October 28, 2010

Just in Time for Fall...

Forgive me for not posting yesterday when I actually hit the 24-week mark. If you'd like to hear my pitiful sob story about how I spent most of my waking hours yesterday sitting in airports, feel free to ask. (But consider yourself warned that the story includes a lot of whining.)

Moving on to way cooler subjects...24 weeks along--yay! I don't know why, but in my head week 25 marks the final countdown, so next week seems like a huge deal to me. But more about that next week!

According to BabyCenter.com:
Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture 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.

My favorite part about that is the "he'll soon start to plump up" part. I love plump babies! Don't you wish it was cute for adults to be plump? Ah, well...

Exciting news in Baby J's world. We found a beautiful, off-white Belini crib (courtesy of Craigslist) for a fraction of the price that it would have been in an actual store. Now I just can't decide who gets it...Baby J or MJ. It's so beautiful that I want my precious little girl to sleep in it like a little princess, but at the same time the off-white color would look great against a pale blue wall for Baby J. Decisions, decisions. It might come down to plain ol' logistics. Whatever's easiest and requires the least headache in regards to assembly just might win out.

Funny story. I looked back through the blog and realized that when I was 24 weeks pregnant with Macey, her crib was assembled and her room was painted. Poor second baby already getting the shaft. We're working on it Baby J. I promise! (And by working on it, I mean some ideas are in my head. But they're really good ones.)

October 24, 2010

Leaving on a Jet Plane

It hasn't been much of a secret that I'm bummed about going out of town today for a work trip. I don't mind traveling, but I've never left Macey. She's spent the night with my parents three times in her life, and each time we picked her up as early as possible the next morning.

But it looks like I'm definitely heading to Baltimore, so I better make the best of it! I decided to make a list of the things I know about Baltimore.
  1. Charm City Cakes (you know, Ace of Cakes) is in Baltimore. They're awesome, so Baltimore can't be that bad. 
  2. Joey Dorsey is from Baltimore. He's even more awesome than that Aces of Cakes people, so that should mean something. 
  3. At some point in his life, I think my dad lived in Baltimore. Well, I know he lived in Maryland. I have no clue what city. (Navy kid.)  
  4. This song from the musical "Hairspray"


And now you know everything I know about Baltimore! You're welcome.

October 22, 2010

Cue the Crankiness

I'm going to blame the crazy Memphis weather for my crankiness, simply because it has given Macey and me stuffy noses. My crankiness could also be attributed to the fact that at my doctor's appointment this morning, I found out the following things:
  • Baby J and I are healthy enough to fly out of town this week for a work trip. I know that's technically good news, but there is not one fiber in my being that is looking forward to my very first trip away from Macey. Three nights people. It's heartbreaking. And I'm always sad when I have to leave Greg because he's an awesome hubby, and I miss him pretty easily. (For the record, I of course am VERY HAPPY that Baby J and I are healthy! That's always priority number 1.)
  • At my next appointment, I have to take the glucose test. Because I've never had to go through the whole "labor" thing (thank you, c-section with Macey), this is still the worst part of pregnancy in my mind. Now, if I have a successful labor and delivery with Baby J, you can ask me again if drinking the sugar glucose drink was worse.
  • I have to get a flu shot. Well, I guess I don't have to, but my doctor said (in so many words), that I could die if I get the flu. So, I guess I'll take the shot. (There's a chance I might have exaggerated her reasoning for wanting me to get the shot, but my version pretty much summed it up.)
Glad all of THAT is out of my system! Moving on to a beautiful "fall" day in Memphis. Happy Friday!

October 20, 2010

Graco Stroller Recall

Attention Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas!

Information about the most recent stroller recall straight from Graco's website:

Quattro Tour™ and MetroLite™ Stroller Recall

Potential Problem: Entrapment and strangulation can occur, especially to infants younger than 12 months of age, when a child is not harnessed. An infant can pass through the opening between the stroller tray and seat bottom, but his/her head and neck can become entrapped by the tray. Infants who become entrapped at the neck are at risk of strangulation.

Injuries Reported: 9

Number of Units Affected: About 2 million

Dates Produced: Quattro Tour™ strollers and travel systems manufactured prior to November 2006, and MetroLite™ strollers and travel systems manufactured prior to July 2007.

Solution: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled strollers and contact Graco for a free repair kit.

Click here to order a repair kit from this website, or contact Graco toll-free at (877) 828-4046 anytime.

Consumers can continue use of the stroller as a “travel system.” When the stroller is used with the infant car seat, the entrapment and strangulation hazards posed by the space gap are not present.
Colors can vary.

I'm Not So Sure About This...

Somehow, my newborn daughter turned 15 months old on Saturday. Ridiculous! 15 months old?! She's practically driving. For the past 26 years, I've heard countless people say, "They grow up so fast," or "I can't believe so-and-so is already in high school." Now I perfectly understand what all those people have meant, and it's a terrible feeling.

On the completely opposite side of that spectrum, it's so much fun to see Macey grow and change every day. (Seriously, something new and exciting happens every day.) She has quite the personality (a little stubborn like her momma and very loud like her daddy, haha), she loves pretty much all animals that come near her and she plays/babbles nonstop. Every time we visit my parents, my mom says she's like a little whirlwind that comes through their house.

My little tornado baby!

Go Tigers Go!

See what I mean about the animals?

I'll stay in my box, thanks.

Boxes and shoes, boxes and shoes. Two of her favorite things.

Does My Fetus Look Like Chris Kattan?

Today, I hit week 23 of this pregnancy. Updates. Let's see...Baby J still has no name. Mommy's back hurts. Macey still has no clue that a little brother will invade her little world in a few short months. As much as she LOVES babies (or "ba-bay" as she says), I know her world will be rocked for a little while when this ba-bay doesn't leave our house after a few hours. Should be fun!

According to BabyCenter.com
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him 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 him when she hears them outside the womb.

If he's anything like Macey, our obnoxious adorable barking dogs won't phase him one bit!

Ok, when you hear "mango" does your mind IMMEDIATELY flash to a Saturday Night Live skit of Chris Kattan dancing around as Mango? Mine does, but that might just be because I loved him and those skits almost as much as I loved the Spartan cheerleaders and the Target lady! Well, now I just want to go watch SNL clips on YouTube...


Now, just for fun. (Not at all baby-related.)
Target Lady!

October 17, 2010

22-ish Weeks Along

Last night, Greg and I went to a wedding, so it seemed like an opportune time to take a new "belly picture." Here I am at 22 weeks. (Wednesday will mark week 23. These weeks are going by really fast!)
In case you're wondering...no, he still doesn't have a name. :-)

October 13, 2010

My Little Spaghetti Squash

Today marks week 22 in this pregnancy. Baby J has been growing for 22 weeks, and he's yet to be given a name. Poor fella.

Things have been moving along pretty well. Just getting a little larger in the belly department and a little sleepier day by day. In just 18 weeks (give or take), we'll meet our little man. Hard to believe, really. Some days that seems like an insanely short amount of time to get things done, but on others I feel like we have all the time in the world.

According to BabyCenter.com:
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, 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.

My little spaghetti squash...

October 6, 2010

21 Weeks Along: Little Carrot Top

This week really hasn't brought many changes with it, well at least none that I can see or feel. Poor Baby J still has no name, but he just might have some bedding to sleep on when he arrives! I'm quite certain that we've decided on that part, so at least he'll be snuggly and warm during his first little winter. A few people have asked if we actually have a name picked out but are keeping it to ourselves, and I can lay that mystery to rest. When we have a name, I'll be thrilled to share it, but until then we're all in the same boat with little nameless.

According to BabyCenter.com this week:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

Now, I will say that the part about fluttering vs. kicking is true. All the sudden his movements are like BAM, I'm heeeerrreee! It's fun to sit and feel him moving around, but I'm anxious for the kicks to be hard enough for Greg to feel.