Baby Kang Weyant in Utero

In the beginning... A 3-D ultrasound picture at 11 weeks. When Kate was in my belly, we didn't have this technology available to us. My OB said, "she looks like you, Mom!" The perinatologist asked us who we thought she looked like here. "Um...a puppy?" We brought Kate with us to our 24-week scan last friday, thinking she'd really enjoy seeing her new Baby Sister. Boy, were we wrong. Kate was freaked out by the doctor squeezing jelly on my belly and pushing "the speaker phone" all over it. "I thought he was hurting you," she told me later. She cowered in her chair, refusing to look up until Chris whipped out a jolly rancher. "It tastes like blueberries!" I'm sure Kate also didn't appreciate the fuss and attention we were giving to the baby on the monitor. She sat on the examining table beside me to make sure I was all right, but refused to face the monitor. She choose to distract her Appa from watching instead, making him miss the entire exam. Luckily, we got a DVD of it so I could show Chris that night.

Her right hand has all five fingers and she has no cleft palate, according to the doctor. Apparently, she looks a little like E.T. here because computer artifacts distort the image... or maybe the doctor was just trying to be nice.

The blob on the left is the umbilical cord bunched up next to her face.

After this photo was taken, we saw her waving her hands around and trying to get her fingers into her mouth to suck. Just like Kate! According to the doctor, the baby is right on track. Her organs, spine, bones, etc. all look healthy and normal. Hooray! A few days after the exam, Kate said, "Momma, Dolly wants the baby in your belly to go away. I'm sorry about that, but that's what she said. She doesn't like it and wants it to go away." Chris and I told her it was normal for her to feel that way, but that she'd one day love having a sister.

Later, Kate said she "talked to Dolly and she feels better now." Kate's been having baby dreams almost every night, some "bad dreams" and some good ones. I'm sure they will continue as we approach October. I'm hoping the stack of "Big Sister" picture books I got from the library will help.

Pool Days

Since preschool ended, the Kang Weyants have been spending almost every afternoon cooling off in the pool. Kate's wariness of the water has all but dissipated this year, as Chris had wisely anticipated. Now all she wants to do is jump off the side of the pool. A proud Kate. An even prouder Appa. Kate definitely gets her cheeks from the Weyant side.

"I'm chilly, Momma!"

Time for a relaxing ride on the Appa line.

Another jump!

Apres-swim, Kate put on her crocs herself.

And was wondering why they felt uncomfortable.

The other day, Kate went for her 4-year check up. Of course, I promised her there would be "no shots," only for the nurse to come in moments later and administer three gigantic booster shots as well as a finger prick. Poor Kate. Even a lollipop wouldn't calm her down. Luckily, pancakes and an ice cream sundae at a nearby restaurant did.

Our girl is now a strapping 34 lbs and 38.5 inches tall! A peanut, just like her Mom and Dad.

Face Painting with Appa

While big-bellied Momma took a desperately-needed nap, Appa and Kate found ways to occupy themselves. Not surprisingly, Chris was a very willing canvas. Appa Cat and Daughter Cat. Kate felt she also needed flip-flops...and an ankle bracelet...and a band-aid. This image gave me a flash-forward of Kate as a pre-teen spending hours on her toenails. Over the past month, we've been slowing collecting baby gear for Kate's sister, making Kate very happy to have new toys to play with. "Before the baby comes, my dollies can use it, right?"

Happy Father's Day, Chris!

To show our appreciation to Chris, and the 1,000,001 ways he is the most wonderful father and husband we could ever wish for, Kate and l let him sleep in and served him breakfast in bed. Kate presented him with coffee, an asparagus frittata with a side of whole-wheat toast and Blue Agave Sweetener and fresh-picked berries from our day at the farm. Small recompense to a man who spent the previous day and night painting the entire kitchen! Yes, that's right, Chris is Super Dad! After presenting Dad with a new, non-analog TV for his office (a gift Chris was completely expecting after Kate matter-of-factly told him about it days earlier), and a couple of vintage baseball T-shirts, we did some baby-nesting around the house, and then headed to the pool. Kate has matured tremendously over the past year, her wariness of the water having all but disappeared. Huzzah! Hopefully, her swim lessons next month will be just as fun and happy as pool time with Appa. "Momma, are you in there?"

Towards the end of the day, while Kate was dancing and singing, "Domo arigatoo, Mr. Roboto," Chris turned to me and said, "These are the salad days. Let's never forget."

I couldn't agree more.

Happy Father's Day to Chris, Halabugi, Pop-Pop, Emil Samcheon, and Uncle Glenn! We love you all!

My Prenatal Yoga Partner

The other day, I told Kate I was going to do some yoga, and she happily joined in. "These women have babies in their bellies like you, Momma!" Kate does a mean downward dog. Kate trying to figure out where her hips are, and which way is counter-clockwise. Fifteen minutes later it was, "Let's do something else now, Momma." But I'll take what I can get.

22 Weeks and Growing...

We've reached the 22-week mark with Kate's Baby Sister, aka, "Rose Luca Gabby Mulan Weyant." Chris and I have been taking periodic photos to document my ever-expanding belly. This time, Kate proudly did the honors of holding up the sign. Me illustrating to Kate how enormous I feel. Unfortunately, I'm almost twice the size I was with Kate at 22 weeks. Gulp. They're going to have to lift me out the window in a harness at 40 weeks. Kate giving Baby Sister a big zzzrbrrt. "Did she hear that??" Let the nesting begin!

The Many Uses of Costco Toilet Paper

Whenever Chris brings back a year's supply of toilet paper from Costco, he tosses each roll up to Kate at the top of the stairs and she catches it and squirrels them away in all corners of the house for the winter.

This time, however, their most recent toilet paper routine spiraled into bowling-kickball-dodgeball madness.

I thought this was an appropriate shot to end with. Yes, this is a very classy blog.