Week 31

Go to the grocery store to track all the progress of our child; this week especially I challenge to pick up four navel oranges and carry them around. That is what Laurie is carrying in her tummy along with a couple pints of amniotic fluid. He's all folded up in there at 16 inches in length.

He's definitely generating more and more discomfort for Laurie; once in a while she'll just go "ahhh, hey! what are you doing buddy?" or she'll freeze and stand totally still in pain. He has taken quite a liking to standing on her right hip bone and kicking (clearly he likes it more than she does).

Nine weeks to go and it's feeling sooo close. Marshall and Christy are in town with their little guy Everett and he's an adorable, delightful little baby. It has made me realize that there is really really actually going to be a live human being alive among us forever and ever and we're responsible. I love it and am also a little bit haunted by the reality. God help this kid.

Week 30

Alright, it's photo week!!! Mommy has given the thumbs up for new photos. She looks amazing and her belly is really poppin'. There is 3 lbs. of human in there along with a bunch of other "stuff" that really adds up and has forced her to waddle. It's awesome; everywhere she goes she's like a really tall Penguin.

Laurie has been doing physical therapy over the last week and that has significantly helped her back pain (although I'm told that that does not mean I don't have to give her massages).

Week 29

The growth is getting rapid now as our baby is about the size of a butternut squash this week. I suppose I prefer that he comes out looking like Squash than a Chinese Cabbage, but secretly I am hoping for him to be a handsome boy just like dad. Over the last 27 years I have found arms and legs quite useful (For any mothers-in-law that might be reading this, that last part was sarcastic humor, and was intended to be a joke; I know I wasn't exactly what you had in mind for your daughter, but you're stuck with me and my deranged humor)

It's funny to look at photos of Laurie when she wasn't pregnant and compare them to photos of her at 20 weeks and then now. It feels gradual day to day but when you see the pictures it's as though she exploded. I love it. I think she looks marvelous. I would like to mention however that medical predictions of hormonal instability are accurate and should be more clearly labeled for husbands. Of course I did go to a tiny religious school that taught me that pregnancy is a magical gift from God and the whole process is simply magic (and easy); so I shouldn't be surprised by all the........well, surprises.

It is magical, indeed, and I am very excited for the little guy to hang out with us soon.

Week 28

My little boy has now sprouted lashes on his eyes and is just shy of 15 inches in length. They say he's the size of a chinese cabbage.

The doctor visits are bi-weekly now and it's staring to fell like the home stretch.

Week 27

At 2 1/2 lbs. our baby boy is like a head of cauliflower with legs. I am assuming at this point he doesn't actually look that way, but we'll love him no matter what.


He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals and even opening and shutting his eyes. He is definitely moving around like crazy and the movements are even visible on her belly.

No picture for this week, mommy wasn't feeling up to it.

Week 26

In order to develop his lungs properly our 26 week old baby is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid. And not only can he hear us more clearly as we talk to each other (or yell at each other :) but his testicals are descending into his scrotum, which is a journey that will take two to three days. Yipee!!

Do you know what an English hothouse cucumber is? I know I don't, but that is the approximate size that he is this week.

You may recall my mentioning the laws of Maternity leave, but what about Paternity leave? Well, you'll be interested to know that there are some rules. You can receive unpaid job-retaining paternity leave, BUT you must meet a number of requirements. I won't go into all of it because you can just Google it, but basically the company has to be a certain size with a certain number of employees within a certain radius of each other, and your employer can deny your leave if they determine it would be economically damaging to the company. If you do meet all the requirements you are eligible for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. (Of course, I got laid off this week so my leave is indefinite)

Until next week.....

Week 25

More and more our little guy is looking like a newborn. Not that we can tell, but on the inside that is what is going on. At 13 1/2 pounds (wait, I mean inches) he is approximately the size of a rutabaga. Also, he is getting more hair and his skin is smoothing out due to the increase in fat in his system.

Did you know?.......

Under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act employers are not required to pay any maternity leave. They are required to give unpaid job-protection leave but NOTHING else. Interesting to say the least.

Week 24

The next time you pick up an ear of corn you will be familiar with the length of our baby boy at 24 weeks. His skin is translucent, the brain is growing rapidly, and the taste buds are developing. The uterus is the size of a soccer ball!!

By the way did you know that 30 percent of babies are delivered by c-section? And that number is quickly rising with the popularity of "scheduled" births. I think that's interesting. This baby however will be a part of the 70 percent group.

This week I have found a fun exercise is to imagine in my mind's eye an ear of corn floating inside a soccer ball. Weird.

Week 23

Our baby is now the size of a Mango and Laurie can feel him dancing around in there as she sways to the music. The movement is actually visible to the naked eye. I have rather enjoyed feeling the kicking and punching.

The name remains private and will be released at the appropriate time. For now we are making other decisions; such as what we will do with the cord blood and when we will take the birthing classes.

As strange as it seems Laurie's belly as really "popped" in the last week. I thought the transition would all seem gradual because I'm around her every day, but we were both mentioning the other day that it the growth has been accelerated just in the past few days.

Week 22

The descriptions of what our child looks like continues to amaze even me. This week is the week that our baby boy should have reached a length comparable to a spaghetti squash. He is in the range of a foot in length and weighs about 1 pound. If we could look into the womb we could see him as a teeny-tiny mini-version of a newborn. He would have wrinkly skin all over his body that will fill in as he builds the fat to fill it in. His body is also covered in lanugo which is like fine hair.

I have never been around a pregnant woman as much as I have in these last 22 weeks and I must say that it is positively fascinating (hi honey, I love you). Awful back pain that forces her to hobble around the house just to go to the bathroom, which she does 4-6 times a night; fatigue that borders on exhaustion; emotions...... (we'll just leave it at that); and the greatest part of all is the belly that seems to pop out of nowhere.

You see, I thought pregnancy was all about warm fuzzies and big fun bellies and everyone havin' a jolly time. It's really about a human being going through an unbelievable process of creation and miraculous pain and endurance; which is probably why a Mother's bond is often stronger than a Father's (or perhaps it's just different).

Anyway we're another week closer and we get more and more excited with every outfit we buy.

Week 21

In the 21st week the baby is approximately the size of a carrot. I was there for the ultrasound and almost nothing resembled a carrot (trust me when I say "almost") As you can see photo number one is ready and launched. It seems Laurie's preggo bump is getting bigger every day and we're sure as heck going to document it. As far as mommy's health is concerned, Laurie has been feeling pretty good through this whole pregnancy and has really only experienced some back pain and exhaustion; of course, being a third grade teacher will do that to you anyway, but throw in a growing human inside of you and wham! As the Father I have also been feeling quite well throughout these past 21 weeks. No fatigue, no vomiting; to be honest with you, it's been really easy.

Have a great week!!

Update Confirms Health Status

Laurie went to the Doctor tonight for a regular checkup and the Doc confirmed our sneaking suspicion that our kid is totally healthy. We pray together every night for the health and well-being of our kid, and we are grateful that everything has gone so well thus far.

We looked into our pregnancy classes tonight and picked out a bedroom set and potentially a stroller. This is all becoming very very real.

Thursday will mark Week 21 and so you'll hear from me then.

Ultrasound Numero Uno

The nurse sounded pretty confident on the first go 'round about the gender, but I asked a second time just to be sure, "That was a penis, right?" And she answered emphatically, "yes, I wouldn't say if I wasn't 100% sure." That's all I needed.

Laurie's got a little boy swimmin' around in there and we couldn't be happier. The ultrasound process was incredible and it makes it all very real.

Anyway, that's the latest breaking news. Come back for more.

Week 20

Well, week 20 is upon us and we are finding out today whether our baby is a boy or girl. I suspect it is a girl and my wife is convinced that it is a boy. Neither of us have a preference and are delighted just to find out.

I will be updating you tonight as to which gender the baby is.

Stay tuned for photos as well.