The pic I haven't had the chance to post yet

Hi all,

As you know we are in the middle of a move to a new apartment we just purchased. Tomorrow the internet and phone service moves locations. This means I have to be at the new apartment to use those tools. What that unfortunately also means is that I won't be on the computer with anywhere near the frequency I was these last few months (or at least I don't anticipate to be). Lastly what that means, is blog posting will be hit and miss (read: much less frequent) over the next two weeks. I will do my best to keep up with the weekly bump shot and maybe a weekly update outside of that. But I promise as soon as we're even temporarily set-up at the new place I will be back to posting on here.

In the meantime - here is the 25 week + 2 day photos we're just getting around to taking and posting...

Oh yes, and yesterday uncle Rainer helped us to hang some lamps in the apartment. Yesterday, we hung up the baby's lamp. We thought since we both work for airplane companies, our little Bob would become eventually an aviator/aviatrix as well. Hope you enjoy!

All our very best,

Mommy & Bob

How is pregnancy like a rollarcoaster?

"Well, duh" you're probably thinking. It's an emotional rollarcoaster full of ups and downs. It's exciting and scary, etc. etc.... Well it is true that pregnancy is all those things and in that way you're correct (if that's what you were thinking).

I; however, wanted to take this line of thought in a totally different direction. As I was getting ready for bed last night, I looked down at my belly which was really stretched out after eating dinner and the skin surrounding my little mini was very tight. I thought to myself, "how am I going to make it another four months when my skin already feels like it's going to rip open?". I started to have a bit of a panic attack and thought to myself, "Oh my god, what if I can't do this". That's when it hit me...

Pregnancy at the end of the second / beginning of the third trimester (or whenever your realization hits YOU) is a lot like that "oh-shit moment" when you just start cresting the top of the largest hill on the rollarcoaster and you're scared to death. You imagine yourself getting sick and losing your cookies (or in my case your mind's eye watches your body being flung from the seating car and having about 30 some seconds of temporary flight before careerning headfirst into the ground - yes I'm twisted like that sometimes). You want to find any available exit and in those few nano-seconds when you're searching for an out: it hits you. You'd better just hang on tight because you're in it for the long haul - good, bad or ugly. Eventually of course, after your short period of "freak out" inertia pushes you onward and you're down the hill - laughing, crying or screaming the whole way. Either way, you do eventually make it to the end totally on a high and jazzed.

So, since time is relative (see Einstein's quote about relativity if you have doubts) I will just say that I am right now in the couple nano-seconds where you cross the tipping point of the big hill. I'm looking down at what's ahead and quite frankly am excited and scared out of my mind at the same time. I always wondered what the baby book meant when it said ambivalence is common and now I know.

Ok. Breathe... that's all for now. Relatives are coming soon so I'll maybe add more tonight and if not, I'll talk to you all tomorrow.

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob

24 weeks means 16 more to go. Hooray for Hump Day!!!

So today we conclude the 24th week of pregnancy and skate right on into week 25. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means we are 60% through the baking process and our little bun is well on it's way to coming out of the oven. :)

I have to admit I'm kind of a junkie for those online "what week you're in, what's your baby doing now" websites. The problem is pregnancy counting is so confusing even they can't all agree what week I'm in. It depends on if you count from the last period or from conception and also if you're counting week completed or the current week you're in. FYI: There is a two week difference approx. between LMP and conception. Most places count from your LMP (last period) which technically makes you two weeks pregnant even before conception. It is incidentally how I chose to count mine as well (and it is how your doctor will count your pregnancy when you are in their office).

Most would think well still no problem - just look up the week pertaining to your development (i.e. I'm starting week 25 now so I should just look up week 25). The problem is if they have resynced their development calendar to their dates so their week 25 would be "my chosen counting methods" week 23. So when I read their week 25, I'm actually reading the baby's developments in what would be my method's week 27. See what I mean - it's maddening...

Anyway, it's still more or less fun and interesting. I just leave most of the "serious stuff" to my doctor and trust her advice above all. I also rely pretty heavily on this "day-to-day" pregnancy book from Andy's aunt and uncle which is by far my favourite book and from which I quote heavily on here.

So, with that said. Here is what's has been in accomplished in Bob's world this past week:
http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/24-weeks-pregnant.html

As always the obligatory bump shot will be here either later tonight or tomorrow.

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob

Today's big excitement

Today (or this morning rather) I went to Bauhaus to do battle over a kitchen counter-top that still wasn't ordered despite us having placed the order two weeks ago. Luckily they called the manufacturer and worked their magic and it will arrive a week from tomorrow. Still late but better than the normal lead time. While I was there I purchased a ceiling light for the baby's room. It's a little wooden airplane that hangs from the ceiling and it's light green and blue. It's adorable and totally fitting considering that Bob's parents both work for airplane companies. :)

Today in the baby book it says the baby hears daily the following: the beating of your heart, the sound of your voice resonating as you speak, the sound of air filling your lungs and being exhaled, and the growling noises made by your stomach and intestines. I'd just like to add one thing to this list: lots of cool music when we're jamming out to the ipod - either at home or in the car. I'll be surprised if this kid isn't a music lover. ;)

Fun Trivia: "The custom amongst most Native American women in the past was to deliver babies in an isolated setting, often along the banks of a stream. A Sioux woman would sit with her legs crossed at the ankle and her thighs separated. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her head bowed, and her body was bent forward, especially during contractions. It's interesting to note that ancient Egyptian drawings show women in this same cross-legged position, seeminly in the act of giving birth."

As I stated at the beginning of this blog - I am the queen of useless trivia. I think that is one of my favourite things about this baby book of mine - it has the coolest historical information, cool trivia and lots of neat things about how it's done in other cultures.

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob

Holy Smokes, talk about eye opening

No this is not one of my usual puns - I've not taken up smoking for sure (and never will). I just realized today that in three short weeks, I will already be in the THIRD trimester, when "lunar month" 7 starts. Lunar months are based on 28 days cycles and do not coincide with the normal calendar months. See, everything is different (and more complex) in pregnancy.

The baby has really been kicking. Andy felt Bob for the first time at the end of March. Since then we've started seeing my stomach jump and sometimes we see body parts moving under the skin though we are still not able to distinguish exactly what parts they are. Bob also seems to have made a hobby out of roundhouse kicks to my cervix and bladder which as you can imagine feel less than great.

As for weight - well so far I've gained 8.3 kg or 18.3 pounds (according to Google's converter). I am allowed to gain in between 12-15 kg total which is 26.5 to 33 pounds. So far my weight seems to be pretty well on track. I did read on today's page in the baby book that I should expect .5 kg / 1 pound per week increases this month. Since we are halfway through the 6th month I should gain one more kg or 2 pounds this month. That still gives me 6 kg or 13 pounds to play with before Bob arrives.

According to the Baby Center website - directly after the birth I should lose about 7-8 pounds in baby weight, about 2 pounds in placenta, about 2 pounds or so in blood and amniotic fluid. In addition, I should lose probably another 4 pounds in the following week just in excess fluids. This amounts to 16 pounds which will leave me with an extra 10-15 pounds of souvenir.

From what I've also read, breastfeeding will amount to a 600 calorie a day burn without me even getting my butt up off the sofa. I could burn another 150 calories with a brisk 30 minute walk. This means I could be burning about 1/2 of a normal daily caloric intake for a petite woman.

Well I have to say that sounds like an achievable plan. I could conceivably be back to pre-preg weight within 3-6 months depending on how long I would decide to breastfeed and how much exercise I can manage to get. It will be interesting to look back at this post in both November and February and see how accurate my predictions were. I also need to account that those will be very cold months in Germany so I won't really feel so much like going outside for a walk or a jog... I'm going to try my best to be easy on myself and just take the time I need to put myself back together.

Fun Trivia #1: The first true bonelike formation occurs in the baby's breastbone as it joins with the ribs.

Fun Trivia #2: Taste buds are formed in abundance on your baby's tongue and inside it's cheeks. In humans, taste buds begin to diminish in number after birth and never increase in number again. *** This makes me wonder how much loss in taste we experience every year and if I'll even be much able to taste anything should I live to be 100 years old...

All our very best,
Mommy and Boxing Bob

A little R & R

Today Bob and I needed a little R & R. We met up with some of the girls from my German orientation class in Lörrach. It was a nice getaway and good to see my friends again. It was warm and sunny and just being out in the fresh air was, well, refreshing. The little guy in the picture is the Flat Stanley I mentioned a few days ago in a post. :)

By now my belly is getting rather large. The baby book says that the baby's environment is becoming more and more crowded as he/she grows and fills up the space inside the uterus. Considering that Bob is a little over half of his full length already, I sure believe it. I'm just wondering where the other almost half of Bob is going to go. My belly is already really taught and I can hardly believe it is going to be able to stretch itself out even farther. Peaking ahead a few days the baby book goes on to say: As the baby grows so do you. On average you should expect to gain about one pound per week during this month... OMG that's another 4 pounds or almost 2 kilos. Yikes...

Fun Trivia: Historically, salt and sweet things were forbidden to the Jivaro women of Equador when pregnant, in the belief that this deprivation would prevent the fetus from becoming too big.

Whether true or not, I'm certainly glad to not count myself amongst the Jivaro clan. There are already enough forbidden things in pregnancy to cut out salt and sugar both...

Lastly, Andy and I have finalized our name choices today. We are; however, not sharing them until much closer to the time of the birth. We still don't even know if we're having a boy or a girl yet so we think we'll just wait and let the whole thing be a surprise. Until then baby Bob will stay baby Bob. :)

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob

23 weeks means 17 weeks to go...

Today is Hump day which means (yep you guessed it) Picture Day!!! Today we tick off the 23 week box and march into the 24th week. The weather is great here in the Dreiländereck where I live and I'm enjoying the sunshine.

Thanks to a friend on Facebook I ran across the "BirthWatch" app for FB and will be keeping a weekly update on there as well. If you want to know what Bob is up to now - well here you go:
http://3dpregnancy.parentsconnect.com/calendar/23-weeks-pregnant.html

When Andy comes home we will take the obligatory bump shot. I will post it later this evening for your viewing pleasure.

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob

Succombing to the inevitable

Today I succombed to the inevitable: in two major ways...

1) I first of all went for highlights. I subscribe to the theory of as much of a chemical free pregnancy as possible but six months with no color... Well you can imagine how lovely that looked. I finally caved and went for highlights because they don't touch the scalp and therefore should be safe. Also the fact that I'm now 6 months and all major structures of the baby are developed helped me to make that decision.

2) I went pregnancy clothes shopping. Of course, I enlisted the help of a good friend who is also pregnant: Simone. I surely have some pregnancy clothes but a large portion of them couldn't keep pace with my ever expanding belly. So today, I bought the "really big" stuff from the maternity section but I also tried to buy some things that weren't pregnancy per se but would work in that situation (like Maxi Dresses) so I could keep them for the future (or a second child if things should go that way or as normal summer dresses if not).

Anyone who knows me knows I don't really like shopping so much and will go more out of necessity than desire. This of course wasn't always the case and when I do go, it often appears I really like it. Rest assured this is only because I buy a lot in one setting (when I find nice stuff). Really this is just a strategic attempt to avoid another trip in the future. :)

Today's loot:
- 4 Maxi Dresses
- 1 Red and White Checkered bloused top
- 2 Cotton stretchy tops in pink and grey
- 1 beach-style tank top
- 1 very large straw hat
- 1 swimsuit
- 1 pair of prego jeans with stretchy belly band
- undies
- several adorable baby outfits

Pictures likely to follow in an update - perhaps tomorrow (at least of very cute baby things).

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob

Squirmy worm

The baby is being a total squirmy worm today. I had my C1 German class and he/she kept rolling around and kicking me which made concentrating on Transitive and Intransitive Verbs rather interesting.

In other news, my little cousin's Flat Stanley arrived today (which you can read about here: http://littlekansasgirl.blogspot.com/). I'm excited for the opportunity to chronicle our visits to the surrounding area. It gives me an excuse to be a tourist in my own region. :)

Fun Trivia: According to Pliny the Elder (23-75 CE), the ancient Romans though people should not cross their legs or clasp their hands near a pregnant woman.

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob

A day with Daddy...

So today was a day of sleep and hanging out with Bob's Daddy. We slept in, took a walk by the Wiese (the river by our house), got a coffee (Andy) and ice cream (well for me at least and it wasn't really ice cream but rather a 'natur yogurt' mixed with yogurt ice cream and strawberries so healthier). We then came home and did some house type chores, threw away plants that didn't survive the winter and took a look over our finances (as the monthly bills will change after the move with the new financing).

I should have written posts for Friday and yesterday but we were busy so I will just go backwards chronologically to catch you up.

Yesterday we started off by leaving the house at 08:00 and went to Baden und Wohnen to discuss our bathroom renovation and to sign the offer they made us so we can start the material purchases and plan all the installations. We then drove to Ikea to get the items that were missing from our kitchen delivery and swap out a door that got damaged during the delivery. We had meat balls and mashed taters and gravy at Ikea's cafeteria for lunch. After that we drove to Bauhaus and looked for tiles that we think we might want in the bath but are still not 100% sure. We may go to Götz & Moriz this next week and check those out as well.

Friday was April Fools - the only joke played was by the baby on us. The baby wasn't really cooperating and the doctor didn't feel comfortable diagnosing Bob's sex. In the absence of definitively visible male parts she was inclined to diagnose Bob as a girl but she said she didn't feel comfortable making a definitive declaration. Actually to me it is not surprising since we have waited until the 22nd week to make a diagnosis. I guess we'll find out in July or August when Bob shows up unless in 6 weeks when we have our next ultrasound something miraculous occurs. For now we're leaning towards a girl but keeping an open mind.

The most important thing of all is that Bob is healthy. All inner organs were in super working order and are as they should be. That was the most important thing of all. So I guess that means we'll be going neutral until Bob is born and then we can either buy cute and frilly or rough and tumble after that. :)

All our very best,
Mommy & Bob