Ingrid is Four!

Ingrid turned four on Saturday.  We had a crazy hot day for the middle of May, but we had fun.  One grandma got a kiddie pool, the other got a sandbox, we had an EZ-up for the oldies to sit in the shade, and used a sheet on the clothesline to make a tent for more shade.  It was crazy hot, we even ended up having to come inside to get away from the sun, something that doesn't happen that often in Wisconsin!

Last year we went all themey, with rainbows and gnomes and toadstools, but this year I'm going easy.  I told Ingrid to pick a couple colors and I figured we'd make a bunting for the table and get matching balloons, maybe some matching candles.  I have decided that it was fun to do once, but I am just not a good themed party thrower.  I don't think anyone actually took home my goodie bags and I ended up with a million rainbow crayons and mushroom spinning tops in my house...So, this year was a simple neopolitan theme.  I made a simple brown and pink felt bunting, got some pink and white balloons, and asked our friend Carole to make another amazing cake.  She did not disappoint!!

 We also had neopolitan ice cream.  The kids ran around in the sprinkler, splashed in the pool, and played in the sandbox.  It was super fun, totally summery, and Ingrid had a great time!  So did Otis.  He absolutely loves the sandbox!  He sat in there for an hour, just digging and pouring sand from bucket to bucket.  I see a very laid back summer spent in our backyard!

In non-birthday news, my mom and I planted a garden this weekend, too.  We have raspberries, blueberries, zuchinni, lettuce, carrots, green beans, and strawberries.  So excited to see how things turn out!  It's my first time planting food plants, so we'll see.  And in completely other news, I am still in shock after finding out one of my close friends is having TWINS!!  She never had a dating ultrasound, just heard a heartbeat, went about her first few months preparing for a new baby.  Then today at her ultrasound the tech said "Here's baby number one, and here's baby number two."  Wait, what huh?  If I'm in this much shock, I can't even imagine what she's going through!!!  I am super happy and excited for them, though.  I know it's going to be crazy and hectic and I hope that I can help her out when she needs it.  Jeez louise, twins.  With a two year old ready to help out :)  Crazy.

My Due Date

My due date was yesterday.  It was very strange to think about going through the whole labor and delivery thing and just meeting Otis only yesterday!  It was very strange to think about having all seven or so squirmy pounds of him still inside!  I'm pretty glad we had him early, we got to have an extra six weeks with him.

Today we got some things at the consignment shop, and check out what I found--a little baptism outfit in perfect condition!!  The tag looks vintagey, too, but I don't know, it's so white and crisp, it can't be that old.  I think it will be adorable when we finally get around to having Otis' baptism!

Holy Crap, I Have Two Kids!

Yep, I have two kids.  It hit me yesterday when I told a friend I was chatting with that I had to go get "the kids" ready for their baths.  The kids.  Not just Ingrid, the kids.  Wow.

I love it!  Yesterday I was a complete multitasker, nursing Otis in my arms while sweeping up a mess Ingrid had made.  And the picture above is from story time before putting the kids to bed.  Every day seems to get easier, and I'm happier than I ever could have imagined.

Before we decided on having another baby, I worried a lot about what that would mean for Ingrid.  Would she get enough attention?  Would she feel left out?  Would that take away certain opportunities for her?  And now I know, the girl gets plenty of attention, she doesn't feel left out because we include her in everything, and yes, she's going to miss out on some opportunities, but the new family dynamic seems so worth it.  We may not get to travel when and where we would without another baby, but we only travel twice a year, the rest of the year we're at home.  And our home life is so much more amazing with Otis in it!

When I had Ingrid I was bound and determined not to have another.  I got rid of all her baby stuff as soon as she was out of it.  I dreamed of when she'd get bigger and we could travel all over with her and show her the world.  I never ever ever wanted to be pregnant again.  And now here I am, a month out of having a crazy ride having number two, and I'm already thinking I'm not done having kids.  WTF?? 

Brendan says I can't because I'm a bitch when I'm pregnant, and I agree.  Pregnancy is not my forte.  But motherhood IS, so unless we adopt, which isn't out of the picture, I have to get knocked up one more time to have one more babe.  Only one more time, honey, I swear!   Who can blame me, my kids are great, why wouldn't I want another one?

Welcome, Otis!

He's here!! 

He was born Thursday December 16, 2010 at 5:48pm.  He was 33 weeks 4 days and weighs in at 4lbs 14 oz, 17 inches long.  Those are his stats, here's my story.

Wednesday I woke up having contractions.  They went on and off all day long, and when I woke up Thursday they were back.  When they checked me on Wednesday I was 2cm, when they checked on Thursday morning I was 4cm.  So...I was making progress but nothing was regular so they decided to give me a little pitocin to get things moving, much like what happened with Ingrid.  I started Pitocin at 8:30am and then my contractions...stopped.  They didn't really pick up again until after eleven.  I handled them pretty well with breathing, but because I was strapped down to the bed with all kinds of monitors I couldn't get comfortable.  I kinda hate the clinical setting of a high risk labor and delivery floor.

Then things really picked up and it started to HURT, so I opted to get an epidural.  Ahhh, bliss.  The relief from all that pain is really great, and I wish I could be all excited to not take drugs and stuff, but I'm not.  I liked both my epidurals!  Things got kind of crazy, Otis' heartbeat was irregular, they thought he probably had his cord around his neck (which he did) so they made me lie on my side.  I ended up with an IV of pitocin, my epidural, a blood pressure cuff on constantly, the pulse/ox thing on my finger, and monitors on my belly.  I jokingly said ahh, what else could I possibly have on me?  Then I found out--an internal monitor on Otis' scalp, a tube into the uterus to pump fluid since it was so low and they thought maybe the cord was being compressed, a catheter, and finally, an oxygen mask.  Oh my god, it was the most clinical hospital birth, the most opposite of what I had thought of having this time around! 

But everything went well and after a few hours I was feeling pressure, they checked me, I was 10cm, and I got rolled back to the OR.  Again, totally clinical!!  I had four male doctors down there (it's a teaching hospital so I always had four or five doctors in different phases of their schooling...) and two pregnant nurses by my side, and some doctors from the NICU, and finally Brendan.  He said he counted 12 people in the room.  So here I am sitting spread eagle in the stirrups having a baby and people kept coming in and out of the OR, the door to the hallway was open, it was definitely not a place for a modest person!  With three contractions I pushed that little guy out.

He did great right away.  No problems with breathing, he pinked up right away, and he was almost five pounds.  I got to have some skin to skin contact before they whisked him away to the NICU, which was more than I thought I'd get, so I was happy.

Once Otis was gone off to the NICU to warm up and get cozy, my fun started.  My placenta refused to come down so they had to manually remove it.  IT HURT.  People pushing down on my uterus, with hands up to my uterus trying to grab it.  Oh my god, and did I mention that because I had to lay on my side for Otis' heartbeat my epidural stopped working on one side?  And of course that's the side the placenta was on so I felt every single freakin' thing.  I'm more sore from that than I am from actually giving birth...Finally they got it to come out, and I got to go back to my room and relax and be totally amazed that I had just given birth to a little boy that I hadn't planned on meeting for six more weeks!

He is doing great.  Breathing's good, he gets his bloodwork tomorrow and will probably have to be under the blue lights for jaundice.  He has latched on and I got to give him my colostrum I'd pumped, but now there's nothing there.  I pump and pump and nothing.  Two drops maybe.  They tell me it's normal but it's hard to see empty bottles after pumping...Once he gains some weight and learns how to eat properly he can come home.  Until then, we visit in the NICU and spend as much time with him as we can. 

Ingrid got to meet him today:

She was excited to go see him, and then five seconds after we were in there, she wanted to leave.  We'll see how well she does over the next few days!  I'm home now so we'll be back and forth to the hospital but I won't have to sleep in an uncomfortable hospital bed anymore, yay!!  And pretty soon we'll be all together as a family and the real fun will begin :)

Baby Time.

Yesterday I started having contractions and was dilated to 2cm.  However, the contractions kept coming and going so they decided to put me on a little pitocin to make things a little more regular.  I'm at 4cm now and just started the pit.  So wish us luck today!!  Otis will be here soon!

Asking for Help

I'm almost there!  It's been over two weeks and the doctors are all set to induce me on Sunday, a mere five days away!  My stay in the hospital is almost done!

This week has been a bit crazy to figure out.  My mom, bless her heart, has watched Ingrid for the first two weeks but she needed a break.  So she went home and we called friends to see who could watch Ingrid during the day while Brendan works.  She went to her little buddy Ben's yesterday and today, and I felt bad about it the whole day yesterday!  It's hard for me to ask for help and then accept it.  And like I've said before, we never leave Ingrid with anyone but my mom, so I was nervous about how she'd be for a full day away from mom and dad.

She was fine, or so I hear.  She napped and played and was exhausted when she got home and went straight to bed.  Tomorrow and Thursday she's going with two other friends for the day.  All of these women are mothers that I trust, I've known them for two years now.  So why is it so hard for me, why do I think Ingrid's going to have a hard time??

I used to be a nanny, for god's sake, I know kids just get used to their surroundings, they manage to make it even if it's different.  Sure, they might miss mom or dad throughout the day but only fleetingly, then they forget about it and go play with toys that are new to them.  And Ingrid's a pretty strong little kid, I'm sure she's fine.  So why is my mind going to the worst case scenario of her looking all forlorn and wondering where her old life went to?

Maybe because that's what I'm feeling...where did my old life go?  Where I'd get up and make coffee and we'd play and do laundry and sew?  Instead of temp checks and blood pressure cuffs and listening to baby on the monitor and having doctors come in to ask if I'm having any troubles...I am feeling like a forlorn kid with her blankie wondering where her husband and daughter are.  I miss my life.

But the end is nigh.  Otis will be here before you know it, and I'll get to go home and then I'll be missing the naps and food delivered to me.  So I'll stop whining now.  And just be thankful for great friends that are helping me out when they certainly don't have to!!  Thanks guys!

32 Weeks, 5 Days

Yes, folks, I have made it to almost 33 weeks!!  And I'm still here in the hospital.  I have been reading, eating, sleeping, and watching TV.  Brendan usually visits for lunch and my mom has been bringing Ingrid over in the afternoon, so I'm feeling good.  I have made approximately 509 felt garlands (give or take 500) and my blanket is covered in tiny felt scraps and crumbs from when Ingrid comes to visit.

Otis is doing so well, his heart rate is where it's supposed to be, he moves a lot, and the little stinker is showing a personality--every single time they put the monitor on he kicks it off.  My 5:30 am non-stress tests are so fun because he refuses to be caught on the monitor so it's a constant struggle to get him to stay in one place long enough for them to get a good look at his heart tones.  I am so excited to meet him!!

Last night on one of the hospital TV channels they had a very outdated but informative video of what it's like in the NICU.  They showed a teeny baby that had to have been super early and only 2lbs or so.  It made me thankful that I am past that really scary stage and the doctors feel Otis will be big and strong enough to make the transition from womb to real life without a lot of problems.  I sure hope so! 

The plan as of now is that a week from Sunday, when I'm 34 weeks, I will be induced.  Which means we'll have a December 19/20 baby instead of a January 30 baby.  Little guy wanted to make sure he was here for Christmas and that we got our tax break this year instead of next!  Thanks, Otis. 

I am a bit worried about Ingrid's reaction to everything.  She seems fine but yesterday when she was visiting she had a little episode.  She stomped on my feet, I told her it hurt, asked her to apologize.  She did, then went directly to my mom and stomped on her feet, looking at me the whole time like "what're you gonna do about it, mom??"  I  tried to talk to her and make her sit on the chair and she just wouldn't listen and kept giving me these sly little looks of hers.  Totally acting out, letting me know she is NOT happy with how things are going right now and how disrupted her life has been.  It breaks my heart knowing she's going through something no one can control, but luckily she's young and won't remember this in a few months.  We'll get through it!

So that's that.  Another week in the hospital and then hopefully I can break out of here to be home for Christmas. 

Keeping Busy

Day five.  Things are good.  Not much new.  I'm bored.  I'm feeling lucky nothing major is going on and Otis is staying in.  I'm trying to get the doctors to let me go home to do bedrest.  I've heard different things but maybe they'll let me since I'm stable and have a couple weeks to go.  That would be awesome, as my shower this morning was about 2 seconds long since I couldn't get any hot water AT ALL.  Blah.

But...I'm keeping busy making felt garlands in my bed.  I had two reorders, people that liked them so much they needed another!  And since I have time on my hands I tried a star shaped garland, it turned out so cute.  Brendan said you cut those all out by hand?  And sewed them by hand?  How do you have the patience??  Isn't it funny how we each have our own things we love to do--I found it very calming and relaxing to do that last night as I watched TV.

I've also got some books, I'm reading Friday Night Knitting Club right now and it's keeping my attention.  Any other books that are light and not depressing or hard to read would be nice.  I only have a VCR in my room so I have to send Brendan to the library to see if he can find the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice on VHS.  Hello, Colin Firth, you can take up some of my time :)

That's about it.  We're hanging in there and keeping Otis growing and hoping to make it to 34 weeks.  The midwife told me today if we do make it to 34 wks we may be able to have a midwife deliver and not have to switch to the doctors.  Yay!  That would be great. 

An Update!

Otis is measuring in at 3.75 lbs and is still here in my belly.  I am off monitors for now, but I have to wear these crazy air pressure leg coverings that help ensure I don't get blood clots.  I woke up at 4:30am with contractions and had to have yet another ultrasound to make sure if I did go into labor, Otis was still head down.  Good boy, he is. 

I'm actually not freaking out, which is good.  I miss Ingrid (she's with gramma) and it's strange to see Brendan for short bursts of time before and after work, but I'm staying sane.  Ish.  I'm enjoying being taken care of, actually.  People are always asking me what they can get for me, I get to order room service meals whenever I want, and they have THE BEST chocolate layer cake here!!  I'll be gaining enough weight to get Otis up to five lbs before he's born :)

Thanks for the comments, it really makes my day.  I'm stuck here with no connection to the outside world until Brendan comes to visit with his computer, so it's nice to hear friendly things when I finally to get to connect. 

Change of Plans

Well, Otis is causing more ruckus...I woke up at 2am leaking.  TMI, sorry, but I was!  I waited to see if it really was my water breaking and sure enough, I soaked myself again.  The midwives told me to come right in, so at 2:30am we dragged Ingrid out of bed and brought her with us to the hospital.  She and Brendan only stayed for a bit, then went home until my mom could make it over to take over wee one duty. 

I'm exactly 31 weeks today, so it's not horrible but they'd like him to stay in for three more weeks.  Three weeks of me being on bedrest in the hospital.  Three weeks of me sitting around a hospital room with a view of a brick wall, no joke.  Three weeks of NOT SEWING!  I don't want Otis to be too early, but I also would not like to spend three weeks here.

I'm hooked up to monitors and he's doing fine, heart rate is good, they gave me meds to calm down the contractions.  It's wait and see.  My whole life is wait and see.  Like once he's born he's going in the NICU and we'll wait and see how he does.  He'll have to stay for awhile, and in the meantime Brendan's going to hear about job offers.  So we'll be planning a move, dealing with a preemie, and a 2 1/2 yr old.  Sounds fun, right?? 

Keep us in your thoughts, we'll be here. 

So Busy. So Tired.

Yep, I've been busy.  I got a bee in my bonnet to make a lot of stuff for the etsy shop, so I have been working on burp cloths and cloth wipes like no one's business.  And I made a couple baby quilts. 

Ingrid has been a huge helper.  She keeps asking to sew with me, which means she wants to throw away my scraps.  Seriously, it kept her occupied for a half hour the other day!  I pink the edges of the cloth wipes and she throws each piece away seperately.  And giggles the whole time. 

We have also done a lot of raking.  And baking.  And being into the fall weather.  And snotting everywhere (she was sick, mine is just damn allergies that will not go away even with medicine I'm not even sure I'm supposed to take while being pregnant...)  And giving the state of Michigan massive amounts of money for expired license plates.  And watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, which is less annoying than I thought it would be.  And looking through catalogs that have come in the mail (wow, American Girl dolls are expensive!!!)  And playing with these Max and Ruby paper doll cutouts (those were a huge hit!)  Just being mellow and keeping busy.

Oh, and being tired because I'm 26 weeks along and Otis is karate chopping me throughout the night.  And when I do fall asleep, Ingrid wakes up screaming for mama to come put her blanket on.  For a little one that has to do everything by herself you'd think she could manage to put her damn blanket back on herself at 2am.  Good thing she's so cute:

These cute Toughskin overalls courtesy of Heather over at 3RingCircus.  Cutest vintage stuff ever!!

A Day Outside, a Day Inside.

Yesterday Ingrid and I had the best day.  We went to the park and brought lots of snacks so we could stay for however long we wanted, we ate lunch outside, I even folded laundry outside while Ingrid was off in the trees in her own little world.  It was crisp and cool and sunny, totally fallish.

Then today we woke up to rain.  I'm not necessarily against going out in the rain, but it makes it way harder for me to get the motivation to do anything outside.  Luckily Brendan had it in his head that he was going to take the car in to get new brakes, and he was going to take Ingrid.  You can tell he doesn't have to run errands with her very often because he thinks of it as an adventure rather than a chore.  Bless him.

So, while they were out, I put on some music and started cutting up the new fat quarter bundle I got for half off at Joann's the other day.  I have always wanted to buy one but it was the first time I ever have.  I just love how they match up the colors and all the prints go together nicely.  I looked at the LOTUS BRICK PATH pattern on the Amy Butler site and made my own version.  It turned out really cute, and it's backed in pale green fleece so it's super comfy! 

I was going to make this for another pregnant friend but I got selfish.  I just couldn't stop looking at it, I loved it so much!!  So it's for Otis.  The first thing I have made for him.  I made Ingrid a quilt when I was pregnant for her, too, but I wasn't nearly as good at sewing as I am now, so it's kinda crappy.  Oh well, she's got other blankets I've made, and it's a nice keepsake for her.

I also watched the movie Babies today.  How cute!  It was really good, and Ingrid liked to watch it with me for awhile.  I'm very thankful I don't live in Nairobi, where they wipe their baby's poo on their bare knee and then rub it off with a corn cob...Anyway, both good days, one out and one in.

Fitting Picture

I took this with the timer on my camera this morning and it just makes me laugh.  Ingrid is usually nothing more than a blur in our lives!!  I'm almost 23 weeks and there's definitely a baby in there!  He's been rolling and kicking a lot and I always smile and say "Hi, Otis!" when it first starts.  Then I tell him to quit jumping on my bladder and I go pee again for the fourth time in an hour...

Otis's First Photo Shoot

Well, folks, the day is here.  We had our ultrasound this morning, and after a hellish 40 minutes to go 2 miles (seriously, people, we are in a small town in MI, not Manhattan...) we made it to the clinic and got going.  We got some nice pictures this time:

And our favorite one of all!

It's a BOY!  I'm so excited, it's what I wanted (other than a healthy baby of course!!) and now Ingrid will have her little brother.  And I won't have to come up with another girl name, whew!  We were getting nowhere with that one.

A boy!  I'm so geeked!

So Much the Same...

I just found an old journal from when I was pregnant with Ingrid.  I wanted to see when I had hit little milestones with her, like feeling her move, getting into maternity clothes, etc.  Everything is pretty much right the same.  Even job situations with Brendan and the unknown of where we'll be when this baby is born is the same as with Ingrid!

When I was pregnant with her, Brendan was finishing up his phd and it kept taking longer than he'd thought.  He was applying to positions and we just didn't know where we'd be.  He ended up staying an extra semester and we moved in with his parents.  Then we moved here to MI.  Now, he's just finishing up his fellowship, he's looking for positions all over the country, and we have no idea where we'll be when this baby comes!  How on earth did we plan two children to come at such stressful unknown times?  Are we really that stupid?

I just have to laugh because it all did work out with Ingrid.  We had her, we had a roof over our head, Brendan got a job, we moved.  It will all work out with this bub, too.  In a year I'll look back and think ahh, remember how silly all that worrying was?  Of course it would all work out!

On another note, with Ingrid I always called the baby a her and she even before we knew the gender.  Saying he or him didn't feel right.  It's the complete opposite this time around, it's a he, a him, a little brother.  Otis.  So we'll see next Wednesday if I have amazing motherly instincts or I'm full of crap :)

An Update

Things are going well around here.  Ingrid and I have gotten back into a nice rhythm again, having fun together and getting along instead of me yelling and her throwing tantrums.  They're still there, but much much less than in the past couple months!  Our days are so nice and mellow, I honestly feel so lucky to have this be my life.  We get up and eat a little here and there all morning, lounge in our pjs and color, play with play dough, play with her Fisher Price guys.  We get dressed and go to the park or to the store, we go to the library, we play some more. 

Naps are a thing of the past, I don't even try to have her rest anymore.  She just wouldn't do it, and instead of fighting her and getting pissed off every afternoon, I just put her in the rocking chair with her blanket and let her watch TV while I pass out on the couch.  And I refuse to feel guilty about it.  There is a part of me that wishes we were a family with no TV, or even watching less, but we are not that family.  We all like to just sit and veg sometimes.  And sometimes we don't.  We all like to read and learn things, too, so I'm not going to feel bad about the time we do spend watching TV.

I had my 16 week midwife appointment and am loving the office I go to.  We've met with three different midwives so far and I like each one.  The visits are so short and they are so not worried about anything that it puts me at ease.  I don't have to give a urine sample at each visit like I did at my last doctor, and they never ever question me if I decide against a test.  I hate when I have made a decision not to do something and the doctor questions me why.  Just coz, 'kay??  It's really nice to just go in and listen to a heartbeat and have them measure my uterus.  Even after the bleeding scare at 11 weeks they aren't too concerned, which is nice.  I don't want to be made to feel like I have to put my life on hold because I'm pregnant, or like I have to worry about every little thing.  It's awesome because I remember the doctor last time always saying be sure to stay away from XYZ, it's bad for you while you're pregnant.  Making me feel like if I ate a tunafish sandwich I'd be harming my baby beyond belief.  This time around it's "don't eat a pound of salami in one sitting and you should be okay."

We have our next ultrasound in two weeks, at which we hope to find out the gender.  We did with Ingrid and I loved it.  She was Ingrid within a week of finding out it was a girl.  When she was born we welcomed her into our lives but we already knew her, does that make sense?  We have a boy name picked out--Otis, after my greatgrandpa (really we just liked the name and then my mom told me it was my GG's and I thought oh, cool!)  But just like last time we have NO girl names!!  Any suggestions?  I'm not fretting too much now, as we may not even need one (something is making me think this is a boy.)  But any suggestions to go with Ingrid would be appreciated!

So there's that.  Life is good and simple and lovely around these parts.  As it should be.

Summery Weekend, and a Scare

There was a carnival across the street from us this weekend so we took Ingrid over after dinner Friday night.  It was a typical carnival--lots of rides that went in circles and would make me puke even if I weren't pregnant, overpriced fatty foods, and trashy people.  But this time going was fun because Ingrid is big enough for rides!  She loved the little train, and tried the boats but was no impressed.  I remember loving those kinds of rides when I was a kid!

Ingrid also got to wash the car with Daddy yesterday.  Silly me forgets as long as you have a hose at your house you can wash your own car--I always do the drive through ones.  She had so much fun using the hose and having her own special rag to help Daddy. 

The scare was that I ended up in the ER last night.  Again.  I should get frequent flier miles there!!  I have had some bleeding, but they took an ultrasound and I saw a healthy 176/minute heartbeat and saw a little peanut in there, moving and kicking and looking healthy.  I'm supposed to rest all this week and not exert myself and I have a follow up appointment with my midwife tomorrow.  I was scared until I saw that heartbeat--it made me feel tons better!  Keep your fingers crossed for me this baby stays put and continues to grow and thrive!

Sprinklers and Cupcakes

The other day it was hot hot hot out.  We headed over to a friend's house and spent some time in our underwear.  Okay, not me, but oh how I wish I could be as free as a kid on hot days!  I wasn't sure how Ingrid would like the sprinkler since at splash pads she doesn't really like the water spraying in her face.  But Jami put the water on low enough that I think Ingrid felt okay.  She loved it!! 

I may have to go buy a sprinkler for her.  To add to the slide, kiddie pool, and sandbox in our tiny backyard!

Yesterday we went to get groceries.  This is a tricky thing now that I'm pregnant.  On the one hand the thought of food can make me sick.  So making a menu for dinners is hard.  On the other hand, anything and everything else that catches my eye could be the ONE THING I cannot live without and just have to shove in my face.  So wandering down the aisles I usually come away with some things I normally wouldn't buy.  The other day it was ham salad.  For those not in the know--ham or bologna diced up with pickles or olives and mixed with mayo.  Totally disgusting and yet I totally could not live without it.  Last week.  This week it's totally disgusting again.

Anyway, yesterday it was cupcakes.  We walked through the bakery and wouldn't you know, they had day old cupcakes in a neat little two pack, just the perfect size for a mom and her daughter!  We ate them when we got home.  I'd like to think I was a bit neater than Ingrid was.

And did you notice the swollen eye?  That was from being out in the sprinklers--tons of bugbites and all swollen ridiculously.  Poor kid.