Pronouns and belly shots

Rachel is really coming along in her understanding of the parts of speech. (Our practice of diagramming sentences in chalk on the patio is really helping, I think. Really, is there any medium besides chalk appropriate for diagramming sentences?) She's great with nouns, verbs (playing fast and loose with conjugation, but all things in time), adjectives, even adverbs. (I asked today if a magnet would stick to the storm door and she tested it and informed me that it "stick nicely.") She's recently begun using articles, though only when they are necessary to make her point. Yesterday she told me, "Like chip." I said, "You like chips?" She said, "No, Rachel like a chip." (She's so dainty--instead of saying she wants something, she tells me she would like it. I guess that's how I usually phrase it, too. Nothing like seeing your own behavior in a mirror to make you more aware of it!) Prepositions appear, too, from time to time.

But pronouns, pronouns, ah, pronouns. They are tricky, partly because they keep switching meanings on you! on me! on you? Rachel does use pronouns--she'll occasionally tell me "I see..." whatever she sees. (The I sounds more like "uh" when she says it, but she enunciates it very distinctly.) But she thinks you is her own personal pronoun--she uses it to refer to herself. And me is Mommy's own personal pronoun, except when it's Daddy's. She fell on the floor the other day and announced, "You okay!" She tells me she's "puttin' ponytail in my hair" as she gathers my hair in her hands, or says "I eat" when she sticks a spoonful of cereal in my face. Developing a sense of identity and comprehending English syntax at the same time--no easy task!

Several people have asked how I'm carrying this baby compared to the abdominal torpedo that Rachel was. Here's a side-by-side, 30 weeks both times: (Black shirt is Magellan, pink shirt is Rachel.)

Looks pretty much the same to me. Feels pretty similar, too, except that I think I'm tireder and a little achier this time, which could have something to do with the amount of time I spend getting onto or off of the floor or pushing a stroller these days, compared with two years ago. Still loving it!

One more morsel of cuteness: Rachel and Daddy made blueberry pancakes on Saturday--and brought me one in bed, so I would know what I was missing! When I came downstairs, this is the sight that met my well-rested eyes:

Aren't they adorable? (Note also the absence of visible boxes! We are making progress in getting settled in--hooray!)