New Year 2011

New Years is not a big deal to me. I understand people's desire to feel like they're shedding old skin and "starting fresh" because of the New Year, but the overly logical part of me also kind of rolls my eyes. It's a number on a calendar. December 31st has never felt like it's in some other book or chapter than January 1st for me. I'm more inclined to embrace the feeling of changing and shedding skin when spring rolls around, because that's when change is actually physically happening in nature. But that's just me. So, no New Year's resolutions (I make resolutions year round as I think I need them,) and no huge epiphanies or anything. New Years this year was a great reason to have another three day weekend with my hubby and to relax after the hubbub of Christmas.

We spent much of New Years Eve with our friends N, D, A, and baby M, who were in town. We took the girls to an indoor playground in the morning and went to lunch afterwards.Then that evening we had a delicious (traditional) New Year's Eve dinner of lobster tail and steak with my parents and left Audia at their house for a sleepover while we joined N and D for what was supposed to be an evening of good conversation and board games. The good conversation took place, but as soon as we broke out the board games, my mom called because Audia decided that she's "Not gonna sleep at this house!" So our evening of fun with N and D was cut short as we had to go pick up the munchkin and bring her home. Of course she conked out the second we got home. She woke up the next morning with a full-fledged cold, which she is only now getting over. Chris and I made the best of the evening, though, by doing something we haven't done in AGES. We watched a movie! *gasp!* LOL. I know, right? Big whoop. But I've been going to bed around 9 since Li'l Widget has been brewing in my belly, so movie nights have kind of been cut out of our lives.

Saturday and Sunday were spend taking care of our poor sick munchkin, taking down Christmas decorations, cleaning, hanging pictures, and moving furniture around so that we will have room in our bedroom for a crib in a few months. Of course we did some lounging and playing too.

Sunday was the first day that I felt our Li'l Widget move. And he (yes, I still think it's a boy...only one more month until we know for sure!!) has been tap-tap-tapping in my belly ever since. It's funny because with Audia, the first movements I felt were more like flutters, and then as she got larger it turned into tapping and then full-fledged punching, stretching, and kicking. But Widget has skipped the flutter stage and gone straight to the tapping. Audia was very "ahead of the game" physically in that she could hold her own head up on the day she was born, so I wonder if this means Widget will be the same way, or even more advanced than Audia was. Only time will tell!

My baby belly has "popped" much earlier than it did with Audia. Below is a photo of me at 16 weeks.

I didn't even start taking photos of my belly with Audia until I was 20-something weeks along, so I probably won't take any more belly photos until I can line them up with my Audia belly photos.

I've gone to Physical Therapy a couple of times for my sacroiliac joint pain, and my therapist taught me a few stretches and exercises that have essentially taken care of the pain. As soon as I start to feel a twinge, I do some more stretches and presto! Pain is gone. I haven't taken any pain killers in two weeks, which is beyond a blessing. She's also prescribed an "SI belt", which is a special belt that I can wear on days I know I'll be doing a lot more (aka cleaning or shopping) than normal. I wear it under my clothes and it keeps the sacroiliac joints from moving more than they should, which is what has been causing me pain. Needless to say I am extremely happy to be able to move normally again, and without the assistance of pain medication.

A few people have asked me why I've been calling the new baby "Li'l Widget." There was a cartoon in the 80's called "Widget," which was about this little alien dude named...you guessed it....Widget.Well, our first couple of ultrasounds, this little bean has reminded me of Widget. He's got a huge head and a tiny body. Go figure. So Widget he (or she) is. At least until birth. For those of you that have been worried, no, we're not naming our kid Widget. I've essentially left the baby name researching up to Chris this time around. I have one name in mind that I definitely like, but since I did most of the researching (and inventing, eventually) last time, I'm letting him pick names that stand out to him and we can whittle them down together from there.