25 Weeks-Happy Thanksgiving!

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have lots of fun time planned to spend with family starting today :) In a little less than an hour, as soon as I get off of work (YEA!), I'm headed to my parents' so that mama and I can do some baking for tomorrow's big dinner. This evening, Tony and I are going to his parents' house to hang out and have dinner with his dad's side of the family. Then tomorrow we're headed to my grandparents for the day to have a big ol' dinner at their house (my dad's parents).

We're headed to the very last UGA game of the year on Saturday against Ga Tech. The game is at Tech and Matt & his fiance, Denine, as well as James, Caitlyn, Travis, Robert, and I'm sure Jason will be there too along with a few others so we're looking forward to hanging out with all of them on Saturday. Ashleigh & Joel are going to meet up with us after Emmi Kate's (Ash's neice)dedication and Lauren is gonna be there too so it should be a blast! It's supposed to be SO COLD on Saturday so I'm planning on bundling up :)

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I'm ALMOST over my cold (YEA!!!) and doing much better now! I took some cough syrup last night and slept better than I have in few days. Looks like I almost have this cold beat so that's good...now I'll just have to keep from getting another one and I'll be good...looks like it will be plenty of o.j. for me this winter :)

25 Weeks: An Eggplant, hmmm....

At 9 inches and more than a 1 ½ pounds in weight, your baby is taller than two juice boxes stacked one on top of the other, and almost as heavy as four of those little boxes.

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Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required) Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Baby's skin is turning pinker this week because small blood vessels, called capillaries, are forming under the skin and filling with blood. Later this week, blood vessels will also develop in your baby's lungs, bringing them one step closer to full maturity — and one step closer to taking that first breath of fresh air. But those lungs are still very much works in progress. Though they are already beginning to develop surfactant, a substance that will help the lungs expand after the baby is born, the lungs are still too undeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide when he or she exhales. The lungs aren't the only system that's gearing up for air intake. Your baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open this week. This actually allows your little one to begin taking practice breaths. (Of course since there's no air in there, your baby is really only "breathing" amniotic fluid, but it's the practice that counts, right?)

24 weeks--feebin' stobbed up...

So this week I have a cold...boo! It's no fun (when is it ever?!) I really can't take any meds--I can take Benadryl at night, but during the day it's hot tea and Vicks scented kleenex for me. Doesn't seem to be affecting Owen much though, he's as active as ever--kicking me all the time so that's good :) I think he must feel a little cramped in there when I lean forward at my desk when I'm at work. If I stay in that position for more than a minute or two, I start feeling hard nudges right in the center of my belly. It's almost like he's saying, "hey, move outta my way mom!" It's pretty comical actually and always makes me smile :)

Tony and I picked up the nursery furniture last Saturday and it's now put together in Owen's room. I even made one side of the bumper pad already because I really wanted to get an idea of what his crib bedding is going to look like. Tony is going to put up the paneling in the nursery next week over his Thanksgiving break and I think his dad may come and help with that. I plan on doing some more sewing next week too. The nursery is really starting to come together which is so neat to see. Tony's parents also told us that they want to buy a glider for Owen's room which is so special! I am so excited that they're going to help us out with that, I can't wait to go and pick it out! What an awesome gift, I know Owen will love being rocked in it in his nursery :)

Tony's birthday was on Tuesday and so we're celebrating with our parents tonight by going out to eat at Pappasito's--Tony's very favorite restaurant. We always get the fajitas for two and I know that's what we'll get tonight too, we don't even have to open the menu! I'm looking forward to it because Pappasito's is one of my favorites as well :) After dinner we're headed to Athens for the last home game of the season against Kentucky. Hopefully we'll pull out another win this weekend! I can't believe our season is almost over, it seems like it just started. Even harder to believe is that at the start of next season we'll have a 5 month old in tow! I know Owen will be a little bulldog right from the start. Tony already talks about how excited he is about throwing the football with him. He'll bleed red and black just like his mama and daddy...GO DAWGS!!!


24 weeks: last week of the papaya

Your baby weighs more than 1 ½ lbs. now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about 8 ½ inches.

Wondering what (and who) your baby will look like? If you had a baby cam, you'd almost be able to tell by now. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. What's still missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under baby's skin. Until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin is still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones, and blood vessels. Fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer. Babies at this point are gaining about 6 ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.

What can your baby hear from inside the womb these days? All kinds of sounds: from air exhaling from your lungs, those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck.

23 weeks

My uncle Rick, one of my dad's younger brothers, passed away unexpectedly last Thursday. Our family was quite in shock and is still hurting from the loss, but by God's grace I know that the pain will heal in time. We were told that he had a heart attack and went very quickly. My grandfather made a statement at his funeral that was so well put. I can't remember it exactly, but he basically stated that though Rick's death is hard and painful to deal with right now, eventually the pain and loss will go away, but the wonderful memories will stay and last forever. So that is what I try and focus on now. Needless to say, we had quite a lot going on last week and this past weekend. I did not get to a blog last week, but I still wanted to post the 23 week developments of Owen so here they are:

23 Weeks: Still a Papaya

At 8 inches and slightly over 1 pound, your baby is the size and shape of a small doll. This week marks the beginning of some serious weight gain. Your baby's weight in the next four weeks alone should double.


You have probably heard your baby's heartbeat through a Doppler a number of times already (though you never get tired of hearing it), but by now you can also hear it through a standard stethoscope.


Your baby's skin is reddish in color now because of the developing blood vessels underneath (remember, the skin is very thin still). It also hangs loosely from his little body at this point. That's because the skin grows faster than the fat develops. But don't worry. By the time your baby is born, he will be pleasantly plump and filled out — from chubby cheeks to chubby toes.

22 Weeks

A little late posting this week, but things have been busy at work--I had 2 episodes of Grey's Anatomy to catch up on for goodness sakes! :) Not much to write about again this week either. I'm slowly getting bigger, but feeling great overall. I have been a real slacker with my belly pic documentations...I am almost 6 months (some things say I already am...all I gotta say about that is, reference: the NUMBers blog...) and still haven't taken my 5 month pic yet, oops!

We had a very Happy Halloween with our annual bonfire with the neighbors...and Sara got to join this year which was way fun (Richard was flying). We had a great time passing out candy, sipping on hot chocolate, and making s'mores.

So last weekend was WAY exciting with a Dawgs victory over the Gators...YAHOO! Tony said we had to go to Jacksonville every year until we won, so I guess we're taken care of for at least a few years with that awesome victory :) Not like I really would have wanted to make that trip with a 7 month old anyways....maybe the year after that, we'll just have to wait and see!

This weekend is the very weekend that I look forward to and count down the days to all year long (okay...it's not the only weekend I do that for, but it's on my top 5)...it's GIRLS WEEKEND!!! We're headed tonight to Katie's lake house on Lake Sinclair and I cannot wait for a nice relaxing weekend with my girls. We will sit around and catch up on each others lives, have a big ol' breakfast in the a.m., and our "Official Girls Weekend meal" tomorrow night, along with a few other shenanigans and traditions that I could tell you about, but then I'd have to kill you... Haha, for real though, I just can't wait to sit and be with them. It truly is one of my very favorite times of the year!

22 Weeks: Pa-pa-pa-papaya
Your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. This week he is developing the sense of touch. In fact, your little one's grip is quite developed by now — and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, he or she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical cord. The sense of sight is also getting more developed. Your fetus can now perceive light and dark much better than before (even with those fused eyelids), but unless you're shining a flashlight over your belly it'll be mostly dark for your baby inside that cozy womb of yours.

Moving up from the eyes, the eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. You'd be quite surprised, though, if you could see your little one up close and in color. Hair at this stage has no pigment, so it's bright white.

Baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.