It's eNORMous!!
Especially when compared to 2 weeks ago:
Once again, I didn't think I would notice that much of a difference, but figured I'd take a picture anyway, since I had reached my 2-week interval. (I haven't felt like weekly pics at this early stage in the game would be very exciting, so I've been doing every other week.)
I guess Chester's supposed to double in size and weight in the next three weeks - so the pictures should get even MORE interesting than the time lapse portraits of my midsection to date!! Don't blink or you may miss the drama that is my torso.
I love that this week's belly picture features me wearing the outfit that I wore every day of this GLORIOUS three day weekend, with the exception of forcing myself to shower and put on something a little more acceptable for a family gathering on Sunday. Oh, the humanity. Of getting out of my elastic waist shorts and taking a break from gardening. No, really, it was a very lovely Butler family get-together. I did, however, take a slightly early exit so that I could go to Longfellow's greenhouse before they closed for the second out of three trips this three-day weekend to refill my gardening needs. I am working on overcoming my guilt for not staying to help bag up leftovers and wash the tupperware. Next time I will, really, next time.
I was so aware all weekend of how lucky I am to be where I'm at right now. We're in the beginning of a busy summer season of family and friend reunions and celebrations; and while that has the potential to bring stress, albeit the good kind, I'm reminded that the root of these get-togethers are connecting with each other.
I'm thankful to have the amount of free time that I have these days, even with work and other obligations. I'm already thinking ahead to how we will handle the Memorial Day weekend garden-planting task next year while juggling a 6-month-old. But I look forward to sharing the outdoors with our little one.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE our gigantic white lilac trees that are just outside our kitchen window and next to our deck. And when we set the fan up at night in our bedroom, it delivers that amazing lilac smell right into our noses. Makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning.
I've had this realization over the past year or so, that I really love seasons. Good thing for me, living in Maine and all. But that's the thing. I'm not just "enduring" the seasons anymore. And it's even more than having "made peace" with them. I've come to really appreciate them, each for their own merits. I mean, we have these 4 distinct times of year, all with their pros and cons, that impose / offer a sense of what kinds of things to do based on what time of year it is. To take advantage of where you're at at the time, knowing that before you know it, another season and all that comes with it will be upon you.
Like in the Fall: drying herbs and canning vegetables. Apple picking. Making apple crisp. Apple bread. Apple Gumbo. Wearing turtlenecks and wool sweaters again. Going for walks and smelling the smoke from people's wood stoves being used again after months of dormancy.
In the Winter: making Christmas gifts and visiting up the wazoo. Enjoying that first beautiful snowfall (even if it's in February, according to this past season). Snowshoeing. Relishing time to yourself once the holiday craziness has passed. Hand-sewing and actually baking. My new favorite holiday: Mardi Gras!
In the Spring: enthusiastic and determined cleaning and organizing as a result of cabin fever. In-door painting projects as soon as you can start opening the windows for ventilation. Beading projects that are not gifts.
In the summer: camping, hiking, rollerblading, gardening, doing anything possible outside for as long as possible until the sun sets. Cold pasta salad and cucumber sandwiches. And ice cream. Lots of ice cream.
Well, these are my seasons, anyway. And I can't wait to experience them along side our son or daughter, and introducing him or her to our corner of the world, and seeing it through their eyes as they notice cool stuff about the world that I haven't noticed for decades, or maybe never did.
I'm thankful for a husband who, at the end of the day, when I could still think of 4 more projects to tackle before bedtime, says "Let's have a fire tonight" - MEANING - (no, that's not code) : let's have a fire in the firepit that he built in our backyard last summer. There's nothing like just sitting around a fire, talking, and watching the flames - even with the more-than-occassional picking up your chair to move when the smoke is aiming directly for your eyes. There's nothing like making "just one more S'more" in effort to perfect the art of marshmallow-toasting this time around. And realizing that a S'more with a less-than-perfectly toasted marshmallow is still a pretty damn good S'more.
And the satisfaction of burning paper in our fire that would have otherwise gone in the trash since Hallowell doesn't recycle office paper. We recently re-did our chart forms at work, and usually when we get new forms, I bring the old one-sided old forms home for using for our printer. But we had some forms recenly that, no matter how open-minded I am, I couldn't bring myself to use for printing. They were the ones used for exams, with pictures of breasts and male and female genitals on which the nurse practitioners make their drawings and exam notes. The thought also crossed my mind to give them to my little brother and sister to draw on when they return next month (you should SEE the paper they go through - they're prolific artists and geniuses!!). But I thought better of the idea. If Dad and Lus are that hard up for paper that they consent to using the "boob sheets" as we call them, I'm sure we'll re-do the forms again soon.
Sorry - I just had to keep this entry from getting too sappy. :)
And speaking of prolific, I HAVE had a number of dreams lately - I'm amazed I remember the percentage of them that I do. But I think I've kept you long enough this time. I've got to save SOMETHING else to talk about in a few days...
Nicky and Nate
16 weeks, 3 days
whowouldathunkit
