Interviews

I interviewed Hope and Haven today. I think I'll probably end up doing this once a year, but today is the day I did both of them. Hope is almost 4 1/2 and Haven is almost 2. Here are their interviews:

Hope:

• What is something mommy always says to you? I love you.

• What makes you happy? Riding bicycles

• What makes you sad? Having friends leave

• What makes you laugh? Funny things

• How old are you? Four

• How old is Mommy? 100

• How old is Daddy? 700

• What is your favorite thing to do? Go swimming.

• Who is your best friend? David (her imaginary friend), P’Suchee and P’Mim

• What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a doctor.

• What are you really good at? Playing, cleaning up my room.

• What is your favorite food? Potatoes

• What is your favorite song? Grey Squirrel

• What do you want for your birthday this year? A little house with little dolls.

• What is your favorite animal? Little kitties

• What is love? A hug and a kiss

• What does mommy/daddy do for work? Does my learning/goes to school

• Where is your favorite place to go? Ratchaphreuk (the international flora festival here in Chiang Mai)

Haven:

• What is something mommy always says to you? Out of the kitchen.

• What makes you happy? Boobies (I have no idea why she said this!)

• What makes you sad? sad

• What makes you laugh? ahahaha

• How old are you? Five (she’s really one)

• How old is Mommy? Five, one

• How old is Daddy? Five

• What is your favorite thing to do? play

• Who is your best friend? P’Mim and P’Jip

• What do you want to be when you grow up? Daddy

• What are you really good at? Ummm, play

• What is your favorite food? Canun (jackfruit, in Thai)

• What is your favorite song? Grey Squirrel

• What do you want for your birthday this year? Corn

• What is your favorite animal? birdies

• What is love? Butterfly, moth

• What does mommy/daddy do for work? Play/tells about a story

• Where is your favorite place to go? Up-up

20 Weeks

Size of Baby: Cantaloupe (6.5 in., 10.6 oz.)

Cravings: None right now. Maybe if I hear of something I'll think that I really would like to have it, but I haven't really been craving anything for a little while now.

What is Different This Time Around: At this point, things seem pretty similar to the girls' pregnancies. Nausea is pretty much gone (I can drink water again, Yay!). I have more energy now, and the house isn't an absolute wreck because of fatigue anymore.

Symptoms: Feeling baby much more nowadays. I actually could see baby kicking around and moving this evening. That was exciting. It's always fun to watch, I think.

Appointments: Our next appointment is a month away. We just had our 20 week appointment and ultrasound. I know in my last pregnancy update I said that we were going to be surprised again, but looking at the baby on the ultrasound, it was just too tempting to pass up the opportunity to see this time around. So, we know and are certain that we are having a baby boy!

Hope and Haven

It's been a while so I thought it was high time to write an update on the girls.

I'll start with Hope...

     Hope finished her first reading lessons last week. We have been going through the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We finally finished. By the end of the book, a child can read at a 2nd grade level, so that is approximately where Hope is now. She loves to sit on the couch and read books to herself out loud. She is very good at sight reading and sounding out new words as well. She loves to help me read our worship stories in the mornings and evenings.

     Two weeks ago, we decided it was about time to take Hope and get her hair cut. It is hot season here right now, and Hope's hair was getting long and causing her to be hot, hot, hot. Also, her hair is prone to tangle, and she dislikes getting it combed for that reason. So, shorter hair would help with that as well. I took her to a little shop down the road a little way. She absolutely refused to get her hair washed, but when she sat up in the barber's chair she did really well sitting still (as well as any four year old can :). The barber gave her a layered bob which is SO easy to take care of and looks really sweet on her. She likes her haircut, she's nice and cool, and we don't have battles over hair combing. Yay!

     Haven is growing, growing, growing. She is using more sentences now, putting words together very well. Some of her words that she says are way-guh-bug (ladybug), dab-up (stand up), and kee-bup (clean up).
     Just today, Haven had her first success on the potty. She had a couple of accidents, both of which I whisked her to the potty right after. The second time, she sat there and actually went quite a bit in the potty. Robbie, Hope and I were all able to cheer for her, and she was so proud of her success. Then, two more times this evening we had success with both #1 and #2. I am amazed at the success we've had in just one day of really trying. I think part of it was just getting her to successfully go a few times, and then once she realized what she's supposed to do, she's been able to have more successful trips. I'm so proud of her. If she continues on at this rate, when the baby comes in October we'll only have the baby in diapers!

I just love our girls to pieces. They are both so special. They love each other and love playing with each other, and reading books with and beside each other. I think they have a special relationship. Of course they have their off times, as well, but these two are SO precious.

16 Weeks

Size of Baby: An Avocado

Cravings: Not really many cravings different from what I already mentioned. I really am liking the sour things.

What is Different this Time Around: More headaches than with Hope or Haven. I also think I have some sciatica acting up already. Makes it hard to walk sometimes.

Symptoms: Nausea (although I think it is finally starting to decrease), headaches, baby flutters (getting stronger), Braxton Hicks, backache, easily sunburned (found that out the hard way), irritability.

Appointments: Just had a doctor's appointment last night. Talked with the doctor about some questions that I had, and she definitely reassured me that she is a natural childbirth doctor who will not intervene with the natural process unless absolutely necessary for the health and safety of mother and baby. Listened to the baby's heartbeat and it is 140. This is lower than Hope and Haven ever were. Maybe it's a boy after all. We set up our next appointment for May 17. On this date we will have the ultrasound, probably the last, but will request that gender remain unknown. Can't wait to see the little one again!

Quick Update

Haven calls herself Haybin now.
She says "Wowie!" and it sounds so cute.
Hope loves to sing and talk to herself when she plays.
Also when we tell her something and she gets excited, she starts talking about herself in the third person.
She loves to tell stories.
She is also very good about helping with chores around the house.
I just started a Ransom Box today, for when she leaves toys out. They go in the Ransom Box and she can pick a card of a chore to do in order to get one toy back. Right now she is very excited and motivated to do chores so she can earn her toys back.
Haven likes to sit on the potty but has not experienced actually using it yet. Hopefully that day will come soon.
The girls love to play together. They especially love running and squealing with each other. I think it must be their favorite thing to do together.

That's about it for now...

Fifteen Weeks

A friend of mine has been posting about her pregnancy on her blog, and I like her idea so I'm going to copy her (hope you don't mind, Damie...).

Size of Baby: An apple

Cravings: Sour things, pickles (sounds very cliche), cheese. Most of the time I don't have a craving for something until I hear something mentioned or see it somewhere, or a picture of it. Then I crave it until I get it. Sometimes the actual taste is not the same as what I was craving, or my stomach turns once I eat it.

What is Different This Time Around: Much more nausea. I was fatigued for the whole first trimester, not sure if that was just pregnancy, or having two little girls to keep up with at the same time. I'm feeling more energy now though, thankfully. Our house is looking much more live-able now that second trimester is here. I have different cravings than I did with Hope and Haven. I think I craved sweet things a lot more with both of them. Also, no salt craving this time around. With Haven, I had pica for salt. I would eat it by itself... Not so this time around.

Symptoms: Almost constant nausea, double sneezes, Braxton Hicks contractions, and small baby flutters.

Appointments: April 19 is the next OB appointment. Just a normal prenatal visit. Nothing special... I think the ultrasound will be at around 18 weeks. Oh, and for those who might be wondering, we are not going to find out gender until the baby is born. We like the suspense and surprise. 

Dreaming

I had an awful dream this morning...

Hope, Haven and I were down at the river with my mom and my sisters. We were sitting down on these bleachers that were set up on the water. I saw a friend of mine planting a tree down by the water, so I went over to see what she was doing because it looked really interesting.

I looked over to where Hope and Haven were with my mom, and saw that Haven was submerged under the water. I watched as Hope ducked under the water to try to help Haven, but then she couldn't come back up for some reason.

I ran down to where they were and pulled them both out of the water, looked up at my mom and asked, "What is wrong with these bleachers?" Suddenly, the bleachers I was standing on gave away and sank to the bottom of the river. Also, the bleachers that my mom and sister were sitting on gave way and fell into the river as well.

I was treading water, trying to keep Hope from sinking and looking up at this wall, at the top of which were more bleachers with many people sitting there. I held Haven up, saying, "Someone hold my baby!" Hope kept sinking under the water while I tried to get someone to help me with Haven, but nobody heard me or wanted to help.

While we were still in trouble, treading water... I woke up.