25/52

"a portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013." 

stella: she has been so patient with her tired mama.

baby boy: he has made eating cereal in bed quite enjoyable. 

*at 25 weeks, i am jumping on the 52 a portrait a week train.  i have loved these posts from jodi's blog and others for quite some time now, and even though i am not starting at number one, i find it too special not to include in our journal.  each week, i will post a photo and small caption of my children, with a few words below about them that week.  so here goes.  thank you jodi for the inspiration. 

at twenty two weeks, i've been feeling pretty good.  our little one is a mover and a shaker, and is very active at all hours of the day.  i have noticed my belly getting really tight every now and then, which does concern me a bit.  i remember this happening with stella and wonder if it is why she came so early.  i have a doctor's appointment later on this week and will make sure to broach this subject.  i feel it coming on when i am very active or over heated...which is too often i admit.  

but other than that, all is swell.  i have incorporated stretching into my morning routine with stella.  we get down on the floor and listen to serge gainsbourg as we feel the tension in our muscles fade away.  she likes copying her mama and i find it adorable.  this stretching, which is not quite yoga, is followed up with an afternoon walk to feed the ducks, most often enough.  they happen to live right across the street making for a convenient and fun little trip.  leon likes to accompany us for some exercise, too.

at twenty two weeks, i must say i am feeling such a depth of love for my girl.  of course, our sweet baby boy, too.  but so much for stella right now.  she has been so patient with me and such tender big sister.  she loves her little brother so much already.  we can see it in her smile and in her eyes when we talk about him.  

we went to barnes and noble the other day to get this book.  she calls it her "baby book" and we read it at least two times a day before nap time, per her request.  she then makes sure to sleep with it next to her babies.  i have caught her "reading" it to them numerous times.  i am so proud of her for wanting to learn about this new role she will play as big sis.  it makes me one happy mama bear, that is for sure.