BabyAbby is a ....

papayaWatch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. That little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

The site that posts these cute comparisons starts grouping them monthly instead of weekly at this point. I guess that's because sizes really begin to vary at this point. The doctor said last week that Abby is measuring 58th percentile at this point, so I guess find the mid-point above and add a tiny bit! :)

I'm still feeling pretty good. Maternity clothes have definitely taken over, as rubber-banding my jeans is no longer comfortable. We can occasionally feel Abby kick from outside my belly, but the kids haven't had the chance to feel it yet.

The Price Was Right

While Anna was in school yesterday, Caleb, Scott, and I had a special lunch at Gatti's to celebrate Caleb's week off from school. The pizza (and baked potatoes! ~pregnancy craving?) was good, the company was great, and here's a glance at the game room fun. Unfortunately, the bumper car pics came out too blurry on my phone.

He shoots, he scores!

Getting his air hockey game on...

Action shot

Final Score and Daddy's defeat

Stomping "spiders"

Trying a new "Catch a Big Bass" game that's like the Price Is Right Wheel

...the Jackpot!

Look at the sheer volume coming out!

Turning in the massive wad:

The count after turning in tickets:

I'll have you know that Caleb opted to save the entire amount of his ticket balance for the next time we go. Good job! What a fun day, and what a bonus-the ticket jackpot!

BabyGirlMac is now a...

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

(Supposedly all of the length measurements are now head-to-toe instead of head-to-rump from this week on. )

Our doctor (whom I LOVE, by the way) said everything looks healthy at this point. SweetBabyGirl is measuring 58th percentile for this point in development. She has been kicking up a storm lately, and three nights ago, Scott was able to feel her kick for the first time!

True confessions: I'm having a little difficulty processing that it's Sweet Girl instead of Sweet Boy, even though I knew my intuition could have been way off. Maybe if I say it enough it'll sink in. Don't get me wrong; I'm not disappointed! Caleb and Anna both had guessed it was a boy, and Caleb was more than a little disappointed. I think, though, that the main reason was because he had hoped to get bunkbeds if it was a boy!

(Little does he know that the ones I used to have growing up are at Mimi and Pawpaw's, just waiting for a certain someone's May birthday to come around!)

Any time we say something about having a baby girl, Anna is superquick to point out that we're wrong and she's "a BIG goor" now. I think we've sufficiently corrected this misunderstanding, but I fully expect to have to repeat it at least a dozen more times. :)

Well...

All we could see was...











some sugar and some spice and everything nice!!

Testing... Testing...

This is my mobile attempt to prepare for giving you tomorrow's news as soon as possible! I'm excited! I should be able to post via phone!

What's Easter, Anyway?

Check out these brief video clips about the significance and relevance of Easter.

Thanks be to God for the indescribable gift, sacrifice, and resurrection of Christ so that you and I might have relationship with Him!

HT: GirlTalk

BabyMac is...

a canteloupe and is halfway here! (give or take a few days) We're at week 20, and the sonogram takes place on Wednesday! Stay tuned for the official news, and in the meantime, register your guess in the poll on the right.

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

Thus the upcoming sonogram...let's hope BabyMac isn't modest!

Feeling Up To Par?

We took the family Mini-golfing while Caleb was on intersession. What fun!

I should Photoshop myself out of this one...
Anna decided kicking the ball would be easier.


Handsome.


Success with the club!

TieBreaker for my TieBreaker

I just think it's funny that currently the poll has registered 7 votes:

3 think BabyMac is a girl
3 think BabyMac is a boy
1 can't decide.

It's okay to break the tie, people! :) BabyMac is the epitome of a tiebreaker!

February/March in a flash!

This is my shameless attempt to get caught up on posting so that I'm not in some limbo-stage between past and present! Bear with me!

In early February, we journeyed to good ole Springfield MO for the wedding of two great friends of ours. Scott performed the ceremony, and Anna was the flower girl. Caleb helped with favors at the reception, and I did my best to keep things running for our family so that we did our roles smoothly and without a hitch. :) We treasured time with friends after the rehearsal dinner and were blessed by the hospitality of dear friends Harold and Jane. Would you believe that with all the reunions of that weekend, the ONLY picture I managed to snap was one (a fuzzy one at that) of the groom's face while seeing the bride come down the aisle? Here it is!
Ok, I confess that there was more than one, but they were all of this scene. I laughed, though, because Betsy's brother (on the right) was taking pictures with his camera phone while she was coming down the aisle! This was the only one without that taking place. I'll point you to their website and to some pics (when they're available) so you can see how cute Anna ended up! I am so proud of Betsy and Barron and the way they sought to bring God glory in the way they dated, the structure of the wedding ceremony, and in so many other ways!



Then came Valentine's day. We had a fun, lazy day to celebrate, and I made a whoppingly huge breakfast for everyone. Waffles, eggs, bacon, fruit. Mmmmm. And excessive, but cute plates/napkin arrangements.




A good friend at church had a birthday, and we celebrated by surprising her at On the Border. Happy Birthday Miss Quel!

By the way, thanks, Tyler, for teaching Anna to do this...

The staff wives at our church came together to throw a shower for Kati in anticipation of baby Layton. Here are some pics. (Kati, I didn't post all of the ones with funny facial expressions. You owe me. Hee hee)

Made by Theresa... the cake genius.

That's February and March in a flash! I have one more post for March, and then we should be caught up! Wahoo!

BabyMac is a...

mango by now...

Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

You didn't forget that we won't find out for another week and a half, did you? :) I like these measurements. Mind you, they're measuring Crown-to-Rump (that's top of head to bottom of bottom), so leg length is not included. That's half a foot and half a pound!

Don't forget to vote in the boy/girl poll on the right! ----------------->