What should we name the baby?

We have had trouble coming up with the right name for the baby that is about to arrive. Arya, however, has had no trouble at all. At the beginning of February, we were talking about name options, and Arya said, "I think a good name for the baby would be Walden. Walden is a good name and it is a boy's name." She's pretty much settled on that name ever since. (In case you're wondering where "Walden" came from, no it isn't a reference to Henry David Thoreau's famous book. It is a reference to a character on the cartoon Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! She doesn't even get to watch that cartoon very often, but apparently the name of the silly scientist on the show has made an impression on her!!)

Getting ready for a new baby...

Arya is getting very excited about the upcoming arrival of her baby brother. She likes to curl up next to me and talk to my belly to say hi to him. She'll often say something along these lines, "Hi, baby! I'm your big sister, Arya! I love you! I can't wait to meet you! I think you will like the Dumbo ride at Disney World!" That last part cracks me up, and it is something that she tells the baby quite frequently!!

Arya has liked hearing the story about when she was born. The story of her birth that I tell her goes something like this: Before you were born, you grew in Mommy's tummy. We waited and waited as you got bigger and bigger and bigger and my tummy got bigger and bigger and bigger! (This is a phrase from the book, God Gave Us You, which she likes to read.) When it was time for you to be born, Daddy and I went to the hospital and we spent the night. The next morning, the doctor told us you would be coming that day!! Everyone was so excited! We waited for you all day long and then you were born! So many people that love you came to meet you (I then tell her everyone who came to see her that day). They were all so happy that you had arrived! (Wow! What an easy birth, right?!!)

Well, we've also talked to Arya about what will happen when her baby brother is born. She knows that Mommy and Daddy will go to the hospital and that she will get to stay with Grandma or Aunt Sara and Uncle Landon. Then, after the baby is born, Grandma or Aunt Sara and Uncle Landon will bring her to the hospital and she'll get to see Mommy and Daddy and meet her new baby brother!

The other night, I was cooking dinner when Rajeev and Arya came into the kitchen. Rajeev looked at me and said, "Arya has a question for you!" They had evidently just had the following conversation:

Arya: When the baby is born, will Mommy's tummy break?
Rajeev: No, Arya, the doctor will be there to help. Don't worry, Mommy's tummy won't break!
Arya: (laughing) But Daddy, Mommy doesn't have a hole in her tummy!! How will the baby get out??!
(That's when Rajeev turned to me for some sort of great age-appropriate explanation!)
Me: Well, Arya, the doctor will help the baby be born and Mommy's tummy will be just fine!! It won't break! You don't need to worry!

Fortunately, that seemed to be enough detail for her for that day!! I'm sure this is only the start of the questions that we'll have to answer in the years to come though!!

Arya on TV!!

On Sunday we went to Winterfest, near Rajeev's parents' house in Vaughan. The Backyardigans were scheduled to perform, and we knew Arya would really enjoy that. She loves the show, which is about a group of friends that get together in their backyards to go on all sorts of exciting adventures using their imaginations. All of the adventures feature lots of fun songs as well.

Anyway, we were excited to be able to take her to see the show before we left Toronto and headed back to Muncie. It was an outdoor show, so all of the little kids were so bundled up! Arya loved it, and afterwards, we just happened to be passing by when RogersTV was interviewing kids. She had no problem taking the microphone and answering all of the questions that they asked her!! She didn't even seem to have trouble coming up with answers at all! (I shouldn't have been surprised, since she is naturally so talkative!!) We didn't get to spend too long due to the fact that we had to drive home on Sunday, but we did love the show and we got to go on a horse and buggy ride before leaving too. (Arya was wondering why we could only do two things when there were other rides and activities all around!!)

Anyway, the clip played on the show FirstLocal on RogersTV on Monday, 2/9/09. If you want to see the clip, the segment about Winterfest starts about 11 minutes in, with Arya appearing right around 12 minutes in. You can view the link here. I am hoping that the link will be good for more than just today!! If it stops working, let me know and I'll try to post another link.

Thanks, Vaughan, for providing such a fun (and FREE!) activity for families!! We're so glad we had the chance to attend!

I want to be the manager now!

While in Toronto visiting Rajeev's family, Arya has had lots of fun playing with Bunu Phupu (Rajeev's sister). Bunu has a laptop, and Arya is a huge fan of laptops (and really of any computer that allows her to access the sesamestreet.org website).

Bunu works in a bank, and Arya also likes to pretend that she is working in a bank. She'll fill her little purse with change and take it to Bunu and ask to deposit or withdraw something. Or, she'll want to be the manager and sit at Bunu's laptop while Bunu comes to deposit or withdraw something. So funny! Anyway, lately she has been really interested in being the manager. We just had the following conversation with her...

Arya: I want to be the manager now! (i.e. I want to use the computer!)
Rajeev: What does the manager do, Arya?
Arya: First someone takes the money and gives it to the manager. Then the manager types the money into the computer. That's how you be the manager.

Wow, being a manager sounds pretty simple!

Arya's First Day of "School"

Last Wednesday, I took Arya to her first day of "school". It is actually a Parents' Day Out program at a preschool/church where several of our friends' kids go to preschool. We have the option of taking her to the program a couple of afternoons and/or mornings a week. She went last Wednesday and again today, and she seemed to have a lot of fun. She says that the teachers are nice. They've told me that she has been a really good girl both days she has been there. She has been hesitant to leave both of the days when I've come to pick her up because she has enjoyed cooking in their toy kitchen so much. She also likes the slide, which is part of their indoor playground. She takes her lunch when she goes, and she thinks that is fun. (She likes me to pack her favorite lunch - a ham and cheese sandwich.) The pictures above are of Arya all ready to head to school with her lunch bag! I still can't believe how she is growing up!!

Recent comments from Arya

Yesterday, we had to drive down to Indy. On the way, I let Arya have a sucker that they gave her the last time we stopped at the bank. It was close to sunset, so the sun was low and shining through the window. I looked at Arya and saw her holding her sucker out in front of her. When she saw me, she said, "Mommy, my blue sucker looks so beautiful with the sun on it!" It was such a sweet observation that I decided I had to write it down. I am amazed at the things that she notices.

Another funny thing Arya said yesterday was this, "Mommy, I'm a sweet girl, but I'm not food."

She comes up with the funniest things. I'll try to keep posting them from time to time here on her blog.

December mini photo shoot

In December, we did a mini photo shoot of our family to use in our Christmas cards. I thought I'd post a few of them so the blog would have some updated photos of our little Arya.