War Eagle

Little Peanut/Esmerelda/Bucky is 5 inches long now and weighs 3 1/2 ounces. She is growing so quickly! Friday, TJ and I are leaving to go to the beach around noon! I am so excited! We have not been since the first week of May! It is Searcy's birthday weekend, and I have a special edible present coming for her! Friday is also day 107 as well as the beginning of week 18 in the pregnancy. Next Friday starts the 5th month. I almost cannot believe that it has been that long! September 12 is the half way marker! The baby becomes viable (she could survive outside the womb) on October 10th. That is so crazy!! Of course, I am hopeful to make it all the way to February 6, but not past! I am confident I will be begging for pitocin by the last day of January if she has not popped out by then! OK, enough baby talk. I am getting ready for some football! will Peanut be an Auburn or Alabama fan? Crap, I have never thought about what having a divided house might do to a child! Oh right, no more baby talk. It dominates my thoughts.

Change my mind? Who? Me? Never.

I ordered a pillow from the newest bedding set that I like for little Peanut's room. See the picture to the right. It is a little more feminine, but not yucky pale pink(or purple either, Lauren). I don't know that she will be a tomboy, but I am hopeful that I won't have to give her to Jane Ann to raise (you know, if she is a priss pot). Seriously, with her genes, I bet she will come out of the womb wearing little cowgirl boots and a mischievous smile.

Baby Girl!!!!!

It's a girl!! She is healthy, and appears to be very laid back. She had her hands behind her head and her ankles crossed Indian Style. She is facing upward in this picture. The images on the ultrasound screen were much better than the pictures they sent us home with! Now we have to wait until mid-September to see her again! I decided not to post her "girl parts" picture...I don't want to create a complex before she is even born! (Plus, it is very difficult to tell what is what anyway.)

16 weeks 1 day

99 days down, 167 to go.
I am getting anxious to know if it is a boy or girl running around in my abdomen. I know its running because when you listen to its heartbeat, it is never in the same place. I am ready to feel its kicks. Currently, all I feel is constant pressure on my bladder or colon depending if I am standing or lying down.
The pups are gearing up to go to their new homes. They are becoming more independent, and much less reliant on "the pack" for support and warmth. Maggie is growing more tired of them, since they now have teeth and I can only imagine how that might feel as she tries to nurse.

Gobble, Gobble, Wahh, Wahh, Onomatopoeia can be fun!

I went to the doctor yesterday, and I begged her to give me an ultrasound. She wanted me to wait a few more days in hopes that we will be able to get a very clear picture of the little crotch. So....Monday is the big day! I am so excited I can barely sit still. The peanut has grown in the past week to 4 1/2 inches in length and weighs 3 1/2 ounces. Dr. Miller found its heartbeat. 150 beats per minute. She was very reassuring this time, and we decided that we will give birth at Baptist East.
TJ and I are going to attend Childbirth Preparation and Breastfeeding Classes at the hospital. Still not sure why he needs to go to breastfeeding class, but I will be glad for him to know, should I be passed out from exhaustion, he can fully execute a feeding by himself. I'm kidding. He will, however, need to know how to wake up from a scream and warm a bottle. (He swears he will be of great help during turkey hunting season, when he will be waking up early anyway.) Hehe.

Growl, could be my stomach, could be my growing puppies!

Ready to eat!!
My stomach is so hungry right now. I am getting to the uncontrollable hunger stage. I could eat all day, and never get full. I am 15 weeks, 4 days pregnant, and ready to have a real belly to prove it. I know it sounds crazy, but I would rather be obviously pregnant than questionably fat. I look like I have been on a McDonald's overload, or that I went on a major beer binge this weekend. Trust me, I would love to do both, but right now I am concentrating on vegetables and orange juice. But if you go get Mickey Dee's, feel free to pick me up a large fry.
TJ and I are anxiously awaiting the doctor's appointment on Wednesday, and it looks like we will be moving in that day too! The paint is drying and I am very pleased with the colors. (Even the red bathroom, sorry Searcy! I think you will still like it.)
The puppies are growing so quickly, and are eating solid puppy food now! They should be ready to go to their new homes in two weeks at the latest.

This is me with a pillow up my dress. This is not actually how big I am. I repeat, this is merely a preview of what is to come.

Peanut can move his feet, kick me in the bladder, and spread his little monkey toes today. This makes me very happy. I can't feel the kicks yet, but they say in another week or two I will. My doctor's appointment was moved from Monday to Wednesday of next week, so it will be even longer until we find out when the next ultrasound is...uhhh. So impatient.

I tried to hear his/her heartbeat last night, but peanut must have been asleep, because it was no where to be found. (This is no cause for concern. About every 5th time I can't locate it because the baby shifts drastically while there is still room to move.)

4 down, 4 to go.

The puppies went to the vet yesterday, and got a clean bill of health. Maggie, on the other hand, was told to eat more, and nurse less. We got the full steam ahead on weaning. The pups are absolutely draining the life out of her, but are super fat and cute. They began eating mushy puppy food on Saturday, and took to it very quickly. (As in, within five minutes of smelling it, they were rolling around in their empty bowls, licking their paws and each other's faces.) I thought it was going to be more difficult. They also began life in the outdoors this weekend. However, it was short-lived when it threatened rain on Sunday night, and the sprinklers came on Monday night, so they got to come inside again. Wet little punks.
I met with a nice lady yesterday, who wants two of the pups for her son and daughter. She picked the male rottweiler look-alike and the female brindle. Still have four left if you feel so inclined. They are going to be super sweet.
The baby is learning to form a fist, has a scalp pattern, and can suck its thumb. Peanut is 3-4 inches long and is the size of a large lemon. I go back to the doctor on Monday.

"The last time Joey was in a meadow, his mom was being shot at."

Welcome to the second trimester! We made it! At this point, the risk for miscarriage drops significantly, and the baby begins dramatic growth and maturity. Peanut is growing eyelashes and eyebrows that are white and his/her skin is red. I imagine it to look like a very tiny version of Kate before she puts her "face on". I heart you albee.
The puppies are getting their first real bath this weekend, as their temperature has now stabilized, and Maggie is pretty smelly too. I foresee a lake bath with everyone angry with me when its over. Luckily, with such small brains, they will forget how mean I am and go back to snuggling as soon as they are dry and warm(and smelling like a meadow).

Dude looks like a baby.

Check out the new pictures of the pups!! They are getting cuter by the second. Today is the last day of the first trimester, and I am looking forward to the next phase of development. The baby has grown 2 inches and its weight has increased 50-fold in one month. It is looking less alien like every day!

Mr. No-Shoulders

The puppies are growing so fast! They have little chubby bellies and open eyes. They are learning to walk, and are gaining ground quickly! This weekend they will start on puppy food, and we begin the process of weaning from Maggie.
The lake is so nice to wake up to. It is really a treat, but I didn't get home to start dinner last night until 8pm. That means I did not get to sleep until almost 10, and I had to wake up at 6. This is killing me. I hope the second trimester lets me gain some energy back.
I heard the baby's heart this morning. It was the best and loudest I had heard yet! Peanut is slowly moving up into my abdomen this week, and his arms are proportional to his body! The legs still have a way to go. (I am banking on Peanut getting TJ's shoulders and Evan's arm length.)

Aren't you just a regular Bob Vila?

OK, so after much premature deliberation, I have decided on baby bedding. Yes, I know the baby is still 5 1/2 months away. However, I have to pick paint colors immediately, because we are painting the whole house...no reason to make a painter come back in 5 months. I am posting the picture of the bedding, and I have ordered the diaper stacker in lieu of a fabric swatch. If it is soft and the colors are right, then I will move forward with the painting!
I want to paint vertical stripes about 18 inches wide on the walls in the baby's room. The colors are cream and a sheer gold metallic, which looks more like a beige.
I am also really pleased with the choices we have made in the kitchen. TJ and I decided to put a wooden counter top in, made with antique heart pine. Then we are repainting the cabinetry to a cream color with a coffee glaze and a bead board back splash. It should look like a 1930's cottage when we are done! Take that, This Old House!

"Easy Labor" or "Law Abiding Illegal Alien"-Great Oxymorons

45 minutes to get to work. We are living at the lake temporarily. Humphrey is at Mike and Beverly's, and Hank is at Mom and Dad's. Heidi goes to work with TJ and Maggie is at the lake in the bathroom with all the pups.

We are officially moved out of Avalon, and we are closing on our new house next Monday. So hopefully we can get painted and moved in quickly!

Today is 13 weeks and 4 days into the pregnancy. The spleen begins functioning today, and peanut is 3 inches long, the size of a peach or a large shrimp(I love a good oxymoron). The next scheduled doctor's appointment is August 18th. Two weeks from today. I should find out then when I can have another ultrasound(which will tell us the sex!!!) So start placing your bets.