That's right! Your mother feels you kicking many times every day...mostly at night.
She says it feels "like little bones kicking"...which isn't as poetic as I would have hoped. Despite the 'day of the dead' mood that conjures, I am extremely jealous! I still haven't been able to feel your little kicks. Every time your Mom announces that she feels a kick, I put my hand on the belly and wait patiently...and the kicks never come.
Last night, your Mom woke me up and said "give me your hand." I was confused since I had just come out of a slumber, but I was compliant enough and gave her my hand. She placed it on her belly, since you were being very active.
Alas, I still couldn't feel the kicks. I guess they're still only feel-able from the inside. But when they're feel-able from the outside, you know I'll be first in line.
Even though I couldn't feel you kick, I was content with my hand hovering somewhere near your little foot, and I dozed off holding your Mom's belly.
And even though you're not yet big enough for me to feel from the outside, you're certainly getting bigger. And this week I have proof! Your Mom begrudgingly agreed to take her week 19 and week 20 photos!
Week 19
Week 20
Week 11..WOW!
See, you're waaaay bigger than you were back on week 11!
In fact, now that you're at week 20 and you're half-way here, you're the size of a banana!
Good work! Keep on growing and hopefully soon you'll be doing the banana splits...and I can feel you kick!
Aidan, Remember how I was telling you how much you like to laugh? And how much you like to make other people laugh? And how much laughing makes you laugh even more?
You don't? Okay, well, don't worry about it. I'm telling you now.
You LOVE to laugh (ha ha ha ha!)
Sometimes you giggle.
Sometimes you say "tee hee!"
Sometimes you laugh like your old favorite hero, Sherrif Woody.
Now, when counting, you even have a Transylvanian laugh like Sesame Street's "the Count!"
Sometimes you even just start laughing when you hear other people laughing...because you don't want them to think that you're not in on the joke!
Now you don't always laugh easily. Sometimes your funny bone is pretty hard to tickle, but once you get an Aidan laugh going, you just can't stop it...especially if you have an audience of adults who are lauging with you.
Such was the case a few weeks ago when you climbed into Mimi and Pops' car while kissing them goodbye. You sat in Mimi's lap and started excitedly pushing all the buttons you could push...if you had a hundred hands, all of them would have been fiddling with one dial, button or another. But, the two hands you do have seemed to cause enough mischief.
Then, when you figured out the windshield wiper, the laughter started.
Then Mimi and Pops started encouraging you with their laughter.
And the laughing button pusher continued until his grandparents were tearing up with laughter.
Your laugh is infectious, and we love to make you laugh. But, it's even better when you make us laugh too!
Full disclosure: Daddy's favorite super hero is Wolverine. Mommy's is Batman. We were pretty astonished when you picked up on the Incredible Hulk. Before you could even really talk, you always liked pointing to the Hulk on one of my awesome super hero t-shirts.
So, we responded by teaching you this green giant's name: Hulk!
And you started saying it: "Huk! Huk" Huk!"
Then, we decided to teach you what the Hulk did. So we'd say "Hulk" while flexing and grimacing.You learned this move and reinterpreted it. Now you say "Huk" and raise your arms up behind you and make a stern-looking face.
You LOVE the Hulk!
I even recall you walking around the house with a Shrek DVD, pointing at Shrek, saying "Huk! Huk!"
Now "The Avengers" movie is out and a big hit, and you've been lucky enough to get several Avengers shirts, and even a dedicated Hulk Shirt!
You're so psyched by these shirts that you get upset when it's time to take them off at night. But, you get even more excited when it's time in the laundry rotation to wear these shirts again.
The Happy Hulk!
So, yeah, the Hulk is your favorite. I'm okay with that for sure; your Mom is still trying to cope (but the Hulk's awesome outing in the Avengers made him a far cooler character in your Mom's eyes).
So, with all this Hulking about, imagine our surprise when we were at the park the other day, and the Big Guy himself comes bounding out of the woodwork to try to get YOUR autograph!
Luckily I was there to snap this picture really quick. The Hulk landed and you gave him a big hug!
When I showed you this picture, you were pretty amazed by it. You stared at it for a long time and then said..."Hulk!" I asked you who else was in the picture. You got excited and said..."ME!"
This all may be getting a little confusing for you though. The other night I asked you what your name was and you firmly told me..."Hulk!"
But, I asked you again a little later and you responded "Me," which is closer.
So you won't only be seeing green, your mother and I took it upon us to make sure you knew more super heroes too.
When you got your Avengers shirt, your Mommy taught you "Iron Man," whose name you repeat in a quirky, southern-twangy accent. "Ion Maaan! Ion Maannn!" I taught you to put your arm up the air when referring to Iron Man, of course.
Sunday at dinner, your Mommy and I taught you even more.
Your Mommy taught you that "For" (Thor) has a hammer that he uses to...well...hammer.
I taught you how to cross your forearms in front of you and "SHINK! SHINK!" as your claws come out for "Verine!" (Wolverine)
And then the sleeper super hero move, which you're really enjoying pulling out at random, is the "I am Batman", where you pull your imaginary cape in front of your face and look serious.
I've tried to get video of all this, but apparently it's harder to get video of a superhero in action than a photograph.
Videographic proof or not, your Mom and I both know that these superheroes exist, and Super Aidan loves to put them on display to make everyone laugh (or to flirt with young ladies at the park..."Hi...tree...oops...Hulk! Ion Maaannnn!")
You really are super, son. Whether you wind up interested in comic books or if this is just a passing fancy reinforced by your nerdy parents, we think you're incredible, and it's really just a lot of super fun to be by your side as you learn and grow into the little Hulk that we all love.
Little one, you are 19 weeks old and the size of a mango. It's no surprise that your really that big now. Your Mom is show-show-showing (so much so that she doesn't want to take our weekly pictures any more...I'm going to have to get creative).
But, the magic of this second trimester is that even though she's show-show-showing, she's all go-go-going. She doesn't have boundless energy, that's for sure, but she certainly has a LOT more energy than she did in the first trimester.
She's teaching her full course load, working on a bunch of illustrations, chasing Aidan around all day and even volunteering us to watch 3 (?) of our neighbor's children too.
But, of course, all this crazy second trimester energy takes its toll. By the end of the day, her feet are swollen and sore...and it's just starting to get to be that famous Texas summer heat outside.
Luckily, I've got two hands with nothing better to do than rub said feet, and I try to keep the snarky comments to a minimum.
Your brother's learning your name quite nicely too. Oh, didn't I mention that we have decided upon your name? Okay...we're 98% decided, but with only the one name on the list, we've been calling you by that beautiful name. And your brother's learning it. Curious? Okay, I'll give you a hint: It's Beatles-related!
And it follows our family pattern: five letters, minimum of two vowels.
At any rate, I digress, we're not playing the name game right now, and if you're reading this, you already know your name! I'm just not quite ready to announce it yet.
The point is, Aidan is learning to be your big brother. He knows you and knows where to find you...mostly. We'll say, "kiss your sister, Aidan," and most of the time he gives a quick smooch on the belly. Sometimes he hits what your self-conscious mother calls "another fat part" of her body and announces that there's a baby. An arm...a boob, you know.
One day last week, he even ran up to your Mom and kissed her BUTT and then said "BABY!"
Not quite...but close enough.
From outside the belly, we sing to you, read to you and kiss you goodnight. We're getting excited to watch you and your mother continue to grow from Mango to beyond, and soon enough we'll be able to read to you, sing to you, hold you and kiss you in person. Until then, we'll work on Aidan's aim.
Whether you're playing naked (that's you on the left),
or chillin' naked,
or swimming naked,
or playing with the hose, or planting rocks, or chasing the dogs, or helping yourself to the vegetables in the garden,
or running around in the rain like a maniac,
you just LOVE to be out with mother nature.
Just yesterday, you and your Mommy were out in the garden. She picked a whole bunch of fresh okra, and you ate it up. But, then again, you also eat mulberries..off the ground. At any rate, your mommy turned her back for a second and you had picked two green tomatoes. She was about to ask you for it, so we could let it ripen on the windowsill, but you took a big bite of it...and spit it out.
You're going to have SO much fun harvesting when more okra and red tomatoes and cucumbers and herbs are ready to go. But until then, you can keep gnawing on the leeks.
On Mother's day, after our big family BBQ, I wanted to take you to the park...we got ready to go, opened the door and it was pouring!
But that didn't stop you...You marched to the end of the porch and tested the rain with your hand. Within a minute, you were out there...playing in the rain. You were yelling "raining!" "wet!" "WET!" When you wandered into Luke's yard, I got volunteered to follow you, and follow I did! You were having a blast stomping in deep puddles and shuffling along little streams. "Raining!" Dorothy, our neighbor, saw you and said "Aidan, you look like a wet rat!" You replied, "rat!" "rat!"
No matter the weather, no matter the day, if there's an outside, that's where you'll want to play. "Park!" "Park! "PARK!" you say!
We love it that you want to be outside: it's so primal, so fun, so...childlike! And at a time when you seem to be growing up before our eyes, it's great that in the great outdoors, your sense of wonder is overwhelmed and you can be mother nature's child. We'll call it the 'wilderness of youth'!
I hope when you're all grown up, you'll still remember what it's like to be a nature boy. Though, you might not want to run around naked. That'll be frowned on.
Little one, It's week 18 and you're the size of a sweet potato. It's no surprise...you're already so sweet.
The books say the following: "Your fetus (that's you!) has become amazingly mobile, passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon."
Just last night, your Mom told me that she decided: she's definitely feeling you flutter around. I got really excited, but then a bit jealous. I- of course- can't feel anything!
But I realized, I may not be feeling kicks, but I'm definitely feeling something!
I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm happy. I'm a bit scared. But mostly, I'm feeling...ready.
Your Mom makes a great pregnant lady, but I must admit, I 'm ready to meet you, to hold you, to kiss you!
Alas, we still have about 5 months until that triumphant day. Until then, I still continue to be by your side whenever I can. And I'll continue to dream about what life will be like for me, your Mom, your brother, your grandparents and you when you finally arrive.
I've been thinking of this awesome Paul Simon song. It makes me smile, because it makes me think of you.
Just close your eyes and listen.
There could never be a father loved his daughter more than I love you.
I'm gonna watch you shine, gonna watch you grow....
Man, you step out of the home office for a long weekend, everyone grows by leaps and bounds while you're gone. You go on business to Vancouver for a few days and...wham...everything changes!
Your mother is growing more pregnant each day. While I was gone, she had to jettison her wedding ring and engagement ring for the duration of the pregnancy. Swollen tummies means swollen fingers. So, it's better to take these off now, then have to cut them off later. Don't worry. We're still an item, though.
Little one, we're now in the 17th week! While I was gone you, you grew to be the size of an onion (all the way up from an avocado!) Your bones started hardening, you're putting some fat on to said bones and you're just getting bigger and bigger!
And your Mom thinks she may be feeling the early signs of you fluttering around in there! Or, she said it may be gas. But that's far less romantic. I would have been very sad to miss your first flutters...the other option, not so much.
But, I was back in plenty of time for our Doctor's appointments yesterday.
It's been a LONG-feeling month since we last got to see your pretty face, but yesterday we got to see you again! You look just as beautiful as ever, but we must have caught you during nap time. You weren't bouncing and bounding and tossing and turning. Just nose up into the placenta.
And after what has seemed like quite a long time, that 2% of OBGYN doubt is all gone.
You're officially, 100% a GIRL!!!
The doctor said if they pulled a boy out to put him back, because there is definitely a girl in there!
This means that the cute dresses Aidan and I picked out for you and the pink onesies Yaya and Mommy bought for you don't need to be returned!
We are so excited to meet you. But first we have a lot of work to do! Including naming you (which, to be honest, is all but done...we have a very short short-list of one name option at current).
We also have some work to do with your brother, including getting him out of what is to be your crib, and into his toddler bed which he'd previously only napped in twice in the 2 months its been in your future room.
But, the Thursday night before I left, Aidan requested to "nap" in his bed. "Nap bed nap bed"...lots of pointing and gesturing. And so he eagerly climbed in bed and we tucked him in with relatively little effort. A lot less muss and fuss and crying (read, "no crying") as with the crib over the past few months. Someone was ready to be a big boy and sleep in his big boy bed. But...he's not quite ready for the self discipline to stay in it.
Thus began the adventures of Captain Thunderfoot!
Aidan, the night before I left for work in Vancouver, you asked to sleep in your big bed. You'd been doing pretty well at napping there, but we had never attempted a full night's sleep there. So, your Mom and I tucked you in, sang to you, said goodnight and voila! You fell asleep there.
Your Mom's famous last words were "I'll be very impressed if he STAYS there."
While we are impressed thus far...we haven't been VERY impressed yet. That's a bit harsh. We're very pleased that you've taken it upon yourself to migrate to a bigger bed. But, you don't quite stay in it. That first night at around 2 am...Captain Thunderfoot sleep-stomped into our bedroom. Your Mom escorted you back to bed and you easily fell back asleep. This happened again at around 4.
While I was gone, your Mom continued to re-sleep train you for the big boy bed, and Captain Thunderfoot came stomping out of bed every night, sometimes once, sometimes 3 or 4 times. Usually ready and able to easily go back to his big boy bed, but perhaps just wanting to 'quietly' check on his parents.
This pattern has even continued upon my return. You're about a week into sleeping in your big boy bed now, and you're doing great: easy to put down, easy to tuck in. You kiss your Mom's back and give her gentle hugs, then toss your blanket down on the bed so you can...ahem...lie on it...face down...and rock yourself to sleep. You even open the curtains to say 'bye' to the five kittens that live under our neighbor's house, right outside our window.
But, Captain Thunderfoot, doesn't quite stay in bed through the night. At all. Yet. This is good in some ways: you're napping like a pro at school (they had to wake YOU up), and one morning around 9, your Mom left the room for a brief moment and came back and you'd curled up in your bed for a one-hour cat nap...guess you needed it! It is cool getting to hang out with you in the morning a bit before I go to work...you normally find me by banging on the bathroom door. Captain Thunderfoot is totally a morning person.
So, while I was gone, you also grew by more leaps and bounds. Yaya kept me posted with video messages.
While I was gone, you got very excited about drawing shapes:
And you learned to stack (and hug) block towers!
I can't believe I missed those milestones, but, no worry, since my return from this epic 4-day trip, we've made a million memories, and you've grown even more: you've got a new laugh ('tee hee hee'), you're rocking the socks off of nursery rhymes and story times by filling in the blanks at the end of lines (black bear black bear, what do you see? I see an elephant looking.....(then you say) "AH MEEEEE!") You are taking ALL your meals at the table now, like a big boy.
So, everyone's been growing: young men, young ladies, pregnant mommies and even old, grizzled, manly-man daddies. That's right: while I was gone, I grew too! Okay, maybe I gained a few extra pounds, but that's not what I was talking about. What I meant was while I was gone missed all three of you very very much...okay all five of you, Preston and Toby. I knew I'd miss you, but I didn't remember how incomplete I'd feel without you. So, after my epic visit to Vancouver, and a little quiet time for introspection (which is worth it's weight in gold) maybe I grew into a bit better Daddy (and once I ate a lot of chocolate and got over the jet lag, I was a bit better husband too)...not that I had much room for improvement.
But, despite all that changed in a mere 4 days, what they is NOT true. You most definitely CAN go home again; and it definitely felt good to be home with my growing family.
Weeks 15 and 16 have flown by. Now that your Mom is over the first tri-mester nasties and has gone back to her regular work hours, it's life back to normal. Except for the whole prepping-for-another-child-while-raising-an-awesome-2-year-old-and-constantly-feeding-a-pregnant-wife thing. But, it's so crazy. It seems just like yesterday you were our little secret, and now the whole world knows. You're growing quickly, and supposedly you can even hear us now, since your ear drums are forming. And no, you can't get your ears pierced just yet. You'll have to wait. Sorry. You as a bump are growing too, and becoming quite popular around the house. I, of course, try to hug you and sing or talk to you whenever I get a chance. The dogs try to take up residence on you as often as they can. And your Mom and you get up to go the restroom like every two hours!
Week 15, with a special guest
But, you are also becoming more popular with your Big Brother! We've been reminding him almost daily that Mommy has a baby in her belly, or that Aidan's sister is in Mommy's belly. He had been mostly confused, but is nice enough to not treat us like we're crazy. But, lately he seems to be getting the hang of it. We ask him if he wants to kiss his sister, or tickle the baby, or kiss the new baby, and he goes right over to the growing bump and complies. Although sometimes he accidentally hits the arm or a boob, but he seems to be getting the general idea.
He's even starting to say 'baby' when we ask him what's in Mommy's belly!
So, you're in good hands, little girl. You've got a big brother in training.
Look at this special moment we completely set up and had to bribe Aidan with chocolate to get a picture of:
Week 16, with another special guest
So...we had to give him a little chocolate chip to get him in the picture, but it sure came out great! Hey, when you're playing in your room, you don't always want to be bothered with photo-ops, but, for his little sister (and chocolate), Aidan will always be there!
Last week you were the size of an orange...this week you are the size of an avocado!
You're growing hair, ear bones and taste buds too! We're growing more and more fond of you day by day...and your Mom is growing more and more hungry too...and you'd better believe you're going to be growing accustomed to our voices...I'm scheduling a belly-singing session for tonight.
With your Big Brother, Two dogs and Father by your side whenever we get a chance (and your Mother 100% by your side because you're kind of conjoined at the moment), you're going to be getting all the love you can get to help you grow strong, healthy and happy.
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