A post for baby #2...

Most of my attention is focused on your big sister, but to keep it documented on your progress as well, here's a little update/post for you.

At the 20 week ultrasound, you were measuring at 20 weeks and 2 days, even though you're age was technically 20 weeks and 4 days. Estimates were that you were almost a pound in weight (12 ounces), and everything anatomically speaking was "textbook perfect." The ultrasound tech was extremely flattering to me, commenting on how "skinny" I was and so she could use a different wand than the more traditional wand. At the time, you were breech in my tummy, so we did have a little bit of a challenge getting the right angle to look at the valves in your heart to make sure they were closing all the way, but finally we saw it, and everything looked great. Your feet were up by your head, with your left hand by your face, and your right hand tucked under your bottom. I can't get this image out of my head and imagine you're still bent over in a permanent stretch, although I am assured you have plenty of room to move around. You were flexing your fingers and hands, and we were able to see all 10 fingers, and perhaps all 10 toes (but I don't really remember). Everything looked so good, in fact, that the tech didn't even need to check to see if you were a boy or a girl, so, as with your big sister, we remain in suspense.

I have been feeling your movements for a while now (about 6 weeks or more?), and you seem to me to be just as active as your big sister, but I do notice more pronounced quiet times. When sister is loud, especially first thing in the morning, you seem to startle to the sounds, but other times your movements feel like an excited sort of dancing as you listen to her (constant) chatter. My working out or walking from the parking garage to the office seem to put you to sleep as you slow down in your movements, but once I stop and rest for a bit, you move around a bit to get into a different position I imagine.

I go to bed between 9/10pm most nights and you seem to spend about 30 minutes getting used to the new position as I try to get comfortable. I'm starting to have to wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and at those times you seem to be quiet, and have slow readjusting movements after I lay back down. Your movements haven't woken me up at night (yet), so I'm hopeful this means you will be a better sleeper than your sister.

Some nights, I feel the nausea return, but it's definitely coming less often. Those nights seem to be correlated with my level of stress, going to bed too late, or not having eaten in awhile. My appetite seems to have increased in the last week, and I do feel like the "bump" exploded a few weeks ago.

At my 24 week check up, you were measuring exactly at 24 weeks, and everything looked good. Your heart rate was between 152-156 bpm. My weight gain was on target (20 lbs so far), which I attribute to trying to get back into a work out routine. Hopefully this will help your heart, lungs, and everything else be as healthy as possible.

We had a couple of 80+degree days with high levels of humidity, so I'm trying to get prepared for a much hotter summer than the last 6 years in Pittsburgh. Sister doesn't seem to be bothered by the heat one bit. She'll have hair plastered to her head with sweat, cheeks as red as can be, and still she wants a blanket over her legs when she's in the car on the way home.

Sister has started giving you hugs and kisses. She's very excited for you to come. She is insistent that you are a baby sister, and depending on the day, your name is either Aurora or Tarzan. We talk a lot about how you will cry, and she has definite ideas for how she will help you stop crying. I have a feeling you will spend most of your early days just watching her running around and listening to her chatting to you. She wants to hold you and carry you around, but we have discussed how she will be holding you when she's seated. We've also been talking about how you will be born in the hospital, just like she was, and she says she will be staying with you in case you cry (we said we'd talk about it...). She's also very excited for you to begin potty training. Apparently, you're going to poop in your underwear, and she will clean it up. We've tried to tell her that you probably won't be pooping in your underwear for a couple of years at least...

We are happy you are growing well and are healthy. We are excited to meet you on your birthday, and I hope this time around I will remember more of the early days with less of the baby blues/postpartum depression than I had with sister.