20 weeks and change

I had my 20 week appointment this morning - everything is going pretty well. I made up for not gaining any weight the month before and gained SIX pounds this past month. I think I'm up to a total weight gain of about 9 pounds. My doctor spared me a needle poke for hemoglobin this time but said she'll have to do it again next month. I'm already taking about 500% of the normal recommended amount, I really don't want to take any more. She also noticed in my ultrasound pictures that I have a low lying placenta. I've learned this is fairly common at this stage in pregnancy, although if it doesn't resolve itself it will be problematic down the road. It complicates labor for a variety of reasons, so a doctor will generally plan for a c-section instead. I really hope it resolves itself before I get that far. I'll probably get another ultrasound later so she can keep an eye on it. Heartbeat was strong at 150 bpm. We're over halfway there!

Ava and I had our first movie night tonight, something I'm going to plan each week. We had a McDonald's picnic in the backyard and then watched "The Aristocats". Ava really digs the OLD Disney movies and this was no exception. I hadn't ever seen it before either - it was cute!

I talked to Scot this afternoon - they finally made it to Bagram today. He was just getting settled in room and getting ready for bed (he's 9.5 hours ahead of CST). He has a morning full of briefings tomorrow and then can start flying in country as early as Sunday. He should be able to fire up his laptop in the next day or two. If you're interested in sending him any type of real mail, his address is:

774 EAS OPS
APO/AE 09354

Last night Ava and I had sort of a rough night - we were both pretty crabby...anwyay, things improved during bathtime and getting ready for bed. We ended the night on a good note, reading, snuggling and singing. Her latest fave is "Jingle Bells" - it's my fault. But who doesn't love a good Christmas song? It's ALMOST time for Christmas music, isn't it? Anyway, I tucked her in and all was right with the world. Afterwards, I checked the mail and found that her Daddy Doll had arrived! I had ordered it just about 2 weeks ago, so was surprised to find it at our home so soon (the website said 4-6 weeks). It's basically a picture of Scot on cloth pillow, shaped around his body. I couldn't wait until morning, so I opened the door to Ava's room and told her I had a surprise for her. You should have seen her eyes light up at the sight of Daddy on a doll! The first thing she said was, "I love his boots." And then, "I love his face." She hugged him tightly and was a very happy little girl. Kind of wish I had one too...