Today We Are 27 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl is Growing:

This week, our baby girl weighs almost two pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, our baby girl's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning - with a lot of medical help - if she were to be born now. I can chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements I feel to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so I can just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-27-weeks_1116.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg27:861&pe=2UxuZCY

Today We Are 26 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl is Growing:

The network of nerves in our baby girl's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both my voice and Prescott's as we chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-26-weeks_1115.bc?responsys_count=1&scid=mbtw_preg26:873&pe=2UxuZCY

We're in the Double-Digits and There's No Sign of Gestational Diabetes!

99 Days to Go!

Dr. Katz called this morning with the results of my glucose screening test. He said the results were "perfect."

Dr. Katz also said the rest of the blood work looked good with the exception of a high white blood cell count, which could be indicative of an infection. Dr. Katz said he's not worried, that I looked fine when he saw me on Monday; he just wants to check me again next week. So, I am going in next Tuesday morning for "a re-count."

Surprise Bouquet from Prescott!

I should have written about this yesterday, but in the excitement I only posted the pictures to facebook!

Two nights ago, I burst into tears crying that I wake up in the middle of the night every night and stay awake for two hours on average. Prescott didn't know this (thank goodness I don't wake him up and keep him awake!). Then, yesterday morning, I was still very sensitive, and he noticed. So he surprised me yesterday with this beautiful bouquet with the note,

"Hope your day is going better.

101 Days to Go!"

Not only was I surprised by the stunning arrangement, but also by the fact that he knew how many days were left until our baby girl's due date. I was - and continue to be - extremely touched. I am the luckiest mother-to-be in the world.

Prescott Makes Progress with the Nursery

Tonight, Pres wanted to work on the nursery. Pres has finished sanding down and prepping the closet and the changing table-to-be, and tonight we cleaned the space so we can begin to build it back up.

This is what the nursery looked like on Sunday, August 8th...

Another Step in the Journey Toward a Family-Friendly Car

The 2010 Dodge Journey

Last night, Pres & I decided to explore other options in our search for a family-friendly vehicle. While we were at Carmax getting the Lexus appraised, we thought we should walk around the lot. We looked at a few different options - the Chrysler Town & Country, another minivan; the Dodge Journey, a midsize SUV; the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited (oh my goodness, I've wanted a silver Wrangler since I was 15 and as I peeked inside I told Pres the story of one I saw when visiting Uncle Tom in Reno that Pres would've loved); the Jeep Liberty, a small SUV; the Honda Odyssey, another minivan (oh, boy, the used one I sat in last night smelled so foul it made me never want to consider the Honda Odyssey again); and the Chevy Tahoe, a large SUV (wow, the used one I climbed into last night was so pimped-out it would've made Brandon proud). We circled back to the Dodge Journey because it can seat up to seven and, more importantly, I had read that it is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick for 2010. While the Toyota Sienna is more spacious, we feel it would be more responsible of us to go with the Dodge Journey. The biggest question, now, is whether I can still park without a back-up camera....

Another Celebrity Sighting at Doctor Katz's Office!

Lourdes Benedicto as Dr. Valerie Stevens on ABC's "V"

This morning, Prescott & I went for our monthly check-up with Dr. Katz - and this visit included a glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes. After the lab tech drew my blood, she sent us back to the waiting room until a room was available. As soon as I stepped into the waiting room, I saw another actress from "V"! It took me a second to figure out who she was, but I realized she is the character who was pregnant with one of the visitor's babies. I got very excited about having something different to blog about.

As for the important stuff, Dr. Katz said they'll call us with the results of the test. But in the meantime, we heard our baby girl's heartbeat and Dr. Katz said my fundal height is "perfect."

Today We Test-Drove the "Swagger Wagon"

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, you read that right - today, we test-drove a minivan.

Pres & I have been lightly entertaining the idea of getting a bigger car for a little while now. We were originally thinking of getting a Honda Element, but it only seats four (although I am enamored by the dog-friendly package). Phil told us a couple of months ago that we should get an SUV. We've talked about looking, but we also considered trying to keep my Lexus IS250 until our family outgrew it.

But, as many of you already know, last weekend I discovered that my car is too small for our growing family. Katie & Ava were over for the weekend and, instead of driving Katie's "Peachmobile" all over town, Katie loaded Ava's car seat and stroller into my car. Ava's stroller would not fit in my trunk (which is actually pretty big!) so we had to put it in the backseat. With Ava's car seat was loaded into the backseat, Katie's knees were up against the dash! There was no room for Lady! Prescott & I have yet to test our own car seat and stroller in my car, but we decided we should stop talking and start looking at SUVs and minivans.

So this morning, after walking Lady along the Marina del Rey breakwater, we stopped by the Toyota dealership. We looked at one Highlander and two different Siennas. We test-drove a Sienna SE - and it was really nice! We couldn't believe we were looking at minivans, and we laughed together quite a bit about the situation, but we cannot deny that the Sienna is a "swagger wagon."

We are still considering our options (rumor has it, Thanksgiving is the best time to shop for a new car...if our little angel is born before then, we can ride home in the Lexus, right?), but be warned, dear friends and family, we may be old enough now for minivans!

Today We Are 25 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing

Head to heels, our baby girl now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if we could see it, we'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-25-weeks_1114.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg25:846&pe=2UxuZCY

Flashback...

12 Weeks Pregnant...

while I certainly could have been smaller,

looking back I cannot believe I complained!

Preparing the Nursery

By the time our baby girl is born, we will have lived in this house for about three years. But we remodeled only the those parts of the house that required immediate attention: the kitchen and the "master" bath. About a year after we moved in, we splurged on new windows. And just a couple of months ago, we finally had the exterior painted. All the rest of the house got was a fresh coat of paint.

Not long after discovering we were pregnant, I became preoccupied with clearing the clutter. But what an overwhelming task! We try to do a little at a time, but sometimes the clutter just gets moved from one place to another (see our dining room table). That's pretty much what has happened with the room that is now known as the nursery.

We have cleared nearly everything from the nursery but Prescott's clothes and my great-grandmother's dresser and mirror. (Of course, as people gift or we gather various baby items, they accumulate in a corner of the nursery.)

And yesterday, the nursery renovation officially commenced when Prescott began sanding the old paint off of the closet cabinets and doors. Katie, Ava & I returned from The Pump Station & Nurtury to find Prescott atop a step ladder, wearing a mask, sanding away. How exciting! The next decision to make is what color to repaint the closet and built-in!

Our 24-Week Bump

What a difference in just four weeks!

Today We Are 24 Weeks Pregnant

How Our Baby Girl Is Growing:

Our baby girl is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Modified from: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-24-weeks_1113.bc?read_more=1&scid=mbtw_preg24:843&pe=2UxuZCY

Today's Visit with Dr. Finke

Our baby girl weighs approximately one pound, five ounces!