19 Weeks!

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd post a couple new bump photos. It's getting a little bigger! I've started feeling flutters more frequently, so the baby's definitely bouncing around in there!

Have a great week! I'm hoping it goes by quickly - the faster we get to October 7th, the better!

Today's Horoscope

I don't really believe in horoscopes, but they're fun to read and can sometimes be oddly accurate. Here's my horoscope today - fairly accurate, in that "I can wait, I can wait" has been my personal mantra lately! And something special certainly is brewing!

Capricorn

By Rick Levine

This can be a day of solid growth if you are willing to let go of the status quo. The events unfolding now are not ordinary; you know that something special is brewing, even if it won't be finished today. Luckily, the steadfast Capricorn Moon can add to your patience. If you get antsy, repeat your mantra, "I can wait" over and over again.

Stubborn Baby!

I thought I might've had a little cold earlier this week, so I went to the doctor yesterday to get a check up. Yes, I probably had some kind of mild virus, but everything is fine and I've been feeling better. Just a bit tired and restless. The doctor did an ultrasound just to make sure everything was normal, and the baby is doing great. We had the opportunity to find out the sex of the baby...but of course our baby decided not to uncross it's legs! Plus, the umbilical cord was also in the way. So, we're still waiting. Let's hope the baby is more cooperative on October 7th! But at least we got a few new ultrasound pictures and got to take a peak at the baby!

Baby Jake Balice!

Our friends Amanda and Joe welcomed their adorable baby, Jake Grayson Balice, early yesterday morning. They weren't expecting him until Thursday, but Jake decided to make a very exciting entrance at 4:03am on Monday, September 21 (8 lbs, 4 oz, 21 inches). You can check out the link to "Baby Balice Blog" on the side of my blog for their delivery story - I'll spare you the wild details. Let's just say that, statistically speaking, Jake had a very rare type of birth! Amanda told me not to post any pictures of her, but I couldn't resist putting a few here...so hopefully she won't be too mad at me!

Geoff and I got to meet him yesterday afternoon, and he's absolutely precious! He looks a lot like his daddy, but has his mommy's nose, mouth, and chin. Geoff and I left the hospital feeling very excited about meeting our baby in 5 months (my due date is exactly 5 months from Jake's birthday). But I was definitely feeling like there's a lot to do in a short amount of time (I know it's going to fly by!). Geoff, of course, isn't worried at all! Apparently he doesn't live in the same messy, cluttered home that I live in.

We've got a little more than 2 weeks left until we find out the sex of our baby. My sister-in-law, Jen, has decided that she's getting a nephew. We'll just have to wait and see!

Operation Baby Prep Continues

Bella and Zoe have been sleeping on our bed ever since we adopted them when they were kittens back in 2001, so I'm not sure how they're going to adjust to being booted off the bed once their baby sister or brother arrives. In an effort to get them used to a new cozy environment, we invested a whopping $12 in cat beds from our local CVS and, so far, they seem to be liking them. Zoe has a tendency to be somewhat territorial when it comes to cozy spaces and sharing them with Bella (long story), but hopefully we won't have any angry pottying on sissy's bed! Zoe initially took to the brown bed, and she's been sleeping on that the last couple nights. But yesterday afternoon, she decided to take a nap in her Bella's pink bed. Bella didn't notice. But then Zoe did it again this morning. When Bella decided she was ready for a nap in her pink bed, and instead found her sister cozied up in it, Bella looked at me with this heart-broken, sad little face like, "Mom!! Sissy stole my bed, and now I have nowhere to go!" I had to coax her into the brown bed, but she snuggled up after a minute. So, so far the kitties are sharing and enjoying their new beds! I'll let them enjoy their beds on our bed for a little while longer, then I've got to attempt to move them off of our bed - I think I'll be more upset about it than they will!

I've also begun the not so fun process of clearing out my loft. I've had it filled with craft supplies and gifts and photos and all kinds of things for the last few years, but now I need to make room for Geoff to share the space. We've already brought a ton of stuff down from there, and something tells me that some of you will be getting some pretty good stuff for Christmas this year! Geoff and I also created a to-do list and deadlines to try to get everything ready for the baby - hopefully all the major stuff will be done by the end of the year.

Only 3 more weeks until we find out the sex of the baby! I think these are going to be the longest 3 weeks of my entire life! At least we'll get to welcome baby Jake Balice next week, and I'm sure he'll be the perfect distraction from my daily countdown!

And the baby's gender is...

...STILL A MYSTERY!!!!

We were hoping to find out the sex of the baby today, but no luck...We didn't even get an ultrasound - the doctor just checked the baby's heartbeat (which is fine), and she's making us wait another 4 weeks to find out the gender when I'm 20 weeks pregnant. I knew this was going to happen, but I guess i was still holding out a little hope that we'd find out today. Oh well, now we have to wait!

Since I'm nearly 17 weeks pregnant, here's a description of that baby's development now:

How big is your baby at 17 weeks pregnant? About five inches long and more than three and a half ounces — the size of your open hand. (Open the other one too and imagine your baby cradled in both your arms right after delivery!) Body fat (baby's, that is) is beginning to form and will continue to accumulate through the end of your pregnancy. By the time your baby is born, body fat will make up about two-thirds of his or her weight (and will make all those chubby parts especially yummy).

Your baby is almost certainly listening up by now. In fact, loud noises — the dog barking, the doorbell ringing — will actually startle your baby (and also get him or her used to such noises; for instance, fetuses who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through Fido's outbursts). Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of his or her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. And since practice makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his or her sucking and swallowing skills in preparation for that first (and second…and third) suckle at your breast or bottle. In fact, most of the survival reflexes that your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now.

And here's some proof that your baby is truly one of a kind (as if you needed any!). Within the next week or so, the pads on your baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases (aka fingerprints).

Week 16!

Hi everyone!

I'm now 16 weeks, so here are a couple new photos of the ever-growing belly! My body is definitely making up for the fact that I lost 4 pounds during the height of my Morning Sickness - my appetite has kicked into over-drive! Last week, I did something I've never done before: I actually went back for second's at Souplantation! I definitely got my money's worth out of "all you can eat!"

My adorable and super-crafty sister-in-law, Jen, made me a really sweet pregnancy goody bag (photo above), with a separate gift for me to open for each of the remaining months of my pregnancy. I'm going to try to restrain myself and not peek ahead at all the cute gift tags and motherhood quotes she made for each month! September's gift was the book "Baby Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy. I've heard it's a fun read, so I'm looking forward to starting it. Thanks Jen!! If you want to check out Jen's blog about her crafts and thrifty finds, take a look at the link to "Mimi Bella Boo" on the side of my blog.

We're hoping to find out the sex of Baby Tipper (aka Mini Tipdawg) at our appointment on Thursday, but I'm trying to mentally prepare myself in case it turns out that we have to wait another month to get the news... I'll keep you posted!