Alright, people. I finally put it together. Constant feeling of about to cry? Not being able to stop dwelling about bad international news or the horrific act of violence towards a small child that took place on page three of a recent short story I read? Wee-hour contemplations of emotional pleas to our contractor to PUT THE EFFING SIDING ON?

I might, just might, be having some kind of hormonal five-months-pregnant out-of-whack thing going on.

During pregnancy with little A (and the subsequent seven months of not being with child), I noticed something. The emotional highs and lows of the month just evened out and kind of disappeared; I might have been crazy about some things when pregnant with little A, but on the whole-- I was way LESS crazy than usual.

Apparently this little boy plays by different rules. Less morning sickness, more food cravings, and whackier hormones.

So I'm trying to ride this out with some kind of grace. Drinking lots of tea. Writing in my journal. Asking every OTHER hour if K's heard from the contractor.

In baby A news:

No new teeth. No new skills. But my goodness, the refinements. I told K. the other day that this is really an awesome age, and I've NEVER said that before. But she's sleeping well (knock on wood) (though she's rising shortly AFTER six since the sunrise creeps up), she eats Cheerios with milk at breakfast in her own bowl with her own spoon, and she walks wherever she wants to with only the occasional tumble. 

In other words, Annaliese is knocking me out by how grown-up and aware and fun she's getting. That coupled with the baby cheeks and pooched-out belly and duck-walk is really a killer combination.

This morning I was dressing her and she toddled over, picked up her nursery rhyme book, walked back, handed me the book, and settled herself in my lap expectantly. How cute is THAT?

She did it last night three times to K., effectively pushing off her bedtime. Because it's pretty hard to say no to a little girl who wants to hear about Jack and Jill.