The Mooch

I'm feeling a little guilty tonight. I'm more than 17 weeks pregnant and haven't so much as mentioned this little tyke on my blog (oh wait, I did at Christmastime, but still). Charlotte got a lot of posts written about her long before we found out she was a girl! And here I am, 10 days away from (hopefully) finding out the sex of this little one and I'm just now sitting down to write about him/her. Sorry, Baby!!

There are several reasons why this post is late... exhaustion, busy keeping up with Charlotte.... but I think the biggest reason is that this pregnancy has been so uneventful! I had a very smooth pregnancy with Charlotte, but this one is like creamy peanut butter! Without this growing belly, I probably still wouldn't even know I had someone else living inside of me!

Taken about a week ago - 16.5 weeks pregnant

I really don't mean to brag, but in the interest of documenting things, as one does on a blog, this pregnancy is flying by! No nausea, no fatigue (no more than usual, I should say), no cravings, no food aversions, no swollen anything! I have had one spell of heartburn, but I can only blame 1/2 of that on the baby and the other 1/2 on the questionably healthy food for dinner that night. I have felt him/her shimmying around in there a time or two, but again, nothing that I didn't first think was gas. :o) 

As you recall, we affectionately referred to Charlotte as Cletus the Fetus until we found out she was a girl and gave her a proper name. We already have names picked out (or do we??), but may not share before Baby is born. For now, with the utmost respect for the human life growing inside of me, we're simply calling the baby "Mooch." S/he mooches my food, my energy, and even my oxygen on longer flights of stairs. Not to mention blood, vitamins, and the ability to sleep uninterrupted those precious hours I get without the Original Mooch demanding my attention. 

For all of you who have asked how I'm doing, how I'm feeling... Thank you! I really do feel fine! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers that I continue to be so healthy for the second half of the pregnancy! And I'm very sorry to those of you who have experienced less-than-lovely pregnancies. I really do feel a twinge of guilt every time I answer "I'm doing great!" But trust me, 9 months of easy-going incubation has been paid back to me with 18 months of rotten sleep. Not really sure which I'd prefer (as if anyone has a choice). 

My anatomy scan is scheduled for Tuesday the 26th, and hopefully Mooch will be compliant and the ultrasound tech will get all of her necessary photos! I'm not 100% convinced I want to know the sex of the baby, but Ben wants to know. I'm sure curiosity will get the best of me, so when I know, you'll know! :o) 

Charlotte Grace - 18 Months

Dear Charlotte,

It's your half-birthday tomorrow and I just cannot believe how fast the time is flying. It seems like just a few short weeks ago, your dad and I were bringing you home from the hospital, spending hours just staring at you, wondering how in the world they let us walk out of the hospital without passing some kind of test. None of us knew what we were doing - you had to be taught how to nurse properly, I had to learn how to teach you. You had to learn the difference between day and night, and daddy learned that he can function on far less sleep than he previously thought possible.

But somehow, we've muddled through the last 18 months, each day the three of us learning something new from each other. You teach your dad and me how to love unconditionally, how to work as a team, how to help each other, how to prioritize, how to savor every sweet moment with you. We're trying our best to teach you all kinds of stuff, too. We're trying to teach you patience, manners (you're saying "please" and "thank you" on your own - I've even heard you say "you're welcome" a couple of times!), kindness to animals and other people, dealing with disappointment, using your imagination, and solving  some problems on your own.

You're also learning a lot about the world around you. Your language abilities have "exploded" in the last 3 months or so. We quit counting words around Christmas when we reached about 200. Since then, you seem to say at least one new word every day, and you're putting several words together to form simple sentences. We get such a big kick out of hearing your talk! We spent the first year of your life narrating everything for you, and now you narrate your day for us! "Dada sitting rocking chair." "Mama sweeping broom." "Donny collar off." and this morning, "More Life cereal, please." I think the most precious things you're saying right now is your own name "Sha-shee" and when we say, "I love you, Charlotte," you reply with the sweetest, "too, Mama" or "too, Dada."

 Your favorite thing to do right now is play with your dolls and stuffed animals, pretending to feed them, rock them, push them in your stroller. You also love to read books. You will sit and read books with me for an hour! You like books about animals, books with actions, books with things to move or touch, books with flaps, and you're even starting to recognize rhyming patterns and will mumble words along with me as I read your favorites. Daddy & I love reading "Goodnight Moon" with you while you point out every item in that room - and you always know where the mouse is hiding. You also like to build towers with blocks, work on your name puzzle, ride on your car, strum your guitarlele, play your piano, and of course, play the drums. You're a big help around the house, with a love for sweeping, folding laundry, and washing dishes. You also enjoy drawing, coloring, painting, and using Play Dough. We love watching your imagination in action! Of course nothing beats a trip to the park, library, or Musikgarten!

We love you so much, Charlotte. We're already so proud of the sweet, gentle, funny, brilliant girl you're becoming. Your dad and I are so blessed to call you our daughter. Happy half-birthday, Chuck! 

Love,

Mama