Are we seriously celebrating week 24?!

How far along? 24 weeks, 4 days
Total weight gain/loss: + 15 lbs
Maternity clothes? Sometimes, I sleep in my jeans.
Sleep: Hello, restless leg syndrome. I was wondering when I’d see you again. 🙁 So far I haven’t lost too much sleep over you, yet, though. I do know the 3-4 AM nights are coming, though.

Best moment this week: Watching Chloe ride her bike for the first time. She’ll be a pro in no time, I’m sure.

“>;

Movement: Yes! And Chris felt it. And sisters feel it.
Food cravings: Still cold water.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Crazy driving.
Have you started to show yet: Yep – in fact, someone from my church asked me if I was due “on the 30th.” I was like, “umm……” Hey, at least people can see him, right? 🙂

Gender Predictions: *happy dance* – It’s still a boy. 🙂 But if we aren’t sure, we can always ask your sister, the “baby doctor” wannabe.

Labor Signs: No.
Belly Button in or out? IN
Wedding rings on or off? Back on the right hand again. This cooler weather is really helping my swelling a lot.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired this week. I came off of two big catering events – one wedding cake (for 300) and then a week long event for 150 people, who ate at 5 different times. This week was “Recoup” week, I think. And I rested a lot. And I had lots of help around the house. 🙂

Weekly Wisdom: Cashing in on a Merry Maids gift certificate (from my husband’s awesome company!) is a great way to start a week. Unless you feel like you have to clean up before they get here. 🙂

Milestones: Baby is around 11 ounces now. Still pretty far behind (most 24 weekers are around 20-24 ounces.)

Weekly Prayer Request: We’re taking a little vacation (provided my preeclampsia doesn’t pick up between now and the middle of the week) with just our family. We’re thinking a super long weekend away up in the mountains will do us all some good. Pray for us to get lots of rest and have lots of fun – especially with our girls. We know we’ll need some memories of happiness to light our dark days ahead.

Hey, there, Little Kyle.

We had a quiet week this week. A week of just being together, resting, and doing….life. Chloe finished Day 50 of school this week. That felt good. If she keeps doing well, we’ll be able to take a nice long break when you get here! I get to talk to you all the time. But I thought I’d record a few things from your sisters this week. They love you so very much, too, they just don’t have the outlet of a journal to keep up with it all. So I try to take notes as I can…here’s a few from this week:

I made the decision to give the girls a playroom this week. This meant it was time to take down the babyroom. This meant it was time to take down the crib. The one that’s been up in our house for a little over 6 years now. (except for a brief 1 day ride down from West Virginia when we moved 5 years ago.) It was a tough morning doing that. But I was holding my own. Besides, if you do come home at all, which would be a miracle of miracles, do you really think I’d let you out of my sight long enough to sleep in a different room from me? I did ok, until Chloe came in and saw what I was doing and asked, “Mommy? You can’t take down the baby’s bed! Where is baby Kyle going to sleep?”

Gulp.

I thought she understood. And she kinda does, as much as her 6 year old mind can. But when I gently reminded her that you’d be doing all your sleeping in Heaven, she said, “Mommy, I don’t want him to go to Heaven. I just miss Baby Kyle so much. He needs to sleep at our house.” We both ended up crying for a good while after that. She did some work on a project after that for awhile. I think the quiet helped her do some thinking. We all just love you so much.

I thought I’d share some photos with you today. Some photos of your first puppet show. It was nice that the girls had something else to do with you than just tickle my tummy and “press” my belly button. Although, I kinda naively believe you love hearing their crazy fall-back-on-the-floor giggles afterwards. 🙂 You were given your first gift this week though – finger puppets. And your sisters knew just what to do with them.

From Kami, you got the story, “Baby dances on the Potty.” It goes something like this (Actually, it goes exactly like this. Every time she tells it.)…

“Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a baby who lived in a little house in a big town.

And he had to go potty. But when his mommy came in to check on him, he was DANCING on the potty! And she said, “Go to lay on your bed right now! You can’t dance on the potty!”

So he went to his bed and laid down.

And he never went to the potty. Again. The End.” 🙂

(This story being an theatrical puppet adaptation of a true story that happened when your older sister was three. Except, I still let her go potty, occasionally.)

From Chloe, you got a slightly more complex and slightly less coherent story about princesses and whales who were stranded in a big city and ended up riding on ponies to get away to Dollywood. Or something like that. You might have been able to piece that one together better than I could.

But then all the animals and puppets and princesses went to sleep with you, so you wouldn’t be scared.

On that note, though, I’ll go. I have a blanket covering my tummy right now from Chloe – “to keep you warm” on this chilly night. And I think I’ll go get some things ready for your first big vacation with all of us.

I’ll see you soon! But for now, know that I love you, and I always will.

XOXO,

Mom

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