Ready or not

Well, the doctor okayed forAlex to start solids at 4 months, so we tried.  and tried, and tried again.  He hates everything!  He will cry when the spoon comes close to his mouth.  I guess he is not ready yet.  I know it is still early, he is only 5 months and we still have plenty of time.

What he is ready for is sitting!  Look at these pictures.  I tried sitting him up and not holding him, and he stayed for three whole seconds!  Since then, about a week, daycare and I have been working on this new found talent.  I am so excited to see all the new things he can do.

Anyone else love me enough to follow?

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Look-alike

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Look-Alike-Meter

First Follower!

Thanks Candace!  I feel special now to have someone following my blog.

so very tired

Alex was feeling a bit under the weather this last weekend.  He had a fever and diarrhea.  Instead of eating his normal of 4 meals a day of 6 ounces each, he decided he wanted only 4 ounces-or less.  We were worried, of course, and took him to the doctor on Monday.  She said she wasn't worried that our little one (who is now 14 pounds 4 ounces) fell from being in the 75% to the 25% for his weight.  She reminded us how many times he was on antibiotics in the last couple of months and that when he felt better, he would eat normally again and gain weight.  This made me feel better, but not good.  At least his ears finally look completely healed!

Last night he decided to wake up several times between 2 and 6 a.m.  He completely woke up at 2:45 ready for a party.  I fed him a little and turned on the turtle that shows the constellations on the ceiling.  He liked that and settled down.  But, about 45 minutes later, he wanted his pacifier.  Then he was lonely.  Then he decided he didn't want his swaddler and filled his diaper with so much pee it weighed nearly 5 pounds!  Then he wanted to be patted and given his pacifier again. 

My goodness!  I hope this isn't one of those times when a baby who slept so wonderfully all of a sudden decides to revert back to his first week schedule.  I had three cups of coffee this morning and still about lost it with my kids at school.  Please pray I can get some sleep tonight.  Even five hours straight would be welcomed.

Rice Cereal

This weekend Alex got to taste his first rice cereal on a spoon! He did very well.

New Pictures for Gianna!!!

I now have some of my pictures listed on Picasa!http://picasaweb.google.com/home

Taking a few days off.

Alex apparently has come down with Bronchiolitis and is contagious. The daycare said they would take him since he has no fever, but would prefer we keep him home. No problem for me!! I am taking off three days and then getting off early on Thursday to take him to his well-baby appointment. (I hope he is well enough by Thursday.)

I did not complain at all about having to stay home with him. I am enjoying getting my house cleaned, making dinner and just being with Alex.

We even took Roman for a walk today! These are getting fewer and farther between since his arthritis is getting worse. As soon as we stepped out the door a hyper sled-type dog (still a puppy) bolts up to us and startles the cackles up on Roman. The dog had only a Rabies tag, so I let her walk with us around the block. Roman eventually realized this dog was harmless to us and calmed down. I tried to look for open gates where she might have run out, but found only one, and the owner had never seen her. She was so sweet. I tried calling the Banfield number on the tag, but no one answered. I figured the only way to find out whose she was was to take her in to get scanned at the vet. Well, by the time I decided to try, she had run off. I guess that was a good thing. Maybe she will find her way back home.

On a side note. . . our pediatrician is starting Chemo this week for breast cancer. Please keep her in your prayers. I couldn't even begin to think about what she is going through-or how she is still working during this terribly emotional time.

I know I need to post more current pictures, so will try to get some up soon.

Could it be?

Yesterday, Patrick and I noticed that Alex was snotty again. We started thinking that he may indeed have his daddy's allergy problem. Supposedly babies do not have allergies, but I have heard other mothers beg to differ. With the weather changing and the fronts coming in, seasonal allergies could very much be the cause of Alex's ear problems--too much snot! Oh me. How much Kleenex will we buy if they both have these allergies? My house will be filled with Kleenex everywhere you turn!!! Oh me.

Lots of Love

Lately, Patrick and I have been closer to God and each other than we have in a long time. He has shown us so many blessings and has protected us in our times of need, especially lately. I find myself overlooking God's love for me and concentrating on my love for Alex and Patrick. I want that to change. How can I love them as much as I want to if I can't even show that love to God? This has been haunting my thoughts. I am going to start concentrating on the love He shows me through his blessings, and less on those things themselves. It overwhelms me when I begin to list, in my head, all of the things that He has provided for me. That is the love I want all of you to see in me: pure, noble, and without hypocrisy.

Sicky

Well, our poor little one is on antibiotics for the third time now. Yesterday, he woke up at 4 AM and cried almost non-stop until 9 AM. I gave him Tylenol to take the pain away and he felt much better. I decided to stay home with him so I could "Mommy" him. He slept most of the day.

He apparently has an ear infection again. He has been really snotty since getting off the last antibiotics and I guess that caused the new infection. The meds tear up his little belly pretty bad, so I am not excited about having him on them for another 10 days. The doctor said that if this continues, he might end up needing tubes in his ears.

Even with all this going on, he still finds it in him to smile and laugh every time I look at him. I love him so much! What did I ever do without him?

I have a new Niece!!!

Clementine Marie Shaw was born today!

She weighed 7 pounds 6 ounces. Her Mommy is Patrick's sister, Christine. I have not been able to see them yet as it is Friday big weekend traffic in Austin and she is way up in the north west corner of Austin. (About 1-2 hours maybe to get there from Buda.)

He rolled over!!!!

Splish Splash Alex Takin' a Bath!

I know this is a naked baby but, hey, he is a baby and precious. Put your finger over the part you dont want to see if it bothers you.

He LOVES to take a bath. I started bathing him in the kitchen, but he made such a wet mess, I finally moved him into the big tub. This way, if he pees or poops in there, it is really easy to dump and refill the tub!

Swings and Screams

When I went to pick up Alex from daycare Monday, the teacher told me that he was a very good baby. He was so interested in everything going on there that he only took two 30-minute naps!!! That is quite different than the 2-hour naps he takes at home. The teacher tried to put him in a swing to get him to sleep, but when she turned it on he screamed! We don't have a swing at home so it was a new experience for him. He apparently did not like the automated movement.

It was a slow day for both of us. I have no kids yet and so spent the whole day trying not to watch the clock count down to when I could see my little one again. He was awake when I got there after just having had floor time talking to another baby, but very quickly fell asleep in my arms with a smile. I stayed for about 30 minutes talking to the teacher about his day and how the class worked. The staff there is so great. She didn't mind me hanging around and actually engaged in conversation as she went about her duties. There were only five kids that day and by the time I got there, only four remained including Alex.

Yesterday was much the same. . . watching the clock and racing to pick him up. This time he was fast asleep. They had used the strap-down method we taught them to keep his arms in the swaddle. (We use a cheap, thin cloth diaper to wrap up his arms inside the swaddler blanket.) He still can get out, but it makes for a longer nap.

I want to be a SAHM (stay-at-home mom) so bad! I hate leaving him all day with someone else and then getting to feed, bathe and swaddle him to bed for only 1 1/2- 2 hours a night. He went to sleep by 6:30 both nights! My house is getting messier because I am so tired after being at work all day (regardless of the work I have or don't have to do) and then making dinner while trying to spend some time with Alex before his bedtime and cleaning the house. When Patrick gets home, he has been taking over dinner prep and letting me attach to Alex. I love this, but then I am taking the one-on-one time away from Patrick, too. At least he gets to spend some time in the morning with him before he takes him to school. He is not yet awake when I leave.

First day of school

We got a call Wednesday from the daycare that we had been interested in. We were on a wait list that could last until October or later. Miss Michelle, the director, said that one of the people who was to start on Monday could not start due to her husband losing his job. So. . . we got the spot!

He will start on Monday. They provide all the diapers and wipes, burp cloths, blankets and his own crib! When he starts eating real people food, they will provide that, too. Pretty cool, huh?!

I don't know how we are going to afford it, but I feel that this was an act of God and He will see us through if it is His will. We have enough saved up for a month and a half of daycare so far and will penny pinch for the rest.

This will make birthdays and Christmas almost non-existent for us, but that is okay. All I really care about is that Alex is with us for his first Christmas. It isn't about the presents anyway.

We are so excited!!!! I am extremely comfortable with the daycare teachers and knew God wanted us there since I first stepped in the door of Buda's Bright Beginnings. Alex is going to school!

I Made It!!

Well, I made it. Yesterday was the first day of school for Austin teachers and my first long stretch without Alex. Sunday night I broke down in Patrick's arms thinking just how long that stretch would be and how I hadn't been away from him over 30 minutes in a full year now. Patrick offered to bring him up to my school for lunch. Patrick has taken off all this week and is being the Stay-at-Home-Daddy. I was much less scared of Monday.

Monday morning I had just enough time to nurse him before I left. Patrick held Alex and stayed in the drive until I left, both waving their arms. By 9:30 anxiety set it. I couldn't keep my eyes off the clock. Alex would be there at 11. At 10:15, my principal decided to switch around the meetings for the day and have lunch at 12 instead. That was an entire hour!!! I let Patrick know-he was having a hard time getting everything together and out the door anyway.

When he came, I was pacing outside my portable. I ran to the car and grabbed my little man and hugged and kissed him as only a mother could. They stayed for two hours until the next meeting was scheduled. So, I had about 4 hours away, two hours with, and then another hour and a half away until I got to be with him for the night. Alex was very tired with the excitement of the day (everyone at school had to hold him and get him to smile at them) and went to sleep a little early.

Today was a little easier leaving in the morning. We had convocation for half of AISD until 11. At 12 I made it back to my school where fifteen minutes later, my dear husband came bringing Alex and lunch.

This is a nice way to ease back into returning to work. Thanks for the prayers. God was listening.

Rattles

My Parents had just returned from watching the Cowboys at practice in San Antonio. Mom had bought this little outfit and we are so excited that it almost fits. I have been told that he is to wear it when The Boys are playing. Being that I don't watch football myself, she is going to have to let me know when that is.

We finally were able to capture his gorgeous smile. He has a tendency to get business-like when the camera comes out. I can't keep a straight face when he smiles. It lights up my life.

Ouch!

Yesterday was Alex's first set of vaccinations. I held him on my lap and the nurse held his legs while giving him three shots. One in one leg, two in the other. As soon as she poked him, his head turned bright red and he cried so hard. Then, with the other two shots, it got worse. I have never heard or seen him like that. I teared up too just thinking about how I couldn't make it go away for him. I had to let him hurt for his safety. Well, one of the side effects of two of them was vomiting. Dr. Collins said that it is more like spit up, so I didn't think much of it when he spit up his dinner yesterday. But today was different. While feeding him lunch, right before he finished, he acted like he had a big burp working up, so I decided to sit him on my lap and work the burp out. He vomited everything up. It was like I had the Excorsist on my lap. Milk went everywhere! Poor thing did not feel well after that and ate very little later even with an empty stomache. He is fussy and sleeping a lot today. Keep my baby in your prayers.

A visit at Grandma's

Last weekend, we went to visit my parents and had a special surprise. Gianna came too! We had a great time and ate very well.

Sweet Rolls

Smiles and Coos

Alex is beginning to smile and is trying out his voice quite often. He will coo, gurgle, and grunt to tell us his thoughts. It is very sweet to hear. I even love hearing him cry. (It reassures me that he really is real.) He has begun sleeping about 4 hours at night with an occasional 5-6 hour stretch. The longer he sleeps, the more cranky he is when waking because he is so hungry. He gets mad at me for taking so long to fill his tummy.

When I think I am beginning to learn a little bit of his schedule, he decides to change it up on me. Since he has been so gassy lately, he is more cranky and won't sleep as well. It has begun to settle down, though.

Last night, I had Patrick feed him formula because I heard he would be fuller and sleep longer. Patrick was a bit nervous, but enjoyed his first feeding time with Alex. I got to take Roman for a walk to get the mail and just sit around while Patrick did the feeding. It was nice. (Although, I was a little upset that he took to it so easily because Alex is supposed to want Mommy, not bottle and Daddy.) This morning he was really gassy. I am wondering if it was the formula because usually, his fussy/gassy time was in the evening, not first thing in the morning.

I am beginning to ready myself for going back to work. It is really upsetting. I am trying to gather a good supply of breastmilk for Anita and am planning for my excuses to run away from school early every day. I don't think I will get away with that for long, though. I think the scariest thing for me to think about is the fact that I might not be that upset to go to work because I will have rewired myself to accept it. (Would that make me a bad Mommy?) Deep breath and sigh. Boredom has not yet crossed my mind with all my at home time. I am even enjoying cleaning my house everyday while Alex naps. Will that continue after school starts back up?

Well, here are pictures to keep you updated on his temendous growth.

One Month Check-Up

He is now 10 pounds 15 ounces!!!!!!! Wow, that is 4 pounds in 5 weeks. He is in the 75th percentile for weight and at 21 1/4 inches, he is at the 25th percentile in length. I told the doctor, "So, he is basically short and fat." She laughed and said that since he just fine and I shouldn't worry. All of the questions I took to the visit were answered and all is well. The biggest problem is a little irritation on his bottom. Vaseline should help that, though.

I am so proud of my little boy! Almost 11 pounds. I wonder what he will be at the next visit. His vaccinations are scheduled for next month on the 4th.

How sweet is this?!

Look at what I can do!!

Not too exciting, but that's his life. We are getting very excited about how well he holds up his head now!

fun facts

Fun Birthday Facts:

Alex's half birthday is November 30
Alex's birthstone is Pearl (Health and Longevity)
Alex's Astrological Sign is Gemini
Alex's Flower is Rose or Honeysuckle (Light Blue, White and Cream)
He was born in the Chinese Year of The Brown Earth Cow

Alex will start kindergarten in 2014,
be old enough to drive a car in 2025,
finish high school in 2027,
and will graduate from college with the class of 2031, give or take a year. Can you imagine?

This time last year I wasn't even pregnant yet!

more pictures

Three Weeks and growing

My baby is getting a double chin! He is really getting chubby now. His clothes that were fitting are now a little tight. He can look at me and I think he actually sees me and knows who I am. Awake times are getting more often and longer which is kinda nice so I can spend tummy time with him. It is working out really well, because his little head is staying up instead of flopping all over the place.

I love being a mommy! I went to the store yesterday while Patrick stayed home with Alex. I felt so naked without my baby! It was as if I left my left arm at home. I try to hold him as often as I can during the day and my arms felt too light.

I am taking in everything I can in these few beginning days because I know he is growing up so fast. Three weeks is one week away from a month. My baby is growing up!

Update

Thursday, Alex went to the doctor for his 2 week check-up. He weighed 7 lb 10 oz! The doctor said I could start letting him sleep as long as he wants to at night and not worry so much about him eating every 2-3 hours. Of course, as soon as she says that, he goes from wanting to sleep 4-5 hours at night to 3 hours. I think he hit a little growth spurt because he is wanting to eat all the time.

Some of you already know that my little boy is quite a sucker. He was put on a pacifier the second day! Now, he doesn't want it anymore. He will spit it out when offered. He makes a really cute "that's gross" face before rejecting it.

He is filling out his wrinkles and is fitting into some clothes that were too big at first. His newborn diapers are getting a little tight already, too. Speaking of diapers. . . he goes through so many each day!!! I never thought a little baby could pee and poop that many times! I can't tell you how many times I have tried to change a dirty diaper, just to have him immediately potty in the new diaper-sometimes before it is even fastened. God bless those of you who bought diapers for us!

Here's More!

The proud daddy.

Hearing testing. They hook him up to a machine that measures his brain waves to see if he hears the sounds.

A very happy Grandma.

Baby Pix

IT'S A BOY!!

Alex came at 12:10pm 6/1/09. He weighed 7lbs 1oz and was 21" long. He came very fast. The doctor said it was a text book birth and Laura should write a book.

Alas, I Am Awake

Well, as if I needed to say it. . I couldn't sleep much last night. Not only did I go to sleep saying "tomorrow I will have a baby," (it was after midnight), but I also woke up at exactly 5:30 AM thinking that at this time tomorrow morning, I will be at the hospital!! This is the last day Patrick and I will be just us two! What a shocking thought. I hope that I can sleep today taking a couple naps, because I know that I will have a hard time going to bed tonight. My little boy is coming! I am so excited I can't stand it! (I sound just like my mother there! tee hee!)

They have wifi at the hospital, so I will be able to download pictures and post them ASAP. I know how anxious I was to have my nieces' pictures, so I will try to be as thoughtful to you guys, too.

Many people ask me why I chose to have an elective induction. The simple answer is that I couldn't stand waiting any longer. He is getting heavier by the minute and I am more and more uncomfortable. Supposedly, if he follows the rules, he should be about 8+ pounds. If I were to wait until my due date or longer--should he be like his parents and be stubborn, he could get to 9+ pounds. I don't want my little baby that big. Plus, the doctor is okay with it. I like knowing that there is somewhat of a plan in place. I don't do well when things are so uncertain.

Look for the blog tomorrow so you can see updates and/or pictures of the little guy!

T minus 6 and waiting

My doctor visit today went well. I am not quite 3 cm, everything else is the same. She said that it is my choice to induce early or wait until nature takes its course. I opted for induction. I have to be 39 weeks and that will be Monday. So Monday it is!! I will go in at 5:30 AM to have my water broken and then a baby will be soon!

Monday!!!! I love knowing he won't be getting too much bigger. He should be about 8 pounds this Friday. Who knows how big he would be if I waited until the 8th--or later! I am so excited. He is getting heavy and waiting is not something I do well. Six more days!!

I am going to be a Mommy this time next week. How exciting is that?!

Dr. update

I had another appointment today. I am 2 cm dialated and 80% effaced. She said his head is much lower than last week, too. Other than that, not much to report. I am ready and waiting. Please keep praying for my patience. I know that God's timing is best.

The Waiting Game

Only two days into my time off, and I am already thinking I may run out of things to do. I am finishing up on my thank you cards, getting the house spotless, and washing all those new baby clothes and blankets. Patrick and I put the car seat in the back of my car just in case and adjusted the baby mirror. We bought and tested the video baby monitor which is pretty cool--it has night vision! I also bought the breast pump and read up on using that-not quite yet ready to test it. There are new curtains hung in the nursery and front bedroom and the old puke stains from Candy are almost completely gone from the carpet. Roman is getting a short walk to and from the mailbox every day which he has not done in quite a while since he has been lame on his back hips.

What am I going to do if Alex waits for June!!! I will be bored. Well--At least I don't have to worry about going to work and having my water break in front of the kids. My feet aren't swollen any more because I can put them up whenever they start to puff. My back still hurts a bit, but hey I have a 7 pound baby in my tummy! That back pain is inevitable.

I know that God's timing is perfect and that nothing I do will alter His plan, but I still pray that I can see Alex's little face and hold his hands within the week. Pray for my patience and Alex's good health.

Cut Ties

My cerclage is out!! Yeah, it hurt, but it is now gone. Dr. Berry said that I was already dialated to 1 cm and 60-70% effaced. That should make my labor a little shorter, hopefully.

Thursday was my last day of school for the year. I couldn't handle the swollen feet and emotional instability. The kids weren't getting the teacher they deserved-they had a Dr. Jekyl. I could turn in an instant into someone not so nice or fun to be around. On my Thursday visit to the regular ob, my blood pressure was a bit elevated beyond my normal, though still within a good level. The stress was getting to me and neither Patrick nor I could stand the thought that Alex was having to go through all of it with me. He is too little to be dealing with adult-level stress. I didn't tell my boss until Thursday morning because I had fought it so hard. I thought I could make it through the year in order to save up my leave days. Mary was, thankfully, supportive of my decision.

I am really glad that I did that because after getting that stitch out, I am in super-hyper nesting mode. I am organizing the nursery, making lists of things still needed and trying to get all the new clothes and blankets washed and ready to use at a moments notice. I even took the plastic off the crib mattress and put the sheets on it!!! We packed Patrick's baby bag and I am catching up on some preparation reading and much needed rest.

All I ask is that Alex gives me one more week to make sure everything is ready to go before he decides to let me see his beautiful face. (Which, by the way, I got a great picture of on the ultrasound. I will try to get it on here soon.)

Shower

My wonderful friend, Anita, and my sweet cousin, Julie got together and threw me an amazing baby shower yesterday. I got lots of great stuff and ate lots of yummy food. I had a wonderful time, as I hope everyone else did, too.

One of the games was for everyone to try to guess the size of my belly by using streamer tape as a measure. My mother, who thinks that I am absolutely huge apparently, cut a piece so long it was taller than me!! That was really funny. Aunt Lisa got right on the nose! Kudos to her.

Thank you to everyone who came and for those who couldn't, thank you for thinking of me.

This is my first semi-mother's day as well. Only a few more weeks and I will truly be a mom. What a scary and exciting thought that is.

I have two new neices!!!

The girls were born this morning!!! Elizabeth and Cosette Ludlow. Both perfectly healthy. Let's all say a prayer for them and send many blessings their way.

Growing fast

Last weekend, I measured my waistline at 44 inches. Two days ago, it was already 45 inches! Dang!!

He pushed his little foot against my belly and I could feel the outline of it. My little boy's feet are moving and kicking me so much now. I can feel his arms and head and especially his little bottom kicking out near my belly button as he tries to stretch out his legs.

Only 6 more weeks (if that.) My life will then end, and a new one as Mom will begin. That is quite a jolt. I can't wait.

Baby update

Since I am at school, I cant download the pictures, but can say that he is now head down!! Shocked me. I kept feeling him kick me low and assumed that was because his feet were there. Well, I was right, but his head is there too. He is in the pike position-head, arms and feet all huddled together with his little bottom up under my ribcage. He should be 4 pounds 9 ounces if the measurements are accurate. What a big boy.

Belly and Bugs

Belly photo at 31 weeks.

After only 1 1/2 years, my baby quilt is finally finished. Notice the satin ribbon added to the border-it is from our wedding!

He's growing fast.

Yesterday afternoon I decided to remeasure my ever-expanding waistline. I am up to 42 1/2 inches!!! That is two and a half inches bigger in the last month. I can't imaging what it is going to be in 8 weeks!

My Big Boy

Check out the foot by the forehead in the last two pictures! What a strange place for a foot.

My blooming garden

I am sending pix of my beautiful garden because I can't get the camera to cooperate with me right now for the baby pix. Look for new baby pix soon.

Big Kick!

Apparently, Alex does NOT like sonograms. When the nurse tried to listen to his heartbeat today, he kicked the wand-thing with all his might! It was so funny. He did it twice! The first one hit right on the wand, the second just beside it.

Well, as I supposed. . . I gained too much weight this month. I put on 8.2 pounds in four weeks!! That is twice what I am supposed to. I am now going on a pregnancy "diet" to limit the extra junk food I have been eating and replace it with healthier options. Please help me avoid the goodies if you see me. And yes, this is prescribed by the doctor. (Although she wasn't going to say anything except that I brought it up--so it isn't too terrible.) She (regular OB) also wants me to start going every two weeks now. At least her main office is moving closer to I35 on Slaughter and Brodie. It will save a little time and gas. Three more months!!!!

Robeez

For those of you who have not heard of Robeez before, they are highly rated soft shoes for infants. Apparently, for kids who just start walking, barefoot is best, but these shoes are made of soft leather kind of like slippers to help them grip the floor. Some mommies from my church told me how to get a free pair by signing up at USA Baby. I got a pair for 6-12 mos with a soccer ball on the front. The others had aliens, lions or other weird things that I thought looked tacky. Anyway I got my pair yesterday and was very excited that I found a diaper bag there too. Very exciting.

Update on belly size

Last week, I measured my waist at school. It was 40 inches!!! Dang! (As you can see, my butt has been trying to keep up.) Now my belly is even bigger and moves. I can sit and watch as he kicks and squirms inside me. Kinda weird, but really cool. I already love him and he isn't even going to show for about 3-4 months.

Keep on growing, keep on growing

Alex is now about 2 1/2 times bigger than Emily. The ultrasound girl guessed 1 pound 9 ounces. Patrick asked how big he might be at delivery and she said he might be around 8-8 1/2 pounds if he makes it to 40 weeks. It is hard for me to imagine him bigger than Emily, though I can feel the difference. He is strong, and apparently is getting a bit squished now.

I will enter my third trimester in two more weeks! Breathe a sigh of relief.

He's Grown!

New picture and update

This photo was taken last weekend, so it is not perfectly acurate. I think he has stretched me out some more since then.

This past weekend Patrick and I worked on the yard. I had so much fun. Patrick did most of the work, though. I really wanted to shovel, uproot trees, and everything, but knew better. I let him do that. He removed the two dead trees from the front yard and filled in the holes. We also went back to the Natural Gardener and bought more soil and two trees. Patrick shoveled the dirt while I fit the bags around the bottomless bucket and tied them up. We now have the garden all filled and I planted peas, lettuce, spinach and carrots. I can't wait until they germinate! Fresh veggies! And it has only taken a year to get it going.

Food

Recently, my appetite has gone into overdrive. I want to eat everything I see. I even ate a shrimp yesterday at my mother-in-law's house! Today I wanted a candy bar, a McDonald's sausage biscuit with grape jelly and a Chick-Fil-A sandwich with extra pickles. I got a bite size Baby Ruth instead. Ice cream sounds yummy. Peach cobbler sounds yummy. I want to eat it all, but my tummy is not holding what it used to. I feel extremely full after one large glass of milk-without even eating anything! That means I am eating all day long--which means I am thinking about food all day long. I am afraid that my my will grow bigger than my belly if I indulge myself of my whims.

Sunday at church, everyone noticed that I was pregnant. People who I thought already figured it out all of a sudden start asking me about it. It was weird. I know how big my belly is now, but I forget every once in a while and get surprised when I look down. I wonder if my weight gain is going there instead of my hips-that would be okay with me.

I am going to the doctor (the regular one) this Friday and then to the specialist on the 13th. I can't wait to see the new pictures! He will be close to 24 weeks by then and so much bigger. I can feel him everyday now and he is getting strong. He must like to stand up because I always feel him kicking towards my bladder. I wonder if it is a game for him. You know, he may take after his father in that regard, always making jokes.

I imagine him in my arms and want to sing a song of praise every day. God has heard my prayers and is faithfully carrying them out.