Pregnancy Update

This is a picture of Baby Brother taken in June. I have another ultrasound on Wednesday, and I can't wait to see how much he's grown. The doctor said at the last visit that I am measuring small, which could mean the baby isn't as big as he should be, but she didn't seem too worried.

This has been a pretty typical pregnancy, harder on me, but I guess each pregnancy gets harder, especially when you have three of them in less than four years. This first trimester was the hardest first trimester I have had, just feeling sick to my stomach a lot, and exhausted. I am much more tired, have lots of heartburn, swollen ankles, and my varicose and spider veins have taken over my right leg and ankle. It's not pretty. Plus, I can't sleep, constantly tossing and turning, getting up to use the bathroom, waking at 4 a.m. and not able to go back to sleep. I guess it's just training for a newborn. I have reached the part in my pregnancy where I do believe have the baby would be better than being pregnant. Even though he will be screaming, and needing to be nursed and have diaper changes, at least I won't be carrying him around every step of the way. A lot of times right now I'm carrying him and at least Charlotte and on occasion Cecilia too.

The girls talk a lot about Baby Brother. Charlotte likes to lift up my shirt and talk to him and I squeeze my belly and pretend he's talking back. Sometimes she squeezes her own belly and pretend to have a baby in her belly too. I'll have to try to get a video of that because I think it's super cute. Cecilia and I go today to a sibling class at the hospital, to get her familiar with the building, the rooms, and hold a baby doll. I took her to a similar class before Charlotte was born, and I'm pretty sure she had no idea what was going on. I think this time it might set in. I'm not taking Charlotte to a sibling class. I didn't sign her up because she's not very good at sitting still. We have gone to a few story times at the library, and he runs around like a crazy lady, climbing on chairs, all the while the librarian tries to say politely, "Sit down on the rug please." She's just too young, too active, and has too much of a mind of her own to sit nicely.

I keep having visions of Charlotte and the Baby Brother instigating each other, daring one another to jump off stuff, or all sorts of other thing I can't even picture right now. Cecilia is my calm one, little bit of a mother hen, little bit of a tattle tale. I know I'm supposed to discourage Cecilia's tattling, but can't I just use it in my favor for a few years (or more?)

Less than 5 weeks to go...