32, 33 and 34 Weeks... and counting

Well this is the home stretch people! It hurts me to bend over and get things out from under my desk and I occasionally request help putting on shoes or socks depending on how limber I'm feeling. Mostly, I just feel LARGE and yes, I know, it will only get worse. Our baby feels like she is all knees, elbows and heels these days. Michael marveled the other night at how little flesh stands between us and this little girl in there squirming around.

32 Weeks

33 Weeks 34 Weeks

We've purchased baseboards and they have one of two coats of paint, the windowsill has been primed, and we've completed our "Labor in a Day" Childbirth class at the hospital. We've pulled the shelving out of the boxes and Michael is going to begin that installation this afternoon when he gets home from work. Later this week is baseboard installation. We OWN a crib and dresser that await assembly once some of the "construction" is complete.

My bellybutton has had a tough couple of weeks and is now hardly an outie and more like a little bump with a wrinkle at the top. It now has a stretch mark right at the top as well (thank you pregnancy fairy) and I'm at bi-weekly doctors appointments. As we left College Station to head back to Dallas from Christmas we realized that the next time we see our families our baby will be on the way or here... wow, now THAT is crazy!

Our holidays were wonderful and as the cameras flashed and people cheered and made funny raspberry noises with their mouths to try and get a grin out of our sweet nephew Jackson for his first Christmas, I am excited for next Christmas when Jackson will be 18 months and showing his 10 month old-ish cousin how this whole Christmas thing works. I'm also excited to be the one that crashes my family's Christmas with the first great grandbaby - sure to be into everything by the time next Christmas comes around.

Huck, Bro Otis and Uncle Max

Charlie (Michael's dad) was out trying to document these three little Westie friends over the Thanksgiving break so I joined in the fun. Huck LOVES going to College Station and playing with his brother Otis (Michael's brother and his wife Sara bought him at the same time we got Huck) as well as his "Uncle Max"(Michael's parents' Westie). It's such a funny dynamic with the two 'rowdy puppies' Otis and Huck wrestling constantly and playing until they can't keep their eyes open and Uncle Max telling them to 'back off' and 'be still' with this growls and grunts.

The one thing that they can all agree on? If there is a squirrel in the backyard, it's time to ATTACK!

Below: Max looking up, then Huck with his tail at attention and Otis in front of him.

Below: Max stands on the tree, blocking our view of Otis as Huck keeps watch on the tree.

29, 30 and 31 weeks... and counting

Well it's time to face the reality of it all. I'm 31 weeks pregnant, the nursery is not done, we do not own a crib, our "sitting room" looks like Babies R Us threw up and I have done about 10% of my Christmas shopping. We did have a wonderful relaxing Thanksgiving, but last/this week I am back to work where we are discussing some major re-branding to happen early next year and 2011 Media plans. This is all just work-speak to you guys, but for me it means travel (just this week) and very busy work days at least until Christmas.

The upside of the nursery... My bedding is totally complete, I just haven't posted any pictures because there isn't really a good way to "display" it so I'm just waiting for the crib. The room is painted, Michael took all the wiring OUT of the nursery closet and rewired it to drop into the hall closet as well as replaced all the sockets with child proof ones. The blinds are back up and the closet is completely painted. Dad was here a couple of weeks ago and helped dramatically with putting a coat of paint on the walls and helping us sand and patch the closet. Cleaning the carpet, painting the windowsill, and installing baseboards and closet shelving remain.

Below: See dad and Michael "discussing" in the nursery.

It is noticeably harder these days to:

• Put on socks, pantyhose, shoes, etc.
• Shave my legs (thank heaven it's winter!)
• Roll over in bed at night
• Get up off the floor or out of a chair
• Bend over to pet Huckleberry (or to scold him and drag him out of the backyard where he is chasing squirrels)

I am still sleeping hard and sound at night and I am VERY thankful for this. I am dreaming vivdly, but not having any crazy baby dreams. I am exceptionally hungry and thirsty most of the time. Every couple of days (what used to be) my belly button hurts and burns while my body tries to grow and accommodate this little person that God is growing in there, but other than that and the occasional aching in my left leg I really still feel pretty good. I am VERY thankful for this as well! At times Michael and I can distinctly feel something hard pressing from inside my belly like a butt or head or knee (ha! it's distinctly there under the skin, but it's totally indistinct what it is!) and this is exciting b/c it's different than the little jabs and kicks we were feeling before when baby had more room to move.

At 29 weeks my friend Allison who is a photographer was so kind to take some maternity photos of us in downtown Grapevine. You can see some of the pics on her blog http://allisonharmsphotography.blogspot.com/2010/11/michael-and-natashas-maternity-shoot.html and you can see others here http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=583980&id=864180073&l=b640afaa04 . They came out so great and we have so many that we love of Michael and I + baby belly.

During week 30 we had our second super high-tech sonogram and confirmed the baby is still a girl! Whew! She still looks perfectly healthy (so much to be thankful for!), they estimate she weighs 3.7 lbs and her femur measured longer than average... shocker! She's measuring about 2 weeks ahead of my due date, but our OB said the Dr. that did the sonogram always tells people their babies are huge, so maybe she's not quite so large after all.

The belly at 30 weeks.

The belly at 31 weeks.

Sweet Things...

Last weekend we were in College Station and got to have lunch with Ninny and Opa at Red Lobster after church. I don't remember how we got to the subject of the baby, but Michael said "Did you ever think you'd be sitting here talking about your great grandbaby that is on the way?"

I wish that I would have done a better job of mentally noting what Opa said, but the gist of it was that he didn't ever expect it because sometimes as you're going along through life you just have no idea what good things that God has in store for your future. There is no way of us knowing what our future might hold and what events might occur to change your circumstances in ways you never expected... He said that sometimes when we're younger we just don't know how good we have it so that we can just stop and appreciate where we're at, at that time.

I thought this was such a nice thing to be said in regard to this sweet first great grandbaby on the way. Ninny and Opa, I know that you are so much looking forward to meeting this baby girl that is growing by the day and I hope that you know how very excited we are to share her with you.

Psalm 127:3-5
Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them...

26, 27 and 28 Weeks and Counting...

Well, sometimes life just gets in the way of things we intend to do... and for me, it gets in the way of blogging. Ha! Among other things! I tried to tell Michael that he was behind on updating the blog (I believe he last posted several months ago), but I am the one that started this weekly pregnancy update in the first place.

Here is my attempt at catch-up! The last couple of weeks have been full. Full of my birthday, Halloween (I guess technically these two things were on the tail end of week 25), our 2-year anniversary (which included a wonderful and relaxing trip to Hot Springs, AR), our first baby shower (yay!), a visit from my dad and plenty of other things!

Week 26 we got started in the baby's room which involved quite a few samples of paint, some ripping out of base boards, some patching of holes in the wall (they were there before, we did not make them!) and some Halloween dress-up. The belly pic for 26 weeks was actually taken on the last day of week 25 so that we could document our fabulous last-minute costumes that we donned for passing out candy. My 80's make-up is so awesome that the little girl next door kept saying "Why does your face look so different?" Michael said he found it disturbing that I even owned the colors of eyeshadow that I wore that night, but he got some funny looks himself since I think the neighbors weren't sure if his 'white trash' costume was a costume or not!

Below: 26 Weeks - Family Photo

Below: Cozy Bed and Breakfast, Hilltop Manor, where we stayed in Hot Springs, AR

Below:The baby loves hiking! The fall color there was really pretty though you can't tell very well from this picture. Notice the camo jacket!

Below: View over Hot Springs. A note about these maternity jeans, I should have bought the smaller size... the droopy booty is especially evident in this picture!

Below: The belly at 27 Weeks - Hucklebear gets in on the picture action just to make sure you know that he was here BEFORE the baby. :)

My College Station shower was this last weekend on the 13th and I had such a wonderful time with such lovely hostesses! Susan Fox (my 'adopted mother') hosted the shower at her home along with my two fabulous sisters-in-law on the far left and the far right, and college friends Meredith (with the glasses) and Stacey (in green) - see picture below. This is one of those things that makes the baby feel very real. We received so many beautiful little outfits and blankets and toys as well as some of the essentials that we so desperately need - it reminds me that this precious little person growing in my belly right now will soon be joining our lives. I am so thankful to be surrounded by such love and support during this joyous time - it makes what is already a happy time all the sweeter!

Below: Me and the hostesses for my College Station Shower on Nov. 13th.

Below: We also had a joint celebration for both mine and Michael's birthday while in CS with the Anderson fam.

On the last day of week 27 I officially finished the organizer that Mom and I started sewing for the baby's room, the crib bumpers are done, and today I plan to finish the crib/bed skirt. Since we're in town this next weekend I am hopeful that I'll have pictures to show of the painted, baseboard-ed nursery and bedding by week 29.

The baby is about the size of an eggplant these days and she's practicing "breathing" the amniotic fluid to prepare her lungs for life outside the womb. She's most active in the mornings and in the evenings, so usually it's just Michael that catches her punches and kicks, but she did put on a little show for Aunt Sara during church this last Sunday. Baby Girl Anderson is anywhere from 1.5 to 2.2 lbs these days and still wrinkly, but less so as fat deposits under her skin. I'm still sleeping hard at night and hoping this lasts as my friends that pass the 30 week mark tell me that's when it gets hard. Yesterday I bought the biggest YAM at the grocery store I'd ever seen. I was showing it to Michael when I realized it was about the size of our baby.

Below: Michael 'burps' our baby Yam. What a good daddy!

We have another big sonogram appointment on Michael's birthday, Nov. 23rd so hopefully we'll have some great sonogram pics to show off before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Below: Last, but not least, this is where we're at today at 28 Weeks

Until next week... or a few weeks from now... :)

25 Weeks... Hello 3rd Trimester, Goodbye Stomach Bug!

Well the 24th week ended up being tougher than expected thanks to some strange flu-like symptoms including fevers, chills, vomiting and sore throats that plagued the Anderson household. It spared no one but Hucklebear, which basically means it took Michael and I out for a few days. That said, we're much much better now and moving on into week 25.

Week 25, baby will celebrate my birthday with me (in my belly), her first Halloween (in my belly), attend her first San Antonio Builder Guide Builder Rally (in my belly with all the candy that I'll plan to eat there), and begin painting her room (from my belly). Fortunately for her, I took two days off this week to allow for all this quality time!

This is also the week of the much anticipated glucose test. I'm certainly hoping that I don't find out I have gestational diabetes as we approach the holidays!!!

The belly at 25 weeks.

Me exasperated because I was trying to get the pants situated to take the belly picture and the camera died. Then the OTHER camera died. Either way, this is the belly at 25 weeks.

24 Weeks and Counting...Sewing, Showing & Growing

This past week I went to San Antonio for work and stayed through the weekend with mom to work on baby bedding. We made incredible progress over the weekend sewing virtually non-stop and have nearly completed our project. I will be attempting to finish the bedding up myself and I'm hoping this attempt is successful since I also broke down and bought a pattern for baby clothes on Sunday. Whoops! haha

Mom cutting out pieces on the bed - there was fabric everywhere for this project!

Me adjusting my shirt to prepare for MORE cutting. The belly really looks large here!

At 24 weeks, I regularly incite comments like "Op! Looks like someone has an additional passenger." as I worked my way through the security line at the airport and "You shouldn't be lifting that. Can I carry that for you?" And the belly continues to grow! It is noticeably harder now for me to bend over and pick things up, it's harder to roll over in bed at night and I am hungry all the time, but I can't eat nearly as much in one sitting because of all the space that baby now consumes.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intimidated by the growth that is to come in the remaining weeks. I'm overwhelmed when I think about our baby being here in 112 days or less (that's right people, I'm still not hoping she'll be past-due but I do really appreciate all of you that tell me about your babies that came 2 and 3 weeks late) and excited about all of the learning that we have to do between now and then AND after she arrives.

I'm particularly amazed to think of her in there this week because my twin cousins Heather and Holly were born somewhere between 24 and 25 weeks and I feel like they give me a glimpse of what Baby Anderson must look like in there. They were so tiny with red skin that you couldn't rub because it hurt them, no visible nipples at all (which is why I found it fascinating that these are on Baby Anderson's development list for this month!), their eyes were still sealed shut and admittedly, they were still very unprepared to be in this world. However as unbelievably tiny as they were, they were in many other ways more prepared than you would expect for being born just over half way through a pregnancy. They were living breathing babies and with help from the NICU they and are now happy 1-year olds! So when I think about our daughter being that much of a baby hanging out under this swell of belly.... well, that is pretty amazing.

I look admittedly tired in this picture, but I wanted to hurry and take it early into week 24 for accurate documentation. The belly at 24 weeks.

23 Weeks and Counting...Hi-YAH!

Having never had to write out the noise that you would make when doing a karate chop, I'm not sure if "hi-YAH!" is the proper spelling, but it's my best attempt.

At 23 weeks on the dot, Michael felt the baby move. He's also seen the baby move my belly! So much of the time it seems that she is active when we're not together (e.g. when I'm at work, or happen to be up later than him) but Sunday night after Michael arrived home from his Vegas trip and we'd eaten dinner with Murray, Helen, Charlie and Cathy at Pappasitos, I sat on our bed and waited. Michael leaned on the edge of the bed waiting and watching and then he saw it - little bumps from tiny punches and kicks on the surface of my belly.

The growth spurt as promised a few weeks ago from our doctor has begun. I'm sure the pictures will only get more entertaining from here, but I share these because they're part of this crazy journey that is our first baby and because I know all who read this blog love us (big belly and all). Oh, and some of you may have made special request to see the belly button! haha

The baby is continuing to beef up for 23 weeks and as I travel to San Antonio for 5 nights this week (Wed. - Sun.) I am sure that she will grow even more and surprise Michael when I return home. Truthfully, it doesn't even feel like my body when I look at these pictures below because it's sort of surreal that this whole process is taking place separate and apart from anything that I am consciously doing for this baby. She grows on and the belly stretches on and for the most part I am still feeling pretty good!

23 Weeks from the Side

23 Weeks from the Front (plus one cute Hucklebear!)

The Original Baby: Huck has learned to jump up.

Huck, our original and first baby, has always been a jumper on people's legs. He just wishes he could get up to your face and give you a hug and a kiss... But there are other places where Huck cannot jump. He cannot jump into your lap if you're sitting on a chair. He cannot jump up on the fireplace hearth and warm himself by the fire. If you put him on the bed, he'll stand at the edge afraid to jump down unless you say the word "treat". People will try and coax him up onto the couch and it's like he doesn't even know what they are doing when they pat that space next to where they're sitting.

This, it turns out, has been a blessing, because Huck never gets on people's furniture when they dog-sit, he can't jump on the furniture and bother company when they come over invited or not, and because we rarely put him in our bed (except for infrequent occasion that he's just had a bath and we want to wrestle with him as he burrows under the covers) he never sits besided the bed begging to be picked up.That said....

There was an incident a couple of weeks ago where Huck accidentally bounced his ball onto the love seat. He cried at the ball from the ground and when I turned around for a moment I found that he'd jumped on the love seat and was laying down chewing his ball. I turned around for one second longer to put my computer on the coffee table so I could go over and make him get down and to my surprise he was walking along the built-ins BEHIND the love seat!! Since then we hadn't seen him get on the furniture, but in the last two days or so when his ball has gotten stuck up in Michael's recliner, on the couch and last night on the COFFEE TABLE (what?!) Huck has figured out that he CAN jump up there and get the ball himself. Now it's sort of become the game to GET the ball on stuff so that he can have the fun of jumping up to get it.

Yes, last night we found the dog that used to cry at his ball from the ground, standing in the recliner and crying at this ball on the floor! It seems that we have a little monster on our hands just in time for Halloween. Oh Hucklebear you are quite the stinker!

22 Weeks and Counting...Thumping Pumkins

Well, Wednesday is better than nothing for my weekly update! I am starting this post late at night on Tuesday actually (though I doubt it will be finished for days) and Michael has already gone to bed. I'm up working, but I just couldn't resist starting this post now because....

Last Wednesday, midway through week 21, we had our monthly checkup. Dr. Thurston listened to the heartbeat and measured my belly and assured us everything was completely normal even though I wasn't feeling the baby yet. Apparently the way the placenta is positioned acts as a big pillow in front of the baby, making it harder for me to feel her movements, blah, blah, pregnancy talk. Anyway, I think it was Thursday afternoon at work (the very next day!), when I was sitting at my desk and thought I felt her move... then again! ... and again! I didn't have this feeling of flutters, bubbles, or these other tickle-y sounding feelings that other people described. Instead, this felt like a thumping on the inside of a pumpkin and that pumpkin is my belly! Truthfully, I told Michael that it was like thumping a melon from the inside out... but I mean, it's October now - so, pumpkin it is!

As I sit on the couch she was moving around like a mad woman in there and I could even feel her when I put my hand on my stomach. And so, I ran and woke Michael up, put his hand on my belly and waited.... nothing,.... stillness... of course! Back on the couch she's up to her previous antics! SIGH. Maybe it will be another week or so for daddy.

The week by week developments now are more general because her main task is to gain weight. All of our resources compiled guess/estimate the following things for this week: she is sleeping 12 to 14 hours a day (JEALOUS!), she can now hear noise outside the womb, she is sprouting nipples (more on why this is fascinating later), her face is fully formed, she's growing tooth buds beneath her gums, and she is about the size of a papaya.

She's still got thin wrinkly, hairy skin - until her body pads up with fat - and the irises in her eyes still lack pigment. Now don't get me wrong, this is our precious daughter in there, who I am sure is just lovely... but it does sound like this week she's still got a pretty good look going for Halloween! haha

This week marks the first week that people have asked me when our baby was due and if I had an announcement. I am now CLEARLY pregnant to the world - and so much so that these people are brave enough to ask. Michael is still "just ready for her to get here" and is loving watching the growing belly thinking about his daughter-to-come. I'm not joking when I tell you that if you think daddies with babies are sweet, it will melt your heart to watch your husband preparing to become one. I definitely shed a tear at Target the other day three pages into a picture book with little quotes called "Why Daughters Need Their Dads".

Until we blog again....

22 Weeks (note the awesome maternity jeans that cover up a large portion of the belly and do a strange wrinkle thing in the back still because my belly isn't big enough to pull them tight)

Cramps, Cravings and Other Pregnant Oddities...21 Weeks

Today (Monday) I am officially past the halfway mark, I am 21 weeks. Just to clarify (if you're like me before I was pregnant and your brain doesn't work in pregnancy weeks) I have been pregnant for about 4 1/2 months now and I am 'in the 5th month'.

I haven't talked much about pregnancy symptoms in these blog posts, but let me just take a moment to tell you about all the strange little things that many people fail to talk about in regards to pregnancy... My calves are tight like I've just done 100 calf raises and didn't stretch afterwards - they cramp regularly in the middle of the night causing me to leap from bed and startling Michael awake. My mouth is extra watery. I am extra thirsty. My nails are growing fast, but they're thin. My cravings and aversions are random and unexplained - I want Cesar salad desperately, first trimester regular mint flavors sounded gross and now the cinnamon that I replaced the other mints with tastes strange. I gag when I take vitamins or any other pill, which I never did before, and this is especially inconvenient now as I have more pills to take than ever with all the vitamins (and now Tylenol thanks to braces)! Last but not least... a better known 'symptom' is the popping belly button, but it feels entirely too early for my belly button to be on the way out - in my mind that is for 'really pregnant people' - but perhaps I just don't realize that I'm in that category!

Still, as I tell anyone who asks, this pregnancy has been so easy compared to others I've heard of, I really can't complain! I feel good most days and all the check ups I've had have been positive. We love our doctor, I have a wonderful, supporting husband and friends and we're really looking forward to sharing this beautiful little girl (skeletor) with our loved ones.

21 weeks from the side
21 weeks from the front

19 and 20 weeks...Half way there!

Well I missed again last week for the 19 week post, but I do have pictures from 19 and 20 weeks I can share today. I was so proud of myself initially for such diligent updates, but as I indicated last post, work has been absolutely crazy and does not promise to get better anytime soon! I guess pride does come before the fall... so much for regular blogging!

19 Weeks

20 Weeks (that belly button is on it's way out!)

My 18th and 19th weeks were good as far as how I have been feeling but work schedules haven't really allowed for the gym schedule I hoped to keep. The baby is the size of the cantaloupe this week (20 weeks) and I'm officially half way through my pregnancy... but let's not talk too much about that lest I freak myself out about all that remains to be done! She's "eating" several ounces of amniotic fluid every day to practice her swallowing and digesting and now her previously-existent taste buds work! Her body is now producing meconium (which is the "tar" that will show up in her first couple of diapers) and this will accumulate in her bowels until she is born unlike the urine. Appropriate dinner conversation? No. Fascinating? Yes!

The baby's room is almost entirely cleaned out now and Michael busted out the shelves in the closet this past week (thank you! thank you! thank you!) which will allow us to patch, sand and paint the closet so we can hang the wire shelving. As of this morning I am 98% positive on the fabrics we'll use for the bedding (that mom and I currently plan to make) which allows for further decision making on things like sheets, changing pad covers, room paint, etc. I should be excited about another decision down - I am, really I am - but in my pregnant brain it also feels like that opened the flood gates to more decision making! Alas, the to-do list grows and the schedule fills up, but the phrase that surfaced first at our wedding is now applicable to baby ... "It will all get done!"

I'm supposed to be gaining about a pound a week from here on out and though it's been that way for the last couple of weeks I seriously feel like my belly is getting bigger by the day. We still do not have a name though that is THE #1 question we're asked these days, but I do feel like our list of options is getting smaller. Hopefully something "will just feel right" very soon. I also still do not feel this little one moving yet, but if the sonogram is any indication...once I can feel her it is going to be non-stop activity. For now I will just enjoy the stillness of the belly!

Natasha

17 and 18 Weeks... a growing baby GIRL!

Of all the weeks to miss a post, I missed last week! It was also a bad week to miss the weekly picture since my belly is swelling by the day!

Below, the girls at 18 weeks.Week 16 and 17 have both been good weeks as far as how I have been feeling. I've made it to the gym a few times and it feels nice to be back in that routine. Work has been very busy (which is one of the reasons I'm behind) and so it's been a routine of wake-up, work, cook dinner, work more, sleep, repeat. In the midst of work I'm also trying to make time for our baby to-do-list which seems to be growing by the day.

Below, baby's profile and her 'skeletor' face.

Our sonogram in week 17 revealed that baby is very healthy, has a complete four chamber heart, two kidneys receiving adequate blood flow and normal sized brain, head, torso and femur. She moved non-stop the entire sonogram keeping her feet crossed right where we needed to see and so she is either very modest or ridiculously active - the sonogram technician said that we had a "a little ninja baby!" They estimated that she weighs about 9 oz. I think it's safe for me to speak for both of us when I say that we couldn't be happier, we're so excited, and we're so ready for her to be here with us... it's also safe to say that those things would all be just as true if it were a boy. The peace of mind that comes with knowing our growing baby is healthy as far as the doctors can tell, is worth it's weight in gold.

Last but not least.... Week 17 we had an onion and this week, week 18, we have a sweet potato! At this point baby's organs are all there and just working on maturing. She can swallow, yawn, roll, hiccup, punch and kick. I wait quietly, sitting nice and still hoping to feel some of this activity, but so far nothing! I'm entering the 'zone' where these movements are supposed to feel more distinct so it really could be any day now. What to Expect When You're Expecting says she should be around 5 oz. this week, http://www.thebump.com/ says she should be around 6.7 oz. and the sonogram last week showed she was actually around 9oz... of all the ways I hope our daughter is above average, I wasn't hoping that #1 is her birth weight! haha

Thanks to all of you who prayed for a positive sonogram, healthy baby, and healthy mommy. We continue to feel overwhelmed by the love and support of our friends and family as we creep along towards our due date!

- Natasha

16 Weeks and Counting

Michael and I at 14 1/2 weeks

(This was on our river trip to Wimberley - you can tell, it got pretty crazy!)

Me at 16 Weeks
This week our baby is ... YUM!... an avocado! Convenient for baby, more taste buds are developing this week as well. ha I can't help but think of Will Ferrell doing Harry Caray asking "If you were a hot dog, would you eat yourself?" when I type this! (Skip ahead to 2:10 or so if you don't watch the whole SNL skit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hObBw7ZAWDo.)

Tiny bones are also forming in his/her ears which allow him/her to hear our voices and eyebrows, eyelashes and a hair pattern is forming. Eyes and ears are closer to their 'final resting places' this week and he or she is growing toenails that promise to be the tiniest toenails I've ever clipped! The baby's heart is pumping close to 25 quarts of blood a day, which amazes me along with all of these other developments. Aaand most exciting, this is the last week (hopefully) that I will have to write "he/she" or "him/her" because we have our ultrasound to determine the sex a week from today, Tuesday! We are anxious to know, but also know that some planning craziness will ensue once we know if it's a boy or a girl.

In other news...

Smaller than our avocado-baby, would be a raspberry... but unfortunately the raspberry that Michael got this past week is a lot larger than our baby! Wednesday morning I got a call at 6:30am from Michael who was out on a bike ride, asking me to come pick him up a good 15 miles or so from our house. A close encounter with a group of runners caused the spill and Michael slid off the right side of his bike seat with the right side of his behind taking the impact. Thankfully we had no broken bones, his gloves saved his hands and he was otherwise alright - but the bloody scrape across his backside is quite a bit larger than these pictures let on (about the surface area of a CD) and has slowly been healing up this week day by day.

Michael after he got home from the accident on Wednesday last week.

The raspberry, isolated for modesty. :)

(Michael noted this looks like a planet.... it DOES!)

Anyway, until next week where we announce baby Michael or baby Natasha... have a great one!

15 Weeks and Counting

Three and a half months pregnant is a strange time. I definitely feel as though I look a little more pregnant these days though half the people in my life say "You look the same!" and others say "oh my goodness look at that baby pooch!" My belly is swelling, but not clearly full of a baby just yet so it's a weird in-between time where friends and family know I'm pregnant and the world thinks I'm bloated. haha Both of which are true!

14 Weeks (since I missed it last week)

15 Weeks

This week our baby continues to work its way through the produce section and is the size of an orange (about 4 inches from the top of his/her head to his/her bottom). Following previous weeks where the baby developed fingernails and teeth under the gums, baby is taking more steps this week toward being an attractive person with proportional arms and legs. The eyelids are still sealed shut, but the baby can sense light and tastebuds are forming. He or she also now has functioning joints and is wiggling around in there like we saw on the sonogram last week... but is still too small for me to feel.

In other news, my braces are on and no longer sore. This past weekend we went on a family vacation with my family to Wimberley and had a great relaxing time. Aaannd last but not least, the last day of week 14, yesterday, we came home to a broken AC. We're staying with our good friends G & Lu at least one night to see if we can get it repaired ASAP, but for now the same sweet friends that saved us during the water shut-off crisis have pulled through again. Huck is in doggie heaven playing with their Boston Terrier Charlie Daniels... and it sure beats our 93 degree house!

Huck with our 'ghetto A/C' - a bowl of ice and a fan - before we left for G & Lu's.

13 Week Sonogram

Can I say enough how much we love our Dr.? Though we were only scheduled to hear the heartbeat, when he saw we had our camera he whisked us into a different office to do a sonogram as well.

Michael and I couldn't believe how much bigger the baby seemed this visit with longer legs and arms and much more movement. The link to the video is below and to give you some perspective, the head is to the left of the sonogram image and the feet are there on the right. The baby is within that black oval space... everything else is just other junk in my abdomen.

http://s997.photobucket.com/albums/af92/MandNAnderson/?action=view&current=13WeeksSonogram.mp4
Here's the breakdown of the video for those of you that don't look at sonograms very regularly:
- At about :26 seconds Dr. Thurston pushes on my belly to try and stir the baby up for some movement (that's what all the bouncing is) and again at :42 seconds
- At :49 seconds you can see an arm straighten, then a back arch
- At :58 seconds you can see the baby put his/her legs out straight up and stretch out
- At about 1:10 you can see the baby 'curl' his/her arm (which Dr. Thurston says indicates a boy because he's doing 'curls' haha) and move his/her hand toward his/her face

Then the battery runs out, ... but I have to say, it's pretty amazing to think that all of that is happening right now even as I type this blog. I think it only gets more miraculous from here.

14 Weeks and Counting

14 weeks is officially here. I don't have a 14 week picture of my belly yet, but since today is officially the day I change to 14 weeks I wanted to get my post up... otherwise who knows when that would happen!

Last week baby was a peach and this week it is a lemon. Hmmm I'm pretty sure our baby isn't shrinking! haha The sites I follow all give different sizes but we know from our doctor's visit last week that the baby is about 3 1/2 inches. This week baby is wiggling his or her toes, moving his or her arms and legs, producing urine, growing thin downy hair all over its body for warmth and able to suck his or her thumb. Dr. Thurston enjoyed joking that because we're Aggies it's more likely that the baby is just putting its thumb to its forehead instead of its mouth, but we know that's not true!

Michael and I went to our 13 week appointment last week and heard the heartbeat (see video below) but because we had our 'camera that makes videos' as you can hear the Dr. ask about on the heartbeat video, he ALSO let us do an ultrasound (pictures of that are below as well). The heartbeat video is short but the heartbeat was strong and a little over 160. It was fine with us that he didn't spend too much time listening to the little guys or girls heart since he or she was much more fun to watch than hear!

I have a fun video of the sonogram where you can see the baby kick and squirm, but it's too large to post like the other video so I'm going to have to figure something else out. Our appointment with the Perinatalogist is August 31st and at that appointment we'll check out all the baby's organs to make sure they're growing and in place as they should be as well as find out if we're having a little boy or girl. That will be here before we know it!

13 Weeks and Counting

Well, here we are at 13 weeks. I'm "three months pregnant" (that's still strange to say) and supposed to be entering the honeymoon phase of my pregnancy, which is the second trimester. Sometimes my belly looks more poochy than others, but for a reference point, we're posting a week 13 picture so we can watch this thing grow over the next couple of weeks!I think I had it confused last week, because it's THIS week that baby is supposed to be the size of a peach. This week baby's got teeth forming under the gums, intestines moving into the body and vocal chords forming! This is also the week where Michael and I will hear the heartbeat at our doctor's appointment, I will get braces (unrelated to baby), and who knows what else.

Last week I was feeling even better than the weeks before with nausea dissipating more and more, though some things are still very "pregnant" of me. The only mint that sounds good to me right now is Cinnamon - so the regular toothpaste, gum, and mints that used to be my favorite are on the outs and I've got Big Red gum, Cinnamon toothpaste, etc. Fruits and other cold, tart things (pickles!) still hit the spot as they have since week 6, but this last week more greasy things started sounding good like Sonic corn dogs, nachos (oh the nachos!), egg rolls and yes mom, Jack in the Box tacos (that mom craved during her pregnancy with me). Salads still sound good as they have since week 6 so that's good... I'm just trying to strike a balance!

My clothes are for the most part still comfortable to wear, but this last week I purchased two belly bands, a pair of maternity shorts and a dress in anticipation of the 'teen weeks' where I'm sure to get uncomfortable in my normal clothes.

Michael continues to be a great supporter and just laughs at all these quirks that come with 'growing things'. He does this on top of his time-consuming triathlon training which paid off in a great race this last Sunday in Shreeveport, the Rivercities Triathlon. I actually did not travel with him to this race as he went with one of our neighbors, so I don't have pictures to show but perhaps now that I've plugged it, Michael will post something about it! haha we'll see....

I hope all of your weeks are off to a great start. 5 more weeks (give or take) till a cooperative baby will tell if it's a boy or girl :)

12 Weeks and Counting

As many of you already know from phone calls yesterday, or visits from Michael and I, we are having a baby! Baby Anderson is due February 7th, 2011 which happens to be my dad's birthday, and also happens to be very close to some of our friends and other family members birthdays (we've already had people joke the baby should "wait just one more day" etc. so that his/her birthday will be shared).

Since this past weekend was the first time we shared the BIG NEWS with someone other than the doctor, dentist and hair stylist, it's only really beginning to sink in that this is the real deal... but it will only get more REAL from here. Our next appointment is two weeks from today where we'll hear the heartbeat, and then again at around 18 weeks where we'll have a sonogram and hopefully be able to tell if it is a boy or a girl.

Right now our baby is the size of a plum, his/her major systems have formed and this week, he/she is developing reflexes (such as bending toes and fingers), sucking, his/her kidneys are sending urine to his or her bladder, and he/she is really starting to look more human with his/her ears and eyes in 'the right place'. I could sit and wonder for hours about how our baby is small enough to fit in a coffee cup and is yet still is so finely developed and developing!

The picture below is of our sonogram at 9 weeks + some.

We're so happy that we have such wonderful family and friends that are sharing in our joy at this time, praying for us, and supporting us as we learn as we go... and we're so excited about our 2 1/2 week old nephew Jackson (PRECIOUS) who will surely prove to be the perfect playmate and cousin for our little one when he (or she) arrives.

More again soon... alas, we now have a reason to blog again!

Squirrels... Friend or Foe

So it's been a long time since we've written and though not much is new with Michael and I there has been a lot going on in our lives! We got a new sister in law when David married Sara on June 19th and just last week on July 8th our first nephew, Jackson Charles Anderson, was born to Jonathan and Ashley. I have some pictures of those events that I still need to pull off my camera, but I was cleaning off my desktop today and found this video of Huck so I figured I could at least post that in the interim.

Huck loves loves loves to be outside. His routine when we open the back door is to check the wall for lizards, then run to check the trees for squirrels, then do whatever other business he has to do out there. If he's outside in the morning there is no question that he's sitting in the flower bed looking to the sky, because those squirrels are sitting up in our trees tormenting him with their flicking tails, chirping, and scurrying about. I'm not sure if he desperately wants to play with them, or eat them, but it is the number #1 cause of a barking, whining, Hucklebear.

Poor huck.

Great is...

Great is the husband who says "No problem, I can take out that small bag of trash [so the raw chicken container doesn't stink up the house]."

Great is the wife who can laugh when she finds out her husband threw away the bag of snacks she'd packed for the office including a big new box of crackers, cans of soup, lemons, etc.

Ha Oh Michael. Thanks for taking out the "trash" - now will you please take out the ACTUAL trash?

xoxo

Our Baby Huck Turns 1

When my friend Beth's bulldog turned 1 we went to an official dog party, got doggie picture frames, cooked hamburgers and Omaha Steak hot dogs (WHAT?! so delicious). She even made a special carrot cake cupcake just for Billy (the bulldog) that was safe for dogs.... On Huck's birthday Michael and I went out for date night and bought Huck a toy on the way home because we're bad parents.

To make up for our neglect of our baby on his birthday I gave him a horrible haircut last night (more on that later) and now I will post some long overdue videos of our funny little man.

Video 1 (sorry it is sideways, I didn't think about not being able to flip it when I was filming):
Michael's favorite way to play with Hucklebear is to sort of move in slow motion while Hucklebear sits and stares awaiting the burst of energy and chase that ensues at the end. In this video Michael is actually hiding in the pantry/laundry room SLOWLY opening the door. You'll see that as scared as Huck gets he always chases after Michael to continue the playing.

Video 2:
This is Huck totally destroying the snuggle we got him for his birthday in about 2 mins. We literally threw it away about 10 mins after we got home.

Little Pickle

It's been a stressful week. There was yard work to be done before the rain came and work has been especially busy since I started the week travelling for work.

Then, as we were preparing to eat leftover brisket sandwiches, I got out the jar of pickles and found.....

Is that not the tiniest pickle you've EVER seen?!?! It's like someone knew that I needed to smile and planted that little guy in the jar especially for me. We put it next to the clothespin to give you a little perspective and as you can see our camera-shy Michael just couldn't resist! ha

Happy Thursday!

Sister Sister

I don't have any biological sisters and truthfully, if I had two daughters I think I'd be lost in how to handle them and the unique relationship that ensues. But Ashley was already part of the Anderson family by the time I joined and soon we'll add Sara when she marries our brother-in-law David in June - and I'm starting to think that sisters seem like a pretty great addition to what is my family!

A couple of weekends ago (yes, I'm very behind) we had a girls weekend here in Dallas for Sara. Girls came in from Lubbock, Austin, Houston, Oklahoma and St. Louis! We did girly things like make gourmet grilled cheeses, get manicures and pedicures, shop, watch girly movies, etc. but more importantly we made lots of wonderful memories.

Ashley, Sara and I all come from families where we have younger brothers and though we didn't choose each other as sisters (in-law) any more than you can choose your biological siblings, I think we are a pretty great match! It's crazy to think that our commitments to each of these Anderson brothers is also a commitment to be in one anothers lives as well - these girls will be my sisters for life... and I think that's a pretty awesome deal!

Love you girls!

Natasha

Snow Pics (More)

I found some more pictures of the snow on my camera tonight. I got HOT the other day running errands and it wasn't even a month ago that our house looked like this...

Snow on the roof.