29 weeks....11 to go - 3rd Trimester!!!!!!!!

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Great appointment and Answered Prayer

Our 28 week check up appointment went great yesterday. Kevin's heart rate was 146....which is perfect and I measured exactly 28cm. We have another appointment on Sept 13th and then every 2 weeks after that!

I heard from my friend yesterday that was awaiting test results for the possibility of her baby having Trisomy 18. They came back negative!!!!!!! A huge answer to prayer.

28 week development

By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures almost 15 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for a friend of mine who is pregnant and due in December. She had her quad screening last week and tested positive for the baby having Trisomy 18. Trisomy 18 is a very serious and rare chromosomal disorder. The end results are mental retardation, breathing and feeding difficulties and in some cases babies don't live long after birth.

Now....testing positive for Trisomy 18 doesn't mean the baby will definitely have it - it only means that there is a higher chance that he could. She will get the results back from the amnio in 10 days. To top it off, she also had fertility problems and it has taken her and her husband almost 5 years to get pregnant with this baby. They exhausted all fertility treatments and after much prayer, she finally got pregnant after an IVF procedure earlier this year.

My heart goes out to them but I know God is in control in their lives and He will see them though this. I look forward to being able to post the good news of the amnio in the next few weeks. Until then, please keep this family in your prayers.

27 down...13 to go!

This week your baby weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now.

Baby Shower

Our first shower was this morning at my mom and dad's. My best friend Bryanna and her mom hosted it. Bryanna and her husband are moving to Colorado today so she wanted to do a shower before she left. We got so many great things and enjoyed seeing everyone that came. It was a sad good-bye though. Bryanna and I have been best friends since birth. We grew up and went to school together, were in eachother's wedding and I was there when both her babies were born. I am so sad she won't be here when Kevin is born but understand she needs to be with her husband and support him. Please be in prayer for them and their little girl Eden as they make this transition. Mike should be going to Iraq in March and will be gone for 15 months.

Now for some pictures from the shower:

We got our crib bedding!!



The cake and beautiful flowers


The punch and very creative way to drink it....out of bottles! It was so much fun watching everyone drink from them


More food on the table


And my favorite gift of all.... Bryanna had a diaper bag made with Kevin's name on it and in my favorite colors!!!!! I love it : )

We had a great time and now I can't wait to get everything put up in the nursery. To answer the question that has been asked a lot lately: No...we have not decorated the nursery yet. Ben is painting the weekend of September 1st and we are getting the carpets cleaned the end of September. Hopefully by the beginning of October everything will be in place and ready for Kevin's arrival.

More pictures to come as I get them from my mom's camera.... It was recommended that we start a registery at Target - so we're off to do that this afternoon!!!

14 weeks to go!

Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his ears are developing, which means his response to sounds is growing more consistent. His lungs are developing now, too, as he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when he's born and takes that first breath of air.