17+

Trying to keep up on posting, so it's not quite so lengthy when I do! I forgot to include in the last one that around 15weeks I felt Pip for the first time. Apparently the placenta is anterior, so I wasn't expecting anything until much later, but I felt a little flutter in one particular spot while falling asleep one night. Then, I felt flutters a few times over a couple of minutes this past week, and Dylan got to feel them, too 😍. It's one of the best feelings! Today I even felt kicking while going about regular activities, so you know it's the real deal! I've also got my next appointment scheduled for Monday (managed to stretch it out an extra week past the recommended 4 ;) ) and after that, the next one will be the big halfway ultrasound. Goodness! Things are ticking along fine. I'm feeling the larger awkwardness already that usually doesn't set in until the 3rd trimester, but then I catch myself in the mirror, and I'm really not that big at all, yet; and I've had to adjust my back-sleep, too, bummer. Otherwise, great! Exercising fine - even picked up a water aerobics class! - and eating everything. So I'm trying to manage having good things on hand. We even went the smoothie-route and bought fixins for "power green" + fruit smoothies. They're not my fave, but the kids love 'em; so I drink them, too. That being said, though, I also arrogantly ate a deli turkey sandwich at a birthday party. I say "arrogantly" because, for some reason, I made a point to show a friend who's expressed concern for my pregnancy eating habits (ahem, tuna) (and actually my habits in general, like standing on chairs to water plants, but that's another issue). Why? Why would I flaunt that? Eat something or don't eat something, but it's not funny to risk some really awful bacteria. I mean, I would've eaten the darn thing anyway (hello - hungry all.the.time), but quietly taking a risk is much less, well, arrogant, than, "Hey, ya see this? Imma eat it!" Silly, really. Anyway, mostly I look for balance: balance in the hype of do's and don'ts, as well as balance in the good-things-available department, too. In fact, I only added the weird-ish green smoothie things because I knew I'm not going to remove the Easter chocolate! Which is still readily available...

The kids have been getting along better lately, and I think it's mostly due to Jack's growing up a bit. What you should actually read into that is that he gets in trouble now, too! The others come and tattle on him, so he's not the perfect little angel baby he was(n't)! The playing field has leveled! Ha. I already mentioned that P can ride a bike, but that was when it was around-and-around an easy block. He's on the levee, y'all! It's amazing. Ada is a coloring machine and makes really detailed works of art. Dylan's been working lots on these 2 trials he's got lined up for July as well as planning out which big house project is up next: verandah roofing, gutter re-directing, (and then the bigger ones) central A/C? Window renovation? We'll see! And I've got my next concert coming up on the 10th. If you feel like it, youtube Fauré's Requiem, Dvorak's 8th Symphony, and Halo/Baba-Yetu for funsies, and you'll hear how horn-heavy they are 📯. It's been fun!

And here, some photographic evidence of the yahoos:

Vegemite sandwiches that Paul's request for bringing in school snack on his day