Comfortable

Charlotte has finally figured out how to stretch and find more room. I'm feeling a lot of kicks above my belly button and feeling so much more comfortable. I do get a sore back here and there, but yoga stretches seem to help. I don't have anything to report and hope this boring stretch continues for a long time.

Happy

I'm so happy to be back home. We had a great trip to Toronto - great food, time as a couple, and lots of sleep. I had a pregnancy massage that was really wonderful on Saturday. I needed it after all of the walking we did. Despite our fun, I missed Mina. There's nothing like her sweet kisses!

I cleaned the house a bit before we left and Mina helped. This is as close as we got to a belly picture for 25 weeks. This is the only picture that was taken during our entire vacation. Jon was really pleased when I pulled out the camera at the conference.

I bought a few things for Charlotte today - a swing, a video monitor, a soft cover for the changing pad, a bottle, and some mommy milk supplies. I think I have all of the diapers I need for her (and then some).

Now I just need to get a double stroller and a few other things. I've decided that I need a double stroller given my situation. I'm basically a single mother during the week that likes to leave the house frequently. Mina will hold hands with me, but I can't steer a stroller and hold her hand at the same time. It'll be too cold to wear Charlotte for a while and I won't necessarily want to wear Mina on my back while I'm still recuperating. The stroller I'm getting (assuming it works with the car seat like some reviewers said it does) converts to a sit and stand eventually so it will work for Mina when she's older too. Here's the link if anyone has any experience with this exact model. There are a bunch of models of sit and stands, but this is the only one that will accept an infant seat in the back seat. If we had more money, then I'd invest in something else (like a Phil & Ted's). Whatever. We need to eat!

Growing Pains

I've had some pain this week, probably due to growth and/or dehydration. I feel fine when I'm sitting or laying down, but I feel like my insides are going to fall out when I walk around. I've even had a few Braxton Hick's when I haven't had enough water in my system. I need to be more careful about that. We're leaving for Toronto in a couple of days so I'm trying to get in as much snuggling and Mina time as possible. I don't think I could ever get enough. At least I know she'll be in good hands!

I made the mistake of watching Marley & Me last night while Jon was out with a friend. There's nothing like watching a tearjerker alone while pregnant.

I scheduled a pregnancy massage at the spa in our hotel next week. I'm really looking forward to that! I've been waking up in bad positions (flat on my back or even flat on my stomach) so it'll be nice to be able to relax on a bed made for my pregnant shape. I would love to own a bed with a cut out for the belly so I could sleep on my stomach all the time.

I probably won't update again until after we get back from our trip.

Craziness

It's been a crazy couple of weeks. Mina and I have been so busy with our social schedule that it's hard to remember to be productive in the afternoons. We've missed Jamie and Matthew so we've been doing a lot of activities to keep us both occupied. I've managed to make some new friends at the pool (despite accidentally flashing them or possibly because I flashed them, haha). We've also spent some very restful mornings at the tot lot. Mina likes to play on her own while I sit on the sidelines and watch her wear herself out. It's great! She's such a fun little buddy at home and an independent child when we're out and about.

We didn't take a belly picture this week. Jon was busy painting the main floor bathroom while Mina was sleeping. I actually did some of the trim and we figured out that wasn't going to work very well. My belly got in the way and I don't know what the weight threshold was for the step stool, but it seemed rather shaky.

I'm enjoying the fact that Jon isn't on call anymore. I was able to go to the salon to get a hair cut and brow shaping on Saturday. That's a real luxury that I couldn't do the last three months. I feel much better about how I look now that I don't have to wear a ponytail all the time.

As for Charlotte, she seems to be getting bigger. I'm noticing more movement than just kicks. Once in a while she makes my whole stomach move. The other night Jon had to wait for me to come to bed because I was too busy watching my belly. I've been feeling really good and have had a reasonable amount of energy.

We're gearing up for our trip to Toronto next week. I'm looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. I'll miss my little buddy and all of the ear kisses and hugs she gives me every day. It will definitely be good to have some adult time with no babies though, don't get me wrong! There's just a lot of planning to do and packing. Yuck. I can't imagine how it will feel to not have to cook for four days and not have to deal with a toddler in a restaurant. It will be great. I guess I'll have to get my ear kisses and hugs from another source. ;)