Farmer Kate

Father's Day weekend we drove up to a farm so Kate could see that fruits and vegetables actually come from the soil and not from Trader Joe's. Farmer Kate walked to the other end of the field to examine the other crops. Kate and Mom picking out a head of butter lettuce while doing a kimchi-squat.

Sang-chu, also known as red-leaf lettuce.

Appa presented Kate with a very large bouquet of lettuce.

Though it was a blazing 90 degrees, Kate still found the energy to run.

"Those are funny cucumbers, Momma."

Zucchini.

Peach trees!

The heat finally got to her, and it was time to hitch a ride in the wagon.

Strawberry fields forever.

We picked a huge amount and ate even more. They were the sweetest strawberries I'd ever had.

Posing with our left-over strawberry stubs. It was hot-hot-hot out there.

Meanwhile, the farm animals were having a meeting.

Bull.

After picking some spinach, parsley, lettuce, carrots, and strawberries, Kate ran around the play area.

She was all smiles until she tripped and whacked her chin on the train. Hunger + dehydration + physical pain = meltdown.

Not surprisingly, Kate didn't like me taking a picture of her here.

Hugs from Momma under the cool shade of a jacaranda, Kate's birthday tree, made everything better. Water and snacks helped, too.

And a hair-stroking never hurt either.

Blood-sugar up, temperature down. All smiles again.

After refueling, we picked a big bushel of delicious blackberries. Kate's eagle eyes and short stature made her adept at spotting the ripe ones at the bottom of the vines.

We packed up our fruits and vegetables, and Kate drove us home.

Baby Kang Weyant in Utero

In the beginning... A 3-D ultrasound picture at 11 weeks. When Kate was in my belly, we didn't have this technology available to us. My OB said, "she looks like you, Mom!" The perinatologist asked us who we thought she looked like here. "Um...a puppy?" We brought Kate with us to our 24-week scan last friday, thinking she'd really enjoy seeing her new Baby Sister. Boy, were we wrong. Kate was freaked out by the doctor squeezing jelly on my belly and pushing "the speaker phone" all over it. "I thought he was hurting you," she told me later. She cowered in her chair, refusing to look up until Chris whipped out a jolly rancher. "It tastes like blueberries!" I'm sure Kate also didn't appreciate the fuss and attention we were giving to the baby on the monitor. She sat on the examining table beside me to make sure I was all right, but refused to face the monitor. She choose to distract her Appa from watching instead, making him miss the entire exam. Luckily, we got a DVD of it so I could show Chris that night.

Her right hand has all five fingers and she has no cleft palate, according to the doctor. Apparently, she looks a little like E.T. here because computer artifacts distort the image... or maybe the doctor was just trying to be nice.

The blob on the left is the umbilical cord bunched up next to her face.

After this photo was taken, we saw her waving her hands around and trying to get her fingers into her mouth to suck. Just like Kate! According to the doctor, the baby is right on track. Her organs, spine, bones, etc. all look healthy and normal. Hooray! A few days after the exam, Kate said, "Momma, Dolly wants the baby in your belly to go away. I'm sorry about that, but that's what she said. She doesn't like it and wants it to go away." Chris and I told her it was normal for her to feel that way, but that she'd one day love having a sister.

Later, Kate said she "talked to Dolly and she feels better now." Kate's been having baby dreams almost every night, some "bad dreams" and some good ones. I'm sure they will continue as we approach October. I'm hoping the stack of "Big Sister" picture books I got from the library will help.

Pool Days

Since preschool ended, the Kang Weyants have been spending almost every afternoon cooling off in the pool. Kate's wariness of the water has all but dissipated this year, as Chris had wisely anticipated. Now all she wants to do is jump off the side of the pool. A proud Kate. An even prouder Appa. Kate definitely gets her cheeks from the Weyant side.

"I'm chilly, Momma!"

Time for a relaxing ride on the Appa line.

Another jump!

Apres-swim, Kate put on her crocs herself.

And was wondering why they felt uncomfortable.

The other day, Kate went for her 4-year check up. Of course, I promised her there would be "no shots," only for the nurse to come in moments later and administer three gigantic booster shots as well as a finger prick. Poor Kate. Even a lollipop wouldn't calm her down. Luckily, pancakes and an ice cream sundae at a nearby restaurant did.

Our girl is now a strapping 34 lbs and 38.5 inches tall! A peanut, just like her Mom and Dad.