Jude is down for his nap, so I thought I'd take advantage of the quiet.
We are expecting our second baby in March. I'm now about 18 weeks along, and feeling kicks daily. I have to say, this pregnancy is so much different than the first. With Jude I was combing the internet for information, following step-by-step pregnancy blogs and keeping track of the baby's development on a calender every day. I would constantly be telling Aaron, "We're the size of an apple this week!" or "We just grew toenails!!" or something to that effect. Now I really don't think about it too much until I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think, "Oh dear, here we go again!" 15 months apart...*Tsk tsk* My grandma was right when she warned me against this, my bladder will never be the same again.
Jude is doing fantastic! At almost 10 months and with 5 teeth he eats pretty much everything we do, just in tiny pieces. He also walks on his tip-toes, holding on to objects, so it won't be much longer now until he's completely mobile! Yikes...but really it's exciting. I am absolutely in love with his personality. He's just such a happy and funny little guy, and extremely social. He's always making us laugh with the hilarious faces he makes and the tricks to get our attention. I've never heard a baby squawk and cackle as much as he does. :)
Living in a city like Boston has been such an experience so far. It's hard to get over the "strangeness" of a completely different environment when you've only ever lived a small-medium sized towns. We've met some great families through our ward, but the people I pass on the street still freak me out. Two random men have come up to Aaron while he was with Jude and made comments. One was, "Congratulations!" And another was, "God bless you and your baby." All I've had is some crazy old man on the street making a licking gesture at me, as I sat in a restaurant eating a hamburger and looking out the window. Ewwwwwww.
It took me about a month and a half for to adjust to living here. I had to get past the guilt that I took Jude away from all of his wonderful cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents. I worried that he wouldn't get enough socialization, and that he'd lose out on special bonds with family. Not to mention the homesickness that I felt. But it's *much* better now. Making friends, taking walks, and finally being with Aaron (after spending nearly four months apart due to work) have helped me acclimate. I know that this is only temporary, and I need to make this as easy on Aaron as I possibly can. After all...he's got the chance to do something he'd only been able to dream of before!
We're moving this weekend from our studio apartment to a 1 bedroom, just outside the city. I haven't seen it yet, but I am excited. Who knows what that 1 wall and door will mean? I hope it means more sleep and a little more privacy when we have company. :) But more than that, I'm looking forward to living someplace that better fits our style of living. Lower prices on groceries is a big plus, for one thing. Being closer to a ward is another. At our current location, we had to rely on the goodness of others to get to church each week because it was so far away and we have no car. The new place is much closer to the ward building, and we'll be able to make our own arrangements.
Ok...that's about as much of an update as I can muster right now. I need to get some cleaning and packing done. Plus I just heard a cackle, haha! Love from our crib to yours!
