Circus, baby!

Which didn't turn into a circus baby despite everyone's fears.  We were more than a little concerned that I'd go into labor while we were there.  I did have a few contractions after all the walking, but Sophie stayed put.  I'm so glad we stuck with it and went.  Kinley loved it!!!  Please excuse the terrible photos.  It was pretty dark in there.

 Kinley loved the nose.  Of course her nose was too small for it to actually stay on.  The poor kid.  Tiny nose, tiny head, tiny feet.

 I was a little worried.  We were going on no nap, and it started at 7:30 but didn't end till 10.

However, she sat spellbound with her mouth open for almost all of it.  She didn't run out of steam until the last 10 or 15 minutes.

The elephants were her favorite.

Mommy's favorite?  The Krispy Kreme afterwards.  Which we must have looked like the world's worst parents.  3 kiddos 3 and under out at 10:30 feeding them sugar while they ran around like wild indians.  

Stomp Rocket and Strawberry Shortcake kind of day

Enjoying more of this beautiful weather.

 This toy is seriously the cheapest, quickest way to wear a kid out.

 All that running and jumping and chasing of rockets.

Works up an appetite for some dessert.

Love

As in how can you not love this face:

 Or how could you not love a girl who cuts the grass in a hot pink tutu and sparkly shoes.

 And has her pageant wave down pat: 

We might need to work on some lessons in how to sit when wearing that hot pink tutu and sparkly shoes.

Sophie update: She will be a February baby after all.  Andy's been pretty terrified he's going to have to deliver this baby on the side of the road with Kinley in the car.  Apparently the doctor agrees, so she scheduled us for an induction on 2/28.  If we make it that far . . . I'm already further along now than I was with Kinley at this point, like halfway through the labor process and we haven't even started yet!  Since we live so far from the hospital we're on strict orders to come to the hospital immediately if I start having contractions.
Kinley is ready for her new little sister to come.  She asked the other day when Sophie was going to wake up.  She's ready to see her.  We all feel the same way, but let's hope she stays put at least one more day.  We're off to the Circus tonight, and I don't want to be on the news as the lady who has her baby there or on the side of I-75.

I think I've mentioned before

how much I love this place.  We thought about going to the zoo to enjoy the early spring weather, but decided since we'd be going during Kinley's nap time it might be better to go somewhere free.  You know in case she turned into Kinley monster we wouldn't have wasted tons of money.
We made sure to pack our pockets full of quarters to feed the animals.  The otters didn't disappoint.  They took a swim to earn their treats.  

Kinley enthralled:

 And what may be our last family of three photo.

At least I hope so.  I've had my hopes set on Sophie coming sooner rather than later.  I don't know if you can call it mother's intuition or just wishful thinking, but I'm convinced she's going to be a February baby.  I must be getting to the ridiculously large pregnant stage because I've noticed an increasing amount of strangers staring at my huge belly.  Including one lady while we were walking at Dauset trails encouraging me to "walk it (the baby) out".  Ha!!!  I wonder how she would have felt if I said I still had 3 more weeks to go.
Note to self and others planning a trip to Dauset trails:  bring your stroller.  Even if your child hasn't sat in a stroller in over six months and wouldn't possibly sit in it if you suggested it.

Thanks, Nana!

Nana took Kinley shoe shopping.  Kinley and Nana share a love for glitter apparently.  ;)

We made it almost 3 years before succumbing to the sparkly princess obsession.  To be fair, this was a pair I was happy with after seeing the other choices.  I could kiss whoever stole the left shoe of the other pair Kinley had picked out.  It included hot pink, glitter, and lights...lots of lights.
Really Nana, thanks for being so sweet to Kinley.  We had fun, and I promise to let her wear them every day that she wants.  I can't make the same promise for Andy.

Confession

I have serious sewing ADD.  Or just ADD in general.  Take your pick.
After being sick on Monday last week, I spent most of the week at home recuperating.  There should be some sort of law against getting sick when you are this pregnant.  I have a new found appreciation for poor pregnant ladies who stay sick all the way through their pregnancies or those who are on bed rest.  Who knew just laying in the bed all day could be so miserable.  Plus, Kinley, my "go baby" is turning into a home body.  I asked her two days last week if she wanted to go somewhere and both times she replied with "Let's just stay home."  She might be more like her daddy every day.  More on that later since I digress.  Again with the ADD.
So, at least staying at home meant I finally forced myself to work on Sophie's bedding.  Yep you read it right...I bypassed Porter's poor quilt binding and moved onto Sophie's room.  I however have not started a quilt for Sophie yet if that makes it any better.  I was trying to get the "necessities" done before she makes her grand appearance.  Her room still needs some other accessories and paint, but without further ado:  Her crib:

 I scavenged the bumper from Kinley's set and just recovered it in some super soft baby wale corduroy.  Then made a crib skirt using this tutorial.  And a flannel crib sheet using this tutorial.  We've got several solid sheets from Kinley to reuse, but I really wanted to make her at least one warm snuggly flannel sheet.  I bought all these fabrics over a year ago but never could decide what to use them for.  The print is really too large to make Kinley anything, so on my shelf they sat.  I'm glad to finally have used them.
Kinley climbed in and gave it a test once I got it all put on the bed.  She approved.  In fact she didn't want to get back out of the bed.  She wanted to stay there playing with Sophie's baby and ball.  Porter "might" have tested it out this weekend too.  However we won't tell him that since he was so surrounded in pink...and liked it.

 And I realize I've never posted a photo of Porter.  I have really neglected my camera lately plus he's almost always sleeping when he's here.  But this weekend, Erin snuck one in of me and all 3 kiddos.

Bless her for choosing to share a photo where my kid is making a crazy face, her's is getting ready to cry but I at least look decent.  You can tell she was recently pregnant too.  ;)
Here's a better one of Kinley and Porter.  It's her first time holding a baby.  I usually tell her they are too little, but I figure why not break her in on Erin and Chris's kid?

She really does love babies so far.  She enjoys being your little helper.  She "read" to Porter while I changed his diaper yesterday.  We'll see how long it lasts when the baby stays permanently instead of going home at the end of the night.

And we circle back around to the sewing ADD:

I made each of the little girls in Kinley's class these barrettes for their Valentine's party today.  You know instead of working on finishing Porter's quilt, changing pad covers, a name pillow for Sophie, wall letters for Sophie,  a coming home outfit for Sophie, a big sister shirt for Kinley or a superhero cape for Kinley.  She's recently obsessed with pretending to be a superhero.  Last week she asked if she could be one to make it stop raining.  And I'm embarrassed to say last night she ran around the house with a wash cloth tucked into the back of her shirt pretending it was a cape.  She's been using my place mats.  How sad right since I've got a pattern traced out and ready to go upstairs from when I made Jax and Liam capes.  So that's officially my list of things I'm avoiding completing in the sewing room.  It is now your official duty to harass me until I post photos of each and every one of those things.  Deal?
I promised more evidence of Kinley being like Andy:

This is from playing blocks with Bailey last night.  There were a couple out of place from Bailey banging into them when I went to get the camera.  She told me to wait so she could fix them.  How this child can be so messy like me and so OCD like Andy at the same time I have no idea.  It must be quite the conflicting emotions.  ;)

A Good Excuse

to postpone a nap...

 What???  The nap Nazi letting Kinley play outside instead of sleep?  You have to take advantage of warm weather whenever you can get it.  Especially since we woke up to this again this morning:

Enough of that already!!!

 Watch out!  She's dangerous.