'Nuggles

What a great week! I started classes on Sunday (the schedule is definitely something I'm getting used to), I'm almost ready to enter my third trimester, having Samantha gone has given me so much time to figure out a new schedule and get some projects done, and I've got to snuggle my cute little nephew a whole lot.

Today has been especially wonderful, and here is why!

Our little boy is about a week ahead of his gestational size, measuring around the middle of week 28. Everything about him is perfectly healthy! This is great news because we were worried that he had a heart defect. The Dr. thinks that radiology either made an error with the measurements or there just needed to be a specialist there looking at the ultrasound in real time. I love this guys little profile, he has such pronounced lips! I think he will have lips like his daddy and Penelope.

I've gained about 11 pounds so far from my pre-pregnancy weight. I still have 3 months, and I'm gonna take an educated guess and say that I'll likely be gaining about 10 pounds a month from here on out. I gained about 30 pounds with each of the girls, but this little boy keeps me eating constantly and I haven't been walking like I did before. I would hardly say that Yoga is going to be a good substitute, but I guess we'll find out.

 I took my ring off this morning. I took my ring off around this time with Penelope because I was worried that my fingers would swell and I'd have to cut it off. This time, I had to wait until the swelling in my fingers went down just to take it off. It's been unbearably hot this summer, and it sucks big time that we only have one room with an air conditioner. I'll be sleeping on the couch next to it from now on.

Penelope loved the fourth of July. We didn't see any fireworks like we had planned. She couldn't quite make it to 10pm. Instead, we went to Rotary Park and played on the swingset. The bouncy houses were crowded with kids so we decided to skip that part. Afterwards, we took her to Dairy Queen. She was one happy little kid, and she sat so good for us while we ate our ice cream too.

Beau, Jes, Katja, and Nikolai came over for Sunday dinner. It was very last minute, but I'm glad they did. We ate black bean and corn salsa chicken, watermelon, and snuggled a sweet little baby. Penelope has been very interested in holding Nikolai. I have to tell her not to poke his eyes, but she had a lot of fun pointing out all his facial features and telling me what they were (nose, ears, mouth, eyes are about what she knows right now).

Penelope found the halloween make up yesterday. Instead of completely destroying my bathroom with it all, she came and showed me what she found. As a reward for not getting into trouble, we had a little bit of fun with it. She thought the black lipstick was the funniest thing she had ever seen on me. Once I put some on her lips and took her to the mirror, she just about laughed herself silly. I love this goofy little thing of mine!

Here is from this morning. Daddy says we can't have blankets during breakfast anymore since she keeps dipping it in her milk. I agree, but I still give her a few minutes to sit there and snuggle while she wakes up.

Summertime Fun

I've been enjoying my "summer break." It feels like longer than a week because I turned in last quarters assignments super early. Ben has been loving this quarter so far at Perry Tech. He says it's because this quarter they are focusing on Networking and all the kind of stuff that he says he wants to do for the rest of his life. I'm proud of him, he's been getting A+ on his tests and quizzes and labs. The first year was pretty rough for all of us, so it's nice that he is coming home with significantly less homework. I feel like I have my husband back! Maybe things won't be so crazy and scary when this little baby boy comes home from the hospital after all.

Samantha and Penelope have been enjoying the sun. Here are a few more pictures and videos of them having fun outside.

Here is Sammie playing on the rope swing that our apartment complex has by their office building.

Here is a video of Sammie climbing the rock wall for the second time. She was pretty excited to do it all by herself. There is nothing she loves more in this world then getting to play with her friends/cousins. I love my little social butterfly.

Grandma Pam, Mommy, and Samantha took a trip to Yakima and passed by a group of young ladies training their horses. Samantha had been talking about all the cows and horses she saw on the way there. Grandma Pam just couldn't help but stop so we could take a peek.

Penelope found the bag full of candy that Samantha got at her friend Max's birthday party. She had fun helping to break open the Minion Pinata from Despicable Me.

Samantha and Penelope love sitting in laundry baskets. Usually they will empty them and use them how they please...but I've smartened up and started leaving a few empty. This is how they enjoy watching movies together sometimes. It's like their own private little island where their sister cannot bother them. I can't say I don't enjoy that one bit either, considering all the fighting and arguing they've been doing lately. 

This is me at 25 weeks. I feel about as huge as I did when I was about 32 weeks pregnant with Penelope. This baby is going to be a big one (or maybe just average because both Sam and Penny were pretty small). He is sitting pretty high, I feel him kicking my ribs sometimes now. He sits sideways usually. Occasionally I feel him shift (it hurts!) but he usually ends up with his feet facing my left side. We still haven't officially decided on a name, although Frederick seems to really be sticking. Samantha calls him Milo sometimes and I have to remind her that Milo is Euan's brother, not hers.

I ask the girls all the time if they are ready to help mommy take care of their baby brother, and Samantha politely responds with, "No, thank you." She wasn't sure how to react when she held her cousin Nikolai, so I think it'll take some adjusting. Penny gave Nikolai soft tickles on his arm so I think she will like having her own real live baby doll to snuggle with. We'll see I guess.

Penelope is about ready to be potty trained. I think this week we are going to start doing the "naked" training. After her bath, she was very persistent about sitting on the potty. She sat there for a minute and then said she was all done. Immediately after I put a diaper on her, she ended up pooping. We are so close, I can feel it! Maybe she won't be in diapers when this baby arrives. What a nice surprise that will be.