Week 29 and doing fine

Little one, 

It's hard to imagine, and hard to recall when exactly this happened, but we are well into the third trimester. That means you are almost here...a little over two months from being here, to be exact. '

Your Mom continues to grow bigger and bigger as you continue to grow larger in her belly.

We can feel you moving all the time, simply by placing a hand on the belly. And last night we even saw you rippling under your mother's skin. It sounds creepy, but it's not. It was actually quite amazing, to see you subtly moving just under the surface.

It seems just like yesterday that you were barely on your way....

and now look at you, your mother and brother a mere 13 weeks later.

But a lot truly has changed in 13 weeks. For the better. You've got some girly clothes hanging in the closet, and pink sheets on your crib waiting for you. And you've got a name. Actually, that's been settled for a long time, but now your brother fully knows it, and even has a song about it.

You are: Julia Sekina Weinstein!


We're still ironing out the spelling of your middle name. Julia means youthful, and Sekina means serenity. Both are blessings. The J in Julia is to honor your Mimi, Joy; and Sekina was the name of your Mom's Mama Bizorg (Baba's mother). I never got to meet her, but from all I've heard she was an incredible, gentle, kind woman. So that's another two blessings, to be named in the fashion of such strong women.

'Julia' itself is a really beautiful Beatles song (one which sparked our interest in your name); but Aidan developed an even more beautiful song for you. The song "Hallelujah" is one that Aunt Rebekka and I recorded for our CD for Mimi's 70th birthday. Aidan listens to it a lot. At first he called the song "looya"...then it evolved thusly:

Looya...loooah...loooiah....jooooya....julia

Aidan also knows that your Mom's name is Holly. So he put the two together: "Holly Julia."

So whenever I hear "Hallelujah" from now on, I will think of you, Julia, your big brother and what a blessing you all are in our lives already.

Music Man

I don't know when it started Aidan, but you've got some music in your heart and a song to sing. You've always been pretty fascinated with music (having your favorites), and certain songs (that we have to listen to over and over again), and instruments (you like to play my guitar and the big bass and LOVE to drum). I remember that zaideco music was the only thing that would calm you during those witching hours when you were an infant. You've loved trying to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" for a while. But something recently just clicked on in your brain, turning into a full fledged music man!

We've been working on singing for a while, learning crucial songs like "Let it Be" and "I'm a Little Tea Pot."
You love the Beatles (whom you call the "Beatle-bees"), and love singing duets.

 But, imagine your mother's and my surprise when you recently just started singing whole songs solo! You rock out to the ABCs whenever you get a chance, but you also serenade yourself with some Beatle-bees too! Your Mom was quick enough to catch you in action!

Oh, and that awesome backbeat...oh yeah, that's drumming.

You LOVE drumming. In fact, I'd say you're obsessed with it. It all started with the Muppets, because we all know that Animal can lay down a killer beat. Some old favorite songs of yours have been heavy on the drums: Muppet's Bohemian Rhapsody, Man or Muppet and Rainbow Connection (from the newer movie). You love to drum at the appropriate parts, and/or run out to let us know "drum! drum! drum!"

Recently though, Aunt Rebekka and your Daddy have been bringing out your inner Ringo. We made a CD for Mimi's 70th birthday party, and you LOVE to listen to the songs. One song, which you named "Bekka sing" or "Bekka drum" really gets you going on a drum trip.

And this practice happens just about every time we get in the car. You're getting REALLY good at drumming, which is part rhythm keeping, part looking awesome. I think you've nailed both components of an awesome drummer.

So, yeah, you love to drum! Drumming is one of your favorite musical activities (aside from singing, maybe). And recently you've gotten a few chances to drum on real drums at the Children's museum (in a fireman hat, and in an African drum circle)

You also play a pretty mean trumpet, dance to the music, and play DJ too:

You're working on the words, though really we're already very impressed with how many words to songs you've picked up just from listening:

Drumming, singing, guitars, dancing, clapping, trumpets, Beatle-bees and Nursery Rhymes: you've got the music in you, young man. Your Mom and I can't wait to see how you continue to, as you say, "Rockout!"

27 Weeks- Heels over Head

Little one, last week we got to see you for the last sonographic time before we get to see you in person!

We went to the waiting room, got checked in and got ready.

We were eager to see you, because it had been so long, and you've grown so much. You've already got a little personality, and bump around, spin and kick all over your Mom's belly every night, and we were eager to see what you were up to.

You didn't disappoint.

It turns out that you are a flexible little baby. You were sitting with your Legs up over your head (both of them!) And your arm above that. I guess it was comfortable!

We got to see your little toes and fingers (and watch your little fingers playing with said little toes).

We watched you open your mouth and take a breath.

We watched in awe as the tech and doctor checked everything out and told us that you were "one hell of a kid" in there: perfect brain, perfect heart, 10 fingers, 10 toes, no tail.

You almost weigh 3 pounds.

And we are heels over head in love with you already...

New Friends/Old Friends

As a busy, curious, fast-moving two-year old, your life is really focused on the exploring the world around you...this just so happens to include all of the people and animals who occupy space near you. You've always shown signs of being a sensitive guy and a kind friend, and these past few weeks have really tested your friend-o-meter.

You've gotten very good at saying the word "Friend." We sing "You've got a friend in me," (remind me to tell you about your singing later!), and we even read a book about best friends brought to you by some of your new friends (who just so happen to be our old friends). You're getting really good at being a good friend.

In the past couple of weeks, you've met some new friends. Some hopped right in and out of your life, like this extra large grasshopper we met at the park:

Others will be part of your life, despite geographical distances, like Uncle Sam and Aunt Yumiko, who came to visit you on their way to get married.

Okay, they also came tosee your Mommy and Daddy too!



You also continued to have time for old friends. One of your oldest friends on the planet, Preston, your dog, recently entered the ranks of being a 'friend with a name.' For the longest time, neither dog had a name. Then they were "arfs." Then you learned to say "Toby" and both dogs were "Toby TOBY tobys." But one day a few weeks ago, I walked in the front door from work and you leaned down, hugged Preston and said "My Pressy." And it's stuck! We all call him "Pressy" now; a new name for an old friend.

You've also forged ahead with human friendships too, and two of your closest friends continue to grow closer and closer. It's great to watch your relationships develop and grow with Brady and Luke!

You have gone from co-existing with these two gentlemen, to legitimately playing with them!

So much fun...but then again, that's what friends are for!

Week 26- Belly Interest

Little one, you are now 26 weeks along, and your Mom and I can't believe how quickly time is flying.

You had some visitors: Last week Sam and Yumiko came down from New York on their way to Japan, and made sure to say hello to you too!

Here you are yesterday in your Mommy's belly:

The book says you're the size of a head of lettuce, but I don't think that does you any justice to the density of the bump. Your Mom is in good spirits, but you're certainly more weighty than a head of Romaine. She's now having difficulties sleeping because you're sleeping on some vital organs, and stubbornly won't move off of them. But that's okay, I forgive you...because I can! Your Mom does too. Plus, you give her a reason to eat lots of ice cream lately, and tell me that I smell. But I don't think we can blame either of those things on the pregnancy....really.



So, exciting news in baby land: you've been busy this week.

• Your eyes are forming, and will soon start to open. 
• Your eyelashes are now grown, too.
• You're getting your immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up your antibodies.
• You're taking breaths, too. They're of amniotic fluid, not air, but it's still good practice.

So with all this busy-bodiness, it's no wonder that you've attracted so much attention from the outside world.

Your Brother grows more and more interested Mommy's belly. Yesterday he kept lifting up her shirt and kissing the belly, and poking the belly button. Did you feel it?
 
The other night I had my hand on the bump and I felt your rump...or was it your head? Either way, it wasn't a fleeting kick or rippling under the surface. I felt you, just sitting there, either with your butt up in the air or trying to poke your head up for some head room. I love feeling the kicks, don't get me wrong, but this was the first time with you that I've felt a definitive body part. I forgot how amazing a sensation it is to have sustained first contact.
 
The moment took me aback, as if I had just found out we were having you again. I turned to Holly and said "a baby girl!!!" Or something equally schmaltzy. But it was worth being sappy and lame to experience that exciting moment.
 
So, that was me saying 'hi' and I love you.
 
Did you feel that? It was probably nicer than Aidan poking you in the head (of lettuce).

 

You Gotta Fight! For your Right! To POTTY!

Aidan,

Your Mommy and Daddy are so very proud of you. You're not fully there yet, and there's certainly a looong way to go (including the path to number twosville), but in under a week, you've gone from being a mere observer of people going on the potty, to being terrified to sit on the potty, to being a big boy who goes pee pee on the potty multiple times in a day!

We've always had an open door policy, so I think that's helped you acclimate to the idea of using the toilet. You even used to sit down in your little chair in the bathroom and mimic your mother and I while we were going.

You've also been a vocal commentator from time to time. You once came into the bathroom after I had gone and said "Poo Poo Pee Yew!"

You've also presented a bit of anxiety from time to time. Once you joined me in the restroom and when I got to the wiping stage, I told you that one day soon you, too, would be wiping your tushy. You looked at me with horror, crossed your hands in front of your crotch and said "no...No...NO!!!" and ran away.

But more recently, it's just been a lot of piqued interest in the potty.

We asked you if you wanted to sit on the toilet last week and you said 'yes.' So we held you on the seat and you sprawled out your limbs as if you were a cat about to be put in the bath.

So, your mom bought you a special Sesame Street potty seat and step stool:

And then she bribed you: yellow candies (Reece's Pieces) if you sit on the potty. That worked like a charm.

By the end of that day, you had gone pee pee successfully on the potty twice, and already tried to get candy for just going and sitting on the potty.

Now, we have a long way to go...you've peed on your the floor when we took your diaper off a bit too early, and you've peed on your mom when you were playing with the 'splash guard.' But for the most part, potty training has been a great success thus far! (And we've had to go and buy a whole new bag of Reece's Pieces).

This may seem like the level of our discussion has gone down the drain, but this is a major victory for you, son, and a major milestone in your development. Most of the time we have to ask you "do you need to go pee pee?" But a few times you've come running up to us and said "Pee pee potty," and we quickly rush to sit on the Sesame Street toilet. You're excited about the potty, and more excited about the 'candies.'

But we're excited about how much you've grown up and how well you're doing on this majorly important step. When it comes to number one, we think You're number one!

Next step, after reinforcing pee pee potty training for the forseeable future is to tackle number two...not literally.

And just so you don't get embarrassed about having your naked tushy on the toilet on the internet, here's an old photo from your Mother's and my 'engagement pictures.' See, everyone uses the the pottty...even your old man (especially your old man)!

 

UPDATE:  BREAKING NEWS....we have poos!

Big Brother, the Belly and You: Week 24

Little one,

It has been a busy couple of weeks in the bumpdom. You've been going on some kicking and tossing and turning sprees nightly, much to my and your Mom's enjoyment. We can definitely feel you manuevering in your ever-shrinking home.

It's hard to believe you're already 24 weeks along.

But, knowing that you're the size of a cantaloupe now, it's not hard to see where that cantaloupe is hiding.



Week 24



Just look at that bump! As exciting as it is to see you growing from the outside, inside your mom's belly is where the really exciting business is going down. You're totally jamming out now to the sounds of the outside world, and probably really loving the sounds of your mom's heartbeat.

Your skin is growing more and more opaque, and more pink...meaning you're really starting to look like a baby now!

But, out here, all we can do is monitor the bump and wonder about your secret inside life. I wonder if you can feel our hands when we are trying to feel you moving...it would only stand to reason that you could, right?

Well, I may not know the answer to that, but I know that if you could feel us, you'd have noticed a much smaller hand than mine or your mother's recently resting on your little growing head.

Your brother found the bump to be quite a convenient arm rest the other day...but there seemed to be something more deep going on with the way he gently opened his hand to feel the bump...and maybe the baby within.

And there his hand stayed for a good 20 minutes. Sure, sure, maybe he was just transfixed by watching "Follow that Bird" (for the first time).

But, I'd like to think that- while that's partially true- perhaps he even felt you kick, and is starting to grasp that you (a baby!) are going to one day emerge from your little bump and come out here and make him into a brother...and come into the world. Perhaps he, like the rest of us, knows that you're there...and that you'll soon be here!