begrudgingly gave to Sophie, LOL.


Shockingly, even though the whole thing was something like 5-6 hours, I still felt like I could have kept watching! This must just be the reality of an 80s baby raised on Disney royalty.

I don't wish anyone any ill, but at least we know we won't be waiting another 70 years for the next coronation...