Uno Bambino
For the past month, I had become increasingly sure I’m growing two babies. I was worried enough to ask my midwife for an ultrasound as soon as possible. I’d never had one in the first trimester before.
Yesterday was the big day. Within a few seconds of scanning, we had our answer- ONE baby. One! Healthy! Baby!
She gave us a little show of bouncing around. Hopefully she won’t get too used to somersaulting (Greta’s resulted in a cord twisted and twisted around her). At this point, we couldn’t see much of a face. Even though she’s less than 1.5 inches long, she already has so much information stored inside her- all the characteristics I wonder about. Will she grow brown hair, be laid back, and look more like Auden than Parker and Greta? As I picture. Will she be a she? She will reveal her traits in time.
I have to admit, it does feel a bit anti-climatic. I had it in my head I’d be calling people yesterday, with news of two or even three babies. Freaking out. I was all prepared for going into crisis mode. Mind you, we don’t want more than one baby by any stretch. And I’m not sure we’d survive very well. One might test our family enough. And a 2-1-3 family (twins, single, triplets) isn’t enough for a reality TV career. Still, one single fourth baby seems so normal. I guess we’ll just have to find different ways to be abnormal.
Greta just sat down beside me and started scanning her belly with a flashlight, looking for her own “baby”. (She got to attend the ultrasound yesterday.) A couple minutes later, she ran out and came back with a baby doll bib around her neck. The speed with which she switches between pretending she’s a mama, pretending she’s a baby, and just being plain two years old has been baffling me. Lots of processing going on in her brain!
Alternative Christmas tree decorations
As soon as we got home from my parents after Thanksgiving, Parker started up the begging to put up the Christmas tree. Last year we succumbed and bought an artificial tree. I don’t know if it’s really better for the environment or not- we’re not cutting down a tree every year, but eventually it will end up in a landfill instead of composted. At any rate, the current minus is lack of evergreen smell, but the current plus is you can keep it up Black Friday to January 10th or so.
This year I wasn’t in any hurry to put it up, but I knew it would be sooner than later. What I told Parker was, “As soon as I catch up on laundry and dishes and pick up the family room, we can put it up.” Which I knew I’d have to go back on, because that would mean it would go up next October. Soon afterwards, I noticed Parker, up on a stool at the sink. “How do I do this again?” he asked. So, he scrubbed a few pots, and I decided Why not?
After the tree was up, though, I hit a snag. I could not locate the box of ornaments anywhere in the garage. They’ve “gotta be somewhere” as Auden likes to say, but I haven’t found them yet. Never fear, creative kids to the rescue. They did this Monday morning before I was even downstairs.
Our tree is now an eagle-kitty cat-Bakugan-scorpian-semi-truck-Clone Trooper-hammerhead shark-trap door spider-themed tree. In other words, Perfect. For us JaRuuds, that is. I’m sure not for your family.
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In other news, I’ve been feeling much better. All my pregnancy symptoms ceased so suddenly that I was getting worried, but it’s been almost two weeks, so I guess all is well in there. Currently the only things making me nauseous are turkey, gingerbread, and peanut butter. The latter is truly unfortunate as my kids demand it at least once or twice a day. Maybe it’s time for them to branch out nutritionally. Currently I’m scrubbing Greta’s face and hands down with citrus soap after lunch so I can stand to lay down with her to start her nap. Overall, though, I don’t have much to complain about. Except how crappy the options are for VBACs. But that’s a topic for another day.
JaRuuds 