2nd Trimester

We made it to the second trimester! Guess that means we're 1/3 done...

Baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his/her thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, the facial muscles are getting a workout as tiny features form one expression after another. The kidneys are producing urine, which is released into the amniotic fluid around baby — a process that continues until birth. Baby can grasp, too. In other news: Baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, baby measures 3.5 inches — about the size of a lemon — and weighs 1.5 ounces. The body's growing faster than the head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of the body. (The legs still have some lengthening to do.) Baby's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over the body. Baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though I can't feel tiny punches and kicks yet, baby's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Can you believe how big baby is now?! I remember when it was just the size of a poppy seed. Still just looking like I have a little beer gut, but to me it's starting to look a little different, a little rounder and more baby-belly-ish.

So, every time I start feeling like maybe I'm feeling a little better, a little more energetic lately, then I'm struck with exhaustion. But less foods are sounding inedible to me. And I'm having a day or two a week during which I don't need to nap... sorta mostly.  My heartburn and indigestion have been a little better in the last week or so. Anyhow, we'll see how it takes for this "honeymoon" period of pregnancy to get good. Ugh, I know it hasn't been that long but it feels like forever that I've been tired.

Last weekend after a relaxing Saturday of football (3rd place ain't bad this week), I talked Matt into a Sunday drive to the head of the Metolious River. As we headed toward Sisters, we noticed the start of this wildfire north of South Sister. It was only around 150 acres when we first drove by (according to the radio) but doubled by the end of our drive.

Luckily the air quality was still good. Now our car's GPS took us on a CRAZY route toward Camp Sherman, which includes many miles on dirt roads and a lot of suggestions to basically take horse trails, as if they were actual roads.

 So, these next two pics aren't actually ours; we didn't do a good job of taking pics outside the car. But the river starts from what looks the side of a hill, out of nowhere. And about ten feet later, as you look downstream, it's already wide and looks deep. Matt had never seen it so I thought it was at least going once. Okay, actually it's not much more exciting in person than these pics but it was something to do.

This week I started coaching Girls On The Run again, 5th season! It's 3rd-5th grade girls (20 of them this time!) and we teach some life/healthy habits/self-esteem/team-building lessons as we train for a 5k (that's 3.1 miles). Our "workouts" are really more game-like; after all, these are 10 year olds. Our focus is on healthy living/establishing a routine of exercise/working toward a goal to be proud of. It's 0% competitive and the girls often walk. They're just encouraged to keep moving. Anyhow, it's fun. The girls are really cute and sweet and say hilarious and sometimes incredibly bright things. And it's totally exhausting. I'm so glad we have four coaches this time. Usually just the two head coaches would give the lessons, two days a week, and any other coaches were just there to help keep things smooth, but this season we're all going to share leading, so while that means we each get to lead less, it means we each get a chance. And it's super tiring to lead for me. No wonder I didn't like teaching.

Also this week, we went to our first and only concert of the summer- Huey Lewis and the News! Wow I didn't realize how many songs I like, so many childhood flashbacks from the 80s. Joe is in town visiting so he came with us. It certainly is fall; it was quite chilly as the sun went down. And look how far back our cheap, grass seating seats were; the sound quality was not as good that far back as when Joe and I got closer.

Joe & I got lucky and snuck past the guard at the reserved seating area; we got right up to the stage. Huey practically fist pumped us. That close, that loud, he sounded amazing. But based on the video I took on the sly... ehhh, there are a few notes he can't hit any more.

On Friday, Dad, Mom, Joe and I went for a little hike to Benham Falls. It was an amazingly warm and beautiful day. Though the wildfire is still blazing, it wasn't as smokey (wow, up to 15,000 acres).