4 months down

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too.




Even with all of your growth and development, we haven't done much to prepare for your coming. Here's a photo of the spare room that will one day be your bedroom.




The bassinet was from someone my mom works with. I'm hoping that the book shelves will match the other furniture in the room, but it's still a topic of discussion between Justin and I.











These are the gifts you've received so far. The blanket on the right is from Mimi (Justin's mom), the fat little pooh bear is from Erin from when she went to Disney World.



The blanket on the left is one that I bought earlier in the year and finished the edges. Your nana (my mom) may have helped a bit during the last stage... but I still made it! And that's the story that we're sticking with.

The 2nd trimester

So... I've officially entered the 2nd trimester this week. I'm feeling a little less tired and slightly less nauseous. Friday and Saturday night I didn't take the sleeping pill, and had a much better day than the last time I tried not taking it. (Which was Memorial Day, but I had too little sleep and a pretty busy day, so that might be the reason). We also had our 2nd doctor's appointment on May 30th. It was a lot quicker than the first one, but we did hear the heart beat again. It was a little slower than last month, but Dr. Cox said it was still within the normal range. Things seem to be moving along like normal for now.

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

A different view

I'm getting a little tired of the fruit pictures, so I thought I'd try something a little different. I'm still feeling about the same, pretty sick during the day and a little more nauseous in the evening. and still super tired. We have our 2nd appointment at the end of the month, and then I'm hoping that I start feeling a little more energetic.

I do like limes

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long and weighs half an ounce.

Well... we made it -through the first trimester anyways. I haven't noticed any more energy (I know... it's a little early for my expectations) but I don't think I'm quite as sick to my stomach anymore -even in the evenings. 6 more months to go!

Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh

Last week Melanie and I went to our first doctors appointment and things are looking "normal". We talked about all the family history, diet, what to expect, etc...and we heard the heartbeat! At first our doctor was cautious telling us that we may not hear it yet, but then there it was all healthy and sweet.

The due date was made official as November 28, 2008. Which, though unlikely, is still very exciting (and easy for me to remember). Maybe our baby can have the same birthday as me and uncle Dustin. Wouldn't that be wild? There's a 20% chance...it could happen...

It's kind of a surreal idea to think about conceiving and giving birth to another human being. It's also interesting to think this much about someone who isn't born yet. Is it like when you hear someone's voice a lot and create an image in your mind and then when you meet them in person it's someone different? I like to think that it's someone who I'm already very close to and I'm just seeing them again after a long time (relatively).

We will see you soon enough!