The weekend in pictures...

This weekend, the whole family got dressed up to go to an 11 a.m. wedding.
(People with multiple children will know what kind of preparation that entails.)

But we did a terrible job taking into account the fact that Saturday was also the frikkin' Baltimore Marathon. So we were literally thwarted at every turn by roads closures and runners. Literally.

Thankfully, we were in two cars, so eventually, Lester just went on to the wedding himself and the rest of us turned around, went to the Red Canoe and had a muffin. All dressed up and slightly irritated, yes. But then... pumpkin muffins! Holla!

The boys looked sooo handsome in their button-up shirts and sweaters. Too bad they were covered in muffin 5 minutes later. Also, these heels were killing me! Ugh!

Lester said the wedding was really authentic and beautiful and it made him a little sentimental. This is the text message he sent from the reception:

Awwwww!

Later, Matty-Matt came to visit!

Of course, I had JUST put Clair and the boys down for a nap. So Clair missed her BFF. But at least that meant I got to have Matty all to myself!! He's AWESOME.

Matthew brought his Mom and Dad, too. And his big brother Russy, who absolutely loved, loved, loved Sara!

Russy and Sara ran and played non-stop. Do you hear me? Non-stop.

Russy played with the cat so much and so hard, as soon as he left, this happened:

Now I know what I have to do to get Sara to chill the eff out. Get a 5-year-old!

 A
nd still later, we all went to a playdate at Stacey's house. It was a ton of fun and noise and baked ziti and apple pie and ice cream. We loved every minute of it (except for the minutes when Cary was crying and Dean was screaming. But other than that...)

Kelly and Clair (who was starting to get sick, I think.) Also, Clair has no idea but she is sitting next to her future husband!

My friend Kelly came to the playdate with my sweetie-pie Naomi, and when it was time to leave, this happened. Unprompted. And repeatedly.

Check out Dean's form. Some things can't be taught, people.

We have always said that these two are betrothed. From the womb, we have said this. And Dean just keeps proving that we were right. Check out this photo from August, 2011. I think this might also have been unprompted. But even if it wasn't, you see who responded to a directive to "Give Naomi a kiss," and who just stared into space.

Why does Naomi always have the same face when Dean rolls up for a smooch?

Saturday night, Clair got sick. She had already been a bit snotty -- as are all the rest of us -- but overnight, she got so bad she couldn't sleep, and we had to suction her out at 4 a.m. FUN!

All day Sunday, she was miserable and barely napped. I felt sure she'd sleep at night, because she was so tired at dinner, she fell asleep in her highchair! (This would never have happened with C&D. They never slept anywhere but their beds. Ever.)

But she was so phleghmy and snuffly and coughing and hacking all night, she couldn't sleep. Even when I brought her in our bed, she was slightly happier because she got to lie on me and be comforted, but she literally kept us up just about the whole night. MORE FUN!

Lester stayed home with her today because I am super-swamped at work. I felt so bad leaving my poor sick baby. This is pretty much what she looked like when I left.

Finally, finally getting a little bit of rest, poor thing.

But later this morning, Lester sent this picture of her all cleaned and dressed and I feel much better that she feels much better! (Hooray for smartphones!)

Such a happy baby girl -- even when sick!

Now, let's see how tonight goes.  (Anyone want to invent some Baby Sudafed+Ambien? I'll be your first investor.)

Updates, updates, updates

Here's what's been happening in the world of the Davises lately:

I've been out and about like an adult!

First, Lester and I went to the Green School Gala, an annual fundraiser for the charter school of which I'm on the board. The Gala was tons of fun (read: drinking! dancing! free food!) and thanks to my lovely friend Stacey, we didn't even have to pay a babysitter! Thanks so much, Stacey!! You are awesome!

There was also a silent auction. Somehow, my wine-stoked competitive streak latched on to a photo of the Domino Sugar sign, a Baltimore landmark. I demanded Lester be "aggressive" about winning it, and darnit if he didn't take me up on it. We won the frikkin' thing, and I don't even want to say how much we bid on it, especially considering this is the Year of Austerity. Good grief. Remind me never to participate in a silent auction when there is also wine involved.

But -- the gala raised $15,000 for the school, so I guess it was for a good cause. And it's tax deductible. And we have this pretty cool picture:

Also, I got to get dressed up, in a dress and heels and everything! (Post-pregnancy illusion of thinness courtesy of the 5 S's: Stand up straight, Suck it in, Spanx, Spanx, Spanx.)

Saturday, I also went out for dinner and drinks with my fabulous friend BETH!

We went to an undisclosed Italian restaurant where we just might have been on Candid Camera, where the sorta-hot, possibly under-aged bartender just might have been married to a transvestite tramp, and where our pen to sign the credit card statement just might have been some sort of ancient Irish phallic symbol. Other than those curiosities, we had a really great time talking and laughing and not having to share our meals with tiny people!

Speaking of tiny people, I also took the boys out for some Saturday morning yard-sale shopping, soccer-game watching, park-playing and Red Canoe-visiting.

I love the fact that they have all kinds of things for kids to play with at the Red Canoe, especially books!

There were no meltdowns worth mentioning during said outing, I bought lunch for everyone instead of fixing it myself, and my boys and Clair all conked out for three hours after we got home, allowing me to listen to This American Life and take a nap on the sofa, too. Yes, it was a great weekend!

Speaking of Clair, she has discovered her hand -- and it apparently is quite delicious! (This photo cracks me up):

And... at 10 weeks and some change, she's still super-cute! See?

Meanwhile, in other news:

Remember the potty excitement? Me, hollering "Poop!! Poop!"  And being giddy?
Yeah. Well. Here's what has come of the potties:

 Stepstools.

Or sometimes...seats.

No pooping. No peeing. No nothin'... Oh well. I knew this was going to be a long haul.

And here's the latest on the maternity leave checklist:

• Finish sending out thank-you cards to friends
• Organize and clean out my basement Starts tomorrow!
• Swap out winter and spring/summer clothes
• Figure out what to do with maternity clothes (consignment? Freecycle? Give to a friend?)
• Frame (and/or re-frame) photos; hang them in the house Started this project.
• Find an aesthetically-pleasing (or if not, then cheap and easy) way to organize the boys' books in the living room play area
• Take my bedroom comforter to the Laundromat to wash
• Take my Christmas tablecloth to the dry cleaners (yes, I still have not done that and it's April. And what?)
• Take some things back to Macy's/Target
• Get a pedicure
• Get my eyebrows done
• Go to the Dominicans and get my hair done  
• (This item and the previous two are all part of Operation Bring the Sexy Back.  New spring/summer clothes are also a part of that mission, but only after this baby belly has gone the way of the wooly mammoth.) I bought a few things, but nothing compared to what's coming when my gut is gone. Lester, be prepared for the spending spree, sweetie.
• Go visit friends with Clair, or the boys, or all 3 (Kelly, in particular)
• Go visit friends all alone! Preferably where a meal and cocktails are present (Angel, Kelly, Beth, Stacey) Beth- check; Stacey and Kelly -- next week or the following week, for sure!
• Go visit Granddad
• Have lunch with Lester during the work week
• Go out with Lester on a real grown-up date Went to the Green School Gala. Michelle will babysit on May 4, so we're going out again. Yay!
• Take my Dad out for lunch again, this time with Tahira since she missed it last time
• Get Clair on a predictable eating and sleeping schedule Getting there, somewhat.
• Get Clair sleeping in her own bed Yeah, right.
• Wean the boys from their nighttime bottle Down to 3 ounces a night.
• Get on the pill Picked up my prescription. Gotta wait for Aunt Flo to show before I can start taking them.
• Get on the pill! Where is Aunt Flo?
• Get ON THE PILL! Seriously, where the HECK is Aunt Flo?
• Make an appointment with my primary care doctor to get my sugars tested Called and he said call back in 3 weeks, because they need a certain amount of time to have passed after delivery to get a true reading.
• Plan and have the boys' 2nd birthday party. Now I don't know if we're having a party. I keep going back and forth. Will keep you posted. 

 That's it for updates for now. Tomorrow is Clair's doctor's appointment, so I'll report back about that. I'm also starting my basement project tomorrow, so if anyone has a trained canary to send after me, please get it ready. It just might come in handy. Ugh!