Note to self: you don't want to go to First Night in Northampton with a 6-month old, a 6-year-old, and a 9-year-old next year. Remember: it's cold and crowded, and being home with friends would be much cozier and more meaningful.

I have missed almost a week of posts! I'm not about to try to catch up. I have been sick, sick, sick. I'm just hoping baby is safe and sound in there. I haven't had much of an appetite, and I got the stomach flu twice.

Thank goodness I'm past it, though, and I got to go snowshoeing today! It was so beautiful and was such a rewarding workout after feeling so miserable for so long. Yay for fresh air and exercise!

It's Christmas! And baby got his/ her first gift- a soft blanket and some swaddling blankets- from Mema and Beepa.

Dear baby,
Today we celebrated your oldest brother's 8th birthday. Just wait until you meet him. You are one lucky person to have him as your big brother.
Love,
Mommy

At 16 weeks, this baby is the size of an avocado!

After spending the day with my family and hearing about the trip my sister and niece took A on to buy him fabric for his birthday, I went for a walk. And as I walked, I thought about how excited I am to bring another baby into a family that I know will love and accept him or who for whoever he or she is and whatever he or she likes. We are all so fortunate to be part of the family we are part of.

I am frustrated with the mixed messages I'm getting from the nurses, pharmacist, and online about whether or not I can take Sudafed. I don't love taking much medicine anyway, especially while pregnant, but with this nasty cold I have, some comfort is really a relief. 

So even though my doctor's office is saying it's okay to take it, there are enough sources out there saying not to take it, so I'll hold off.  But I just want to feel better!

We're off to my parents' tomorrow! I always get excited to go there, but there is something about being pregnant that makes me really want the comforts of home- being with my Mom and Dad, sharing meals with them, and being a family. I can't wait!

I'm more into Christmas this year than I have been in recent years. I think it might have something to do with the magic growing inside me.

At fifteen weeks, baby is the size of a small apple!

We went to a really fun Christmas concert today, and baby seemed to love it! He or she was moving around like crazy.

It's hard to tell in this picture what's going on, but when I took it, all four of us (plus the cat!) were sitting on the kids' bed, and we were all singing to the baby in my belly. We do this every night. E often sings right into my belly button.

The tragic events that happened in Newtown, CT today leave me thinking it might be nice if I could protect this little innocent baby in my womb forever.

After a Picasso- focused visit to the art museum today, C threw out the name "Picasso" as an option for a boy name. In the end, we decided we didn't like it, but it shows that we're looking everywhere! Girl names are no problem for us, but we are having trouble finding another boy name that works.

Today was the last day of classes for me at Smith. When I left my classroom today, I couldn't help but think about the next time I go back into a classroom there (next fall), I will be juggling teaching, homeschooling, a taking care of an infant. Ack!

We have movement!

I have no picture of this, but I'm sure now that I have felt the baby move. It's officially "too early" for me to feel it, but I have a few times now, and because this is my third time around, I think I know what I'm talking about.

Last night, when I was lying in bed in still of the night, surrounded by sleeping people, I stopped what I was doing so I could enjoy feeling my baby move inside me. There are very few experiences I have had in my life, if any, that are as magical and amazing as this one. Bonding with a baby that I haven't even met yet, and feeling him or her in a way that nobody else has the privilege of feeling, is such an amazing feeling. Sometimes I wish I could bring it back with the touch of a button, but I suppose that would take away from the magic anyway.

This is our baby friend Aksel (and A). Aksel is the younger sibling of two of the kids who homeschool with A and E. Aksel is, by far, the most popular kid at our co-op and the other groups we're involved in.

Today, at homeschooling co-op, I couldn't help but thinking that the younger siblings of the older homeschooled kids might just be the luckiest kids in the world. They have so many people looking out for them. They spend their days with older siblings, their older siblings' friends, and the parents of the other homeschooled kids. They get so much love, attention, and care.

Being plugged into a homeschooling community has me thinking more and more that this baby in utero is going to be one lucky baby to be born with so many caregivers and people (kids and grownups alike) who will care for him or her every day.

It feels so different than when A was a baby, and the only way to connect with other families was to force myself to go to breastfeeding support groups or library programs, where maybe I would connect with other moms and kids. I like this way much better.

This week, baby is the size of a lemon. Doesn't seem that big until you remember that way back at the beginning, baby was the size of a sesame seed.

Today begins my second trimester!

The word is getting out; I'm feeling good; the kids are so excited; I am a happy pregnant lady.

When I first thought of the idea for this blog, I thought, "One picture a day! That's doable!"

I forgot how tired I'd be at night.

But I'm not giving up! I already have ideas of continuing this after the baby is born and trying to keep track of a picture-a-day for the first year of the baby's life. Won't that be fun?

I was having a nice, sweet day at the end-of-the-season program at A's homeschooling nature program today. A told the news to the whole group, so lots of parents were coming up to me, congratulating me on the good news.

And then one mom, who I don't really know at all, came up to me and said, "I don't know if you know this, but A announced to everyone that you're pregnant, so we all know." She was acting like he'd done something wrong. I explained that we told the kids and told them they could tell our friends. Once she got over that part, she said, "Congratulations. Although if you had asked me, I would have told you not to have a third."

I really have no idea how a basic stranger felt like she had the right to say that to me just then.

I also am mad that I came up with nothing to say in response- not right then, anyway.

Both kids got the stomach bug this week. A had it Monday night and E had it today. On one hand, it was hard for my just-getting-over-morning-sickness stomach to tolerate being around so much vomit. On the other hand, it was sweet to be able to focus so much on my sick kids, especially when I consider that a year from now, doing so will be trickier.

Lately, my tired pregnant body wants to go to bed at 5 and wake up at 5. It's quite inconvenient. If I can nap, it helps. But on days when I can't nap, I feel nauseous from the exhaustion. I'm not quite sure how that's going to work out with holiday parties and events coming up...

At thirteen weeks, my baby is the size of a medium-sized shrimp. That's kind of gross, isn't it?

Although now, after looking for this image, I want shrimp. I am so hungry all the time.

Here are my boys, holding the ornament we got for the baby in my belly, just a few moments after we told them the news. They are so happy. So much happier than I had anticipated.

Tomorrow's the big day! When we decorate the tree, I'll give both kids new ornaments and then we'll put one on the tree for the new baby. We have the whole day set aside for decorating the tree and being home together tomorrow, so I hope that means we'll have lots of time to celebrate, answer the kids' questions, and talk things through. Expect a fun picture tomorrow!