cue bon jovi!

ooooooh we're halfway there!
ooooooh living on a prayer!
take my hand, we'll make it i swear!

We made it to 20 weeks!  It's hard to believe we are halfway through with this pregnancy.  This time has gone by much quicker than when I was pregnant with Lucas.  The thing is, when you're pregnant with your first, it's all you have to think about!  You take naps and clean your house and day dream about the little baby growing inside.  With second babies and beyond, you are wishing for naps but are too busy chasing the little maniac toddler all over the place and it's all you can do to keep from stepping on the little dump trucks and train pieces scattered all over the living room floor as you think, "man...I should clean my house."  Day dreaming happens but looks different, as you try to remember how many weeks you are and sometimes try to squeeze in small places that you can't fit into because you momentarily forgot you were pregnant.  Or is it just me?  When we scheduled our ultrasound, I thought I made it for 18 weeks.  Well it was at 19 weeks because I completely miscounted.  That would have never happened in my first pregnancy!  I could rattle off my gestational weeks without thinking.  Now, it's....ummm....yeah, we're 20 weeks!  I think...

For the most part I'm feeling pretty good.  Aside from a few random nausea spells in the mornings and sporadic leg cramps at night, we are trucking right along!  Lucas is fascinated with the baby in my belly and loves to give her hugs and kisses and say things like "you growing baby?  you want some milk?  you want some fooooood?"  

He is so sweet and gentle and wants to feel her move.  Brandon felt her move the weekend of the 4th, right at 19 and a half weeks.  We were in Asheville at the time, so my mom got to feel her too!  By the time my dad tried, she had quieted down.  He says he is just the baby whisperer and put her to sleep.  We'll see about that.   

 

We have talked to Lucas a lot lately about the responsibilities of being a big brother.  When we are having a particularly difficult toddler moment (aka a "fofo" - full on freak out) we remind him that his baby sister is listening to everything he is saying and that he needs to teach her early how to be a good listener.  And the crazy thing is, sometimes it works!  He is practicing giving gentle hugs to his Mickey and reads stories to his cars.  My heart melts each and every time.  

Our first girly gift, a pack of headbands, was given to us by Betsy and Josh, and we just had to try one on Lucas.  Wouldn't he make a pretty little girl?  Excuse his goofy squinty eyed grin he is doing in all of the pictures.  It's the new face he makes when he is told to smile.  And excuse my manic looking face in the picture below, it's just my face.  I'm still in awe we are having a girl. 

So, 20 weeks down and 20ish more to go!  I say "ish" loosely, because Lucas was a week late.  I'm convinced I will still be pregnant on Thanksgiving which gives me an excuse to eat my weight in turkey.  Let's do this!