Over the past couple months it's been so fun to see her imagination come to life. She is starting to get into dress-up and pretend play, she LOVES play food and serving it to us, and acts out little conversations with her toys. It's so so sweet to see her love on and care for her baby doll. She pushes her around in her stroller, gives her a "ba-ba" and paci, burps her, rocks her, puts her in her high chair to feed her and even says " Your food weally hot. Gonna let it cool off a minute, honey." It's seriously the cutest. I know she's going to be such a great big sister, and good thing because Baby Mercer #2 is due in May!!!
We are so thrilled for this addition to our family! I'm 12 weeks along and due Cinco de Mayo, so they will be about 2 1/2 years apart. It's perfect timing, because we always wanted our kids to have close-in-age siblings, something neither of us had, and with being a teacher, as my maternity leave will roll right into summer vacation.
So far this pregnancy I am feeling pretty good. It's almost exactly the same as when I was pregnant with Avery. I had a few early weeks of extreme nausea and loss if appetite, but luckily never really got sick (well I did get a stomach bug around 7 weeks which was terrible but not pregnancy related). I have just been extremely tired and easily exhausted. I've been trying not to drink caffeine but a couple times a week during this first trimester, but some days I don't think I'd stay awake on the drive to work without some coffee! The only big thing that's different this time is my skin is extremely broken out, where as with Avery, my skin was actually clearer than before I got pregnant. Jon says that means it's a boy, but the old wives tale says it's a girl that steals your beauty. We can't wait to find out!!
This week has been absolutely crazy and an emotional roller coaster at school and at home. We were supposed to have a genetics screener and 4D ultrasound with a specialist on Thursday, where they also give a gender prediction. We did this with Avery and they told us at 12 weeks she was a girl! Well long story short, teacher's insurance is now a major joke and doesn't cover jack, and my deductible is sky high, so this was going to cost $800 plus lab work...something I couldn't justify. With Avery we found out my chances for chromosomal abnormalities were very, very low and that part wouldn't have changed much in 2.5 years. So although it's disappointing, I'm at peace with not having the testing, and also finding out the gender in a few more weeks.
On top of that, Avery had a fever Sunday, which we dismissed as teething because she cut one of her two year molars, turned into hand, foot and mouth disease and caused us to cancel her birthday party for tomorrow. Hopefully we can reschedule and not lose too much money though. The worst part is, this tricky little virus starts as a fever, then it GOES AWAY and your kid acts totally 100% normal so you send them to Mother's Day Out, TWICE during the week, before realizing they have broken out into a rash complete with blisters on their fingers and toes. THEN you realize you've exposed every child in her little classroom and preschool. They are going to hate us. But that's life I guess. It could be a lot worse. You can hardly tell Avery even has it, unless you are looking for it, and I've seen some poor babies that get it so much worse, and she isn't in pain which I'm so grateful for.
I have my 12 week ( really 13th week because it got cancelled this week too) appointment this week, Avery's 2 year check-up on Friday, and fingers crossed, a birthday party next weekend too, so I'll update on those, Halloween and more very soon!!
Avery with her birthday presents from Mommy and Daddy.."A supermarket cart just like Momma!!" ( she got the term supermarket from Bubble Guppies. Hahah) And lots of play food, pots and pans! I couldn't get a good picture because she was too busy concentrating on her the new goodies. Love her!!
