14 weeks was a good week.  Doctor's appointment went well on Monday morning. I heard the baby's heart beat for the first time!! What a MAGICAL sound! The baby is still seemingly calm and moves minimally. The most movement I feel is when I lie on my back and the baby comes forward. She/he fits perfectly in my palm if I lay my hand over the little baby bump. Makes sense coz the baby is the size of a LEMON! Our little one can suck their thumb and wiggle their toes :) The baby has also doubled in size from last week. 

Big excitement in our little house as we're booked and packed for vacation! It's going to be a very early morning for us on Wednesday morning as we awake our little Chlo worm, snuggle her into her car seat and drive to the airport: destination Mexico! She LOVES airplanes and will constantly point them out in the sky. She is fully aware what it means when mommy says we're going to go on an airplane and will fly high in the sky - but she thinks that is a horrid idea. In fact yesterday she said she's rather stay with Granny than go in the airplane. Our flights may be interesting :)

Little Chloe is a real character. Her vocab is incredible and she carries a lot of my accent. She is my little shadow and even answers for me in most cases when someone asks me a question. She has gotten into a habit of calling her daddy "Jon" when she needs something. If she's in her crib and wants out she calls "Jon..Jon!". Or when she's in the shower and ready to get out it's "Jon...Jon!". Despite it being completely hilarious, we are trying to break her of this habit. 

Fall has officially arrived! Our first chilly day of the season. We spent the day building Chloe's playground, to the crackle and pop of the fire pit. Yeah, it was that chilly!

It was a long week for us. I left for Canada before the sun was up on Monday morning. . .leaving behind a sick little bubs. Heart wrenching! Sunday night our household got zero sleep and that zero sleep was continued for another 2 more nights for Jon and Chloe. Each time I spoke to them they were more exhausted that before as sleep and rest were not found. My mom and Jon's sister stepped in big time and helped Jon out. I was SO grateful to have them both! Wednesday afternoon Chloe started feeling better and Wednesday night the first night of sleep for Jon and Chloe. Just in time for mommy to come home on Thursday!

I've started feeling very uncomfortable this week. Clothes are getting tighter and thanks to Relaxin my hips and general joints are getting just a little bit too loose for comfort!



And finally, a little snapshot of Chloe enjoying her playground this afternoon. I envision HOURS of entertainment!

Here we are! At the count down! March is only a few short months away and we have a lot to achieve before then. . .First off, the baby is the size of a PLUM! The baby is considered fully-formed too! Her/his sole purpose is to grow bigger and stronger from this point forward as the baby's vital organs and systems are already in place and many organs even starting to function. How incredible is this?

I know better than to compare, but take it from me - no two pregnancies are the same. I guess I thought I was an exception...or perhaps I never thought about it which is why it was a shock when I was hit with terrible nausea that took me down - and kept me down from 6 to about 11.5 weeks. It was tough. Fatigue was a lot worse too but I don't know if it's coz I had a 21 month old to keep up with at the same time. I have a HUGE respect for mommies with more than one baby!!

Everything else sums up like this:

The moment I first saw you, my heart skipped...soared...and was forever smitten by you. The moment daddy first handed you to me, you instantly recognized me, let out a cry of relief and snuggled in close for comfort. Most nights it was just you, me and the moon as our companion.  We fumbled as first time parents. . .but learned early on that you like a warm towel, fresh out of dryer after each bath. Colic was our enemy. . .Colic took its toll on you and I, sweet baby girl. Moments I thought we would never get through, are in the past now. As you learned, we learned. As you grew stronger, we too learned the ropes and slowly gained our confidence. You've blossomed into a social butterfly - never meeting a soul you didn't know. You wave at everyone, including the grumpy grannies in the grocery store.

We've noticed the transition from a baby into a toddler. You seek more temporary freedom but you're a mommy's girl so you always come back for a hug.  This seems to boost your confidence and independence allowing you to go out and conquer a little more before settling back in my arms. This transition is hard for me. These are the baby steps of what's to come. I have to fight the protective mama bear in me that wants to keep you by my side. You are a free spirit and you want to conquer.

We are entering a new season as a little family. You are our first - our precious little girl. You have prepared the way for a second...a little sister or brother. In March, our little Chloe, we will experience the miracle of life, again!