Going...going....

....GONE!

That's what happened to last week! I don't know how, but it flew by. I'm grateful, too, because it was a hard one.

We hit 26 weeks yesterday. Luke is moving around so much. My journal said the other night that between 24-28 weeks, he'd seem the most active. Yep. And he's strong. I may have already said it, but Matthew moved all day long, just not as strongly. Luke doesn't move all day long (but often!!!!) and he's strong. His movements are more pronounced and seemingly purposed. Very different but still reminiscent.

We have less than 12 weeks. We're going to have pictures done in about a week and a half. Two weeks after that is the Marine Corps Ball. Two weeks after that is Luke's party. The following week brings family and Thanksgiving and Matthew's birthday. Two and a half weeks after that, Pensacola Girls start filing in for a wonderful visit. The week after that is Christmas. The week after that is New Year's Eve and then a few days later, we'll be delivering Luke.

Makes my head spin. And Luke flip.

All in all, we're doing well. Luke still loves his food and insists I eat a ton, but I have not gained and actually gone back a pound. I'm about 110ish for the most part, but have been dipping into 109/108 all week. Nowhere NEAR the swelling that I had with Matthew...in fact, no swelling, really, except my face is filling out a hair more. Waist holds at 37-38 inches, depending on Luke's positioning and the belly button is more out but still only half-way out. I'm sure it's going to be all the way soon.

Sleep is inconsistent...some nights are better than others, but I'll take any I can get. The worst right now is my hip pain. Sacroiliac to be specific. It's not sciatica, and I pretty much figured that because I don't have any symptoms. It's SI and it stinks because my hips are so stiff and sore, I can barely walk some days!!! My chiropractor and I were talking about the damage control he does, and I wish there was some way to let my hips know there's no need to spread since we are doing a c-section. Alas...not the case. I think it's funny that something called relaxin may make some things relax but it does NOT relax any pain! The cramping from last week was definitely round ligament, and the problem with taking it easy to lessen that is that it makes my hips stiff and hurt more. So, I do what I can, when I can and that's just as good as it is going to be.

We will more than likely be moving back to North Carolina in June. It's about 99% set. I'm excited because there are so many people I still love and miss there....and I've always loved NC. It's just going to be a lot of organizing, a lot of work, a lot of people here in Maryland that will be very missed. (Not to mention, how will I 'do' Maryland from NC?)

Mostly, I'll miss being close to my sweet boy's resting place. And his home. And his room. And everything that pretty much comprised his whole existence.

But I really think God's been trying to prepare me for something and I've prayed, prayed, prayed it was not anything to do with Luke. So, if this is it--well, I'll take it.

No pictures this week of Luke; that's next Monday. Tomorrow is our glucose test but being hypoglycemic, I'm not worried. Here's a picture of us at 26 weeks. The weather is just, just, just beautiful!

This is in front of Matthew's Camellia from his Kyrgyzstan friends. It's getting ready to bloom shortly and has recovered fairly nicely from the deer finding it yummy all summer.