I just got back from my 28 week (at 27 weeks, 4 days) doctor appointment. All is well. Really well. Baby is head down with a heart rate of 152bpm. My blood pressure was excellent at 106 over 67. My weight is up a total of 16 pounds (1 pound below what the doctor said I should be at). I received my flu shot today. I need to make an appointment for Annika to receive hers. We're all getting vaccinated this year since when the Baby is born we'll be in the middle of flu season and he will be too small to get one. They also took blood for a hemoglobin test, a urine sample and I did the oh-so-fun 1 hour glucose screening test. Hopefully that will come back that I passed. I have more Halloween candy to eat! Kidding! I go back in four weeks. And I got a nice lecture from my midwife on paying attention to the baby's movements. She's had two women in her eight year career who have saved their baby's lives by calling when they noticed a decrease in the amount of fetal movement. I assured her that I track his movements carefully, that he is becoming more consistent in his active and non-active times (mornings are pretty quiet, mid-morning is some movement, early afternoon quiet, mid-afternoon active, early evening quiet, late evening very active), and that I would contact her right away if I noticed anything out of the ordinary. What a timely message to be given with my post of a couple weeks ago.

Annika had a fun filled weekend. Saturday she spent all day with Nana and Papa. Kris and I left after gymnastics and went to the Gopher football game and then to a couples baby shower. I know she had a great time with them because she was sad when they had to leave that evening. It makes my heart happy to see how much Annika loves all her grandparents and aunts and uncles. She is a very lucky little girl. Sunday Annika and I had some good quality time together dancing, reading books, snuggling, etc. while Daddy was away. He was watching his friend Jon in a bike race that morning. Then after watching some of the dismal Vikings game, Kris and I got ready for our big night out. Auntie Krystle came over to babysit while Kris and I were at the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. The concert was awesome (as soon as we got through the opening band for which neither Kris nor I cared). I love me some Chili Peppers. I loved every song they played and our seats were great.

Just now Annika came to ask me if she could watch a movie. I told her yes and to go ask Daddy to help her. How does she ask her Dad? She walks to the top of the steps and yells downstairs "Daddy! Watch a movie?" He yells back OK and she goes downstairs to pick one out. It is so cute to see her doing such big girl things like that. She really is no longer my baby, except she always will be.

Lately Annika has expressed interest in writing her letters. We have a really big pad of paper at home (think 18x24"). I've written the alphabet in big block letters on one of the pages and Annika practices "tracing" them. Basically she just scribbles a little over my writing. Sometimes she asks me to help her trace them. I hold her hand while she holds the pen and we trace the letters. Other times she's content to trace by herself. I can see her get frustrated sometimes at her lack of hand control. If she deviates too far from the line, she'll start scribbling or making big circles to cover that letter. Then she'll move on to another letter and try to trace that one. Other times when she is coloring, she just writes these tiny lines (about 1/2 - 3/4" long) over and over and over again so she has a big line of tick marks. It is so amazing to watch her develop like this. And she can recognize her written name. Each ECFE class, Kris writes Annika a name tag. And each time she recognizes that it's her name he's writing. I often have to write her name on the big pad of paper for her too and then she likes to trace it.

Annika is also singing a lot more lately. If she's riding her horse (on springs) she'll sing songs. Usually she gets really into it and the volume and power of her voice keep rising. We have to get this on tape on of these days.

When I got home from my doctor appointment this morning, Kris told me Annika had done something. Turns out Annika decided she needed to go potty so she went to the bathroom, pulled down her pants, crawled up on the toilet and did it all herself! Usually Kris and I are diligent about taking her every 1-2 hours but this time Annika did it all herself! I was so proud of her that I scooped her up and smothered her with kisses. Then she got her candy reward. We're still working on #2. We still have accidents with that one. Overall though, potty training is going pretty well, I think.

Have you ever had one of those nights when you just didn't fulfill your personal mothering expectations? Where after you put your child to bed you feel guilty for how you parented that evening? Guilty that you let her sit in front of a movie while you played on the computer? Guilty that you lost your patience with her when she really did nothing wrong? Guilty that you got upset with her for doing normal toddler things? Suddnely worried how you're going to manage two children when you're alone so much? So guilty and worried that you call your husband at work and he has to reassure you through your tears that you are a good mother, that everybody has a bad night from time to time, that your child still loves you (exhibit A - the huge hugs and kisses and "I love you" that she gave you at bedtime), that you could handle six children if needed and that you'll do great with two and that tomorrow will be better? No? Yeah, me either. Sigh. The good news is today is definitely better. And Annika still loves me.