Thumbs-Up Thirty-Two

Hi Aunties and Uncles! How are you doing? This week I had my first real big scare! No wonder when my Daddy went to Vietnam he told Mamma to please be careful and not get into any ‘situations’. True to form, drama found itself at her feet (in one case literally).

Over the weekend, Mamma found out why her foot was hurting last week. She got something like a large thorn in her little toe. After a rather painful ‘operation’ performed by Grandpa and his help, they managed to get most of it out. It really hurt Mamma a lot (I could almost feel her pain) but in the end, her foot felt a whole lot better. She was ok after that, except for the tiredness she’s been feeling lately.

But here’s the drama: Yesterday, Mamma forced herself to go to office, trying to save up her leave. Well, she should have stayed at home! We were both really tired sitting at that desk of hers when suddenly a crazy client came bursting in and started randomly threatening her coworker! He was yelling so loudly, I got such a shock that I jumped up really violently, which in turn made Mamma jump out of her seat.

The sound really upset me. She was quite angry with that man for frightening me (she’s a ferocious Mama bear when she wants to be) and rather annoyed that he was talking so rudely and making threats to her staff. He had shoulder-length hair, was clad in a seersucker suit and donned a weird thin red bandana across his forehead. In the beginning he claimed to be a doctor, then he said he was a criminal lawyer so he could get away with murder and he was going to bring his gun and shoot everybody.

The best part? The idiotic fashion-challenged lunatic got the wrong department! He wanted to threaten people in the credit department, who have nothing to do with us (we do insurance brokering). Mamma’s poor coworker couldn’t get a word in edgewise to explain this to Mr. Psycho. By this time Mamma was really pissed. The man was shouting so loudly that people from other parts of the building had gathered!

Her boss did nothing about it and she wanted to go and tell the lunatic to get a grip so that we could find the appropriate people to help him with his issue but then she stopped short because of me. Since I got so scared when he shouted, she didn’t want to bring me closer to him, especially if he was going to get violent. Eight months ago, she probably would have wanted to karate chop him herself, especially since the wonderful security guards in the office were not intervening.

Eventually all was sorted out. I took a long time to settle in again and Mamma was concerned about me. Incidentally, her coworker(s) were fine. She checked up on him and he said that this particular man was notorious for this type of behavior so he wasn't upset about it. Well, that’s good to know!

Any old how, other than that, things are progressing nicely in here. It’s starting to get a little cramped so I curl my legs up a lot. I can’t perform my kicks and punches anymore; just mostly little rolls and squirms. We took my Grandpa out to dinner a few days ago for his birthday and we had some Chinese food (my favorite!). I was quite content so I started sucking my thumb.

Mamma noticed the thump, thump, thump movement and told her mother about it. Grandma knew what I was up to right away and for the first time Mamma realized I was sucking my thumb. Daddy was thrilled (but he thinks everything I do is wonderful).

I have my routine. Mamma is supposed to monitor my movements and she has noticed that I suck my thumb at 7am and 11pm. This made Aunty Manji delighted since she used to do the same thing when she was in her mom’s belly. Aunty Manji (wishfully) thinks that I will be a mini-Manji, just as her daughter, my Cousin Millie, is like a newer improved model of my Mamma. She calls everyday to see how I am.

Other than that, I have been dreaming of milkshakes. Mamma finally made one for me yesterday. I love them! She has been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions but they don’t bother her much. In fact it took her a while to figure it out.

I have some important news for you; Daddy finally took a picture of Mamma before he left for Vietnam. That is the first picture taken of her since I came into the picture (pun intended I suppose). We have to wait till Daddy comes back to get it onto the computer, so please bug my forgetful Mamma to get it online and post it for you next week! You can see how big I’ve become. I’m such a cutie! I guess I should go now. Please leave some comments for me. Lots of love, Baby BB 6

Trying Thirty-One

Hi Aunties and Uncles! I need you to scold my Daddy! Naughty Daddy has to go to Vietnam again. I am not thrilled about it so I think I am going to ignore him when he tries to talk to me. Mamma is not stimulating company (and I’m stuck with her) since she is so pooped all the time. But the funniest things happen to her now.

This weekend we went to the grocery store with Daddy and Uncle Marisha. Mamma is well known for her fear of germs and bacteria (sadly it is in the genes from her father’s side of the family). She tends to catch a cold just by standing next to a sick person, so I guess she is trying to be careful because of me.

She was in the detergent aisle, and true to form, she didn’t remember what she was looking for. A man with a rather prosperous looking belly stood next to her, sniffling and coughing away so she waddled out of that aisle as fast as she could. Minutes later, she was in the dairy products aisle. The same man came and stood next to her. She backed up to give him room and wound up sandwiched between him and the refrigerator!

Between the size of her stomach and his, she couldn’t get out of the aisle and she was sending Daddy a mental SOS when luckily Uncle Marisha came along and asked her what she was doing stuck in the corner. She was so embarrassed she pointed at her stomach, and the sniffly man realized he had cornered her and he laughed and backed up. When she emerged from the aisle, half the supermarket staff was laughing at her.

So why didn’t she ask the man to move? Mamma, in her dazed state, was so afraid of the germs she didn’t want to talk to the man. She is really so silly these days! She keeps making mistakes. Her cell phone was about to conk off and she was desperately trying to write down the numbers saved on it and she wrote down half the numbers incorrectly! She just can’t seem to do anything right.

It is hard for her to sleep at night and all these hormones are floating around the place, making her head quite foggy. Being at work really is tough on her now but she wants to come in for as long as she can to save her maternity leave to hang out with me! Can’t say I blame her, I’m adorable!

Everyday this week Mamma has swollen feet, an achy back, a ligament pain, and a weird stinging sensation under her right foot. It feels like an insect bit her several times in one spot. After dinner she almost always has heartburn and heart palpitations. She felt better last weekend, but then she got so happy to feel better that she walked too much and was back to square one.

So as you can see, it’s rather entertaining hanging out with Mamma. I’ve been doing my growing thing this week. I did a funny roll and scared my maternal Grandma because she thought I dropped. She is terrified I would come early while Daddy is in Vietnam. I have no such plans. After revealing that I am a girl, the only fun I am having now is keeping everyone on their toes about my arrival date! I’m really going to have fun with that one.

The only thing is Aunty Manji is so excited and waiting to see me and I am torn between playing a joke on everyone and actually arriving in time for her to be able to spend time with me. She can only come for two and a half weeks because all the flights are full. I’ll have to take that into consideration.

The doctor said Mamma and I are doing fine so far so he can’t tell when I’ll choose to be born. If Mamma elects to do or requires a c-section, it can be done anytime after July 20th. He had no explanation for her problem with her foot, but said the swelling was normal so long as her blood pressure remained normal.

Oh, and I’m the right side up (or down depending on how you look at it)! On the way back, Daddy was grinning to himself and telling Mamma ‘isn’t she sweet? I’m so proud of her. 31 weeks and she is already the right side up!’. Mamma thinks he did get misty-eyed! Any one would have thought I got a PhD in here or something. I am a smart cookie but I am in this position because it’s comfy right now. Little does he know that I plan on moving around a lot while I’m still in here!

Please leave some comments for me. I’m going to go take a nap! Write soon! Lots of love, Baby BB 6

Thankfully Thirty

Hi Aunties and Uncles! We’re finally in the thirties! This means if I am on schedule I’ll be here eight to ten weeks from now. But as my cousin Millie says, I am tricky, so you never know when I’ll decide to pop up.

It was kind of boring in here, but this week so many things have happened to me. I’m getting smarter by the day. Believe it or not, my brain was a smooth surface all this time. Now I have all these grooves and ridges on it, just like yours. Brain impulses are traveling faster and that makes me a quick learner—or rather I could be a better learner if Mamma would get her veggies sorted out!

I am pleased to announce also that my bone marrow is finally in charge of the production of my red blood cells. All this time it was being taken care of by tissue groups and then my spleen. I’m becoming more independent by the day! I have also developed reflexes. I can feel pain now too—I’m not so hot on that.

Other than that I while away the time moving around, hiccupping, shoving the bed through Mamma’s belly, kicking a little, making faces and getting excited about Daddy’s voice. I don’t sleep as much as I used to, but when I do, 80% of my sleep is in REM mode.

Oh, and my maternal grandparents arrived from Seattle yesterday! Today for the first time, my grandma felt me move on Mamma’s stomach. She was so happy! The last time she tried, I was much smaller and when I heard her voice I would stop on purpose just to be funny. Yes, I have a naughty sense of humor, but I'm cute enough to make up for it:)

Although I am having fun amusing myself, Mamma is not feeling so good these days. She has found this week at work particularly difficult. By the time she gets home, she is exhausted, her feet are swollen and she suffers with back pain. Daddy rubs it down and it feels better but she is more tired than she has ever been in her life.

At night, she can’t sleep despite her fatigue. It kind of bothers me since she flops around a lot and can’t seem to find a comfy position. By the time she does fall asleep, she has to pee (I’m partially guilty for that) or she wakes up because she has fallen asleep on her back and her heart starts racing.

As a result, she suffers from memory loss and incoherence during the day, making working quite hard. She is also finding herself heavier, making her even more clumsy than before (this is scary since her nickname for herself is Blunder Woman). I’m at the very least 3 pounds 12 ounces now and in addition to that she is lugging around about a pint a half of amniotic fluid. Water retention doesn’t help her either. It’s kind of funny, when she bumps into things because she can’t gage her stomach properly, she bounces right off.

I hope she gets some sleep tonight though! I need her to be with it enough to do my blogs for me! I guess I should go so she can post this for me. Aunty Manji, if you are reading this, I love you and thank you for all the wonderful wonderful things you do for me. I can’t wait to see you. I’ll be talking to Cousin Millie again soon I’m sure. Leave comments for me please! Love Baby BB 6

Tummy-rumbling Twenty-Nine

Hi Aunties and Uncles! I’m getting bigger and bigger in here. If you had Superman x-ray vision to see me, not only would you think I’m adorable, you’d think I’m trying to get jiggy in here. I have more energy and I’m moving around a lot. My movements are stronger since I am much more solid than I was before. Do you know that at least 3.5% of my body weight is fat now? I’m likely to double or triple in size from now until I come out! Good luck to Mamma!

To support my growth spurts, I’ve been requesting anything with dairy from my Mamma. Although she is taking calcium, I think we need more! When she can spare a coherent thought, she spends her time thinking of cereal with milk or icy creamy drinks. I’ve been making her think of a cold iced coffee with whipped cream but she refuses to give me any because of the caffeine and cream. She told me I’ll have to settle for a cold chocolate milkshake at best or some cereal with skim milk. How can she be so strict with a cutie like me?

Any old how, I’m bumping into Mamma’s lungs and I am back to lounging on her bladder, mostly because of my constant movements. At least once a day, she seems out of breath. I can’t help it. I’m not the only one getting bigger. The placenta, my main source of nourshment, is also increasing in size. So with all this growth, even with Mamma’s large hips, there is only so much room in here.

Daddy is doing ok. He is feeling much better but work is hectic for him. He loves that I’m moving so much now. Mamma feels really hot now because of the hormones we are sharing. Her doctor said there is nothing he can do about it. The other day she had the AC and two fans on and still broke into a sweat, which is odd since as some of you know, she never sweats—that’s some sort of weird feature about her.

My growth spurt is also causing Mamma pain on her side again. She is finding it quite hard to come to work since she is feeling tired all the time because she can’t sleep properly at night. She is still getting used to her new size (she can’t see her feet anymore) and dealing with the shift in her center of gravity. Concentrating and remembering things is a major challenge for her now. Then sometimes I am up when she is trying to sleep. Between all this, finding a comfy position to sleep in is hard for her especially since she was advised it’s best to sleep on her side (preferably the left side).

I do something cute when she rolls to her left side—I push my hand out and press through her belly until I can feel the bed. I think that is so much fun! It’s really neat to feel the sensation of touching something solid—well for me at least. Keep in mind that I don’t have much to play with in here—I don’t think Mamma would like it if I did the same thing to her ribs. So when she is on her side, I reach out to touch the mattress and press and press and press away. At first I sensed it made Mamma nervous, but now she is used to it. It does keep her up though.

Oh and the other day, I did such a huge flip, my Mamma’s stomach and hip flipped to the side along with me! So as you can tell I’ve been keeping my parents on their toes (the shape of things to come). Daddy is getting more excited by the day—I’m pretty sure I’ll have him wrapped around my cute little finger. I’ll be here in a little more than ten weeks! I can’t wait to see you all! Until then, please leave some comments for me. Lots of love, Baby BB 6

Tiring Twenty-Eight

Hi Aunties and Uncles! It was an exhausting week for a little baby like me. At the start of the week, Mamma went for a glucose tolerance test. This was not fun for me since she had to fast for ten hours at least—which meant no food for me either! Then she woke up early and got jabbed and had to give a urine sample. She was not counting on the latter and she was not a happy camper because of her phobia of public toilets that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

She was then given glucose to drink, which didn’t thrill either of us, but they were nice enough to put some limejuice in it to camouflage the flavor. I kind of enjoyed it actually—hey, I’m little, after not eating for such a long time, I would have taken anything! They had to repeat the testing in an hour and then in two hours. We were both really drained (no pun intended) after that.

Daddy took us to dim sum for a treat. By the time the food came, it was at least seventeen hours since my last meal (Mamma had to have a shower before going since she thinks hospitals are full of germs). I was hungry and Mamma was tired. When she is tired, I get tired in here. But guess what? I loved, loved, loved dim sum. It was delicious! I hope Mamma and Daddy take me again some time soon. I have been making Mamma think about it lots so the odds are in my favor.

But the really bad part of my week came on Monday. My daddy got really sick. He had gas and was throwing up and didn’t feel good. I sensed all the chaos and I was really restless in here. Mamma knew that he wasn’t telling her everything because he didn’t want to upset her because of me and so in desperation she went next door to call my grandma (daddy’s ma). Daddy’s parents came over in a hurry and before they even got to him, Grandma had to throw up!

After much ado, later my Mamma thought she would ask her aunt Punchi (my Mamma’s mom’s sister) for help (she couldn’t call her parents since they are in Seattle with my sweet cousins Millie and KR). She tested Daddy by asking if he would like my uncle (Punchi’s husband) to take him to the doctor. She knew if he was really feeling very sick he would agree, otherwise he would never get them to leave their house so late at night.

In the end Punchi, Mamma’s uncle and cousin rushed over. Punchi stayed home with Mamma and Mamma’s uncle and cousin took Daddy to the hospital and stayed with him. I was really restless the entire time—so much so that I was making Mamma’s nightdress flop around. When they came back it turned out that Daddy had contracted some sort of viral flu so he had to stay in a different room from me and Mamma. This made me sad, but I settled down once I heard his voice again—I am his little girl after all!

But not to worry, Mamma stayed home with Daddy and now he is feeling much better. Daddy made it to work today and things are more or less normal now. They were concerned that if Mamma gets sick it would be very bad for me since fever and vomiting are not so good for someone my size. Right now my brain has formed so much so that I can actually feel pain, warmth and cold. They don’t want me to suffer.

In happier news, I discovered I like Mozart—well his faster pieces at least. Daddy introduced me to him. He is hoping to teach me about classical music and art. He explained some pieces to me, but my memory is only just starting to kick in so I can’t really retain all that information yet. Mamma is getting tired again as I get bigger and her ankles are really huge after work sometimes. She calls it her Frau Brunhilda look for some reason.

That’s about it for this week. As you can see I’m pooped. I’m glad things have settled down. Time for me to take a nap—you know now I can dream! That’s pretty cool. Please leave some comments for me. Please don’t worry, everything is fine now. Lots of love, Baby BB 6

Telling Twenty-Seven

Hi Aunties and Uncles, boy do I wish I had a drum roll for this one. I have two very exciting announcements. Please bring your noses closer to the screen. Number one, Mamma is on her third trimester this week! Yippee! Number two, the moment we have all been waiting for is upon us—my parents finally know my gender! Any guesses? I am an adorable baby girl, bouncing soon to a lap near you: )

Now that we got all that out of the way, let me tell you about my week. Obviously, my parents took me for a scan. Mamma was strongly urging me to cooperate. Of course I decided to cling onto the umbilical cord with my legs again (at which point both Mamma and the doctor nearly slapped their respective heads). After a little shoving by the doctor and a lot of pleading by my Mamma I relented and let them sneak a peek.

Daddy was so excited by the whole process he was oblivious to the doctor's efforts and was squinting away since he couldn’t make sense of anything on the scan. He was trying to see my face in the middle of all of this! Well you know, if he could see me, he would have had a pretty good sneak preview of what I would look like when I come out. My face now looks like it would at birth, well maybe it’s slightly thinner right now.

I weigh about two and a half pounds at the moment. I am supposed to put on some fat to keep me warm as the weeks go by. My skin is all wrinkly because I’m constantly soaked in fluid, but that doesn’t make me any less cute, does it? Don't worry, you won't be stuck with a baby prune, I'll fill up the wrinkles as the weeks go by.

After holding everyone in suspense about my gender for laughs, I’m quite bored now that I have let everyone in on my little secret. Things here are progressing slowly now. In my spare time I find myself sucking my thumb. It helps strengthen my jaw muscles. That and I'm a baby, that's what we do:)

Last week I told you that my eyes opened up. Now my retina is developing its’ normal layers. My lungs, liver and immune system are still fine tuning themselves, and the lanugo (fine downy hair that covered all my body all this time) is starting to come off in places. I have developed a sleeping pattern.

Sometimes my parents see me doing lots of movements. It’s kind of funny because they get all excited thinking I’m doing some aerobics in here or something equally tantalizing, but guess what? What I am really doing hiccupping. That happens once a day almost since I tend to swallow too much amniotic fluid at times.

Daddy gets a thrill when Mamma calls me “Daddy’s little girl”--it's true that's what I am! He kept looking longingly at my ultrasound pictures (although they just look like blobs of various shades of gray). Mamma can’t wait to see me either. She is very happy to have a daughter! Can't blame her, I am so loveable!

So as you can see I have had an exciting week for someone so little! I hope you are all doing well and please leave some comments for me. I really need to think up something interesting to do in here! Any tips are welcome! Lots of love, Baby BB (girl) 6

Thumping Twenty-Six

Hi Aunties and Uncles! It’s not even lunchtime yet and already I have had a trying day. I was all cozy tucked up in Mamma’s belly but there was so much thunder this morning I kept waking up. The claps of thunder were so loud that car alarms were going off in the distance.

Of course, dainty Mamma fell down the stairs since they were wet and landed on her bum with a big thump. I was jostled and slightly annoyed since I was just settling down again. Mamma was rather upset about it since she was actually watching her step. But everything is ok and she’ll go for a scan to check me out.

Onto more interesting news… I am pleased to announce that my eyelids are no longer fused shut. They have opened and I had my first look at things. It was exciting for about five seconds and grew old soon because, really, there is nothing much to look at inside a belly. It's exciting nonetheless, and I’m enjoying this new sensation commonly known to you as blinking.

My lungs have formed branches called bronchi, but they still have a long ways to go in terms of development. Even though I appear to already be quite the genius, my brain and neurons are continuing to grow, making me an even smarter little cutie.

Mamma and Daddy went to Lamaze classes this weekend, where they learnt lots about how to bring me into this world safely and how to take care of me from then on. Whew. That’s a relief! They quite enjoyed the class and even signed up for one more that deals with psychology (feel free to insert jokes here).

I should go since I need to save some energy to give Mamma some kicks today. Otherwise, because of her fall, she will be worried. Her doctor told her to make sure she feels me today. Daddy will probably sing some more. That always gets me jiving! My favorite song is “Old McDonald”. I particularly love the part where he sings about ducks and Daddy goes ‘quack quack’. That gives me the giggles!

Alright, Aunties and Uncles, I’ll talk to you again soon. Please leave some comments for me. Love, Baby BB 6

Ta-da Twenty-Five

Hi Aunties and Uncles! Ta-Da! We are almost done with the second trimester. Isn’t time flying? I wish you could see me now. I weigh a little more than a pound and a half (so Mamma, when you get on that scale at your appointment tomorrow, remind Daddy, some of that extra weight is me—the rest must be those Oreos you’ve been eyeing).

I’m absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself. That lean mean look is gone and I’m packing on fat, looking more and more like the cute little cherub my Aunty Manji is envisioning me to be. So Aunties and Uncles, feel free to imagine me cooing in your arms looking all chubby and charming and what not at this point. I shall be nice to you and not pee, poop or spit on you since you are taking time out to read my blogs and I think that’s sweet.

There are other changes going on in here. My nostrils were plugged up all this time and they are starting to open up little by little since I’m still practicing my breathing. I’m inhaling amniotic fluid right now—don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds. My bone centers are hardening and I’m growing stronger. So good job on the calcium intake Mamma! If I had more room I’d practice some kung-fu fighting or do the quick step in here!

I’m also no longer a fickle little fetus. My memory is getting better and I can get used to a routine. I sleep in the afternoons and wake up when Daddy comes home and sings to me (yes, the poor guy is learning some nursery rhymes that don’t involve babies falling from trees or teapots on fire). You should have seen his face when Mamma told him ‘Ring a Round of Rosies’ was about the plague!

Mamma and Daddy enjoy seeing me move on her stomach. That is their after work/before dinner ritual. I am responding to them, but also I am fluttering around because I am slowly starting to rotate to get ready for my birth. Yes, I have to flip myself the right side up (or down I suppose) because I’m debuting in about 14 weeks actually! Aren’t you excited? Once Daddy heard my heartbeat when he put his ear to Mamma’s stomach, but his subsequent attempts failed since Mamma’s digestive system was way louder than my heartbeat! It’s quite noisy in here!

Mamma for the moment is feeling better in terms of tiredness. After work her ankles are swollen and then at night her back hurts and the ligament pain comes back, but she can live with it. She is starting to wonder about birth plans. Of course part of that is up to me. I might decide to come early or I might have to be taken out for whatever reason. I don’t think she’s keen on the whole pain aspect of labor or a C-section. Hmm. Hopefully, when she sees me, it will all be worth it : )

Ok dear folks, I must run. Going back to practicing breathing, trying to flip to the right side, and reminding Mamma that it’s almost lunch time (a good kick to the nearest organ does the trick). I can’t wait to talk to you again soon. Please leave some comments for me. Lots of love, Baby BB 6

Touchy Twenty-four

Hi Aunties and Uncles! This has been an interesting week both in my outside world and in utero! I’m growing quite fast, packing on about 6 ounces a week from now on. I’m about fourteen inches long now! Aren’t you proud of me?

The only thing is now things are starting to get slightly more cramped, even though I hear I’m lucky to have such spacious accommodations (Mamma’s larger than life hips). I can no longer do my somersaults, but I am doing a lot of fidgeting, thumb sucking, and stretching. I can even touch my feet with my hands and clench my fists if I want to!

Over the weekend, I just couldn’t get comfy and so I was stretching all over the place. I guess that made Mamma all anxious since she was trying to go to bed so Daddy sang me my very first lullaby! Well, he started with ‘Rock a Bye Baby’ and he caught Mamma’s eye on the line about the baby falling from a treetop and tried to change the lyrics. He settled on ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ after that. What he doesn’t know is that Mamma tries to sing ‘Hush Little Baby’ in the shower quite often.

Oh, and you will love this story, if you are a Hallmark/Kodak moment sort that is—yesterday my parents for the very first time saw me moving! Yes, you read right, they saw my movements on top of Mamma’s belly. They were thrilled to bits! Ok, at one point Mamma thought it was freaky because I made a motion that to her looked like I made a square shape around her belly button. I was just trying to get comfy! But they were so delighted. Tiny things make them happy. They were even hoping I’d move some more, but I’m only little—I have only so much energy.

Time seems to be flying. I think it’s only about sixteen more weeks for you to meet me, unless I decide to come out earlier. Most of my organs are completely formed—all except my lungs. I have surfactant now. That is surface activated fat that helps my air sacs during inflation. I am practicing my breathing techniques in here, although all I’m sucking in is amniotic fluid.

I’m an adorable little baby, but my skin is wrinkly, pinkish and transparent. Over the next few weeks fat will deposit under my skin and ‘fill me out’. My face looks more or less like it will when I am born. And gasp, I am developing sweat glands!

So as you can see, it’s been a busy week for me. I have to go now since Mamma had her second tetanus vaccine yesterday. Her arm is sore and I think she is tired of typing for me. I’ll catch up with you next week. Until then, please leave some comments for me—last week was just too quiet! By the way, Aunty Shal and Uncle Velan, thanks for visiting me! You two rock! I can’t wait to meet you again—neither can Mamma. Lots of love, Baby BB 6

Temperate Twenty-Three

Hi Aunties and Uncles! Daddy is back! Well, after the last blog, Daddy called and said he had to stay in Vietnam for two more days and I was really sad. I was so bummed out that I didn’t even bother to kick Mamma in protest. He spoke to me while Mamma held the phone to her belly but it didn’t help much. Not to worry, I bounced right back after a nap. Someone my size can retain information or hold a grudge only for so long.

Mamma was in a lot of pain all week, and she had two exams to study for in addition to dealing with the drama that was residual from last week, so I decided to be a good little fetus. She was waddling around grandma and grandpa’s house because she couldn’t walk properly due to the pain in her side. It turns out it was just a ligament pain since everything is expanding to accommodate me. I’m just growing at a rate!

Daddy came back on Sunday night and rubbed Mamma’s belly as soon as he walked in and told me he missed me. I kind of ignored him a little, just to play tough. What does he think abandoning someone cute like me for so long? Mamma was more relaxed since she finished her exams. She made a deal with me not to sit on her bladder while she was sitting for them and I obliged—after all, she is taking these exams so that she can spend more time with me when I come out into this world.

Mamma, Daddy and I spent two days in Dambulla, at the Kandalama hotel. Mamma and I have never been there, and of course I couldn’t see what was going on, but the vibes were good. Mamma and Daddy actually relaxed and ate yummy food. They said they could see Sigiriya rock from their room. Daddy ate a little too much and threw up though. I am also pleased to announce that I was very well behaved and didn’t go near Mamma’s bladder and she made it there and back without having to run into a bush to pee in. As funny as the sight of that would be, I thought I’d give my old lady a break.

After we came back, Mamma and Daddy picked up some furniture they got made for my room. It sounds quite exciting. Apparently they got me some chairs that look like giraffes and zebras! Mamma is hoping that I will be an animal lover just like she is. Daddy is spending his free time trying to find some names for me.

Other than that nothing much is going on . I’m just getting bigger and bigger. My senses are all fine tuning themselves. I do not like loud noises at all! I’m off to do some twisting and turning. Big hugs to you all! Please leave comments for me: ) Love, Baby BB 6