We had our check ups this week so we headed down the canyon. Before doctor appointments, we met Grammy and Booga (which isn’t my brother’s real name but what the girls always call him) for a quick birthday lunch. The best part was Butterfly wore her birthday shirt that has a cute cake with three candles on top. We took turns pretending to blow the candles out, to which she would squeal in delight and try to hide her candles.
Butterfly milestone: She is 39.5 inches tall (95 percentile) and 35 pounds (80 percentile). She did an eye check for the first time which had her bouncing in excitement. I’m so proud of my big girl, who is ahead of schedule in pretty much every way. She is fully potty trained, without any accidents in at least four months. She knows her colors, shapes, letters and numbers. Her speech is great and her imagination is thriving. On the down side, she has entered the age of nightmares and “growing pains”—frequently waking up with leg cramps. She was incredibly brave, getting her last of the baby immunizations (and for the first time, having unfortunate side effects of a low grade fever and intense muscle soreness). She was entertaining in the doctor’s office, declaring she wants to be a doctor and mimicking our pediatrician as she examined Ladybug. Her speaking ability grows, using longer sentences and I’m proud of how polite she typically is.
Ladybug milestones: She is 34 inches tall (over 97 percentile) and 27.5 pounds (80 percentile), making her very tall and very skinny. This kid used to inhale food, eating seven jars of baby food every day and went through a box of cheerios nearly every week. But more recently, has become very picky and uninterested in food. Even past favorites such as grapes, bananas and yogurt are losing their appeal and she has to be coaxed to eat. The only thing she will consistently eat with any amount of eagerness is French fries. Ladybug’s physical progress is great, she’s growing steadily and her balance and dexterity are perfect. In fact, I frequently joke about what a mountain goat she has become, climbing anything and everything without fear. She is speaking more and more, acquiring a wide range of vocabulary that she can say with near perfect pronunciation and increasingly less baby jabber. However, during our trip, she began saying “munga”, which she says repeatedly and with excitement. We’re still not sure what it means but it’s cute. Only recently has she begun watching movies for longer periods of time, still preferring to play with toys, especially blocks and her kitchen. She and her blanket remain inseparable and she is such a Daddy’s girl. She’s a great sleeper, typically sleeping nearly ten hours at night without waking. We decided not to do her immunizations yet, since she seems to have picked up the same 24 virus Butterfly had, making her fussy and clingy with a raging fever, so we will have to catch up on those next week.
Baby 3 has a check up next week, including an ultrasound so hopefully we will learn a little more about him or her. I realized this week that if I look straight down, while standing, I can no longer see my toes. My belly is growing quickly, making my pregnancy more obvious. Most exciting: I can feel the baby move! Three weeks ago, we were sitting in the temple when I felt a very subtle but distinct movement that swept up the side of my belly. I wasn’t sure I could feel the baby move so soon (after all, I was only 13 weeks at the time!) but as these little flutters and gentle stretches have become more frequent, I become more confident that it is the baby stirring within me. I even asked the doc and he thinks that while most women do not feel the baby this early, that it is possible. I first recognized Butterfly’s movement at 19 weeks while sitting at a play (Paint Your Wagon) when I felt that same gentle, upward sweep inside, more distinct and intentional than any usual stomach rumbling. With Ladybug, I was unsure when I first felt her move. My stomach was frequently upset so by the time I finally knew with confidence that it was her, I realized I had felt the same movement for weeks. But I especially love when baby will be big enough that movements are more distinct. I love when I can play tag with him or her and am especially looking forward to daddy and the girls being able to feel the baby move too.
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