over halfway...

at 21 weeks, we have made it over the halfway hump and begun the descent into the second half of Baby's pre-birth life. as each day passes, i find myself talking or humming to Baby; rubbing my belly; or just smiling for no reason at all... until i realize the smile is on my face and then i know why. this girl has turned our world upside down and we haven't even been introduced yet.
we picked out a book to read to her once we found out the gender - of course, we had to start with a classic... so Little Doll is hearing all about Elizabeth Bennet, her sister Jane, and the comedic or brooding lives of those around them. daddy is reading a chapter a night and is finding that he actually enjoys Jane Austen (thumbs up from me!). once we finish P&P, we may decide to move on to A Girl of the Limberlost, Anne of Green Gables, or maybe Laura Ingalls Wilder. of course, i'd not mind more of Jane Austen either - we'll see how Matthew feels about that...
she is experiencing a variety of music, from Bach and Beethoven to Alison Krauss and Colbie Caillat and a little bit of everything else mixed in. that is, a little bit of everything that we normally listen to... :) she is also responding to the music she hears in lessons. sometimes a student will begin to play a piece and she begins to move and kick... i'm trying to see if there is a pattern to particular styles or students but haven't discovered anything yet.
i've settled into a routine - relaxing between teaching sessions if i have a break or taking time for myself in the mornings and evenings to be calm and enjoy a few moments of quiet. i've begun to wake up in the night, typically around 3am... in those peaceful moments of lying still, Baby is her most active. i think she is keeping me company. she'll usually calm down around the time i drift back to sleep. those are special moments i carry with me throughout the day.

San Diego sunshine

Spending a few days in San Diego while Matthew attends a conference. I'd forgotten how amazing the west coast is... Soaking in the sunshine and views!

it's a ...!!!

anticipation...

I had a dream last night that we could use Matthew's ear buds on my belly connected to his phone to determine the sex of the baby. I woke up giggling.
Fell back asleep and then dreamt I was in the waiting room for my ultrasound and they couldn't tell from my belly that I was pregnant. They tried to give me an ultrasound on my back, all the while the nurse telling me that it's ok- she tried faking a pregnancy too.
This time, on our way to the ultrasound, it's for real- no dreams.

mr or ms, xy or xx, m or f...

we are officially within a week of finding out if we are having a boy or girl... we have our suspicions, but will be thrilled either way. as the countdown progresses, we are excited to share the anticipation with family and friends, who have been predicting both male or female. on the top of my blog, there is a place to vote - if you predict a boy, pick orange; a girl, pick coral. then take a peak at our colors below - you'll understand why we picked orange and coral instead of the traditional blue and pink. on friday, march 9, after 11am, check back for the results!

18 weeks down

so much has happened over the past two weeks... i felt the baby's first flutters on feb 21, then on the 26th, i put my hand on my belly and was able to feel the first wee kick in my palm. matthew didn't make it in time that day, but on the 29th i woke up to acrobatics. i pulled matthew's hand to my belly and he opened his eyes with a big smile on his face. we spent the next few moments just reveling in this special bonding time with our little one; we carried smiles on our faces for the rest of the day.
we are just over one week away from finding out what our precious darling is - a snuggly little boy or girl. our instincts are both leaning towards a girl... everyone else thinks boy. we should start taking bets.
i am definitely showing by now... not just a 'belly' but legitimately pregnant. it's a weird feeling to have my body growing out in front of me; i find myself often stroking my belly as if i am comforting baby.
most obvious pregnancy symptoms - still craving fresh fruit; baby kicks; slight abdominal cramping and back pain if i sit in one position too long; slight fatigue.