The Waiting Game

We are trying to patiently wait for our new little lady to arrive. I will be induced on Wed. (Aug. 6th) if nothing has happened before then. Yes, I was somewhat prepared for this since Elsie was induced 11 days after her due date. I guess I just make too comfy of a home for these babies!

Each Erickson has done his/her share of nesting. Sören has cut down branches from trees, has the car seat installed, and done a fantastic job of putting up with a very uncomfortable wife. I have cleaned and organized drawers, diapers, clothes, and even prepared meals from Let’s Dish.
Big Sister Elsie has been practicing having a little sister by playing with her dolls. In the pictures below you’ll see how serious she is about her preparation. She laid out her babies on blankets and made sure they had plenty of toys to play with. Hopefully our next post will be to share pictures of the newest Erickson!

If Elsie Could Blog

Here's how I imagine Elsie repsonding to our latest summer fun photos...

I fed a giraffe and got up close to his HUGE purple tongue. I think this giraffe might like crackers more than I do. You can’t see me very well because my mom’s big belly is taking up most of the picture.

My parents took me to an all you can eat waffle breakfast, but who can eat waffles when there’s this delicious whipped cream to eat and spread all over my face.

Keeping Busy...

I’m at 37+ weeks in my pregnancy and trying to keep up with my busy toddler! Zoo trips, visits to the park, story time at the library…I’m trying to squeeze it all in before we are back into newborn mode for awhile! Here Elsie is getting messy with finger paint. This kept us busy for about 4 to 6 minutes and then Elsie was “all done mom” (she repeated this about 50 times). Of course the set up and clean up took much longer, which I’ve learned is usually the case when playing with Elsie.

Pool Time is the Best Time

Elsie is loving the water this summer. Here she is in her new swimsuit that is already a little too small. Maybe my ice cream habit isn’t a good thing to share with Elsie! But really, who needs a swimsuit when according to Elsie the best way to swim is “naked!”

Father’s Day Note…
Here’s the latest example of how Sören has happily embraced his role of being a father. He was pushing Elsie on the swing and her nose was having some serious booger issues. So, Sören used the inside of his t-shirt to wipe her nose as to not interrupt the good time on the swing. (sorry, no photo of shirt + Elsie’s mucus. you’ll just have to trust me on this one.)

"Watch This Mama"

“Watch this Mama” is just one of the new sentences Elsie has been using this week to get my attention. As you can see from the pictures she’s usually doing something I’d rather not watch her do when she says this. Climbing on the table, up onto her booster chair, over the couch…in general just climbing like crazy. This is something new for our typically cautious daughter.

Here are a few other things Elsie has learned to do this week..

* She kisses and hugs the slide good-bye when we leave the park.
* We made cookies and before we enjoyed our tasty treat she looked at me and said “cheers!” So we did cheers with our cookies.

After one week at home full-time with my toddler here are a few things I’ve learned…
· Always put the milk into the bowl first then the cereal. It took me a few mornings full of tears to figure this one out.
· There’s no limit to the amount of times I can read Knuffle Bunny to Elsie.

Mr. E Says End the Blog...

OK, so we (Anne) haven't done the greatest job keeping up-to-date posts, but I think ending the blog is a bit dramatic. So, in my quest to prove my husband wrong, I'm going to attempt to really get on board with this whole blog. I'm sure hundreds of people are breathing a sigh of relief.

Today marks the first day of my 15-month maternity leave. Yes, school's out for the summer and I'm taking next school year off to stay home with the new baby (due Aug. 1) and our crazy toddler. So I should have a little time to blog, right? Plus, if we end the blog we won't be able to share photos like this...Elsie eating breakfast with her sunglasses on, per her request.

Elsie's First Wedding

Uncle Clifford (Sören's brother) got married a few weekends ago. Attending a wedding was another first for Ms. Elsie. Luckily Elsie is obsessed with Cheerios and will sit through anything if these tasty treats are in front of her. So we enjoyed a lovely ceremony while munching on Cheerios, fish crackers, and fruit snacks.