[beloved] second trimester

ahhh, the glorious second trimester.  when you've had a rough start, these are the weeks you pray about.  focus on.  continue to tell yourself, if i can just make it to week 13 (or is it 14?) ...  well, i made it.  i actually came out of the trimester 1 coma just after baby turned 12 weeks.  thank goodness.  

i know the idea of bed rest sounds delightful, but after a few days, you start to go a little nuts.  the blue skies were calling to me from my bedroom window; i daydreamed of kicking around the orange august leaves and snapping photos all the while.  my body just didn't agree.  i'd think of taking a shower and then think better of it.  nah, i'll just shower tomorrow... but wait, didn't i say that yesterday?  or maybe that was the day before.  sheesh.

i have my appetite back.  not so many aversions as before.  energy to play with the kiddos and even do some house chores.  my mother has done an amazing job of taking control of the miebs household, but i'm happy to now contribute, and not feel like another child for her watch over.  (oh, but wait.  i am her child...)  if it weren't for gramma d, meals would not have been on the table for the month of august (and well, september, too), laundry would have been piled to the ceiling, jack would have not been picked up/dropped off from school, dylan would not be on her way to potty trained usa.  she even washed my husband's smelly work clothes.  she arrived in alaska, just when i needed her most.  bless her.

i had an ultrasound last week.  just so you know:  

i never grow tired of watching a salt and peppered, 

teeny tiny human swim around on screen!

perfect little baby.  only the size of a lemon, and yet, look how baby is completely formed!  it's amazing.  now, s/he just needs to grow and stretch, put on some chub, drink his/her pee and kick at my ribs.  and, can you believe baby has already learned to suck thumbs?!  i'm blown away while the husband just sees dollar signs on dental bills.        

this moment made me tear up.  see the middle of baby's face, that little white squiggle?  then, you see in the picture below, that the squiggle is actually baby's hand, brought up to his/her face.  the tech took these pictures in a matter of seconds from each other.  love the two different views.  

which thumb do i use?

and as you likely noticed, there is just one baby.  there wasn't even a trace of the other sac.  it's really mixed emotions as to how i feel and this tech had the same desire to have had another ultrasound a week later.  but, i guess this is the way it was meant to be.  i'm relieved to not be considered high-risk, continue with my midwifery care and have the home birth that i desire.  all good things.