17 months with jack

My sweet, sweet boy. How did we get here? Just a minute ago we were celebrating your first birthday and now you're running all over the place like a KID! I can't stand it. But you are so much fun and even though you're shedding any signs of babyhood by the minute, I love this age so much more than I ever thought I would. You're just pure joy.

You're walking like a boss now and that's opened up a world of possibility. One of our favorite things to do is to go to the aquarium right when they open, when hardly anyone is there, and roam all over every inch of that place. You love the freedom and I love seeing you learn and explore. You especially like the jelly fish and the tunnel that goes through the lobster tank. The Beluga whales? Not so much. Although, one kissed the glass the other day while you were very close and I'd be afraid too if I thought something was trying to eat me.

You know a whole bunch of words, but you only say a few. And it's mostly in a language that only I understand, but I like that little secret code between us. You can say mama, daddy, Rudy, hot, outside, bath, thank you and I love you. You can also sign milk, all done, eat, please, thank you and more. As long as you can communicate your needs as it relates to your appetite, you're a happy guy.

 

You love, love, love trucks. You always wave at them when they pass and nothing will stop you in your tracks like the sound of a truck coming down the street. You also love to read. You'll run up to me with a book, stop about a foot ahead, turn around and back up slowly, slowly, slowly until you've reached my lap and can plop down with your book. Your favorites right now are Machines at Work, Jack's House, My Truck is Stuck and Little Blue Truck. Every single one has some sort of big vehicle in it and we read them over and over and over again. But I don't mind it. I always loved books and I love snuggling up before bed to read with you. It was one of my mama dreams from before you were even born.

You love to give unsolicited hugs, which sends me straight to the grave. You love to make faces at yourself in the mirror. You love breakfast. You really like being able to play outside so I'm looking forward to warmer weather when we can pass the hours in the front yard, watching the trucks drive by. And you still adore your dad, even though you haven't seen him in two months. You ask to look at his pictures daily and you always get excited, like you're seeing him for the first time in a while. I can't wait for you two to be reunited because I just know he's going to be your best friend.

Thanks for keeping me entertained and for being so loveable. And thanks for being so good. You're the reason I'm so excited about doing this again.

my really good (albeit tiny) excuse for this blogging hiatus

I've been busy growing another human!

About a week and a half after Andrew deployed, just two nights before I left to meet him in Paris, I found out I was pregnant. More details on that story later but I'll just say that I was speechless.

Since then, I've just been doing whatever it takes to keep all of us alive and blogging is not one of those things. But now that I'm nearing the end of my first trimester (10.5 weeks today!) I'm starting to see the return of my energy and with that comes major blog updates like this one. Not to mention, we're long overdue for some Jack pictures and an update on his little 17-month-old life.

For now, here are answers to some FAQs and a few other musings I've been musing for the last month and a half.

- Is this a Paris baby?! So many people asked that! I guess the timing did seem suspicious and it is the city of romance after all, but no. This is a Connecticut baby. A farewell gift, if you will. Did I take it too far?
- When are you due? October 14, which was Jack's due date. I can't believe it either.

- How are you feeling? Exhaaaauuuusted, but that's getting better by the day. The first few weeks were rough and the jet lag didn't help. And just like with Jack, I've had no morning sickness. I KNOW. I had about two weeks of pretty extreme nausea but that passed and now I'm in good shape. Praise God.

- Was Andrew excited? SO excited. I was in complete shock for days (weeks) and his reaction made it a lot easier for me to shake that off and get excited myself.
- Will he be back in time? Lord willing, yes. We don't have any reason to believe that he won't make it back a few months before the due date but nothing is guaranteed.
- Are you going to find out what you're having? Yes, but not right away. I'm going to have the ultrasound tech put it in an envelope and I'll open with Andrew over Skype or when he gets home, whichever comes first.

So far, there are several things that are the same and a few that are different. It has been two years since I've done this but I was surprised at how much I'd forgotten. Like how tired you really are during the first trimester. And the weirdo fast food cravings I get when I wake up from a nap. And the way my face is breaking out worse than it did when I was in middle school. Good times.

But there are a few new things this time around. I've been having super bizarre dreams, which is making it difficult for me to get a decent night's sleep. My pants are already tight. I can't get enough scrambled eggs. And I feel a little more emotional. Although that could be because my husband is deployed, my kid has been sick, it snowed again this week and I feel fat. Maybe.

All in all, we're in good shape. A friend of mine asked if I was giving myself grace to not do ALL THE THINGS and the answer is a big fat yes. We watch so much PBS right now, it's not even funny. And today I accidentally fell asleep on the daybed in the sunroom and woke up with a pile of markers and crayons on my stomach. I fell asleep with a marker-wielding toddler on the loose. I'd say I've relaxed a lot.

Hooray for more babies!

one of those things that only andrew will enjoy. and maybe my mom.

Sometimes it's 4:30 and you just need to buy time until dinner, you know?

A few notes:

• Whenever he sees himself, he sticks his tongue out. I don't understand it either.
• I'm sorry for the weird faces I make. It just happened.
• That red spot at the top of his forehead is carpet burn.
• Yes, he almost fell asleep.
• I realize this is not an appropriate song to be singing with my one-year-old. Oh well.

And now, two and a half minutes of your life that you can't get back.