20 weeks!

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound - it was exciting on so many levels!  Anni absolutely loved seeing Lil' Bit on the big screen and we did get to find out our little one's gender!  (We took the above picture as fast as physically possible... it was super cold and windy out today!)  I decided to do just a fun little "pregnancy questionnaire" to mark our halfway point!

How far along: 20.5 weeks

Sleep: Sleeping much better now that Hubby's home again!  It was hard falling asleep without him.

Maternity Clothes: Definitely on the pants... I've found I feel much better in non-maternity shirts right now; though!

Food cravings: fresh fruit and dark, dark chocolate with dried raspberries in it.

Food aversions: anything with a strange texture, smell or served at the wrong part of the day.

Symptoms I have: nothing crazy!  In fact, although my recent cold brought a little more gagging and nausea back, I have been feeling remarkably good the last couple of weeks!  I am so very grateful that nausea decided not to be a full-time friend like it was with my first pregnancy.

Doctor’s Appointment: we had our sonogram today and get to see our wonderful doctor on Monday!  We have a few questions about some (hopefully very, very small) issues on our sonogram, so I'll be glad for it to come!  I love how good he is at explaining all that's going on. 

Movement: Lots of kicks and wiggles!  Anni and Daddy have gotten to feel our little girl's movement a couple of times, too, which is always really fun!  (Anni likes to ask if Lil' Bit is awake!)

Belly Button: Still an an innie :).  It never did the "pregnancy pop" with Anni, but I'm kind of hoping for it this time... maybe people will figure out that I'm pregnant ;-).

Gender: sweet baby girl.

Best moment of the week: Our sonogram!  Not only was it wonderful to get to see that wiggly little one on the screen (as a family!), but we're excited to start deciding on names and getting to refer to the baby as "her". 

What I’m looking forward to: Her being here!

  

Sick week...

The day following our lovely apple adventures, Anni started dripping snot and then, just to keep us on our toes, spiked a fever.  Luckily, the fever passed quickly, but she and I spent the rest of the weeking fighting colds.  Her, with her ever-present cough that drops by to say hello anytime her nose drips, and me, well, let's just say colds and pregnancy don't mix and I got to welcome my dear friend nausea back with more frequency than I would hope.

We made the best of the week; though.  We read books, watched far too much Dinosaur Train, drew on steamy bathroom mirrors and tried our darndest to get well enough for a sweet friend's birthday party.

Saturday morning we dropped Daddy off at the airport.  We're daddy-less for four days and I am disproportionately sad and missing him.  (Seriously, to my family and friends who are missing their hubbies almost more often than not, you are tough. and amazing!)  

However; we did make it to that birthday party!  We double checked with our favorite health professional (you know who you are) on the contagion factor, wrapped up our present and headed out for happy festivities.  I, of course, ended up sneezing every 30 seconds (maybe I'm allergic to adorable decorations... or sunshine?), which made me just feel a little silly (and sorry for anyone around me... even though I was pretty sure I wasn't contagious, I tried to touch people as little as possible)!    

 

We were pretty happy to have an adorable one-year-old (and amazing food, and friends) to take our mind off Daddy being gone... it was a good way to start off the next week! 

  Here's hoping for a less-sick, equally fun week ahead!  (20 week ultrasound on Thursday!!)

Fall joy: Apple pickin'

I love fall, and just about everything about it.  I love that it's nice and cool, that things are crisp, that the rush of the summer is over and the delectable smell of baking apple and pumpkin-ey goods, soup, and bread.  This year I'm determined to live this sweet little season to it's fullest.  I'm not always good at getting my homebody self out of the house, especially when pregnant, so it takes a concerted effort to make sure we take advantage of the fall loveliness before it's too late.

Luckily, when wonderful friends and crisp apples beckon... it's pretty easy to say, "Yes, please!"

We managed to squeeze in on the very last day of apple picking (it didn't even cross my radar until last weekend that it was a possibility!) at a little organic farm hemmed in by mountains and tended by Farmer Ralph.  Farmer Ralph made the experience worth it, no matter what.

Oh, and then there were these sweethearts.  Anni took the apples pretty seriously and Miss Lucy thought that the whole process was pretty hilarious.  I would bet their favorite parts were wagon riding and chowing down.

Because there were so few good apples left, the daddies had to work pretty hard to fill up our little wagon.  Luckily, they were up for the job and managed to net us a pretty good amount (the girls certainly thought they were tasty)! 

We mamas sorted apples and played with our sweet apple-lovin' girls.  (See, even Lil' Bit is there!  After being told by random people all weekend that I don't 'look' pregnant', I suppose I'll just have to make do with looking chubby and trying to point out that there really is a baby in there!  In fact... we're nearly half way there!)

I loved that farm was organic: when the girls just wanted to bite right into their goodies, we didn't have to worry all that much about it.  We made sure to count cores when we payed for our treats at the end.

It was good, really good, to do something just for fun, family and friends.  After an insanely busy weekend and a long day of wedding shooting that left me pretty worn out, apple picking was just perfect.

We're already planning our corn maze outing and I'm planning chili, soup and pumpkin bread into our upcoming menu.

Oh, fall, we love you.

 

 

Oh, just a Monday

Weekends are good around here... especially the slow ones where we don't really have to do much.  This weekend I worked, and Daniel and Anni went on library and swimming adventures.  We went to a sweet baby boy's baptism and ate cake and chatted with other families.   

The hard thing is, after a nice, slow, weekend filled with lot's of Daddy... comes Monday.  Today was one of those Mondays.  Anni slept in, which usually heralds a bright, chirpy morning filled with happiness and maybe some baking, because mommy will feel bright and chirpy, too.

Well, nope.  Not this time.  I went in to announce the day, open the curtains and offer yogurt (with the special treat of a few chocolate chips in it!) to the sweetheart.  She looked at me and immediately asked for daddy.  I explained Daddy had had to go to work already, but that he'd be home that night.  We repeated that line of questioning a few times.  We headed out to get the yogurt, at least marginally cheerful, it seemed.  Let's just cut straight to the point: the next several hours were filled with sobbing two-year old screaming, "No, mommy!", especially if I offered her something she usually enjoys.  Occasionally, she threw in a "Need Daddy!"  for good measure. 

She did show her sweet side again as I bent over the toilet to, erm, empty the morning's attempt at nutrition.  "You sick mommy?  It okay.  Here a towel," she patted my back and hugged me, proving that her case of the Mondays hadn't banished every bit of my loving girl.  The truth is, by about two we had had fits, sickness and bone-crushing tiredness that led me to let her watch waaaay more Dinosaur Train than is probably advisable to for a little two-year old. 

I eventually found the energy to be remotely ashamed of my filthy house and the fact that we had done nothing and we attempted to redeem our afternoon with laundry, vacuuming and taking "Baby" on a long walk to and from each room and favorite locations.  Oh, plus Daddy ordered pizza, and I'm not ashamed to admit it was awful for us and quite yummy.  Tomorrow will be better, I'm sure of it... right?

[PS I actually believe it will be.]

Taking notice...

Hi, world.  Hi.

I've been trying to take notice of things lately.  You know, the little things that are going to change before I take note of them if I'm not careful?  Those.  There are a lot of them, and each time I notice a new one, I store it away in my little treasure chest with the rest of those little jewels. 

Like the way Anni begins (and sometimes ends) her stories with, "And sometimes..."

 and that she likes to request the "Cack, cack, cack song," (Five little ducks by Raffi) followed immediately by "Ducks like Rain".

...that we have to ration her stickers because she is ob. sessed.  Today, she covered my belly with them while I rested on the bed, doing my best not to vomit everywhere, telling me "for Yi' Bit, mommy!"

...that "Yi Bit yives in mommy's tummy.  I a big sister!  I a wonderful big sister!"

...that pinecones come from the "pinecone forest", but some of them are a little "pokey."

...that both her reflection and shadow are "Gaga", a dearly beloved friend that should not be left behind if at all possible.

...that she will set up her tea set and invite me by saying, "Mommy want cakes?"

...that flowers make her dance in happy circles

...that Daddy coming home is always, always, a running, happy dance, smothering Daddy in kisses occasion.  Okay, except for that once when she thought it was the people who had been fixing the roof all day.  That was a screeching, "I SCARED!" occasion.  Luckily, it was just Daddy.

Oh, and that nose wrinkle.  I love it.  I love her, and the fact that every single one of these little moments just expands my heart a little more.  And when she swings her skinny little arm over my neck to give me a sideways hug?  Well, then my heart just melts into a big ole puddle. 

What are your favorite little moments?