Sea Monkey @ 32 Weeks

Clearly, there has been too much going on. Over these unwritten weeks, this baby girl-to-be has come to be affectionately known as Sea Monkey. In May, we learned she'd be a girl. We got the chance to "see" her (as well as one can through layers of muscle, skin, tissue, and organs) and learned she'd have internal plumbing.

At 32 weeks along, we are seven, maybe eight weeks from this little one's arrival. I prefer the sound of two months at this moment, only because it gives me some time to get ready for her yet--and only in the sense of making way for her in the room she'll share with Tate, who needs to get into a big boy bed before Sea Monkey arrives.

Last night, she had the hiccups. With my hand resting on The Belly, she was kicking Monica hard enough that we could see her feet and knees moving across Monica's tightening skin. Then she had a series of regular little spasms that, it turns out, are late gestational hiccups. At this point, Sea Monkey is just about four pounds, and she may be as long as seventeen inches by the end of this week. She spends time blinking and looking around. She can make grabbing movements and funny faces. She's practicing breathing, peeing and listening to what is going on around her now, too.

Tate is fascinated by her, wondering when and where she is, and when she'll come out to play with him. He's very sweet, giving The Belly hugs and kisses at night after stories and songs. He'll be a good big brother, I'm certain.