It's a bust.

Or maybe it's just me. I feel like my abdomen could bust at any moment now. There is No. More. Room. Hello, little girl, we have no more room for your shoes, all of your new outfits, and your bags. I'm only a little over 21 weeks so we're barely half way there.

Even though we're only half way through the pregnancy, I feel like I'm as big as I was at 40 weeks with Connor. Seriously, I do. Dennis disagreed with me when I said that.

He told me that I am not COMPLETELY round like I was at the end of my pregnancy with Connor. Thanks, I guess, I mean, right? I'm going to be a glass half full person and take it as a compliment that I'm only partially round at this point. Partially is better than completely.

I checked out my belly shot at 22 weeks with Connor. When you compare the two photos, I am somewhat similar in size but maybe a little "more round" this time than last. Not completely round, just more round.

Happy Almost 23 Months

Connor,

It has been longer than I like since I last wrote a letter to you and I apologize for that. My excuse, though, is a pretty good one. You are very active and keep both your dad and I running from place to place.

Your vocabulary is expanding and I hear new words come out of your mouth every day. Some of my favorites of late are, "cool", "cuck"(truck), "a-ya" (Echo), "bo-bo" (peanut butter), "c'mon mama (dada)", and "gone" (usually pronounced with a very southern-sounding accent). When you say, "no", which is happening much more frequent lately, you say it with the softest, sweetest voice and it's hard for your Dad and me not to laugh. And you are always honest with your answers, too.

"Connor, do you like the [insert food item here] that we made for you?"

"No."

"Connor, can we change your diaper?"

"No."

"Connor, do you want to go outside?"

"Yeah."

"Connor, do you want pizza for dinner?"

"Yeah."

Running is your favorite pass time. You open your mouth really wide, show your bottom teeth, clinch your fists and sprint back and forth through the living room and entry way. You get excited at your speed and say, "fast, fast, mama, fast!". Yesterday you, Kahn (your best friend), Kate and Will spent at least 30 minutes running back and forth along the side of the Huntsberger's house. Needless to say, we had an early bedtime. You had no chance of staying up til the normal 7 or 7:30PM.

After running around all afternoon with some neighborhood friends and seeing your Grandma and Grandpa Martin, Ruthie, and "AK" (Kelly) for an Easter brunch at our house, you were one tired boy last night. It was quite a busy day for you.

Jumping was a challenge at first but you are able to get both of your feet off of the ground at the same time now. Skipping has yet to be mastered, but with the amount of time you spend practicing, I am sure you'll figure it out very soon.

Nunu is still a favorite toy of yours but you are taking him fewer and fewer places these days. He is a MUST to have with you at bedtime or nap time but other than that, he tends to get tossed on the floor as you run around playing with your "cucks" and cars. Lightning McQueen, Mack, and Mater (characters from Cars) are by far your favorites. You've even been to known to sleep with them tightly clutched in your hands.

I love you, Connor.

Love,

Mom

Double Wow

Dennis and I were excited as we walked in to the ultrasound room this morning. We were excited to see a picture of our healthy little boy and hear his heartbeat. It's amazing how wonderful that sound is. A huge feeling of relief washes over me as soon as I hear the heartbeat on each visit.

It wasn't the baby's heartbeat that was the biggest part of our visit this morning. It was Dennis' and my heartbeat as we heard the words from the ultrasound tech, "you are having a girl!". We laughed because we thought she was joking. She had to be. I mean, Dennis and I just knew in our hearts that Connor was going to have a little brother.

But we were wrong.

The ultrasound tech went on to say, "look, there is her labia". Dennis and I both looked at each other as if to say, What did she just say about our baby girl? She'd better stop talking about our daughter that way.

Our DAUGHTER. Wow.

The hours flew by today because we were constantly sending text messages/emails and making calls to our friends and family. The news took a while to sink in; we were both clearly in complete shock. Most importantly, though, I don't think the huge grin left either of our faces all day.

It's Getting Real

The anxiety and excitement about tomorrow's appointment to confirm the sex of Connor's sibling, AKA our second child, has made me worry. And wonder. How are we going to make sure we have helped Connor to be as prepared as possible for this big change that is coming his - and our - way in just a few months?

Dennis and I were pointing to my belly and explaining to Connor that Mommy has a baby in her belly. We'd ask him, "where is the baby?" and he'd point to my belly. We thought we were on the right track...until Connor started to point to strangers belly's saying, "baby, baby". For some reason, people seemed to take offense to that.

Facing this new anxiousness, I did the natural thing: I googled it. And to my surprise (and pleasure), I came across several good suggestions. One of the best ideas that I came across was to read books about a new baby joining the family to Connor to help him understand the chaos that is about to turn his world upside down.

Here are a few others that I copied from eHow.com:

Give your child a time frame she can understand for when the baby will arrive, such as right after her birthday, around Christmas time, or just before nursery school ends for the summer.

Give your child the appropriate expectations: explain to her that for the first few months the baby will do little more than eat, sleep, and cry.

Take your child on a brief tour of the hospital where you will deliver. Explain all the details of who will look after her and where she will stay while you are in the hospital.

Tell your child the story of her birth and when you were pregnant with her.

Read books or watch videos about becoming a big sister or brother.

Decorate the newborn's room with your child.

Make major changes, such as toilet training or giving up a pacifier or bottle, at least a few months before you expect to give birth, and expect backsliding once the baby comes.

If you plan to use your older child's crib for the new baby, get her into her new bed long before baby comes. Remove the crib from the room for a while so when you return it for your new baby, your older child will not think of it as her crib. Buy new bedding and bumpers for your baby so your child doesn't feel like she's turning over her entire bed to a newcomer.

Start your child's new routine a few weeks before your baby is due. Have helpers begin coming to the house, or start her at a new day care program or school.

Begin arranging time for your child to spend alone with grandparents, caregivers, and your partner, so others can tend to her needs while you care for the baby.

Sit for a friend or relative's baby a few times before the birth of your new child, to get her used to having a baby around.

Any other suggestions? I am all ears for ideas that worked well, not-so-well, or that you heard about from a friend at work! Please share.

Costa Rica

When you finish up the calendar year ranking in the top 6% of the salesforce, my company awards you with an all-expense paid trip to a pre-selected (and fabulous) destination the following Spring. For 2010, I was in the group that was invited on the trip. So, in April of 2011, Dennis and I went on one of our most amazing vacations yet.

The destination of choice was the Four Seasons at Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica. I hate to admit that Costa Rica wouldn't have been on my short list of desired vacation locations but I am so glad that we went. It is an unbelievable place! So, I've decided that you should go, too. And pronto. A few pictures of the resort are below (the first two are looking out of the patio in our room).

As you may or may not be aware, being pregnant significantly limited the type of activities that I could participate in. Dennis and I didn't complain, though, because it gave us an excuse to enjoy the spa (we both got our very first facial!) and spend the day rotating from the pool...to the beach...to the pool...and then back to the beach.

The golf course was beautiful; we were both planning to play and then when my frustration level got too high at the driving range, I decided that I was best suited to taking photos and keeping score for Dennis. We met a few friends along the course, too.

A group dinner or breakfast was provided most days so we had plenty of time to relax, enjoy the sun, and snap a few photos. Going through these pictures makes me want to go back.

My cocktail of choice: strawberry-banana daiquiri (virgin, unfortunately).

On the last night, we had our awards dinner celebration. The entertainment afterwards was fun, as you can tell from our sexy attire and the glow-in-the-dark paint on Dennis' face.

Pregnancy Update

Well, here I am almost at week 20, and I must admit that this pregnancy is seeming to truck along much more quickly than the last one. It could have something to do with the additional traveling that Dennis and I have done (Costa Rica, Vegas). Or the incredibly sweet and equally as energetic little boy at our house. Or maybe it could just be that the additional fun of being sick some mornings is making the time march along at a more rapid pace. Either way, we're moving forward much faster than I remember from my the last time my body was hijacked by a little person.

And this is a little person, even though you wouldn't think so by looking at my expanding waist-line. This little person, according to babycenter.com, is weighing in around 8.5 ounces and measuring approximately 6 inches long (head to bottom). I'm not sure why they legs don't contribute to this number. But, then again, my short appendages don't contribute too much to my height, either.

When we traveled to Costa Rica last week (pictures to come, I promise!), I wasn't sick at all so I made the official declaration that my morning sickness was finished. Unfortunately for me, that was a little premature as I did have one visit from the morning sickness fairy this week. Bad fairy, bad, bad, bad, fairy.

Other than that, though, I have no complaints. I'm sleeping well (and as much as possible) and feeling this little person move around all day long. I love feeling the movement because it makes me feel like he or she is doing well in there. Just waving, or kicking, or bonking his or her head to say "hello" from in utero.

Next week is the big appointment to find out if we're having a boy or a girl. I can't believe that as of Monday, we'll be 20 weeks along, half way... not that I'm counting.

Nearing the end of week 17

I didn't have any sickness when I was pregnant with Connor so it has been an unwelcome surprise to not only feel nauseous but to actually be sick this time around. The good news is that this (week 17) was the first week where I didn't puke so things are looking up. It was an odd occurrence because I was typically sick late in the week - - on a Thursday or Friday morning. As you can imagine, I am eager to leave that part of the pregnancy behind me.

When you consider that I've been puking on a weekly basis and combine it with the fact that my tiredness has yet to wane, it seems like a safe assumption that this baby is a girl. High maintenance from the very beginning. Different pregnancy symptoms often suggests a different sex but my gut tells me that I'm having another little boy and Dennis thinks the same thing. He bet first and said that we're having a boy and I'm not allowed to bet the same thing, so, by default, I'm betting this is a girl. (But not really.)

We'll find out for sure in about two weeks when I have the next ultrasound.

Oh, and maybe I'll post a belly shot soon. My boobs have gotten out of control (already) so I can't see my belly unless I'm using a mirror. I'll make sure the photo only shows my belly when - and if - I post it. Ahhh...the suspense.