Week 20

Hooray for half-way! I still can't believe we're in the second half of our journey towards meeting Baby Grayson! To say we're excited is a bit of an under-statement ;-)

This week began with our exciting anatomy scan! Immediately after arriving at the hospital, Mom, Andy & I were treated to nothing short of a world-class boxing match by little Mr. Grayson! We watched in rapt attention as he kicked, punched, twisted, and turned to escape from the ultrasound tech's probing tools. After several minutes of displaying his impressive moves, he then decided to present his little boy parts multiple times! He's definitely a little man, no confusion there! Ha! We then watched as the tech measured his long legs & adorable little arms. Next she counted his tiny fingers and toes--10 each!--and took some pictures of his cute little profile. We noticed mid-way through the ultrasound that he was playing with his umbilical cord, and then, as if tired of the whole ordeal, placed his right hand on his forehead in exasperation! It made me chuckle so hard! He's definitely already developing his own little personality :-) Next, the tech attempted to measure the choroid plexus system in the ventricles of his brain (this system is crucial for producing the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, that bathes the brain and spinal cord). By this point Grayson was resting his head very low in my pelvis, and was still squirming about. After several unsuccessful attempts at securing the measurements due to his fidgeting, the tech finally decided that maybe we should take a break to change position. Thrilled, I took a quick restroom break, which apparently made our little guy quite happy because immediately after I returned to the chair, we secured the necessary measurements--which were all right on track for his age! Although it had been quite a lengthy ultrasound (about an hour and a half!), we were thrilled to watch our little one moving about and looking so big. It made this momma's heart so, so happy :-) Knowing that he looks perfectly healthy was an even greater blessing, and made me feel much more at ease.

Here's a picture of our little guy at 20 weeks. See his little arm up by his face?

After our appointment, the rest of the week rushed by in quite a blur! Andy & I celebrated our last Valentine's Day before G's arrival with a special dinner at the Melting Pot, a lively jazz concert (which Grayson loved too, by the way!), and a fun gift exchange (can you say chocolate-covered strawberries? Yum!). We tried to soak in every moment together because once sleepless nights arrive, those late-night outings are probably going to be few and far between. But of course that's an easy sacrifice to make considering the big blessing we'll be receiving in exchange :-)

Here's our weekly update! Please continue to remember all 3 of us in your prayers as we make this final stretch together :-) Love to you all!

How Far Along: 20 weeks
Total Weight Gain: -1 lbs
Stretchmarks: None
Sleep: Solid
Best Moment this Week: Our 20 Week Anatomy Scan & Celebrating Valentine's Day with Andy!
Movement: Yes, getting quite strong now :-)
Gender: Baby boy
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: In :-)
What I Miss: Warm Starbuck's lattes & cappuccinos
What I am Looking Forward to: Taking our next childbirth/parenting class
Milestones: Baby Grayson is about 6.5" long--the length of a large banana :-) He weighs in at a whopping 11 oz (most babies weigh around 10.5-11 oz at this point, so that's right on track!). He has also established a sleep pattern that is similar to a newborn, so he's probably sleeping about 12-14 hours a day. He may have even found a favorite sleep position--perhaps with his chin resting on his chest or with his head flung back :-) He's growing more and more now!

  20 Weeks

Til Next Time,

Hugs & Kisses, 

A Southern Sweetheart

P.S. Don't forget to check out the new tabs on the blog. You'll find lots of fun goodies up there :-)

Week 19

Hello & good-bye week 19! It seems as though I blinked and this week was over! I guess time flies when you're having fun, right?! :-)

Anyhow, the first half of the week was fairly uneventful. I spent most of my spare time studying for another upcoming medical school exam and doing mundane daily chores (hello dishes, laundry, and house-cleaning!). After my exam on Thursday, however, things quickly picked up in our household. I enjoyed lunch with Sabrina Thursday afternoon, which was quite a treat, considering my dear friend is 36 weeks pregnant! She is handling her pregnancy with such grace and ease, though, that sometimes I find myself forgetting how far along she really is! Her little Garrett will be here before long, so we spent most of our lunch date chatting about her final preparations for his arrival. It's so fun to think that our sons will be only 4 months apart! I'm sure they'll get into lots of trouble together over the years ;-)

Later that evening Andy & I were able to eat dinner with our close college friends, Jordan & Tyler, at Sutton's Restaurant. Talk about a lively supper! Ha! We loved reminiscing with our friends about old memories, upcoming life-changes, and generally anything exciting. By the end of the night I think we were all suffering from smile-induced sore cheeks :-)

Friday was spent shopping & packing for our upcoming busy weekend. Since Sunday was my Dad & Sister's birthday (yes, they share the same birthday, just a few years apart, of course!), I had to ensure that we had all their gifts ready. Finally, I had everything under control & as soon as Andy arrived home, we were off for a weekend in the country! Some of the highlights of the weekend included: a trip to our local Mennonite grocery store, where we purchased freshly-baked bread and organic pasta; Dad & Tiff's birthday celebration, complete with a lavish meal of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, deviled-eggs and red-velvet cake; sewing with Mom; and of course enjoying some much-needed family time with the entire gang. Snuggling with Owen & Eli was simply the icing atop the cake, so by Sunday evening, Andy & I were dreading heading back to the city. We finally pried ourselves away, though, and arrived back just in time to get a good-night's rest.

We ended Week 19 with a Monday evening celebration with my dear friend, Jennifer, whose birthday is also February 10th! Together with a couple other friends, Andy & I helped Jen celebrate her special day over a delicious dinner at Cheddar's. Again, we laughed so much that the sore-cheek-syndrome re-emerged! What a great time we had!

Perhaps the most significant development of this week, though, was the name decision! After much deliberation and thought, Andy & I think we've finally found a first name for our little one--Grayson. We love that Grayson sounds unique without being too far-fetched, manly without being too harsh, and regal without being dull. We also love that it sounds wonderful with our one-syllable last name (which posed quite the challenge, by the way!). As far as his middle name goes, we like Walker, Thomas, and Andrew so far but haven't made a final decision. We'd love your opinions and suggestions! What do you think about the name Grayson? What do you think sounds best for a middle name? Please leave us your thoughts, we'd be delighted to have your input!


How Far Along: 19 weeks
Total Weight Gain: -2 lbs
Stretchmarks: None
Sleep: Great, except for a couple bathroom breaks and the occasional backache.
Best Moment this Week: Deciding on a first name for our baby boy & celebrating the birthdays of 3 very special people--Dad, Tiff & Jen!
Movement: Yes, getting stronger every day :-) I love feeling our baby boy's punches & kicks!
Gender: Baby boy
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: In...Andy has threatened to "Pillsbury-Dough-Boy" my belly when/if it pops ;-)
What I Miss: Nothing
What I am Looking Forward to: Our 20 week anatomy scan! Can't wait to see our sweet little one and celebrate the half-way point :-)
Milestones: Our little boy is the size of a large mango and his brain is busy developing sensory regions for smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch. His skin is also being coated in a waxy layer called "vernix caseosa" that will protect it from shriveling in his fluid-filled home.

19 Weeks

Til Next Time,

Hugs & Kisses,

A Southern Sweetheart

Week 18

This week was a busy week for our little family! From a couple pregnancy "firsts" to a mini-vacation over the weekend, we certainly stayed on our toes!

Amidst the studying and school work that dominated the first part of the week, a new pregnancy milestone occurred--my belly "popped!" Yes, indeed! I woke up on Monday morning and quickly noticed that my belly was notably rounder! At first I was certain that it was a temporary development, but in the days that followed I learned that my bump was there to stay :-) By Wednesday, some of my friends were beginning to notice the bump, and baby boy even experienced his first "bump rub" by someone other than Daddy or I! His "Aunt Jen" was the lucky lady and I just know our little one loves her already--he kicked extra hard when she was rubbing my belly :-)

Wednesday evening, following another school exam, I visited my dear friend Sabrina & finally saw her little boy's future nursery. Little Garrett is due March 2 and now the only thing his room is missing is him! The theme of the nursery was "Noah's Ark," and cute blues, khakis, and greens were everywhere! I absolutely loved the wall art of Garrett's name as well as his extra-spacious closet--after all, boys need room too :-) Seeing another little boy's nursery made me even more excited to decorate our own, so hopefully we'll get started before too long!

Thursday afternoon, Andy & I prepared for our weekend get-away, and before long, Friday & our mini-vacation, had arrived! We made the short drive up to Indianapolis and after settling into our picturesque 11th floor suite at the J.W. Marriott, prepared for Andy's company business meeting/party. The evening before, after learning that the meeting was more formal than we had originally thought, Andy & I made a last-minute shopping trip to the mall, where we both found the perfect outfits. I purchased a long, black chiffon evening gown with a pretty criss-cross back detail that easily accommodated my little bump, while Andy wore a sharp black suit. By the time we arrived at the party, I was starving! Unfortunately, there was still a 2-hour-long business meeting standing between us and dinner, so in the meantime baby & I enjoyed several servings of carrots and celery (at least we got in some veggies :-) ). During the business meeting we learned about several of the company's most complex and challenging projects, as well as the company's goals for the future. Perhaps more exciting than that, though, was that many of the party guests commented on my bump. For the first time, strangers noticed that we're expecting! What a surprise and shock that was! At long last, it was time for dinner, which was beyond yummy! After enjoying vegetable lasagna, broccoli, green beans, and fruit, we socialized with Andy's co-workers before turning in for the night. Even though we were ready for rest, baby boy wasn't quite ready for the party to be over! He must have been dancing in my tummy because for the first time, his kicks were strong enough for Daddy to feel! I think Andy was both shocked and excited to feel his son moving around :-)

 Showing my husband some love :-)

Amazing company ice sculpture at the party!

After Friday's business meeting, we checked into a different hotel for the rest of our Indy visit. This hotel, the Crowne Plaza at Union Station, was significantly older, but much more unique, which was exactly what we wanted! It was originally an active train station, so the entire hotel's theme was based around this. There were even 4 real trains still within the hotel!

There's a train in our hotel!

You can definitely tell the hotel was originally an active station in these 2 pictures!

After checking into our temporary home, we grabbed lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, and then explored the city on foot. First, we checked out Indianapolis' famous "Circle Centre Mall," a massive structure complete with movie theatre and arcade! Next we walked around the city, admiring the many monuments and historic buildings. One of our favorites was a towering war monument, complete with a 37-story-high observation deck. After taking the elevator to the top, Andy & I enjoyed the amazing view of the city. This was probably the highlight of our trip! We ended the night with a delicious meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory and watching the UK ball game on TV.

Delicious "Cinnabon" Cinnamon Roll from the Mall!

Lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe

 

 

The War Monument Tower

View from 37 Stories!

Sunday morning we made our way home and enjoyed a Super Bowl party for 2! I prepared yummy spinach-artichoke dip, mexican 5-layer dip, salsa roll-ups, chocolate-chip cheese ball, and buckeye-brownies! They were huge hits with my hungry, football-loving husband and my little boy, too--he kicked up quite a storm afterward :-) We ended the evening watching the game together--what a perfect end to the perfect weekend!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Party for two!

A gorgeous sunset at home :-)

Here's our weekly update!

How Far Along: 18 weeks
Total Weight Gain: -2 lbs
Stretchmarks: None!
Sleep: Solid, especially after a super-long day.
Best Moment this Week: Having a distraction-free mini-vacation with my amazing husband.
Movement: Yes, getting stronger every day :-) Daddy felt your movements for the first time this week!
Gender: Baby boy!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: In...for now ;-)
What I Miss: Nothing
What I am Looking Forward to: Our big 20 week anatomy scan! I can't wait to see more of our little guy!
Milestones: Baby is the length of a bell pepper and his ears are finally in their rightful position. Myelin is forming around his nerves and he's busy flexing all of his joints now!

18 Weeks

See the bump?!

Til Next Time,

Hugs & Kisses,

A Southern Sweetheart

Week 17

Week 17 absolutely flew by! After our gender reveal party on Saturday, Andy & I were both eager to start preparing for our baby boy, so the shopping began! Together, we enjoyed purchasing our little one's first gifts from Mommy & Daddy--a couple adorable onesies, a sleeper or two, and the cutest little hats. Our favorite find was a hunter green onesie labeled, "Tough Like Daddy" (talk about melting a Mommy's heart)! I think we both realized then that baby boy is certainly going to be one handsome little munchkin!

After our shopping expedition, I spent the next several days preparing for my upcoming Pharmacology Exam, and anxiously awaiting our first childbirth/parenting education class. As soon as the exam was finished, I hurried home to prepare dinner, tidy the house, and gather our goodies for the class, which turned out to be extremely, extremely helpful! We learned about the stages of labor, symptoms to discuss with your physician, when to arrive at the hospital, what to pack, etc. The "Grand Finale" of the evening, though, was an actual labor and delivery video, which I had warned Andy about prior to the class. I'm not sure if it shocked, disturbed, or alarmed him, but my dear husband spent the next 20 minutes in semi-silence. (He later informed me that it wasn't quite as shocking as he had expected, but it was none-the-less a bit graphic and disturbing, haha!)

Later in the week I suffered a minor knee injury after slipping on our kitchen floor, but thankfully recovered quickly and managed to keep baby boy safe and sound! My fall made me extremely paranoid for the next several days, though, and I think that I walked more slowly, for longer than I care to admit, or was perhaps necessary (I just don't trust my clumsy self!). After I regained some nerve, Andy & I decided to take a quick trip to Berea, where we perused the local candy shops, carpenters' stores, and a special glass-blowing boutique. At the latter destination, we watched in amazement as the artist and his partner shaped intricate starfish out of scorchingly-hot glass blocks. In a matter of minutes they had produced a delicate, detailed treasure that Andy & I just knew we had to purchase for our little boy's future bedroom! We walked away with a gorgeous bright blue starfish that we hope will inspire our baby's imagination and creativity!

Andy & I finished the week with a beautiful church service and a lazy Sunday afternoon. Now we're one week closer to meeting our little miracle! Here's this week's update:

How Far Along: 17 weeks
Total Weight Gain: -3 lbs
Stretchmarks: None!
Sleep: Some nights are better than others, especially with 2-3 bathroom breaks every evening :-/
Best Moment this Week: Purchasing our first gifts for baby!
Movement: Yes, getting stronger every day :-)
Gender: Baby boy!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button: In...for now ;-)
What I Miss: Warm, caffeinated Starbuck's drinks!
What I am Looking Forward to: Our big 20 week anatomy scan! I want to see more of our little guy!
Milestones: Baby is the size of my palm and is accumulating some body fat. His cartilage is also hardening into bone and he weighs about as much as a large turnip :-)

17 Weeks

Til Next Time,
Hugs & Kisses,
A Southern Sweetheart