Joys of Pregnancy

Sam, our sister-in-law, is pregnant. Loyal blog readers, you already knew that.

Many of the less favorable parts of pregnancy you only discover when you become pregnant and it's too late to press "rewind." No one tells you ahead of time. Like, your bony structure widens to make room for the Grand Exit of Baby, so your center of gravity shifts and you get more clumsy. And your ligaments loosen to make childbirth more enjoyable (?), and a simple misstep leads to devastating bodily injuries.

So these pregnancy joys made a killer combo for Sam this week. She had a freak accident while coaching soccer and landed in the E.R. with bones jutting out of her leg, and needed emergency surgery with metal screws, plates, etc. to put her all together again, Humpty Dumpty style.

The adventures of Tough Cookie Sam and Loyal Loving Shiloh, as well as the Ever-Happy Sorbellito/a, are documented on their blog: sorbellos.blogspot.com. It's a good read.

Meanwhile...


We had to say goodbye to Gracie. :( It was tearful on all accounts. Bethany cried because she adores her sister and wishes they were Siamese twins (with a "detachment" feature to use when Gracie goes to do crazy things). Luke cried at the end of her going-away party because he's a baby, and he was tired. He had no clue he wouldn't see his dear auntie for a long, long time! At the party he joined in the family game of "Outburst," scattering the cards around and plopping right down in the middle of them.


"You leave, Gracie, and I'll shoot you with my fingergun."


"Hey, I'm thirsty too!"


Gorgeous Gracie keeps a blog, too. It's hilarious. Best pictures you'll ever see. graciesgallivanting.blogspot.com She's in Ohio now, getting a graduate degree in recreation (quite the oxymoron, eh?) and assistant-coaching the Ohio University field hockey team. What a gal.


Now back to Luke. Here he awakens from a nap.


And here he helps Daddy read his Mechanics of Materials textbook.


(It was boring.)


Now THIS is the kind of book we like!




Luke Samuel Armstrong, The Naked Guitarist. He enjoys plucking and strumming Bethany's guitar, and finds it to be really funny. He cracks up after a really good pluck.


This morning Luke begged to take his popper outside. He popped all around the neighborhood, probably waking everybody up!


Then we were off in hot pursuit of The Domes' chickens. He looked like he was on a safari.


No luck finding the chickens today, but we remained happy anyway.


Then it was time to play in the sand.


If I can't see you, I must not exist.


Shouting in the loudspeaker like Grandpa Clive!


Looking handsome.




There's that twinkle...


Aaaaaaaaaa.


"Aw, Mom..."