32 Weeks

Wow, how are there only 8 weeks left in this journey?? This second (and now third) trimester have really flown by, and we can't wait to meet our little girl soon! Here's what she's up to this week:

At this point, you're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumpsup in preparation for birth. By now, your baby is about 16.7 inches long and weighs about as much as a large jicama.

A few weeks ago, the girls at school threw a shower for me, and we had a blast! I work with such great people, and it was really fun to share the party with them. Plus, a lot of them are mommies (some more recent than others), so it's great to hear all of their advice!

Lindsay's cake... wow, it was good! It was half chocolate and half vanilla. My sister Abi even said it was the best cake she's ever had (which is a huge compliment coming from her)!

Some of the gifts... so fun to see all the cute pink paper and tissue!

It's fun to have other teachers that are also pregnant so we can share stories! Here are a few of the girls that were able to make it to the shower...

From L to R: Kara (due in Jan), me (due in Feb), and Emily (due later in Feb)

My 32 week ultrasound went very well, and the doctor said everything looks good for both me and Lindsay. I've started to feel pretty tired again (back to afternoon naps while I can!), so the upcoming Christmas break will be a welcome one. It will also give us a chance to put the finishing touches on the nursery. We've also started attending childbirth classes at the hospital -- definitely great information, but eye-opening for us both!

30 Weeks: Belly Pictures

30 weeks! I can't believe we're getting so close... between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this last trimester is going to fly by! We have so many things to be thankful for -- my glucose test came back normal last week, the doctor said everything looks good so far, and we're slowly but surely getting things ready for our little girl! Here's what Lindsay's been up to this week:

"Your baby is about 15.7 inches long and weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). Her eyesight continues to develop, thought it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision -- which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face."

The weekend before Thanksgiving, my dad took some amazing "belly pictures" of Todd and I. Here are some of our favorites:

A few more notable things that have happened in the last few weeks...

- Nesting has officially taken over! I've made a "master list" of things around the house that need to be cleaned/cleaned out/completed before Lindsay's due date. Poor Todd... he's been very patient with me! :)

- This little one is SUPER active (thankfully mostly during the day!), and I can always count on her to start moving around about 5 - 10 minutes after I eat or drink anything. She also likes to roll around whenever I'm sitting still or laying down.

- So far, I've been very blessed that I've felt pretty good since getting over morning sickness. The only part that's been hard is riding in the car for more than about 20 minutes -- I guess she runs out of room when I sit, and she's not shy about letting me know about her discomfort!!

We have our next ultrasound in 2 weeks (routine for our doctor's office), so hopefully we'll have some more good pictures of Baby Anglin to share! Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving break!

November Already?!?

WOW... where is the time going? Not too long ago, it felt like February was an eternity away. Now it (and Lindsay) will be here before we know it! Here's what our little girl is up to this week:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's also continuing to put on baby fat -- she now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches from head to heel (an English hothouse cucumber).

The most exciting part about the last week is that Todd has been able to feel Lindsay kicking! I've been putting his hand on my belly for weeks now and asking, "Did you feel that?", but last week he finally gave me a strange look and asked, "Was that you??"! It's been fun to sit and feel her movements get stronger, and I've noticed she's most active at about 10 AM and again around 9 PM (or really whenever I lay down to take a break). She really got moving when we sat next to the band at the high school football game on Friday night.. wonder if that means she'll be into music like Todd and I are??

25 Weeks: A Rutabaga

I have to admit, I had to look this one up too to see what it looked like... at least I've heard of a rutabaga (mostly because my dad and I used to call each other "rutabaga breath" when I was little... not sure where it came from though!). Anyway, here's what Baby Anglin is up to this week:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight - a pound and a half - isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will start to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair -- and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Our big accomplishment this week is that we've finally chosen paint colors for the nursery -- we've decided to go with two shades of green that match her bedding, with hot pink accents like curtains and pictures on the wall. The nice thing about her bedding is that there are about 15 different colors in it, so we can't go wrong no matter what we put with it!

Her tastes haven't changed much -- cheetos, Rocky Road ice cream, ham sandwiches, and grilled chicken top the list of "good foods" that I can pretty much eat whenever. I have figured out a few things she is not a fan of (and by that I mean it gives me heartburn or a stomachache) -- ranch dressing, red meat, and anything greasy (like chicken nuggets or pizza). At least I'm a fast learner! :)

24 Weeks: Ear of Corn

Another week, another vegetable comparison for our little girl! Here's what she's been up to this week:

Your baby is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

The baby preparations are well under way now: we have a crib, bassinet, and changing table, the bedding has been ordered and should be here in a few weeks, and we're FINALLY narrowing down our paint colors for the nursery. Even though it's a small part of the to-do list checked off, at least things are being checked off! :)

Todd and I have also been doing a lot of "cleaning out", and it feels good to get things out of our house that we're no longer using. I've been focusing on one room at a time, and tackled our master bedroom this last weekend. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but we still had boxes from when we first moved in that we never took the time to unpack! I figure if we haven't missed it in the last 2 1/2 years, we probably won't miss it at all.... plus, I keep thinking of all the extra "baby stuff" we're going to be accumulating in the next few years! Probably good to clean out now to make room!

The "To-Do" List keeps getting longer...

So for those of you who know me or have ever had to work with me, you know about me and my lists. And binders. And calendars. And possibly have noticed my love for the Container Store. Anyway, being pregnant comes second only to planning a wedding as far as staying organized goes! So while I'm working hard to get a least one "baby" thing off my list each week, I feel like I add two or three more things each day that just HAVE to be done before she gets here. Not that everything has to be perfect, but I know there will come a time in the not-so-distant future where I won't care if anything gets done except a nap, so I'd rather try to get as many things done now as I can!

So back to why you're really here.... here's what Baby Lindsay is up to this week:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music! With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now (your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner) probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

I am definitely not seeing her move yet, but I can feel her start to kick and move around more and more every day. Todd is waiting patiently (well, kind of patiently) to be able to feel her through my stomach, but so far, he hasn't been able to feel her quite yet. What a moment that is going to be -- I can't wait for his reaction!

22 Weeks: Moving Right Along

Sorry I missed last week, but now we are at the 22 week mark and things have gotten very busy around our house. We've started to realize that we need to do those projects we've been putting off the last few years if we want to ever get them done! So Todd's been painting our bedroom this weekend and I've been cleaning out things to donate. Here's what Baby Lindsay has been up to while we've been busy working:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part) still lack pigment.

I feel like there is more to do than we can possibly get done before she gets here, but I've been trying not to go into "over-planning" mode and just take one day at a time. I know it will all be okay, but you know me and my lists! This past week, our crib was delivered and Todd put it together up in Lindsay's room. I think that made it much more real to us -- someone's going to be sleeping there in about 4 more months! It actually made me feel better to know that even if nothing else gets done, at least she has somewhere to sleep. :)