The BIG news

Erin is going to be a BIG SISTER! I am pregnant again, and expecting our second child on April 20, 2009. We are very excited, and I'm going 1000% public with the news because we heard a healthy, strong heartbeat on doppler yesterday at the doctor's office. It was in the 160's....and it's much earlier than we were able to hear Erin's heartbeat on doppler. It relieved some serious anxiety on my part.

We followed it up with a giant lunch at Qdoba, and a much needed nap for me.

Poor Erin has no idea how much her life will change.

Dinner tastes better with leather

Erin LOVES playing with Todd's belts. She can't help it. They are all over the house. She likes to drape them around her neck, but she also just likes to drag them behind her.

One night at dinner, I couldn't get her to give it up. So dinner was spaghetti, with a side of belt.

Erin helps with laundry

Although the extent of Erin helping with laundry usually consists of unfolding everything I've already folded. I've finally learned that I need to do this in the bedroom, where she can't reach the bed. But, before then, she had a LOT of fun "helping." This time it was hanging out in the laundry basket.

The Dakota County Fair

This year, we decided to check out the Dakota County Fair. We'd never been before, and we though Erin might enjoy getting a little closer to the animals. However, we forgot the stroller, so she had to walk most of the time. She did have a great time, especially bending over to pick up rocks off the road and handing them to Todd.

The only animals we got to see were rabbits and cows. Todd took Erin in for a closer look at the cows, but though she strained to get to them from far away, she was quite scared up close.

Erin enjoyed her first fair food, eating a little bit of the breading on a corndog and french fries for dinner. We did get her a grilled cheese, but she wouldn't eat it. Ah well. It was the Fair. (I only hope she eats better at the state fair.)

Going to see the ducks

Shortly after Erin was born, Todd and I began to explore all the parks in town. There are way more cool ones that we ever knew. Last year, we went a few times to Crosstown Park, and it's got a cool pond with a long wooden deck that you can walk out over the water. There are lots of ducks, and Erin just loved watching them. I'm not sure if she's saying duck yet or not, but she did try to get at them!

The water cup

Erin has reached the point where she wants whatever we have to eat or drink. I do share my water with her sometimes, but she usually winds up wearing a lot more of the water than actually winds up in her mouth.

I've taken to only using plastic cups around the house, because Erin will still them. She'll pretend to drink from them, even when they're empty. It's hilarious, because it takes up her entire face.

got dip?

Erin learned how to dip this weekend. She hasn't quite got the concept down (veggies are more than just a way to scoop up dip!), but it certainly made for some cute pictures, as she double fisted it with red pepper and cucumbers. Yum!