ONE!!!!

My boy is one:

It's hard to believe this is the same baby -he was SO dark when he was born. Now he is practically blonde, and tan like a surfer.

Obligatory baby-eating-cake-shot:

The cake was for Zev and Daddy who have their birthdays three days apart. The theme was "bugs" -mostly for Rayona's benefit. She was so excited. She really likes bugs.

She also got a "new" sleeping bag in which she spent the first few days camping in the living room. She now sleeps in it every night. SO great how a little thing like that is such fun when you're three.

She amazes me. Kids at this age are so able to absorb and retain information. She can identify many MANY species of animals in her children's reference books, and also local wildflowers and garden flowers. I love hearing her say: "Birdsfoot Trefoil". I never get tired of that.

In other baby news, I am beginning to feel like a human being again (most days). I still feel pretty yucky, but at almost fifteen weeks (already?) I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am now beginning to obsess over the gender of my child. You would think it wouldn't matter after already having a girl and a boy, and I have no preference, but I am SO ANXIOUS to find out what we're having. Now that I know how different they can be, and how much the family dynamic will be affected either way. If I end up with another boy I have no name for him. I agonized over the choosing of Zev's name, and we are all very happy with it (even though everyone still calls him "brother"). -But that took ages to sort out. If it's a girl I have a name which has been there since just after Rayona's birth. I feel like I'm supposed to have a little girl with that name some day, so if this one's a boy I may have to have another baby.