The Miracle: Week 32

Sara is getting BIG! Don't tell her that I said anything ;-) I guess that is normal when you're 32 Weeks along. She's also become obsessed with diapers - an obsession that I hope holds up after the little guy is here. Maybe she'll enjoy changing them and I can get out of most of that.

The baby shower is this Sunday afternoon. We've been waiting to see what other people get us before we go out and purchase a bunch of baby stuff - so the nursery is still quite bare. But, I have a feeling things are going to start happening pretty rapidly. What a great time to begin thinking about new life - I can't think of a greater blessing in this world. Here is a little more info on how the little guys is developing:

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

I don't even know what a "jicama" is - the people who write this stuff are weird.

The Miracle: Weeks 27-30!

Ok, so it has been a LONG time since I updated this thing! February was a busy month, and I am a bit of a procrastinator (I know...what a shocker!), and the two things combined meant that many things went undone around here, not the least of which was this blog! So here's a run-down of what's been going on since the last time I posted...

Richard and I went to Eureka Springs to stay at our favorite B&B over Valentine's Day. It was SO GOOD to get away! The weather was beautiful while we were there, so it made it nice to get out and walk around and check out all the quaint little shops in their downtown area. I went and had a VERY NICE massage to help out with the pregnancy aches and pains...I have a feeling I may need a few more of those in the days and weeks to come!! We ate at some really great restaurants while we were there (and at one cafe I even got to indulge my hankering for cinnamon rolls...homemade, no less!), and those of you who know me also know that food is almost more important to me than where we stay!! :o) We also got to do a little shopping for "E" and the nursery, and I am probably most excited about the print we purchased from a local folk arist. It is pictured at the top of this entry, and I love that it combines our farm animal nursery theme with my love of nursery rhymes! It's so much cuter in person.

I've been feeling really well overall this month. I can tell that I'm getting a little achier and I get a bit more tired after a long day, but I'm none too worse for wear I suppose! I've only had a couple nights where I've laid awake in bed for a while without being able to sleep, and one night it was bad enough to make me get up and go into the living room to read for a while until I became sleepy again. Usually though I can sleep through the night with only getting up once in the wee hours of the morning to, well, wee. ;o) That may change in the days to come! I am definitely feeling a bit more cumbersome...not used to carrying this extra weight around, but I'm getting used to it. The weather was so nice here on Saturday that Richard talked me into getting out and taking a walk around our neighborhood. I SWEAR there were not that many hills the last time I walked that route! Or at least I didn't feel them as much. But it felt so good to be outdoors enjoying the sunshine that I really didn't care. Can't wait for more days like that!

Well, here is a rundown on what has change in "E's" development over the past several weeks...it's so fun to know how he is growing and changing!

Week 27

This week your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. (Side note: "E" has the hiccups while I'm typing this entry!! He has them several times a day at least...my mother in law says if he has lots of hiccups he'll have lots of hair...can't wait to find out if this old wives' tale is true!) With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?

Week 28

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Week 29

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Week 30

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

The picture below is what "E" might look like at about 30 weeks. Look how much bigger he is than the picture posted at 26 weeks!! My little boy is getting so big...

Ugly Baby

I know that it is difficult to tell people that they have an ugly baby...I hope our little boy doesn't look like this, but if he does...please don't try to spare our feelings - of course, we'll love him no matter what...but, whew...that is an ugly baby!

Baby Commercial

This was one of my favorite SuperBowl commercials...it has a baby in it, so I thought I'd share it here. Enjoy.

Baby-Moon

Well, we're headed out on our "Babymoon" this afternoon. If you've never heard of such a thing, you're not alone. I thought a baby-moon was what you got each time you changed the little guy's diaper. But, apparently it has become pretty popular for pregnant couples to go on a mini-vacation a few months prior to their due date. This seemed like a good idea, since the baby is due just before our anniversary which means we won't be going anywhere this year and since we haven't really gone anywhere for the past couple of years on our anniversary, I felt somewhat obligated to make this happen for my lovely wife. Even better that the trip happens to fall over St. Valentine's Day - of course, I can't take credit for that, since Sara made the initial plans.

We're going somewhere familiar and somewhat close - Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We are heading back to a Bed & Breakfast that we stayed at during our first three anniversaries, but we haven't been back for over three years. It should be a nice, relaxing get away. If the weather was a tad warmer, that would be even better, but we can't really complain.

Eureka is an eclectic community that offers a unique vacation experience. (I should be writing for their tourism department.) I hope we really enjoy this little mini getaway because it could be our last for quite some time - May 8th is quickly approaching.

Until we return - Blessings in Christ ~ RLS

The Miracle: 26 Weeks

I can't believe we are at the end of the second trimester...it has gone so quickly that it seems strange to think that 2/3rds of the pregnancy is behind us already! I definitely feel like we are "counting down" rather than "counting up" at this point.

The nesting instinct is kicking in pretty hard, and I am feeling the crunch to hurry up and register for baby things and get the showers scheduled so that we can finish decorating the nursery!! Thanks to all of my mom friends who were so gracious in helping me sort through their own lists of most useful (and useless!) baby items...as a new mom-to-be with no younger siblings, I feel so clueless about every little detail! I know what things I think are pretty, but that doesn't mean that they will be helpful in the long run, so thank you for helping me to steer clear of things I won't really need. Less is more!

I can tell "E" is getting bigger all the time. He seems to be developing a schedule of sleep and activity...now if when he arrives we can just get him on our schedule! :o) Just yesterday I realized that he has started to have hiccups...I didn't recognize them at first because they were happening very close together (unlike when adults have hiccups), but when I asked a mom friend about it she confirmed that's what I was feeling. "E" also seems to be somewhat of a show stealer...on Monday evening I was with some of my Mary Kay girlfriends, and he was moving around so much that everyone was watching my tummy and getting distracted from what we were trying to talk about! Could we have a "ladies' man" in the making?

Here is a little about how "E" has been developing over the past week:

Your baby now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber), from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his ears are developing, which means his response to sounds is growing more consistent. His lungs are developing now, too, as he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when he's born and takes that first breath of air. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Those Manning Boys!

What a game! I just thought that I would let everyone know that the New York Giants Super Bowl victory may have narrowed down our name choices. Before the game started, Sara and I informally agreed that if the Giants won, we would take Eli out of the running for name considerations.

I know...I know that sounds backwards. It is because we're afraid there is going to be a sudden spike in baby Eli's running around this year and we don't really want to be a part of a popular trend.

Nothing is set in stone yet, but it looks like we're leaning more and more toward Ephraim Todd. Thanks for voting...but it seems that the Manning boy may have sealed the deal - I'm sure he could care less, after all he just won the Super Bowl.