21w

It's official - the second half of this pregnancy has begun. 20 weeks down, 20 to go!

I'm reminded of the sensation I had when I was a kid in school - the first part of the school year always seemed to drag itself out, excruciatingly slow....only to pick up steam and begin to fly rapidly following the Christmas break. Before I knew it, it was time to clean out lockers and turn in books. It's almost like a freight train, taking time to pick up the speed before it can truly chug along.

I know the next few months will fly by, and while there is a part of me that is so ready for it to be over so we can welcome this little one into the world, there is another part of me that wants to be pregnant forever. The unpleasant aspects aside, this has been the most amazing and special time of my life - the new sensations, the surges of love and affection towards something I've never met, the planning and hopes and dreams and expectations...

I had lunch with my dad yesterday, and we laughed until we cried as he recounted the names of his family members in an effort to strike inspiration for baby names. I'm not sure what book people got their babies' names out of back then, but...wow. So it's pretty safe to say we won't name our child Truby, Renso, or Ida - but I think we finally have settled on a boy and a girl name. Granted, there's plenty of time for me to change my mind, so I wouldn't start embroidering anything quite yet.

I received a cross-stitch quilt set from a friend yesterday as well - an adorable quilt pattern with baby animals on it. I'm excited to make something for Ferris, and while it's been about 20 years since I cross-stitched anything, I'm hoping it's like riding a bike. I'm heading to Mississippi today for a funeral, and since I get insanely carsick if I even try to read in the car, I'm glad to have something else to do on the ride down.

Some friends of mine were looking at the pictures of Ferris, trying to determine if he/she looks more like me or my husband at this point. It's hard to say of course, but most people have said my nose and my husband's mouth. It's just another reminder that I'm creating a life with this person and we're sharing something so amazing and so surreal - and that thought just floors me, every time.