The Bean Jar

This week we got to do our 3D/4D Ultrasound to take a glimpse at that little bundle of joy in my belly. It was a totally different experience than our session with Mena which was new and serene. This time we had a bubbly two-year-old who was VERY excited to “see Gummi Bear in the computer”. She has been to an ultrasound already during a regular doctor appointment and has a book that talks about prenatal visits and shows the mom and little kid looking at a sonogram, so she knew exactly what to expect.

As I got comfortable on the bed, Mena chatted away about the baby in my belly and as soon as the technician turned on the screen she was squealing with excitement. When we got our first glimpse of Gummi Bear she exclaimed “That’s AMAAAAZING!”. She kept saying over and over again — an expression I don’t think I’ve ever heard her use before. As the session went on it was “I see a nose. I see ears. I see eyes. I see a mouth” and “Oh my gosh, that’s amaaaaazing!”.

And you’re right Mena, it is truly amazing! We can’t wait to see you in person, little Gummi Bear.

This last few weeks we have basically widdled away at anything baby where Mena is concerned. First it was converting her crib into the toddler bed which coincidentally directly coincided with throwing away the pacifier, then it was drinking her milk from a big girl cup during meals, and now potty training. I have been hesitant to shout from the rooftops that we have a potty trained little girl but we are getting close. All these changes have hit me really hard lately. Sure, I knew they were going to happen and after finding out Gummi Bear would be arriving as Mena turned 2 and a half my three goals were getting her in a bed, taking away the paci and potty training, so I really have nothing to be shocked about but for some reason it’s still hard to swallow. There is NOTHING baby about her anymore. Nothing. Well, unless you count the multiple times a day she asks to be rocked like a baby recently. Clearly she recognizes these big changes too.

As for the potty training, like I said, we’re getting there. Some days she is a rock star, using the potty every time and telling us when she has to go. Other days she just decides to be lazy, I think. We started the process a month ago after a week of Mena fighting wearing a diaper. She would tell me she didn’t want to wear one anymore, kick and cry when I tried to put one on her and fight the entire process. When I asked her if she’d rather use the potty and wear big girl underpants, though, she was indifferent. She wasn’t excited about the idea at all.

We’ve been through all the stages of potty training.  Many more stages than I even knew existed.  Within the first few hours Mena was begging us to rock her like a baby, by the second day she was asking for diapers; she would get excited about going one day and cry through it the next.   One day she would spring up so fast before she was even finished and run across the house and the next day she would sit there so long after she was done we had to beg her to get off the potty.  One day she would be willing to ‘try’ every 30 minutes whether she had to go or not and the next she would fight sitting on the potty even when she had to go.  One day she can’t wait to get more stickers on her sticker chart and then next she throws a temper tantrum because, although she earned one, she doesn’t want any stickers. We have been alternating going out of the house with pull-ups or with regular underwear. You should see the “Oh Shit” look on our faces when Mena says she has to pee when we’re out and about– we’re still not sure we know how long she can hold it while we look for a restroom. Oh my, our lives revolve around the potty right now and I don’t anticipate that changing anytime soon.  Let’s just say she’s definitely been keeping us on our toes.

I’ve often wondered if we did all these changes too close to each other but I guess that’s just how life works sometimes.  I’m trying to look at it like teething — it was painful to have nearly all of her teeth come in at the same time but at least it was short lived.  I know there are many many more fin things to come, but can’t help to be a little sad about losing the baby in her already.  Now we are just dealing with the emotional pain of our baby growing so fast!

D: Are you helping Mommy with the laundry?
M: Are you helping Mommy with the laundry?

D: Are you repeating everything I say?
M: I repeating everything I say.

D: Are you a parrot?
M: Are you a parrot?

D: Daddy is awesome!
M: Yeah, sure.

And last week Duane and I got to go to the Rockies game and see this beautiful sunset too.

It starts before they are even born. Things just don’t get done as quickly for the second child as they did for the first. This ultrasound, for example, was taken on May 14th — nearly a month ago. Mena’s ultrasounds would get scanned and blogged about within an hour of getting home from our doctor’s appointment. Never a month!

Since we’re not finding out what we are having the ultrasound tech only gave us face pictures of Gummi Bear.  Duane’s theory is that GB is a boy since that would be more obvious if we got fully body pictures in ultrasound.  We’ll just have to wait and see!!!  I’m 26 weeks along already and Gummi Bear is as active as ever! Maybe that’s how they remind me that they are still there. Not that I could ignore this ever growing belly of mine. I swear if this growth keeps up I am going to be a whale by the end of this pregnancy.

According to BabyCenter.com Gummi Bear is nearly 14 inches long and weighs about a pound and a half. Gummi Bear loves to listen to me read out loud to Mena and kicks and punches at all the most inconvienent times — like at one in the morning when I’m trying to fall back asleep from the first bathroom trip of the night or as I am driving in the car and can’t take the time to sit and feel the kicks with my hands.

Now, to start a journal to Gummi Bear as I did for Mena. I’m not too far behind on that, though. I think I started Mena’s journal around the 27 week mark… that gives me one week to get on the ball!