21 Weeks & Ultrasound #2

I went for my detailed ultrasound on Tuesday, at 20 week + 6 days.  Unfortunately, the ultrasound technologist couldn't see the fetal four chamber heart very well so I had to have another ultrasound scheduled  for as soon as possible...which ends up being Friday, June 7 at 2:30.  It's exciting to have another ultrasound, but that's smack dab in the middle of when my mom aka babysitter is in Ontario.  What a pain.  Oh well, we'll figure something out!  Hopefully the next ultrasound will be a little more successful...otherwise I'll start to get worried!  Here are the measurements:

DATA
Heart Rate	144
Lie/Position	Cephalic
Placenta	Anterior
Amniotic Fluid Volume	Normal
Est. Fetal Weight	456 g (1.0 lb)
MEASUREMENTS
Head Circ.	199.5 mm	21w6d
BPD	52.2 mm	21w3d
Abdominal Circ.	169.6 mm	21w2d
Femur	36.7 mm	21w5d
Cerebellum	21.4 mm
Cisterna Magna	5.4 mm
Lateral Ventricle	8.2 mm
Gestational Age	21 weeks + 4 days

As of my last ultrasound, I was measuring 2 days ahead of my dating - now I'm measuring 5 days ahead.  

I can't believe I'm over half done this pregnancy.  It really is going crazy fast...and I'm sure it's only going to go faster as the business of summer approaches.  

Baby Struik has really started kicking with force now.  A few times I've felt kicks right into my lower pelvis, and into a nerve.  A little annoying...but I love it.  I'm looking forward to the next few months when the kicks really start getting stronger.  Jon has felt the kicks, but they're so low most of the time that I haven't been able to give my Mom the opportunity to feel it yet.  

I've gained 19.5 lbs so far.  Oh my goodness.  My goal is to keep my weight gain less than the number of weeks I am.  I definitely do not want to be gaining more than 40 lbs!  Not much I can do about it though.  I feel I'm eating like my normal non-pregnant self, so it's just my body doing "it's thing".  I definitely view weight gain in a more negative light than I did with Matthew and Kayla.  I'm very conscious about whether or not I should be eating when I'm hungry, or if I should just try to ignore it.

Anyways, I think that's about it!  Here's a picture of Baby Struik to enjoy!

26 Months Old

I was going to stop doing monthly entries, but I realized that they are still learning/developing on a monthly basis (especially Matthew) so I didn't want to forget when they started doing something.

Matthew:
- Weighs 24lb 7oz
- Is really starting to repeat words when you ask him to, although they may completely come out wrong.  For instance, "Oh" sounds likes "Ewe"
- Words:
     Miss (Missing)
     Bus
     Mo More (No More)
     Doot (George, as in Curious George)
     Noon (Moon)
     Boove (Move)
     Rain
     Osh (Orange)
     Big
     Da-You (Thank You)
     Dis (This)
     Man More (Lawn Mower)
     Peas (Please)
     Bye (He ALWAYS says this in a super high-pitched voice)
-  Loves smelling deoderant sticks.
- Is obsessed with vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers.  He's always the first to hear the cupboard with the vacuum cleaner opening, or the first to hear the lawn mower.  He doesn't necessarily have to do the vacuuming/lawn cutting himself...he just  loves to watch it.
- Still has a hard time eating rice.
- LOVES eating a 'prucky' of boiled potatoes, beans, and gravy.
- Loves it when he sees a city or school bus while driving
- Learned how to climb the chain link fence at my parents' house (because Kayla did it first).
- Recognizes and can name the letter 'O'.
- We started praying with Matthew and Kayla before and after their meals shortly after their second birthday (I know...something I never even thought to do until my Mom took the initiative and taught the prayers to Kayla).  Matthew's face lights up when we mention that it's time to pray.
- Loves watching anyone putting things together.  He follows my Dad around whenever he's outside.


Kayla:
- Weighs 25lb 12 oz.
- Has to have her blankie laid on her with a certain side touching her.  I guess she's realized that one side is softer than the other.
- Strings three to four words together, all the time.  Example: "Ma (Matthew) have yellow one!"
- Talks, all the time.  It's crazy when we hear her say words or phrases that we don't commonly use.  For instance, she picked up "Not Yet" and now uses it all the time (and correctly, too).
- Translated what Matthew wanted for me on April 25th.  He was crying in bed, so when I went in there I asked him what was wrong and Kayla piped up "golf club".  Turns out he was upset that Jon wouldn't let him sleep with his golf club in his crib.
- Is attached to having her water bottle with her...which is great because it increases her water consumption.
- Loves smelling things, especially flowers and deoderant sticks.  She's often the first to pick up a smell in a room or outside.
- LOVES eating a 'prucky' of boiled potatoes, beans, and gravy.
- Loves it when he sees a city or school bus while driving
- Learned how to climb the chain link fence at my parents' house.  No one even told her or showed her how to do it!
- Recognizes and can name the letters 'C', 'K', 'M', 'S', 'X', .  Can recognize the letters 'J', 'L'.
- We started praying with Matthew and Kayla before and after their meals shortly after their second birthday (I know...something I never even thought to do until my Mom took the initiative and taught the prayers to Kayla).  Now if we forget, Kayla will start praying on her own.
- Has started occassionally calling Matthew "Ma-yew".
- Knows what red/green streetlights mean:  "Green light, go!"  "Red light, stop!"
- Is very aware of the process of toilet training.  I overheard her telling her baby "Poop potty, wipe bum, sour key!"
- Has been quite successful over the past two months at peeing on the potty.  It's never something I've asked her to do...but if she mentions that she wants to pee on the potty then I'll bring it out and put her on it.  We start official potty training (for Kayla only) on June 5th (because I can't work for a week because my mom will be in Ontario).  Fingers crossed!

**There's another new entry below this one**

When Matthew, Kayla, and I returned home from my parents' house this evening, Jon was sitting in the living room taking apart my parents' old internet router.  Matthew right away bolted towards the tools and router pieces, and began trying to put screws on the screw driver and grabbing all of the pieces to put them together.

Jon was just cleaning up his mess now, and was complaining about how it's a pain that Matthew loves seeing how things work and watching tools in action etc, to which I replied, "He's your son".  Jon quickly retorted, "He's not my son, he's my in-law's son!  He's actually going to be handy!".  It was priceless.  Jon's a funny guy.

Visible Kicks

I'm laying here on the couch with my tummy exposed, because I can SEE my stomach ripple from Baby Struik kicking.  I have waited for this moment for so long.  It's one thing to feel it, but to feel AND see it happening is the best.  Absolutely the best.  My favourite thing in the world.

Enjoying the Sun at Alouette

We took advantage of the beautiful sunny day we had today and headed to Alouette this morning.  So beautiful there!

Chapstick

Matthew and Kayla were playing in our room last night and when I came in Kayla was licking her lips over and over again. When I looked at what was in her hand I realized she had been using Jon's deodorant as Chapstick. Nasty!