Let's Recap: 2012

The other night, Chocolate came up as a subject.  Isabel leaned back on the couch and declared "Awbell love chocolate!"

"Daddy love Chocolate too!"

Heidi turned her head, "Mommy loves chocolate three!"

Isabel thought for a moment.

"Awbell chocolate one!"



It's been a big year.  Let's recap.



Emmett!  We had the happiest, smile-iest baby ever.  He's just barely started crawling, but has figured out how to climb the stairs.  He loves adult food, but hates baby food.  Whenever he looks at something, he puts his thumb and forefinger togther and taps it with the tip of his finger.  He doesn't sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time, ever.

Isabel!  She can talk now, more or less.  She discovered the Transformers, Doctor Who, and Spider-Man. (Or, as she calls them, Trammy-former, Doca WHO!, and Talking Pider-man.  I do not know why spider-man gets that adjective, but wow is it appropriate.)  She got an Electrician's Shirt just like her dad had when he was a kid.  She loves doing "projects."  Her favorite toys include Optimus Prime and a drill.  Take THAT, gender stereotypes.

Heidi!  Discovered Pinterest.  Went ALL-IN on the idea that IKEA is legos for adults.  She has now been pregnant or nursing continuiously for four years straight.  Had a baby surgically removed from her body.

Gabe!  Has a child who loves the Transformers, Doctor Who, and Spider-Man, which means he's accomplished all of his parenting goals.  Quitting eating pork has seen mixed success.  Learning iOS programming also met with mixed success.  Has his hair the longest it's ever been, then cut it off.  He's about to quit his job again, because it's been a few years and that's his career specialty.  (Surprise, anyone from work who knows this blog exists!)



(Also, the mayan post-apocalypse sure looks a lot like the mayan PRE-apocalypse?  What's the next doomsday date?  UNIX time rollover?  I guess we can slack off until 2038.)

Helman, Party of Four!

Welcome aboard Emmett!

Emmett Latimer Helman

April 9, 2012

8 pounds 8 ounces

20 inches

18 charisma

Second Course

I suppose, one one way, the best description of the last months is the near-total lack of blog updates. Eyeballing the blog archive posts-per-year count tells a story.

For the benefit of readers only getting their news from this outlet, let me skip to the punchline: we're having another baby. Tomorrow.

Looking back, this fact has totally escaped mention on the blog. That neatly sums up what it like to be pregnant and have a 2 year old: no time for blogs.

It's also something of a case study in clichés about second children in general; Isabel got weekly size comparison updates, Number Two gets a single note dashed off while his sister is distracted by brushing her teeth.

I promise this is the last time we won't have as much time for you as we do for her.

The doctor called and moved our c-section from noon to 7:30 am, which means we now have to be at the hospital at 5:30 instead of 10. Thats… kind of a bummer.

It's currently 10:42. In 9 hours, we will have a son.

Anybody else starting to get a little spooked by the weather?

Don't get me wrong, I like having lunch outside in short sleeves as much as anyone, but in the middle of February?

It's a good thing Climate Change isn't real, or I'd start to worry.

Upgrading from Shenanigans to Monkeyshines

TWO!

Amazingly, she just turned two.  It's hard to believe, both that it's been that long and that we made it at all.