Linna's first soccer season.

Tonight, Linna completed her first season of soccer with Chanhassen Rec. I wouldn't say soccer is her "favorite" sport, but she tried her best. She was a little intimidated at first because of the older kids on her team and the opposing teams, but with the help of all four of Linna's grandparents, she got into each game, each week. Thanks to everyone who came out to cheer Linna on during her games on Tuesday nights, and thanks to Uncle Scotty and Aunt Holly for all the great soccer gear. I loved being a "soccer mom" this season, and I think it might just take Linna some time to get comfortable with the game, so I think we'll give this sport another chance next year. Basically, I'm not ready to give up on my dream of being a "soccer mom";) Up next... Basketball! Here are some photos and video from this year's soccer season...

Linna and her friend Josh on the first day of soccer. As you can see, I figured out how to put on soccer cleats (and buy soccer socks) properly. Oops!

Linna's "Nana" got her into the games initially, when my pregnant self was just too tired to run the entire game.

Stretching with "Coach" Steph... Josh's mom from her soccer team.

This is where she'd end up during most of her practices and games.

Uncle Scotty and Aunt Holly came to one of Linna's games!

Linna, sitting with her cheering section. Aren't you supposed to be PLAYING, kiddo?!

Playing with Bompa!

(SO into the game. Haha!)

Last game. Playing with her "PeePaw".

"Good game..."

Linna getting her certificate!

Getting her medal.

The red team. Great season, players!

Such a goof.

Linna's MeMaw and PeePaw drove up from Mankato to watch Linna's last game!

We are so proud of you, Linna!

Halloween events in the twin cities for littles.

Boo Bash at the Play and Learn Cafe in Minnetonka (Oct. 30th): For kids age 6 and under. There are three different time slots with limited availability. Don't forget to wear a costume!

Howl-O-Ween at the Mall of America (Oct. 31st): Little ones can dress up in their favorite costumes from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., and scour the Mall for treats. Enjoy discounted rides and free activities too!

Old Fashioned Trick-Or-Treat at Tree Rivers Park District in Plymouth (Oct. 17th): Registration starts at $5 (FREE for kids under 2 without treats), and kids can trick-or-treat along a candlelit path. Enjoy horse-drawn trolley rides, apple cider, and entertainment until 8 p.m.

Light Up The Night Parade in Anoka (Oct. 24th): Starting at 7 p.m. on Mainstreet in Anoka, come watch the streets light up in Halloween flare! This is a great event for the whole family.

Spooktacular Carnival in Anoka (Oct. 31st): Children's games are just 25-cents, and admission is FREE! From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. enjoy carnival food, hot chocolate, and family fun!

Preschool Costume Contest and Big Parade of Little People in Anoka (Oct. 30th): This is a FREE event for pre-K children and younger. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m., and the parade starts at 10 a.m.

Treat Street at Woodbury Lakes (Oct. 23rd): Starting at 5:30 p.m., children under the age of 12 can trick-or-treat for FREE at the shops of Woodbury Lakes.

Zoo Boo at Como Zoo in St. Paul (Oct. 17th, 18th, 24th & 25th): Como Zoo will be transformed into Zoo Boo for this non-scary Halloween festival for families! Gates are open from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $6 in advance and $7 at the gate. Wear your costume!

HowlZooWeen at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley (Through the month of October): Celebrate a month of fall babies, and things that go 'bump in the night'. Participate in hands-on education programs, and face-painting, live musicians, and more on the weekends!

The Great Pumpkin Fest at Valley Fair in Shakopee (Sept. 19th - Nov. 1st): Saturdays and Sundays through November 1st!

Halloween Family Fun Day at Weaver Lake Park in Maple Grove (Oct. 17th): A family fun event on October 17th from 1 - 4 p.m. Admission is $5/child age 2-8 years old, and FREE for kids under 2!

Goblins on Ice at the Rec Center in St. Louis Park (Oct. 23rd): This is a FREE event on Friday, October 23rd from Noon to 1:30 p.m. Come dressed in your costumes and be ready to skate!

Flashlight Pumpkin Hunt & Family Dance at Aquatore Park in Blaine (Oct. 23rd): Pumpkins will be hiding and waiting to be found on October 23rd from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Aquatore Park! Registration is required and space is limited!

OUTSIDE THE TWIN CITIES:

All Hallows Eve in Waseca (Oct. 31st)

New indoor play-area at eden prairie center.

I'll admit that I never visited the former indoor play-area at Eden Prairie Center, but the 4-year-old and I met up with friends this week to check out the NEW one that opened on September 8th of this year. The indoor play-area at Eden Prairie Center is now located in a fully-enclosed (except for a mini door for kids located near the entrance) storefront that is actually soundproof. It's targeted toward toddlers, and all of the play equipment, benches, cubbies, etc, are brand new. While the 1, 2, and 3-year-olds playing on the day we visited were enjoying their time, our 4-year-old was impressed for about 5 minutes.

Brand new and FREE indoor play-area at Eden Prairie Center.

Brand new and FREE indoor play-area at Eden Prairie Center.

The new play-area is located downstairs near Kohls, and conveniently has a Kid's Hair right next door. But beware parents, because there is an area right outside the new FREE play-area with fun, attractive rides that cost $! There's also a kiosk with those new "ride on animals" that cost $5 a pop, and a "pay as you ride" choo-choo train nearby. So, make sure you bring cash, or be ready to hold your ground when the kiddos have a meltdown as you tell them they can't go on the rides. In my opinion, if you have a kid age 4+, you'd be better off checking out a play-area for older kids, because the play equipment at this play area is very low to the ground and toddler-friendly. Bigger kids (like my 4-year-old) might get bored. This is, however, a fantastic spot for parents and caregivers with little ones, who are looking for a place to sit and take a break while the kiddos burn off some energy in a "safe" environment. Oh, and one more thing to consider... The closest restroom to this play-area is located down the hall and in the basement (it's a bit of a walk). There is, however, a Caribou located even closer to the play-area than the restrooms are! But don't think about bringing your coffee into the play-area with you, because the mall cops will be all up in your business. Socks are also required, but more than half the kids playing while we were there were running around without socks.

Linna and her 2.5-year-old pal Carson, breaking the rules and snackin' inside the play-area.

Choo-Choo Train that runs outside the play-area. Not free:)

Ride area outside the free play-area.

Eden Prairie Center
8251 Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie
(952) 941-7650

Nighttime potty-training is for the birds.

Last week, I got the bright idea to start nighttime potty-training our 4-year-old. She's been completely potty-trained since the age of 2 (except for nighttime pull-ups), and I don't know if it's the fact that we'll have a new baby here in 2-ish months, or the fact that we move into our new house in 10 days, but I just thought, "Now is the time".

Well, now is not the time.

Last month, Linna told me that she didn't want to wear pull-ups to bed anymore, and last week I found a waterproof sheet to fit our bed ON CLEARANCE! I took both of these instances as signs. I figured that kids should be able to go through the night without having an accident by the age of 4. So, on Friday night, I decided to just go for it. I completely ignored the fact that...

A. My kid JUST turned 4, and rarely wakes up with a dry pull-up in the morning.
B. She sleeps a lot longer than most kids (12-13 hours at night).

We tried 3 nights of nighttime potty-training, and I'm over it. This was a solo-mission, as Papa Saigh is working in Singapore for the next few weeks. Linna would go to bed at 7 p.m., and I'd wake her up to pee before I went to be around 10 p.m. Waking her up to take her to the toilet is like waking the dead. She would pee on the toilet, but I had to wake her from a dead sleep to get her there. Carrying a 35 lb. kid while 30 weeks pregnant is fab. During the first two nights, she woke up at at about midnight with wet undies and a wet towel underneath her. The first night, she walked to the toilet on her own, and then cried to me about her "accident" when I went in there. The second night, she woke me up to tell me that she had wet the bed. Last night, I decided to wake her up a little later to use the toilet (about 11:30 p.m.), and she was completely dry when I checked her this morning at around 6 a.m. But then, she woke up at about 7:30 p.m. all wet.

Bummer.

I did the whole "no liquids" an hour before bed, had her pee right before she went to bed, etc. But the truth is that I just don't think she's ready. And to be honest, I'm not ready to continue interrupting her fantastic sleep pattern. She sleeps hard, wakes up with a great attitude, and is generally an amazingly well-behaved child. Why the hell would I mess with this?! Call me lazy for giving up too easily, but I don't think Linna is harming herself or anyone else by wearing a pull-up to bed. In all honesty, if it was acceptable and wasn't frowned upon by Papa Saigh, I'd probably wear a pull-up to bed... ESPECIALLY while pregnant. Waking up to pee is straight up inconvenient.

So there you have it. I am a proud mama of a pull-up-at-night wearing, pacifier-at-night using 4-year-old. Remember THAT when you cast your vote for "Mom of the Year".

First trip to minnetonka orchards.

The weather on Sunday morning was absolute perfection, so Linna, "The Bump", and I decided to take a trip west to Minnetonka Orchards for some apple picking. Two things to note:

1. Minnetonka Orchards isn't actually in Minnetonka (it's in Minnetrista).
2. Gorgeous fall days at apple orchards in Minnesota are accompanied by the world's entire population of bees.

4-year-old Linna in the corn maze.

Minnetonka Orchards is located in the gorgeous rolling acres of Minnetrista, Minnesota. It's a fantastic place to take kids of all ages for a morning or afternoon of hay rides, farm animals, train rides, face-painting, eating, apple and pumpkin-picking. Admission is $7 for people age 3 and above (3 and under are free), and includes unlimited access to the corn maze, petting zoo, music on the hill, tractor/hay rides (these are free on the weekend, but may be $3/person on the weekdays), kids play areas, hay mountain, and apple express cart rides. However, I don't know if the woman at the ticket counter forgot to give us a ticket for a free ride(s) on the kid's train, but we had to pay $2 for Linna's ride. She loved that train though!

She wanted the back seat. She got the back seat.

We ran into our friends, the Segar family at Minnetonka Orchard.
Little Charlie is in the front of the train, and Linna is in the back.

After playing around on the kid's playground (Linna wouldn't go down the Corn Cob Slide), climbing the hay mountain, and chatting with some friends that we ran into while we were there, we decided to hop on a hay ride to do some apple picking. We made a pit-stop to use the toilets (not port-a-potties, but actual flush toilets with sinks to wash hands - YAY!), and then waited in line for about 10 minutes or so for our turn on the tractor/hay rides. The tractor drivers were so helpful and informative, and were great at getting the little kids on and off the ride. The scenery during the ride was absolutely gorgeous, and we loved being out in the country!

Hot apple cider and an apple donut on the hill... Away from the bees (kind of).

Riding through the woods on a tractor hay-ride.

Pick-your-own apples!

When we got off the hay ride at the food area, we were immediately hit by the smell of apple cider and mini donuts... and BEES! Linna wanted a donut, so we waited in line at the Apple Donut House for an apple cider and apple donuts. The bees were everywhere, which completely freaked Linna out (she experienced her first bee-sting at a birthday party last weekend), and they wouldn't stop following us once we had these sweet treats in our hands. Although I was dying for a brat (they smelled SO delicious), I couldn't stand in the line with the 4-year-old who was having a meltdown about all the bees around (one of my more difficult "single mama" moments). So, we decided to take our sweet treats up to the hill to get away from the bees and listen to some music. While the bees stayed away for a few minutes, they soon found our sugary snacks, and we were on the move... Again. I had to surrender my delicious hot apple cider to the bees, mostly to appease the frightened 4-year-old.

Climbing the hay mountain.

Mama Saigh and Linna on the tractor hay-ride.

My little farmer.

While I love honeybees' honey-making and pollinating powers, they were really putting a cramp in our apple-picking afternoon. Instead of picking our own apples like we had planned, we just popped into the little shop and bought a bag of the SweeTango apples. YUM! While the apples were a bit expensive (we paid $17 for a small/medium-sized bag, and it was about $25-30 for a large "pick-your-own" bag), the SweeTango apples are amazingly delicious. They also had Honeycrisp and Sweet 16 varieties available for picking and purchasing.

"Let's take our apples and get out of this bee hive!"

Overall, we had a great morning and afternoon at Minnetonka Orchards. Next time we visit, we'll pick a colder day in hopes of avoiding the bees. They are open every day during the fall through the end of October, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parking is free and very orderly, and while there were a lot of people at the orchard on Sunday, it didn't seem like a zoo. We are looking forward to another visit!

A different connection.

Mama Saigh (30 weeks), "The Bump", and the photo-bombing 4-year-old.

From the moment I found out that our first baby (Linna) was going to be a girl, I fell head over heels in love with the little human growing inside my body. I was just 19 weeks pregnant, but we already had her name picked out, clothes and furniture bought, and nursery started. I talked to her every day that she was in my belly, sang to her, and she quickly became me and Papa Saigh's entire world.

This time around, things are very different.

During this second pregnancy, we've decided to wait until the birth to find out the baby's gender. I'm not sure if it's the fact that we've decided to wait, or that we've had SO much going on during this pregnancy, but I just don't feel the connection to this baby, as I felt when I was pregnant with Linna. I rarely talk to Baby Saigh #2 like I did with Linna, I don't think I've ever sang to this baby, and I just don't feel like I know this little person. Maybe it's because this is my second pregnancy, which definitely doesn't come with the "thrill" of the first pregnancy, but I really hope that the connection I felt with Linna happens when I meet this little boy or girl. Sometimes I feel bad for not being infatuated with this baby like I was with Linna. I remember that even before Linna was born, Papa Saigh used to fly in the door after work and spend an hour talking and singing to my belly, just so he could feel Linna move. He cried when he found out that he was going to have a little girl, and when he felt his daughter kick for the first time. Not so much with this baby. I would take warm baths every night after work, while singing to Linna inside my belly, and cry at the thought of the day that I'd finally get to hold her in my arms. Again, not so much with this baby. Baby Saigh #2 is probably cowering inside my belly, listening to me raise my voice at Linna, or listening to me have a meltdown over Papa Saigh not being in the same country as us, having to live in my parents' basement, etc., thinking, "What the hell am I getting myself into?!".

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this baby growing inside me, but not knowing ANYTHING about him or her makes our connection... different. Papa Saigh and I wanted this baby so badly, tried for months to get pregnant, and were heartbroken to find out that I miscarried a few months before this baby was conceived. When I found out that I was pregnant with Baby Saigh #2, Papa Saigh and I were over the moon. But I don't know if we were more excited about the thought of having a little baby again, or the idea of Linna FINALLY becoming a big sister. While every pregnancy is special, the "sparkle" is just different the second time around.

Until we meet this little person, I think our world will simply continue to revolve around our first born. I often wonder how in the hell I will ever love another human like I love my Linna. I cry just thinking about that. While I'm excited to add to our family, part of me is sad to see Linna's life as an only child come to an end. Everything Papa Saigh and I do is for Linna. We've both admitted that if the three of us were on a sinking ship, and only two of us could survive, we'd have to draw straws to see who would get to carry on with Linna. What uplifting conversations we have, huh?! It's incredible how much two people can be so disgustingly in love with a person, but Linna is honestly our everything.

Every parent with two or more kids has told me that a mother loves all of her children equally, but the love for each child is just different. While I know that I will love this baby just as much as I love Linna, I recently told my mother-in-law that Linna will always be my favorite. I'm sure I will eat those words one day when this baby is old enough to read this blog:) But it's been just me, Linna, and Papa Saigh for four years, so this will be a big change for all of us.

I'm happy that we waited until Linna was "older" to have a second child, and I am so thankful that I could devote all of my attention to her for the last four years. Linna and I have the most incredibly special relationship. Again, I'm crying just thinking about the bond we have. I'm really sad to see that change. But I know how much the three of us are eager to fill this missing spot in our family puzzle. While we have so much going on during the last 10 weeks of this pregnancy (we close on our new house on October 2nd, Papa Saigh gets back from Singapore on October 10th, getting settled before the baby arrives, etc.), I am really trying to enjoy and appreciate this pregnancy (minus the pregnancy insomnia, acid reflux, aches, pains, etc.). Papa Saigh only wants two kids (I would have 50), so this pregnancy will most likely be my last. I am so beyond excited to meet this little baby, so we can experience our first born becoming a big sister, and form a special connection with the newest addition to our family.

I love you, little baby! We ALL do.

Baby saigh #2 pregnancy: Weeks 28 & 29.

28 Weeks Pregnant

Linna and her new Big Sister book from I See Me!

Well, we finally bought a house... A house that isn't molding, rotting, or falling apart (that we know about anyway). We found a newer home in Victoria, in a neighborhood with lots of kids. We close on October 2nd, which just happens to be our 5-year wedding anniversary. I am so excited to (hopefully) be settled in our OWN house before the baby arrives in November.

In belly news, I just continue to get bigger and bigger. This week, the baby started kicking or punching REALLY low in my belly, to the point where it feels like he or she is going to kick his or her way out of my nether-regions. I seriously feel like I have baby parts coming out of my who-ha at times. The baby is a big time squirmer, sometimes performing spastic dance moves in my belly. I'm feeling some irregular stomach-hardening and pressure throughout the day, which is definitely noticeable, but nothing alarming.

Linna asks and talks about the baby all the time. She has so many questions about how big the baby will be, what it will do, and about how it will "change" our family. We decided to order the book "What Big Sister Linna Does Best" from I See Me! (a Minnesota company), to better prep her for the arrival of the new baby. She LOVES this book. It's completely personalized, and explains all the fun things that big sisters get to do once the baby arrives. The book makes Linna feel like she's going to be my big helper, which makes her so excited! We read this book almost every night, and I think she just loves seeing her name in print. We've ordered a few I See Me! personalized books in the past, and have always been impressed. We're also going to get her a personalized copy of the book, "The Super, Incredible Big Sister" once the baby arrives and we know his or her name and gender. The book comes with a "Big Sister" medal, which Linna will love.




29 Weeks Pregnant

While I am really trying to enjoy my pregnancy, this week was rough. Pregnancy insomnia has set in, my acid reflux goes crazy at night, the baby feels super heavy when I lay on my sides or walk around, and I am getting pretty uncomfortable. Only 10 more weeks to go... GAH! Since Linna and I are still at my parents' house until we close on our house on October 2nd, she and I are sleeping together in a full-size bed in the basement. While I actually do enjoy sleeping with my little bug, our sleeping situation has become pretty cramped between the "three" of us. I tried getting her to sleep upstairs in the guest bedroom, but she'd rather sleep downstairs. I just can't get myself to let her sleep on a different floor of the house than the rest of us (I know, I'm probably crazy), so I'm sucking it up and shackin' up with my tossing and turning 4-year-old, and my baby bump. I swear this baby knows when it's my bedtime, because he or she starts flipping and kicking as soon as I start getting drowsy. I've also been super hot at night, and have to have a fan blowing on me while I sleep. I use the term "sleep" lightly, because I think I'm averaging 3 hours of sleep each night. I did, however, get a decent night sleep last night, because I took a Benadryl for my allergies. And the constant peeing at night... I'm OVER IT!

Linna, Mama Saigh (29 weeks), and "The Bump" on Linna's first day if preschool in Minnesota.
Sweater top and leggings from Stitch Fix.

I had a doctors appointment this week, where I decided to get the Tdap vaccination (for Pertussis - Whooping Cough, Tetanus, and Diphtheria) to give the baby at least some protection against Whooping Cough this winter, since they aren't able to be vaccinated until they are a few months old. My doctor also checked the baby's heartbeat which was in the 150s. While I was waiting for the doctor, I was playing around with the "due date predictor wheel". Since I am certain of the day we conceived (an ultrasound back in March showed us the follicle that was ready to release the egg that is now Baby Saigh #2), I am expecting to go into labor on November 15th. My doctor laughed and wished me luck when I told him my prediction, but mark my words... It's gonna happen! Haha. The baby is currently about 2.5 lbs., and the size of a butternut squash.

I also started thinking this week that the baby might be a girl. Up until now, I've thought the baby was a boy, but my acid reflux is just as bad this pregnancy as it was during my pregnancy with Linna. Also, a woman from my mother-in-law's work told me that she randomly had a dream that I brought the baby into their office, and it was a girl. Let's be honest, these are just guesses, but I'm kind of leaning more toward guessing it's a girl. We're still waiting until the birth for find out the baby's gender. It's so crazy not knowing ANYTHING about the little person inside of me, which is so different from the experience with my first pregnancy. One exciting piece of news from this week is that Papa Saigh is booking his ticket home, and will be back from Singapore on October 10th. I can't wait to have our family back together and in our OWN house... FINALLY!

Big sister linna feels baby kick for the first time.

Today, I am 29 weeks pregnant with Baby Saigh #2, and this morning he or she was bouncing off the walls of my belly. I always attempt to have Linna feel her baby brother or sister kick, but she always misses it. This morning, I captured Linna on video feeling the baby kick for the first time. The kick/punch was so strong that you can actually see her hand jump. So amazing!

GIVEAWAY: The ollie swaddle.



*** Congratulations to SAMANTHA MARTIN! You've won an Ollie Swaddle! Please email us (minnesotababyinfo@gmail.com) with your address and phone number, so we can verify and ship your Ollie Swaddle to you. Thanks for participating everyone, and stay tuned for another giveaway coming up soon! ***


There are two ways to enter for a chance to win an Ollie Swaddle of your very own:

Blue Stripe Ollie Swaddle.

1. "Like" the Minnesota Baby Facebook page, and share the contest post with your Facebook friends (you must click "share" under the "Ollie Swaddle" contest post on our Facebook page).

2. Comment on this blog post (below) with your first and last name, along with the city and state you currently reside in. This contest is open to US residents only.

Two simple ways to enter, and if you complete both ways, you'll double your chances to win! You must enter by Friday, September 11th, 2015 at 8 p.m. (CST) to be eligible for a chance to win. One winner will be randomly selected to win an Ollie Swaddle, and the winner will be announced on this blog. Good luck everyone!

Pink Stripe Ollie Swaddle.

I was thrilled to receive The Ollie Swaddle as a gift for Baby Saigh #2. The Ollie Swaddle is a gorgeous swaddle, designed by a foster mom who was determined to help her foster baby through a difficult infancy phase. Other foster parents struggled with keeping this baby, Oliver, because he was difficult, struggling to eat and sleep. Hindi Zeidman changed all that, when she developed a swaddle with the help of a pediatrician, that was able to contain 3-month-old baby Oliver. He was a little baby with strong muscles, and was able to kick out of everything. But once he was wrapped in the Ollie Swaddle, Oliver started eating, sleeping, and learned how to sooth himself.
The Ollie Swaddle is basically like a hug around baby's entire body. It's made of a thin, stretchy, breathable fabric, with velcro closures that allow parents or caregivers to adjust the swaddle to baby's size. One feature that really sets the Ollie Swaddle apart from other swaddles is that parents don't need to take the swaddle off the baby during diaper changes. It comes in one size, so this swaddle grows with your baby, and the elasticity of the fabric allows freedom of movement. The Ollie Swaddle also starts lower on baby's shoulders than other swaddles do, which eases concerns about suffocation.

While the Ollie Swaddle retails for $48, it's nice to not have to purchase a new swaddle as your baby grows. What better shower gift to give to a new mom than a few hours of much-needed sleep?! I am so excited to swaddle our tiniest baby in the Ollie Swaddle this fall!



Baby saigh #2 pregnancy: Weeks 26 & 27.

Baby Saigh #2 at 27 weeks, 5 days, but measuring 28 weeks, 5 days.

Yet another two weeks that have just kind of blended together and FLOWN by. Papa Saigh flew back to Singapore a couple weeks ago to wrap things up in Singapore before he moves back to Minnesota permanently. This left me, the 4-year-old, and "the bump" living in my parents' basement, while we search for a house. Our house hunt has been pretty rough, especially since I'm hormonal and emotional. We've been outbid or rejected from two offers that we made on homes recently, and these were homes that we really loved. We also signed a purchase agreement on a home this week, and then proceeded with an inspection where they found SO many things wrong with the house (water damage, mildew, rotting siding, etc.), so we decided to walk away from the deal. I had a meltdown last week, when the owner of a home that we were ready to proceed with an inspection and closing on, had a "change of heart". I just want this house-hunting experience to end happily, so we can proceed with moving into our new home. I know the right home will come, but it's tough being patient when we're on a little bit of a time crunch with the baby due in 12 weeks.

I've been having some stomach hardening these past couple weeks, but nothing alarming. I've also been feeling some pressure and soreness in my nether-regions, to the point where I feel like the baby is going to fall out. If I walk any "long" distances, I have to stop to catch my breath, and then sit down for a bit. My doctor says this is all normal at this point with a second pregnancy. I've been saying this for the past couple weeks, but I feel like this baby is going to come early. Linna arrived 2 weeks early, and I feel like this one will do the same, or make his or her appearance even earlier. The baby was actually measuring 28 weeks and 5 days when I went in for my appointment at 27 weeks and 5 days. I'm still convinced that we're having a boy, and we're still waiting until the birth to find out the baby's gender. This, surprisingly, hasn't been difficult at all. It's actually very exciting.

Photo by Arleigh Hagberg of Appleseed Studios. She snapped this photo of Linna, "The Bump", and I at 27 weeks.
Love my babies, and cannot wait to meet my littlest love bug!

The baby moves around a lot, flipping, kicking, punching and rolling. I can see it all on the outside now VERY easily! I just sit and watch in awe, because I have NO IDEA who's in there. I had my 28-week ultrasound this week to check to see if my placenta moved from blocking my cervix (it wasn't blocking my cervix 100%, but enough to warrant another ultrasound), and it did! This basically means I can have a vaginal birth with no predictable issues. During the ultrasound I watched the baby's tongue do a sucking motion, which was incredible. Oh, I passed my glucose screening too (I did with Linna as well), so no gestational diabetes to worry about! I was 27 weeks and 5 days when I went in for this ultrasound, but the baby was measuring 28 weeks and 5 days, and he or she weighs about 2 lbs. 10 oz. Maybe we'll have a fresh newborn here when we celebrate Thanksgiving this year!