What the Heck Happened to Spring?

The snow we got yesterday hasn't melted yet. In fact, it seems like it will be joined by more of its kind before it goes away. I'm trying not to be too disappointed in spring this year, but it's been awfully hard. Winter was way too long and we're really chomping at the bit for sunshine, grass and blue skies. I've never been stuck inside for so long before.

Cailin loves playing outside so much. She follows Bailey around in the backyard and makes sure to tell me when "poo poo" happens. I'm not sure where she picked this little gem up, but she knows her bathroom lingo.

Just over half the backyard is raked and ready for playing on now. If only it would quit snowing, melt the remaining crusts of snow and dry up already, we'd be set. I suppose standing on one's back step shaking their fist at the heavens doesn't really speed the process up any. However, I believe in the therapeutic value of such actions.

Yesterday I visited our family doctor for the last prenatal visit with him. As of now, I will be going to the obstetrician I saw with Cailin. I wish I could continue with our family doctor, but as he puts it, this town employs a "large conveyor belt" type system to deal with the extraordinary amount of pregnancies and births here (330+ per month!). The conveyor belt consists of: family doctor first for around 20 weeks, then an obstetrician for the remainder, plus the surgeon if a c-section is needed. At any rate, things are bound to get a little more exciting now that I'm further along and doctor(s) visits will be more frequent.

When I walked into the doctor's office, I was ushered right in to the examination room - absolutely no waiting. From there I was weighed and uh, performed a bodily function involving a cup. Everything is great, no protein etc.

When I asked what the damage was for my weight gained so far, the doctor's wife replied with a cheerful, "Nine pounds!" I was suprised, I was sure I would have gained more weight than that. When I asked to clarify only nine pounds gained in total, the doctor's wife replied (still cheerfully), "Oh, no. Nine pounds gained since last appointment. It's 20 pounds in total."

I almost passed the hell out. NINE POUNDS IN ONE MONTH???? TWENTY POUNDS IN TOTAL???!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

*pant, pant*

Okay... Feeling better.

But, oh my good gracious sakes alive! 20 damn pounds and I still have 16 weeks left to go. Something tells me I better lay off the Mini Eggs like, yesterday.

The doctor and his wife both assure me that is a very normal amount of weight gain and not to worry about it (I gained 25lbs total with Cailin). I was still reeling from the numbers when he checked for Jellybean's heartbeat and found it instantly. 140 beats per minute, strong and steady. It's always so nice and reassuring to hear the baby's heartbeat. He's been moving quite a bit, but not as much as Cailin kicked. The doctor said boys are lazy.

He also told me to take it very easy on my back as it is easy to permanently injure it while pregnant. This kind of tells me that painting the entire house while waiting for Jellybean to make his appearance may not be in my best interest.

The new and improved due date is now August 15. Which means he will probably be born the week prior, maybe as late as August 11 or 12. I will find out the actual birthday in the coming weeks as I see the obstetrician and get an appointment with the surgeon. I'm hoping I still get to attend mom and dad's 30th anniversary party.

So anyways, I'm in perfect health (besides being a little fat for my liking) and Jellybean is doing very well. I'm starting to get tired more often now, and quite easily but I still continue to feel pretty good. Except for that pesky heartburn type stuff of course.

We do have a name for Jellybean, but we're not announcing it here until he is born. We're not keeping it a secret though, if you want to know his name, just ask! (but not on here).

Also, yesterday Cailin got an Easter package in the mail from Pammy and Grampy. She got new Easter jammies with bunnies on them and a cool belt for cinching up too-big pants. She was trying to wear the belt as a headband until I demonstrated on Bailey that it was for her waist. For the rest of the day she chased Bailey around with the belt repeatedly saying, "Peese!" Bailey was not amused. I will be taking pictures of Cailin in her new jammies as soon as they're washed. Of course the first thing Cailin did with them was to coat them in goo from her chewable Advil. Gotta break them in I guess. Cailin absolutely loves the card with a bunny on it.

Cailin and I spent the morning baking today. After plastering her jammies in muffin batter, I helped her strip to her diaper. Instead of continuing to help me bake, she 'peesed' her way out of her soggy diaper and ran laps around the house in the buff. Since she has a bit of diaper rash anyway, there isn't a better cure than fresh air. There aren't words to describe the freedom Cailin feels when she's uh, without a stitch on. It's hilarious. I have video of it to show her when she's older.

No matter how excited Cailin was for muffins, she flipped over backwards when I started making chocolate chip cookies. She loves cookie dough more than I do, and that's saying a lot. I'm pretty sure she ate her weight in dough. It was a tad disconcerting to have a naked child dipping into the bowl with a spoon repeatedly, so I made her get dressed. She picked out her own outfit today and it's a little on the loud side of florescent green.

Currently the devourer of cookie dough is napping. The last few days she's been taking a sippy cup to bed with her and refuses to be parted with it. She falls asleep with it in her arms (right beside her stuffed puppy of course). I'm pretty sure I just heard it hit the floor. Here comes the afternoon shift!