Week 12: Lark Elizabeth

ITS A GIRL! Early on Wednesday morning as we stumbled sleepily downstairs to get Frankie ready for daycare, I decided to check and see if my blood results had come back. I had checked about 8,654 times the day before. I wasn't really expecting to see them but VOILA! There they were, ready for us to open in my email. I grabbed Daniel in the bathroom as he fed the cat and we both blearily squinted at the screen. First thing we saw was that the baby was low risk for any chromosomal abnormalities, and second that the baby is a GIRL!!! We gave each other a quick kiss and then got Frankie ready for school. Gotta love being a second-time parent!

This little one is named for my own middle name and then Aunt Laurel's/Grandma Susan's middle name. Lark Elizabeth Russo. It does feel a LITTLE weird to name a kiddo after myself, but it also honors my parents and Daniel's family in the middle name. Its a great mix, just like Frankie's before her.

We enjoyed a nice, big, family 4th of July out at Lake Lure, which is something we all missed a lot last year due to the pandemic. Me, Daniel, my sister and John, Michal, Mark and Susan, Grandma and Grandad Paul, and of course, Frankie were all together. We hiked and ate and napped and finished the day at a big party with the neighbors on their patio. I was very proud of big sister Frankie and how well she did at each activity, including eating at least a whole watermelon on her own. As for the little one, I was a little pooped and sore the day after all that activity. Pregnancy is blessedly getting easier (thank you, nearing second trimester!) For once, Lark was the easier one of our kids to handle 😂.

How far along? 12 weeks
Maternity clothes? Yes. Was asked this weekend when I was due and they were shocked it wasn't until January, so it is safe to say I look good and pregnant.
Stretch marks? No
Ankle Watch: Sore joints are no fun
Sleep: A mixed bag, but much more in line with my regular sleep schedule. 
Best moment(s) this week: We took a family hike on the 4th to a small, private waterfall in Lake Lure. Frankie had such a good time in the water and it felt so good to hike for the first time in a while! AND THEN finding out Lark is a girl. Girl mom!
Miss Anything? Booze. Huge 4th of July party. Need I say more?
Movement: I felt one tiny gelatinous wiggle on Friday. I'm not totally sure if it was baby or if it was gas, but I keep waiting to see if I feel it again.
Food cravings: Nothing really. My appetite is lacking. I'll eat when the opportunity is presented, but it mostly seems like work.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Shockingly, not much!
Gender: GIRL!!! And a healthy one!
Labor Signs: No
Pregnancy Symptoms: Mostly just painful knees and gas this week. It's been pretty good!
Belly Button in or out? In
Rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Feels so good to have reached the point in pregnancy where things feel happy and good and kind of normal.
Looking forward to: Unpacking all of Frankie's old teeny tiny clothing and getting started on the nursery

Some pictures from our family hike and announcing Lark.

Welcome to the Princess Party, Lark!