Christmas

We had a very good, albeit busy, Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve we hosted my mom's side of the family at our house. It worked really well to have everybody at our place because Jillian is much friendlier to unfamiliar faces at our house than at other people's house. It is like she went into instant hostess mode, and there wasn't a single person's lap that she missed. On Christmas day we ran all over the place to my Dad's, Jeramy's mom's and Jeramy's dad's. Starting next year it is my goal to stay home on Christmas Day and we can host whoever wants to come over sort. It is just too hard to go to so many places, and I want to start building traditions with my children other than hanging out in the car and throwing tantrums when mommy won't let them touch people's breakable objects.

Jillian was completely spoiled, of course. Here are some pictures of her fun...

Christmas Eve she got a Pelican pull toy with balls in its mouth from her great aunt and uncle. She really liked taking the balls out of the pelican's mouth and throwing them down the stairs. Luckily she also thought it was fun to retrieve the balls, which thankfully she can do by herself. We took down the baby gate at the top of the stairs before company came over, but I think we're going to leave it off since she is so mobile on the stairs now.



Christmas morning, Jillian woke up to find that Santa brought her a play kitchen! She likes it almost as much as the real one...more maybe since these cabinets don't have locks on them. We moved the changing table out of her room and into Hayden's to make room for toys (Jeramy already painted Hayden's room if you can believe it). I figured that I would change her diapers in there, and after the baby is born we'll set up the pack n play as a second diaper changing station.

She and her cousin Julia got life size dolls (well bigger than life at their current size). They modeled with Aunt Brittany/Julia's mom because it is pretty much impossible to get a decent shot of both of them without adult intervention.

Jeramy's mom made Jillian the coolest rocking motor cycle. It turned out really great (which is good given the countless hours that went into it!). At first Jillian was uncertain about sitting on it, but once Julia showed her how she was fine.

Riding her new quad. She could figure out how to hit the button to get it to move but only in little spurts. Jeramy practiced with her last night, and she was getting the hang of holding it down longer. Not too much longer until she can ride a real one!

The Bump has a Name

We have officially come up with a name for baby #2. Drum roll please...

Hayden Catherine

I, of course, reserve the right to change my mind about the name at any point in time because I am a hormonal pregnant woman after all. And yes after three "J" names we are going with an "H". I never meant to start a theme by picking the name Jillian the first time around. We just happened to like it.

I've now reached the halfway mark amazingly enough. My back is really starting to feel it too, as little Miss Hayden seems to be burrowing into my lower right backside causing sciatica and pain. It can be especially bad on the weekends as I tend to be on my feet more cleaning and running errands. Jeramy got a quick pic the other morning. The picture quality isn't great because apparently the flash wasn't on but you get the idea. For comparison you can find my 20 week belly pic with Jillian here. Pretty similar, I think.

In other news, it seems that we have a peeping tom at our house. We'd call the cops, but she's kind of cute.

Photos

We are actually getting a second anatomy scan done with a better machine at the maternal fetal medicine clinic, because it turns out this little girl was a bit difficult to photograph. This time the placenta is on the outer wall blocking our view, and she was not in a particularly good position. So there will be more, better pictures, to come!

In the meantime everything else looks good. Heart rate of 140 bpm and measuring right on target at 20.5 weeks!

And it's a healthy baby...

GIRL!!!

I must say that I'm pretty damn excited to be getting two little girls. Hopefully Jillian and her little sister love each other. Or at least don't kill each other before they grow up :)

Jeramy, on the other hand, is nervously stockpiling weapons to ward off boys when they become teenagers.

Tomorrow is the Big Day

I can hardly believe that tomorrow we will hopefully be finding out the answer to the boy or girl question. It seems that most of you are guessing girl, and I cannot say that I'm guessing any differently. This pregnancy just seems too much like the last one for me to think otherwise. Well unless you count the whole "spontaneous" thing as opposed to the RE's office thing as different. Jeramy is so adamant that we're having another girl that he has been referring to baby #2 as Jillian's little sister since the test came back positive. I can't say that I would mind since I have fond memories of having a little sister close in age despite the fact that we spent most of the time arguing and punching each other. A boy would be great to, since then we'd have one of each. Either way, I don't think we can go wrong gender wise.

This pregnancy really has flown by in comparison to the last. My day consists of work, chasing Jillian around, and then a precious hour or two of relaxation with Jeramy after she goes to bed. Weekends are more of the same. I love it, but it is busy. I lack the luxury of sitting around and contemplating the wonder that is this pregnancy unlike last time. In a way I almost feel a little guilty that being pregnant at times feels like more of an afterthought rather than my constant focus. But really I think it is more of a function of being busier. It is feeling more and more real though, probably because I have really began feeling movement. I felt flutters earlier this time around since I knew what I was looking for, but the real distinct movements did not begin until a week ago.

Now that Jillian is sleeping like a champ, I have been knitting more in the evenings since I know this will all come to an end again in a few short months. I finished Jillian's Helena sweater. It is a little big (although it is supposed to be long), but I think it should fit well by the spring.


And a sock! I'm now knitting the matching sock. And if I finish that sock it will be the first complete pair I've ever made.

Because I'm a Cruel Mom...

I forced Jillian into another Santa Photo-op. This really never gets old for me!

Jillian's Likes and Dislikes

Jillian turned 14 months old today. Here are a few things that she likes:

• Food. Especially strawberries, cheese, potatoes, cheetos, and beef. And whatever mommy, daddy or Cujo is eating. Dog bones are considered a delicacy in Jillian's book.
• Spinning in circles to get dizzy.
• Climbing over the top of the couch to stand in the window sill.
• Cujo. If only he felt the same.
• Bedtime. Hallelujah!
• Peek-a-boo.
• Saying "mamamamamamamama." Finally!
• Making a mess.
• Spilling her milk onto the ground and then playing in it.
• Showers.
• Turning on the electric fireplace in mommy and daddy's room with the remote.
• Smiling at strangers to make them think she likes them...until they want to hold her.
• Tickles.
• The book Hand Hand Fingers Thumb.
• Songs with motions like the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Little Green Frog

Something Jillian does not like:


Is it wrong to love this picture so much?

By the way I finally, at 19 weeks, got around to adding a ticker for this pregnancy. The 2nd time around is a little different. Not because I am any less excited but rather because time is limited. Typing a post is impossible until after bedtime as Jillian likes to help you type. She has taught us computer commands that we never knew existed.

Also, the anatomy ultrasound is next Tuesday! I'm hoping not only for a healthy and happy baby but to get a glimpse of one particular part of the anatomy in particular. Any guesses as to what I'm having? There is a poll in the upper right corner. So far this pregnancy is just like my last one. Practically no symptoms at all. I keep forgetting that I'm even knocked up, although my growing belly is starting to make that more and more difficult.