It's mom's birthday!

Hey baby!

Just wanted to share that it's my birthday today and my greatest gift ever is you and Daddy. I hope you enjoyed the massage this morning and our new "tap tap, kick" game that we are playing.

It was a really busy week, but one of the highlights was getting to play with these guys

Baby chicks!

 aren't they adorable?  you will get to meet some chicks someday too, baby.  I also planted lots of potatoes at my friends farm and had a lot of meetings.  I'm getting pretty busy and so these posts are hard to get to sometimes, but I'm making the time now for it.

It is so beautiful outside, I wish you could see it.

our Magnolia tree

This is the first year I haven't been sick on my birthday in quite a while, so I'm quite happy about that. I hope you enjoy dinner tonight, and I'll talk to you soon.

20 Weeks!!!

It's a milestone baby!!! We are halfway there :)

You are the size of a cantaloupe!

Everything is as it should be according to the doctor, although you were pretty stubborn; curling up and turning your back on the ultrasound technician while she was trying to measure you, tsk, tsk.

That top right picture looks like you are planning something...

Anyway, the rest of this week's post is going to be pretty pictures I took during a trip to Morris Arboretum. I was playing with some filters on my digital camera, and I think they came out rather interesting. 

                

                  Cornus officinalis Japanese cornelian cherry

Metasequoia glyptostroboides Dawn Redwood

Crocuses

Mermaid with Scarf and Mittens

 

I can't wait to take you there!

And now for the weather...

You are the size of a Mango!

A-lo-ha!

How fortuitous, because this just happens to be the week of the Philadelphia International Flower Show and the theme is Hawaii! See? Already, you are right there with the trends!



I am feeling you kick! Or rather poking at me! Especially when we play music or Daddy taps a rhythm on my stomach.  It mostly just feels like "poke, poke" but it's still reassuring, and now I can tell the difference between gas and a kick. We have another ultrasound in a week, and we cannot wait to see how much you've grown. I definitely have a "bump", but since I am still wearing jeans and sweatshirts, it's not too obvious to the general public.  Which is nice, because I am NOT looking forward to perfect strangers offering me unsolicited advice and touching me without permission!

Seriously...

Also, as you may or may not know, we bought a new (to us!) car-- a 2004 Honda Element! Perfect for hauling babies, plants, beer supplies and animals around. We are counting down to Baby Shower here with our adopted family and then the trip home, I know I will need the refresher before the Markets start up at the beginning of May... so excited about that!  I have worked out a leave of absence from work and hopefully afterwards, Daddy and I will be able to take turns taking care of you while also taking care of the brew store, the markets and all our other responsibilities! We are also still thinking up names... we've FINALLY made a list and will be whittling it down (ooh, whittling! Can't wait to teach you how to whittle, squee!)

Anyway, just a quick(ish) update on all that is happening.  I know I haven't been updating, but there isn't as much to tell the Internet world as there was in the beginning... things are just moving along at a nice, steady pace... which does not make for interesting blogging!

Update!

Last week, we spent BOO-Koos of time in a baby store looking at all the stuff we are supposed to buy for you.  Cradles and toys and books... whew!  I don't know... you seem pretty happy just floating around with skin cells and some music.  We picked out a car seat and stroller, a beautiful crib and a pack and play so when we go visit the family down south, you have your own little place to be.  We are leaning toward a jungle theme for your room... hope you like monkeys!

That's your monkey counterpart! But, your bed won't be hay... probably

 We are going to go to thrift stores and garage sales to find you some books and toys (ones that can be cleaned and are safe, course!).  The best news? I found MY baby blankie and teddy bear!  Hopefully you will love them as much as I do.  One of my co-workers is going to make you a blankie as well!  SOOOOO many people are excited to meet you!

I felt you kick the other day! We were talking about names and we came up with a really silly one... you kicked, what I can only decipher as, your disapproval. 

Grandma Iline sent us a package of home-made cookies which you seemed to like... which is great because cookies are delicious... but not too many!  Speaking of food, you seemed REALLY happy with the pho I had for lunch one day and the crab feast we had on Thursday! Yay! Pho and seafood are two of my favorite things. Grandpa Mike can teach you how to use chopsticks (he taught me AND your two Aunts!) and as soon as you can manage crab legs and all the tools you need to crack 'em, we'll be sure to take you.  There is a WORLD of yumminess awaiting you, kiddo! :)

it's YOU sized!

 That's about all that's been happening outside. I'm glad everything has been going so well.  I'm proud of how you are growing and getting your bones formed and all your parts in the right places.  We don't know if you are a boy or a girl, but it doesn't matter.  You are a special baby, and Daddy and I love you very much.  We'll see you again in a few weeks and we are excited to see what else you've managed to grow.

Plugging away

Well baby, here we are in week 17. We're just moving right along now, you are now the size of an onion! You are growing so fast!

Things have been really busy around here, the bathroom is almost finished, Daddy has been working really hard on it and it's beautiful!

Just a short note to let you know that no matter how long it's been since we've talked, I love you so much and I think about you constantly. If you need something, just give a little kick and if I can decipher it and I'm able to, I'll get it for you.

You are the size of an Avocado!

That's pretty cool, becasue I LOVE avocados (as you've probably noticed by the way I've been gulping them down!)

not quite ripe yet!

And, apparently, your ear bones are forming so you can hear me! The ear, specifically the middle ear, consists of 3 bones known as ossicles. Since the human body has 2 ears, there are a total of 6 middle ear bones.These bones function in transmitting sound waves to the inner ear.  Interestingly, ossicles are the three smallest bones in the body.

3 little bones are we!

What else?  Well, we've been talking about names.  If you are a boy, we have a name all ready for you! But, if you are a girl, we are having a bit of a harder time with it.  Not to worry, we won't let you go to school with no name, I think once we are closer to the time you are ready to see the world, we'll have it figured out.

I can't WAIT to get started on your nursery! I'm excited about spring because that means GARAGE SALES and I can't wait to see all the cool stuff I can pick up and repurpose for you.  I hope that you are into that idea, because I'm feeling like being pretty crafty.

Also, I am planning a nice little party for you in a few weeks.  All of our friends (your soon to be aunts and uncles) are going to be there, just to celebrate YOU! It's a tad early but we figured it would be okay due to how awesome it's going to be.  AND... as if that wasn't enough,  we are heading to our homestate for ANOTHER party and lots of family time soon after that! Of course, you are the major topic of conversation already but by then, all the family will be busting at the seams (it's a Southern thing, you'll see soon enough)!

Ninja Mobile!

I am going to admit, right here on the Internet, that I am stealing this idea:

In fact, I kind of hate myself that I didn't think of it first. But, as my friend says, at least I am aware of it now.

Picture and idea courtesy of Finally Hip