19 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

She weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom- about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting (I am pretty sure it will be blonde). This is a crucial time for sensory development. The baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch. She has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries which will dwindle down to fewer than two million by the time she is born.

How is the Mommy doing...

Well, this week started off with John and I going to an Astro's game on Monday courtesy of some free tickets i got from work. It was a nice change and even more exciting was that I got to feel the baby really kick me for the first time. I have been feeling flutters but Monday was the first real without a doubt baby kick. I guess she is an Astro's fan or she really liked the hot dog I ate! Since Monday, I have been feeling flutters, pings, and pressure more and more and can not wait until she is stronger and John can feel her.

The rest of the week was pretty calm. This weekend was pretty low key and consisted of some major house cleaning as well as another trip to buy some more maternity clothes. It appears that the clothes that I thought could last a couple more weeks have gotten pretty tight in a week so we went out and bought the rest of the essentials. I also made something for our little girl's room, it is a frame with a verse (Colossians 1:9-11) that I feel is very relevant and something that will be nice for her room. 

I love how there are so many resources available to explain what is going on with your body. This week, as mentioned in every book I have, I have been noticing some achiness in my lower abdomen which is round ligament pain and is caused by the stretching of the muscles and ligaments that supports my growing uterus. Even more crazy, I have been noticing that my hands and face are a little more red than normal which is actually caused by the increase in estrogen in my body. I am amazed daily at how much my body has been changing and adapting for this little life.

John and I will be heading to Austin this upcoming weekend (May 2-4) for a marriage conference hosted by Family Life Christian Ministries. We are very excited about going to Austin and about taking some time to focus on our marriage especiallly with the little one on the way. Pray for a great time away and renewal for John and I in our marriage. I am also really excited about visiting the University of Texas Co-op and purchasing football season attire for our little girl. I will post pictures of our purchases when we get back! I am so excited about having another Longhorn fan!

We have pretty much decided on our nursery bedding (see picture). I am so excited about starting to put her room together! Starting in a couple of weeks, John and I will start sorting through the closet and finding homes for things and getting ready to paint. We are still working on middle names for our choosen first name and are really, really close and once we have it decided we will let everyone know. Other things coming up are starting to compile a list of day cares around our house and deciding what we want to do. I am planning on going back to work but have been praying for guidence on how to handle that transition and what we should do for childcare for a month transition period. Please pray over our search and that the Lord shows us what we need to do and where is the best place for our little girl.

Finally, check out the links section to visit our registry. We actually registered a couple of weeks ago and have been doing some research etc to make sure we registered for what we want. It was tons of fun picking things out for her as well as overwhelming to see all the different brands available for just one item. I think we have a good start on what we need and I am sure in the next couple of months we will learn more what we need and what we really don't.

Finally, we celebrated on Thursday our first year in our house! It has been a great year of making a home together and we are excited about year two and adding a new resident!

• Total Weight Gain: 10 pounds
• Next Doctor's Appointment: May 9
• To Do This Week: Register at the hospital for birthing/baby care classes in June and start compiling a list of day cares to visit

How is the Daddy doing...

John is excited about going to Austin and the marriage conference. His main task coming up this week is planting a Live Oak in our backyard. We decided to buy a tree for Valentines Day for each other and finally three months later we are getting closer. Hopefully it will be planted before the baby comes! He had some good guy time this weekend with the guys from our small group and enjoyed learning a new card game called, "Killer Bunnies." 

At the Astro's Game