Thanksgiving

We are going on tour! Ha ha ha! Your Dad and I are driving back to Wisconsin starting this afternoon for the Thanksgiving holiday. With all of the buzz about this year's flu season and the H1N1 virus, the doctor has put me on a no-fly zone for Christmas. While I have both of these vaccinations, I could still in theory get sick and frankly, I'm not going down that road or aisle and catching something weird from someone who is super sick right before Christmas. We will drive from Colorado Springs to Omaha, Nebraska today, and tomorrow we will continue on through Iowa, going into Illinois and finally north to Wisconsin. Along the way on Wednesday we may stop in Madison to visit one of Daddy's friends, and probably a stop in Sun Prarie to visit with your Great-Grandma & Grandpa Schroeder. Then we will be in Appleton staying with your Grandma & Grandpa Sanderfoot. Uncle Carl & Aunt Nikki are making Thanksgiving dinner for us on Thursday. Everyone is bringing something to pass, and I'm making my twice baked sweet potatoes. Seriously delicious!

But what are you doing? Well, it is week 25 and you are reaching 9 inches in length and weigh more than 1 1/2 pounds. Capillaries are forming under the skin and filling with blood, and air sacs lined with capillaries are developing in your lungs getting your lungs ready for their first breath of fresh air! Also, your vocal cords are functioning now, leading to occasional hiccups, which I have been feeling (and seeing) lately. A few days ago I was feeling you move a bit and decided to lay down. You were having a case of the hiccups and I could actually SEE you moving with each one. My belly in one area just moved. It was a pretty cool thing to see.

Birthing Class

Holy cow Sprout! Your Dad and I are taking our Prepared Child Birth classes at the hospital, and I wasn't so sure I was going to make it through the graphic movie. Most women who have been through it will probably tell me it is such a miracle, and no doubt it is. But somehow I've made it through sex ed, health classes and college level human biology classes without ever seeing the whole process. The film is usually done like the Baby Story on TLC, where they show the woman in labor in varying positions, then when the "big show" or "your debut" happens, they cut out to show the doctors, nurses, or family gathering around offering support and encouragement while the mom is reddish-purple faced from pushing, and a commentator is talking about the rest of the birth and briefly mentions the after-birth. Then the film cuts back to mom whose hair is drenched in sweat and baby has already had its first bath and is clean as can be. I've secretly always wanted to see the real deal just so I could truly know, but after seeing it I'm pretty sure I'm good for the rest of my life.

We have our second class today and after 5 pm tonight we should have the jist of what's going to happen from the time I start going into labor until the time we get to take you home with us in our arms. For the next part of once we get you back to our house are other classes offered by the hospital which we plan on taking, but that will come in January.

We are both learning a lot, and while there were moments in the class when I thought I had a permanent eye brow lift (Look Everyone! No surgery!) as I let the information settle and sink in, I started to become more excited about getting to meet you. Your Dad is going to be a great support partner too. The teacher is showing different ways to offer support, comfort and relaxation techniques. He caught on very quickly and has always done a great job being a cheerleader for me.

Who doesn't like getting mail?

This week you are about 1 1/2 pounds and a length of about 8 1/2 inches or the size of a standard letter envelope. I've read that from here on out you will be packing on about 6 ounces a week as you begin to accumulate baby fat and your organs continue to develop. Your face is almost fully formed with eyelashes and brows. You may even have hair on your cute head, but it is snow white until you get some pigment.

Last Sunday your Dad and I took advantage of the recent snowfalls and went out to Mueller State Park again. Only this time we remembered to bring the snowshoes. I found an easy rated trail in our snowshoe trail book which frankly lied to us. Even if I wasn't 6 months pregnant I would say the easy rating was a little off. Nonetheless, it was beautiful and I survived. At the trail head parking area we used the new Subaru to barrel through a snow barracade and wouldn't you know it, but we had first tracks too! It was great. We talked about you on and off while we shoed and what we hoped you would become. Not like; I hope she becomes an astronaut or marine biologist, but we hope you will take to the outdoors the way we do and have a sense of adventure and travel.

Along the trail (School Pond Trail) we came across a small "pond" (your relatives in Wisconsin would certainly argue the term watering hole or puddle), and we sat on the bench more for me to bring my breathing back to normal before treking up one heck of a hill. It was so beautiful. Here we were the only two people out there in a valley of mountains and hills in front of somewhat frozen over water and the remaining snow falling looked like glitter in a snow globe against the hazy sun. The clouds were orange and pink, and bright blue skies were beyond the clouds. The trees looked like they jumped out of a Christmas card, and had it not been for the batteries dying we would have attempted to catch this magical moment. We bought a whole pack of batteries when we got back to Woodland Park.

23 Week aka Beginning of the 6th Month

Baby, your Dad and I have not come up with a name yet for you, though we have been discussing it on a regular basis. For now I'm going to call you Sprout. I've been reading in our trusty hand-guide to pregnancy that your skin is developing faster than the rest of you leaving a saggy appearance. By the end of the month you will be weighing twice your size now which is just over a pound, as your fat cells start to fill in and keep you from looking so translucent. So much irony!

Anyway, you are definitely starting to move more and more which is great except for when I am trying to sleep. It's a little unnerving feeling you move so much when I am, or correction, was sleeping. I have a feeling this is just the beginning though and maybe this is your way of preparing me for the months ahead. Kinda like Mommy Bootcamp where you strip away all of my energy and sleep until I am one big emotional bomb. It's working Sprout. Emotional bomb is definitely here, and I swore to myself I would not become one of THOSE pregnant women. I had no idea that there isn't jack squat I can do to stop it. And as my Dad says, "There's nothing worse than a pregnant woman." So true. Make sure you are extra nice to your Daddy when you see him. He's going to need some extra sweetness from you to make up for me.

Sunday Hike

We had a good weekend! Friday night we met up with Matt, Kelley and Austin for dinner. There was a slight traffic glitch that was keeping us from getting to where we intended to, but we were able to find a place to go and it was delicious. Austin slept right through dinner which gave me hope of being able to take you out with us for date nights.

Saturday was a low-key day with a coffee shop break and a movie. It was nice just to spend time together.

Sunday morning we stopped in Woodland Park at the Donut Mill for breakfast before heading to Mueller State Park. We took the interpretative trail and came across sections of the trail with a lot of snow yet. At times I was really wishing for my snowshoes! It was a bit cooler there, but the views were great and it was so nice just to get out of the house and get some fresh Rocky Mountain air!

Mommy Likes to Get Out

Dear Baby,
When I started to feel better in my second trimester I was energized by the thought of leaving the house with out any "incidents". I looked forward to hanging out with friends like we used to in June, but oddly or maybe not so oddly to those who have been through this, things can never be the same and you quickly realize who your real friends are. This came as a surprise to me that just because I can't have a cold one or a frozen one I am no longer welcome to go out on girl's nights. Am I missing something here? I like the camaraderie, the jokes, the girl gab, but I think most of all I miss the invites and being included. Apparently, I'm a ghost?? So while it seems like a lot of friends are excited for us, they also don't want to hang out again until perhaps I can hoist and toast. But that is a story of loss, and here is one of gain.

We do have a few friends who will still hang out us even in my pregnant state. They are genuinely excited to see us out-and-about like it is a mystical appearance to see me out of the house, and they seem honored to do dinner or lunch. These are certainly people who you will meet and some of their kids will even be your playmates. That's right little girl! We have play dates and mates for you already lined up. At least three friends close by! There will probably be a few slumber parties in your future too. One thing I am really looking forward to are our girl's nights. We'll have our own and go shopping, out to dinner, movies, or whatever else you want to do, because kiddo--I like to get out.

Small Doll

We are entering our 22nd week and you are a whole pound and measuring 8 inches long, about the size of a doll. I'm thinking Barbie was about 8" tall, but you have a little more to you like a Cabbage Patch doll. You are developing your senses of touch, sight, hearing and taste. According to "The Book" if I were to shine a flashlight over my belly, I might feel you react and turn away from the light. Daddy and I might try this tonight. :) You are starting to hear our voices more and any other loud noises which may explain why you were dancing last Friday when Daddy and I went on a date night and listened to a solo act.

I've been feeling a little under the weather again and hope it won't get any worse. I don't know what the effects are on you, but my hope is that this sickness is only building up your immune system. My immune system seems to have skipped town this summer and I find myself having to be more cautious about being out in public places where sick people gather and using more anti-bacterial soaps or gels.

Happy Halloween!

So the post is two days late for Halloween, but in my defense it's been a little busy out here kid! While your practicing your summersaults, we were car shopping. This is usually THE worst thing to do with any free-time in my opinion, but luckily this time wasn't bad. Last Friday your Dad took off of work early and we went to Heuberger Motors. Please note readers that I am not getting paid by them, but if you do go there, invite me along at least for the free coffee. We started working with Bernard and then our friend Kirsten. She showed us the new 2010 Subaru Outback which I have been eyeing up for over a month now. It is like the vehicle was made just for me. While we were there I kept bumping into other folks I know or have met through working at the paper. We struck our deal Friday night and then proceeded with our date night plans. That's right kiddo, we still love each other and like to go out. We met up with a couple of friends at Slayton's BBQ (again, no endorsements or kickbacks) and had some good BBQ and listened to Mike, your Dad's barber, jam. It was a good day.

Saturday we went back to Heuberger for coffee and to sign the deal in ink. We were so excited about the new vehicle that we drove up to Johnstown to visit with JD, Stacey and Owen. We handed out Trick-or-Treat candy and hung out. We saw so many neat costumes I can't wait to dress you up.

Sunday we hung out some more and watched the Packers vs. Vikings game. For the record, we are Green Bay Packer fans and always will be no matter who our quarterback is. The Packers tragically lost, but they put up a fight at times to keep it interesting to watch.

Today I have been busy working, but took a break to go out to lunch and pay my advertising bill at the paper. Of course that led to nearly an hour and a half pit stop, but it was nice to see the folks I enjoyed working with and there was a lot of patting the tummy going on.