For Keeley and Taylor (and everyone else)

We have a crib! We have a crib! Super-thanks to Jody's crackerjack carpentry skillz mid-last week, little Betz now has somewhere to lay her precious little head (assuming we get a mattress -- otherwise she'll develop exemplary balance trying not to fall between the slats on the bottom; it's really a win-win):

The rest of her room is still a work-in-progress, but the only other item ready to share is her dresser -- which is steadily being stocked -- and her laundry bin:
Here's yer 29-week, 1-day belly shots:
Bare belly! Bare belly! Aaaaahhhhh:
And Zoey, just cuz she's so stinkin' cute -- lookit those fuzzy puppy lips!

Topic request: size, growth and developments

I've received a special request to update on little Betz' specs. I've been lax in doing so; my apologies. Here we go:

• We are at 28 weeks, 3 days of the pregnancy -- hooray for third trimester.
• She's about 15" long from top of the head to tip of the toes.
• Baby weighs in at about a whopping 2-1/4 lbs., a.ka. she is a Chinese cabbage:
  
• Her eyes are open (blinking) and she's got eyelashes. She can actually see light, so I'm sure we'll start playing with a flashlight-to-the-belly soon.
• She's very active at regular intervals, mostly mid-morning (between 9-10 a.m.) and late afternoon (4-5 p.m.). She gets frisky in the evenings (8-10 p.m.), but seems to like to kick and push more inwardly (back towards my spine and using my liver as a punching bag) than outwardly.
• She more or less looks like this:

Pride be darned!

I've reached the belly stage where people (known and unknown) feel compelled -- and, oddly, entitled -- to comment on my ever-growing body part(s). Most comments are innocuous and expected (i.e. "you've really popped!"); others are, well, bordering on rude (i.e. "when are you due? wow... you're going to be HUGE!"). Among the withering comebacks I've recently heard/read: "I'm going to lose 20 lbs. in one day... what have YOU got planned?" hehe.

At least I haven't really had to deal with any unauthorized gropings. I'm just tall enough that should someone touch my belly without permission and I lash out, they're likely to take a clothesline right to the trachea.

Anyway, belly shots. Pride be darned -- I have a belly, so y'all might as well see it! (PS: After this, I'm going to enlist Jody to take these photos for me -- I don't know why all of a suddenly I'm Shakes McGee!)

Belly @ 27w

Somehow I have lost the ability to take non-blurry photos in the mirror -- sorry about that; I'll try again next week. Meanwhile, here's m'belly after a long, hot, sweaty day of chores:

We're losing depth, Captain

(I hope you read that title with a thick Scottish brogue, a la Sean Connery -- that's how it appears in my head.)

So in the spirit of nonsensical and totally random preggo-related updates, it's worth noting that whilst showering this morning I discovered that the depth of my belly button is decreasing. It's only a matter of time now before the turkey popper outer thinger appears... :)

Friday belly photo will be posted later today -- the camera's batteries are dead (again!) and the fresh ones are in Jody's truck. Oops.

Well, it's better than last time...

Many of you will remember the last traumatic outcome from an experiment like this (if you're unfamiliar, check out the April 4 posting); this outcome is much improved over that, but I'm still not 100% sold. Keep your fingers crossed that our combined genes are a titch more on the adorable side! (And feminine, for that matter...)

Camping Weekend Photos & Baby Update

My postings are starting to get off schedule, but now that things are settling down a little again, I'll get back on the bus to post belly pics on Fridays. Meantime, here's some updates on the Betz:

• As of today, her little lungs are capable of breathing air! Let's hope that doesn't happen for another three months or so (knock on wood), but it's nice to know that it's an option!


• She is a whopping 9" long and weighs 2 lbs.


• She's got eyelashes, eyebrows and fingernails. As any lady should! (And, thanks to a Jan VonHaden-ism from years and years ago, she will know from very early on that a lady should always have polish on her nails. Haha.)

Now for the photos. First, me and m'belly:

Next, camping at Taylor Reservoir (We took mostly scenery shots, as I totally forgot to pull the camera out of the backpack for the first two days... oy! So here are a few of the more "interesting" pics):

Status update: she moves!

Just had to share before heading out camping for the weekend: Jody felt her move last night! Finally! Hooray!!

My apologies for missing yet another belly photo Friday, but many of the readers of this blog just saw me last weekend so I think posting a couple days late will be okay -- I'll try to update on Sunday, after we get back from Taylor Reservoir.

Have a great weekend, all, and happy Independence Day!!

A couple funnies to start your weekend off with a chuckle:

Showered with Love

Thanks to everyone in the Wisconsin (and surrounding area -- yeah, Tampa is considered "surrounding") for the fantastic baby shower for little Betz on Sunday! Jody and I are so blessed to have such wonderful, generous family and friends who are so eager to welcome this little girl into our lives... and she'll be one heck of a well-dressed little one, to boot! Thank you, thank you, thank you to all!

More photos will be coming soon -- including the little one's freshly-painted room! (Thanks, Jody, for helping me avoid paint fumes while I was enjoying the Midwest.)

Oh, and a quick rundown of where we are in the gestational timeline:

• She's 25w2d (that's 6 months, 1 week, 2 days to those who struggle with math)
• She's weighing in at approximately 1.5 lbs.
• She's the size of a rutabaga (about 13.5")
• She can actively hear me/us -- need to start watching our language! (Aw skrit!!)
• She's bebopping around at regular intervals now. She's very kicky in/down, but not so much outward quite yet -- Jody still hasn't felt her move, but any day now...