Leah: 2.5

She's quite the two and a half year old!

Leah has quite the personality.  As always, she loves to cuddle, give hugs and kisses, and offer comfort.  She spends many hours a day as "Mommy", rocking and shushing her baby doll and asking me if I'd like to admire her baby.  She wraps herself and the doll in her beloved Blankie and walks around the house with a contented grin on her face.  It really is adorable.

If I tell Leah that I'm sad, she'll immediately start stroking my hair and whispering things like "it's alright" and "I love you so much."  It really is VERY adorable.  We can't wait to see her with her real live baby brother or sister.

With all her desire for physical contact and cuddling, Leah also is stubbornly independent.  There are things that she MUST do by herself.  If you zipper her coat up all the way, she will unzip it and do it herself.  If you condescend to squirt toothpaste on her toothbrush-- she will rinse it off, put the toothbrush back in the cup, screw the cap back on the toothpaste, and then start all over again from step one.  We learned a while ago that it's much easier to simply embrace this part of her personality with patience and allow her to do such things on her own.

Leah knows all her letters and some numbers and can write her name L E A H...although sometimes it looks more like L E H H.  She loves to play pretend with Grace, play on the computer or Steve's iPhone, swing in the backyard, call her favorite people on the phone for a short chat, and play with trains.  All while wearing a princess dress.  Leah can't wait to be three so that she can take ballet lessons like her big sister.

Leah still has that appetite going for her, and her favorite foods include cereal, black beans, sunbutter and jelly sandwiches, and crackers.

Daddy is her very favorite person, followed by her grandparents.  I might be #2 or #6 depending on the day!  She calls Steve every morning to say hello and check in, and she'll always run straight past her mother to give him a hug first!

Snow Days

There's nothing like a snow day...or several over the course of the last couple of weeks!  So now we're trying to get used to having Steve back at work all day.  

Leah "Reading"

Because It's Gloomy Outside

"Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him,

for He shields him all day long,

and the one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders."

Deut. 33:12

Six Months

I had a little helper this time...and she's already been asking how many days until the baby comes out.  Instead of answering with "Roughly seventy, my patient Grace!", I've been telling her 10 weeks or so.  Seems like a shorter wait that way.

In this photo I'm 29 weeks, a little beyond the 6 month mark.  Grace (or should I say Cinderella, note the dress) is 3 years and 9 months.  Leah was not interested in participating!

View from the top

Oh boy.  At least I can still see my toes!  At 29 weeks, the new development is baby hiccups!

I Finally Fed Them Something Healthy

The list of foods I'm craving include ice cream, cheesesteak subs, and especially anything salty.  Salty and fried- even better.  This is terrible.  In the first two trimesters of this pregnancy, I actually felt an aversion to fruit and vegetables, with the exception of juice.  Was it in my head?  I'm not sure, but I have to force myself to eat healthy foods.  The other day, I had a refrigerator full of odds and ends and had to make a meal, preferably not from scratch.  This salad came to our rescue!  I really liked it and thought I'd share the recipe.

Brown Rice and Spinach Salad

adapted from marthastewart.com

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups baby spinach

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

grilled chicken breast, cubed

blue cheese or feta

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, dill, and sugar.  Add the rice (leftover!), spinach, tomatoes, chicken (leftovers!), and cheese.  Toss to coat and serve with crusty bread.  And then ice cream (just kidding!!)