What about Batman?

So we're sitting around discussing names, and Dave throws out Batman as a suggestion.

Uhhhhh...for a girl or boy?

A momentary pause while Dave's face falls. "Oh, right. We're having a girl. I guess that would be a boy's name."

Yes. Because the fact that we're not having a boy is the only reason we wouldn't use that name. I had an appointment today and my doctor asked Mabes if we had a name yet. Again, she responded with Nickanoo. He was amused by that, as well as Ricecake (who also got to come to this appointment), and at the end of the appointment said something about how maybe Mabes will get to tell him the name next time.

Yeah, don't count on it. At the rate we're going, it'll be a while. I'm taking suggestions, since Dave's are...less than helpful.



To clarify on Dave's behalf, though, if we did name a kid Batman, it wouldn't be pronounced BatMAN, it would be pronounced BATman. Like Bateman. Or Goldman. (There should be a GoldMAN!) It's actually kind of growing on me.

It's....MAGIC!

Though I didn't have to get up terribly early Friday morning (I'd showered the night before, since it really makes no sense to shower right before heading out into the sticky Orlando heat) and was exhausted from the week, I woke up before 7 and just couldn't sleep. It felt like Christmas morning. Dave was showering, so I got up and got ready. By the time he was dressed, Mabes was still sleeping and we had to wake her up so she'd have time to eat before leaving. For all the sleep trouble this girl has given me, it is still painfully difficult for me to wake her up! But we went in, I opened the curtains, and we sang "Happy Birthday" to her. She sat up, looked momentarily confused, then grinned--"Oh, fank you!" We finished getting ready, met the rest of the family, and headed out.

As we reached Disney property, Mabes just kept looking around and exclaiming "It's da Magic Kingdom! Oh, it's so magical! Wook, magic trees!" Everyone's tickets had already been purchased, but since Mabes was taking advantage of the free-admission-on-your-birthday promotion, we had to go to Will Call to pick up her ticket. After a brief wait (apparently, some people didn't read the info online about printing up a ticket beforehand and bringing proof of birthdate and thought they could just say "birthday" and get in free), we made it to the front of the line, presented her "golden ticket" and birth certificate, and received her park admission as well as a button that said "Happy Birthday!" She loved this, as it meant that every park employee and many others wished her a happy birthday all day. She was convinced that everyone visiting the Magic Kingdom that day was there for her birthday party.

We boarded the ferry and Mabes saw the castle and was amazed. Following Sarah's research, we made a beeline for Dumbo, and on the way, ran into Sarah's doppleganger. It was seriously bizarre. I knew Sarah had run up ahead, but then I saw her outside the castle. Red hair, green shirt, black shorts, tennis shoes. Exactly the same outfit, same color red hair--if I hadn't noticed that she's a bit bigger than currently tiny Sarah, I probably would have asked her why she was pushing someone else's stroller. I pointed her out to my mom and even she was thrown off for a minute, "That IS Sarah, isn't it? Wait..."

Mabes and Dave rode Dumbo, which Mabes loved--big surprise, what's not to love about Dumbo? After the Dinosaur fiasco, she was a bit hesitant about the indoor rides, but soon learned that Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Small World, and even Snow White are fun. We of course rode the carousel, which she deemed the best carousel ever. We had time to squeeze in a quick trip on Pirates of the Caribbean before lunch, but the long line really made her nervous. She didn't like it when we suggested she pose with this cannon:

And the initial drop scared her a little, but after that, she was fine. She even decided it was pretty funny with all the pirates running around and singing. We booked it over to the castle, and since David and my mom weren't there yet, we stopped outside to say hello to the Fairy Godmother. She was the first character we had seen and Mabes was stunned. We waited in the short line and when it was her turn, Mabes bashfully approached her. Fairy Godmother crouched down so I could take a picture, and then Mabes was overcome with love and gave her a huge hug. Feet up in the air and all.

We went into the castle, got the group together, and then got in line for pictures with Cinderella. As soon as Mabes saw her, her eyes got huge and she just stood there in disbelief--"It's Cinderella! Here!" We took pictures, and she gave Cinderella the same feet-off-the-ground hug but I didn't get my camera out in time. Cinderella wished her a happy birthday, which of course made her day.

We went upstairs for lunch, and the combination of the heat outside, a/c inside, delicious food, and lots of cold drinks made it one of the best meals I've had in a very long time. After we were seated, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Jasmine all came around to greet us and take pictures. Mabes, of course, hugged them all. When Jasmine told Mabes that was the best hug she'd received all day, Mabes took it as a challenge to do even better, and she hugged her even tighter. She was too awestruck to really say much beyond a "fank you" when they wished her happy birthday, and watching her simply take it all in got me choked up. She was in a state of complete bliss. When they brought out desserts, the kids each got an ice cream sundae and Mabes got a little cake with a candle. Our server brought swords and wands for everyone (even the big kids! Dave has always wanted a sword), and a birthday card for Mabes signed by all the princesses. It was the perfect lunch, and I'm so grateful for my dad for arranging it all.

After lunch, we did the Jungle Cruise and Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, and then headed back to the hotel for a break. Mabes and I got a quick nap, then we headed back for more fun. It had cooled off a lot, so that made the evening much more pleasant. We took Mabes to the Haunted House and yet again, she was unsure of the whole thing. She was a champ, though, and seemed to like the ride once it got started, and thankfully didn't freak out when the ride stopped for a few minutes in the graveyard at the end!

We did a few more rides, including the Indy Cars. Mabes and Dave love going to go-carts here, so Mabes was really excited about driving one of these. I opted out and instead enjoyed a delicious ice cream bar. We got to see the fireworks, and Mabes was convinced they were for her birthday. We didn't correct her. She got some souvenirs (a Sleeping Beauty crown and necklace and a princess placemat), we wandered around a bit more, and caught the light parade on our way out. Lots more waving for Mabes, and she even gave me an "I told you so" when she saw Flora, Fauna, and Merriwether. (Earlier, I had told her I didn't think we'd see them at Magic Kingdom--I was wrong!)

Mabes was right. It was a magical day. All other birthdays will pale in comparison, and I'm fine with that. Her 4th birthday will always be on a pedestal, and her joy and excitement exceeded my hopes. At the end of the day, as we watched the parade, me standing next to Dave, Mabes on his shoulders--it was one of those perfect moments you never want to end.

Sadly, the next morning, it was time to pack up and head home. It felt like the morning after Christmas, where you realize you've been looking forward to something for so long, it's over now, and back to life as usual. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone, especially knowing that I probably won't see them until next year after the baby is born. But we look forward to having a blast again the next time we're together!

And a whole lot more pictures from the whole week here.

Her reaction, part 2

As I said earlier, her reaction to finding out the sex of #2 wasn't as good as her reaction to finding out about #2. Or maybe better, depending on how you look at it. I'm hoping this just means they'll be best friends and Nickanoo or Spike or whatever we name her will be able to hold this over Mabes' head.

At the end, Sarah's whispering to Mabes about how she doesn't want a boy because they're stinky and stick their hands down their pants. There's more, but that's the basic idea. Thanks for the video, Laura!

Orlando!

Sunday was Animal Kingdom. We set off early amidst grumblings about the heat and humidity. I have to admit, it's worse than the Carolinas. But I was expecting that. I pretty much had the same attitude I had when I spent the summer in the Middle East ten (!) years ago: it's disgustingly hot so you just have to deal with it. It also helps that no one looks good in that heat/humidity, so you're in good company.

We started off the morning riding a kids' dinosaur ride (like Dumbo) while waiting to use the Dinosaur fast passes. Mabes loved the little dinosaur ride and would have been happy to ride that all day, but soon we left for Dinosaur. Since it had a pregnancy advisory and I wasn't adamant about riding, I took Gemma and hung out in the air conditioned gift shop while everyone else got in line. While I was watching the pictures of people in the scariest part of the ride, I started getting nervous. What did I send Mabes to ride? Suddenly the details of the ride came back--the ride is funny, but a little scary. And I rode it when I was 20. I could see the part of the line just before the passengers boarded the cars and soon I saw the family. Everyone was happy, but Mabes was clutching Dave, quite unsure. A few minutes later, their picture popped up:

Where's Mabes, you ask? She buried her head in Gramma's lap. But she survived and I commended her for trying something new. Scarred by that, she was hesitant any time we went into a dark room before an attraction--she really didn't want to go into the "It's Tough to be a Bug" exhibit and didn't really watch that, either. But she loved the Safari, all the animal exhibits, and Kali River Rapids. As we were leaving, we ran into the parade. I don't think we really planned on watching it, but it was there, so my dad hoisted Mabes up on his shoulders so she could watch. Mabes was waving like it was her job. She was so excited to see the different characters, and as her face lit up each time, I finally got what everyone had said about how taking a 3/4-year-old to Disney was so fun because it's all real. She was completely starstruck when Mickey's float came by--I mean, it was Mickey Mouse himself!

(I like that something reflected on my dad's ear so it looks like he has an earring)

On Monday, Sarah's family and my mom went to Cocoa beach, Aunt Nancy, Mabes and I stayed at the resort, and everyone else (Dad, Dave, Jeff, Laura, Becca, and David) went to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. Dave was a little hesitant to go to US/IOA since he wasn't sure how rollercoasters would affect him in his advancing age (I discovered I couldn't do them any more at the ripe old age of 24), and after a rough week the week before, he was leaning towards just hanging out with me and Mabes at the pool. When I told my dad this, his response was "I am convinced Dave will have a great time at US/IOA, and I am therefore buying him a ticket. There’s nothing like being whipped around upside down a few times to dispel the troubles of a crappy week." As always, Dad was right. Dave had a lot of fun, and especially liked Dueling Dragons.

Mabes and I spent the morning at the pool with Nancy, and we had a great time splashing in the fountains and swimming around. Mabes' favorite game was to hang onto the back of Nancy's swimsuit and be pulled around the pool while waving to everyone. Two older ladies particularly enjoyed Mabes' Miss America wave. We went back to our room for lunch and a little quiet time, and then Nancy came over and read stories to Mabes. Mom, Sarah and family returned from the beach, so we joined them at another pool (which thankfully also had fountains) for the remainder of the afternoon. After Mabes was in bed, Dave encouraged me to go spend time with the fam, so I went down to my parents' suite and just hung out with them, Laura, Becca, and David. Sometimes just sitting around, talking and not talking, is the most fun.

Tuesday morning, the men headed out early for golf while we slept in a little (as much as you can with Mabes). When they returned, the kids went to Blizzard Beach while my parents, Nancy, and Jeff went to Epcot. The morning started off great when we realized we didn't have to pay for parking there. I wasn't sure how Mabes would do, since earlier this summer she was really afraid of the water, and after Sunday, she seemed to be afraid of most rides. But after riding down the first slide with Dave, she realized that waterslides are fun and quickly let her guard down. (Except at the Lazy River--for some reason, she hated that. Maybe she's just not the lazy type?) I wasn't going to attempt any of the crazy rides, so I was happy to stay with Mabes while Dave and David went down the bigger slides. When everyone else was ready to go, Dave decided he wanted to take Mabes down a few medium-sized slides, so everyone else took off in one van while we stayed a little. Mabes and Dave thoroughly enjoyed the slides, and it was a lot of fun to watch them. As we were leaving, Dave said that he loved waterparks and liked waterslides better than rollercoasters. Interesting--I never knew he felt so strongly! Guess you can still learn something new about someone after 10 years.

Even though it wasn't Mabes' birthday yet, Nancy and Jeff were leaving the next day so we decided to celebrate Mabes' and my dad's birthdays that night. I had ordered a Cinderella cake (I'm sure it's always been a dream of my dad's to have a Cinderella cake) and Dave and I picked up fried chicken and salad for the family. It was all delicious, and I particularly enjoyed the contrast of fried chicken with a nice green salad.

Wednesday morning brought more golf for the men and more pool time for us. I had brought inflatable swim rings for the cousins, and it was hilarious to see the three of them swimming around the pool together. We had lunch, we had rest time (Mabes actually napped!), and then my parents offered to watch the grandkids so the big kids could go out to dinner. Dave and I don't get to go out much without Mabes, so it was nice to take them up on the offer. Savoring steak and time with my siblings made it even better. When we got back, our friend Nyea from Dave's MBA program met us at the hotel. We hadn't seen her since graduation, so it was great to introduce her to Mabes and catch up.

On Thursday, we went to Sea World. I have to admit, I had low expectations. I mean, it's a glorified aquarium, right? Not that aquariums (aquaria?) aren't fun--but sandwiched in with theme parks? I was wrong, though, and between the rollercoasters that made my mom want to swear, the shows, the exhibits, and the kiddie area, we spent a lot more time there than I had expected. Mabes was fascinated by all the sea creatures we saw (though once again was a bit nervous at first--Dinosaur must have scarred her because she started freaking out in that first dark hall we went in. I assured her it was okay, but it took a lot of time with the penguins to realize that none of them would jump out and breathe fire at her).

In the kids' area, she got to ride her first rollercoaster, which she absolutely loved, and the sea carousel, which is always a winner. Oh, and more waving. Mabes also loved Shamu and the dolphin show. We got to pet some stingrays, and then Dave insisted on seeing the manatees. For some reason, Dave identifies with sea cows. Again, plenty to learn about someone after 10 years. Mabes loved them, though, and was particularly amused when she noticed that they were eating lettuce--"Silly sea cows...salad is KID FOOD!" We had noticed as we went into the building that it was starting to sprinkle, and by the time we came out, it was a full-fledged downpour. At least my family got to experience the crazy rain I had been telling them about. We hovered under an overhang for probably 30 minutes waiting for the rain to ease up. The torrential rain and inches of water on the ground weren't my main concern, it was the very close and loud lightning that was scaring Mabes. It let up a bit and we made our way to the cars, went back to the hotel and changed, then had brinner at IHOP (my dad was tempted to try Waffle House, but upon seeing it, started to understand Gaffigan's jokes and decided IHOP would be a better choice).


And Friday was Magic Kingdom. That bad boy gets a post of its own. More on that later.

Happy birthday, Grandma Jackie!

To finish off the trio of August birthdays, today is Grandma Jackie's birthday. It's hard to believe that it has already been two years since we moved this way, but from the very start Mabes quickly bonded with her southern Grandma. We still don't see her as much as we'd like, but she's always on Mabes's list of suggestions for things to do on Saturday (right after eating waffles and going to Home Depot, so she's in good company). My mom is very thoughtful of others and there's not much that falls under "going out of her way" because she's always willing stop what she's doing to help out, especially for her kids and granddaughter.

And on to the dancing birfday-gram...

(posted by Dave)

It's a...

After a pizza dinner at my parents' suite, Laura and Becca started the "Envelope! Envelope!" chant. I pulled out the envelope, handed it to Dave, and told him it was up to him and Mabes to tell us all. After briefly explaining to Mabes to look for a "g" for girl or "b" for boy, they tore open the envelope, pulled out the ultrasound picture, and looked for the tiny type. "It's a..." It took Mabes a second, and finally she saw it...

GIRL!

The family cheered, it sunk in, and she turned and buried her face in my legs and wailed, "But I wanted it to be a boy!" I felt terrible for her, but kind of expected it given her past reactions. And since it had been a long day of travel, she had been pretty wound up with everyones' arrivals, and it was an hour past her bedtime when we opened the envelope, any reaction would have been more extreme.

Sarah rushed over and told her that sisters are way better, and she doesn't want a brother because as Ainsleigh can attest, boys are stinky. This made Mabes giggle and call Dono stinky for the rest of the night. My dad pointed out that Grandma's second girl was Mabes' mom, so second girls couldn't be all bad. So Mabes quickly cheered up, we finished our evening, and then went back to our suite to get ready for bed and call Grandma Jackie and tell her the news.

She seems to be perfectly happy now. I asked her today if she wanted a boy baby, and she said "No, I want a baby sister. Maybe after you have my baby sister you can have a boy baby. She's been telling me she's excited to share her dolls and princesses with her sister.

I'll do a longer post later about the trip, but so far, we're having a blast. She loved Animal Kingdom and Medieval Times (oh my heavens watching her cheer on our knight was perhaps the funniest thing I've seen in a long time), though if you asked her how she liked the dinosaur ride she'd say "I hid my eyes in gramma's lap!" Okay, so it was kind of mean to let her go on so unsuspectingly, but she was a good sport!

Mabes drops the f-bomb

"Mommy, you're a fuss budget!"

Honeymoon's over. Okay, I know in the realm of a kid hearing something and repeating it, this is quite tame. As far as obscenities, it ranks right down there with William Thacker's use of "oopsie daisy" in Notting Hill. But still. Mabes hit a new milestone this week: name calling. I know all kids do it, and I know it will get much worse once she's in elementary school, but it's still kind of sad. (Though her choice of names was kind of funny.) Thanks a lot, George and Martha. Your hilarious hippo antics have taught my 3-year-old to call me outdated names.

Oh, and we had an ultrasound with a specialist this week. Because of my heart, my OB wanted an in-depth look to make sure baby's heart is okay. The baby was very cooperative and they were able to get all the measurements they needed, and they even got a few shots they don't usually get until later. So the perinatologist is confident that the baby's heart is perfect. Yay!

So what is it, you ask? I don't know. That information is sealed up in an envelope in my carry-on, to be opened tonight once we're officially "on bay-cation," as Mabes is calling it. I've held out all week, I can wait a few hours more, right?

Awesome.

My dad sometimes comes across as a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants, everything always works out kind of guy. It's fun. It's reassuring. But don't let it fool you; you don't have to look hard to see that underneath the nonchalance is a meticulous planner with a yellow legal pad.

Take, for instance, vacations. The ultimate goal is for everyone to just have a good time, socialize, be silly, relax, and enjoy family time. But to achieve those goals, he carefully plans out each day--some days have a packed itinerary to maximize fun, other days have scheduled relaxing time. But it's all planned. In the midst of dealing with clients (his real job), he just sent an email letting us know what tickets had been purchased, when we'd have downtime, and other necessary information about the hotel, flights, cars, etc. He'd make a fantastic travel agent, but I'm sure he'd only be interested in that job if he got to go on every trip he planned.

So I'm looking forward to a fun week. Mabes is looking forward to giving Grandpa a birthday squeeze. And should something happen where things don't go according to plan, he'll brush it off and simply say "everything always works out." Because it always somehow does.

Happy birthday, Pappy!

(I told her to smile, apparently she heard "squint.")

The Final Countdown

(If you now have the song stuck in your head, picture Will Arnett dancing onstage with a sword in his mouth and scarves in hands. And perhaps doing the chicken. Now try not to laugh.)

Five, count 'em, FIVE days until Orlando. We're all very excited. I told Laura that perhaps she should warm up her arms for all the hugging we'll be doing. Mabes has promised lots of super squeezes. I'm making my to-do list, packing list, and shopping list, and I'm adding one thing to my list that I would strongly suggest each sibling add: a small notebook. They're all of a dollar at Target, but people: We need our Captain's Logs.

For those unaware, Captain's Logs date back what...10 years? It started as a journal of sorts when Sarah and I drove from Utah to California. It was a way of documenting the all-day trip, as well as any complaints we had about each other or any random observations. I think it may have continued when we went to Florida the next week. Pictures document a lot, but Captain's Logs are particularly fun to document the flight and other strange conversations throughout the week. Get your notebooks, people. In the meantime, here's an excerpt from my Kauai Log, the day we left. I was sitting next to Becca.

8/14/04

On the plane, taxiing backwards. We are watching the safety movie, which apparently angers Bacon. I had to stop her from throwing her smoothie at the screen. In the safety movie, they said the flight attendants would be of service in any way. I'm going to request a rendition of "Papa Don't Preach" when they bring the snack cart. Speaking of, I've got our huge bag o' candy at my feet. We have so much candy, as if we're not wired enough.

9:06 am--Is it candy time yet?

So Becca was wondering how long it would take to fly around the world. It all started when I told her we were flying over Kansas--we're taking the long way. So she decides to ask the flight attendant how long it would take to make the flight. Here's the conversation:

Flight Attendant: Anything to drink?

Becca: Two Diet Cokes [both for Allison!] (pause) Do you know how long it would take to fly around the world non-stop? If you didn't have to refuel?

Flight Attendant, confused: Uh...I don't know...I'd guess...80 days? Wasn't that a movie? Around the world in 80 days?

Becca: Um...I think that was in a balloon.

And now Flight Attendant hates us because we gave her our trash. She's holding a trash bag, what does she expect?