3rd Trimester

Well, today is the day.  The third trimester starts today - which I'm not thrilled about, having really enjoyed the second trimester.  I might just wait to start the third until I feel like we're at a good 7 months...but we'll see.

Chum is a Chinese Cabbage today.  Strange.  That doesn't mean that much to me because I've never consciously seen a Chinese Cabbage and have certainly never had one.  Apparently, they're about 14.5 inches long and 2.5 lbs. though.  So, there she is - mon petite chou.

Weekly Update.

Chum is good.  She's a cauliflower this week.

In other news - we've gotten the cutest gifts from friends and family that were too cute not to post!

Our dear friends, Tommy and Carly, went right out when they heard Chum was a girl and bought these:

Headbands and all!!! (Yeah - if she has any of my genes, she'll be bald for a good long time...)

Rob's WONDERFUL parents sent these for Chumbelina:

I know, right?!?!  Ridiculously awesome!

And Rob's sister (aka the best sister-in-law EVER), bought this for Chum:

Bringing her up right...from the very beginning!

My parents have also gotten Chum an incredible pair of monkey pajamas - but the picture will follow soon.

Thank you all - it is a great joy to start filling her closet and to know she is well loved!

Lopsided Belly

Why does no one tell you that your belly gets lopsided when there's a kid growing in there?  I'm not really surprised, just never thought about it - seeing glowing pregnant women with their little basketball bellies...it never dawned on me that the baby isn't symetrical, and probably the bellies aren't either.

It's just weird when it's lopsided one way when you sit down to watch tv, but 10 minutes later when you waddle up to get to the restroom...it's quite possibly lopsided the other way.

Not a sermon.  Just a thought.

Busy, Busy, Busy

So Chum is 26 weeks along and a busy girl!  Seriously - you'd think I've been downing Red Bulls the way she keeps trying to run her marathon when I watch tv or try to go to bed.  I keep wondering if she gets frustrated, running all that way and not getting anywhere (like being on a treadmill inside Mommy's tummy) - but I suspect she's just focusing on growing.

The stupid source I was using for the vegetables of the week has (again) plopped Chum at the same vegetable for several weeks in a row - so according to them, she's still an eggplant.  I've switched sources for now - and she is this week the length of a cucumber...about 14 inches.

In the past week, I think I've been told by 5-6 people that she's a "big, healthy baby" - which isn't as kind as people think they're being.  That basically means "wow - you're really huge."  A stranger (when her 4 year old daughter smiled and told her that I had a baby in my tummy) said to me with a supportive grin, "You must be getting close."  Unfortunately, I said something along the lines of, "Yeah, we're right at 6 months."  Which made her grin wan and she responded with, "Oh, it's a big one."  Thanks, Lady at the Mall.  Thanks.



Anyone else have stories of awkward conversations with strangers?

Hayley Mills

I often think of questions that I want answers to immediately, but have no real value in life at all.  My mind wanders with random questions so frequently that we used to have a phrase in our house for it, "This is why I need an iPhone."

For instance, I was eating breakfast the other day and Saved By The Bell was on.  Actually, it was Saved By The Bell the junior high version, originally called Good Morning, Miss Bliss.

"I wonder what happened to Hayley Mills?" I wondered.  I bet you were wondering the same thing.

Yes, Hayley Mills.  The child-star of classic Disney movies like The Parent Trap, Summer Magic, and The Trouble with Angels...turned Miss Bliss, the junior high teacher of rascals like Zach Morris and (Samuel) Screech Powers.

Apparently, Hayley has been on a show called Wild At Heart (I think it's British) and has some sporadic film stuff...but has spent much of the past decade in New York, doing Broadway and off-Broadway shows.  She has two sons.  

Another free piece of trivia for you:  Mills married Roy Boulting in 1971 -  he was 33 years her senior.  She was 25 at the time.  Gross.

Just thought you might have wondered yourself.

Month 6

According to some counters, we're at 6 months today!  However, the whole "month" thing in pregnancy is totally weird - because most people go with a standard 4 week month...  which would make the 40 weeks really boil down to 10 months.  But, months are really more than 4 weeks...and the first two weeks of pregnancy aren't even real!

But, I'll still officially tell people we're at 6 months.  It's just easier and makes me feel like we're getting somewhere.

This week, we're finally out of the papaya stage and Chum has graduated to an eggplant!  People keep telling me how big she is, so I'm thinking she's in the 2 lbs. range (which doesn't make me feel great about the quantity of weight I've gained above and beyond the 2 lbs. she's taking up.

But, such is life.

I'm still feeling good - though generally tired from the busy season revving up in life and at work.
Doctors tomorrow - which I love.  So it'll be good to get an update from someone credible.