They say...

... the second trimester of pregnancy brings about the end of the nausea as well as a burst of energy. While I'm glad to say the nausea is mostly gone, I'm still waiting on that energy! Not only do I feel sapped about 30 minutes after I wake up, if I am still for more than 5 minutes, I get up hardly able to move because I'm so stiff. I'm trying to eat more healthy foods (rather than the junk I've been craving), drink more water (oddly enough, water made me nauseous for the first few months), and hoping for some nicer weather so we can go for walks more often. Perhaps these things will renew my energy a bit.

Ava says some of the funniest things - I suppose all kids her age tend to repeat phrases they've heard, but use them out of context or just say strange things, but when it's YOUR little person saying them, they are especially endearing. And, perhaps they're only funny to me and Mark, but I'll share some anyway. Often, when I ask her if she knows where something is, she'll reply with a "yes." My follow-up of, "Where?" is met with a, "It must be around here somewhere." She sometimes will know where the object in question is, so I continue to ask, but I now come to expect the, "it must be around here somewhere" response. She's also started saying, "I love everyone." I don't know if this is to cover the bases without actually having to list everyone, but it comes at the most random times and we wonder what in her little head prompts her to remind us of her all-encompassing love. Mark compared it to one of those dolls with a string you pull that says random phrases. If they ever make an Ava doll with a pull string, "I love everyone" will be her phrase.

Carter also never stops making us laugh. A few weeks ago, I watched a little girl his age for a few hours. Her parents had only been gone maybe 30 seconds before Carter was throwing his arms around her. She looked startled. Next thing I know he's trying to kiss the poor terrified girl. I quickly rescued her. He's starting to say more words. Mark worked with him quite some time on "please." Now that he can say it, I can't get enough. I have to make sure to get in on tape as I love hearing him ask, "Peeeeese?" Another thing I've been trying to get on tape is his sad face. While he's happy and content most all the time, when he gets upset, it's instant and, for lack of a better word, BIG (and yet still somehow adorable... not good!). I honestly cannot figure out how he is able to contort his face into such a huge frown. This is as close as I've been able to come (usually because his pouting rarely lasts long and I can't get the camera on and picture taken before he's done).