26 weeks

Awwww.... see how cute?

Life inside of that dark and oversized lima bean must certainly be exciting. The now-two-pound avocado is kicking and twirling up a storm. Sometimes I swear it thinks it's a cat and all of a sudden does a stretch that leads one side of my stomach to bulge out hard and tight and the other one to depress and sit empty as a coconut. (There's this great scene in the movie l'iceberg where somebody is doing all these sort of Cirque-du-Soleil poses under a sheet- I often feel like the baby is reenacting that scene.)

Everything is going well belly-wise. Doc wants me to gain weight a smidge faster, so this morning I switched out my usual juice and opted for some whole milk (it's supposed to be great for helping you produce good milk when the time comes). I was a bit grossed out though- Stefin's a big fan of this non-homogenized kind, which is great in theory but it's occasional chunks of cream are the same brand of surprise as thinking you're biting into a chocolate chip and then recognizing the dry chewiness of a raisin.

Some important folks came to visit over the weekend, and it was wonderful to spend time with all of them. It was especially cool hanging out with also-pregnant Auntie Erica and her husband and two-year old Asa. (Small world moment: Andrew (Asa's pop) works with my mother's cousin Patrick in Normal, Illinois. Whoa.) Copious amounts of delicious food and innumerable hugs were the obvious themes of the weekend.

Oh! I learned today that during this week the little one starts opening its eyes! I bet it's murky and juicy in there. But apparently it will respond to bright lights now. It definitely responds to noises. Stefin and my dad were putting together this armoire on Sunday and baby was kicking up a storm with all the hammering.

There's backaches and headaches and heartburn and of course the relentless needing to pee, but my life is lovely and I'm loving it. Getting to feel a little life inside me, dining with friends and family, solidifying more plans for winter visits, coming home every night to the house I share with the man I love... I am a very lucky girl.