34 weeks!

It's been a big last couple of weeks! (Sorry for the late post...) My family (minus adam, sad) came in town last weekend and we had a baby shower!!

We were so incredibly blessed by our wonderful friends and family - wow, we couldn't believe what a fantastic party our friends the Schefflers, Woods, Ices, Hintons and Weitkamps (above) threw! It was such a fun time and we are still in awe of all of your generosity. We feel so much more prepared now to bring little baby home! THANK YOU!!These are our parents. And JC making a great face. It's kind of weird to have people rub your belly all the time, but I like it! :) There are plenty of other great pics, including ones that capture all the amazing details that were put into this shower, but I'm kind of waiting on "Aunt" Maggie to post some on facebook. (hint, hint!)

Thanks again to everyone for the wonderful help as we start our family!

Paw Paw and Crawdaddy

Introducing...
the grandfathers!

Can't you just feel the family love? JC and I are so blessed to have awesome dads who coached us, taught us right from wrong, and are about to make very goofy, I mean, excellent grandpas and role models for BC.

So far we've come up with the name Paw-Paw for Bill (left) and Crawdaddy for Brad (right). These are up for interpretation when BC starts talking (as the first grandchild he'll probably have some naming privileges...). Any suggestions from the peanut gallery?

Stay tuned for the grannies! Although I might have a harder time finding as good a picture... If only I had one of them dancing on a bar! Now that would be something.

8 months update

Our little baby BC is 32 weeks and that means I'm 8 months pregnant. Wow!!

He/She's got nails, hair (either a thick mop or peach fuzz - we'll find out!), and weighs close to four pounds. The produce of the week is a jicama - which is a mexican turnip/potato sort of thing. Very odd!

We can't believe the big life-changing event is coming so soon. We've got our 8th and final birth class on Tuesday - after which we will be fully prepared for natural labor and delivery, along with postpartum recovery and infant care. (Haha!) But really, we feel much more prepared for the whole thing.

I'm still feeling great - no cankles or anything yet. Mostly just excited!

Here's what BC probably looks a lot like this week. Our baby's getting big! And boy can I feel it. This past week I've felt some intense movement - he's getting really strong, and when he shifts sometimes I can see a lump move across my tummy.

I also feel very big. I think it's because I am. Strangers now ask me when I'm due, or if I'm having a boy or girl!

We're just about to the 2 month countdown...

30w3d update: 3lbs 10oz!

Hey guys! At our Dr. appt last week I was measuring quite small for my due date. (For the prenatal-savvy, my fundal height was 25cm at 29w5d.) The way they measure the baby without an ultrasound is basically by poking around and using a tape measure - very imprecise.

So, we got an ultrasound today to measure baby and everything else in there - and we're all great! BC is measuring within three days of the May 1 due date (3 pounds, 10 ounces!!) and the amniotic fluid is normal. I was having a hard time believing JC and I would have a very small baby... :)

Possible reasons for the small measurement: BC was turned sideways, or super curled up, or my abs are extra strong because it's my first baby (I asked the technician if that meant they'd snap back right after birth, haha).

We didn't really tell anyone because we were nervous (don't ever google all the things that could be wrong when you're measuring small or large for your due date!) and wanted to wait until we knew what was up.

Thanks for keeping up with us,
Sarah, JC and healthy baby!

The Baby Book

Okay guys, so I'm about 300-400 pages into The Baby Book by Dr. Sears. Now I know why having a baby can be a totally consuming full-time job!

I'm thoroughly confused by the cry-it-out (CIO) and attachment parenting (AP) methods and the babywearing (see Julia Roberts) and co-sleeping and scheduling and self-soothing techniques. It's amazing we're not all screwed up based on what these experts tell you.

If you let your baby CIO they'll end up with severe trust and intimacy issues their whole life, and if you AP you'll be "weaning" your 3-year-old from breastfeeding and sleeping in your bed. Awesome!

Thank goodness most parents probably don't do so much research, and most people turn out well-adjusted. Otherwise, I'd really be freaking out!

29 weeks!

Baby Crawford is the size of a chinese cabbage this week, weighing 2.5 pounds and 15 inches from head to heel!

His/Her lungs, muscles and bones are maturing, and billions of nuerons are forming every day in that little brain. Time for us to crank up the mozart.

We ordered our wonderful crib from Pottery Barn (thank you, Jojo and Pops!) last weekend and it will be delivered a week from tomorrow! We are going to kick the rest of the furniture in BC's room to the curb (or, give it back to JC's parents, rather) and it will officially look like a baby room. Hooray!!

back by popular demand

Okay, so if I had known I'd get such sweet comments, I'd have posted pictures every day now for the past couple months! :)

I like the baby belly thing - it's fun! Even if I do look a little silly trying to roll over in bed (like a ladybug turned upside down) and can't slouch at my desk as much.

BC is really kicking, too. Sometimes he shifts around and I feel an elbow (or something?) move across my stomach. I also sometimes get the startling karate chop kick that makes me jump a little.

Twice now, I've felt BC get hiccups! Once was after I sneezed really loud. I felt bad to wake him up, but he started hiccuping and then dancing around. Having a baby inside me is SO weird! (But SO awesome.)

And about JC (see cute pic to the left) - he has been the best babydaddy. He is such a great sport (with the gross childbirth videos we have to watch at class, etc.) and a wonderful partner in all this excitement!

Going public

Okay, here's me a couple days ago rocking the bump!

important baby registry item

I hear it's helpful to have a mobile to entertain baby above your changing table or crib. How about this one, JC?