Deuce is Still Cooking Along...

We just got back from our 20 week OB visit. You know, those appointments really are kind of dumb. First they charged me money towards my delivery (yes, this stupid place makes you pay for your delivery up front), then they weighed me (up a pound since last visit 4 weeks ago), then they took my blood pressure (100/60), and then we sat there a bit till the doctor came in. She introduced herself as she was one we hadn't met, then she looked over my chart, measured my uterus (right on for 21 weeks), and listened to Deucildorf's heartbeat (150s still). She asked if we had questions (I asked if I was "supposed" to do the flu shot) and that was pretty much it. Easton really likes the heartbeat. When I lifted my shirt for the doppler Jason asked E, "What's in there?" and he said, "baby" and the doctor said, "Yeah!" and then to us, "How old is he?" (was she impressed or something? or perhaps that's my wishful thinking biasing the situation). Anyway, Easton heard the heartbeat and when she took the doppler off he kept signing, "more" and also imitated the sound with his mouth again. He likes to make sure his brother really is okay in there. :)

As far as the "that was pretty much it" part it wasn't everything: I have to repeat my wee-in-a-jug extravaganza. Whoop dee doo. While the first 24 hour urine I did came back "normal" it was still high-ish normal. In fact, the numerical value was nearly identical to the numerical value from my last pregnancy when I started showing preeclampsia symptoms on Christmas Eve at 31 weeks. Hmmmmm...well, so far no other symptoms. The blood pressures certainly aren't an issue yet and neither is swelling. We're keeping everything crossed and of course praying this continues. I'll do the "collecting" in the next few days and then I have to repeat it at least every 8 weeks. You can't say they're not being thorough.

We go back in a month for the next routine check and my first "growth scan" (an ultrasound to make sure Deuce is still growing on track). My appointment is actually on a Monday which sort of bums me out as I'll then be in my 25th week and not 24th like my mental plan says. I don't know why those kinds of things bother me but they do. They didn't have a Thursday appointment and they don't have a sonographer (ultrasound tech) on Fridays so I had to go to the following Monday and now my whole pregnancy will be thrown off by this stupid scheduling detail. :) Okay, I'm being slightly dramatic, so there!

Eastie and I took a self-portrait before we left. I told him to say "cheese" again:


He is a little prepster today in his collared shirt, khakis, and slicked down 'do:

Dashing, wouldn't you say?

And back to yesterday, I got some winning smiles captured on camera for the first time in a loooooong time (toddlers!!).


As Jason said when he saw this, you can't get much happier than this:

My, my...with those toofers he looks like such a little piranah (sp?). He is soooooo my child with that pointy chin. Jason and I each have prominent chins: mine is prominently sharp from the front like Easton's there and Jason's got a prominent chin from the side. We think Easton has both. Eek! Let's hope he doesn't go into politics as the cartoon caricatures they'd draw of him would exaggerate those.

Anyway, my boy and I had a fun afternoon yesterday climbing from chair to couch:

And then from couch to loveseat:


And then we did a little dancing:


At dinner he opened a package with a new book from his pal (that he met one time), Rachel:

It's called "Mealtimes" and my friend Jodi (Rachel's mom) thinks it'll help Easton be a better eater. Worth a shot.

I am happy to report that we've been puke-free for quite some time and the dogs are no longer waking us up in the mornings. Ahhhhh. Hasn't stopped Easton from waking before Jason leaves but sweet calls of, "Mama? Dada?" are much nicer than the annoying yap of Blackie.

Alrighty, I think that should wrap things up for Friday here. Enjoy your weekends!