Thanks, Kari

Today as we were unloading the dishwasher:

Kari-- "Mommy, you have to grow bigger so baby Aubrey grows healthy and strong, right?
Me--"Right."
Kari--"Well, Mommy, don't grow too big, ok? Because then you wouldn't fit in the kitchen. "

24 Weeks

Had my regular every-4-week appointment today. Everything's great. Aubrey was moving all around when the doctor was trying to listen to her heartbeat. I gained another 4 lbs, same as last month. It seems that I'm on track to gain not as much as I did with Kari but more than I gained with Joel. Oh well!

Bumping around in there

Feeling good these days. However, by the end of each day I move like an old person. The joints and ligaments in my hips don't feel so good, and various ordinary movements send shooting pains down my legs. I don't really mind those things so much, though, because I'd rather have that than feel sick and miserable all the time. Baby Aubrey Ann (I think that might be her name--still no official decision on a middle name, but I'm leaning that way) is kicking and moving a lot these days. I started working on her quilt, so she'd better be a girl!

The Name

We've been having a difficult time coming up with a name that Greg and I both really like (I'm the picky one), and I think we may have found one. We both really like Aubrey. I guess it used to be mostly a boy's name, but in the last several decades, it's pretty much become a girl's name. I'd never name my boy Aubrey. We're still working on a middle name-Aubrey Elizabeth? Aubrey Elise? Aubrey Ann? Aubrey Sue? Aubrey Kate? There are just so many options. If you think of another good one, let us know.

Kari isn't too keen on this new name idea, so hopefully she'll come around if we decide this is to be our baby girl's name.

Baby Girl

The ultrasound photos show we are having a girl! As I said on our blog, Kari is ecstatic. She knew it would be a girl. :) I'm not sure what we'll do about the name. We'll be thinking about it. I kind of thought we'd be having a boy, not that I really cared either way, but it just seemed like we should have a boy--a brother close in age for Joel, I have two brothers--but apparently God decided we should have a girl, and I'm excited about that! It's just still sinking in. Now I can move forward with planning rooms and all those fun things.

The baby had all the parts babies are supposed to have, and I was thankful to see that, too. I loved watching our little girl move around, curl her little fists near her face, tuck her knees up to her chest, and open and close her little mouth. What a wonderful gift God's given us.

20 weeks and approx. 198 weeks old (Kari)

One of these months we'll get Joel in the photo, too.

Truckin' along

I don't have much to report, but I am happy to say I am still feeling good. It's great to have the nausea behind me. The baby is moving and kicking often these days. I can even feel it from the outside. The hip/sciatic nerve issues that plague me with every pregnancy have begun, but I haven't fallen down yet. :) (With Joel, I fell to the floor several times.) I just have to be careful when I stand up after sitting or lying down for a while.

Joel pats my belly and says "baby" now, and Kari still refers to the baby as "Suzanna Isabelle." Only about two more weeks until our ultrasound!