17 weeks, 0 days - Turnips, Mangoes, and Texas...?

So, little baby, depending on which site you believe, you're either 5 oz and 5" long (about the size of a turnip) or 7 oz and 6" long (about the size of a mango).  Either way, I feel  you doing a jig in my tummy quite frequently now.  I keep hoping to feel it from the outside so your daddy can feel it too, but not quite yet.  I do wonder when that will happen.  I suppose I should take a belly pic one of these days, though I still don't have one to speak of yet.

We spent the past weekend in Austin, TX for Matt's birthday.  Austin.  Is.  Awesome.  It was just... awesome.  For the first time in my entire life, I felt like I really fit somewhere.  Everyone who walked past us was dressed just like I was or could have chosen their outfits from my closet.  The girls did their hair in the same kind of braids and messy pony tails that I do.  The restaurants we ate at were all farm to table and I didn't have to explain what gluten free meant to a single person.  We got stuck in a heavy metal bar during a huge thunderstorm and the owner -- a middle-aged British man -- just loved us so much that he served me hot tea because I was pregnant and looked cold.  For the record, tea is not on their menu.  They didn't even have tea cups.  He pulled some tea bags out of his personal bag and made it for me in a couple of high ball glasses (one for the hot water and one for me to pour it into once it was brewed so I could hold it as high ball glasses aren't really meant for hot drinks).  Really genuinely nice people who seemed to like and find important the same things that I do.  The preschool on the main road, which served 18 months to 6 years, was a Spanish immersion school and had the most elaborate, cool train set I've ever seen.  The houses in the neighborhoods were lovely and quaint and had yards filled with herbs and wild flowers and gnarly trees.  I was just charmed and enchanted in a way that I'm not sure I've ever been with another city.  Anyone who knows me knows that I loved DC.  LOVE.  But I had some problems with the amount of money that flowed around there and the obscene cost of living.  Austin had similar charm and attributes to DC but without the obscene wealth or cost of living.  All of our meals, save Matt's birthday dinner, were under $50.  And we didn't hold back.  It was just... awesome.  There was a natural baby store that had lots of cloth diapers and cloth diapering accessories.  I bought Henry a wool diaper cover for the day time (he has a thick one for overnight but not one to wear during the day).  I just loved it so much.  It... aah.... I just don't have words to describe it.  Matt took lots of pics of his delicious foods so I'll post those when he sends them to me.  We had an absolutely stellar time.

I got a little over tired because we walked absolutely everywhere.  I'm not sure how recommended it is for pregnant women to walk 7 miles each day, but I can't think it's particularly bad for you either.  My feet really hurt and I started to feel a little sick a few times and we for sure had to stop so I could sit down a number of times, but over all, it was really wonderful.  Just love love loved that city.  Made it awfully hard to come back.  But then we remembered that sweet little red-headed boy and there was no question.

I guess he had a really great time at Aunt Amy's house.  He's playing hard and rough housing with his cousins these days.  He sleeps very well after he plays with them.  I get a little sad knowing that I can't give him the amount of exercise he gets over there, but then I remember that I'm giving him a little bro or sis to play with so he'll have his own baby to rough house with in a couple of years.  Crazy to think about.  Exciting to think about.  We can't wait to meet you baby!  Keep cooking!