I was in the same situation as you for child number two, and had taken number one into our old family doc for a well-baby checkup and told him I just wasn't snapping back from pregnancy as quickly as I thought I should be. He put me on the table and told me I was six months along. No not obese, in fact not even chubby. He asked couldn't I feel the kicking? No, I thought it was gas. LOL. I don't know how much further along I would have gotten before I noticed. I suspect about month seven, as that is when the belly started. I knew what pregnancy felt like, but I was a first-time postpartum and that I wasn't so sure about. Yes, I have watched that TLC series when I was insomniac and I also know of a couple of local cases when I was working with moms/babies. I think part of my not noticing was that I had gained a lot in pregnancy number one, and was having some personal problems in pregnancy number two and was actually losing weight in that pregnancy, not gaining it. You know how distorted body image can get.

Thanks for sharing that Ron. I did not know any of those stories. They all touched me, and they made me think of many other stories there are out there. I travel a lot on my job and in pursuit of my other passion in life; trout fishing. I see men and women in uniform in almost every airport I travel to, but I particularly see many on my trips to Charlotte. Some of these folks are going "over there" (or getting ready to) and a few of them I've met were coming home. I never go by without letting these people know that many people here at home, whom they have never met, care deeply about them, worry for them, wish them a swift and safe return, and thank them for their service. I hope these people never ever want for their fellow Americans respect and concern. And I hope that if you are reading this that you will reach out to these people when you see them in your own life, shake their hand, thank them for the job they do, and let them know in some small but sincere way that you care. You'll be doing that person and yourself a great deal of good in the process.

That pile of poop story is one of the best stories I've ever heard! Bwahahaha! If I'm ever snippy or obnoxious, please nobody take me seriously. I'll love you again in a half second. I just come from a long line of people who would argue over poop. Like generations of folks known for their bickering, seriously. These tough old women out here who raised my dad did not hold back! Some people may be like my quirky elders that way. It's still rude (even if they'd never admit that), but it might not be meant to be actually hurtful.

Hoyas (in general) appreciate gritty, well drained soil. They like bright light but too much sun will burn the leaves. If you get your plant in just the right light it will reward you with lots of flowers. I would suggest repotting yours as soon as you can. Over time, soil breaks down and compacts and basically suffocates the roots. When you repot, be sure to get as much of the old soil off the roots as possible. There are many different mixes out there and I'll let others tell you about what they use, but I use equal parts decomposed granite, pearlite, fine pine bark, and potting soil. With some of my younger hoyas and more water loving hoyas, I use mostly pine bark and pearlite. I haven't gotten the hang of fertilizing yet, so I'll let others talk about that. If you hang out here long enough you'll start accumulating more and more of these wonderful plants!