Day ~111
Week 16!

I have emerged from wedding madness!

My brother launched into life as a husband this weekend, and it was beautiful. I love him so much. It was surreal watching him say his vows and slip a ring onto his finger and kiss the girl who makes him so very happy, in front of 100 cheering fans.

The bad news is that I came down with a horrible, hacking cold the night before. After two gallons of hot tea with lemon, I managed to get my voice back just enough to do my reading - a lovely Paul L'Herrou poem - and give an impromptu, teary speech. I even went to the after party in my cute maternity jeans and peasant blouse, and stayed out until 1a.m. I may be pregnant, but I can still hang with the hip crowd! It took it's toll, however, and I spent yesterday in my pajamas. The cough is the worst part - it's dry, and deep, and it strains all the ligaments down there, and makes me pee. My ab muscles are so sore ...

The wedding also meant that I have had two grandmas and my sweet 11 year old cousin in town. I think my uterus loved all the female company, because in three days it seriously must have grown rounder by three inches!! There was major, unquestionable growth going on in there (and out here!). It feels more taut from the outside, my belly button is stretching horizontally, and my appetite suddenly went down - either from lessened room, or from the cold, I'm not sure. But I feel full really fast, and my old t-shirts don't cover me up anymore!

At Trader Joe's yesterday, a mama with a little girl rolled their cart by, and the mama said, "Look sweetie, that lady has a baby in her tummy!" I was stunned - somehow, my brain still think that this is something only I can see.

And yet ... I think I felt movement this morning?!?! I'm not certain, but for just moment when I started eating my cereal, there was a very subtle rippling feeling, like the surface of a lake when a fish swims, fast, just underneath the surface ...

My cousin E is in love with the idea that I am having a baby. She likes to rub my belly and talk to the baby, and has a whole list of names she's decided on already. She is also campaigning to live with us - as long as we will get cable TV and let her paint "her" room yellow.

I got the go-ahead from my doc to schedule our ultrasound ... four more weeks!! We have bets on boy vs girl - so far, the girl votes are winning, but K's sister is thinking boy. She say's I'm carrying the way she did with her son. Gram says girl, though, and she tends to be right. DTB and I are putting our guesses into an envelope that we'll open after the appt.