Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

Doctor Day

We survived our one-month appointment. This was the last checkup without any shots, so we enjoyed it. Next time around won't be nearly as enjoyable. Brady is doing great and growing like a weed. He's now a little over 22 inches long and just weighs 8 lbs., 10 oz. He's tall and skinny. He's outgrowing newborn clothes because he's too long for them.

Brady is One Month Old

Young Brady is one month old today. And yes, time really does fly. Good grief, I sound like a full-fledged adult now. Here's a picture of Brady napping. I had him in the baby carrier while I was doing stuff around the house. He was asleep within 5 minutes, so that's good. Unfortunately, I tried to take him out and put him down, but then he woke up 5 minutes later. Go figure.






Here's Brady's official one-month picture. I'm completely stealing this idea from our good friend Kelly. I want to take pictures of Brady as he grows. So here's a pic of him next to his Pooh bear. He was starting to tip over in this picture, so he's not completely upright. But it's close enough.

We celebrated 2 of our Christmases yesterday with my dad & stepmom and then my mom & stepdad. We had a great time and Brady got some really good stuff, including lots of books. He did really good yesterday with all the traveling and people. Such a good kid.

Merry Christmas!

Nap Time

This has quickly become our favorite napping position. The sun pours into our living room in the afternoons and Brady and I usually like to take a nap in the recliner. When the sun is on us, it keeps us all nice and toasty! Dad took a picture of us sleeping, so enjoy. Brady loves to be held and sometimes just downright insists on it, so napping together always works wells with him.

Brady is getting bigger. His one month appointment is next week, so we'll post an update on how big he is growing. His neck is already pretty strong. He turns his head from side to side when he's doing tummy time. And when he's upset, he has no problem arching that back and throwing his head back to express his displeasure!

Snow!

We had our first substantial snowfall of the year this week. It was such a gorgeous view off the back of our house. Sitting at home looking out the windows while it was snowing was quite peaceful--especially when Brady wasn't crying!










Another view. We got about 5 inches or so of snow in Manhattan. It was light and fluffy, so very pretty to look at, but not good to make snowmen out of. Alas, Brady is too young to make snowmen. Maybe next year!

Pictures!

Finally, pictures of young Brady! Here's our little bundle hanging out and getting some tummy time. He was very alert and relatively happy this afternoon, so we took advantage of it and snapped some pictures with those eyes open.











And here's another picture from this afternoon, just hanging out. He was very good while Mom was snapping away with the camera.











And here's the little guy in the hospital. He's just a few hours old in this picture. We had to put the mitts on him because his fingernails were so long, he was just scratching his face like crazy.

The Big Arrival!

Our Little Man has arrived!! And I'm just a tad late in posting, but at least I have a good excuse.

Brady William Smoller joined us on Nov. 22, 2008 at 3:26 a.m. He weighed in at 7 pounds and 12 ounces and measured 20 inches long. Only put his mother through 18 hours of labor!

He's cute as can be and has a head full of dark hair. He's a good mix of both his mom & dad. We'll get some pictures posted at some point.

39 Weeks

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

Well, if he's ready to greet the world I wish he'd hurry up and do it already!! Some of us are getting a little anxious.

Doctor Day!

Just got back from the doctor yet again. No big news to share. Still dilated at a 1, although I am completely effaced now and the little guy has moved down some. Not enough, but making progress. I'm ready any day now, even if he isn't!

38 Weeks

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb. Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old.

Progress of the ever-growing belly

Well, here's a little snapshot of the progress my ever-growing midsection has made over the course of the pregnancy. It's really starting to get very, very big. I'm sure I look like I'm about to pop any second. Our baby just doesn't have anywhere else to go but out and that's what he is doing.

20 Weeks

24 Weeks

28 Weeks

32 Weeks

37 Weeks


See how huge I am! Who knew skin could stretch so much!

Another day, another doctor's appointment

Well, we got to see Dr. Welch and the crew out at Women's Health Group yet again yesterday. We have small progress to report. Still just 50% effaced, but I am dilated to a 1 now. Not huge progress, but at least it's movement in the right direction. Little Man still isn't quite ready for his big appearance, but everything is still going well.

Dr. Welch is in Europe for a missions trip until Nov. 21, so she's hoping I can hold off until that day. I'd really like her to be here as well, but I can't say I'd be terribly upset if I went into labor before then. I just get bigger and bigger every day!

The Nursery

Well, the nursery is complete. Or at least as complete as it's going to get. Aunt Cathy came out last week and in a mere 2 days whipped out the most amazing mural for the nursery. I wish I had the ability to post the whole thing in a landscape format, but you know I don't have computer skills like that. So, you'll have to get a feel for it based on what we've got. Here's the tree in the corner with Rabbit in the tree, Eeyore is laying down underneath the window and Pooh and Piglet are over on the left of the tree.





Here's a closeup of Eeyore laying down.













And on the other side of the closet is Tigger, doing what Tigger does best--jumping all around! Aunt Cathy is amazing--she did the entire thing freehand. She's obviously got loads of talent!











And then the boring part of the room. This is the corner with the changing table/dresser. Nothing nearly as exciting over here. The portion of the room with the mural is way more fun.









And the crib in the corner of the room along with the swing next to it.












The glider or the rocker will go in the corner of the room with the mural in the next few days and then I think everything will be complete. Than it's just time to wait on baby!

37 Weeks

Congratulations! Your baby is full-term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away. He weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long.


Between the random contractions and the back pain, I'm ready for the baby to arrive now. Alas, I think we still have to wait awhile. The doctor's appointment this week is Wednesday because our doctor is leaving for a missions trip to Europe on Thursday. I'm still retaining fluid, which is not such a fun development. I've been drinking tons of water, but with no success. My toes don't quite look like little sausages, but I feel like they do! On Halloween I had to take my wedding ring off because it no longer fits. It took a lot of cold water and soap to get it off; I thought it was going to be stuck on for awhile. Ah, the joys of pregnancy!

Another appointment

Just got back from the doctor's office. Nothing too spectacular to report. No dilation, but I am about 50% thinned out. Right on track for a baby on or near the 23rd of November. I'm retaining fluid for the first time, which isn't such a joy. My feet and legs were a little swollen but nothing too bad. We go back again next week. We're going next Wednesday instead of Thursday to the doctor. My doctor is going on a trip to Europe and will be gone from Nov. 6 through Nov. 20, so she's really hoping I stay on track and just wait until she gets back before I have the baby.

Are we there yet?

Okay, so I've been a blogging slacker. I would like to blame on the amount of work I'm trying to get finished before I'm on maternity leave. However, I'm just generally lazy these days. I've reached the uncomfortable stage and I just don't have a lot of motivation to do much of anything. My back is still achy and wow, do I waddle! Getting in and out of bed should be an Olympic event, so I could at least win a medal for all my efforts. But, less than a month to go. The nursery is practically ready--I'll post pictures when the painting is done and everything is in its place. I still haven't packed a bag for the hospital, but really, I figure I have plenty of time for that.

The next doctor's appointment is tomorrow morning. We'll see if there's been any progress by that point. I'm doubtful, but I guess you never know.

36 Weeks

Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely she's in a head-down position, but if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an external cephalic version, where she'll try to turn your baby by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Well, our little guy is definitely head down. That's not been a problem for him. His feet are right up under my ribs, particularly on my right side, which is really not so comfortable. We start going to the doctor every week now, so I'll get to see the ladies of Women's Health Group all the time.

35 Weeks

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.


Well, he may not be doing somersaults, but he sure is moving around a lot. It feels like he's just pushing on me trying to make more space and there's not any more space in there!

A Baby by Thanksgiving!

Well, that's at least our doctor's prediction. Had an appointment this morning and everything is still looking good. Blood pressure and weight are right on track. We'll know more after our next appointment in 2 weeks, but our doctor thinks we'll have Little Man here by Thanksgiving. She wants Nov. 21st because she's on call that night. At my office the over/under date is Nov. 15 and most people are choosing before the 15th.

34 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

The Daily Whine

I am not going to post this on a daily basis, but at least for now, I must whine. We are now at 33 1/2 weeks (not that I'm anxious or anything) and I have officially hit the miserable and uncomfortable stage. I'd seen glimpses of this stage, but they were temporary. Well, not anymore.

My back has pretty much hurt all day. Just that lovely, dull ache in the lower and middle back. It is not comfortable to sit, stand, or lie down. So basically, it hurts just to exist! I feel like I've chewed an entire bottle of Tums. I know I haven't, but it feels like it. Heartburn, acid reflux--it's all good stuff. And Little Man is just moving constantly. Our doctor told us we should be able to count something like 10 movements in a 30-minute period. Hah! This little guy does 10 movements in 20 seconds. His range of activity consists of hanging out right on top of my bladder, pushing his feet or some other appendage into my ribs so that I can't breathe, or (and this is my personal favorite) positioning himself so he is perfectly horizontal in my belly as if to try and stretch out my belly even more. But there's a problem with that--there's no more room! I don't know how he's going to grow any more in the next few weeks.

So, there's my lamenting for the day. I'm officially miserable. I can't decide if this stage is better or worse than the first trimester of being sick all day and sleeping non-stop.

33 Weeks

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

The move is over!

Well, the big move is done! With some tremendous help from our families, we got everything moved out to the new house on Sunday. We've got a ton of unpacking to do, but it's nice to be in the house and settlign in to the new digs. ths picutre below is the kitchen, with the island actually installed.

And here's a view of the dining room from our hallway.
The sunken living room. Notice the beautiful flat screen on the wall!
And a view of the entry to our master bedroom. The laundry chute is in the right-hand corner. Don't have the doors for it yet, but at least it's there.
We'll be trying to have people out in the next couple of months, but no promises! I'm afraid it might take that long just to get unpacked. But we hope to be able share the new place with all of our family and friends.

Another doctor's appointment

Well, we're back from another doctor's appointment. Everything still looks good and no changes. I've now entered the stage where I am gaining a pound per week. Can I just tell you how much fun that is not! I know, I know, it's good for Little Man and that's great. But gaining a pound a week? That scale is just not very friendly!

32 Weeks

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.

Whew! 2 more months to go and I get to gain a pound a week. Gee, won't that be fun!

Big Rocks. Lots of Big Rocks

The landscaping is well under way. It is supposed to be done over the weekend or by Monday. Right now the big limestone rocks for the retaining walls in the back are being put in. This first view shows the 2 biggest walls going in behind the house.

And here's a view look straight at the house. We had one really big tree that was removed, but it just wasn't going to make it with all the erosion we've had. Once it was taken out, it really opened up the view off of the porch.

And a view of the smaller wall behind the garage.

We're still on schedule to move this weekend, so it'll be a busy weekend for us (and our family members who are helping us move everything!).

This weekend is also special because our friends Amy & Tye got engaged last night!!!! Tye is finishing his last year of law school in Houston before moving to KC to work for Baker Sterchi. Amy & I have known each other since our days of working for the Kansas Lottery as interns and she was the maid of honor in our wedding. They're coming to town next weekend for the Texas Tech football game, so I'm pretty excited to see the happy couple. Congratulations to them.

So Close to Moving!

Well, we SHOULD move this weekend! Our landscaper has said he thinks he'll be done by tomorrow, so if everything goes smoothly, than we'll be making the big move this Sunday. We're getting pretty anxious to move in.

Our friends Susan & Kenny have been great to put up with us for the past 3 months (especially since we only thought it would be 3 weeks when they offered us a place to stay!), but I'm sure they're ready to have their house back to themselves as well. We can't thank them enough for putting up with us. We're truly blessed to have friends as good as them.

Here's the living room.

And here's the kitchen/dining area.

And the front hallway. Notice the light--it has an S in it. S for Smoller! Brian found that light and we just had to have it for the front entrance.
We'll post more pictures later, but over the weekend they cleaned everything and put in the appliances. The only left to do was to finish the laundry chute. We'll be doing the walk through in the middle of the week. Woohoo!

31 Weeks

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt.He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Well, our Little Man definitely is moving a lot. Lately I've been feeling his legs more, because they're causing me some serious heartburn/acid reflux! But, that's a good sign. However, he sure feels a lot heavier than 4 navel oranges. I dont' know about that part!

We're almost there!

The house is almost done! Here's a picture looking into the kitchen. The island hasn't been installed yet, but otherwise it's almost done.













Looking from the living room up on to the higher level. The railing between the 2 levels is also done.












The master bedroom with paint and window trim and flooring!












This room will be the nursery. This is the view from the doorway.



The inside of the house will most likely be done by the end of this week. Next up is the yard. We're having some serious landscaping done to prevent River Smoller from washing away everything. We're hopeful the landscaping can be done by the end of next week so the house can be appraised and then we can move in. If you could pray for clear, dry weather for the next 10 days, that'd be super! We're getting anxious to get moved in.

Going to the Doctor

Well, saw the doctor again this morning. I'm going every 2 weeks now, so I'm getting more quality time with the ladies of WHG (Women's Health Group). Blood pressure and everything else still looks great. Little Man was just having a growth spurt, so we did not have to do another sonogram. The due date is still Nov. 23rd, although he's still measuring on the big side. We might just have a big baby, or we might go a little early. I'm getting to the point where I certainly wouldn't mind if he arrived a couple of weeks early!

We've got a big shout out to our friends Casey & Neisha. They're expecting Baby No. 2 in April 2009. The link to their blog is on the right side of this page. We're pretty excited for them, even if it is another little tiger!

And speaking of babies, they're all over the place. Our wonderful friends Susan & Kenny became an aunt and uncle for the first time. Susan's brother & his wife had a lovely little girl, Mylee, on Sept. 10th. She is just darling. And our friend Tina Fritz & her husband also had a girl on Sept. 10th as well (it was a good day for baby girls). They welcomed little Leila into the world.

30 Weeks

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

3 pounds feels a little on the light side! I don't know how in the world Little Man can get any bigger because it already feelsl ike he's taking up every bit of space. But, apparently there's more growing to do. We have a doctor's appointment on Thursday so see how he's progressing in size.

We've got paint! With pictures!

This is the color of the master bedroom - a blueish, grayish color. I think it turned out really well. We're pleased with how it's looking so far!













This is the view from the hallway looking down into the living room. Everything except the master bedroom is this tan color--very neutral. Brian is over in the corner checking out where the flat screen TV will go!











And a view from the hallway looking at the dining room. The island for the kitchen will soon be in this view.

Dave & Joni came out with us to the house, so you'll see them in some of the shots.

More of my growing midsection

I'm begininng to not like these pictures as I keep on growing! But, here it I am at 28 weeks.

29 Weeks

Your baby is growing rapidly now. This week he 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 getting bigger to accommodate his growing brain — which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.

Tagged - 6 Most Interesting Quirks

Well, it's 3:02 on a Friday afternoon. I have been at work since approximately 7:20 a.m. and I worked late last night. So, in the spirit of Friday afternoons, I am avoiding work by doing anything and everything else I possibly can. Actually, we've already rocked the piles of stuff that were sitting on my desk this morning. I've got 2 new people in commercial lines and they are both catching on uber fast, which is starting to show in the form of having clean space on my desk. Woohoo! Jill & Martha are great!

My dear friend Neisha thought it necessary to tag me, so now I'm obligated to come up with the 6 most interesting quirks about myself. 6. Seriously? There are all kinds of weird things about me, but I don't know that any of them qualify as interesting. Alas, here goes my attempt.

1. I now have insomnia. It's probably not defined as such, but every night I have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and then I crawl back in bed and just lay there while our child proceeds to kick and hit every nook and cranny of my innards. They don't really hurt, but they sure are powerful enough to keep a person up. so I just lay there and then finally get back to sleep about 3:30 or 4:00. It's fun. Really. I never thought I'd be a person who had a hard time sleeping, but that issue has now arrived.

2. I hate mushrooms. And I do mean hate. They have a great flavor, but they've got the most disgusting texture. Ever. Most of my food dislikes center around texture and not flavor, so apparently my taste buds are a little fragile that way. But I can't stand the slimy feel of mushrooms. It's nasty. I'm almost gagging just thinking about it. Ugh.

3. I have a strange fascination with the show "The Biggest Loser." Don't ask me why. I have no explanation. I love watching it. Bob is my favorite trainer--Jillian just doesn't cut it for me.

4. I name my vehicles. Right now, I drive Corrina Corolla and she's a great car. Before her I had Sally the Sundance. And in high school, I had Dodge Dara. You can see there's a theme with the names--always female and always beginning with the same letter as the make of the car.

5. I have recurring dreams. One in particular that has been ongoing for many years in my life. I don't remember when it started, but the gist of the dream involves me driving some piece of candy in the sky (apparently in Bethland we don't drive futuristic, Jetson-type cars. No, we drive giant pieces of candy in the sky). My family and friends are in the dream as well, driving their own candy vehicles. I can tell when a person has somehow impacted my life because they will show up in the dream. the pieces of candy each person drives change from time to time, but my Mom always drives a Hershey bar. My dear husband drives a Junior Mint. Our friend Kenny started driving a lifesaver in the last week (perhaps because he's talked about these great lifesaver popsicles they have in the press box!). My friend Susan was driving a Rice Krispie treat, but in the last 2 months has started driving something that looks like a cross between a jolly rancher and a hot tamale. See, now that really does qualify as weird!

6. I don't think this is weird, but my closet is typically color coordinated. All of my clothes are on white hangers, except for white shirts. All white shirts go on blue hangers. The closet is arranged by colors of the rainbow. White, red, orange, pink (because it just fits in best here), yellow, green, blue, purple and then gray, black and brown. Within each color, sleeveless shirts are first, than short-sleeved and finally long-sleeved shirts. I don't have all my maternity clothes organized in this fashion, but when we get unpacked in the new house, this system will exist in the new closet. I love it--it helps to see everything in that order. My friend Kristi says it works for her, too. I organize her closet whenever I get to her house!

There you go. Happy Reading. Oh, almost time for the weekend now!

7 month checkup

Well, I jsut got back from visiting the doctor for my 7-month checkup. Today goes down as the worst visit so far! I had to take my glucose test, which involves drinking a lovely little mixture I can only describe as sugary nastiness. Alas, they do give you a choice of orange flavor or fruit punch flavor. I chose fruit punch nastiness and drank it as fast as I could. After drinking a ton of water and brushing my teeth, the taste still lingers in mouth. Yuck! But, I passed with great results, so no gestational diabetes for me.

After that part was done I got to see my doctor. Blood pressure is fine and so is everything else. Little Man is measuring pretty big at this point, so I go back in 2 weeks for another visit. She's going to check him again and if he's still big, than we'll do another sonogram and probably move the due date. She said sometimes they just have growth spurts and sometimes they just get big. She's keeping an eye on him either way. He's meausring 31 centimeters--I have no idea what that means, other than he's measuring big for 28 1/2 weeks.

And, the last fun part of my day was getting a Rogam (SP?) shot. Becuase of my negative blood type, I got to enjoy that little pleasure. I get another one after I give birth, so more fun stuff to look forward to. I figure after labor and delivery, a shot in the rear will seem like nothing!

28 Weeks

By this week, By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open and close her eyes, which now sport lashes. This movement is more of a reflexive blink than a deliberate opening and closing, but it won't be long before she's batting those beauties at you.

Progress on the House

We've got more progress. Last week all the sheet rock was put up in the house. The mudding was going to be done this week and then they're moving on to all the other stuff, so we're getting close.
This view is from the garage looking down the hallway. The window is in the master bedroom. Dining room and kitchen to your right and sunken living room off to the left.






This is looking from the living room up towards the kitchen. The sink will be below the window. There will be a railing along the ledge (required by code!).










And this view is from the dining room looking down into the sunken living room. Deck outside of the sliding glass doors. Behind the half wall are stairs to the basement.

27 Weeks

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 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, your baby'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 born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements 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 they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

We've got paint!

Our house has been painted! Or at least it was in the middle of that process when we stopped by this past weekend. The green color is the color of the house. The front porch has been painted as well.











Here's a shot of the front of the house from across the street. The shingles are on top, so I would assume they're going to put those up someitme in the next week or so.











And a shot from the back.

We've made a lot of decisions this week on final details--appliances, flooring, interior paint, etc. This week the interior should be getting some drywall, so we'll see some big changes.

26 Weeks

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

Another update on the house

An updated view of the back of the house. All of the siding is done and the deck is up as well. We spent a couple of hours at the house last week with the electrician and hte plumber going over all kinds of details.
















The front of the house, this time showing the porch!













The inside is coming along quickly as well. This is the workshop downstairs. This view is from the stairs before you walk down into the workshop. The workshop is going to be one of the best rooms in the house!

25 Weeks

Head to heels, your baby 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 you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

We had our 6-month apopintment last Thursday and everything went well. Little Man was measuring at 25 1/2 weeks instead of 24, which is perfeclty normal. Our doctor said that his size would fluctuate as we progress. At this very moment, he's a little ahead of schedule or just a big baby! My blood pressure and everything else was fine, so everybody was healthy! Our appointment next month is a fun one because I get tested for pre-gestational diabetes.

House update

Here's the newest progress on the house. Still moving right along. The siding is going up as are the windows and doors.











Another view of the front. The house won't be this color when they're finished.













The inside is getting easier to imagine since all of the framing is up and there aren't pieces of wood all over supporting everything. This is the view from the garage door. Sunken living room to your left; kitchen and dining room is on the right side. The window down the hallway is in the master bedroom.








The view from the front door. Sunken living room with the big windows and sliding door, while the kitche is immediately to the left. There will be a 3/4 wall on the left for the kitchen, so this area won't be as open when it's finished.