Week 24

Hi Baby!

Here's the 'haps this week:

Discussing various bird species.......

My cousin Henry came down from Alaska to go on the raft trip this week. He is a really cool dude ~ I can't wait for you to get to know him.

Old Classic :)

I finalized (mostly) your baby gear registry ~ it's a little ridiculous ~ but hey there is a lot stuff that apparently a baby needs these days! It's been fun picking things out, but overwhelming too. I have been given plenty of advice from all my 'Mom friends'. Katie and I picked out the invitations for your PaRtY!!
Check them out:

Aren't they adorable!

So all the Boys (Joe, Steve, Jason, Josh, Paul, Henry, Cory, Eric and Micah) left on Wednesday for the trip. We have a SPOT transceiver so your Dad was able to send me nightly check-in signals with their exact GPS location. It's pretty cool. Here is a screen shot of their route:

It probably doesn't make much sense without any landmarks or towns shown, but I'll show you on a real map day!

They are all coming home today. I can't wait ~ I am really glad that they went on such a fun adventure ~ but I miss your Dad a lot!

Morning of Departure.

Here are a few pics of ME and YOU ~ pretty cute I'd say!

Self Portrait.

My friend Stacy and I ~ she is 19 weeks here!! Heeheee!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since he's almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

(Don't Worry Baby - we know you are a girl - this is just how the website writes sometimes :0)  )

LOVE YA!  Mom

Hi baby!

This week we did MORE errands and chores around the house and the yard. But it's ok, I think it's what some would call 'nesting'. We are getting our space tidied up and ready for some serious summer power lounging :) Everything is looking really beautiful. 

We are also in full blown raft-trip-prep-mode. Your Dad won a lottery permit to float the Hell's Canyon stretch of the Snake River next week. It's a pretty big deal! This will be his first multi-day trip where he is the 'Captin' so he wants everything to be perfect. There are many lists floating around the house and lots of checking and double checking, etc. Here he is packing some of the gear:

It looks chaotic ~ but trust me ~ there was a precise plan being executed here.

Your Dad and Grandpa being goofy!

Plotting the route......

We also spent several evenings this week over at Micah's house. His garage is the staging area for the gear. He made some awesome chinese food one night ~ which I love and I ate a large plate full ~ which in turn gave me WICKED heartburn for 24 hours straight. I've never had heartburn before you came along ~ so thanks a lot!

Your Dad also tried out a new Dutch oven recipe one night ~ also amazing (can you tell I am enjoying eating these days?) ~ It was a breakfast casserole with eggs and hasbrowns and sausage and cheese - OMG. Have I mentioned your Dad is a great cook?! I might starve if it weren't for him. 

Speaking of your dad, this Sunday was also Father's Day! We had a nice steak dinner over at Mary and Joe's ~ We aren't full fledged parents yet but I gave your Dad a card anyway (he gave me one too for Mother's Day). Here is a pic of us that evening:

Your Momz and your Dadz.

Little bit about you and me:

WEEK 23

How ya doin’, Sugar?

Speaking of sugar, you’re going to be coming up for your glucose screening test to make sure you’re not rockin’ the gestational diabetes. It’s one of the more common pregnancy complications – up to 10% of pregnant women develop it – and there aren’t any symptoms, so everyone gets the once over.
 
Normally, the test takes place around 24 to 28 weeks. It consists of you drinking a sugary drink that would even make Willy Wonka say, “damn, that’s sweet”, waiting an hour, then having your blood taken to see if your body processed the glucose efficiently. If it’s too high, you’re sent back for a three-hour glucose tolerance test, where you fast for 14-hours, have your blood taken, drink your sugar shooter, then have your blood tested every hour, for the next three hours.
Bring a book – it’s a long haul.

How your baby's growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about the size of a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Love you Baby, Me

Week 22

Hi Baby!

This past week has been REALLY busy with lots of chores around the house and errands - you would think we would be staying up til midnight and sleeping til noon ~ but alas your Dad and I are getting old! We can't stay up very late and we are both WIDE awake early in the mornings. One point I would like to make clear here though.......I am quite well known for NOT being a 'morning person'. However, since I have a human being growing inside of me it seems that when the sun rises - so do you and I. At first it was a bit disturbing, but I have a new summer-morning routine that I am really getting into. It goes like this: I rest in my fabulous lounger from Costco (thanks Gramma Martha) which is on my beautiful deck, surrounded by my beautiful flower pots (one of the chores accomplished this week) and our two sweet dogs (except Ruby sometimes, she's naughty), with a cup of coffee in my hand, all while watching a pair of hummingbirds guzzle down nectar from our feeder hanging above my head and breathing in the scent of our ridiculously delicious honey suckle bush. I wait for the sun to reach over my neighbors rooftop (about 9:30) and then I mosey inside for some breakfast and think about the day ahead. Dang, what a nice life!

Over the weekend we headed up to McCall ~ one of our very favorite places to hang out here in beautiful Idaho. We are lucky enough to be able to shack up at the Tyree's sweet cabin too! It is right down the road from our other good friends, The Christensen's (Chris and Christine + Corbin and Kinlee Jo). We spent a fair amount of time with them over the last few days, which was really nice. They are fun happy people who make us laugh til our belly's are sore. Your pops also built a rockin' fire pit ~ he is so crafty!

Chillin' at the lake on the Loveless's dock.

Captin' Jason doing some chair-navigating.

Your pops is a good napper.

Some nice clouds............

CC and the kids and your Dad - feeding the geese.

Stinkin' cute Kinlee Jo ~ You will certainly be good buddies with her!!!!

YUM!!

Kinlee Jo took a likin' to your Dad ~ and vice versa. :)  They were sooooooo cute together. It was my first glimpse into Fatherhood for him ~ all will be well for you baby.

Construction time.......

Break time, almost done.......

WHAAA-LAAA!

Couple a deers.

Those Crazy Christensen's!

Here are a few updates about your growth and my growth these days:

WEEK 22

How your baby's growing:

At 11 inches and almost 1 pound (about the size of a spaghetti squash), your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

How your life's changing:

At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It's perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you'd rather they didn't. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate.
You expected your belly to grow — and perhaps your breasts, too — but the following physical changes may take you by surprise. As with many pregnancy changes, hormones play a role in most of these alterations in your looks.

• Thicker, more lustrous hair You're not actually growing more hair, just losing less than normal. During pregnancy, your body sheds hair much more slowly than it did before. What to do: If thicker hair is a boon for you, enjoy it. If it's making your mane more unruly than ever, ask your stylist to do some thinning at your next cut. These changes won't last forever. After your baby's born, you'll start to lose this excess hair, sometimes in clumps.

• Increased body hair Sex hormones known as androgens can cause new hair to sprout on your chin, upper lip, jaw, and cheeks. Stray hairs can also pop up on your belly, arms, legs, and back. What to do: Tweezing, waxing, and shaving are all safe ways to manage these temporary changes.

• Faster-growing fingernails Your fingernails may grow more quickly than usual, and you may notice changes in texture. Some women's nails get harder, while others' get softer or more brittle. What to do: Protect your nails by wearing rubber gloves when you're cleaning, and using moisturizer on them if they're brittle.

• Skin changes Some pregnant women report that their skin has never looked better. If that's you, enjoy the proverbial "glow." Others find the hormones of pregnancy aggravate skin conditions such as acne. What to do: Wash twice a day with a gentle soap or cleanser, and make sure that any moisturizer or makeup you use is oil-free.

• Stretch marks As your belly expands to accommodate your growing baby, you may get tiny tears in the supportive tissue that lies just beneath your skin, resulting in striations of varying color. These marks will begin to fade and become considerably less noticeable about six to 12 months after you give birth. There's not much you can do besides trying not to gain more than the recommended amount of weight. Heredity is responsible for the natural elasticity of your skin and plays a role in determining who will end up with stretch marks.

• Skin discolorations Increased melanin can cause splotchy patches of darkened skin on your face. These pigment changes may become intensified if you spend time in the sun. What to do: Protect your face by using a sunblock that offers both UVA and UVB protection with an SPF of 30 or higher, wearing a hat with a brim, and avoiding the sun during peak hours of the day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

• Larger and darker nipples and areolas You may find that your nipples and the pigmented area around them (the areolas) are getting bigger and darker. The little bumps on your areolas, known as Montgomery's tubercles, may also be more pronounced. These bumps are oil-producing glands that help fight off bacteria and lubricate the skin. Some women also notice more pronounced veins in their breasts. What to do: Nothing!

• Larger feet Your feet may go up half a shoe size or more. Lax ligaments may make your feet spread a bit — permanently. Swelling can make your shoes feel tight as well, although it will go away after delivery. What to do: Buy comfortable shoes to accommodate your growing feet.

This Week's Activity:

Check out your rings. It's common to have some swelling in your fingers as your pregnancy progresses. If your rings are feeling the least bit snug, do yourself a favor and take them off now before it's too late (or at least keep an eye on them). If you can't bear to be separated from your wedding band or another important ring when you can no longer sport it on your finger, loop it on a chain and wear it close to your heart.

WOW Baby ~ all for you!  Love ya, me

Hey Baby!

It's official ~ WE'RE ON SUMMER VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This past weekend has already proved to be quite eventful. Friday night we had a pizza night at Micah and Kara's -YUM - they are engaged now - YEA - and I think I mentioned before are also expecting a baby - WHOOPIE - so Kara and I have lots to chat about!  Then we headed over to Heidi and Dave Minegar's house for a BBQ with a whole other crew of fun people. We of course talked about YOU a lot and received lots of parenting advice from everyone. It was a really nice evening with lots of good friends.

Saturday Grandma Mary and Auntie Allison and I got pedicures together. Lovely. I also picked up this amazing cake for your Grandpa Joe's retirement party. His best bud Steve Tyree retired as well from 32-ish years of work in education - pretty impressive. So the Tyree family and the Gordon family had a big shindig together. It was awesome. Amazing dinner, amazing friends, amazing cake, amazing slide show, ending with an amazing nightcap around the fire pit in the Tyree's backyard. Don't worry baby - you are being born into a really fun family - who knows how to throw a great party ;)

 This is your Grandpa Joe and Great Uncle Steve (ok, we're not really related, but close enough) back in the day before they moved their families to Idaho.

Dad, Grammy Gordon and Grandpa - coaching baseball at Capital high. 1998

This is a nice pic of The Big Gordon's and the Big Tyree's at Great Grandpa Mack's 90th birthday party. 2008

The DAD's and their boys - Josh and Jason. 1980

This is at the retirement party ~ it was so much fun!

Jason and Josh all grown up ~ and Cole ~ he will totally be a great buddy for you to grow up with!

Your pops giving a speech to kick off the evening ~ he's reallllly good at it, and usually makes all the Mom's cry.

Check out this AWESOME cake we ordered for the party! Biology theme mixed with History theme ~ they were (and still are) really great educators!

Here are some updates about YOU:

WEEK 21

Your baby is a whopping three-quarters of a pound (or 360 grams) and is about 10^1/2  inches long - about the size of a carrot:

You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.
 
You’re probably familiar with what kicking feels like now and may wonder what all the partying is about in there. That kid has a good amount of room and some legs, so the or she tends to take ‘em out for a spin quite a bit. If they are high kicking your vital organs, try to shift them around by either manually moving them with your hands on your belly, or shift around yourself to get the karate kid in a better position.

As for you, well, you may still be in that golden age of pregnancy when you aren’t too pukey and you aren’t too big. You’re the size that all the maternity stores feature in their ads to show how cute pregnant women are – you aren’t puffy and hunched over a toilet, and you aren’t in danger of being harpooned if you wade into the ocean wearing a black and white bathing suit.

That said, you may feel like crap and for that I am sorry. Some woman have a fantastic pregnancy and will never feel or look better, where others have a miserable, greasy, gassy paraded-float experience. Just keep in mind that, good or bad, nothing lasts for ever, so either enjoy it or hang in there. This too shall pass.