What's New

16 Weeks

Today we went for another monthly checkup.

Nurse/Doctor Questions with My Answers:
• Weight: 210 lbs.
• How are you feeling? Much better. Not sick anymore, not like the first trimester. Occasionally nauseous in the morning, but I eat a bit before or after I take a shower and that helps. Slowly going longer without snacking too. (It used to be I'd have to snack every 2 hours to keep away the nausea.)
• Are you on any medication? Just Flinstones vitamins!
• Your blood pressure is a little high, have you been having headaches? Not really. Was today a bad day, anything stressing you out? We had school, but the kids weren't bad or anything. I think it was a good day actually. Cranky? Yes. Lately I've noticed I've been more "short" and I'm not usually like that. My emotions are everywhere. <Aldo nods in agreement.>
• Are you sleeping on your side? Yes. Sometimes, though, I'll start on my back and switch to my side shortly after.
• How is your energy? Well, it feels like it's coming back… Today I feel like I could wash dishes <Aldo raises eyebrow> or run or something. (I think this is because I had a good day. The feeling of running or washing dishes won't last. Ha!)
• Have you felt any movement do you think? I thought maybe in my 14th and 15th week, but I wasn't for sure because it was so early. I've been trying to zone in on it to see if I feel anything, but nothing has happened recently. We have a small, hand-held heart monitor at home that lets us listen to the baby and we've been doing that. (It's hard telling yourself that you're pregnant when it doesn't seem that way, so listening has helped make it real.)

We heard the baby's heartbeat again. It's a healthy heartbeat; the quickness of it is perfect.
And my question, because we're planning a family trip for April, when I'll be 51/2 months pregnant, and we don't have the destination finalized yet, was when can't I travel? The last 3-4 weeks of pregnancy, same if by plane.

Other things that are new - I've been having a lot of cramping lately. I figure it's just growth. And zits are popping up everywhere! In places I don't normally get them! Just another piece of evidence that my hormones are out of whack. Ahh, the fun things of pregnancy that no one cares to mention.

Baby, This is Your Brother

13 Weeks, 5 Days (almost 14 Weeks)

Thought you would like to know a little bit about your brother.

He's a bit crazy. But then again, we all kind of are. 

Daddy makes these awesome faces that I think Luke has inherited. 

But he has my humor. He's really funny.

He likes birthdays, playing games, playing with toys, playing outside, helping with things like cooking or feeding animals. I think you'll have a lot of fun together. He's very entertaining. And photogenic as you can see - but that's just genes. You'll be photogenic too. Prepare for a ton of pictures.

Recently he's been taking swimming lessons. I'm pretty sure he plans on teaching you how to swim, among other things - in no significant order… riding bikes, saying words, pointing out which foods taste really good, how to clean your room, how to walk, maybe telling you some stories, how to fight (you can gang up on Daddy, so it will be "how to be the good guy"), and other important things in life.

Luke is very creative. He gets that artistic side from me. And he's imaginative. I think you two will have many adventures together, make-believe and real.

He'll also teach you about right and wrong. You don't know it, but when this picture was taken, he wrote his name on the couch in Sharpie too. That is bad. Writing on yourself, eh… maso menos… not too bad depending on if you have somewhere to go. Writing on library books - also bad. Writing or coloring on a coloring book - good. You'll figure it out.

And finally, I don't think he'll show favoritism if you are a boy or a girl. He'll play dress up with you if you're a girl. He'll play dress up with you (as a ninja turtle or whatever) if you're a boy. His favorite color used to be pink and purple, but it's changed to green. (Actually I think it changes daily, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt.) This picture can also be used as blackmail if you need it for the future. Only if necessary though. Don't just go and embarrass him in front of his girlfriend or friends. You don't need to be the awnry child.

I must also mention a warning… Grammy will teach you a lot of things, and let you do/get away with a lot of things (She will let you eat dirt, teach you to say things… can't think of anything specifically now, but there will be times… and make you pose in front of a camera when you may regret it later). To be fair, this is a picture of Luke in one of Maecy's old Halloween outfits. He would go from Mermaid to Merman by changing that top to a belt. But he's very particular - he likes things how they are supposed to be, so he stuck with mermaid. And I quote, "because they are MADE by God."

***

He's a good brother. And he already cares a lot for you. He prays for you, he tells you to stop making Mommy not feel so good (… "and sorry for having to tell you to stop"…). He's thinking up names for you. So far we have Soa, which sounds like soda. He said Yella once, but decided against it because he doesn't want you to yell all of the time. There were more, some he couldn't even pronounce. But I hope that you are friends for life and beyond. That you help each other out. And speak rightly to and about each other. I love you.