Thanksgiving

We had quite the Thanksgiving adventure.  We drove 7 hours to Asheville and arrived around 3:30am.  We had planned to leave by 6pm but of course we weren't out the door until 8:30 so around 2am I was trying everything to stay awake.  Asheville feels like it's a positive energy vortex - small, cute and very hippie.  Everyone is so nice - like geniunely, really nice.  Unfortunately in the case of our house-rental the hippie nice factor meant quasi-dellusional too.  The owner rented us the wrong house which ended up being small, not that clean and not very well equipped.  We quickly moved out to a hotel and came home earlier than expected.  Given the poor kitchen we decided to postpone our typical Thanksgiving meal until we returned to DC. 

On Thanksgiving day we visited the Biltmore which is insanely grandiose.  I found the basement to be the most interesting - with the indoor swimming pool filled with a hose, to the "gym" which was modern at the time but think parallel bars and wooden dumbbells, to the servants quarters to the multiple kitchens and dumbwaiters.  Here we are at the Biltmore - you might notice from the angle that Charlie took one of the pictures. 

Other than the Biltmore we went on a fun hike, Diego got a haircut and I ate a lot.  I saved Diego's hair again because I think the blonde might be growing out.  Charlie LOVED all the attention he got from his abuela and tia veronika.  He even refused to drive home with us and apparently he chatted for most of the 8 hr drive!

Check out Diego and Charlie rocking out.  You can't really hear the terrible keyboard music, but it's bad and Diego's guitar rounds out the sound nicely:)

The boys fight a lot but they miss each other when the other isn't around and, to some extent, they look out for each other.  Charlie makes sure Diego stops at the end of the block and doesn't go into the street; Diego asks 'Charlie coming in a minute?' whenever he wakes up from a nap and doesn't find his brother around; and when Diego popped his balloon by accident Charlie gave him his.  But other than that there is a fair amount of fighting....Here they are looking like happy brothers...

Baby sister is definitely on the way.  Here I am at 23 weeks and feeling very large.  My legs hurt a lot, but other than that I feel good and am gaining weight much better than I did with Diego.  She likes to kick A LOT at night; sometimes it is so much that she'll wake me up or keep me up.  She might be letting me know that she doesn't appreciate that I often end up on my back or right side while sleeping....

 

Election Night & More

Diego still loves to call people "doo-doo head."  The other day some guy on the street said hi to Diego and he happily responded "Hi doo-doo head!"  Great.   Check out Diego on his tricycle - it's so funny.  He can't reach the pedals so he scoots along and won't let me push him.

Cozy diego likes to carry his blanket and stuffed animals everywhere

Generally I'm in denial about baby #3 - I still play pick-up soccer and run (although I'm so slow now that large people who look like they aren't even moving pass me).  But sometimes I let myself wonder if we're ready for number three.  Usually the answer I come up with is no....Getting out the door every morning is a reminder that one more complication and we might never make it to school.  Getting to their various classes in one piece and on time, getting them to bed, etc, etc....But then other times I think the family definitely needs at least one more little being.  Over election night we spent time with the Nicoletti's new baby Lucas and he was so cozy.  He reminded me how much I do want another baby.  As if it's any consolation Charlie and Diego say they'll help.  Charlie has already named her Alex, Ruby and Adelaide. 

Plenty has happened in the world in the last few weeks.  GObama GO won the election, Petreaus resigned, Syria is imploding, Isreal is on the brink of a ground invasion...and on the domestic front Carlos has torn up our roof!  They say the 2012 election didn't have as much excitement as 2008, but you wouldn't have known it in DC where 91% of the voters turned out for Obama.  We were at a friend's house near U street and the crowds outside erupted when the news channels called it.  When we left around midnight we drove past the White House and found a mass influx of people headed there to celebrate.  As for the Petreaus affair we were in Mt. Pleasant neighborhood recently and there were camera crews outside the house (really nice house!) where Paula Broadwell is holed-up.



analyzing election results...:)



my election cake

And Carlos has started his version of nesting....through destruction!! A leak from the hurricane turned into our entire roof deck coming off.  "While the roof is off, don't you think we should expand that...." that's when my eyes roll back.  I can't wait for him to get a new canvas.  He always wins so we are changing the shape of the office space...which means I have no office now.  I'm stuck roaming the house in search of quiet spaces. 

It's a GIRL!

We found out today that we are having a girl!  wow. I honestly didn't think we made girls.  We put the sonogram results into an envelope and then opened it after a nice lunch at Rasika West End.  Turns out I was wrong and my hairdresser was too (based on my hair he bet $10 that I was having a boy).  I'm a little nervous but I'm hoping cousin Wallis can show her the ropes. 

Diego didn't care at all when we told him.  Charlie thought about it for exactly 2 seconds and then asked me to draw a fox on a piece of paper (he decided that's his costume for next halloween).  I asked him what he thought about having a baby sister and he dismissed the idea saying "I told you that I wanted a baby brother."  oh well.  I'm hoping that despite their attitudes now they will take good care of her.