This blog is in a sad state. Add busy work weeks and a little vacation to the fact that I failed to address the issue with posting pictures until about two seconds ago and things around here have been pretty boring.
Since I've corrected the photo issue, we should get back on track... Where are we now and where have we been?
We spent Memorial Day in Orange Beach with our families and it was glorious. Nice to get away for awhile, and lucky for us (both me AND Frank) there were no "big" birthdays to celebrate this year (31 is not that exciting). On a funny note (not so funny to me), one of Franklin's teachers at school was discussing the fact that Frank and I have birthdays that are close together and commented about how neat it was that we were the "same age" and celebrated our birthdays together each year. Since there is an 8 YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE between us, I was not amused by the fact that she had no trouble believing that I would be turning the big 4-0 next year. Not quite so fast, sister, I've got 9 more years before I reach that milestone. I think Frank found it rather hilarious though.
We returned from our mini-vacay to lots of billable hours at the office so that we could take off for a real, week-long vacation at the beach last week. (After we crowned a new Miss Alabama, congrats Courtney Porter!) We spent the majority of the week with good friends from Bozeman, Montana, who have 2 adorable children of their own (who managed to keep Franklin entertained, bless them) and who are expecting a third baby within a week or so of us. I took naps every day, ate quite a bit, and enjoyed floating my growing pregnant belly in some body of water daily. That's the life. I have missed the pool and/or ocean since we returned home, that's for sure. Franklin l-o-v-e-d the beach AND the pool, and seemed like he had the time of his life. We managed to avoid sunburns (for the most part, sorry Frank) and came home rested and refreshed.
This week marked the first comments on my growing belly (other than those from my husband, who apparently finds it amusing to tell me exactly how large and round it is quite often). Within a few days time, three people commented about how they didn't think I'd make it to the end of September, and two asked me if I was sure there was "just one in there." I'm convinced that since I have gained less weight this time, everything else is smaller - which makes the belly look bigger. As of 24 weeks, I was measuring 24 weeks, so I suppose I just carry babies differently from others.
In baby news: Crosby gets bigger by the day, just like his brother did. I passed my gestational diabetes test, but am apparently anemic (that explains why I have been so overwhelmingly exhausted all the time, and all of the cheeseburger cravings). I have a prescription for iron, and am taking it, and do feel better. Except for the fact that it wakes me up every single night with a horrible stomach ache (they warned about side effects) which I just suffer through for about an hour or so, and feel better when it's time to get up. Thinking I need to dry a different brand.
Last time: Lots of weight gain. Horrible rib cage pain. Fear of the unknown. Stress about finishing nursery. Terrible heartburn and tums by the case.
This time: Up 21 lbs at week 27. Not too bad. Very little pain, no fear of the unknown, heartburn is under control thanks to Prevacid. A little concerned with the fact that all baby items remain packed in storage in the basement and that other items are in storage across town. But confident that we can throw everything we need together fairly quickly if necessary. A little anxious that the time where everything started going downhill rapidly (PIH, preterm labor, etc.) is approaching quickly (week 31).
Franklin: Is one non-stop jabbering talking little monkey. He's now said everything from "Ketchup" to "Golf Ball" and in between. He's even said "Bebe" and "Lola." Repeated words include: Mama, Dada, mememe (with the sign for "more"), iss (with nodding head for "yes"), ssss (with the sign for "Please"), daw (doggie), side (outside), hot (as in temperature and for hot dog), up. You can ask him questions and he'll tell you by nodding yes or no what he wants. For example, "Franklin, would you like a gummy?" (His vitamins are gummy) and he immediately nods "Yes" and walks to the cabinet where the gummies are kept. At which point he begins to run in place yelling at the top of his lungs while intermittently signing and saying "SSS! SSS!" (please) until you hand him a gummy, then signing "Thank you" and running into the other room to watch Caillou on Sprout. Every. Single. Night. Clearly we have reached a milestone and I think our worries about a speech delay have ended.
I also received a phone call from another mom in his class a few weeks ago bragging on him... Apparently when she dropped off her child at school, she watched Franklin go to the bin where they keep all 8 children's sippy cups (they are all different colors), and then proceed to hand each child the appropriately colored cup that was theirs -- leaving the child who was absent that day's cup in the bin without hesitation. She was impressed. I was too, although I'm not surprised that he notices and remembers everything. Just because he can't speak doesn't mean he can't understand.
I'll unload the photos from our vacation and will take a few of the small number of baby-related purchases I've picked up in the past few weeks. More posts from here!
