It's a baby

I'm 17 weeks pregnant today and I don't have many other newsworthy items that I feel like blogging about, so I thought I'd spill the beans. I'm due March 9th and things are going really well.

I think I'm showing a little earlier, but still right in that really annoying stage where maternity clothes are too big and look weird, and regular clothes are starting to look strange too. But, that's not much of a complaint.

It's been a really easy pregnancy, like last time, maybe even easier because I get nap time every day if I want and I'm not sitting at an office desk thinking about my symptoms. There have been a handful of times when I've thought, "Ugh, I just don't feel well. Did I eat something funky?" And then I remember that I am pregnant and maybe the nauseated feeling is related to that. But really, it hasn't been that often and it's more frequent that I wonder if I am actually pregnant at all. I just went to the doctor for the first time, so it was reassuring to see the baby and realize that I'm not imagining everything.

It's definitely a different feeling the second time around. I'm kind of nervous because of our unsettled situation right now. I'm nervous to have two kids and all that that entails. I'm scared that we might have a boy. We don't know if it's a boy or girl yet, but we are definitely finding out. In my opinion, I can be just as surprised at the doctor's office as I can be at the hospital. With the former situation, I won't be exhausted from the throws of labor and I will have time to wash and prepare baby clothes. Willa has been such an easy, good baby! Some of the little boys at church are absolute terrors. Willa is so good that most of the time during diaper changes she just peacefully lays on the floor and when I'm all finished I have to tell her "All done, you can get up now," or else she would just keep laying there. Plus, I don't want to have to deal with the circumcision and the peeing and all that stuff (minor, I know).

Still, overall I am so so SO blessed to be pregnant and that this is something that is relatively easy for us. I have so many friends and family members who struggle; I don't take one day of pregnancy for granted, it is a miracle and a blessing.

Friends with Benefits

My friend Lisa's husband works for the Houston Astros - not as a janitor or concessions worker, but as a real, life, bona-fide higher-up guy who has access to a sweet suite at Minute Maid Park! We finally got ourselves invited for the last home game of the season. There were three couples and three toddlers. 

Willa was pretty nervous at first, especially during the national anthem, but she got used to it and soon was trying to make a great escape with the other two rascals into the neighboring suite.

Here's the inside of the place. It is definitely the only way to go to a sporting event with a toddler. We still didn't get a lot of game watching in, but we could let them play and roam free inside whenever they got too wild outside. We also got to quiz Larry on the details of a President Obama visit to the park where Larry had to host him. Sometimes Lisa would let slip top secret changes coming to the team when they move to the American League next year. I like this photo of Ryan, with his head halo'd by light, he looks like Medieval saint.

You can see that we moved the furniture out of the way to allow for that delicate balance of maximum roaming/minimum injury. We brought toys and snacks, which are all over the floor, and it was a very enjoyable night! The hostess from the suite next door even brought over three popcorns for the little tykes!

I think we made it!

It's September 20 and the temperature this morning was 62 degrees!!! The last few days have felt almost pleasant outside. For Houston, it has felt almost Fall-like at 85 degrees and the ability to stay outside without feeling like a piece of wilted lettuce.

Last year we were still in the middle of a massive heatwave in September, thankfully this year was a lot more mild with a lot more rain to keep the temperatures down. Someone posted on Facebook that last year there were 47 days above 100 degrees, this summer there were only 3. I believe it. It has been hot, but not nearly the stab-my-eyeballs with a fork misery of last summer. I think we're past the hot melting days and have downgraded to just hot days.

I never thought that I would miss the seasons, but now the thought of seeing leaves falling and feeling the autumn air is so tantalizing. I actually miss the snow and the cold! I want to listen to Christmas music and drink cocoa and not have it 90 degrees outside! This may be a case of "distance makes the heart grow fonder" but I'm ready to be done being hot. If anything could have cured my anxiety about cold that I got from my mission, it's definitely the anxiety about heat that I get from Houston.

Here are a few random photos. Willa as a newborn, looking like a boy in her USC onesie. I looked into getting her a USC Song Girl outfit for Halloween, but it was $100!!!! The cheerleader outfit was cheaper, but even in real life, who wants to be a USC cheerleader when you can be a Song Girl?

Recent lunch at Chick Fil A with Jayden. Such a big girl drinking her milk.

Willa thinks Jayden is especially hilarious sometimes.

Trying to carry the present to go to her very first FRIEND birthday party! Bridgett turned two and had a cute little party, Willa got spruced up to go, even though she was slightly intimidated by all the other little toddlers once she got there.

Miss Popular

The Kohls $10 cash cards came in the mail again and again I rummaged through the garbage can and managed to pull out NINE, count them, NINE cards! To be honest, it got a little tiresome to have to pop in the store to buy one ten-dollar item, and then leave and come back another day. I'm pretty tired of Kohls, but I was so excited to get a few almost-free things. I saw this purse for Willa, it was a little over the budget of $10, but I knew she would love it.

She has played with it almost non-stop for the past few weeks since we got it. She puts her little purse on her arm, holds her phone, puts her sunglasses on, and grabs her keys and THEN she is ready to go bye-bye with me. My favorite is to see her walking down the sidewalk talking on her phone with her purse hanging down from her arm. Hmmmm, do I do that a lot? 

 I managed to get a little video of one of her phone conversations. Believe it or not, but this is not nearly as animated as some of her calls. I don't know who she is talking to, but it ranges from serious business conversations (in the jogging stroller), to lots of girl talk with lots and lots of laughing. I hope this phone time isn't an indication of how she'll be with a real phone in junior high and high school.

Take out the Enemy and leave the FRIEND

Our friends came over yesterday for some Labor Day swimming and dinner. As you can see, Willa and Bridget have moved past the frenemy stage! There are still some stolen toys, but they actually get excited to see each other. Actually, Bridget was always excited to see Willa, but now Willa is excited too. After we swam, we walked back to our apartment and Bridget's mom told her to hold Willa's hand. They held hands in a death grip for the entire walk back. It's fun to see how Willa socializes. She is definitely a cautious observer and gets very shy in large crowds. Once she warms up, though, she loves to laugh at funny antics from the other kids and she adds in some of her own funny antics too. 

Yamaha PortaSound PSS-140

Ryan's mom has been going through their basement and occasionally asking us if we want something that she comes across. How could we say no to the Yamaha PortaSound PSS-140. Willa is obsessed with keyboards and was SO excited to finally have her own at home!

I include the video for Ryan's siblings. He tells me that they will remember a certain little sample song.

Playing this morning in her pajamas.

So Glad When Daddy Comes Home

Willa has been going through a new (and hopefully permanent) stage where she is excited to see her Dada and likes playing with him! A few times, when I had to go out, she even waved bye-bye instead of clinging to my legs and crying. We will see how long the happiness lasts. I came home from running last weekend and they were playing in a very fun blanket-fort.