A Mini-Me in the Making

Remember a few weeks ago when I said that it seemed my growth had slowed? Yeah... Those days are over. I'm now at 22 weeks, and the bump is in full effect. As you can see from the last picture above, my belly now protrudes enough to act as a handy ledge on which the Boo can rest his arms. Glad to be of service, Boo!
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I got a taste of what life will be like with two little ones last week when Julie and I took Benjamin and Nolan to check out a sale at Old Navy. As we were installing Nolan's carseat into my car, the boys jumped into the front seat and played around with the buttons and dials. By the time we were ready to go, my windshield wipers were going, my hazards were blinking, the radio was on, and there were two wannabe racecar drivers who had to be pried out of the front seat.
Once we were at Old Navy, the boys behaved themselves remarkably well. For a little while. We marveled at how well they kept one another entertained so that we were able to browse the racks with minimal fuss. They made a game of chasing each other around the changing rooms and got a kick out of looking at themselves in the mirrors. But - as the saying goes - all's well that ends well. After about twenty minutes...

It was time for a meltdown! Benjamin and Nolan decided that they'd had enough of this shopping nonsense and promptly turned on one another - and their mommies. First, they both wanted to sit in the shopping cart seat. Then they fought over who got to stand in the shopping basket. Then they wanted to scream at the top of their lungs. Then they didn't want to have anything to do with each other. Then they wanted to run around and play together some more. Julie and I ended up taking turns standing in the checkout line so that the other one could chase after the boys. As I ran around the store keeping tabs on the little devils, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Oh, my God, is this what having two kids is going to be like?"
On the bright side, many people have told me that girls are "easier" than boys. I'm not sure if they mean that girls are better behaved or that boys are just more rambunctious, but either way, I'm hoping that they're right. And who knows why? Maybe pigtails stimulates pressure points on the scalp in a way that calms the nerves. Or maybe it's a fear of having your knickers exposed by throwing a tantrum while wearing a frilly pink dress.
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Speaking of girly clothing, I made my first official purchase for my own unborn baby girl. I found these adorable ballet slippers while at Old Navy, and couldn't resist buying two pairs - one in silver and one in copper. If they look familiar, perhaps it's because you've seen a similar version of them elsewhere...

Don't laugh! I think that putting a pair of mini-me shoes on my daughter is perfectly acceptable, especially when compared to what Vince does with Benjamin!