24 Weeks (Mom)

This week, the baby is the size of an ear of corn! It's just so amazing to me how fast he is growing.


After work we are beginning our hunt for baby bedding. We are hoping to pick something tonight so that we can go buy paint and start getting the nursery set up! We have a crib and a glider ready to go once the paint is on the walls. This is going to be so much fun!

23 Weeks (Mom)

Photo taken at 22 1/2 weeks

It felt like overnight I was suddenly able to feel a huge difference in the way my son moves around inside. All of a sudden, he started kicking hard! One night towards the end of our vacation Paul and I were laying in bed. Baby started kicking and I told Paul to watch my stomach and maybe we would be able to see something. And there it was, a huge movement that we could see from the outside... and we both saw it for the first time together! It was AWESOME! Now it happens just about everyday.

The baby kicked a lot on our travel days... it made me wonder if babies have any sort of issues with the pressurization/depressurization associated with air travel. I know I have problems with it myself, so I wouldn't be surprised. He also really seemed to like It's a Small World and Pirates of the Carribean rides at Disneyland.

I've also had a huge craving for lemonade for a long time. And the sugar really makes him dance around a bunch.

Time is really starting to fly now. Time to get the nursery ready!

Baby's First Vacation... sort of (Dad)

Okay, so he's not officially racking up new experiences yet, but it was an excuse to post. Oceanside, CA is a beautiful place to spend our last vacation before the little guy is born. We'll be traveling to Santa Barbara to see the grandparents at the end of this week, and that's a sure fire good time. We'll also visit Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo, and possibly Sea World, Legoland, and Universal. Hopefully we'll get some downtime, as well, to relax and unwind.

Right now I'm sitting at a marble dining table, staring out the sliding glass doors at the ocean which is 100 feet from me. A handful of surfers are catching the morning tide, and I'm seriously considering going for a run. Meanwhile, Danielle and the Baby are grooming and I think we'll all be ready for breakfast shortly. After all, it's already 11:30 Chicago time!

21 Weeks (Mom)

We are now officially past the halfway mark! The last several weeks have really gone by pretty fast! Our 20 week ultrasound went very well. And, much to our surprise, we found out that we are having a BOY! I think our little guy got sick of hearing us calling him a she and made sure there was no question that he was a he!

He has been kicking and moving around in a far more distinguishable way over the last week. Actually, he just gave me a nice big kick right now! It is by far one of the coolest things to feel, and it really makes me feel like I'm already bonding with him. Paul has also been able to feel him kick the last few days, which has made me very happy! It makes the whole experience feel so much more real or something.

I have some back pain that started about a week ago and has gotten progressively worse. I finally broke down a couple of minutes ago and took a Tylenol (something I had been trying very hard not to do). I'm waiting to hear back from our family doctor to see if she thinks I need to come in and get checked out before we leave for our vacation. I'm pretty sure that I just pulled something in my back, but you know me, I'm paranoid so I need 10 other people to tell me the same thing before I will believe it. :)

Veggies (Mom)

Much to his father's dismay, I do believe our baby likes veggies. I just ate a big bowl of them and then I could feel the baby wiggling around! :)

20 weeks... almost (Dad)

Here's a photo from yesterday's ultrasound. What a great birthday present - to see the baby and learn just a little more about him/her...

As in, which of those two pronouns we can finally stop using. However, since not everyone knows yet, and because Danielle (Mom) might want to tell some people in person, I'll hold off just a little longer from saying anything. I did include just a tiny little clue, though...

19 week appointment (Mom)

Hearing the sound of our baby's heartbeat is just so amazing. Its one of those things that I think I could never get enough of. Fortunately the nurse that checks it at every appointment seems to realize this and finds a good spot and lets me listen while she watches the excitement on my face.

So today's doctor appointment went well. The baby's heart rate was at 150 and all the monthly tests and checks looked good. I got the okay to start a pregnancy yoga video, which I'm very happy about. I think it should help limit the amount of aches and pains I get as I get bigger. And I've also heard that it's really good for practicing your breathing.

I'm really coming to like my doctor quite a bit. She's kind of a no nonsense, this is how it is kind of person. She always takes the time to answer my monthly list of questions and never hesitates with the answers which makes me feel confident that she knows what she's talking about. She doesn't seem to worry too easily but she understands that I do, so she meets me in the middle. It forces me to worry a little less, which is good. Looks like I stick with her for the next two appointments before I have to start going through the rotations with all the other doctors in the practice.