Christmas Pictures

We had a great week visiting family in Indiana. See pictures from our week below...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Merry Christmas!

May you and your family be blessed with wonderful memories this Christmas!

Saturday Fun!

Today was full of fun for Cameron & I...I had my first baby shower and Cameron attended the 3rd annual Onesie party! Thank you to my sister Janel, my sister-n-law Christy and my mom for throwing me an amazing baby shower. It was great to have so many family and friends to celebrate this little miracle with! Thank you to everyone who made time to come and thank you so much for all the wonderful gifts - Dane will be a well dressed little stud!

Mom, Me & Janel:Christy, Me & Janel:
Cameron attended the 3rd Annual Onesie party...
The Onesie party started as a "tree raising" party and ended as a tree decorating party where all participants dressed in red Christmas onesies. Needless to say, they all look absolutely fabulous in their onesies!

It's Monkey Time!

Cameron and Eric worked all day Saturday and well into Sunday morning to finish our monkey mural in the nursery. They did an incredible job...it looks like a professional did it! Thank you Eric for giving up an entire Saturday to do this for us, it looks amazing! See below for pictures of the finished product:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

32 Weeks!

We are 32 weeks now and getting closer and closer to that full term 37 week mark! It's exciting to know that no matter what happens now (even if we went into preterm labor and had to deliver, God forbid) our baby has a very high rate of survival. It definitely eases my mind to be at that point!

So...our baby at 32 weeks:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

At our appointment this week, I was reassured about baby's size. My doctor used the tape measure for the first time and said I'm measuring right where I should be, so our little one's growth has slowed down a bit which is good news for me...wasn't really excited about the possibility of delivering a LARGE Hatten man. Still feel great, although putting on my shoes is getting harder and harder. We have a very active little man and Cameron is amazed from time to time when he actually witnesses the movement in my belly. He's very strong and can shift my entire stomach one way or the other.

The ever growing buddha:

Shannan's Baby Shower

On Saturday afternoon I went to Shannan's baby shower. Rob & Shannan are home from CA for the week so her friends took advantage of having her here and threw her a shower. Shannan is due 10 days after us with a girl and another friend of hers is due 2 days after us...compare the bumps below:

February 8th; February 18th; February 10th::Shannan & I:

Cameron's Team Outing

Thursday evening we were downtown for Cameron's team outing. We had a great dinner at Feast in Bucktown and we also ended the night with karaoke at a nearby bar. It was a fun evening and even better...Cameron's gift from his team was a bunch of different gift certificates to our favorite restaurants. Guess that means I'm off the hook cooking for a while! :)

Baby Class, What a Treat!

Saturday found Cameron and I at an all day baby class with 11 other couples. The class was very informative and we learned a lot, but it could have been shortened by about 2 hours. We saw 2 live birth videos (natural and c-section) and Cameron actually didn't turn away...big surprise for me! We learned all about labor and delivery and also toured the facilities at the hospital where we will be having our baby. There is a button in the labor & delivery rooms that the father gets to push once his baby is born...Brahms Lullaby plays throughout the hospital to welcome another new little one.

Brahms Lullaby:


On Sunday we met my college roomies Jackie & Alicia for lunch and then proceeded to get some Christmas shopping done. Thank you Jackie & Alicia for meeting up - it was nice to catch up with you guys!

Karsyn

I know I've blogged several times about the brave children battling cancer that the Zehring clan has met over the last 2 years...I have a special prayer request for Karsyn Bell. The family received very devastating news this week. If you would like to read more about this family, please click here to go to Karsyn's caring bridge site. Karsyn is a very brave 4 year old that has been battling brain cancer for quite some time...this family lives in my hometown and I went to school with Karsyn's mom. Obviously, their situation hits quite close to home for us and I just feel the need to share their story with all of you.

Thanksgiving Weekend

This year we travelled down to Pittsfield, IL to spend time with my MIL's side of the family for Thanksgiving. Cameron and I actually got down there Tuesday evening and over-stayed our welcome until Sunday! We left early Sunday because of the snow that was supposed to be hitting on our ride home. We did see quite a few cars in the ditch and it was snowing / sleeting in several areas of our trip. Monday morning we woke up to about 4 inches on the ground. I guess winter is officially here!

Thank you to all the Gerards for a great Thanksgiving and for putting up with us for so long! It was great to see everyone!

Cameron's cousin Amanda - due a month after us w/ her 3rd!:

This Year I Am Thankful For...

This year I am thankful for...
- The health of my family & friends
- The prospect of change in this country (even though I didn't vote for him, I'm hoping & praying that Obama makes great things happen in the next 4 years!)
- THAT WE'RE HAVING A BABY!
- My wonderful husband who has been an amazing help throughout this pregnancy and will become even more of one as my belly expands to the point of needing help with my shoes!
- Andon being done with radiation, that he didn't have any bad side effects and that we will soon know he is cancer free!
- The opportunity to spend time with family in southern IL.
- The little ways God proves himself.
- The good fortune that Cameron is still employed in these scary economic times.
- Again my husband who works so hard at his job that it's afforded me the luxury of extra time off after Dane arrives!
Have a happy & safe Thanksgiving!

Let's Say Thanks!

As we head into the holiday season, I thought this video was a nice reminder to keep the troops in our prayers. They give up so much to protect our precious country and they have to face the holidays without their families. If you are interested in saying thanks personally, please click here. This links to a website that allows you to thank the troops with a personalized postcard.

The Nursery...

We've started on the nursery this week...it's been painted (blue & tan) and we have added the crib and of course the glider from Cameron's notorious box sledding video. We obviously still have a lot to do to get ready for Dane, but it's a great start! We're excited about getting the rest of the furniture pieces and actually seeing it come together. Our friend Eric (best man at our wedding) has so graciously offered his time to come and paint a tree / monkey mural - I am so excited to see how that turns out! We will continue to update you with pictures as it's being completed!

Before:After:

Annual Shopping Trip!

On Saturday, I took off to Merrilleville, IN to meet up with all the women on my mom's side of the family (12 total) for our annual shopping trip. We've been doing this for 15 years...crazy we started the year I got my drivers license! It's always a nice weekend for the women to get together, shop & eat...that is usually all we get accomplished! Thanks to everyone for taking the time to make the trip, I had a lot of fun and it was great to see you all!

28 Weeks!

We've made it to the third trimester!
Here's what's happening with baby Dane right now:
By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 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.

I still feel great! Also more wonderful news...I passed my 3 hour glucose test so no gestational diabetes! Whew, I was worried about not getting to eat pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving! Thank you for the prayers and well wishes for that! Here's my 28 week picture so you can all see how the buddha is growing!

My Husband: Child At Heart

We got our first piece of nursery furniture today and we raced to put it together...it was our glider and ottoman. Thank you Mom for the wonderful gift - I'm sure there will be many a night when Cameron or I fall asleep on it feeding Dane! What does any husband do once the big furniture box is empty and the contents are safely sitting in the soon to be nursery? Stairway sledding, of course!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Crazy Dog!

It's been a long time since I posted about our four legged family members, but I have a story that is worth sharing! Typical day for me is spent in our office upstairs working and the dogs have free run of the house. They sometimes do things they shouldn't do (like tp our bathroom) but most of their shenanigans aren't a big deal and they don't destroy anything. Yesterday I was working and heard an unfamiliar noise in the kitchen...heading downstairs to investigate, here is what I found:Let me just reassure you that we don't typically allow our dogs to crawl around on the kitchen counters. Apparently Roscoe could smell the few cheese tortellinis I left in my lunch bowl in the sink and just had to have them. When I initially walked into the kitchen, Roscoe's head was in the sink licking out my lunch bowl. We also don't feed our dogs people food, so I guess the smell was just more than he could handle. It is terribly hard to yell at a dog for something when you're laughing at the sight before you. Needless to say I told him to get down and as soon as I went upstairs, he was right back up there again. Guess we have a new habit to break!

Glucose Test: Failed!

So maybe we did get an answer to why our baby is measuring on the big side...I failed my glucose test for gestational diabetes. I now have to do a 3 hour glucose test to see if I truly have diabetes or if it was just high on that day. I'm not all that concerned as I know it's very easily controlled and this is the only "bad" thing that has happened through this entire pregnancy, I would say we're pretty lucky! The only thing I'm upset about is that if I do in fact have gestational diabetes, I have to cut sweets out of my diet! That is my most recent craving, so that is going to be a tough pill to swallow! We'll keep you posted on what we find out from the 3 hour test.

Finally...A Quiet Weekend!

We had a very quiet weekend, it was so nice to finally veg out and just be. Friday evening we spent on the couch watching my belly move with each of Dane's kung-fu kicks and punches. It's quite freaky to watch your entire belly move, knowing there is a baby in there causing the commotion but wondering what he looks like and what kind of a personality he'll have. I'm enjoying this pregnancy very much but I am also excited to meet him in February...getting very anxious about birth.

On Saturday, I had an entire day to myself - Cameron had a guys day with a couple of his college buddies...he knows those times will be limited come February! He went to the Northwestern vs. Ohio State Football game and then into Chicago for the evening. On Sunday, we hung out on the Kopalas couch to watch DA BEARS unfortunate loss. Thanks Kopala family for hosting the Hattens for the afternoon!

The Kopalas & Cameron (Sawyer just arrived on 8/26):

A Busy Weekend!

This past weekend, Cameron & I travelled back to my home town for my Dad's wedding and to see the family. Friday we went to rehearsal and dinner and most of the crew dressed up for Halloween. On Sunday afternoon we headed down to Bloomington, IN to spend some time with the Zehrings and check out the Proton Beam Radiation Institute where Andon is receiving treatments. He has finished 24 treatments as of this morning and they are going to finish at 31 or 33 treatments. He has lost his hair around his ear on the right side of his head and it looks a bit sunburned, but he's handling everything very well. See pics below and a short video of just how goofy Andon is...it's a good indication of how he's doing since so many of you ask, but it's nice to see it for yourselves.

Presley:Andon:Cameron, Dad, Pam & Brian:
*Remember to pause the playlist to hear the video*

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Trisomy 18

I stole this video from a friend's blog because I was so incredibly touched by it. Trisomy 18 is a terminal genetic disease that doesn't allow for a very long life at all...most babies don't make it to birth and those that do typically die within hours of being born. It's pretty rare - 1 in 3000 births. I've heard about it a lot recently, probably due to my condition. I thought this video was really moving and wanted to share again what an incredible blessing a child is. Please click on "video" up above if you feel so inclined. Here is some additional information I found on the Trisomy 18 Foundation website:

At conception, 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 chromosomes from the mother combine to create a baby with 46 chromosomes in each cell, two of each type. Each chromosome holds a particular "position" in the cell and carries certain genetic material. A trisomy occurs when a baby has three chromosomes in one position instead of the normal two.

The most common trisomy is Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome, where a baby has three of the twenty-first chromosome. Trisomy 18 is the second most common trisomy and occurs when a baby has three of the eighteenth chromosome. This results in 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46 in the affected cells. It is this extra genetic material that causes the problems associated with Trisomy 18.

A Different Kind of Tag...

I was tagged by my bloggy cousin-n-law (is that a word?) Katie. The rules are to take the fourth picture from your fourth picture folder on your computer and write about it. Then you are to tag four people to do the same. So, here is the picture...
Cameron went to a 3 day music festival called Lollapalooza in August and I just went to the last day of the festival to see Kanye West. Needless to say, sometimes August is a miserably hot & humid month and we just happened to be at the festival on one of those days. Being pregnant wasn't so fun on that day and we didn't stay very long. I paid for a one day pass and wasn't there for more than 2 hours! Kind of a waste I agree, but I had no idea when I bought the ticket that I was going to be preggers. Sorry to do this to you, but this one is more interesting than the other blog tags that are out there:
Christy
Jodie
Sara
Priscilla

Dinner with friends!

Friends of ours moved to LA a few years ago and Shannan came back to visit her family in Chicago, so several of us met up for dinner last night to catch up with her. You might recognize her from some previous blog posts - we often meet up with her & her hubby for long weekends away from home. Shannan and I are actually due 10 days apart so it was nice to see someone else with a little belly...

24 weeks!

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

At my 22 week appointment, my doctor went over the results from our 20 week ultrasound. He said that our baby is measuring a bit on the big side...about 5 days ahead of where he should be. Doctor wasn't too worried about it, so I won't worry about it yet either. I have my glucose test in 2 more weeks and hopefully gestational diabetes can be ruled out - that is my only concern because I know that produces larger babies. Maybe Cameron & I just produce large off-spring...

Here is my 24 week picture...the buddha is getting pretty big & the butt is starting to match, but I'm enjoying everything about this pregnancy (even the "bad" stuff):

Uncork the Cure

On Thursday night Cameron and 3 co-workers attended a fund raiser for Cystic Fibrosis. The fund raiser was a wine tasting paired with an auction. Cystic Fibrosis affects about 70,000 people worldwide, but the last 30+ years of technology/fund raising have helped tremendously. In the 50's children diagnosed with CF rarely survived long enough to attend elementary school, however with recent advancements it is not uncommon for people with CF to live well into their 40's. I think we all can agree that still isn't long enough.

You can learn more about CF, where your local chapter is, and how you can help by going to WWW.CFF.ORG

San Francisco Trip!

We are back! We had a busy schedule of wine tasting (not me) and seeing the sights of the San Francisco area! On Friday we went to several wineries and a quaint little Sonoma Valley town called Healdsburg for lunch and shopping. They had planned for us to make it into Napa Valley but all the curvy, hilly roads had me about to vomit so they changed the plans so I wouldn't have to spend the afternoon in misery. Saturday we took a walk in the hills around Terry & Di's house in the morning and then we got on the Ferry to head into San Francisco. It was Fleet Week and there was an airshow happening in the city. We had a fantastic view of the show on top of the tallest building in San Francisco! On Sunday we took a walk to Phoenix Lake, another gorgeous area very close to Terry & Di's house then we went to Tiburon for lunch & shopping. We had a great trip and were able to see so much of the area once again due to our amazing hosts! Thank you, Terry & Di for opening your home to the Hatten crew! (I know I always remind, but please pause our playlist at the bottom of the page).

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

We're off to the Wine Country!

Maybe not the best place for a pregnant woman to be, but it's gorgeous out there and it will still be fun! We are heading out with Cameron's parents to visit their family friends who live outside of San Francisco. We will have many pictures to share when we return. Have a wonderful weekend!

Updated to add: In answer to your comment...no, we never slow down! :)

Weekend Extravaganza!

This weekend was a busy one with our friends from the big apple! They came in on Thursday afternoon and we headed down into the city for the Cubbies big game. Unfortunately, the miracle team of 2008 proceeded to choke in the playoffs. We still had fun at the game and it was nice for Julie & JB to get the chance to see Wrigley field!

Friday we made our way to Milwaukee for another Intercall wedding! Congratulations to Cara & Drew! It was a beautiful wedding with an awesome view of the Milwaukee skyline and Lake Michigan at the reception hall. Even though mocktails were my drink of choice, we burned up the dance floor and had a great time! The wedding also had a photo booth...2nd wedding since December that had one of those! Anyone planning a wedding? The photo booth is a great addition to the wedding and you get a bunch of crazy pictures of your guests (see below for proof)!In the photo booth:Saturday we had planned to head back to Chicago, however after 2 late nights with minimal sleep we decided that we just wanted to veg out for the afternoon at our house. The boys headed down to manland to watch football and the ladies had the chance to watch a couple chick flicks. We then went to a Japanese steakhouse for dinner. Thank you McGinnis' for making the trip from NYC...we loved having you and had a wonderful time!

Tagged again!

I've been tagged by my friend, Jodie.

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve answered the questions on your blog.

10 Years Ago (1998):
1. Turned 21 - scary!
2. Lived with 3 college friends
3. Worked at Lifestyles gift shop
4. Watched Janel graduate from HS
5. ???

5 Things on Today's "To Do" List:
1. Work
2. Clean
3. Laundry
4. Download weekend pictures
5. Book flight for work

5 Things that I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. quit my job & volunteer at a cancer related organization
2. hire a maid & personal trainer!
3. buy a new vehicle for Cameron
4. move to Libertyville
5. invest the rest

5 Places I have lived:
1. Leesburg, IN
2. Valparaiso, IN
3. Chicago, IL
4. Waukegan, IL
5. that's it...no where else!

5 Jobs I have had:
1. Blockbuster video clerk
2. Detassler
3. Domino's pizza delivery girl
4. Lifestyles gift shop check out girl
5. Hyatt sales manager

Now, I'm tagging....
1. Karin
2. Katie
3. Angie
4. Kim
5. Krista

Maternity Brain

I had heard about it from my friends and relatives, but never really thought it could be that bad. Let me tell you...it is that bad! I've never felt as stupid in my life as I have since this bun started baking! I have to share this story even though many of you may think I need to be committed to some sort of home after reading this.

I had to take our car to the shop the other day and I've been there several times...we bought both of our current autos from this place and often take them there if they are in need of repair. Seems like a simple thing to do, especially since I've probably been there about 8 times since moving to the burbs. The GMC dealership is right next door to the Saturn dealership and I ended up driving right into the Saturn dealership service department. Still not having a clue that I was in the wrong place even though their service desks were on the left hand side and GMC's are on the right (I thought they renovated)...I pulled in and put the car in park. One of the gentlemen from the service department kindly walked up to me to tell me that I was in the wrong place, the GMC dealership was next door. Probably thinking I was mental, he said "Don't worry Ma'am...it's happened to others before you and I'm sure you're not the last one." Who has this happened to? Senior citizens with Alzheimer's don't count - they are supposed to be confused & forgetful.

This story is 100% truth...unfortunately, not one ounce of this has been exaggerated! I truly hope that someone out there can relate!

Congratulations Bill & Jill!

Congratulations to our friends Bill & Jill...they got married in Cleveland, OH on Saturday! Cameron & I jumped on a flight Saturday morning to celebrate with them and many other Intercall employees! We had a fun filled evening with friends and the newlyweds looked incredibly happy! We have another Intercall wedding this coming Friday in Milwaukee. Our friends from New York are coming in for the wedding, so we'll have the opportunity to spend the weekend with them as well!

Kickin' Cancer's Tail!!

The week is finally here for the Zehring family to head down to Bloomington, IN for 6 weeks of treatment (they did change it - he was supposed to start last week). We just ask for continued prayers for them while they are there - we want this cancer GONE completely and we know that is all in God's hands. We are also hoping for no bad side effects for Andon - he's been through enough in his young life! If you want frequent updates, please go to Andon's website on the right side of our blog. We'll also update, but probably not as frequently as they will. Thank you!

2008...year of miracles?

Now that the Cubbies have CLINCHED the National League Central Division and have also confirmed home field advantage...could this be their year? So far, 2008 seems to have turned out to be a miracle year - we got pregnant, the Cubbies are doing incredibly and we're just waiting on our 3rd miracle with Andon's cancer. I believe it's gonna happen! Can you imagine Cameron's complete excitement over the fact that Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) created a song about the Cubs?
*Please remember to pause the playlist at the bottom of the page*

20 Weeks!

Can you believe we've already made it to the half way point? I certainly cannot...it's going by very quickly (I know I say this in every "baby" post). So, today we got to see our little peanut again and confirm that he is in fact a boy! At 20 weeks most babies weigh about 10 1/2 ounces (ours measured about 1 lb) and are around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana (so I guess he's a banana, not a peanut). I still feel great and I feel very fortunate to have had such an easy pregnancy...some of my dear friends get REALLY sick with theirs so I know I'm lucky! My belly seemed to truly "pop" in recent weeks and it's actually staying the same size on a day to day basis, instead of being big one day and small the next like earlier in the pregnancy. I've definitely felt him move...feels like bubbles popping and I only feel it when I'm very still and concentrate on what's happening. Cameron actually got to feel him last night one time when he gave me a pretty hard kick. I'm hoping to feel him much more in the coming weeks and although I'm not looking forward to being beat up, I do look forward to his kicks getting stronger! And, without further ado...see a pic of baby Dane below along with new belly picture taken today.

It didn't come out as vivid as we hoped:Yes, the hair is darker & shorter:

The Name Game

Many of you may be wondering where the name Dane came from (or you may not), either way I am going to share. Some of you might believe it came from Dane Cook, the really popular, very unfunny comedian who has become pretty famous over the past couple years. NOPE - we're not naming our son after this joker (see picture below). The name has actually been 3 or 4 years in the making. Cameron knew of a pro beach volleyball player named Dane and always liked the name. He mentioned it to me in a semi-serious discussion about kids' names even before we started trying to have a baby. My initial reaction was "my parents had a great dane dog so there is no way we're naming our kid that." He continued to push the name "it's tough & manly" or "there is no way to shorten it to something we don't like" until it finally started to grow on me. That has been our boy name for quite a while and I truly love it now. So, there you have it...

A "Work" Trip

So, Cameron left Monday morning for a "work" trip to Las Vegas...I'm sure he worked really hard! :) I only say this out of 100% jealousy that I wasn't there poolside with him! He arrived home on Wednesday evening tan (how dare he) and looking relaxed. While he was gone I caught up on my chick flicks and also went shopping with Teresa. Teresa bought us this really great gift - it's a set of things to interact with the baby in the womb...it came with a doplar heart monitor with two headsets so we can listen to the baby's heartbeat whenever we want, a speaker with 2 microphones so we can talk to the baby and also 2 cd's to play for the baby. As you can tell, our lives have slowed down a bit finally and we don't have anything too exciting to share right now. Hope you're all well! Our 20 week ultrasound is only 2 days away...can't wait to see baby Dane again!

Politics!

I'm not sure if anyone watched Saturday Night Live this past weekend, but I thought this sketch was hilarious and just had to share it! Remember to pause the playlist at the bottom of the page.

A Huge Thank You to Generous Mommies!

I just wanted to get on here to publicly thank Kim (my neighbor friend), Brooke (my Hyatt friend) & Janel (my sister friend) for being so giving to me of their maternity clothes. I have a closet & dresser almost full of maternity clothes and our pocket book is very happy about that! I think between these 3 generous ladies, I have around 50 pair of pants (jeans, dress & very casual), probably about 40 sweaters and many other shirts to choose from. I am gonna be a stylin' momma! So, thank you ladies...it is very much appreciated!

Had my 18 week doctor's appointment this week...all is well. Heard the heartbeat again on the doplar and it was hovering between 140 & 150. Doctor said my uterus is exactly where it should be at 18 weeks, so I guess that is a good thing. The little bump is definitely expanding and we're almost to the half way point already. It's going by so fast! We have our 20 week ultrasound on 9/20 and we'll post pictures of the baby & the belly after that.

Prayer Request

Today Andon will travel to have beads placed in his head for his radiation treatments. Please pray that all goes well for this surgery. Please pray that Andon has no pain from this and that the recovery is easy. Mostly, I ask that you keep him in your prayers for this new treatment starting on September 24th. Five days a week for six weeks, Andon will receive a targeted radiation treatment right to the tumor bed. We're all very excited about the possibility that this will be the end of treatments for him and that he will be completely HEALED of all remaining cancer from this proton beam radiation. If you want to learn more about this treatment, please click here. Also, Janel & Brian will be updating a lot in the coming months on Andon's caring bridge site...the link is on the right side of our blog. We appreciate all the thoughts & prayers for Andon through the last 2 years...we're asking for them now again! Hopefully this radiation will be the end of treatment for Andon! Thank you!

18 weeks!

Here's what's happening in my belly:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound (not Cameron's son...he was spreading his legs wide to show off his goods!).

Anyway, you know what I find funny & disturbing all at the same time? That no one bothers to share with you that not only does your tummy grow during pregnancy, but so does your butt, thighs and arms. I get that your bottom half has to spread to prepare for birth, but really what do your arms have to do with it? You don't really need them to pop out a baby...On another note, I'm hoping I'm as lucky as Janel and that the longest labor I have is 5 hours and our baby comes out with a perfectly round dome. I know that's really a reach, but one can dream right? I'm sure I will be in labor for a good 15 hours and we'll have a cone head! Oh well, we'll love the little peanut regardless of his mis-shapen head! :)

Now...for the latest bump picture - this was taken at 17 weeks, 3 days (this past Tuesday). Please excuse the nice hairdo, it was sweltering outside and I just wanted it off of my face & neck!