What a Weekend! (18w0d)

Yes, that's right! EIGHTEEN WEEKS! Hurray!!!

This weekend was crazy-busy, and thankfully it was probably one of the first weekends that I could handle that level of activity!

Friday through Saturday we hosted family for our little dude's second birthday. That's right, he is now TWO years old! Pictures later, assuming I remember. And assuming that I took any, which I didn't. I'll have to see if someone else did, and I'll probably forget to post anyhow.

Despite the fact that the weekend was a never-ending series of minor disasters, it came off quite well. Exhausting, but fun! Our little guy received a Childrite Seat (the special needs larger version of the Bumbo), which despite its price was a smashing success (combined b-day and Christmas gift from DH's parents), some sensory balls and a "Band in a Box" - all big hits.

Sunday was church, shopping, church potluck, and the library. Wow. I was so tired after that - but it is so lovely to be back in church!! Just wonderful.

On Monday, we had the experience of a lifetime.... We found a cat which disappeared from our house - two and a half years ago. Yes, seriously. Not kidding.

Said cat was a stray that we were feeding (along with her kitten) at our apartment complex. When we bought our house, we brought them along. The introduction of the two cats into our household was not a huge success, due to the fact that our already-reigning cat is an unmitigated bully (and that is the reason we have her in the first place - she was beating up my mom's cats). Shortly after we got into the house, the mama cat disappeared out of an open window, and after that we successfully got the kitten into Petco's adoption program, and so that was the end.

We thought we caught a few glimpses, last summer, of a cat that looked awfully like the mama cat - but we couldn't get close to her. Then she disappeared for another year. But on Monday, when we went walking to deliver some papers to the neighbors, we saw her again - and this time, she came when we called! It took about 25 minutes to reestablish friendly relations, but after that she followed us home and had dinner. She was in pretty awful shape, so it was clear that we were not stealing someone's adopted pet.

After that, she disappeared again, so we went to the same place tonight and brought her back again, and this time DH got her and put her in a back bedroom, with the intent of eventually introducing her into the house.

I wasn't too sure about the whole thing, so thankfully DH is wildly enthusiastic and is spearheading the project. Nice not to have to think "should we, shouldn't we?" - he is taking care of it!

How many cats do you know of that show up after being missing for two and a half years???

In other news:

We are now in our second week of homeschooling! Finally! Hurray!

And what curriculum are we using? Good question! Beats me!

Being stuck in a quagmire of indecision (there are just way too many good products out there.... thousands upon thousands!!), I have decided to keep looking at curriculum while we get started anyhow. I'm not doing much of anything, just some basic phonics - a letter a week, and doing activities with it.

I hope to add in a math curriculum soon. Also, I am going to talk to my absurdly-successful homeschooling mom friend (the one who graduated two ridiculously intelligent and/or educated young men who are now out changing the world!) to get her advice on the whole thing.

I am also back to checking out masses of library books, both fiction and non, and supplementing with computer print-outs just following his interests. Right now he is passionately investigating space shuttles and the solar system! Good stuff.

Right now we're spending max 30-60 minutes a day on official "school" stuff - that will probably increase, but we're starting gradually. 

I find it just fascinating how much one learns simply by reading. Just from this week's books that we checked out, he is learning about boat motors, clam digging, the solar system, tornadoes, and a bunch of other things. And so much more interesting than reading about them in textbooks!

My guess is that this year will be a year of gradually feeling things out - of discovery and endless trial-and-error. It is definitely going to be interesting. I think I shall get as much of an education as he shall!

Today was our second midwife's appointment - fun! I'm afraid I totally lost my head and got my poor midwife embroiled in a rather complicated discussion on midwifery politics (long story), but it was utterly fascinating and I enjoyed it thoroughly, though I am afraid DH was rather left out of it. My midwife is probably one of the most intelligent women I know, and I admire her learning and mental acuity very much. She also runs a wildly successful midwifery blog, which I have had the pleasure of reading for a year or so.

Have kicked one dose of Zofran - my middle-of-the-night dose. Down to 5 Diclectin and 20 mg of Zofran per day. I'm waiting about 6 days in between dosage adjustments, the goal being to get off the stuff as quickly as possible.

I am feeling ridiculously well. I should qualify that, perhaps - that is, I am feeling tired and nauseated around the clock. By the world's standards, a crummy pregnancy. But by HG standards - LET'S PARTY!!! This qualifies more for "children running through a field of blowing buttercups" type of pregnancy than for anything in the complaints department. Sure, I'm tired and nauseated - but I'm not throwing up! I'm mostly functional! I feel fine for part of the day! Life is great!! I even cooked dinner tonight!!!

Not to mention - baby kicks! Lots of them! Lots of little kicks, and yesterday I felt a few that I could feel with my hand - incidentally, this was exactly the same point when I had that milestone last time (17w6d). Wow! 

I have absolutely nothing to complain about, HG-wise. I don't know what this pregnancy would have been like without Diclectin and Zofran, but with them, I am doing well. If this is what a girl pregnancy is like, then bring on the girls!

Okay, back to real life! Hope you all are well! I am VERY behind in responding to comments, but I will do my best to catch up!