the 16 week Avocado

So this is how it is every night: Vivian pulls my shirt up and points to my belly saying baby and Fraser and I giggle as she then pulls up her shirt to point and say baby. She usually follows this episode with the following statement, "Baby out!" Too funny. It is safe to assume we are all excited about this new addition to our family. The big news this end is NO nausea! Oh what a relief. I am feeling so much better, have some energy back and have been told I have the "pregnancy glow". This is a true thing by the way, the reason you have a "glow" about you is all the extra blood running through your veins. I have gained 5 pounds thus far and the girls at the doctors office had a bit of a celebration that I had gained any weight at all. I had lost so much in the beginning we were all wondering if I would ever get some weight on this baby...it is certain that this baby (meaning me) has some fat now. The thing that is so wild about your changing body is your lumbar curve almost goes away completely, giving your baby as much room as possible. I really do have this fascination about all these little miracles within this great big huge miracle all happening within my body. I am not sure how a woman can go through a pregnancy and not believe in miracles as just a simple detail like your spine straightening, your organs shifting to make room for your baby or your increased blood flow is enough to ponder for years. It just happens, no computers telling it what to do, no manual shifting necessary, no machines pumping blood, just your body figuring it all out on its own. Our bodies are so amazing! Speaking of blood flow, this tiny baby only 4 1/2 inches long and just over 3 oz. is pumping 25 quarts of blood around its body. The baby is the size of a large avocado people and its pumping 100 cups of blood each day. That is so incredible! Fraser is enjoying this newly found energy as well, I am making his nightly dinners again and the way to this mans heart is definatly through his tummy! I think that is why he fell in love with me to be honest...THANK GOD I AM A GOOD COOK! Tonight we had citrus chicken over couscous and glazed baby carrots with red grapes...yummy if I do say so myself. Fraser is hard at work and has still been training on his bike. Two nights this week he cycled 35 miles in one hour...or 35mph, hello that is on a bike in the garage when it is something like 25 degrees outside. He amazes me really, I mean who has that much discipline? He and Vivian have become quite good pals and before bed she always reaches to him and says "cuddle". She is so affectionate, in fact, today at the Children's Museum she was asking complete strangers and thier children for a hug or a cuddle. What a precious girl she is. She really does make my life so much fun, it makes you wonder how I ever thought I was busy before. Now, well now I know what busy is - just watch her for an hour and you'll see what I'm talking about. Phew....

Our lives will be quite exciting these next few months as we have lots of traveling and guests visiting. Next week we (Vivian and I) leave for a trip to Florida, we're visiting Grandparents Rimstidt and Uncle David/Aunt Gerry and thier girls Nicole and Erica. I am looking very forward to it, funny as if you would have asked me 2 weeks ago I would have said otherwise - not because I don't want to see my family, but the traveling and everything is different when you feel sick! Everything! Hopefully the weather will be nice and Viv can run on the beach again - she loves the sand. We then will have some visitors, Emily and Pete from San Francisco, Megan and Andrea from D.C. and Erin (Tissy) from Chicago. Then the we will all pack up and head to visit Grandparents Kirkpatrick and Uncle Greg and the rest if the Kirkpatrick Clan in Scotland. Fraser and Greg will do thier epic male bonding super cycle with staffed support crew (uh yeah that would be Dad) and Mum and I will try to relax, but remember who will be with us - wild gal Viv. Great anticipation for all our guests and travels. Lots of love to you all,

Stephanie

And the ladies have finally arrived...

And by the ladies I mean the girls! Oh yes, one of the best parts of pregnancy for me. You see, well um, I am one of the less fortunate girls with small boobs (and after breastfeeding Vivian - basically nonexistant boobs). I thought I was being robbed out of the veloptuious rack this time around since really that was the first thing to change my first pregnancy, but whatever order it comes is fine with me, I just enjoy having them. I remember when they got so large my first pregnancy that they actually touched...I mean skin to skin. Now this to some of you is a regular occurrance, but to gals like me who's boobs prefer opposite ends of the spectrum, well it is a bit of a shock. I actually jumped up out of my chair at work thinking a bug had gone down my shirt...I am not kidding here I swear! AND they move when I walk. I've got jiggle now haha...and I like it! I actaully told Fraser I was just going to pump for the rest of my life so I can keep them...ha ha! So anyway the nausea is subsiding and the boobs have arrived, life is good. By the way, I decided this was more of a Mommy thing, not really a log for Baby K #2, I will book journal like I did with Vivian - you know so the poor child does not have to someday read about my boob obsession. As you can see from the first picture, I am starting to show a lot more. I love the way a pregnant body looks, even if it is mine that is transforming. It is such a natural and beautiful thing. Your body changes so much during pregnancy, not just on the outside. Your organs actually shift and move to make room for your growing child. It is really fascinating and such a miracle. Loving your body at the end of pregnancy is a whole other thing, but this time, your 2nd trimester, is so wonderfully exciting. At the end you just feel a bit uncomfortable, like a pumpkin on ice skates carrying 6 milkshakes on a tray that holds 4. Even though your body goes through this huge transformation you ARE still gorgeous, to the one that choose you to be his wife, to the ones who love you and sometimes to other women like me who just marvel in the blessings that we women get to share. We certainly have to endure a lot, but we get to experience this most prescious gift - Life! I feel the baby move about once or twice a day, it still feels like an eyelash kiss and usually happens when I am curled up on the couch with nausea or when I am in bed reading a page or two of The Great Gatsby ( I don't know if I will ever finish it at this pace). Fraser is still being a huge support. Tonight I was doing the washing up after dinner (it has been many weeks since I have done this) and Fraser kept insisting I sit down. I said take advantage of it while you can since we never know when I will be well or not in the evening. Then I smelled the broiling pan from the sirloin we had for dinner...ughhh straight to the couch! Fraser is such a wonderful Father and husband, I mean every girl should be this lucky! He has been training for our trip to Scotland, you see he and his brother will cycle the West Highland Way. It is 90 miles which may not seem so tough until you realize it is through the mountains and the weather will most likely be cold/rainy/misty/grey. Let's hope they have great weather and don't injure themselves. We head to Scotland in April and I am NOT looking forward to the journey as I will be 5+ months pregnant, but I am REALLY looking forward to seeing everyone. Vivian is her normal mischievious self. She likes to be the center of attention and if she is sensing that our attention may be toward one another or on something else she fake cries! I say fake because if we laugh she starts busting out with her very own belly laugh and throws her head back for added drama! When we go out she says hello to EVERYONE. Sometimes Fraser and I have to meet at the Studio where I teach Pilates to change hands and she goes around to all the clients talking her jibberish and making everyone smile, she is a charmer. She is learning her colors and numbers and keeps us laughing all the time. Baby K#2 is about the size of a lemon, according to babycenter.com. The babies face muscles are beginning to need a workout, so the baby squints, grimaces, frowns and is learning how to express him or her self. They say the baby may be grasping for things and sucking his/her thumb. Funny to think this little lemon is doing all that. I mean a lemon, come on! So it seems like the tunnel of nausea is coming close to an end and the baby is growing like crazy, my husband is awesome and my little Vivian is my dreams come to life...oh and the girls have arrived...isn't life grand!!!