16 weeks prego

I received some positive test results... the Triple Screen test, which looks for certain birth defects, came back all negative, increasing the chances that we'll have a lucky healthy baby. Yahoo!

Last week I had a day of contractions that felt exactly like Braxton-Hicks contractions, the "practice contractions" that usually come near the end of pregnancy. Last time I didn't have those until I was about 30 weeks along. My doctor insisted I go into the office. When I got there, they casually dismissed them as Braxton-Hicks, saying they can start earlier and be stronger in subsequent pregnancies. Why they couldn't tell me that over the phone, I don't know! I haven't had them since then.

I did feel the baby move last week. It was cool. :) I never felt Evan move until I was 23 weeks pregnant and he was really huge. This time, I thought I felt it a few times, but wasn't really certain. But since I've felt it a few times now, I'm sure now. It just feels like light movement inside my belly... very weird.

Evan is doing great. He is so laid back. I know, I know, I'm bragging, but really... he is so happy and plays well with others and has his moments as a two year old, but then mellows out really quickly after an upset. I'm so thankful.

Having fun home with Evan

Every time I worry that Evan isn't talking enough, he says a bunch of new words. Yesterday he pointed at and identified numbers 1, 2, and 3, (except he called 1 the letter "I"... close enough). Today he pointed at his pants and said, "blue" (boo), and pointed at his shoulders and said, "sooder." Then we were looking at a magazine, and he yelled out, "TWO!" And I said, "Where?" And he pointed at a lady who was doing the peace sign (with 2 fingers in the air). Aw, cute.

Jerry has been on a mission to get Evan to count to 3, but Evan refuses to say 1. It goes something like this:
Jerry: One
Evan: Two!
Jerry: Two
Evan: Two!
Jerry: Three
Evan: Tree!
Jerry: One
Evan: Two!
Not sure what he has against #1.

Oh, and Evan randomly breaks into singing Old MacDonald. It goes like this:
EIEI... OOOOOOOOHHH!
MOO!!!
[[snorting sound for pig]]
EIEI...

He's still doing the typical 2-word sentences, like:
daddy go go
mommy car car
go go car car eat eat (yes, he repeats almost everything twice)
baby daddy (when daycare baby's dad drops him off)
mommy potty (he announces it when I sneak away... no privacy)
Moe joo (more juice)
Thank you mommy (in cute, high-pitched voice... though he refuses to say "please").

All is going well! I am developing quite a little tummy. :)

14 week ultrasound

Today I had an ultrasound. I am supposed to be 13 weeks, but the baby measured 14, so my due date is a day before Jerry's Birthday.

Finally, this feels real. The baby was cute: chubby, round tummy, legs up in the air, arms moving all around. He/she was very active, moving the whole time, stretching his head and neck, twisting, kicking her legs. The heartbeat was good and strong at 156 bpm. :) The stomach was black which means he has been swallowing fluid (which is good). The nasal bone was long and the back of the neck were thin... two indicators that she probably doesn't have Down syndrome. Everything looks good!

Evan sat quietly and watched everything. He's so sweet. Hope I have another one like him.

Summer update

Evan is 25 months
We are doing great! An announcement: we are expecting another baby. Today we entered our first trimester (13 weeks), so now seems to be a good time to spill the beans. I'm feeling really good -- better than I did with Evan. I had bad food aversions and some nausea in the first trimester and only wanted to eat carbs, but that has passed. I was also exhausted, but I now have more energy. My only symptom now is a rapidly growing tummy and a huge appetite... two very good signs that the little one is doing well! I've seen the heartbeat a couple times and she/he appears to be healthy. I don't feel nearly as obsessed with this pregnancy as I did with Evan... I think I'm too busy. We're due in mid-March, around Jerry's Birthday. :)

Another announcement: I quit my job and have started a home daycare. I always knew I would start one at some point so that I could stay home with future baby #2 (though when I first started making plans in Denver, we weren't trying to get prego yet). I felt the urgency to start the daycare sooner rather than later because Jerry and I were barely pulling off the work, commute, pick-kid-up-from-daycare thing. Plus, we just didn't want him spending 10+ hours a day being raised by people we barely knew.

My first 15-pound client is a baby boy, 4 months old. I started watching him a little more than 2 weeks ago. He is a very laid back, calm, happy baby who goes to sleep on his own! I'm so thankful. The first couple days were tough, as Evan kept claiming me (as in: "MY MOMMY!"), and then sitting determinedly on my lap. He sometimes cried when I was feeding the baby and couldn't play with him on command. After a few days he got over it, and now hugs and kisses the baby repeatedly, ensures his pacifier is in his mouth at all times, and seems sad when he's not around. He really likes him.

Thankfully, I have another child about to start here -- a toddler Evan’s age. He and Evan get along famously, judging by the excessive amounts of giggling that take place when they are around each other. They were in the same class at Evan's old daycare.

Sleep update - We've been working on getting Evan OUT of our bed, even though he sleeps in his own bed for the first half of the night. We've been too lazy up to this point to encourage him back to his own bed at the wee hour of 2 am, so we've just let him join us in bed. We took this 3-day weekend to show him we're more stubborn than he is, which is what it takes. We let him cry for about 5 mins each time he wakes up, then lead him back to his own bed. The first 2 nights were rough, but last night was much better. I think by tonight he'll probably sleep all night without asking to join us. It's about time!

Evan grew about 3 inches and gained a few pounds since last month. He is HEAVY. It's not just the pregnancy talking, cuz Jerry agrees with me.

Here are pictures of Evan and Lexi at their last playdate at our house. Evan has green paint on his face.








They do kiss a lot, but it's not as naughty or explicit as it looks. They kiss quickly, then giggle like it's the funniest thing ever.