Rollin' With the Punches

Believe it or not (sometimes I'm in the "not" category!)... I'm 6 months along with little Mara Lou! In two days, I'll be 26 weeks...and I've got the belly to show for it, finally! For a long time, I wasn't sure if what I was feeling inside was Mara or simply my body doin' it's thang, but now I KNOW she is an active little girl! Not only does she roll around and tickle my belly for my pleasure, but Mike got to feel her for the first time as well! On August 11th, the day of Maria's (Mike's sister's) wedding, Mike felt his daughter for the first time.

(Awwwww... "his daughter"... for some reason, referring to Mara as our daughter is significantly more real to me than using her name or the term 'baby.')

24 weeks

Ready for another cute little anecdote? Okay. I warned you that it's cute. So you can't complain. :)

The other night, I decided to read to Mara while rocking in the rocking chair my grandma gave us... I read a Fancy Nancy book about butterflies (appropriate, since I seem to be drawn to butterflies and nature-y things for her nursery). I love Fancy Nancy, by the way, because the books are always fun and educational - Fancy Nancy LOVES using big words, and always explains them with parentheses...double-whammy! You can teach vocabulary AND the implication of parentheses in a text! Anyway, the cute part of this story is that later, I told Mike that he should read to Mara, since she hears my voice to the point of exhaustion all day. He chose I Wish I Had Duck Feet by Theo. LeSieg, a funny little book about a boy who wishes he had all these different animals' body parts so he could do different things. I'm not sure which made me delightedly giggle more - the fact that Mike was reading to our daughter with my legs draped over his lap, or his voice as he read the funny book. :) After he was finished reading, I rubbed my belly and told Mara that that was her daddy reading to her and... did she like the book? Mike put his hand on with me, and she KICKED in response! Homegirl likes a good book, apparently. :)

Ah, but don't fret, you Negative Nancys out there... all isn't perfect in Lindsay-Baby-World.. Mara's kicks have caused some sleepless nights already (yes, yes, I know... they'll get worse... she'll get under my ribs...she'll make it difficult to breathe... yadda yadda yadda... but for now, I'm happy to feel her little body.. so there). :) I am choosing to be a Positive Penny (you like that alliteration, don't you?? Yeah, you do..).

Mike got me a prenatal massage as my 28th birthday gift, and of course as I laid on my back, I could feel my body start to get all funny... as in, the "I am getting hot and queasy and sweaty and I can tell I'll pass out if I don't lay on my side" funny. Luckily, I told the massage therapist that I needed to lay on my side before anything happened. All I suffered was the embarrassment of being slicker than oil while she continued the massage. I kept thinking, "Maybe she won't notice... maybe she'll just think it's the lotion..." Probably not, but she didn't say anything, so NBD. C'est la vie. At least I didn't have to cut my massage short! See.. Positive Penny!

Speaking of Penny... my sweet little cousin Penny was born about a month ago! Penelope Jayne. She and Mara Louise are going to be best of friends, even if they do live a few states away from each other. :) Isn't she adorable??

Oh, and I almost forgot... my massage was in Mike's gym near his office.. and this sign was posted on the glass next to the door:

...wait... so you mean I can't come packin' to the gym?? ....I'm not joking. This was totally on the door. I understand that I'm now living in a place where people more commonly exercise their right to bear arms (there are signs along the highways between here and Chicago in support of this)... but who brings their gun to the gym, honestly? (Say this with a British accent a la Austin Powers..way more fun...) How about another movie reference?  "Exercise causes endorphins..endorphins make people happy..happy people don't shoot their husbands." Name that movie. Seriously. Be my blog's second comment-maker and name the film. I dare you...

This past weekend, Mara experienced her first baseball game.. the Royals played the White Sox in KC. I thought it fitting that we should see our old-home team play our new-home team. Oddly enough, it took a move to Kansas City to see the Sox play for the first time! (I'm a Cubbie at heart - I couldn't finish the 'root root root for the Royals' line in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" because it just felt weird.)

All in all, things are great here in the Anderson baby world! I am absolutely beyond blessed ...healthy mama, loving and supportive husband/daddy..and a healthy and active little Mara Lou :)