It's A Girl!!!

We went in for an ultrasound yesterday and found out that our baby is a girl!! Leif will be surrounded by a house-full of girls. There will be a lot of giggling. I'm really happy, as girls are so sweet, and Anneka will get to have a sister. Everything with the baby looked healthy, too. She's bigger than what is average for her age, but Anneka was, too. At least this way I can partially explain all of my weight gain! I'm definitely bigger than I was in the first pregnancy!



Anneka and I had a bit of a rough morning this morning. It's always a big trek to even get to the bus stop, and it's SO WINDY and COLD in February!!! She's a trooper and a good walker, but by the time we were halfway home, she was tired and frozen (there were even frozen little hairs on her face). It's so hard for me to carry her now, especially since I fell on my tailbone last week (it still hurts all of the time!). We stopped at the store to buy eggs and by the time we were in our building, Anneka was crying, and I was ready to be home. The eggs come in these really thin plastic bags. I was carrying that and a mixer in one hand and holding Anneka's hand with the other hand up the stairs. As we were on the platform leading to our apartment, I dropped the eggs on the floor and they splattered everywhere! It was so gross to clean it up (as dogs and cats do their business there, drunk people get sick there, etc.) The above picture was taken in our stairwell. There are often beer cans and bottles on the windowsill. This can is A LITER. The ice chunk next to it has been sitting there for days and hasn't melted a single bit (and it's inside!). I think I often feel grumpy at the end of February. It's so spiritually dark and I'm just ready for spring. Ironically, in three days, everyone will be saying "Happy Spring", as that's when spring starts here. But this morning it was -35F, so I hardly think it's close.

In other news, Leif often learns new Russian words as he's studying his Buryat. All of his books are Russian-Buryat. But today while doing his homework, he learned a new English word! Flounce- a ruffle that's sewn onto the edge of a skirt or dress or blouse. Will he ever need this word? Who knows!

Back to the baby, we're taking suggestions for names! It's great if it sounds pretty, has a nice meaning, ends in an "a" or has a Russian form, and has Scandinavian roots (to go with Gustafson). Any ideas?