In case you haven't heard, instead of having dessert on Mike's birthday, we had a baby!

I'm a little late in announcing it (what with the whole 'having given birth' thing and all) but David Michael Logan arrived last Friday, November 13th at 9:07PM. He weighed in at 8 lbs., 4 oz.

On Alex's desk Tuesday morning, there's a manila envelope. When she opens it, there is a homemade card made out of construction paper. On the front, there are a couple of blobby people and some shapes, brightly (and enthusiastically) colored. Inside, there are a jumble of random words - 'book,' 'cookie,' 'cat' and 'tree'. Underneath, in Millie's handwriting, it says, "Thank you for babysitting me, Auntie Alex!" Isabel's name, in her own handwriting, is written at the bottom. There's a note from Millie tucked into the envelope as well. It reads, "Alex - thanks again for everything. Mike, Millie and Baby David."

Friday morning

It's Mike's birthday. I'm already off work and he took the day off. We don't have much planned - a day of relaxing and hanging out with Isa, then dinner at one of his favorite restaurants. Should be nice.

I've got about two and a half weeks left. I'm supposed to be going on leave next week...which I'm actually looking forward to. I need to rest up.

Isabel learned how to write her name at preschool.

Ya know how when she was like, a year old, all she'd ever say was her own name? "Sah" this and "Sah" that? Now, she wants to write it everywhere.

I'm trying to get "ISA" off the refrigerator. Anyone have any good permanent marker removal suggestions?

We've got our costumes picked out already. Yeah, it's early, but our family likes Halloween (c'mon, candy and pranking people? It's like the day has "Logan" written alllll over it).

Mike's gonna be Batman because...he's always Batman. He's determined to wear that damn suit till he dies. Actually, I think that might be one of the stipulations in his will - "bury me in the Bat costume."

Isabel keeps saying she wants to be a pirate. I think she may have picked that up at school from one of her new preschool friends. That's so weird. I think my three-year old has more friends than I do. Did you know "So-and-so did it" is a preschooler's faaavorite excuse? (Ay, and it makes me wonder how many kids go home doing bad stuff and tell their parents, "Isa did it." or "Isa said it.")

Me? I'm gonna be a nun. He he he.

...my kid thinks my belly can be popped like a balloon.

Had to get the wise-ass, didn't I? (I blame MIKE. He encourages her.)

The new one better not be as bad.

...yeah, I just referred to my kids like they're versions of a computer program. Version 1.0 has the super-special Wise-Ass feature. I'm hoping Version 2.0 will come without that option...

[[This is aimed at the Logan and Dresden-Eames families, however if anyone feels inclined to crash the not-party, feel free to.]]


While Mike puttered around on the roof getting things ready for the small barbecue they had planned for that afternoon, Millie chased Isabel through the apartment.

"Get. Back. Here." Millie stopped to catch her breath. "You can't swim naked, you little psycho-kid."

She was answered by a round of giggles from Isabel, who peeked her curly-haired head out of the guest bedroom. "I will!"

"Yeah, and do you want everyone to see you like that?" Millie raised her brows.
"...no." Mostly, Isabel had just wanted to see how far she could push Millie, wondering if her Mami would actually chase after her, what with that silly baby kitten slowing her down.
"And do you want a spank for not listening?" Millie's hand was on her hip, stern look still in place.
"No, no, no," Isabel conceded, running over and letting Millie dress her. She was hardly ever actually spanked, and when she was, it was light, but the threat usually worked.

"Let me put your hair up," Millie said, back in the living room, once Isa was in her swimsuit.
"Nooo, I'ma wild thing," Isabel said, raising both hands to cover her head.
Millie sighed. "All right. But tomorrow for school, you can't be a wild thing. You gotta let me fix it up all nice and pretty."
Isabel made a face, but didn't object.
"Go get your pool toys," Millie said. "They're in the closet in the empty room."
Isabel ran to the guest bedroom to get her plastic container full of toys for the wading pool. Millie, meanwhile, leaned against the couch, waiting, wondering when the Eames-Dresden family would get there. She hadn't told Isabel that Ellie was coming, hoping to surprise her.

We decided on a middle name - Michael, after Mike - so the baby's gonna be called David Michael Logan. He's started to kick, finally. I was a little worried - Isabel kicked a lot more and was generally a lot more active. I'm hoping it means this kid will be laid back. Mike says it means he's lazy and has started calling him "Lazy Baby." Isabel still calls him "the kitty cat." ...who does that? My family, that's who.

Work's starting to tire me out more, even just being on the desk and running papers around. Since I had problems with Isabel, the doctor's keeping a close watch and said that anything that comes up could be cause to put me on bed rest.

I. Do. Not. Want. Bed. Rest.

I'll go freakin' crazy.

I'm already going crazy at my desk in the lab. I think Henley's been bribing Simmons to keep an eye out for me. Swear to god, that kid is at my desk a dozen times a day, asking me if everything's all right or if I need anything.

...you know, I think I could use that to my advantage.

Friday, August 28, a little before 7:00PM

Millie arrived early at the Chinese restaurant, setting up the tables that the waitstaff had already put together. Initially, she hadn't been too sure about organizing a bachelorette party for Claire. Parties she could do - she knew how to have a good time and make sure everyone else did, too -- but a bachelorette party where the bride and the matron-of-honor were both pregnant would be a challenge. Plus there was the fact that Claire tended to go the non-traditional road most of the time.

Finally, Millie decided the party would be a mix of bachelorette party tradition (there would, at some point in the night, be a trip to a male strip club) and the quieter, more personalized style that Claire enjoyed. To achieve the latter, the evening would start off at the Chinese restaurant she knew Claire liked. The party was set up in the banquet room area toward the back, mostly closed off from the rest of the eatery -- intimate, and yet allowing them to get rowdy if they happened to.

Quickly, as she'd been running a bit late, Millie decorated the tables. At each place setting, there was a takeout carton with the bride and groom's names, plus the date of the wedding, tied nicely with black and red ribbons.

Inside the cartons, however, the party favors were less than classy. Each carton contained the following: a Pecker Inspector Badge (as a police officer, Millie thought it was her duty to buy them), a Condom on a Stick, a bag of Yummy Gummy Peckers, a container of Sexy Party Bubbles, and a Pecker Drink Stirrer.

There were balloons tied to the chairs (Millie had opted for simple red and black, instead of the penis balloons - hard choice, it was true) and plastic, take-with-you margarita glasses. Millie and Claire would be filling theirs with non-alcs, but everyone else could enjoy actual alcohol in them and take them with them wherever the night happened to lead them.

At Claire's seat there was both a Bachelorette Tiara and a Bachelorette Sash. At each bridesmaid seat, there was a Bridesmaid Sash. Draped over all the other chairs were multi-colored, glittery featherboas.

After setting everything out, Millie leaned against a chair to take a breath, and waited for people to start arriving.

We took Isabel to look at her new preschool today. She got to do a little mini-session with some other kids and meet her teachers. She liked it a lot, which is good. She seemed to mostly get along with the other kids...I just hope the rest of them don't mind her bossiness. She kept going on about how now she will go to school just like Nathan and Max.

Also, we decided on what we're naming the baby. We're calling him David, less after my brother and more after the fact that it was my dad's middle name and it's a family name.

Email to: Alex Eames, Megan Wheeler, Olivia Benson, Val Lanier.
From: Millie Vizcarrondo
Subj: Claire's bachelorette party.

Hey, ladies - Claire's wedding, as I'm sure you know, is the last Saturday of the month. I was planning on having her bachelorette party the Friday night before. I'm hoping you girls will all be there! Some of her family and friends from L.A. will be here, too. Let me know if you're coming so I can tell the restaurant how many seats to reserve (it's gonna be dinner, followed by...hijinks. Or as much hijinks as a couple of pregnant ladies and some cops and their entourage can have...)

Millie.

Okay, so Alex and I were talking about needing a ladies' night. We were thinking maybe some time next month since Claire's wedding is in a couple weeks. Who's game? (and I hate you all in advance for being able to drink while I can't!)

I'm not even six months along - barely a bit over five, won't be six till the end of the month - and I feel huge as a house. I think summer just makes it worse. When I was pregnant with Isa, I managed to bypass the worst of the heat.

This...is just gross.

Even with the air conditioning...blech.

( Mid-day Voicemail for Mike Logan )

The backyard of Don Cragen's house out in Westchester County was covered in Dora the Explorer birthday decorations. After so long, Cragen never thought he'd actually see his place be home to a kid's birthday party (and Mike Logan's kid at that!), but there he was - and there they all were - him, Mike and Millie, along with some of Millie's relatives, waiting for more guests to arrive and watching the little girl in question run around. Isabel was already hyper, although she had not yet had any sugar.

"Mami, Mami, I wanna go in the poool now," Isabel said for what must have been the dozenth time.

Millie, in a maternity dress that was summery, but did nothing to hide her nearly-five-months baby bump, shook her head. She was surprised that Isa hadn't already jumped in while they had their heads turned. Thanks to those baby-swim lessons she'd had since she was less than a year old, the toddler knew how to swim, but still. "You gotta wait till the other kids get here," Millie said again.

Isabel frowned. "Chris an' Marcus an' Daisy are here!" She pointed over at her three cousins. Daisy was playing with one of Isabel's toys, Marcus was busying himself with a book and Chris was over by the chaise lounge where Mike was lying, asking him what seemed to be a string of non-stop questions.

"Yes, yes, I can make a quadruple-stuffed Oreo," Mike said, lining up the Oreos he had assembled on his chest to show his nephew just that.

To Isabel, Millie replied, "All your other friends still have to get here."

Isabel bounced up and down impatiently, wanting to do something. "Uncle Donnie, Uncle Donnie," she ran over to her godfather. "I help you cook?"

Cragen, at the grill, just chuckled. "You helped your mom decorate," he told her, eying the haphazard streamers that were at toddler-height on various places around the backyard. "I think you've done enough helping today."

Isabel wandered over to where her Aunt Pedra and Uncle David were sitting with their baby, her cousin Gabriel. "...Uncle Dabid, you wan' anodder baby?" Isabel said, smiling sweetly.
"Huh?" David looked up.
"You can have the new baby," Isabel said, pointing to her mother.
"...but he's going to be your brother," David said, smirking. "Your mom couldn't get rid of me and you can't get rid of him."
Isabel frowned. "No, I'mma have a kitty," she informed him. "It's my birthday!"
"...hey, Millie," David called out to his older sister, "Your kid's trying to sell your other kid..."
"...yeah, that's her new thing," Millie said. "Give the baby away..."

While they went back and forth about this, Isabel sneaked away and quickly shed her dress. In her swimsuit, she went as fast as her little feet would carry her and dove into the swimming pool. Mike jumped up when he saw her running, but with Chris in his way and a pile of Oreos flying everywhere, he wasn't quick enough to catch her. As he yelled her name, everyone else turned to see what was going on.

Just as Isabel came up for air, Mike scooped her out. "I swim, I swim!" Isabel insisted, kicking her legs as she was brought up and out of the pool.

"Not without supervision," Mike scolded her. "And not until Mami says."

Isabel whined, and then ran over toward the side of the house, hoping for more party guests to arrive so she could get back in.

Isabel's birthday is tomorrow. I can't believe she's going to be three. Her party is on Saturday but we've still got our traditional stuff planned for her tomorrow (cake for breakfast, whatever she wants for dinner and letting her open a couple of her presents). She's pretty excited. Me, I'm wondering how three years went by so fast -- and how my tiny preemie baby got so big.

( Private Thoughts )

We went for the sonogram yesterday.

...it's a boy!

...yeah. Having a baby boy. Totally weird.

...and we finally told Isa... She wasn't too happy, but oh, well. She'll have to get used to it. I know I had to when my little brother was born a couple years after me.

I'm not even four months along - still have till the end of the month for that - and I'm bigger than I was with Isabel at this point. Mike keeps mentioning (thanks so much) that I'm eating a ton...and to top it all off, this morning (she still doesn't know, we're trying to wait till we find out the gender) Isabel climbed up into my lap, patted my stomach and said, "Mami, you are fat."

Fuhhhh.

I'm glad we know someone with a pool, but going up to Westchester two weekends in a row was a bit much. I mean, I'm glad Isabel is having fun and that Mike and Donnie get to do their guy thing, but I'm tired. I think I've been looking at the same piece of paperwork for over ten minutes.

I need to get with it or I'm gonna fall asleep right here at my desk. *yawwwn*

So I guess I should announce this before people start playing some sorta guessing game when it starts to show. ...I'm pregnant. Around three months. Baby's due in late November. We'll find out next month if it's a boy or a girl...

...and we haven't told Isabel yet, so, uh, please don't mention "new baby" around her yet.