Thanks for the toys...

It all started when my mom sent a little tiger finger-puppet in the mail for our soon-to-be-born son, Kai. Bucky, our youngest kitty, adopted the toy straight away and Mark named the toy "Smacky." (Bucky is named after a cat in a comic book, and coincidently, Bucky in the comic had a little toy named Smacky.) Bucky just loves Smacky... plays with him, throws him around, and even has been seen sleeping with him! When my mom then came to visit, she brought a new toy for Bucky, a friend for Smacky which my mom named Smackette. And it continued... she then sent three additional little play toys, all of which Bucky has so much fun playing with. Bucky likes them because she can grab them with her paw and fling them across the room because they are so light and their material catches on her claws. At one point we couldn't find Smackette for a week, and I discovered her lodged between the TV and the wall (about 4 feet off the ground). Must've been a big throw...

Here she is with one of the 'new' toys. Not a bad imitation!


And this is Smackette. You can't tell from the flash, but Smackette is a little pink duckling. Bucky also has this thing with rolling over on her back. I think it's her way of saying 'Hi!' and 'Play with me!' She does it ALL the time.


Bella, on the other hand, is much more cuddly and subdued (except when she's hungry). She just loves Mark. She always tries to snuggle with him in bed before I kick her out of our bedroom. We couldn't believe she could stand the scent of Mark's armpit here. At one point she had her nose right in the armpit hair... eewww!


Yep, so I'm getting bigger! Still feeling overall good, still working out 1 to 4 times a week (plus trying to pull weeds for 20 minutes a day on my hands and knees). Having the occasional back-aches, but so far Mark's chiro treatments and a heat pack are doing the job.


And I couldn't leave this one out with our new haircuts. Isn't my husband cute?! Here we were at my friend Laura's birthday party.


I'm still teaching, although this week and next week are school holidays. The following week I've agreed to do 4 days (for a good 4th grade class I've been teaching a lot lately). I think that might be it though. Leigh arrives the week after that, and I definitely don't want to work while she's here. Plus, I don't think I'll legally be allowed to, even if I was feeling good!

As I write this my mother is attending a baby shower thrown for her by her friends, celebrating me, of course! I called them and it sounded like they were having a lot of fun. I think those ladies have given me all sorts of nice things for our little one.

Mark's work is going well, and the weather is getting nicer and nicer. Can't complain! Looking forward to all that's happening in the next few months!

Father's Day!

This past Sunday was Father's Day here in Australia. I celebrated with Mark =) Below are some banana-chocolate-chip pancakes I suprised him with.


And, just for fun, some recent belly shots at 32 weeks. Enjoy! Notice the bassinet in the background. Our little babe will sleep there for the first few months at least. Underneath it is my hospital suitcase, which I still haven't finished packing...