24 Weeks.

First off, let me welcome those of you who are reading this blog for the first time.  (I'm assuming you are from London, but ya never know).  This began as a journal for me as I began life as a parent, but since others liked reading it too, I tend to share it with the world.  I have been documenting my pregnancies week by week, and well, after delivery I try to update monthly, or as I can.  

I am expecting baby #2 - a BOY and am due the first part of October.  I am diabetic which puts me in the high risk category and adds all kinds of fun challenges.  In general my pregnancies have been smooth sailing, no morning sickness or weird swelling.  I also lose weight while being pregnant.  I am currently down 22 pounds in this pregnancy.  (Woohoo!)  Since I am a bigger girl it is totally okay.  lol 

We will be making the move to London before my next blog post....which is totally sending me into panic mode.  I'm not sure what I am more stressed about - packing, the actual move, transitioning a toddler, or the dreaded unpacking.  lol.  We have gotten a lot of packing done this week and I know we will get it done (we always do and we are total procrastinators when it comes to packing) but it is stress inducing none the less.  

Last night we had our last WIFI meal at church where they bid us farewell.  It was sweet that everyone came out to wish us well in our new venture.  Tonight we had dinner with some of our dearest friends and I did really well until the end....then it kind of hit me.  I'm not good with goodbyes anyhow, much less with some of the dear friends we have made while we have been here.  

Elliott has been gaining "sass" here lately.  I'm not sure if it is because we are approaching two, or because she can sense a change coming, or both.  Shew, they say threes are even worse....really?!?  OH my. She is continuing to gain new words and sentences daily.  She can count to 5 independently, knows A, B, and C, we are working on the colors blue and purple, and can fill in the words to many of the songs and books that she knows.  She also knows most of her body parts.  I love how she is just a little sponge right now...soaking up new words and phrases.  She also loves to sing and dance.  Denise, you were totally right, each new stage is more fun than the next.  :)

I did a repeat 24 hour urine this week (cause ya know, those are so much fun!) and got the results back this morning that everything is perfect. Hallelujah!  I don't know if the last one was a fluke or what, but I am glad that it is all normal.  I met with a lactation consultant today and worked out a plan for baby W so that hopefully the whole feeding thing goes much better with him than it did with his sister.  It was great to talk to someone about it who understands and who can explain things and why I might have struggled so much the first time around.  

Baby W is very very wiggly.  I'm concerned that once he comes out he may never sleep.  I have been so spoiled by Elliott that I sure hope that isn't true.  On the upside, he has been leaving my bladder alone.  Shew.  I am very thankful for that.  My tailbone is still causing me quite a bit of pain, some days are better than others.  

As I have been seeing pics of myself from various events from the past few weeks, it is very obvious that this pregnancy is very different from my pregnancy with Elliott in that with Elliott I had a cute belly, this time, I am pregnant all over.  Ick.  lol.  Any way, here is my 24 week belly....