Our baby is 20 4/7 weeks today.

"At 20 weeks - The child can hear and recognize her [or his] mother's voice. The child sucks its thumb. The baby may jump in reaction to a loud noise. Though still small and fragile, the baby is growing rapidly and could possibly survive if born at this stage. Fingernails and fingerprints are present...."

If you want an idea of approximately how big our baby is at this point click on the title of this post. It is linked to an image of someone holding a fetus that is 20 weeks old.

Weighty Wait

While I did not get to see the baby at my last visit, I did get to take a nap during the wait. With a large family, this is not considered a negative; rather it is time to one's self to do nothing. I also got to hear the baby's heart, though I think the baby was ready to be left alone. He/she kicked the doppler, to which Dr. McDonald (how appropriately named he is for our family) responded with; "whoa"!

He really is a nice man. His wife must have trained him well. He always says you have gained only three pounds and that everything is wonderful. He doesn't even add that it seems to be a monthly trend or that my total weight gain at the half-way mark is 23lbs. Nor did he calculate that at a rate of 3lbs per month, a total weight gain of 38(lbs(+/-)will be the grand finale in February.

Six weeks just doesn't seem like enough time to get back into my work clothes. Well, there are never too many justifications to shop for the wardrobe! - Jen

Hurry up and wait!

The specialist rescheduled the ultrasound for October 5th.

Anticipatory Excitement!!!

The sonogram is now just two days away...

As I was turning in the other night and reflecting upon the day with Cubby, as we usually do, I realized that I had not thought about the baby's gender at all that day. As I pondered this realization, I became aware of how much I longed to see our baby's face, little fingers and toes. We both agree that, regardless of gender, we will be blessed and we will love the child for its uniqueness, as we do each of our children.

I am not intending to negate the fun that we have had with the gender guessing poll, wive's tales, and predictions. I am simply savoring a moment of shifted focus. So, please feel free to continue to submit comments to any of the postings that you find on our baby's blog and/or vote. - Jen

Fetal Fotos

Fetal Fotos provides 4d, 3d and 2D Ultrasounds in a warm, inviting environment to create an experience to treasure for a lifetime.

If you click on the title of this post "Fetal Fotos", you will be linked to the Fetal Foto homepage where you can find locations and vistit their gallery.

Baby Images

I found this really cool link today. It has still images, as well as movie images of babies at various stages of development. I giggled while watching the movie clip of the baby sticking out its tongue.

I am at 19 2/7 weeks today and counting down the days until our next sonogram. It will be nice to have sonogram images where our baby looks more like a baby and less like a tadpole. Hopefully, we will get to video this sonogram and add a clip of it to our blog. - Jen

(To visit the site, click on "baby images")

What were you thinking?

I first interpreted this to mean; “SHOULD” you all be having more children? You all already have four! But since I live by grace, I will focus on the direct question, rather than the implied.

Like a lot of new parents whether expecting a pregnancy or surprised by it, I spend moments in fear. The unknown is a very soul searching place to visit. Having four other children, only serves to punctuate the many questions that I have.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful, loving and supportive circle. My family and intimate friends have reminded me that children are a blessing. They have also encouraged me to look to the other children as a confirmation that even though we are imperfectly human, we have awesome children.
As I look at each of our children, I see more than our influence in their lives, I see who they are choosing to become guided by their life experiences. They have independent spirits and though they are each unique, they share the same basic qualities. They possess good character, strong moral standards and a drive to be the best person that they can be. Am I the perfect parent? NO! Are our children perfect? NO! However, they are my best glimpse into the future and I am amazed by and proud of what I see. They are my greatest contribution to society. Yes. They were meant to be.

Baby Poll -- HURRY!

Hello Again! In the right navigation area you'll notice a poll for baby gender guessing. Time is running out! Jenifer is scheduled for a sonogram next Friday. We would still like to hear more "wives tales" for predicting baby's gender, so please post your comments. If you don't know any, then vote anyway. If you have any questions that you think might help you to guess, post them. We'll post answers to help you. Thanks for playing!

Thanks for Visiting

I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you for visiting our web log. You may notice the counter installed at the bottom of the screen. We hope to make that number as large as possible. Some have expressed having a little difficulty posting comments. I've put together a Powerpoint demontration to help if you have questions. The link for it is located in the right navigation area just above the archives. It runs a little fast, so you may want to view it twice.

Also, there has to be more "wives tales" about predicting baby gender. Keep those comments coming and visit often. Thanks again, and Happy Blogging!

18 3/7 Weeks Today!

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been following our project. In the 18th week, the baby is only about 6 inches long, but he or she has been quite active today, particularly this evening. We're counting the days until the next "BIG" sonogram. We thought it would be terrific if you would share your "old wives tales" on how to tell if the baby is a boy or a girl. Please take a minute to post your comments by clicking "comments" the "post a comment". We would love to share everyone's pearls of wisdom.

Latest Belly Photo

This photo was taken tonight...17 6/7 weeks, tomorrow will be 18 weeks. For an inside look, check out this fetal develpment site.
Posted by Hello

Actual Baby Sounds

No kidding! These are actually sounds from the baby as recorded through the "Bebe Sounds" prenatal heart listener. (Just kidding with the previous clip which is actually humpback whales.) I really didn't think we would be able to hear the baby with this so soon. Taken at 17 4/7 weeks, Jen had to lie still and search for about 10 minutes before the baby would cooperate.

Baby ??? Sounds

We just received a Bebe Sounds fetal heart listener as a gift. It's not the caliber of a medical doppler, but it is loads of fun. Jennifer is 17 2/7 weeks now, so we played with it for a while. Does this sound like a baby to you? Please leave your comments.

Can't seem to post?

It has come to our attention that posting has been a challenge for more than one viewer. Here are the steps: click on "comments", then click on "post a comment", then if you already have a "free" blogger account, you can just sign-in. If you do not have a "free" blogger account, you have to create a new "free" account by clicking on the button that says "get one now", then fill out the information request to create your own "free" account. Remember your password, because you will need it to sign-in each time. After that, you may post comments to our blog and others, at your leisure. I hope this helps. Oh yeah,you can then also create your own web-log or blog, as we have done. Happy Blogging!

Punctuality Tendencies?

I have always been able to relate to the white rabbit from

Alice in Wonderland

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date...", though believe it or not, history records that I did arrive early for something ... and of course, Cub was right on time. As for the baby's siblings, one was early and the other three were late.

If you would like to comment as to whether you believe this trend of being late will continue, you may do so by clicking on the word "comments" located below this post. Thanks for playing.

Can you predict how big the baby will be?

Parents birth sizes:
Cub: 6lbs 9oz - 18 ¼ inches, Jen: 6lbs 8oz - 21 inches
Siblings birth sizes:
(listed according to birth order and biological relationships)
Mine: 8lb 11oz - 22 inches, 7lbs 12oz - 20 inches, His:10lbs 10oz - 21 ¾ inches,
Ours: 8lbs 7 ½ oz - 20 ½ inches

To post your prediction click on the word "comments" below this post.