Week 26

"From the fullness of His grace, we have all received one blessing after another"- John 1:16

Man, it's hard to be believe that we have less than 100 days to go!! It's exciting and terrifying at the same time! Right now our little one is the size of an eggplant (more than 9 inches and ~2lbs). Most days it's hard to believe that he's going to get a lot bigger. So far, I've gained 14 lbs. My goal was 20, so I think I'll be beyond that. But from what I can tell, it's mostly baby; I don't think I'm really putting on weight anywhere else (or at least that's what nice people tell me!). I was a pretty healthier eater before and I really haven't changed my habits all that much.

Over the past couple of weeks, the baby's face (while still tiny) is basically fully formed! However, he does not have chubby cheeks yet as the fat will come later. The baby's skin is going from transparent (like literally being able to see organs and vessels) to more pink as blood vessels continue to bring more blood to surrounding areas. His eyes are beginning to open (although really, what is there to see at this point?). They say you can hold a flashlight up to my belly and he'll likely kick back to let me know he's not into a bright line being shone in his eyes (it seems a little mean, so I haven't done that yet). Being able to respond means that brain waves are firing all around. I hope that y'all find this kind of stuff interesting. With my weekly updates I receive, the science geek in me becomes more and more impressed with fetal development.

I'm still feeling pretty good. As I near the end of the 2nd trimester (the happy place for sure!), I can feel my energy just getting a little less by the end of the week. I'm squeezing myself into less and less and am enjoying pants that have stretch. I mean in all honesty, why don't we wear these types of clothes more often?? They're light years more comfortable than having to button, zip, tie, etc! I have my 1 hr glucose test before my next visit, so I'm not terribly excited about drinking the tang, but I really don't want to have to do the 3-4 hr test either!

Last weekend I spent some time with my mom (not only buying more maternity clothes), but also registering. It was an all day process and I was worn out by the end! Luckily, I had my expert helper (other than my mom), Allison tell me all the things I need and don't need (and some extra help from Lauren who consulted via text). I'm having a lot of trouble deciding on a nursery theme/decor. I'm not really crazy about a lot of the cheezy/matchy-matchy ideas. But then people think my concept is boring (which involves a peaceful, neutral, no babies r us explosion). I'm hoping Sheryl can guide my inner interior decorator in the right direction.

Other news, we found a house to rent for the next year and a half. I maintain we could have stayed put, but at the end of the day, I think a move is also for the best. Now, I'm quite excited about moving on Feb 1st into a real house, with a garage (no more dragging groceries up to the third floor), fenced in back yard for Cooper (no more 2 flight trips down and back up to take him out) and a kitchen to move around in! My mom has offered to do the moving (or find the help to do the moving) and Anna (with her team) is going to help get everything set up. So Patrick and I will be living among boxes for the next couple of weeks (so if I seem more grumpy, I apologize ahead of time).

Home for the Next Year and a Half

We decided to stay with my current ob/gyn and deliver at the hospital where I work (instead of transferring to Shands). It was a battle to make the decision, but ultimately, it didn't seem that my experience at one would be superior to the other. And my MD is one floor above my office and the LDR is one floor below my office. It's pretty convenient to say the least. I have to trust my MD that she is going to do her best to set me up with the most experienced RN and I also trust the opinion of the craniofacial pediatrician who Patrick has spoken with.  Now if I blog that no one knew what they were doing when this baby is screaming at 2:30 in the a.m., I'll be questioning this decision! :)

And finally, everyone's favorite question, what's the name?? He has so far remained nameless. We are talking and discussing options, but have yet to decide on anything concrete. But have no fear, we hope to have one soon and will let the world know ASAP. Lots going on over the next couple of weeks (and let's be honest, it will probably stay this way for months if not years to come)