26 weeks: making memories



26 weeks @ Christina & Matt's Rehearsal Dinner

 What up, Alpha Mom?

Your Baby:

• Is almost two pounds. Celebrate this milestone with a two-pound box of chocolates. You know, in order to really get a good VISUAL.
• Remember those early bubbly butterfly kicks? Yeah. Those have been replaced by something akin to a rabid mongoose flippin’ out inside a burlap sack.
• If you DO occasionally feel smaller, rhythmic movements in your belly, it’s probably your baby hiccuping. Babies actually get hiccups from late in the first trimester on, but most women don’t pick on them the second trimester or later.
• All five senses are fully developed. Whoa.

You:

• Are in the last and final week of the second trimester! (At least according to the books I’ve chosen to listen to — some mark the beginning of the third trimester as week 27, while some make you wait until week 28. Look, we’re all big and lumpy and ridiculously cranky, let’s get this final trimester STARTED.)
• Of course, the end of the second trimester also marks the end of the so-called “honeymoon” phase of pregnancy, as the final three months can get awfully uncomfortable. Back and joint pain, swollen ankles, restless nights and Braxton-Hicks contractions, ahoy!
• You’ll gain about 1/2 inch in belly/fundal size EVERY WEEK from this point on, oh mah gah. I guess I should stop being so smug about those pre-pregnancy lowrise jeans I’ve been wearing (with just a little help from my trusty rubber band).
• The books say we’ve gained about 16-22 pounds, so long as we’ve been following a “nutritious and sensible diet plan.” Bite me, books.

am i uncomfortable? sure. but i swear it's really not THAT bad. i can't wait to have my old hip joints back again. and the big belly sure does make painting my toenails interesting...but i can certainly do this for 3 more months. i know it's going to get "worse" towards the end but really, i didn't expect pregnancy to be a cake walk so i'm happy overall. i'll take it.

so instead of talking about aches and pains or silly stuff like that, i want to talk about something that makes me ridiculously, smile-to-yourself-in-public-like-a-crazy-person happy...and that is the thought of making traditions and memories with our little girl. with the start of the holiday season, this has been on my mind a lot lately. i notice things differently now.

we just celebrated our last pre-Harper Halloween. Sure the dressing up in crazy costumes and drinking and parties have been fun, but from here on out it will be about her. and that's just fine with me! what will she want to be for halloween each year as she grows up? i can't wait to watch "it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown" with her as we carve pumpkins and dump candy into bowls.

then there's thanksgiving....baking pumpkin bread, spending time with family as the weather cools, teaching Harper what it means to be THANKFUL and live a life of gratitude...

and christmas...oh christmas! where do i even START?!

i was driving to work this week and an ad for the Nutcracker came on the radio. within a few seconds, i found myself tearing up at the thought of taking my little girl to the Nutcracker every year.

(http://www.kellehampton.com/2011/06/first-position.html.)

...baking cookies for santa, celebrating advent and teaching her the Christmas story, church candlelight service with Harper in a fancy new dress, christmas morning complete with bed head and big ol' mugs of coffee for cody & i as we watch our girl's eyes light up with excitement.....oh yes. i can see it now :)

my girl, Kelle (yeah, we're on a first name basis....) was talking about this just the other day. in her post (you can read the whole thing here) she says, "The story my kids will tell someday depends on me. I am writing their book, and I want their childhood chapters full of traditions and stories and memories of the comforts of home." yep, i can't wait for THAT.

so, here's to our last pre-Harper Holidays....all the cheesy holiday-related things cody has gotten out of over the years by using his adult reasoning are about to be overruled - sorry babe, but get ready for all the peanuts holiday specials, cookie baking extravaganzas & treks out for real christmas trees you can handle!

xoxo,
K & Harper