Baby is moving around and kicking more and more these days, and I love it! It's so great to be assured by those little nudges and rolls, although I'm sure it won't be long before they're so much more than nudges. Wonder if I'll be as thrilled when that happens.

Alex finally felt the activity, no question! I placed his hand on my belly when Baby was moving around, and he said "she never moves for me." But after only a few seconds, whack! She kicked him. "I felt THAT," he said, "and that. And that. And I felt that." I laughed with joy.

I joke about the baby using my bladder as a trampoline. I'm carrying her so low, I can't stay away from a bathroom for more than 30 minutes at a time, it seems. "Move up," I say, as I poke my belly. But of course she doesn't. She's quite happy hanging out where she is. Sometimes I think I feel her so low, I half expect to see a little toe come out of me. Ha!

At my appointment next week, we'll talk about setting up a glucose screening. Hopefully, I'll pass the first test and won't have to go back for the 3-hour ordeal. UGH! Still, it's hard to believe I've made it so far! Over halfway there now! And I read that by the end of this week, the chances of a baby surviving after an early labor is 85%. Not that I want to test that theory, of course.

My mom is already spoiling this little girl. She gave us our Christmas presents to put under the tree, and of course there was a huge stack for Baby Witte. She bought each of the grandkids an angel ornament with their birthstone. Baby Witte, of course, got two - one for March, one for April - just in case. I think how wonderful it is that this child is so well loved, and she hasn't even been born yet! Wow!

I finally got the latest belly shot. This little girl is really sticking out there! Just wish she'd stop dancing on my bladder and move up a bit. ;-)

I also decided to put away all the Christmas clutter and not bother decking every room in the house with Christmas stuff. We're not having any parties this year (thank goodness), so it's pretty pointless to set out every tiny little thing.

Not that there aren't plenty of decorations all over already! Outside, our house is again the Griswald house of the neighborhood. Inside, I have 2 large artififcial trees loaded with ornaments, and a mini tree in the guest bathroom. The nativity scene is on the mantle, and there's still lots of garland, wreaths, and Christmas knick-knacks displayed throughout.

Ooo! We also started tackling the baby's room! Alex is so cute - he saw some butterfly plates and mini pictures in the store the other day, so he bought them to go with the Gossamer Wings butterfly bedding set I picked out. Too cute! Yesterday, we bought a futon mattress cover and some futon trundle drawers that really brighten the room and go SO well with the color scheme. We also bought the primer paint and had it tinted lavender so we can more easily paint the walls in a couple of weeks. AND we found a cheap changing station that is the same wood tone as the crib. The only problem is, it weighs more than my 20-lb lifting limit, so we need to find someone (and QUICK!) to help Alex get it out of his truck.

Yesterday, I took a break from the Christmas decorating and met my girlfriends for lunch and baby registry. I am SO glad they offered to help me register! Babies R Us is huge and there is just so much stuff and so many different brands and styles of EVERYTHING, I think I would have been wandering the store for days! As it was, we were there four hours! Yikes!

I still need to drag Alex to Target and let him try out travel systems and car seats so we can spread out some of the big items around different chain stores. We already have a crib, a glider rocker, and a play yard, so some of the big things are out of the way. (Thank goodness! Less research and fewer decisions.)

I took the first part of this week off so that I could finish my Christmas decorating, and Christmas shopping. At this rate, all my shopping will be done before December! Hooray! Wish I could say the same for the decorations, though. I was surprised at how much my body has slowed me down.

By this time last year, the decorations, both inside and out, were all up and the boxes were packed away. This year, however, I've only managed to get both trees up and decorated, and some of the outside stuff done. There's still a LOT to do, on top of all the residual in-law mess to clean up. (My brass bathroom faucet is so coated in toothpaste spit, it looks porcelain. YUCK!)

Not sure if it's Christmas nostalgia or the baby registry that set me off, but I've had a few sad moments these past couple of days. I am so grateful to be carrying my little girl and that everything is progressing normally, but I can't help but shed a tear or two for the baby I lost in July. I'm sure the hormonal cocktail called Pregnancy is playing a huge part in it, too. After all, at only 5 weeks, the baby wouldn't have even developed a heartbeat.

I think I'm just letting myself fall into a "what could have been" slump. All the baby plans and names and anticipation are just reminding me of when I had such high hopes before. The dream that ended so quickly. Fortunately, I don't stay in that place for very long, because I have this constant reminder of how blessed I am to be expecting again so soon.

Alex makes me smile, the way he kisses my belly, or puts his mouth to my stomach and says "Woogie! Woogie! Woogie! Wake up!" I know he can't wait until he can actually feel a solid kick or punch. :-) This baby is already so well loved by so many, and she hasn't even been born yet! Wow! What a way to enter the world!

This morning, when I woke up, I rolled over onto my back and just lay there with my hand on my stomach. Alex was trying to wake the baby, but she didn't feel like responding, so he got up and started to dress.

I continued to lay there, and suddenly, BLOOP! Weird! This knot or bubble just below my bellybutton suddenly rolled across my stomach, actually moving my hand! Whoa! It was too cool!

Of course it was only a one-time performance that Alex missed. I took a flashlight and started shining it against my belly to see if I could get the baby moving again. At one point, Alex thought he felt something, but it was nowhere near the kick I felt.

I've been second-guessing myself since my last doctor's appointment, when the doctor said that first-time mommies don't feel anything until 22 weeks. Oh well! It's still been a really neat experience.

Alex has been especially sweet, and I can't help but smile when I think of him and his new daughter. Last night, I was standing in front of him as he was seated and he leaned forward and kissed my belly. :-)