TEETH!

Elliott was somewhat of a late teether - cutting his first at nine months. He's also been a relatively slow teether. As of a few weeks ago, he only had six teeth. As the spring and summer drug on with no new teeth, I became convinced that he would be teething when the baby is born.

I was right.

He has two teeth coming in on the bottom front and at least one molar poking through in the back. Another part of his gum on the same side is showing all the signs of a tooth ready to emerge. 

I'm hoping this bout of teething ends in the next two weeks and then he'll give us a break until October or so to cut the rest of the primary teeth. 

I'm going on 38 weeks, so I really don't want to deal with a teething child and a newborn at the same time! 

So this baby thing ... it's actually going to happen

I spent much of yesterday wondering if I was going into early labor. I just felt strange - sick to my stomach, a little crampy, slowed fetal movement. Around dinnertime, I even felt a few light contractions. When Tim came home he wanted me to call the doctor just to share what had been happening. Dr. Wood actually suggested that I might be going into labor last night. I said "Oh Lord!" and he said "What? Is this a bad time?" 

Me: "Is there ever a good time to go into labor?"

After resting for a while, all of the symptoms went away. The baby, who had until yesterday been moving at a frenetic pace, finally picked back up a little movement.  

So I am certain that I felt contractions. But they must have been Braxton Hicks. This morning I feel fine - actually more energized than in several days. (I hope this isn't "nesting.")

I'm only 37 weeks. I'm perfectly fine with having three more weeks of sleep before William joins us.

But yesterday did jolt me into understanding that this baby could come anytime. I should be prepared.

Ahhhhhggggggggg ....

My son and his balls

Elliott shows us affection. Hugs, kisses, smiles. 

But we are nothing - nothing - compared to his beloved balls.

No, no, not those. 

The basketball, the bouncy ball, the soccer ball, the tennis ball, anything round he sees elicits an automatic proclamation of "Ball!" 

It's enough to drive you batty. I have considered taking them all out of the house and putting out a few more of his other toys to promote diversity. Affirmative action for cars, stuffed animals, anything but the favored majority.

But we live with this obsession. Now that it is summer, the ball obsession has led to an obsession with being in the backyard.  He tries with every ounce of strength and determination to shoot basketball. Of course, the ball just rolls off his hands just above his head. We will post video of that soon.

Baby update

We are down to six weeks before the due date for Baby William. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday and everything checked out well. I go back in two weeks for my next appointment and then every week after that. 

We are pretty much ready for him to be here. I can't imagine what it will be like to have a newborn to care for at the same time as a toddler, but we'll manage. It's certainly been done before. I'm running into more and more people who have their kids even closer together than 18 months. 

We're excited to see what he'll be like - his personality, his features. A friend said recently that he was most surprised by just how different his two kids were as babies and now as children.