Incubating: You know how they say every pregnancy is different? Well… Cricket has been pretty similar to how it was with Dexter. Really, the only big differences are outside factors created by us, such as the move and my time not working and a brand-new medical system and having a toddler leap onto my belly with unbridled abandon. I didn’t have a preventive medical procedure this time around I had last time, which so far has been great – less pain and discomfort. Still no morning sickness, still trying to eat about 59 pounds of food every night. Even belly is about the same. I’d say the only difference is Cricket seems to be even more of a kicker than Dex was – he pretty much kickboxes my insides every night and day. But my memory of Dexter’s movements may be merely faulty, and even their movements are similar.

You know what would be great? If all these similarities were just Cricket’s way of biding his time to show me the biggest difference of all, when I go into labor. As in, my labor and delivery with Dexter were TERRIBLE, and it would be awesome if this time around that was different and the delivery would be EASY and PAINLESS and RAPID.  Let’s go with that theory. What a nice surprise you’re planning, Cricket! Already angling to be my favorite.

All toddlers are weird.  Dexter is right up there with the best of them.

Here is a peek at some of the kooky stuff he does.

Matt and I have been keeping a secret.

The whole time we were filing paperwork and closing on our house and selling most of our stuff and packing up the rest and bon voyage-ing, we were working on another project: fertility treatments.

Dexter is a science baby. I’m infertile. He exists as a result of in-vitro fertilization and a big pile of luck.

When Matt and I were deciding whether to relocate to London, there was a lot to consider, and once we’d decided to move, we had to consider two more things: a pair of frozen embryos, in storage, left over from the retrieval round that gave us Dex. What would happen to them?

It wasn’t really a tough decision. We had always planned to transfer them and roll the dice on whether Dexter would have a sibling. And when the London move became a reality, that plan quickly shifted from someday to right now, so we met with a doctor and he presented an expedited medication and treatment schedule that would allow us to make the transfer before we had to go. It was rushed and painful and stressful, fitting in screenings and drugs on top of everything else, but we were committed.

I never believed it would work.

Matt and I celebrated our 7-year wedding anniversary September 19. I found a sitter I liked on a local website and luckily, she was available to watch Dex while we sneaked out for dinner. We went to Cow & Pig for upscale British pub food and bovine puns written on chalkboards. (Something in the way she moos… attracts me like no other udder…)

Started with something called a bacon bomb, and then Matt had a steak and I had LOBSTER SHEPERD’S PIE, man alive, that is a good idea for a dish. Ciders and desserts and a little walk through downtown before it was time to return to real life.