A New Season Is Upon Us.

At the end of this week, your baby officially enters the second trimester of development. Although only 3 inches from crown to rump and weighing just half an ounce, she looks, well, human! Her eyes have moved from the sides of her head to the front, and her ears are in their normal position. She's also got reflexes--if you prod her, she'll squirm (although you still won't feel it), and her hands and feet respond to stimuli by closing or clenching.

In August, I posted this but little did I know, I was already pregnant...haha. Only for about 24 hours...but thats the way it happened. We had kinda decided, "Well lets just maybe wait..." I was disappointed, sad, even got a little depressed. I felt like it was time for us but we got scared. With our upcoming move, we just didn't know if we could handle it all. I had felt a really heavy presence surrounding me for that entire month...like a soul was beckoning to come down and be apart of our family. I went to see Dr Yu, who is the most amazing acupuncturist in all the world. (She is the amazing Dr who told me I was pregnant with Solomon a week after we conceived him...and not long after, told me it was a boy...so she's fabulous!! Not to mention she cured my life long asthma and allergies.) Dr Yu said, "Well, I'd say you're pregnant...and I'd say it's a girl!" (Im still pulling for a boy which is what the Chinese Calendar says...but of course will be happy with either) I have to say...I took a few negative tests before I finally got the positive one... and I was weeping...gosh I was just so sure that Dr Yu was wrong that I didn't even wait for Will to be home to take, what I was SURE would be, another negative test!!! I grabbed Solomon and we raced to Wills clinic to go show him the plus sign.

At first, I felt really great! I was really excited because I felt really horrible with Solomon. At the time I was a shift supervisor at Starbucks, working the opening shift, which put me at work at 4 am...so while I was always tired because of the 40 hour weeks and waking at the crack of dawn, I was able to nap when I got home and go to bed at 5pm, which I did pretty much every day. Things are different now. Im chasing around a very active toddler and that in itself is SO exhausting. Add feeling pukey everyday, and the exhaustion of pregnancy, with potty training said toddler, and its not so fun. I actually got severely depressed for about a month. I didn't leave the house for about that long and it was all I could do to get off the couch and make Solomon lunch. it was just the combination of everything...Will being gone all the time, the hormones that were making me go bonkers, staying home to make sure that Solomon was fully potty trained, feeling queasy everyday until at least 2 pm every darn day, it was just a lot. Will finally dragged me out of the house and it was as if the sun peeked its little face back into my life. Just two hours out of the house really helped me make a leap out of the low low place that I was falling deeper into. I'm SO glad it's not that bad any more...I'm showering again and doing some play dates here and there...so things are definitely brighter.

We had one appointment so far...but didn't get to hear the heartbeat so it almost doesn't feel real yet...well aside from feeling sick for three months haha. Solomon has been having his up's and down's like always. I think it was really hard on him when I was feeling so down and ill. All I could do was go from video to video or PBS show to PBS show...I felt immense guilt because I hate then the TV parents for me. Getting him out of the house has really helped him, so I'm glad to see him feeling better...now to start weaning him off the TV...any suggestions? Gosh, this child has become addicted in the worst way!

I don't look pregnant (Im still carrying around 20 lbs from the 60 that I gained with Solomon, so Im not exactly the ideal size for starting a pregnancy) but I did have to get a pair of maternity pants cause my jeans were all just too tight around the stomach...I think I've gained 3 lbs so far. Im REALLY going to make sure that I do not repeat the 60 lbs gain again...or at least try my hardest...

Im trying to dive into all things natural and home birth. I'm excited, nervous, feeling brave sometimes and terrified others. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth is on of my FAVORITE books to read for inspiration. I LOVE that the first half of the book is all homebirth/birthcenter stories. I love reading/hearing others birth stories and I really just feel so at peace with what I read in that book. Im looking for more book suggestions too so feel free to chime in ANY time.

I'm going to try and keep a lot of details here, so that I can remember this pregnancy. Working two jobs and not having children yet, I feel like I just endured my pregnancy with Solomon. I really want to cherish this one...because it might be my last. (We think we would like to adopt a third child if we decide to have more.)

In other news, its really getting close to moving and graduation time. January 6th is coming soon...we have a lot of packing to do...I just don't know when the right time is to start. Any moving advise? We are moving from the west coast to the east coast so it's going to be a big job. The good thing is, we do not have a lot of stuff. We live in a guest house, so its only one room, VERY VERY tiny, and we are leaving most of our things behind...so it wont be too too bad, but its a big job. We are definitely looking forward to a new start and our own place...

Lots of new things going on...lots of changes...and lots and lots of excitement...