Kicking and 14+

This baby has been kicking me all day! I've started feeling strong kicks at all hours of the day, not just when I'm laying down or being still. I'm enjoying it--it's encouraging to know that Bitty Wee is growing.

Growing quickly, in fact! Last night, I stood up, stretched my back and yawned all at the same time. All of a sudden, one of my stomach muscles spasmed hard. I actually thought Richard had jabbed me in the stomach (which he does ALL the time*)! If he had been in the room, I probably would have accused him of doing so. WEIRD. I thought I was all stretched out from last time, but I guess those muscles are protesting to being re-stretched.

With Shirley, I knew I was having a girl. This time around, I'm not so sure. I'm thinking girl, but would really like it if Fern would visit me in a dream again and let me know.

I can't believe I'll be 15 weeks on Wednesday.

The nausea has finally left for the most part...and I can tell (more than I can feel) that my energy is slowly coming back day by day. And thank goodness. It was a long first tri.

*I kid, I kid.

Always with the underwear...

Housework

Is your child a little ray of sunshine [with daddy] but a thundercloud when you show up on the scene? Try not to get upset by these end-of-day meltdowns. They're signs of true love: Your toddler knows that it's safe to let out all of his pent-up feelings around you.
Thanks for the encouragement, BabyCenter.
If only I had read this little tidbit BEFORE Shirley Jean tried to lay down in the middle of a busy parking lot this morning. Why? I have no idea, other than that she didn't want to hold my hand. Silly me for thinking she might want to walk like a big girl.
I don't wish to complain (that much), but my child is pushing every button she can find! This afternoon she decided she didn't want to eat her peaches so she dumped them, unceremoniously, on the freshly-mopped floor.
At least she will learn how to do housework early...she thought picking up peaches off the floor was great fun. If only I could adopt her cheery attitude about housework!

Fashionista

As you already know, Shirley Jean is something of a fashionista. Lately she has taken to dressing herself...even if she's already dressed.
Thanks, Carrie, for the photos!

Nap Time?

Getting There

At Sam's Club yesterday, the cashier greeted us, "Hi!"
Shirley responded, "Hi!"
Cashier: "How are you?"
Shirley: "Good!"
Clear as a bell.

Then, this morning I changed her diaper and said, "Can you say thank you?"
"Tank oot!"

After breakfast she handed me her dish and said, "Here you go! Tank oot!"

Running Laps

Bubbles & Crayons

This afternoon, Shirley Jean said, "Yellow!"
Ok, truth be told it was more like "Eyow," but I'll take what I can get.
We celebrated by blowing some bubbles.

Big Kid

Who is that Big Kid walking toward the swings? Oh, that's my baby. Where did the time go?
It's fun to watch her grow and change now. As you may remember, I used to grieve over the changes in Shirley Jean. Now it's fun to watch her learn and grow. (Thank you, God, for changing my heart.)
Some fun facts about Shirley at almost 18-months:
-She says "Mama," but not necessarily to me.
-She said, "shoe" for the first time today.
-She says, "All done!" when the bowl is empty.
-More often than not, "No" means yes.
-Obeying is not necessarily her first priority.
-She has a weakness for boxes of tissues. Still. It's like a magnet drawing her to be naughty. She can hardly resist. She doesn't resist.
-Shirley has turned into quite the climber. I sincerely believe her mentality is, "The world is my oyster. I'm going to climb it."
-She does not deal with frustration well, often trying something once or twice, then going into the tripod position in frustration.
-She frequently mimics the noises we make, grunting when we pick her up, coughing when we cough, sighing when we sigh.
-She "talks" from the moment she wakes up to the moment she goes to sleep, though she really doesn't have many more words than what I've mentioned in other posts and above.
-I firmly believe that when she starts talking, it will be in full sentences and I will pull my hair out at the roots.
-She loves music--she dances, sings and claps her hands to any music she hears.
-She loves her shapes puzzles (you know those wooden ones?) and can actually put the pieces where they go. (I think she is a genius child.)
-She keeps putting pony-tail holders on her ankles. I do not understand this. Perhaps it has something to do with her genius?

Practicing

Ear. Eye. No'e.

For the Record

For the record, I've been feeling BittyWee move around inside me since WEEK NINE!

I asked Fern about this at my appointment, because it seems awfully early, even for a second baby. She said she was not at all surprised, and since Fern's word is pretty much the gospel around here, I am not at all surprised either.

Here's what s/he looks like right now:

Click to enlarge.

Tube Top Toddler?

Rite of Passage

After today, Shirley Jean is no longer a baby. She is officially a kid.
Following my doctor visit today, Shirley got to have one of her own.

Shirley and Richard were outside when Shirley fell down in a major way and took a big chunk out of her forehead. When Richard called me, I could hardly hear him because she was screaming so loud. I, of course, was not home (momguiltmomguiltmomguilt), so Richard and I agreed to meet at Urgent Care because Richard "has been injured enough to know when someone needs stitches." (His words, not mine.)

So...two hours later we left with a glued-up toddler. I am so thankful they opted to glue the injury instead of stitching it--it would have just been more trauma.

Truthfully, I think the whole ordeal was harder on Richard than Shirley Jean. She was a real trooper, laughing and chatting with the nurse, giving kisses, and "explaining" what happened. The worst part was that they had to clean it out twice, because in the time it took the doctor to come in after the nurse cleaned it out, SJ had rubbed it and made it bleed again.

So, thank you, God, for protecting Shirley from what could have been a much worse injury, and thank you for blessing me with a cool-headed husband.

March 25, 2010

I had my first doctor appointment today for the new baby!
What a blessing to hear my little one's heartbeat for the first time. It made me put my fears where they beling--in line behind the miracle of our second child, which is worth celebrating! The Bible says children are a blessing, not CHILD. Plural. Right? Right.
The facts:
-BittyWee's heart rate is 188bpm.
-My BP is 110/70.
-I have gained two pounds.
-BittyWee's due date is set for March 25, 2010.

Let it be known:

Naomi is posting weekly how she feels as her pregnancy progresses. You might have noticed that I'm not doing that. Here's why:
I feel like crap.
All the time.
I don't need to tell you once a week, interweb, that I feel lousy.
I guess I should mention how I feel at least once, though, since this is serving as a baby book type thingy for my children.
So there.
I am counting the days until I am in the second trimester and will hopefully start to feel better, but as I start Week 11, I have low hopes. I am dizzy and nauseous, my stomach hurts ALL. THE. TIME. If I don't eat regularly (which is the last thing I want to do), I get more dizzy and nauseous. My hips and thighs ache. My nose, as previously mentioned, is on hyperdrive, I cry at commercials, gameshows and sitcoms, and I can't sleep at night time. During the day, should you appear without calling, if--and that's a big, fat IF--I answer the door, I will most likely have just gotten up from a near-permanent prone position on the couch (which, incidentally, my feet hang off the end--it's a pitiful sight). Coca-Cola, my former BFF, makes me unbelievably sick and gassy. Oh, and can we talk about GAS? This AIR that is trapped in my body? WHERE IS IT COMING FROM??? I think Richard is contemplating moving in with Shirley Jean. I can't say I blame him.
And on top of it all, I struggle daily with the fear of failing at mothering not one, but TWO children.
Feel sorry for me, interweb.
In happier news, this week, BittyWee can open and close his/her fists, his/her bones are beginning to harden and s/he is forming tooth buds that (God willing) will not appear in Baby's mouth until s/he is about 6 months old. Keep your fingers crossed. BittyWee measures 1.5 inches, about the size of a fig. I'm gonna go out and buy a fig this week, so I can hold it in my hand.

Craving of the week: Gas-X.