About a boy and a girl

This will just be a quickie, but my friend Alison, also my old roomie from my days back at Austin Peay, who ALSO happens to be - almost to the DAY - as pregnant as I am, just found out she and her husband are having a girl!! I'm really excited for them. Alison wanted a girl, and I just had this feeling she'd get her wish. :) Alison and Don are going to make a fine mommy and daddy, and that little girl is gonna have one crafty momma! I must admit, there is a tiny piece of me that envies the bond I know they'll have. Being the artsy ladies that we are, we look forward to having daughters to share that passion with.

Earlier in the year, when I first made Henry (the elephant in the picture), Alison fell in love with it (the woman is a fan of the pachyderms) and asked me to make her one. Funny, when I made mine, I made it with very boy colors. Not with any purpose in mind, I just liked the colors. Then Alison asks me to make her one. What colors? Brown, green, pink and white. Girl all the way. Who knew just a few short months later we'd BOTH be knocked up, each with a matching elephant-baby combo? :)

Now to get that little elephant all finished up and on its way to the Nation house!

Same song, second verse...

...a little bit louder and a little bit worse! :P

Come on, you guys remember that song, right? Anyway, today marks the official midway point of this pregnancy. This week Miles measures a healthy 6.5 inches from crown to rump, and 10 inches from crown to heel. From this week on, the official measurements will be from head to toe, which is fun for me because he seems so much bigger now! :) He is also starting to make meconium, that infamous tar that will fill his first diaper once he's here.

I had my 20 week ultrasound yesterday, where they measure all of his major organs and body parts. Everything looked great. Well, numbers wise everything looked great. Miles himself, poor guy, looks about as uncomfortable as can be. His little head is STILL resting on my cervix (he will soon outgrow that space and have to move up), but now that he's getting longer, he isn't able to just stretch straight out anymore. The result? A doubled-over baby whose head is tucked so tight down into his chest, and whose legs flop so far over the top of his body that at a glance he resembles a shrimp more than a baby. ;) Even the u/s tech couldn't believe that after 4 weeks (since my last ultrasound) he was still sitting (err... head-standing) that way! And because he was so tightly tucked down onto his own chest, they weren't able to get a good view of his heart or brain. So I'll be headed back in 4 weeks for yet another ultrasound. Can't say I mind though, because seeing baby Miles up on that screen is the highlight of my days, my weeks, and my months.

This past week Miles became even more active. Rather, this past week he grew and his acrobatics became even more noticeable. Victor got to feel him kick again, and we both got to watch my tummy twitch and jump a couple of times when Miles would get going. At this point, about any time he kicks I can see it from the outside and others can feel it. I'm just hoping little turkey straightens up! ;)

This summer has blown by, and to be honest, I'm really thankful. I know that there are families out there who are biding their time with their children before school starts back up, teachers who are taking a much needed break from the classroom, and people everywhere enjoying the fruits of the summer sun, but man. I am READY to meet this baby, and with each week that passes I get more and more excited. So fall, get here quick! Break out the Thanksgiving turkey! :D

"I like Papayas, I know that Mangos are sweet"

And what a sweet Mango he is! :)

This past week Miles was a polite little boy and shared his kicks with Daddy and McKenzie. It was very cool to feel him kicking and have other people feel him kicking, too. If others were feeling him at 18 weeks WITH an anterior placenta, I can't imagine how strong his kicks would feel if it were attached to the back like normal! Wow! The most magical thing in my entire life has been feeling him play around in there. It's so SO out of this world. I can't seem to wrap my mind around the fact that there is a baby, a living, peeing, PERSON in my tummy, growing and readying himself for this big world. I'm almost halfway done, and I am SO ready to meet him. I can't wait to smell him, feed him, bathe him and kiss him. Victor said earlier tonight that he's eager to meet him as well. I think feeling Miles kick this week was a big step in the "realization process" for him. And I'm glad he's taken that next step.

This week Miles gets some fuzzies on his head, and if he's like his momma, they'll be there. I was a full blown mohawk child by birth. Some studies also show that he might be able to hear me by this week, which is wild to think about. I haven't talked to him much yet, largely because I feel like I'm talking to myself, but I bet once I know he can hear me that will change. He's also about six inches now from crown to rump. Six inches! I know that with each week I'm amazed at his new size, but six inches seems so big to me now. Just a few weeks ago I was stoked about him being the size of a blueberry, and now look where we are. :)

I've registered at target.com, but have already discovered that I have single-handedly purchased enough sleepers to last him through his first 3, if not 6, months. Oops? As I'm typing, Miles is kicking away! This past week brought several changes in the "how much I feel him" arena. Before last week, I could only feel flops here and there if I laid down. Now sitting, standing or laying I can feel his little reminders. It's just awesome.

Happy 4th, everyone. I am extremely thankful to be an American. There are so many wonderful things about this place that I can't wait to share with Miles.