18 Weeks

18 weeks! We're moving right along. We'll know if we've got a he or a she the day after tomorrow! I think I'm going to be far too excited to keep the news all to myself.

I feel the baby moving more and more every day. It has inspired me to spend a lot more time sitting still with my hand on my belly. I wait and wait, and then, there! I felt one! Just like that. I can't wait for these pokes and mini kicks to grow stronger.

For the past few weeks we've been interviewing doulas to assist with the birth. We found someone who we really like and who we think will be a great asset when the time finally comes. I'm looking forward to meeting with her in the next few weeks to start developing a birth plan.

Andrew took this photo of me over the weekend, eating a typical pregnancy lunch. He titled it, "Callai Eats All The Food." I guess he thought it looked like I had laid a banquet out for myself, but I don't think it was that much food. A small bowl of soup, a bagel, two tangerines, and a handful of grapes. Not a banquet, but a big tasty meal that manages to keep me sated for, oh, about two hours if I'm lucky.

This is our collection of baby clothes so far. We've been on the lookout for cute neutral items, and even though we will soon know the sex, we're going to try to keep the baby's wardrobe largely gender neutral. We have several reasons for preferring neutral tones and patterns, but chief among them is the hope that the wardrobe will be more versatile and can be passed down to baby #2 regardless of gender.

We'll be back in Phoenix in less than a week. We're really looking forward to celebrating the holiday and spending some quality time with family. Just 10 days until Christmas!