First post of the year?!! Sheesh.

I am so bad about updating this thing. I can't believe that the last time I updated this was right after Ben's 1st birthday. Whoa.

He's now nearly 19 months, which is such a fun age. He is extremely mobile, increasingly interactive (to the dismay of our three cats), and very smart. Certain things about his behavior continue to amaze and interest me. For example, when I was little I loved to color with crayons and would do so for hours. Ben, however, is more interested in getting them out of the box and then putting them back in, getting them back out again, nibbling on the ends, and shoving them in the spiral of the sketch book he occasionally stabs violently with these poor crayons. Maybe it's a guy thing.

It's also fascinating how he prefers certain books (Diggers, Trucks, Things That Go, Planes, Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Gorilla, A to Z, Old MacDonald) and chooses them repeatedly, often 2-3x in one sitting. Or how he can eat an entire egg for breakfast along with fruit and cheese, or how he is smart enough to make the connection between the fire truck coming down the parkway from the fire station up the road and the picture of one in his book.

I am officially 40 weeks, due Saturday (!!), with Ben's little sister, and it's now going wonderfully thanks to an incredible OBGYN who has given me excellent care and guidance throughout this pregnancy. He has a gentle, upbeat, encouraging bedside manner which seems to gel perfectly with my personality (I am much too hard on myself; my previous doc used to yell at me with no concrete advice, which only prompted shame and subsequent inaction). And seeing a specialist has made all the difference. I just saw a family practice doctor for Ben's pregnancy. This isn't always bad, but some family docs don't know (or won't admit) what they don't know, and won't refer you when necessary.

This was definitely the case with my previous doc, who didn't know, for example, that a misleadingly high blood pressure reading late in pregnancy may be the result of abdominal pressure on the vena cava (main vein in the pelvic area), which is easily remedied by lying on one's left side for a few minutes before taking the reading. Considering that Ben was induced 2 weeks early because of a high blood pressure reading taken without this in mind, this is substantial.

Ben now sees a pediatrician, and I am seeing an internist (someone who specializes in adult internal medicine). This specialist thing is just too important.

Things are really calm and relaxed now, and that's so nice. The baby's room is totally ready for her, my hospital bag is packed, the neighbor is ready to come over and watch Ben at any time, and I am emotionally ready to welcome our new little bundle of joy into the world. Before Ben I had no idea how I would react to motherhood or if I would even like it. But now, knowing the immense, sustained, completely real and fulfilling joy it brings...I can't wait. :)

Of course I am not looking forward to the labor part. If I get that far. (I'm going to try to go non-surgically this time; my OB is all for it and is rooting for me to do a VBAC.) But I am definitely looking forward to not being pregnant anymore. ;) The low back/sciatic/pelvic discomforts are getting old, and so is the impaired mobility and fatigue. But this too shall pass. It's temporary, totally normal, and totally worth it. :)

So that's what's up in this corner of the world. Hope you all are enjoying your summer. I'll try to post more frequently in the future!