Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Santa!

James has had a few opportunities to speak with Mr. Claus thus far this year.  Each time he's asked for the same thing-- a Hess truck.

The most amusing time was at an event in Ramsey.  We were at a party for kids, and James was sitting at a table multi-tasking (making a sticker gingerbread house and eating some snacks).  In walked Santa.  James jumped out of his seat exclaiming, "I've got to tell him to bring a Hess truck!"

He then raced around the room jumping up and down behind Santa saying, "Hess truck! Hess truck!"

Once Santa got on stage, James hopped right up there to speak with him one-on-one.  Somehow, the line formed next to James, so he had to endure several other children having their turns first. Finally, it was his opportunity to speak with the Big Guy.  No fear and no tears (see photo above). He happily answered the questions about his behavior and then enthusiastically stated he wants a Hess truck. 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

30 Weeks!

Sorry I've been a bad blogger (I feel like I've been saying that a lot this year, alas.).

Anywho, sometime I'll try to catch you up on all the fun during November: trick-or-treating, re-decorating the family room, an exciting engagement (yea for Beardy and Auntie Maggie!), hosting the entire family for Thanksgiving, . . .

Meanwhile, as of last Saturday, I'm thirty weeks pregnant!  And I feel great.  Hooray!  Of course there are days when I eat too much or get too little sleep or do too much or any combination thereof, when I feel huge and tired and achy.  Usually, however, I feel good.  So good that I'll forget I'm so big and then bump into something or someone.  Ha!

Plus, I'm running!  I wasn't running at the beginning of this pregnancy, so I started briskly walking regularly.  Then I reached the second trimester and there was a lovely little cold-snap in early September.  The weather felt so fall-like when I was out for a morning walk that I *had* to run.  So I did.  For a minute.  Then I walked.  Then I ran.  I did a week of walking 8 minutes and running 2 for a total of 30 minutes.  Each week I adjusted a minute: walk 7, run 3; walk 6, run 4 . . .

This week I've moved to walk 5, run 20!  Woo hoo!  What is especially nice is that by this point in my pregnancy with James, I had stopped running due to sciatic pain.  It is so nice to feel kind of like myself every other morning!

Other pregnancy updates:

  • I felt like crap most of the summer/first trimester.  Nauseated (not just "morning sickness," but all day or any-time-of-day sickness) frequently-- lots of preggie pops and ginger ale!  And I had to have naps pretty consistently.  Even when James didn't want to sleep, he knew he had to have "rest time" in his room until my timer chimed-- meanwhile, Mommy was napping in her room.
  • I'm so thankful to my friends Lauren and Jenn who leant me their maternity wardrobes!  So nice!
  • James is consistently predicting that the baby is a baby sister.  He's changed her name from Dutch to Trixie.  There were a few other (amusing) names that he came up with early on (Sharnee and Rosie, I believe), but he's stuck with Trixie for quite some time now.  Thanks, Mo Willems.
  • James is very excited to be a big brother!  He often talks about when "our new baby" arrives and how he'll make him/her laugh.  (True story: he still considers Ezra a bit of a sibling.  For instance, when he first saw Ez at Thanksgiving, he proclaimed, "Ezra!  I'm your big brother!"  Then tonight we were looking at friends' holiday cards, and he was noting younger siblings in some cards and not in other cards. He asked who a certain friend's baby was, and I told him she was the only child in her family right now.  Just like he is.  "No," he explained. "We have a baby.  Ezra!")
  • "Trixie" is moving around lots now.  I suppose he/she has been moving around for months, but I feel him/her regularly now.  Which is nice.  At times one can even see Trixie's moves from outside.  Dan has felt and seen Trixie move a lot.  James hasn't.  We've tried.  Until quite recently, he would put his hand on my belly ever so lightly then say, "Yep.  I felt it," and be on his way.  Just in the last week, he's started to keep his hand on longer and with more pressure.  I think he'll feel his baby sister/brother soon!
  • I had a doctor's appointment today, and have now moved into the every-two-week stage.  Then, at 36 weeks I go every week and get a weekly ultrasound.  All my appointments are scheduled from now until the due date!  (Which is Feb. 11th, btw.)