29 weeks, 3 days - Well Into My Third Trimester!

I was thinking today about being pregnant... I feel so fortunate. Sometimes, I think it is a dream; this can’t be my life. I have such a wonderful husband and we are both so happy to have conceived this child. I’ve been lucky, we’ve been lucky, to found each other and to begin this journey together. It is a new life for both of us (and Madelyn too!).

The feeling of this little life kicking inside of me puts so many things into perspective. I am learning about a new kind of love; it is a love and a bond with something that is not yet fully formed. That makes it so special. I am in awe of this relationship I am building with a WONDERFUL little person that I don't fully know yet. I can't explain how that makes me feel. I am so excited and I can't wait until I get to meet her face to face for the first time! That is going to be a wonderful day!

Anyhow...

I have made it to my 3rd trimester! I am 29 weeks pregnant and I am feeling pretty good considering. I am starting to have trouble sleeping comfortably at night, but that is to be expected with a new person living inside of me. I have a little heartburn and indigestion when I overeat, but other than that I am good. Jimmy says that I am getting pretty moody. I am trying to be conscious of that when I blow up at him for no reason, but we will both survive... I have gained more weight, but not too much. I am at 165lbs now.

Madelyn is continuing to grow and she is moving about like crazy. She seems to enjoy music (I don't think I'd expect anything else from her). Jimmy bought some headphones that fit around my belly and I try to play music for her once or twice a day. I am hoping the stimulation will encourage her learning. She appears to be maintaining a pretty consistent sleep/wake cycle and I am starting to be able to predict when she will be most active. I hope she keeps this schedule when she gets here!

Way Past The Midpoint of Pregnancy!

Wow! Time is Flying! In no way does it seem like I should be 25 weeks already! I only have 15 weeks left until my due date! That is crazy!

Anyhow. I have officially lost my "shape." I look like spongebob squarepants from behind... I am just one big square with newly discovered "back fat." Madelyn and I have gained 20 pounds so far (only about 2 of that is Madi) and hope to only gain 10 or 15 more. I am doing great. Madelyn is great as well. She moves more and more each day. I enjoy feeling her move. It is fun to watch my belly move with her... She seems to be on a regular "schedule" in there. LOL! She usually stops moving when Jimmy touches my belly. He says it is because she recognizes his authority... Yeah Right! He is SO TOTALLY going to melt when he holds her for the first time. I am not sure he will ever be able to tell her no. ...Only time will tell...

I am still craving lots of fruit and sweet stuff. I also enjoy anything made with pasta. I am starting to have a hard time sleeping. I can't get comfortable. Side sleeping is for the birds! My hips and back are killing me. However, it will all be worth it in 3 months or so.

Harley seems to "sense" that changes are coming. He has been acting weird and being really silly with me. we try to talk about the baby and say her name a lot. Jimmy bought a pack n play and we put it up. Harley is infatuated with it. I am hoping that by having things around it will ease the transition when Madelyn gets here.

We scheduled our Lamaze Class, Breastfeeding Class and our Hospital Tour. Those will all happen in March. My Baby shower is also scheduled for March. We are planning for March 21st. I am so excited!!!

Anyhow... This is getting a bit lengthy! I should take a break... That is the update! I'll add more soon!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

I was in the mood to bake today... So I am baking Pumpkin bread!!!

Pumpkin Bread

Makes approximately 12 muffins, 3 small loaves, or 1 large loaf

1 3/4 cup (1 15 oz. can) pureed pumpkin

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3 eggs

3-4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups chopped walnuts or chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, and eggs and mix until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients except the nuts or chocolate chips. Mix 3 cups of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then add as much of the 4th cup as necessary to achieve the proper consistency (moist, but thick enough to stand a spoon in). Add the nuts or chocolate chips and stir in.

Pour or spoon the batter into greased muffin tins or bread pans. Bake on the center rack until a toothpick poked into the center comes out dry. At sea level, muffins should take between 20 and 25 minutes to bake, small loaves between 25 and 30 minutes, and full sized loaves between 50 minutes and 1 hour.

8 weeks Preggers...

All About Baby

Our baby is no longer a mass of cells, but he's looking more and more like a miniature baby-to-be. Our baby's face is becoming more defined: eyelids have formed, his nose is beginning to protrude, and his upper lip is taking shape. Where there once were only stubs, fingers and toes are starting to develop from his arms and legs. His heart is beating quickly (178 bpm) and strong inside his tiny body.

How Big Is Baby?

Our baby-to-be is now just over one half of an inch long. He's a little bigger than a dime.

Pregnant...AGAIN... For the long haul this time!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to keep you in the loop. I am 8 weeks pregnant now. This Little Peanut appears to be sticking. We had an ultrasound a few weeks ago and it was good. Today we got to see our peanut again! And we saw a strong little heartbeat. It was 178 beats per minute. Baby was 1.95 centimeters long. I cried on the way there but once I got there I didn't cry. I thought I would...I almost did, but I didn't. Jimmy is definitely excited now. It was so cool to see the heartbeat. There was no mistaking that little flicker. I saw it right of the bat and felt immediate relief. Jimmy was happy to prove to me that there was a VERY STRONG heartbeat. He said his kids are going to be big and strong. We were both happy to hear everything is right on track. The doctor said I am within 1-2 days of my due date (May 7, 2009). So that is really good. I posted U/S pics on my baby page (http://my.babyfit.com/aejones). Keep us in your prayers!