32 Week Ultrasound

Since the beginning of my pregnancy many people have commented on how small I look.  As much as I am happy to not be a gigantic pregnant woman, recently I was starting to get a bit nervous by all these comments.  With one person, when I shared that the doctor said everything was ok, the response was, "Oh, I don't  know about that."  Horrible huh?  I talked to my doctor about my concerns a few weeks ago.  She said my outer measurements were on the smaller side, but that she believed everything was fine.  However, she ordered an ultrasound just in case, and to put my mind at ease.  On Thursday, at exactly 32 weeks, my husband and I went in to take a look at our baby girl.  I felt as though everything was ok, but was welcoming the reassurance of the images and internal measurements.  Based on what the ultrasound technician saw, our little one now weighs 4.7 lbs. and is measuring right on track.  The placenta is in the correct place and the baby's head is already facing down.  Thank goodness!  I guess I simply carry the baby in a way that makes me appear smaller than most 32 week pregnant women.  I certainly feel big enough though.  I've learned that I will forever be careful about my comments to any pregnant women I encounter in the future.

Face (amazing huh??)

 Foot

 Heart

Baby Shower Saturday!

Wow, what a fun day.  The baby shower was a blast.  It was a rainy day so my house was full of beautiful women, with the tight quarters leading to many great conversations and reunions amongst the group.  We missed the East Coast family and friends, and those more local who were unable to attend, but I certainly felt everyone there in spirit.

Here are some images of the day, demonstrating the creative design of my dear friend Maria:

It's hard to see my belly in this one but I promise it is there, sticking out the front.  That is sparkling cranberry juice in my champagne glass. :)

And, the amazing gifts.  Thank you all for your generosity!!!  Honeydew is so appreciative...

Reading

Feeding

The Necessities

Making Baby Food

Playing and Learning

More Necessities

Dealing with Diapers

Dressing

More Dressing (such cute items!!)

Keeping Warm (Handmade Blanket)

Keeping Clean While Feeding (Handmade Bib)

More Playing and Learning

Accessorizing

Nice job and thank you Maria for your AMAZING planning and organzing.  Special thanks to Jen and Amy as well!  And for all the help setting up and cleaning up, thank you to Andy, Laura, Danielle, and my wonderful husband!

Thanks again everyone!!! xoxo

Baby Shower Invitations

A few of my friends offered to throw me a baby shower since my family is so far away.  My friend Maria created this amazing invitation for the event (I covered up some of the personal information):

I am quite excited about the shower, but also sad that my mom and sister and many other close relatives and friends won't be able to make it because they are on the East Coast. :(  

Santa Was Very Generous to Honeydew

Honeydew isn't even here yet and she made out like a bandit this Christmas! 

I have been trying my best not to buy things for the baby yet.  I'd like to know exactly what we need before I jump in.  I'm so excited to have some cute things to enjoy though.  Thank you to all the relatives who are already helping to dress her!

6 Months!

Wow, it's hard to fathom that it has already been 6 months and I am now entering my final trimester.  The time has flown!  I am starting to feel big, so this concerns me considering there are 3 months to go.  I can still fit into a few pairs of my jeans (low rise) but mostly I've been embracing the legging/long sweater look that seems to be current at the moment.  This week I plan to buy some maternity pants (ugh!!) for work.  Thankfully my friends have been gracious enough to share many great maternity tops that should fit for a while.

Here is a photo taken yesterday, prior to my husband's business Holiday Party. 

The Honeydew

Yesterday my fifth grade students nicknamed my bump "The Honeydew."  It came about through a conversation, first about the current size of the baby, which is approximately two pounds, and then in attempts to compare something concrete to this size.  They first generated "Canteloupe" but realized this wasn't a sufficient baby nickname.  Then they came up with "The Honeydew" (after the melon) and it sounded perfect.  Therefore, until we settle on a name, the baby bump will now be referred to as "The Honeydew."  I am really enjoying my student interest and involvement in this pregnancy.  The girls are especially cute about it and have several names to offer.

""Flutterings""

It is an amazing thing to feel something moving around inside of your body that you know is the act of another person.  The first time it happened, I thought I had a stomach ache from a huge meal.  Then, she continued to jump and spin in the mornings and evenings that followed and I was able to distinguish the feeling from that of anything else.  The literature says she is close to one pound and is about the size of a small doll at this point.  At her size, she is still free to move in all directions within the womb without restrictions.  I am enjoying picturing this tiny being swimming around inside me.  With each bump into the wall, I hope that my husband can feel her from the outside.  But, unfortunately she hasn't reached this level of intense exercise yet.  Soon enough, I hope!