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!

Happy Birthday, BZ!

My brother-n-law turns 30 today...happy birthday to you, Brian! And what a birthday he's had...a new baby a little over a week ago - Princess Presley! We're all thankful you're part of the family! Have a great day!