19 weeks already.  Sheez, next week I will be "officially" half way done baking July Baby.  I say "officially" as Lauren came nearly two weeks early, so if July does too, it will be June baby and I am already over the halfway mark.  Only flaw in that logic is that I think July is a boy and the  boys in the family are born on the 1st, and over a month early seems too much, so it would be July 1st, which would still be a week and a bit early, so yeah, halfway!  Baby his doing great.  Last appt I the heart rate was 150bpm, and active.  I can feel pushes, and kicks, although Nathan thinks he might have I am not sure if he has or not.  Lauren's placenta was in the front and low, so it took longer for him to be able to feel her move.  We have our 20-week ultrasound on Feb 23rd, and we will get some update pictures!  They did an early Group B Strep culture and it was positive so I am on a hefty dose of anti-biotics again, but it actually makes me feel a bit of relief, even as much as I hate taking anti-biotics, it is worth it!

Lauren is growing like a morning glory vine in the height of summer, FAST!  She is a climber for sure.  The other day she apparently wanted something on top of her dresser so she pushed her rocking snail against the wall under her window climbed it, climbed into the window and was caught standing with one foot in the window sill one hand holding on tight to the window, and the other hand and foot headed toward the open dresser drawer.  We took her to Bigelow Park the other day and she figured out how to climb the climbing wall.  She scales chairs and stairs with ease (both up and down), and has mastered the lever door handle, which isn't a big deal for the most part except the inn's front door is a lever, so we have to be careful when she is out and about the inn, usually in the mornings.  Oh and she gave the librarian a jolt the other day at book babies when she pushed the librarian's chair over to the table with the books, after she had already pulled down all the ones she could reach, and climbed the chair and then up onto the table to get the ones she couldn't reach.  Oh monkey girl!  She is getting more verbal all the time, and will usually use the word or the sign for what she wants when you ask her to use her words, rather than the screaming.  Usually she only screams about stuff when she is tired.  She does have a few words that when she says them they sound the same.  Please, Shoes, Socks, and Sit.  They come out sounds like sh!t.

She puts herself to bed if you ask her if she is tired or if it is time to go to sleep.  Usually she will nod yes, and then trot off to her room and climb up into bed and lay down.  Of course she has to get into her PJs and have a fresh diaper put on first, so you have to follow her in and really get her ready for bed, but it is still pretty cute!  We don't think she has gotten the concept that there is another baby in momma's belly  yet.  We have checked out a few books for her from the library on the subject, but so far she has only liked one, I'm a Big Sister Now.  She would read it over and over and over and over and over, well you get the point.  She does give my belly kisses, but then usually also head butts it or tries to give it five.  We'll see, she likes other little babies, she sees them at Book Babies and is usually pretty gentle, but I think she wonders why they don't say HI! back.  She will be so happy when July is old enough to play with, sometimes I think she needs a playmate, but then other times when she is around other kids her age she goes off and plays by herself, that is usually only if there are more than a couple though, maybe she gets overwhelmed.  We love having her around though, she makes life interesting and fun!