Sponge's Spot 20 Weeks

Well little Sponge, it is hard for your mama to believe that you are already halfway done! One week ago today we had a mid-pregnancy ultrasound and found out that you are a little boy. I was, and am, so shocked and excited by that news. As much as I've always wanted to have the experience of having a son, somehow I never could quite picture myself as the mama of a little boy. Perhaps it's because of the overwhelming number of little girls in our extended family. I am looking forward to the new challenge of parenting a child of the male variety and having lots and lots of fun looking at all the baby boy clothes and accessories! Our ultrasound also showed that my placenta (your placenta) is lying a little bit low. This can cause big problems late in pregnancy, but it almost always moves up before then as the uterus expands. I'm not very concerned about it at all, but it has bought us another ultrasound around 28 weeks to check out that pesky placenta's position and to get another peek at you of course! I'm pretty excited about that.

My apprehensions about being the mom of two wee ones have pretty much settled themselves into two categories at this point. The first involves grocery shopping and subsequently unloading our groceries and somehow managing to get them up to our third floor apartment. I'm having nightmares involving two screaming banshees and grocery bills that are double our norm because the crazed mama is desperately pulling anything and everything off the shelves in an effort to get the heck out! Most likely I imagine I'll try to make a trip on the weekend and leave you kiddos with daddy. I've already stretched my weekly grocery visits (because the stinkin' produce only lasts a week darnit!) into biweekly visits in an effort to ease myself into a new routine. The second source of great anxiety involves showering each day. I do vaguely remember that this wasn't such an easy task with even just one newborn and that it just sort of fit in where (and if!) it fit in. I've grown so used to Sofie being self-sufficient for the 10 minutes that it takes me to shower that I think I've gotten spoiled! I can just envision her poking your eyeballs out or trying to pick you up by your head while I try to keep an eye on you guys (and flood half the bathroom) with the shower curtain pulled halfway open. I suppose I'll do my best to shower while you sleep. Oh please please sleep better than your sister did!

I am convinced that your name is Gray Benjamin, but your daddy's not too sure. He seems to think that it doesn't flow well and that Gray is not a full name besides, but I've vehemently vetoed Grayson and Grady and Grayling. Our conversations are sounding a lot like this lately...

Me: "Gray Benjamin sounds great...it's like J. Edgar Hoover or F. Scott Fitzgerald!"

Daddy, dryly: "But it isn't an initial."

Me: "But who cares? It acts like one, A. or J. or K!!!"

I don't really care what he thinks, though, because I am the mama and I get to write your name on the birth certificate so I win. I refer to you as Baby Gray and Sofie is practicing your name (I bet you can guess what she calls you...)

I am in the glorious in-between stage physically, although I've gained 20 pounds already and I am resigned to the fact that I will never be of the adorable, glowing pregnant lady variety. Instead I am of the awful, swollen pregnant lady variety. It's a little depressing, but what can you do? Growing a baby is a pretty monumental task and it just isn't that friendly to the poor old bod. My skin isn't breaking out ridiculously like it did with your sister (one of my clues early on that you might be a little boy) and that is a very nice change. It's nice to feel you bopping around (you were quite active during your ultrasound) and I'm looking forward to the day when daddy can feel you too. You are rooting your way into our hearts, little guy, and we can't wait to see how you'll make them grow!