BOY oh BOYS!

We're expecting a baby boy! BROTHERS! How cute!

ALSO, in our 8-unit apartment group, 3 of us ladies are pregnant and all due within a month of each other. This is going to be one fun and noisy fall for the Alpine Meadows. (<-- what kind of name is that for an apartment in mediterranean Calfornia??)

I have been home from CABO SAN LUCAS for 24 hours now and am still completely blissed out. It was amazing to celebrate Karen's finding Daniel with tropical snorkeling, sun, sand, and lots and lots of (non-alcoholic) pina coladas. I am the luckiest girl ever and can't believe I got to spend 5 days and 4 nights here:



and then return home to the man I'm in love with and our darling, funny little son. Lovely, lovely, lovely life.

I get to see my sister and mom in person this week! Which means I get to tell them the baby's gender in person. Which means ... I can't tell you until I tell them!

But if you're Luke's family, call him, I bet he'll tell ya.

Unknowing

It is ultrasound day. Little baby Wagner is 20 weeks along, and today we get a sneak peek at him or her. I am so excited that I had a hard time sleeping last night ... and if you know pregnant me, you know that is amazing. At lunchtime, I'll pick Luke up from work and we will go together to the office, and afterward we'll eat a gender-appropriate meal for the little one. (Hamburgers for a boy, salads and cucumber sandwiches for a girl? I honestly have no gender preference at all -- though I still feel like I'm destined to birth a herd of adorable, loving little boys -- but hamburgers sound pretty tasty.)

Right now, I'm half reveling, half fretting in these last few hours of unknowing. The time when anything is possible and nothing is certain. When I still have to use both gender pronouns, because (s)he is still a secret to me. And the time when my mind runs to worry because maybe (s)he isn't forming properly, maybe his/her organs aren't properly tucked inside his/her body, maybe maybe maybe ...

And I have to be calm. And remember that I am tiny, and that God IS, and rest in that.

But Luke kind of thinks (s)he is a girl, and he is right about things a surprising percentage of the time.

Things I am/have been competitive about:

1. My credit score. Currently. Really just with Luke.

2. My GPA. From ages 8 to 12. With Karen. We would take our little green-printed report cards (although in K & 1st mine were still card stock, hand-written by teacher, I'm that old!), run to Mom's little printing calculator, and compare.

3. The length of time I could hold my breath under water/continuously hula hoop. Ages <14. With Karen or anyone else who would play. I have since given up all hope of beating Karen in athletic competitions, save anything stretching or dance-related.

4. Spades, 42, and Quiddler scores. Since Mom & Dad taught Karen and me how to play at the cabin, since Shanna taught me how to play at The Chicken, and since my mama-in-law gave me the game. With anyone who challenges me. Mostly I'm not competitive about games, but I really like these. Spades and 42 are especially great because you have a teammate, so you can excuse your competitiveness a little by pretending you're just supporting your team.

What are you competitive about?

We're models!

A few months ago, we took pictures with Stroller Hikes for an advertising campaign that ran in Bay Area Parent Magazine. It felt awfully silly run over the hill a dozen times and then stop suddenly, while being directed to laugh ... but the resulting picture looks totally natural and reflects a typical hike pretty well (but usually with more attendees, it was rainy that day).

Here we are, babies a-smiling and Deb and I in our pregnant, un-made-up glory:

Movie trailer

Does this movie look SO GREAT or is it just all my mothering hormones??

Here's the belly! It's baby space from about the belly button down. The upper part is where my organs/intestines are since they've been crowded out by womb. And my tricep is bulging with pride! (Those arm muscles were hard won over nearly 19 months of lifting ever increasing weight in the form of the most adorable little boy, currently 26 lbs (47th percentile) and quite tall (89th percentile.))

Scott's new riding spot atop the babybelly (it's okay, he's only squishing my organs and not his little brother or sister right now)

Me: I wonder what kind of baby (s)he will be. /I wonder if that bird over there is a mockingbird./I wonder if Luke should be practicing his trapeze skills up there while it's so windy.
Scott: Mine. (new favorite word)

18.5 weeks

About a week ago, I started feeling the baby move about. Last night, Luke could feel the kicks. When Scott was in my womb (in utero? which do you prefer?), we shone a flashlight at my belly and he kicked against it HARD. Toward the end, he'd kick against my waistband if I wore pants that were too tight, or against the pew if I tried to kneel at church.

Someone told me that at some point in history babies weren't considered alive until the mother felt the quickening. But that's silly, because this baby has been moving about for WEEKS and I'm just starting to feel him now because my abs aren't as tight as they were in the first pregnancy (when I felt Scott at 14 or 15 weeks). Very thin women also tend to feel movement earlier.

Now you are probably wanting to see pictures of my round, wiggling belly. Maybe I'll get Luke to snap one tonight.

5-minute cornbread

Today I have to tell you about a little microwave magic for busy folks and college students. True, oven-baked cornbread does taste a little better, but this is still pretty delicious. 2 minutes to combine your ingredients and 3 minutes in the microwave? Yes please.

From Sylvia Moestl Vasilik on Allrecipes.com

* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup cornmeal
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a glass or ceramic microwave-safe dish (a small one). Microwave on high for 3 minutes. The batter will grow very tall and fluffy. Serves 6. Yay!

It reminds me of the mug cake recipe Shannon sent and Kelly made us last year:

4 tbs flour
4 tbs sugar
2 tbs cocoa
1/8 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
3 tbs milk
3 tbs oil (or butter)
3 tbs chocolate chips (optonal) - I think it taste better with them
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly(<-- very important!). Pour in the milk and oil (or butter) and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 2 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. Serves 2.

Birthing hips

Yesterday the midwife, hearing how quickly my/Scott's labor went, complimented me on my birthing hips, which was the first time it actually sounded like a compliment. Thank you, midwife!

The first time I was told I had birthing hips, I was 14 and one of the cool triplet boys in my grade was doing the talking. I've been kind of embarrassed about them ever since. But now? It's really sinking in that they are a gift. All you lovely narrow-hipped ladies out there, enjoy fitting into the skinny jeans. As for me, I will enjoy the 4-hour labors. And salsa dancing! And occasionally being told I remind someone of Shakira, which I thing Agnes was just saying to flatter me.


Shakira - Estoy Aqui
Uploaded by regaeton38.



(Shakira must have a very good mother to let her play in the mud like that.)

ilyhb

[EDIT: just kidding, he got fired a month ago for showing up at work naked. i told him to stop, but he just yelled 'weeee' and pranced out the door. now we live under a bridge and scott dances on street corners for money]

My man got a promotion today. He is now a Software Engineer of High Regard (soft.,ehr?). (I made up that title because Mozilla is all free-form about job titles.) He's quite a guy!


I don't know if he minds me bragging on him here, but we will find out!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from us and Scott!

Taken by "Cap" in San Antonio last week

He's getting better every year.