My How You've Grown

We have now reached the single digit weekly countdown! People don't lie when they say time flies and I am not sure how it is possible that we only have nine weeks left until Baby H is supposed to arrive. Since I haven't done a belly comparison in a very long time, I thought it would be fun to see how much I have grown since the very beginning. And yes, I am wearing the same pants which thankfully still fit very comfortably!

7 week belly vs. 31 week belly

You can see why my rib cage hurts so much- even it has expanded to make way for Baby H!

Baby H at 7 weeks vs. 31 weeks
He now weighs about 3 pounds

In the 31st week Baby H is heading into another growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. Measuring about 18 inches long, he's quickly approaching his birth length, though he's got to pack on another three to five pounds before D-day (and hopefully not too much more!!!). He's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. He's also putting in longer stretches of sleep which I have been trying to keep track of recently. The only consistent time I have figured out is that he "wakes up" every morning between 9-9:30am and goes wild!

There is a lot to look forward to and get accomplished in the next few weeks. Here is a run down of what is coming up and what needs to be done.

• Shower- January 16th
• Shower- January 23rd
• Attend birthing classes- January 24th and 31st
  
• Finish Baby H's nursery bedding
• Decorate room
• Wash all his clothes, blankets, etc
• Organize drawers and stock up on remaining essentials
• Write will and choose guardians/Godparents (AHHH!!!)
• Install car seat in Linc's car
  
• Find Pediatrician
  
• Pre-register at the hospital
• Finalize substitute for maternity leave and create 10 weeks of lesson plans (and pray Baby H doesn't come too much earlier!)
  

Snow Day!

Living in the South we don't get as much snow as I would like but when it does come, it's still pretty exciting! We had our first snowfall of 2010 last night- just a dusting- but it was still enough to cause ice on the roads (and perhaps a bit of panic) and close schools for today! How nice to have a three day weekend and get to sleep in late this morning! I certainly can't complain, even though we'll most likely get furloughed for this day. Here are a few pictures I took to remember our first snowfall of the new year!

My sweet husband grilling our dinner during the "blizzard."

Some of us couldn't care less about the snow...

And some of us refused to come outside!!

Our front yard around 9pm last night.

Our "Winter Wonderland."

Please mom? Can't we play outside?!

Pfft....What is this all over my toys?!

Ten Weeks to Go!

Let's hope Baby H continues to stay put for a while and doesn't follow in his daddy's footsteps coming 6 1/2 weeks early!!! He is still growing right along and at 30 weeks the realization that he could come very soon has finally started to sink in! I am now going to the doctor every two weeks for checkups and everything seems to be going well. Linc and I attended our Baby Essentials class at the hospital and got some good diaper changing practice. We also learned how to swaddle and there is a chance I may be THE worst swaddler in the entire world. Thank goodness we have some time to practice!

Here are some quick facts about Baby H at Week 30:

• He is approximately 15 to 16 inches long and weighs 3 to 4 pounds.
  
• He is able to use all five of his senses, hearing sounds and seeing bright lights in his environment, and tasting, touching, and even smelling the amniotic fluid surrounding him.
• His toenails have grown and are completely formed.
• His heart rate was in the 150s and he gave the doppler a little punch while we were listening!
  

And some quick facts about me:

• Blood pressure was 124 over 74.
• I only gained three pounds over Christmas and New Years which my midwife was thrilled about. She then went on to tell me a story about a lady who is as far along as I am and gained 12...it made me feel much better about my holiday splurging!! Not to mention at my last appointment they weighed me in the morning and this time around it was late afternoon so I dreaded what the scale was going to say.
  
• My belly is measuring 30 cm which is exactly what my midwife wanted.
• I have two baby showers coming up that I am SO excited for!
• My momma has started sewing Hami's nursery linens!! Yipeeeeee!! Here is a sneak peek of the fabrics:

Cavalia

One of my favorite Christmas presents that Linc got me was tickets to Cavalia- the Cirque de Soleil equestrian show at Atlantic Station. We are big fans of Cirque and have seen many of their shows through the years so when I found out there was one including horses I started dropping some very obvious hints that I would like to go! The original shows were all sold out but I noticed new billboards advertising that they were "Held Over" and kept my fingers crossed. Luckily for us, the tour decided to stay in Atlanta an extra five weeks and Linc was able to get us tickets and surprise me for Christmas!

The show was absolutely spectacular and so much fun to watch. I am amazed at how well trained the horses and riders were. They put on a great show and it was the perfect way to ring in the New Year with my sweet husband! Cameras were off limits inside the tents, but here are a few pictures I borrowed from the internet to give you an idea of what it was like!

Thank goodness the show was inside! It was 23 degrees out!

Sneaking a (blurry) photo before the show begins!

The two princesses did a Pas de Deux on horseback.

The horses knew exactly what to do during each segment of the performance!

These riders were perfectly in sync the entire time.

It wouldn't be Cirque without acrobatics and crazy stunts!

There were six trick riders that performed at the end of the show.

Riding atop the horses was impressive enough and then they started jumping!

This performer rolled around the stage while the horse followed along!

10...9...8...7...6...