Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Full Speed Ahead

Over the last month we have been experiencing round robin sickness. Eloise got sick, then Paul, then me, then Eloise again, then me, and now Paul. I presume it has something to do with the fact that Eloise likes to bite the jump ropes at school and to successfully get a drink from the water fountain some tongue on the plastic guard piece seems to be necessary. I am amazed at some of the things that go into Eloise's mouth. I thought we were past that...I guess not.
Life aside from sickness has been driven by separate things for each of us. I am in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy. My thoughts have turned to excitement about a new member of our family. I have also jumped on the worry train to fret-ville. It seems that there are many things still to accomplish before our little man arrives. None of it is the same as when I was pregnant with Eloise. It seemed that for the first pregnancy I was mostly concerned about material things: nursery, diapers, clothes, blankets, etc. With this baby much of it is abstract. I have been worried about how Eloise will do during the transition. I am not sure how to prepare her for the fact that Momma will spend a few days at the hospital and she won't have immediate access to her. We have a cohesive symbiotic relationship established. I am less afraid to bring a new baby into the picture and more concerned with how she will do when I am preoccupied with bringing baby brother into this world.
Eloise appears to grasp in her own little two year old way the concept of baby brother. She knows where baby brother is - in my tummy. She does not have a concept of when baby brother will come out however. She does know that there has been some preparation for his arrival. I made him a sweater and am in the process of knitting him a blanket. We have some hand-me-down clothes from another family in the village that she knows are for him. We talk about baby brother. Eloise kisses my tummy knowing that baby is in there. She tells my tummy good morning. I have talked to her a bit about mommy going to the hospital to have baby brother. I ask her if she is going to stay with Grandma and she tells me, "No. Stay home." She thinks that she will stay at home for the whole thing. This should be interesting.
In all the discussion and anticipation for being a big sister Eloise is budding into quite a child. She talks about everything. Sometimes it is decipherable and other times (like when she is pretending to be on the phone) it makes no sense. We have reached the fit stage. There are lots of threats of time-outs. Paul thinks that I am over using it, but right now it an effective means of quelling a tantrum or herding Eloise into compliance. I am willing to use it while I can. Eloise can be downright defiant and then minutes later be calm and agreeable. She has begun showing some interest in the potty chair. She has gone potty a couple of times and poo-poo a couple of times. It has been really fun to praise her for making this leap.
School is back in full swing. The kids have been in class for a month. Tack two weeks onto that and that is how long Paul has been back at the grind stone. He has all new teachers, a new secretary, and a new preschool teacher/aid. He has a lot on his plate and he added to it assuming the role of cross country coach. In the midst of all his principal/teacher responsibilities he still finds time to search for the ever elusive Brown Bear. Paul after getting his musk ox has been hankering to get a bear. At the same time Paul has been love struck by salmon running at full speed up the Inmachuk River. Paul has become a wild outdoor sportsman this fall. We smoked about 10 fillets. It is much tastier to eat it this way than to thaw it out and bake it. We have eaten our fair share of those 10 fillets already. Paul is excited for the run of silver salmon to start.
Off we go in our different directions: Eloise is full speed ahead into being 2, Paul is up to his armpits in school and the pursuit of wildlife, and I am knitting away in preparation for our new baby.

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