Almost Halfway Done!

Had a great week! After my last post we were going to go to the zoo last Thurs with a friend because it was so nice out, but her baby had the flu so Logan and I spent the day outside our area instead. It brought back memories of years passed. . .I am going to savor every moment of my last spring/early summer with just Logan.

We took our first walk around our neighborhood in many months! I couldn't go as long as I usually do, though. Pretty early on in the walk, I started having sharp pains in my abdomen that were de ja vu -- I had totally forgotten I used to get them while pregnant with Logan whenever I walked very far. Back then I didn't notice them until I was 30 weeks (that was February back then) so they didn't concern me as much since, even though that's still a scary point to have a baby it's where I was when I was born so that's kind of like my subconscious milestone, ya know? Like, if I did okay in Dec 1979 then chances are Baby would be okay if they were born after that point three decades later. Plus, I didn't really care to walk anyway, so every time I'd feel them (always at Nebraska Furniture Mart, lol) I would just stop walking and they'd go away.

This time they're more concerning to me not only because I'm only 18 weeks -- well two days away from 19 weeks (up 14 lbs) -- but I want to walk a lot during these next few months by taking Logan out & about! So I'm going to ask my doctor about them when I go in next week. I just haven't heard anyone else mention having them; I know so many people who are more active than I am so it would seem like walking should be okay!

Especially since I had to stop doing the eliptical a few weeks ago. There was not one time that I'd done it during this pregnancy where I felt "good" afterward. I always ended up feeling lazy and wanting to sit around the rest of the day, whereas on the days I didn't do it I would feel energized and productive all day. I was like, doesn't it defeat the purpose if I exercise but then just want to lay around?! Obviously I prefer feeling like I have energy and am productive, so I decided now that we're entering spring I'd get my exercise by being more active by walking around the zoo and other things with Logan.

I remember that when I was pregnant with Logan I hadn't gone on a walk around our neighborhood since I was like 6 wks pregnant, but the day after my 36 week check up when my doctor told me I was almost 4 cm dilated (and I felt more than ready to go), I forced myself to walk through the pain for the first time so as to try and induce labor -- and the next day I did go into labor. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.

Needless to say, I didn't force myself for long last Thursday. Logan and I returned to our house and I drove us to the park for the first time since last fall where we had a picnic lunch and then he played on the playground. It was neat to see how much he's matured in just a few months -- it's hard to explain, but just the way he played there was different/older acting!

He wanted to walk down by the lake so we both got kind of muddy so we headed home to clean up and he took his nap. After that, it was back outside for more fun! First big wheel riding of 2011, first Skut of 2011, first coloring with chalk of 2011. . .and then to the backyard to play in the sandbox and to run around. When Joe came home, Logan wanted to go to the playground at the school so the two of them did that, too!

Sadly, yesterday it snowed and so our one week of spring has been put on hold :( We woke up this morning to several inches on the ground.

Last Friday Logan and I went over to our neighbor Jenn's house for scrapbooking and lunch, and then on Saturday we took the dogs to the dog park for the first time since Logan was a baby!!! Logan enjoyed watching Bella and Cosmo make friends, and Logan liked the other little dogs, too.

On Tuesday we got together with Brooke and her almost two year old daughter Kaelyn to go to Bounce-U for the first time. The name speaks for itself -- Logan had a blast bouncing in their bounce house, going down the HUGE bounce slide, hitting balls with a bat, and playing in a maze! It was $7 for the entire day (open from 10 am to 7 pm - they allow you to leave and come back as many times as you want); we arrived at 10 and bounced til 11:30, then went nearby to eat lunch (wish they would let you bring your own food to eat there, but oh well) and Brooke & Kaelyn headed home but Logan & I returned from 12:30 to 2 pm.

On Thursday at 11 am we met Lisa and her daughters Lexi & Riley, and Andrea and her son Drew & daughter Ashton at The Amazing Pizza Machine for more fun! It had been since October & November since we'd seen them, so Logan acted shy in the beginning. . .just wanted to sit on a chair and watch while he ate a ring sucker that Lexi & Riley gave him for Valentine's Day! But after lunch he was all about everything -- and enjoyed bowling for the first time! He's played at home with Joe on the Wii so I could tell he loved "the real thing." He picked out a toy to buy with our extra points, and then we headed home at 2:30 pm.

On our drive there, the weather had been fine - but the snow had started while we were inside and the roads were actually scary! I slid twice (my 4 wheel drive even had a hard time kicking in as the tires made a LOUD sound fighting to keep me from getting into an accident or going into the ditch). I sure hope this is our one last snowfall and that it won't stay cold for long. The future forecast does look promising. . .

As for other news, last night Logan asked us to go down to the basement with him -- he has been playing down there by himself for the past month. Joe and I were watching American Idol so we asked him why he needed us to go down with him this time. I said, "You're a strong boy! You can do it!"

In Logan's cute little 34 month old voice he said, "No, I'm ALMOST strong. I'm still little right now."

We had fun last night singing songs together into a microphone with my CD player, I loved the way he sat on the loveseat and smiled at me when he watched me, then kept coming over and hugging me tight.

He isn't really into American Idol but whenever we turn it on he asks where the car is -- back on one of the audition episodes there was a guy dressed like a car and Logan really liked it.

I liked this week's episode of One Born Every Minute -- there was a woman who'd had a posterior baby for her first and she'd pushed for 3.5 hrs and her experience was severely painful (worse than normal). She was worried the same thing was going to happen again this time, especially when her doctor said "yes, this baby is posterior." But the doctor turned it and it came out easily and quickly!

Gail (Logan's babysitter) said that I can call her at any time when I go into labor and she will make an exception for Logan that day -- whether it's in the middle of the night, etc. So that is a weight off my shoulders for if it happens fast like last time with no warning.

Otherwise, that about covers the past week. . .oh and I can feel the baby kick by touching my stomach now (so not just on the inside, but the outside too) so hopefully Joe will get a chance to feel it soon!

Here's the post I wrote around this time with Logan: Baby's First Kick.