It's gender time

Are you ready? Everything looks good with the baby and we found out that it's a...


GIRL! How exciting! High five!

18 little weeks

As of last Tuesday, I'm 18 weeks! Items of note:
- I ridiculously forgot to mention last time that I've been feeling little kicks and punches! It started around 17 weeks or so. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm feeling a baby and not a bunch of funny abdominal muscle twitches.
- I often get a nice jolt of pain in my hip when walking on my left leg. So fun...
- I'm always wanting chocolate. I'm not sure if it's a true pregnancy craving or if I'm just taking it as a handy excuse to eat it all the time.
- Other foods that sound wonderful always: pho, spring rolls, and ice cream (and I still enjoy my almost daily potato)
- I'm going to have to break out my maternity clothes soon- fashion circa 2009. Clothes be expensive.


Monday is the anatomy screening, which means, WE FIND OUT THE GENDER! Oh the excitement! Feel free to log your guess!

Warm Snow Sculptures

This winter. This winter has been 10,000 times better than last year, when it seemed like we spent four months below zero in endless snow. Sure, we've had smattering of deep cold here and there and several snowfalls this season but it's so much more manageable. We've even been more healthy- last year we spent two sick weeks for every non-sick week. This winter, we all got the flu mildly and a couple minor colds and that's it. Ah, the freedom of having healthy children!


The lack of cold weather and of cold germs made our trip to the snow sculptures so much more pleasant than last year. We came in the beginning days of the Winter Carnival so most of the sculptures were still in progress. Fun to watch the sculptors work!


They had big snow piles for the kids to play on, which I don't even remember from before- it had been so dang cold, we spent half our short visit in the warming tent.


This year, the day was so nice, I didn't put the kids in snow pants. I didn't want them to overheat (and, like I just mentioned, I had forgotten about the play area). So, their pants got a little wet.


Doesn't look like they minded, does it?


There' was a fun snow maze, which has at the perfect height. I could see the tops of their head bobbing along as they navigated the passageways. Grey, though, preferred standing on the walls.


And we had to do the big sledding hill again!


Look at my long, luscious hair blow in the wind.


Grey gets a little nervous on big drops and kept sinking down. His belly got a nice shot of cool air.


Later that night, we went on a date in St. Paul, where we found a big event, which included a snowboarding showcase. This was achieved by the snowboarder holding on to a rope which was quickly pulled forward, like unto water-skiing. The things you do without elevation.

16 week photo, 17 week status

(This was from last week, I'm now 17 weeks. I'll always be behind. Note also, bad hair day)

Headaches are subsiding! Nausea is disappearing! Appetite is reemerging! Things are looking up!

Also, Liam, Dash, and Grey daily pretend to be babies. Lots of "goo goo ga ga," cuddles, and feigned inability to walk. They've got baby on the brain.