Growing

Usually, when I don't write for a few days, it's because we're spending so much time outside, or because I'm asleep (or wishing that I am).* I feel okay most of the time, but I'm always T-I-R-E-D. This baby does also get the nausea prize, compared to my others, though. However, I have gained a ton of weight, just because eating seems to help keep my stomach calm. Quite a few of our friends around the world are pregnant now, and I know some of them are having trouble gaining weight. Anyone want some of mine? Lara wrote that she had only gained x number of pounds (I won't betray any secrets); I had already gained that many kilograms, and she's more than a month ahead of me! I did have a sonogram last Tuesday that proved there's only one baby, a very healthy one. Too early to tell boy or girl, which is good, because we like that to be a surprise.

Jaan and Raia are growing right along with their little sibling, of course. I think Raia's trying to keep up with me on weight gain! We finally started getting fresh milk again, and now their favorite play is that they are cows. When Raia sees me bring the bottle of "milk from cows" out of the refrigerator, she moos. Most of the time they crawl around and refuse to answer to any name other than Cow. There's also a variation of the game called Scary Cows where they put on hats and other dress up, and zoom around on hands and knees, moo-roaring. Jaan's developing quite an imagination, and he'll sit for ages talking out stories with whatever props he can find: spoons, cars, pencils, etc. Raia moving from a toddler into a preschooler, and she loves puzzles, sorting, "counting" (аз, два, аз, два, аз, ТРИ!), and any kind of art project. Jaan's starting to memorize Bible verses, and I noticed that when one of his recent ones was read in church, Raia spontaneously starting doing the hand motions to go with it!

And of course, we're outside a lot. Our primroses are really starting to bloom, and the tulips are coming up well. They're not even to the stage where there are buds, but that should be soon. I have not done well with seeds at all this year. None of those dahlias I was so excited about came up. I just haven't been able to find much from my favorite seed brand, and that seems to make a big difference. Monday we found "fluffy" dahlias from the company I like. (That's the wrong brand, but the right one doesn't have a picture.) I like simple better than "fluffy," but these new ones are already sprouting! Pretty soon it will be warm enough to transplant my few successful seedlings to the flower beds, and a neighbor has agreed to let us move some flowers from her garden, too.


*I've written this over the past few days. Monday we were outside almost all day. Tuesday our internet card ran out. Yesterday and most of today an "accident on the line" at our internet provider was keeping us offline.