20 weeks

Oh little boy, 

We'll be celebrating our halfway point together in Belize. Halfway! Can you believe it?

Your 20-week update is kind of unflattering so I'll breeze through it. Your body, now the length of a banana and the size of a small melon, is producing meconium, a black gooey substance having to do with digestion. There are some other things going on with your testicles but that seems rather inappropriate to discuss in public. So we'll leave it at that.

Your mama is feeling really awesome - sometimes to the point of feeling drugged. At least that's what I am blaming for the absentmindedness and the fact I forget things like my own email address. 

Last week we found out you're breech, which is totally fine for now. Enjoy not hanging upside down. But anytime you feel like you might want to give my pelvis a break and flip around, I'd be ever so grateful. Sitting is my least favorite but most common activity these days. And the fact my midsection is separating and expanding seems rather science fiction and quite painful. As long as meeting you at the end is the reward, I'll stick it out :)

We love you so much little boy. We're praying that the second half of this pregnancy is just as wonderful and uneventful as the first.

Love, 

Mama

peace out

Oh hello sweet vacation!

First stop, Atlanta for 24 hours to wait for our flight, rehydrate and sightsee. Because of my incessant need to tour every media outlet in the country, our first stop is CNN Headquarters. Then we're off to the Martin Luther King, Jr. historic site since my second favorite travel stop is really old stuff. I think Shea has resigned himself that our family vacations will always consist of newsroom tours or important people's graves. And this time he's smartly wearing his running shoes because he's become accustomed to my "OMG we have to see everything in case we don't come back!" style. As if this baby belly will slow me down! (Note to my mother: I packed Gatorade packets for my bottled water. I'm being responsible and hydrated.) Then it's dinner at the Varsity, the world's largest drive-in.

Then we're off to Belize for nine days! We have our hotels arranged and our shuttle from the airport to San Ignacio. After that, we're winging it. We have no idea how we're getting to Placencia for the second half of our trip but what fun would it be if we did? I know I want to see a howler monkey, not get bit by a scorpion, see the Tikal ruins in Guatemala, lay on a beach, not get sick from the water and enjoy every single second of the last time we vacation as a family of two. At least for a really long time.

And in case you forgot, while it's snowing here in KC, this is where we'll be:

See you in 10 days!

learning to share

18 weeks and 19 weeks + 2 days.

I'll be honest. This visual part of the pregnancy is taking some getting used to. For the first four months, my pregnancy was very personal. I shared the fun stuff in my blogs but the emotional parts, the icky feelings, the fear and the joy were mostly private. I was the one who felt sick, who felt better, who decided what to eat and drink, and the only one who could feel him kicking. I had the real bond. Sure, the hubs could bond when we heard the heartbeat or saw the sonogram but not in the same way. It was all MINE.

Now that I'm showing more, there are emotions I didn't see coming. Everybody has a comment or piece of advice. The first thing people look at is my belly. It's either "ooh baby!" or "wow, you're really small." But there are days when I feel really big and fat and frankly, I don't want to talk about it. And now that we have cool pictures, the little boy is no longer just mine. He belongs to a lot of people who love him very much already. We are amazingly blessed, but the sharing is an adjustment.

I'll get used to the attention, the comments, the advice and the comparisons. Sometimes though, I feel like slapping a "Keep Out" sign on my belly and slamming the door so I can go sulk in MY room with MY son. 

And seriously, can someone bring me MY chocolate milk?

a real boy!

Alternate post title: Um, do you see those guns on my son?

This morning was anatomy scan, take II. And oh my friends, it was the highlight of the last 19 weeks. We saw his feet with 10 identifiable toes. Two kidneys. One bladder and stomach. A long spine. Brain. Everything!

He was sleeping the whole time except for a few leg stretches and one yawn. He's breech right now with is head right above my belly button and feet at my cervix. He'll most likely flip before we need him to so nothing to worry about. My midwife did say this is the cause of my hip pain as my pelvis is working to accommodate a baby butt instead of a baby head. At 11 ounces and a heartbeat of 148, he's right on track!

His mother is healthy at 19 weeks and 1 day. I've gained nine pounds and have excellently low blood pressure.

There was something about today - seeing his face, picking out Shea's nose and my lips. He's really in there! A real, live boy that I can't stop staring at.

19 weeks

Good morning sweet boy,

We've been together 19 weeks now. You're six inches long - the size of a mango or a large softball. I don't think I could even pick out a mango at the grocery store. You have your five senses now, and all of your body parts are finally in the right proportions. Your kidneys are functioning, and you're getting hair on your little head. Now that all your parts are in place, you'll be getting longer and heavier.

Your mama is sick with a cold which is even less fun when I can't take my usual drugs. Instead we've been taking really long naps together. Daddy reminds us to get our sleep and keeps bringing water and good food. I can't wait for you to meet him - we're so lucky.

I love feeling you everyday. Mid morning you always say hello and let me know you're ready for a snack (you seem to prefer apples). Around dinner time, you say hi again and now sometimes even as we're heading to bed. Daddy can't feel you yet but the kicks are getting stronger and more defined so I know it'll be soon.

Tomorrow we'll get to see you again and with our luck, get another adjusted due date. We're praying that all the right pieces are in all the right places.

Keep growing little buddy. Love you,

Mama

i'm putting my kid in a bubble

So as to overwhelm me even more, the American Academy of Pediatrics and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are now recommending stricter guidelines for children car seats. These are the news stories I used to ignore.

The new guidelines include:
- Rear-facing seat until the age of 2.
- Forward-facing with harness until child maxes out height/weight restrictions for seat
- Booster seat with seatbelt until child is 4'9" tall, possibly to age 12.

Under these guidelines, I am only three inches shy of needing my own booster seat.

I love reading the comments on these stories. The parents who would rather sacrifice the safety of their child so they aren't being called a "baby" by their peers. Or the reluctance to go rear-facing because it takes two minutes longer to get them out of the car.

On the other hand, between BPA-free bottles, drop-side cribs, booster seats and bumpers it's going to be hard to keep up. Especially when I'm still trying to figure out why a three-month-old wears six-month-old clothing.

five things friday

1. The best thing about my weekend is going to be a haircut. I get a cut ever four months much to the dismay of anyone who is unlucky enough to have me as a customer. But the whole pregnancy thing has made my hair even thicker and exceptionally dry. It's stunning, really.

2. We played the game Wits and Wagers with some friends a couple of weeks ago. Highly recommended.

3. I'm waiting for these shoes to come in the mail. The hubs says he'll love me more not less if I wear them, which is good considering most of my shoes resemble a four-year-old's. This is why we work.

{via Real Mom Kitchen}

4. I'm going to try these parmesan knots this weekend. I haven't made bread in a long time, not that these really count.

5. Guess how many people read this blog on average daily? 150. Less if I write something really boring, a lot more if I post a picture of my belly. Weird right? Anyway, you should follow me if you aren't already. Because it makes me feel nice inside plus it's less creepy than being an underground reader who can't admit it. The button is up there, on the right side under "Follow Me." Do it!