Try 3

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The pregnancy

19 weeks starts tomorrow- I can't believe how fast the past few weeks have gone by. This is the typical pattern of my pregnancies though- the beginning drags because it's so completely miserable and every minute feels like hours and now that I feel mostly OK, it flies by. Of course, I know this good feeling won't last- next comes the heartburn, SPD, return of fatigue and exhaustion, etc...but I'll still take all of those over the puking and nausea.

I'm now starting to feel consistent flutters and I even felt some good kicks this morning. They felt so strong for a few seconds that I put my hand on my belly and could feel them from the outside! UNfotunately, I was driving so I couldn't share with daddy or big sister, but their turns will come. Anya still pulls up my shirt several times a day to kiss the baby and talk to it. She's eager (as we all are) to find out the sex so we can at least give "it" a pronoun. Anya is convinced it's a girl, although she does realize that it could very well be a boy and she's OK with that too. As long as we name him/her Angel. Hmmmm.....I hope she doesn't get TOO disappointed!

Mastian

Sebastian's language and general knowledge base have continue to just explode lately. He's now able to count to 10 and then he throws in a few random teens for good measure. He diligently points out EVERYTHING we pass as we drive- cars, trucks, buses, diggers, etc....as well as stores and buildings. Today Nana took him shopping at a supermarket that we pass every day, but I rarely shop in myself. As we passed it on the way home, he pointed it out and told Anya and I how he and Nana shopped there today. He's also great at spotting BJ's and of course MIckey D's (and he reminds me that they have chicken and fries there too).

He's still such a lovey, affectionate little boy.... he never refuses to give a kiss or hug when requested and often offers them unsolicited. The best is when you pick him up and he wraps his arms around you and squeezes as hard as he can. He also puts his head on your shoulder....I'm going to miss that when he's "too big" for that stuff- I wish there were a way to can it up!

Poor kiddo has been battling a cough for over a week now...the fevers have gone away, but his persistent wet cough is around. Thankfully, he's not fighting the nebulizer now so I'm hoping that more frequent treatments will help.

The Princess and the Seam

I think I've mentioned before that Anya is all about comfort. For a loooooong time, it was impossible to keep clothes on her. Finally, that passed and she switched to "comfy clothes" or jammies. She's still in this phase, so all she'll wear out of the house are soft pants like sweats or skirts with tights. Forget jeans- too rough and the buttons pinch her (insert eye-roll here). The second we walk through the door, she changes from these clothes into jammies- no matter what time of day it is. She will take a break from the jammies to play dress-up, but as soon as that's over, it's back to jammies.

The newest phase is her obsession with the seams of her socks or tights. She HATES when they get under or at the tips of her toes. This seriously interferes with our morning routine since George or I have to spend some time adjusting her socks accordingly. This morning was particularly rough since she insisted on wearing a specific skirt and top with her princess boots. Because these boots are padded inside, she refuses to wear socks or tights, which was the start of the battle. When she realized she was going to lose that one, she put on a pair of tights and of course the seams bothered her. After a few adjustments, it was clear that these ones wouldn't do, so I offered her another pair Once again, no dice......and the tantrum began. By now it was time to get packed and into the car, but she was in a tizzy. Somehow, George managed to get her to agree to one of the 3 pairs of socks I offered and we were off. Boy howdy can mornings be rough with a 4 year old drama queen!!!

Sickies again

Poor Baz has been battling another cold for the past week. It started with a croupy cough last Sun night, then progressed to a wet cough and fevers through the week. I had figured that he developed yet another ear infection and planned on calling the ped tomorrow, but he's been fever-free since yesterday (or at least only a low-grade fever at best), so maybe we can avoid the abx. I finally convinced him to do the nebulizer (steam) a few times, which I think has really helped a lot.

Anya picked it up a little but hers has just been a little bit of coughing during the day and a lot of dry coughing throughout the night. What a deep sleeper she is now (after 3.5 years of NOT sleeping)....I felt so bad that I went in with a sippy of water (we've been trying to take that away in the hopes of MAYBE night training her someday) and even though she was actively coughing with me there, she couldn't wake up enough to take a sip.

Another weekend bites the dust

Wow- it's been a while since my last entry...I can't believe how fast the days fly by! I'm up to 18 weeks already and now that food is no longer the enemy, time is passing super quickly. It really is a treat to not feel like crap day in and day out. For the past few days, I've only had little minor waves of nausea here and there. Of course, I'm now really enjoying everything I eat and allowing myself to indulge in things I otherwise wouldn't. Gotta take advantage of the only time it's good (or at least OK) to gain weight, right? My level II ultrasound is this Thurs and we're eagerly looking forward to seeing our newest little bean and finding out the sex (hopefully!)

As usual, today (Sun) was a whirlwind. I don't know who said that Sunday is a day of rest, but they sure weren't a mommy. Since Baz was up twice between 4 and 4:45, he slept in a little (as in 7:00), but Anya was up at the usual 6:30, so my day started then. After making and cleaning up from breakfast, the playtime began and this involved making many messes (as usual). I did manage to clean and tidy up as we played together and I even got to changing all the beds and cleaning the bathrooms before we headed out to Home Depot. Thankfully, both kids cooperated and it really wasn't painful at all. We even rewarded them with a stop at Wally World for some pink play sand for their sandox. Of course, as we left the stores, the rain was falling, but they forgot about the sand by the time we got home. As Baz took his nap, Anya and I played in the hot tub (ahhhhhh...still loving every second of it!!!), then back to cleaning and laundry. I managed to vacuum all the rugs and even mop the kitchen floor- go mommy!!! By the time Nana and Dada showed up to pick Anya up for her sleepover, even the family room was picked up and looking neat. Another dip in the hot tub with both kids and grandparents and Anya was off for the evening. What a treat it is to only have one kiddo to manage! We had a nice dinner, a little Yo Gabba Gabba, then bath and bed. While George bathed Baz, I folded and put away the rest of the laundry and that was the end of the day. It really is nice to have the entire house in order, even though I know that in a few hours it will all be a disaster again, but I'm enjoying it now!