I saw a woman today sitting in the driver's side of a truck, and her seat vertically bisected the driver's side window. I did not realize that any car came with the capability of sitting that close to the steering wheel. She seriously must have had this altered specifically for her. It was kind of a funny sight, and I wish I had taken a picture because words don't do it justice.

I was sitting at the table with Liam as he painted the other day. Andy came downstairs and said "you're painting!" He looks at Andy with this distraught look on his face, pointed to himself and said his name, "Yii-ahh!" Liam thought Andy was renaming him "painting," and for that moment, his entire sense of identity came crashing down around him. It was cute.

He has started saying "poopie" immediately before he goes. It's pretty helpful, but as tempting as it is to stick him on the potty for fun, I'm not planning on potty-training until he's at least 2 1/2 or a few months after. I'm hoping that he'll see his classmates using the bathroom at day care and start giving us signs that he is ready at some point when he reaches that age. I'm not exactly sure what signifies "readiness" (I guess I have to start reading up), but I don't want to push him until it's something he is motivated to do (I guess I don't feel I have anything to prove).

I think diapers are highly underrated anyway. They're so easy...if your kid needs to go in the middle of the store, he just does. You don't have to drop everything you're doing and head off to find a bathroom. You don't have to pull over to a rest stop. Or change sheets at night. They're great - as a parent, they just become second-nature.

One interesting point that I read in a potty-training book I was flipping through was that kids these days have no incentive to get ready for potty training because diapers are made so well that they're not particularly uncomfortable when wet. I don't have any plans to switch to cloth anytime ever, but I thought it was a good point.

Man, I really thought that I was out of the woods on some of my old pregnancy side effects, but everything's back in full force! My toothpaste aversion has ramped up in the past couple of weeks to the point where I'm gagging on my toothbrush now. Ohh I love it. That lasted the whole pregnancy last time, so I guess I should just get used to it! I might try kids' Crest because it may not be quite so minty.

My tummy has also become fluttery over the course of the week. I started feeling Liam at 15 weeks as well, but it took me a couple weeks after that to start believing that's what it was. It seemed so early. It started out fluttery, then kind of thumpy, and eventually evolved into all-out kicks that, by 20 or 21 weeks, Andy could feel as well. This time, there's no mistaking what's going on in there! I can't decide whether it's cool or creepy. A little of both, maybe. It's kind of surreal - there is ACTUALLY another baby in there.

I think I am still having trouble believing that. Now that I know how much havoc a baby can wreak on your life (in a positive way, of course), it's really hard to imagine going through that initial upheaval again. I just can't imagine loving a child like I love Liam, and I can't imagine a child looking or acting anything other than how Liam looks and acts. Of course, the day will come when I'll be like "how could I have ever NOT known what this baby would be like, or what life is like without him or her in it?"

I'm enjoying having my pregnancy buddies along for the ride! I have a friend and a cousin both due at the beginning of May and another friend due within days of me. It's fun comparing notes and sending whiny text messages :)

Of course, I don't ever whine...do I??

I've felt obligated to update the blog since it had been so long. Of course, all the things I wanted to blog about escaped me, so the above is what you get! Have a very Merry Christmas!