24 Weeks and general update

I had another routine prenatal checkup with the midwives this week. I met with Kristi Higgs this time, and I really like her. Everything is progressing within normal limits. I have a great pregnancy history, so concerns are minimal, even though I'm soon to be of "advanced maternal age" (AMA). Kristi did mention that AMA mothers often undergo a second ultrasound at 32 weeks to check for moderate and minor heart defects in the baby. The early ultrasound catches the big defects, but older mothers are at higher risk for having babies with moderate and minor heart defects. I have some time to think about it, but I'm sorely tempted to do it just to get another peek at the baby before our big day.

While at this visit, the nurse cheerfully informed me that the baby is now viable, should he be born this week. I asked her if that was possible at this specific hospital (national averages do not always reflect an individual facility's policy) and she assured me that this hospital's Level 4 NICU was well-equipped to handle an infant born 3.5 months early, if necessary..."not like that's something you would hope for..." (awkward silence). Seconds after the nurse left, I saw a poster on the wall admonishing future parents to strive for at least 39 weeks gestation to maximize the infant's brain development (sponsored by the March of Dimes)...as if they knew I was toying with the idea of asking to be induced early :)

I feel Peek-A-Boo move vigorously every day. He writhes and spins and stretches. No one else has felt him move yet. I don't wonder and worry about this baby as much as I have the others. It's because I know everything's going to work out. He'll have good and bad days as a baby, as a sibling, as the youngest in a busy house, but we'll work it out. There's room here for him and we'll grow around him just like we've grown around each of his siblings before him.

Our family keeps changing in little ways here and there. It's hard to know what we'll be like when Peek-A-Boo arrives. Alice and Robert have become much better friends since they started sharing a room. James becomes a much better playmate as he expands his vocabulary and learns how social play works. He is keenly aware of the older kids' privileges. He counts himself as one of them and resents it when they order him around or tell him "no." I wonder a little who James will side with most as Peek-A-Boo gets older...will he continue to chase after Alice and Robert, or will he find a tighter bond with the brother just younger than him?

Speaking of James, he wakes up every morning about 5:45, comes right up to my side of the bed, and smooshes his face against mine. I pull him up into the bed and he just lays and snuggles and plays next to me. He pretends to eat parts of me. He sits on me like a horse. He wraps my arm around him and huuuuuuuugs it tight. He plays noisily with a couple toys and tries to make conversation. Eventually, one of the adults finally gets up to arrange breakfast or change a stinky diaper (usually Bobby, that sweet man). It's a routine that I enjoy, but I would prefer to have it happen an hour or two later :) Changing the length and timing of James' naps doesn't have any lasting effects. We may be stuck with this for a while.

Alice is refining her gymnastics tricks (cartwheels, handstands, leaping somersaults) and making/writing her own baby books (ABCs, 123s, colors) for James. She and Robert draw and play together swimmingly. I never would have predicted that from how they played BEFORE sharing a room. Yikes. She's losing teeth and reading for fun and stepping in a lot more to help with James. She can smooth over small kerfuffles between the boys and sometimes she jumps up to take care of a need as soon as she sees it. A lot of her development is so much more quiet and subtle now that she's older. I catch snippets of it and think, "Oh! I should record that on the blog!" and then it's gone. She's adventurous and creative when she wants to be. She's also easily hurt and offended. She can talk circles around Robert and convince him of anything...most of the time.

Robert's passion for arts and crafts has EXPLODED recently. He's often working on some sort of creature or castle or random house object to give to someone. His favorite medium is pen and paper, but scissors, tape, and staples play a large role as well. I have a whole stack of creations to photograph...I'll post a few of my favorites at some point :) He's a fellow who can't stand to be interrupted. He'll work on one thing for 30 minutes and then explain every detail to you. I'm not worried about him having ADD in school anymore. I'm now worried that he won't be willing to stop one thing to move on to the next.

I, personally, am doing alright. I've managed to stay on top of sleep and work. The garden has had a few awesome advances (e.g. actual, physical, visual proof that my insect screen is keeping out cabbage moths AND squash vine borers...MWAH ha ha haaaaaaaaaaa!). I'm inching closer to fleshing out the life of my great-great-great-great grandfather James Walker and his wife (second wife?) and children. It's hard, but I no longer feel it's impossible. I may figure them all out after all. So, I feel good about things and where they're going. I wish I had more energy at the end of the day to ponder and blog on the trickier bits of my life, but my mom assures me that will come later as the kids get older :) I sure love my mom.