28 Weeks + Signing Papers

This has been a busy week for our little expanding family. On Monday, Kevin and Ember and I went to officiate what has been our daily life almost since she was born – Kevin’s name is now on her birth certificate. We met with a judge and Kevin has formally adopted her.

It included a handful of jelly beans, wandering through every cubicle in the chancery court office to say hello, and speaking with a judge.

While we are excited to have completed this final step of paperwork, our daily lives are no different and neither of us wanted it to be a Big Deal. Kevin has ALWAYS been Ember’s dad. Her name isn’t changing.

Monday was the same as Sunday. But, of course, we also know that down the road it will be an important step to have taken for her, and that makes us all happy to have everything finalized and “official.”

On Tuesday, we went for Zora’s 28 week appointment including the gestational diabetes test and another ultrasound to check on her fluid levels (an issue we had with Ember) and her size.

She wasn’t being terribly cooperative and all we could get was a beautiful photo of one of her feet.

She, much like Ember, is in a breech position and is measuring small (13th percentile). While at this point with Ember everyone FLIPPED OUT and I was rushed to the high risk doctor, things seem less panicked for Zora. There’s a high possibility that I just make small people (shocking to no one). There’s also a chance that there is reason to be concerned because of the current measurements.

At this point, we’re just going to wait and watch and see how she grows between now and 32 weeks when we will have another ultrasound. I’ll head back to the doctor in two weeks (30 weeks) for a general check in. I’ve been encouraged to eat more protein and focus on giving kiddo all the best things to work with (yes I had a salad today for lunch and veggies the day before). It does not particularly help that I’m not hungry at all the majority of the time and when I am it’s mostly for things like popsicles.

We got Zora’s crib delivered on Wednesday (at this point when they asked if we’d like to have it delivered and assembled for an extra charge we said YES PLEASE) so things feel more and more real daily.

Ember talks about Baby Zora often and seems excited that she will be with us soon. In fact, while rolling around in Baby Zora’s new crib, Ember set down her favorite giraffe paci, April, and said “April for Zora!” I told her Zora would have her own paci, but that it was very sweet for Ember to offer to share.

While we’ve been working on potty training for Ember since Memorial Day weekend, neither of us are interested in trying to break her of her paci habits (currently in the car and in bed only) until after Zora is here and we are settled into our new 4 Person Family Life. I can’t imagine the struggle of having Ember give her pacis up and then have to have Zora’s all over the place. I think it will come when it comes, but we refuse to stress about it between now and then.

She hugs my belly and constantly lifts my shirt to show people when they ask about her little sister. “Mommy’s tummy!” is her response and “big sister!” when anyone asks.