We have a name possibility! I thought of it a week ago (it just popped into my head while driving), shared it with Kris, and he didn't immediately shoot me down! I think we both like the name but we're not sure if it sounds good with our last name. However, if I'm being honest, I have to admit that I've already come to think of this baby as that name. It seems to fit somehow. And as I keep saying the name out loud, with my chosen middle name and without, it sounds OK to my ear. I'm not sure Kris agrees with me though. I'm going to keep reading the baby name book and perusing websites and listening to radio, TV, etc. to come up with alternatives. And this one stays on the list for now. And please don't ask what it is, because we're not sharing, just like we didn't share our name choices with Annika's pregnancy. I didn't even tell Gramme and Auntie Krystle when they questioned me endlessly and tried to trip me up repeatedly to give the name up. Evil! Evil they are!

Annika is starting to grasp her colors. Just a couple weeks ago if you would ask her what color something was, it was always red. And if you said no and asked her again, well, then it was blue. But in the last week or so, she's started to tell you the correct color more often then not. She seems to know what red, blue, orange and gray are. She has a hard time with yellow and green and thinks all black legos (Duplos really) are gray and all white legos are black. Once in a while she'll get pink, puple and brown too. She continually amazes me with what she learns and retains.

Wednesday night Annika and I were taking a bath together. As during most baths, to get her to stop jumping up and down in the bathtub (you're going to hurt yourself child!) I asked her to sit down and sing songs with me. We usually start with the alphabet, then twinkle, twinkle and then Itsy Bitsy. There's usually more songs that she requests but those can be random based on what she's thinking about or remembering at the time. For a while it was just me singing and then slowly she would try to sing with me. Wednesday night however was a turning point. As we sang Itsy Bitsy Spider, she started belting out the lyrics. And she got them all. She got them all at the top of her lungs, more yelling than singing. I stopped singing and just sat back and laughed at her and told her how silly she was. And then she started laughing too and called herself "Silly Nikka."

When we sit down to eat, we usually pray. And if we don't, usually Annika will remind us to do so. Tuesday night as Annika and I sat down to eat dinner, she reminded me to pray. As I made the sign of the cross, Annika tried to copy me. And as I said the prayer (Come, Lord Jesus, Be our guest...) she tried to say it with me. This was the first for both of these. She hasn't repeated it since and when I tried to help her make the sign of the cross, she shoo'ed me away and started eating. Last night she asked to pray twice during the meal. And so Kris and I put down our forks, folded our hands and prayed with her. How can you say no to that?

If you ask Annika where her baby brother is, she'll run up to my belly, put both hands on it (sometimes rubbing it) and say "in Mama's Belly". I don't think she understands that eventually baby brother is going to come out but it's still pretty cute nonetheless.

Last night Annika and I attended Auntie Krystle's CAbi show. Since I wasn't buying anything, I brought along 3 friends to spend money for me. Ha! Just kidding. Actually my friend Amanda hosted a CAbi show in August and her and two other friends didn't purchase everything on their wish lists then so they came along last night to try more clothes on. Anyway, Annika charmed everyone there, again. (Of course she did, she is the cutest little kid ever.) But she was also very attached to Auntie Krystle for most of the show. She didn't want to come to me or anyone else but preferred to bury her head on Auntie Krystle's shoulder. Auntie Krystle LOVED this (of course) and had a pretty proud smile on her face. Eventually Annika warmed up to everyone and then she went out seeking Amanda. She has a soft spot for Amanda and routinely asks for her when she can't see her. It was all pretty cute.

We have lots of plans this weekend but they are all fun plans and they all consist of Kris, Annika and I being together so I'm pretty excited. There's gymnastics tomorrow morning. By the way, if you'd like to come watch Annika's gymnastics class, feel free. Just call or e-mail me for the information. Then in the afternoon I have a bunch of shopping I'd like to do (blinds, crib bedding, clothes for Annika, clothes for me, co-sleeper, baby shower gift, etc.). Tomorrow night we have a party to go to and Sunday morning we're having brunch with Amanda and Dean and Mary and Fred at Amanda and Dean's house. It's going to be such a lovely weekend!