Happy Faster! Christ is Ripen!

So that I don't leave you wondering about today's post title, this was one of those "text bloopers" I received a few years ago that I'm sure to think about every Easter Sunday. Today, Saturday, was a very Easter-y day as we helped out with our church's Easter egg hunt and dyed eggs at home for a centerpiece on tomorrow's table. That means I don't have to wait until tomorrow to wish you a Happy Easter! Here are some fun images from today, along with the video Nate put together, quite professionally I might add, to share at church tomorrow morning.

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen!

We were happy to see that Lou isn't afraid of big stuffed creatures

First face painting

Not a fan of securing balloon to dress. As a result, it went up with the airplanes. "Buh-bye!"

Who knew you could use lemon juice instead of vinegar?

Lou had little patience for the process and tasted three of the colors

Although lemon juice added some froth...

Not the prettiest, but fun nonetheless

Signs of Spring

Yesterday I wanted to resign as a mother. I was so tired, hemorroidal (as Nate calls it) and Louisa was being a pill - not napping or even staying in her room. Thankfully Nate came home earlier than usual and was super-helpful with Lou, so I didn't actually turn in my letter of resignation.  Today has been sooooooo much better.  And our farm visit this morning with 72 degree weather and good friends was perfect. Louisa fell asleep on the way home, staying asleep for 2 1/2 hours this afternoon while I killed time capturing some signs of spring.

I'm well aware that humans can have babies any time of the year, but for me, it seems that I follow a schedule of birthing spring babies.  BB2 is due next week - April 6, and Louisa will be two on April 29. People keep asking if I feel any signs of labor. Nope, not really, but I learned with Louisa's birth that there won't always be signs. I worked on a Wednesday and my water broke early the next morning with absolutely no contractions before the flood. So maybe tomorrow? But maybe three weeks from now.

Whenever you want to come, BB2, we're excited to meet you! Your dad is looking forward to the "vacation." If this wasn't his second time around, I would have sternly replied that it's not exactly going to be a vacation, but I know that he knows that. Oh and while we're on the topic of vacation, I'm happy to report that my year long "vacation" will be ending soon! I officially have a nutrition job. I'll be starting at Dreamworks in Redwood City as their dietitian, offering nutrition counseling to employees. I'm very excited because it's just one day per week and I love helping people "clean up" their nutrition and exercise habits!

Now, those signs of spring:

Mini-Me

Warning: this post has a gross-factor. I'll avoid too much description, but just to warn you...

I was lucky enough to develop a pretty bad sinus infection in my 36th week of pregnancy. Poor baby had a pretty peaceful environment in there until the honking cough started last weekend. And as you know, a cough usually serves a purpose. In my case, it's to clear the junk that drips from my sinuses into my lungs. So that's what I've been dealing with, and of course, Louisa has noticed. Apparently she's also noticed that sometimes I run to the sink and unload some of that junk. When I cough, she usually just looks at me with puppy eyes and says, "mama."  Well yesterday she took the sympathy a bit further by walking over to her sink where she cough, leaned over and pretended (thankfully!) to spit. Lovely, Louisa Jane.

Louisa & Dad

Louisa loves her dad. Despite the fact that he can't usually be home from work before she goes to bed, they're able to spend a good amount of time together - mornings from 7:30-8:30 and all-day long on Saturdays and Sundays.  I've come to accept the fact that Lou is a little, female version of Nate, but I do sort of hope that, like our friends Adrienne and Paul, our second can look a little more like me. In case you forgot how much Louisa looks like Nate, below are some pictures of the pair making cookies and hiking together.

I tried to capture a funny moment on video today, but of course Lou stopped when I started taping. She was "reading" the warnings on a beach ball, saying, "Daddy, Mama, Bell, Opa, Papa..."

Names must make up such a large percentage of her vocabulary right now, because she finds many opportunities to say those that she knows. During bedtime and nap time prayers, she is quick to remind you to pray for people you haven't yet listed. And if she sees something she wants for herself, she'll say, "Lou?" which sounds more like "you."

Love to you, from you - I mean - Lou, Nate and Alicia

Live It Up While You Can!

It felt like I hadn't taken any videos lately, until I sat down to put them together in a little "Early 2013 Montage" of Louisa. Since Baby B #2 is due in 4 short weeks, I thought it was important to give Louisa her last HURRAH of attention. So here it is...the only-child life of Louisa Jane...dwindling down.



And as a transition to the two-child life of the Bosschers, here is a sneak-peak at #2, who apparently has huge lips and an itchy eye? My midwife wanted to do a growth check this week and we saw that all is fine. I have a 63rd percentile (6.25 pounds) baby in there with 4 more weeks to gain another 1 to 2 pounds!