The Miracle: 25 Weeks

Ok, so again I am slow with the posting of where we are at for the week (though I'm not sure who made that my job anyway...), since technically I hit 25 weeks LAST Thursday! But at least Richard has funny stuff to post in the meantime to keep people happy (whoever is actually reading this!). :o) This is probably how it will be once the baby comes...Daddy gets to do the fun/goofy stuff with Baby "E" and Mommy takes the serious side and manages the day-to-day. So typical! ;o) Well we'll have to see about that.

So yeah, "E" is definitely a squirmy little worm! He has moved from kicking/punching/tapping to more of a rolling movement...it's hard to describe! I figure it is probably because he is growing to the point that there is less room for him to make such strong/swift movements as before, but he can still turn somersaults to some degree. And it's so weird now...at times he must be pushing up against the front of my abdomen, because I can feel this hard knot from the outside! He doesn't stay there for long, but it's kind of a neat feeling. Sometimes I'll just poke around my tummy a little bit to see where he is at the moment...I try not to push too hard, because I don't want to leave any dents in his soft little head if that happens to be what is facing outward at the time! He seems to like to lay horizontally right around my belly button...it's probably usually his back or butt that are pressed up against my tummy, but I can't be sure. I just take it as a good sign that he's moving around. it's nice to have that reassurance, even if it is kinda weird!

Here's a little bit more about "E's" development for this past week:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga (???again with food comparisons???), but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born (personally, I picture him as having blond to light brown hair - hopefully curly! - and green/hazel eyes. I'm not making any bets, but it will be interesting to see once he finally arrives!).

Happy Baby

Baby "E" has been moving around quite a bit lately - it is a unique experience. Our friends have decided to call him E.T. because those could be his initials. That might be appropriate as the whole birthing process seems somewhat alien.

Sara continues to feel well. Last week she had bad headaches two days in a row, but they went away and haven't returned. We're just glad that they are both healthy and continue to pray that everything goes smoothly until he arrives. (Is that how we say it? I mean he's technically already here - I guess we should say until he's out.)

First priority is that he and mom are healthy...and I know that different babies have different temperaments and personalities, but is it selfish to pray that he's also a calm and happy baby? He would get the calm from me and the happy from his mom. We'll just have to wait and see, but I think it'd be pretty fun if we had some days like they're having in this video - you can't help but laugh when you watch something like that - everything seems to come into perspective when you hear a baby laugh. I hope it brightens your day.

Baby Do's and Don'ts

A friend of ours sent us these pictures as the "Do's and Don'ts of Parenting." She must not have much faith in us as first time parents. What do you think?

The Miracle: 24 weeks

Ok, so this post is a bit belated! I am not as good about posting as Richard is, but I am trying. :o) We are past the 24 week mark (as of last Thursday), which means that if little "E" decided to arrive this early he would actually have a good chance of surviving. We haven't had any indications that early delivery could be a possibility since everything has been very normal so far, but it's nice to know, nonetheless!

I've been blessed with a very easy pregnancy so far, but I am starting to feel more of the aches and pains that are bound to show up the further the pregnancy goes. There have been a few nights of very restless sleep, but adding in a couple more pillows has helped me to find a better sleeping position (there's so many pillows, it's almost like there's an extra person in the bed!). The past couple days I've gotten headaches, which I really haven't had all throughout the pregnancy (though I used to get them semi-regularly before being pregnant), but I'm hopeful that they are due to diet or stress and do not indicate anything more serious. I don't want to be a pansy and call my doctor about every little thing, but I also don't want to overlook anything that could be important! One day at a time, I suppose.

One other thing that I didn't really have throughout the first part of my pregnancy was any kind of craving for a specific food. Well those days are over! I heard a radio show on Friday all about where to find the best cinnamon rolls in KC, and ever since then I have been craving cinnamon rolls something awful!! Richard didn't take the hint and go out and get me any on Sunday, so on Monday night when I was driving back from a Mary Kay event, in freezing rain, I HAD to stop at Wal-Mart and get a tube of Grands cinnamon rolls, and I'm so glad I did! They were delectable. :o) Can't wait to see what's next on the cravings list!

We've also started looking at nursery decor...the fun part! Richard just earned "husband of the year" from me (totally made up for the cinnamon rolls), because while I was gone on an overnight trip to Wichita this past weekend, he not only cleaned the whole house (aren't I lucky!), but he also took everything out of the guest room and set up the crib!! So we officially have the start of our nursery, and it's starting to make everything feel like it's moving so much faster! Anyway, we are trying to decide between different nursery decor themes...maybe we'll put up another poll with links to our top picks to let you help us decide. :o)

In the meantime, here is a little bit about how "E" is developing this week:

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when he was just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), that makes a pretty lean figure, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, his brain is growing rapidly, and his taste buds are developing. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

Close to Home

The comic for today really was "Close to Home." I'm not sure this would be our solution...but it made me smile.

The Miracle: 23 Weeks

We're getting closer and closer to the big day! I suppose that is how it always works...I don't guess we could ever get further away. We are getting ready to sign up for our birthing class, which further impresses the reality of everything. There is so much left to do, but I take comfort in the fact that the baby won't notice or remember if we have his room ready as soon as he comes home. I'm sure we'll probably get it all together - it just feels like the speed of everything is increasing.

Thanks for assisting us with our name choices. However, this isn't American Idol so the most votes don't necessarily win out. We still haven't made a final decision, but you have certainly given me something to think about.

Here is a little more info about how "E" is developing in these days:

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.

I still don't get why they constantly compare the baby's size to some fruit or vegetable.

Home Video

Here are some really shaky first attempts at home videos. I need to get my practice in now!

Just having some fun with the video function on our camera, but this does give you a small window into our family time back in Oklahoma.