Merry Christmas (card) from the Waldens

Ultrasound

Success! The ultrasound gave us a great profile, complete with a confirmation of Adam's mouth...just like little Patrick. I actually laughed out loud when I saw it on the screen. I love that little mouth on the babies; I think they look like little Whos (from Whoville) when they are first born. Merry Christmas, for sure!

Otherwise, the baby is great. Measuring in at 15cm (from crown to rump) and roughly 10 ounces, he/she is just a smidge bigger than Patrick was at the same gestational age, and seems to bear at least a little resemblance. (See pics.)

My concern with the appointment was that my blood pressure was high again, 160/110. Ugh. I was asked to take my own at home once a twice a day and call in weekly with an average. So far this week, it's been fine--in the 122-130/77-83 range. I'm more than happy

with this. I don't know what causes my BP spike periodically, but it worries me every time that it does. I'll watch it and see where it goes. Admittedly, I panicked a little at the news, thinking immediately that I was not going to agree to bedrest weeks down the line nor would I be induced early if this turned into a problem. I dodged the bullet last time and refuse to fall prey this time around. Damn blood pressure.

On a good note, the baby is great, I feel pretty good, Patrick is finally done teething (hooray!!), and Adam is transitioning into his new position at work. Things are forever changing.

Christmas Season

Our Christmas Season is in full swing...as goes everything, I suppose. I'm a little late in getting Christmas cards out, as I just ordered them about an hour ago, but they'll make it on time. I'm certain of it.

This weekend was Eggnog Weekend. A Hatcher family tradition, around which generally circles a little bit of tension and short tempers, this year was the best year yet. Granted, the nog is a little boozy (just the way that I like it...not that I'll be drinking any this year), but the preparation was a blast. So much fun, in fact, that we actually spent the entire weekend at my parents' house. If only someone would have thought to have brought a camera...

Christmas shopping is well underway, though I feel very unprepared. Patrick is making out like an absolute bandit this year, but it's so much fun to buy things for him that go along with his interests. Skeletons, music, Wall-E, tunnels, turtles...the list goes on. I'm so excited to see his face on Christmas. St. Nicholas Day was enough to put him over the edge with just a stocking full of candy...actual wrapped presents is going to be a ball. This is the first year that we get to play Santa, too, which seems almost like it's a sacred induction into the Childhood Years. I can't wait.

Our ASC Christmas party has come and gone...with a BANG. A dinner at Mo's, a night at the new Cambria Suites, a Christmas bonus, iPhones, and a Tiffany keychain later, I feel as though my Christmas should be over. We really are blessed.

Tis the season!

Ooh...also, here is a pic, 18 weeks and counting. Tomorrow, we go in for the 20-week ultrasound. I can't wait to see the little one....all that I need is a profile pic to pick up Adam's precious mouth on his second child. It's a dead giveaway. As always, pictures will be posted.

One More Thing...

To update on the pregnancy front, things are going fine. The nausea has subsided, but has been replaced by infrequent bouts of vomiting. In fact, the night of our anniversary dinner was commenced by the reappearance of a delicious Peterson's meal. The weird thing is that I feel fine...sometimes, things just don't sit well.

As of today, I'm 17 weeks and a few days. I feel the baby kick fairly regularily, though not constantly. He/she is definitely more noticeable at night, but that could be because I'm not as active and can feel a little more. It doesn't matter; it's such a pleasant feeling at this point. It's comforting to know that there's an active little person in here.

Here is a cross-section of a baby at 17 weeks. (Actual photos will come eventually.)

What a day, what a day. Patrick's talking is in full swing...and I don't mean in terms of speaking in sentences or picking up new words. He's there for sure...just now, it's constant. CONSTANT. This afternoon, he didn't really take an afternoon nap, so I just got him out of bed and let him play for a few hours. His "playing" consisted of non-stop chatter for 2.5 hours. At work...Where people are trying to get things done, but a little man who cannot stop repeating the same sentence over and over until he gets a response makes that a little hard. I honestly had a headache when we left. We got into the car, and here is the conversation that ensued:

Me: Honey, please be quiet.
Patrick: Quiet. Peez.
Me: Patrick, I'm serious. Mommy has a headache. Please, stop talking, just for a little bit.
P: Mama's sad? Mama's sad. Mama's sick.
Me: Mommy's not sick, honey. Mommy's sad that you won't be quiet.
P: Be quiet.
Me: Yes, please. Be quiet, honey.
P: Quiet, honey.
Me: I'm serious. Please.
P: Stop talking [to] me, Mama. Peez.

Ooh.... Then, it was off to the grocery store, which was a terrible idea. We ended up leaving early, spending more than usual, and not getting everything that we needed. Patrick needed to go. Stat. He was hungry, tired, and annoyed. So was I. We checked out, with the help of a very sweet check-out girl who was trying her hardest to move quickly, and managed to get in the car. Patrick fell asleep during the few minutes it took to get home.

Once home, we unloaded what groceries we did manage to grab, Patrick ate a good dinner, and we watched a little bit of Wall-E (the new favorite.) Finally, things were quiet. Nice. My headache had started to go away and things were good. Then, Patrick starts squeezing the skin on my noticeably larger belly. He's watching the movie, so I don't really stop him. Suddenly, he grabs my belly with two hands and yells, "Mama!!! Oink!! Oink!!" Oh my, oh my, oh my.

Goodnight, Patrick. It's been a long day. We both need a little bit of rest. Tomorrow's a brand new day.

On an unrelated note, I'm trying out the Kraft's 5 meals-1 bag grocery list that I got out of my most recent Food & Family magazine. We'll see how it goes. Everything looks pretty simple and very kid friendly (good for both Adam and Patrick), so I'm anxious to try it out. Here is the link to this week's "menu":

http://kraftfoods.com/Assets/pdf/shoppingLists/110209_KF_Dinner_1bag5dinners.pdf