Precious plumpness

Anika is filling out a bit and has plumpness in her face now. She still has long skinny legs but even they have a little sweet baby plump on them. Anika does not just spit up, she vomits in large volumes once or twice a day. There have been a couple of days that she kept everything down all day. I remember my brother Robbie being this way as a baby and he puked all over my mother daily. He grew up to be 6’7″, healthy and well. So I am not overly worried. We just feel so bad for sweet Anika during her vomiting moments!

I snapped these pictures yesterday after her bath.

And these pictures I took minutes ago as I sit on a lovely morning in the living room. Nathan got up with our early riser Elizabeth, made me his famous weekend breakfast and coffee. Two over easy eggs, two pieces of wheat toast, hot rich coffee and a glass of orange juice. Any weekend morning that we are home my husband makes this breakfast for me while I snooze for a few more minutes.
Anika and I are soon going on a morning walk. Elissa is outside already helping her daddy get organized to install an irrigation system for our tree rows.

Our question of the weekend is…to buy an all wheel drive mini van or a four wheel drive large suv for me to drive. My husband is a vehicle guy. He loves the details and specs of most any motorized machine including cars, pick ups, trucks, snowmobiles, boats, etc. He detests the thought of a mini van as do I. No excitement, no flare but…practical for families. I do not care much about specs of motor vehicles. I am in marketing and advertising. Let’s be honest. I care about brands and image much more than specifics of an engine or the towing capacity of the vehicle I drive. A mini van equals that “soccer mom” image which is never what I have been going for in life. A new vehicle is needed because of space. And, I cannot get out of my snowy drive way with out all wheel or four wheel drive. Plus my 90 mile one way commute to the airport in winter weather is scary at times. So a large SUV seems like the answer. Gas guzzler but right for our family. Third row seat for our growing son, middle captain chairs for two car seats, plenty of cargo space for road trips. But my dear practical father who has owned a mini van since they were invented said I should look at a AWD mini van. More fuel efficient and a lot more affordable. A button that opens both doors, another button to open and close the hatch. Easy for kids. Not the 1984 Plymouth Voyager…tan with wood on the side that was our original family mini van and THE ORIGINAL mini van period (and which I incidentally totaled in my first ever car ACCIDENT in 1994…sorry Mom and Dad). I need something more stylish, please please please. Well, it is a Toyota Sienna, the only AWD mini van now on the market. I prefer a loaded Toyota Sequoia (large SUV) but practicality is weighing in now. Brands and image are fading. The large SUV most practical option would a FORD Expedition…for many reasons I won’t detail for you now. But, yes my husband is really wavering. He is breaking down as am I. Fords and mini vans. Two things Nathan has never and would have never considered purchasing until…marriage and children! He even admitted in laughter but truth that indeed a mini van is practical. But the debate continues…and may for a couple months until a purchase is finally made. Gone are my dreams of driving an Audi A8. Reality is setting in…mini van or gas guzzler American made SUV. Bought locally from our local dealership. Buying American, buying local, being practical…that’s us. Yes I know my father is chuckling.