22 weeks - 5 months down!

Holy moly, only 4 months to go! Today marks week 22 and Butterball is the about the size of a papaya! I don't know who took the time to figure out the approximate size of babies along with fruit comparisons for each week! I am feeling a lot of movement these days. It is such a great feeling. I am really confident that it is Butterball now because during the ultrasound on Monday, he moved and I saw it on the screen as I felt it. I can't wait for Sean to feel it from the outside and I really think that will happen soon.

Time really seems to be flying now that I know I will have a son. And the belly is really growing! My mom has been visiting since Sunday and swears I have grown since she arrived.

We did a bit of shopping and I found a few cute shirts at motherhood. They will give me some good room to grow with the empire waist, but as you can see it certainly accentuates the belly. It is going to be funny to go back to school. I was gone in NH all last week and I have been playing hooky with my mom this week. I don't know that the rumor mill has really reached many people and many of my coworkers still don't know I am pregnant. I really don't think there will be any doubt at this point, but it will be interesting to see when and if people comment.

Well, now that we know Butterball is a boy, the new question seems to be, "Do you have a name?" So for the inquiring minds out there, I will tell you that, yes, we do have a name! BUT, it is a surprise. Come on, we gotta keep at least something secret, right? Certainly, feel free to guess or give suggestions as we could always change our mind (or at least we will be amused by the game), but Butterball's name will not be announced until birth. And speaking of his arrival, note that there is a new poll up. We are now taking a survey as to whether you think Butterball will grace us with his presence early, arrive right on time for Halloween, or decide to take his time and come in November. Plenty of time to get your votes in. I don't know if there are any old wives tales associated with this, but I will do some searching.

It's a ......

BOY!

That's right we are batting for team blue! We had our big ultrasound on Monday. It was wonderful to see Butterball again.


We got to see everything. The ultrasound started out by looking at the brain lobes and cerebellum, then we observed the 4 chambers of the heart. It was beating at a strong 154 beats/min. (so much for that wives tale). We saw his stomach and kidneys and liver. We saw all the bones of the legs and arms. And I loved looking at the hands and feet. Butterball gave us the thumbs up:

Here are his precious little feet:
For the longest time, he had his legs crossed and we really didn't think we were going to get to know the gender, but just at the end of the ultrasound he moved and there was no mistaking his "maleness" Sean and I are thrilled and we are trying to wrap our head's around the fact that we will have a son in just over 4 months! The time is flying. It was also wonderful that my mom (Butterball's Bubbles) was able to fly in and see the ultrasound too. It was a first time experience for her and we all were swept away by that cute baby. While we have to wait for the final say from the doctor who will analyze all the measurements taken, our tech said that everything initially looked normal. Butterball's growth is falling right in the 50th percentile. The only blip is that the umbilical cord only has 2 vessels while it is normal to have 3 (two arteries and one vein). The tech said that my midwife would go over this in more detail at my next visit, but it didn't seem to be presenting any problems as Butterball looks normal and healthy and to be getting enough oxygen and nutrients. Some initial research on this seems that the majority of pregnancies with this have no problems, but they will just monitor his growth and development a bit more carefully particularly toward the end of the pregnancy. I will let you know more as I find out. In general, I think we can all celebrate a healthy baby boy right now.

Speaking of growth. Butterball's growth is becoming more apparent on the exterior. I really feel like I am starting to pop. I swear it has just happened in the last few days. Here is the latest belly shot:

Well, I know that was the most anticipated news, but let me also tell you about our trip to New Hampshire. We had a lovely time once again. We enjoyed father's day at Sean's parents house. We had a nice bbq and Kate and Jonathan and Jon and Carrie and Libby and Liam all came over. Kate is looking fantastic at 35 weeks and anxiously waiting for her little girl. It is so neat Butterball is going to have a cousin so close in age. She and I drank tea and watched as the nonpregnant folk played a wicked game of whiffle ball.

I was also very excited to go strawberry picking with Carrie, Libby and Liam along with her neighbor Judy and her two girls, Sky and Summer. Here are a few pictures from that outing. We got a lot of strawberries:


Liam really enjoyed them:
Libby was all smiles:
While we were in NH, Lily got a lot of swimming time in. Every day she went down to the pond with Happy (Jan and Peter's golden retriever). She is getting the hang of jumping off the dock to go fetch sticks. Here is my first attempt at uploading a video:

We also did some house hunting while we were there and we actually put an offer in. We are very excited that this one will go through. It is a short sale situation. So, the seller has accepted our offer, but we are awaiting lien holder approval on it. We are having inspections done July 1st and we hope that soon after we will get the final acceptance. It is a great little house in Concord, NH. It is small and needs work, but it is situated in a rural area on 2.3 acres. I am so hopeful that everything works out, but I am trying not to get my hopes up as I know a lot needs to happen for it to come together. I fear I didn't get a really good picture of the front of the house because it was raining when we viewed it. I will keep you posted as we find out more. Keep your fingers crossed for us on this one.

We also had a blast at the wedding we went to in Cohasset, MA. Sean was a groomsman for his good friend, Mark Hills. He and Mark used to play rugby together when living on the seacoast. We went to MA on Friday and attended the rehearsal and dinner. The dinner was a classic New England lobster pot. We began with freshly made clam chowda (insert accent). Then we had a plate filled with corn on the cob, fresh clam steamers and topped with a whole lobster! Yummy! It was great fun. Mark is British and his family was over from England and new to the lobster dinner. There was a lot of laughter and flying lobster meat. I wish I had gotten a picture. The dinner turned into a big party. The next day, the wedding didn't start until 6pm so Sean and I enjoyed the morning walking on the beach in Nantaskut:

The sun was warm and the water cool. We walked a good length of the beach. It was so relaxing.
The wedding was lovely and quite posh. Sean looked very handsome dressed in his groomsman suit. Towards the end of the evening after a bit of imbibing, all the groomsman (all former rugby players) danced to "Ring of Fire" This is the only picture I got of the nice suits:


Well, goodness, I could go on and on, but I will stop here as this is already ridiculously long. Cheers!

Halfway There!

Tomorrow marks 20 weeks, the halfway point in the pregnancy journey. Wow! I had my check-up appointment today and it went really well. My weight is great, my blood pressure is great and my growth is right on. My uterus is already about a finger above my belly button. My midwife was wonderful she said in the next couple of weeks I will probably have a growth spurt. She said one morning I will just wake up and say, wow, I am really pregnant!

This week is a big milestone because I am definitely feeling Butterball. For the last few days I have felt some funny tickles and sort of like popping bubbles in my lower abdomen. I was really unsure if this could be Butterball, but I was becoming more and more confident and my midwife confirmed today that that is exactly what it is. She said it will only get stronger from here on out and probably in the next few weeks Sean will feel it from the outside. What a trip this whole thing is!

Of course, I got to hear the heartbeat again today, which is my absolute favorite. I will never get tired of that. It was also fun because once my midwife would find it, she would lose it because Butterball was moving about. When she finally found it, it was strong and above 140. So then she says, "well a very active baby and a high heart beat, must be a girl!" Of course this is a big Old Wives Tale. If the baby's heartrate is above 140 then it is a girl, below 140 then it is a boy. This got me thinking that we should explore all the Old Wives Tales out there before we get the more objective assessment at the big ultrasound a week from Monday.

Now, as a scientist with a pretty good handle I meiosis, I must remind that there really is just a 50/50 chance either way. But, as a girl who reads my horoscope daily, I say enjoy. These are all I could find. If anyone else has any good ones, let me know.

No morning sickness = Boy; Morning sickness = Girl
I didn’t have it as bad as I have heard it can be, but I definitely had nausea and some unpleasant trips to the ladies room, this one goes to GIRL

Carrying extra weight out front = Boy; Carrying weight in hips and rear = Girl
Hmm, no one is willing to honestly comment on my backside, but think the extra weight is just belly at this point, this one goes to BOY

Belly looks like a basketball = Boy; Belly looks like a watermelon = Girl
I think this is really more for when one is further along, but if I had to say I am thinking more watermelon, this one goes to GIRL

Carrying baby low = Boy: Carrying baby high = Girl
At my last two appointments the midwives have said my uterus is a bit higher than usual for how far along I am, thus we will say this one goes to GIRL

Craving salty or sour foods = Boy; Craving sweets = Girl
Definitely sweets. I am not normally much for sweets, typically going for savory foods, but even Sean has noticed my increased need for sweets, this one definitely goes to GIRL

Craving meats and proteins = Boy, Craving fruits = Girl
I fear this one is a tie. I have had an insatiable appetite for watermelon, but also have been wanting some meat and lots of cheese. Can’t say for sure.

Pillow faces North = Boy; Pillow faces South = Girl
Ah, they face east….50/50 on this one too.

Pregnancy has you looking better than ever = Boy; Pregnancy has stolen your beauty = Girl
Seriously, you will all have to make up your own mind for this one, but definitely DON’T tell me if you think this one is decidedly GIRL

Your nose is spreading = Boy
What? NO! This one goes to GIRL.

Dad-to-be is gaining weight right along with you = Boy
He is remaining slim and trim. This one goes to GIRL

Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy = Boy
I don’t put much stock into this one as it is summer and crazy hot, but I guess I can say that, no, they are not colder. Tentative GIRL.

The hair on your legs has grown faster during pregnancy = Boy
Remaining about the same, guess this one goes to GIRL.

Your hands are very dry = Boy
Yes, they are. This one goes to BOY.

You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles = Boy; If it moves side to side = Girl
This one is very scientific! We found it went in circles. This one is BOY

You are having headaches = Boy
Nope, this one goes to GIRL

You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived, if the sum is an even number = Boy; Odd number = Girl
Age = 29, Month = January (1), 30 = even number. This goes to BOY

You are moodier than usual during pregnancy = Girl
WTF?!? Just kidding! I don’t think I am. We will go BOY on this one

Your face breaks out more than usual = Girl
Unfortunately, yes! This one goes to GIRL.

You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread = Girl
Mmmm, bread! No I am not picky. This one goes to BOY.

Well, it looks like GIRL is slightly ahead. Will Butterball prove these tales wrong? T-minus 9 days to know.

Sean and Lily and I are packing up and heading back to NH tomorrow. We have more house hunting to do and Sean is a groomsman in his good friend's wedding in a week. There is a big bachelor party in NYC on Saturday. No blogging until we return, but I promise lots of news when we get back.

Happy Father's Day to everyone this Sunday!

New Haircut

Yesterday, on a bit of a whim, I decided to get my haircut. I have been trying to grow it out, but it definitely needed a trim and was getting so thick and heavy. Now, every couple of years I go through this stage where I think I am so unstylish and I need to do something different. So, I go get a "stylish" haircut and immediately swear I will never do that again. When will I learn? So, first off I go to a walk in place, which doesn't exactly scream style. Then, the lady asks me if I need a wash. I said no as I had washed it that morning, but I expected her to wet it down. No, she cut it dry! Crazy. She asked me what I wanted. I told her I was trying to grow it out but I need a good trim and I was thinking of putting in some long layers to give it some style and help with the weight if she thought that was a good idea. Next thing I know I am watching hair fall mercilessly to the ground. With every snip, I felt dread. I know all of you women reading this have been there, but I dare say the added emotions of pregnancy do not help in these situations. At the end, with my dry hair frizzing this way and that she puts some weird product in it to give it added body and says, "What do you think?" Ah, WHAT DO I THINK? Well, of course, I say wow, what a difference and gee, I can't wait to style it tomorrow. And then of course, I pay and give her a tip. I drive home, glancing in the rearview mirror every other minute thinking, Oh the horror! and I get home and cry, vowing to never ever never again think I need some style!

Well this morning I did shower and wash out the weird product and give it a good blow dry and curl and I suppose it isn't that bad. Hopefully it will grow on me (or at least grow out well) and I will get used to it. What do you guys think? Honest truth!

Babies are in the air

Literally. About a month ago as the temperatures warmed, I moved most of our house plants out onto the front porch, including this hanging plant. One day, I was startled when I went to water it and a bird flew out at me (probably equally as startled to have her new home flooded). Sean peeked up into the nest and saw several small blue eggs. Then, we began to see a lot of activity. Yesterday, as we were grilling dinner this little one was peeking at us. Can you see him?

They were looking at us mouths agape wondering whether mom was coming back with food:
We think there are four or five of the little ones in there:

They are quite awkward right now barely opening their eyes to look at us. They are still very fuzzy. I sure hope they are enjoying their houseplant home.

19 Weeks

A big happy 19 weeks to Butterball. Butterball should be weighing in at over half a pound now and about 6 inches from crown to rump. Depending on which book I consult the ever popular fruit comparison is either a mango or a large heirloom tomato.

Here is the latest belly pic. I think in the next couple of weeks there will be no more mistaking my "condition." Lily is cracking me up. It has become tradition that every time Sean takes a belly pic of me she comes and sits at my feet. You will notice she is looking a little haggard. It is HOT here. 90 degrees and very humid today. I am really wondering how both she and I are going to deal with the summer heat.

Well, a bit of note on pregnancy sleeping and dreams. Last Sunday after our canoe trip I went out and purchased a body pillow. This is the best thing I could have done. I had no idea how early I would become uncomfortable sleeping. Prior to the body pillow, I was tossing and turning a lot and waking up very sore in the hips. All this week, even despite the heat I have been sleeping so well with the body pillow. I say these should be given out with every positive pregnancy test! And with my new sleeping quality, I have been having some very interesting dreams. In the last two nights I have had my first gender related dreams. They were both incredibly wacky and I will not go into all details. The first involved a new technology which allowed me to remove Butterball when it wasn't convenient to be pregnant and incubate HIM in a clear pouch in the refrigerator. Don't consult Freud on this one, but the interesting part is that I got a peak at the gender when HE was incubating and it was definitely a BOY. Now, don't go changing your vote just yet on the reliability of some weird mother intuition. Last night I had a dream where I went to the doctor and they did an ultrasound and the tech told me she definitely thought it was a GIRL and she is almost never wrong. Thus, we are back to 50/50 chance. The funny thing is that while I have been excited to know Butterball's gender, I wasn't necessarily anxious to find out. These dreams have shown me it is very much on my mind however, and now I am really anticipating the big day.

On the house buying front, Sean and I have rallied and found several more listings that seem promising. We are going to look at several when we are in NH in a little over a week. The optimism and excitement is back in hopes that we find one that will work for us. Several of them are auction properties which adds another dimension. It will be interesting to find out how that process works. They all say they will consider bids prior to the auction day. We will be consulting our agent a lot more in the coming weeks. As always, keep your fingers crossed for us!

Canoeing Season

Sunday was a picture perfect day in Ohio. The sun was shining and warm, but there was no humidity. We took the morning to go for a canoe trip at West Branch State Park, just about 25 minutes away from us. It was our first time there and we had a great time paddling around. It was a bit windy in the middle of the reservoir so we headed into the wind for the first half so that we could cruise with the wind at our backs on the way back. We took a few stops so that Lily could get out and swim, her favorite activity. Check out the wake behind her:
Come on, throw it again:

Lily is also pretty happy to be in the canoe. Although she has a tendency to move from side to side causing Sean and me to continuously shift our weight back and forth.



She does eventually get tired after all that swimming and she is content to lay in the boat, soak up the sun and take in the sights:Self photograph out on the open water, obviously a bit windy.
It was such a relaxing morning and just what we needed after the craziness of last week. We hope you all had an equally wonderful weekend!