Get out of mah belly

Okay, Elvis, you weren’t down with my Father’s Day birth plan – or any of the plans I’ve had for you to come since then! I’ve dealt with that, and even been somewhat pleasant about it most of the time. But the due date is tomorrow and it’s officially time for you to come out already! Everyone is asking and wondering about you, we’re all so eager to meet you and find out who you are! And Grandma and Grandpa Klein and your uncles are coming from Illinois in just 8 days, so you’d better hurry up!

Should you decide you’re not coming on your own, the doctor has scheduled an induction on the 5th. That is the soonest we could do based on bed availability, protocol, etc. It’s really cutting it close, that same night the out of town family arrives! I would have chosen sooner myself, and hopefully you will, too! We don’t have to wait, just come on your own anytime! (Well, try to avoid the 4th if you can, it’s Mom and Dad’s anniversary and already a holiday and I have a pie contest to win.)

Can’t wait to be able to post the news of your arrival! Don’t make me hold my breath too long, it’s not good for either of us!

Wouldn’t it be handy to go into labor and have the baby tomorrow, on Chad’s fifth father’s day? Wouldn’t it just be nice if I went into labor? With the countdown to our due-date now at 10 days – tomorrow we enter single digits! – the impending delivery and baby are very much on my mind. I continue with contractions that seem to go nowhere and the back pain, which I was expecting due to the herniated disc but that doesn’t make it anymore comfortable. The last couple days my feet and ankles have started swelling and sleep or even rest at night is hard to come by. At my appointment this week I saw a different doctor who guessed I was having a girl who would weigh about 7-8 pounds, just like Ruby did. The weight was based on his feeling my big ol’ belly, the sex was just a guess. He also said “anytime” in terms of when I could go into labor, this based on an exam but also just a guess. Could be ten days, could be ten hours. Let’s hope for the latter!

Not only would it be handy to have such an awesome gift for Chad on Father’s Day, but the baby coming this weekend would be like a gift to (from?) my own dad, too. Before his passing in December he had been so excited about the coming baby. He will be with us today as we gather with family and friends in honor of him, as well whenever his fourth grandchild enters the world.

We’re ready Elvis! Are you?

June is here, Elvis will soon be making his/her entrance into the world! At the time of this post I am not technically due for another 25 days, but I’d surprised if I make it another 3 weeks. That is not just hopeful pregnant lady talk, either, my body has already started latent labor. At the last doctor’s appointment I had dilated to 1-2cm and was 50% effaced with the baby’s head “verrrrry low.” It is a hopeful sign, but I can’t forget this happening last time and Ruby didn’t come until 4 days after the due date. This feels different, but we’ll see. Whenever labor really kicks in, the doctor announced that it will be an easy, quick labor. Thanks for jinxing it!!!

In the meantime, I have been continuing to try to limit my activity in hopes of staving off delivery until the baby is really ready. Don’t want him or her before the little lungs and other body parts are ready, but now that we are in the 37th week it should be safe for him/her to come. In the past few days the contractions I have been having sporadically have started coming a little more often and a little harder, but I think it is just false or practice labor teasing me.

Just in case, we have finally gotten totally prepared for the little one’s arrival. I am pre-registered at the hospital, the carseat is in the back of the van, and the nursery is ready. We had to move Ruby out of the nursery and into a big girl room before we could put up the crib and get out all of the baby clothes. It was quite the project, especially for poor Chad since I haven’t been supposed to do much work. I helped with washing and putting away linens and clothes and stocking diapers, butt paste, and all the other necessities. Everything is ready and waiting for a baby to come wear the tiny clothes, sleep in the bassinet, craddle or, crib, and complete our family and home.

Below is a picture of Chad and I at the beach, something of a end-of-pregnancy tradition for us. See more recent pregnancy and nursery pics here.

The pregnancy counter I had found disappeared! Not sure what happened, but I liked the idea that someone or thing was counting the seconds to Elvis’ arrival along with me so I found another. Let’s see if this one sticks:

Not only are there less than 90 days to the due date, but I know we are getting close to the end of the pregnancy because I’ve hit the point where I go to the doctor every two weeks. The appointments are getting less fun, too, with blood draws, glucose tests, rhogam shots, and all variety of torture. But our sweet baby will be worth it!

Another sacrifice I’ll have to make is starting on semi-bedrest. I’m not sure how that will work with a four-year-old, but it is an effort to avoid the full bedrest I was put on during my last pregnancy which would be truly impossible. Our theory is that if I start to take it easy now, maybe I can avoid the early dilation and other signs of preterm labor that took me down before. This means limiting lifting, cleaning, and busy activities with Ruby and starting to spend some time with my feet up. It also means no more gym, which I am surprised to say I will really miss. I had kept up my strength training classes and easy cardio until this week and I think it’s helped these last seven month go so smoothly for me.

I will kick-off my relaxing this weekend with some very rare time to myself. Chad and Ruby will be leaving tomorrow to visit his family in Illinois and won’t be back until Monday! I have a catering job Saturday morning, otherwise I will make the most of my “me time” with a day at the spa and watching non-children’s television and reading my kindle and anything else I want to do. Who am I kidding? I’m sure most of the time I’ll be missing my peeps. Chad and I are rarely apart and I have never been away from Ruby for more than a night. It’s going to be really weird to be all alone! Well, as alone as a pregnant lady can be…

Last week we had the first of our warm spring weather and we decided to get out and enjoy it. I waddled down to Salt Creek Beach with Chad and Ruby for a sunset picnic. Here are Ruby and me and my belly having a great time.

Found a ticker online to help count down to Baby v2.0’s arrival. Now that the little bear has passed the halfway mark, it’s more exciting to look at. Haha.

Speaking of exciting things to look at, we got another peak at little Elvis earlier this month. He/She is looking great! Chad and I got to see all kinds of details – all four chambers of the heart, the spine from end to end, a close up of the perfect little lips, and even parts of the brain. We can’t get over how much the technology has improved in just four years. It’s not just fun to see those things, but it really puts our minds at east that the baby and pregnancy are healthy. We weren’t able to see such detail with Ruby, especially not this early. The pic below is quite clear and you can see the baby relaxing with its knees up to its belly as well as the umbilical cord at the top. You can check out the rest of the ultrasound pictures here.

It was harder this time to stick to our decision to keep the baby’s sex a surprise. The technician told us she had checked the sex and all is normal and healthy. Once Chad knew that she knew the gender he had lots of questions for her, but she managed to avoid giving us any hints. Even our doctor and nurses won’t know what we’re having, much to everyone’s annoyance. It will avoid any slips, at least. We both have an inkling that this may be a boy, but are far from sure and are just thrilled whoever is coming seems healthy.

We’re also happy that whoever is coming should have a name when they arrive. With our first pregnancy we had names picked out the first day we found out, this time it was much more difficult. We have tossed around tons of ideas and had a hard time agreeing. Fynn has stood out as a first choice from early on and with my dad’s passing we have decided to use his middle name, so a boy will most likely be named Fynn Martin Klein. Girls were much harder, I think because of Ruby’s name. We couldn’t choose anything plain or that couldn’t stand up. It wouldn’t do to have a Ruby and a Jane or Gertrude. We played with Isla and Tula and Nora and all kinds of pretty ones, but have finally settled on Violet Marie Klein. Well, probably. After all this indecision I don’t think we will be 100% sure until the kid is here and the birth certificate is filled out!

Yet another cold has been passed around our house, other than that I have been feeling good and all seems to be going well. As you can see below in a picture Ruby took of me, my baby bump continues to grow. Elvis’ kicks are getting much more noticeable and this week Chad was first able to feel the little one kicking for himself. So exciting!

We’re getting out of town this weekend to visit family and friends, may be be one of my last adventures that far from home for the next four or more months. We’re hoping to see snow. Keep an eye out for pictures in the photo gallery on our website.

Kate

Here I am nearing halfway through my pregnancy with Baby v2.0 (aka Elvis), and I have yet to document any of it. Bad Mommy! So if somehow some of our friends and family were unaware, we are having another baby!

We plan another delivery surprise so won’t know until the baby comes in late June if it is a girl or boy. Ruby seems to have recently decided she’d prefer a sister, but is mostly just excited to have a baby. I think Chad would love a boy, but both of us are also completely open to whoever comes. If we get a boy we’ll have one of each, and if we get a girl we’ll be prepared with all the pink stuff she can possibly need!

This pregnancy has been very similar physically to my last one so far. I’d say really the only difference is how quickly I am showing this time. Otherwise, I fought similar “morning” sickness and spent the first three plus months not straying too far from a bathroom, can sleep at the drop of a hat, constant stuffy nose, and love super spicy food. I recently started feeling the baby move which is exciting and makes this all seem more real. I can’t wait for the movement to be big enough for Chad and Ruby to feel, too. All the tests and ultrasounds show that everything is normal and healthy so far.

Though the pregnancy symptoms may be similar, my life sure is different now than it was four years ago. I almost miss working full-time out of the house where my pregnant butt sat at an office, waddled in and out for food and the bathroom, and came home to a quiet house. This time I am trying to meet the demands of an almost-4-year-old, and she is a much more demanding boss than I’ve had before! Keeping up with her all day and night and the house and not feeling well was very challenging at first. As soon as I got rid of the morning sickness, we had a family tragedy when my father suddenly passed away on the day after Christmas. So unfair to have to lose him before he could have met his next grandchild, he was thrilled that Chad and I were having another baby. I’m sure he’s still just as happy wherever he is.

Hope you all will check back here to keep up with the pregnancy. I will try not to let another 18 weeks go before I get to my second post! I’ll close with a cute ultrasound photo of Elvis waving hello, see more 12 week ultrasound pics here.

Kate

If I ever said that time flies before becoming a parent, I had no idea what I was talking about! I’ll admit it, I was clueless. These last eight weeks have passed in the blink of an eye (or, more acurately, a camera lens, click here to check our site for lots of pictures of Ruby from birth to present) and it shows no signs of slowing down. But all three of us are enjoying every second we have together. Parenthood is even better than we had imagined, probably because Ruby is such a sweet and adorable baby girl. Chad and I have never been happier (though more rested is another story…..).

We went for Ruby’s two month check up yesterday and she is doing great. She currently weighs 10 pounds and 13 ounces, which is over 3 pounds more than she weighed at birth. That doesn’t come as any surprise to me (or my breasts) as she certainly loves to eat! At that weight and only 21 and 3/4 inches long, though, she is considered a “petite” baby. That is so funny to me because I was expecting a BIG baby, which is what my family usually produces. My brother and I both weighed in at about 10 pounds when we were born, not at two months old! She may not take after my side of the family in terms of size, but she is definitely my daughter – the doctor thinks her language skills are quite advanced! Haha. She does coo and try to use sounds beyond crying to communicate with us, and it is earlier than most babies start to do that. While I am hoping she’ll bust out with a full sentence next week, I think Chad would rather she put it off so he can enjoy the quiet while he can – especially when he hears me gabbing on the phone for hours with my mom and imagines Ruby and I doing the same! Ruby also came in slightly above average with her strength and mental development milestones such as smiling, holding her head up, rolling over, following objects with her eyes, and weight-bearing with her legs. It would have been a really great appointment if it weren’t for the damn shots! The poor baby had to get four vaccinations in three injections and was NOT happy about it. She screamed her head off during the shots, but luckily was so tired that she cried herself right to sleep when I picked her up after it was over. Her legs are still a bit sore, but I think in the end I was more traumatized by the experience than she was!

Chad has been back to work for a month now and I am still home with Ruby. She and I spend our days playing and reading and napping. Well, she naps, and I take that time to do dishes or laundry or other chores. It’s hard to do housework – or anything – with a baby around that needs attention. Especially such a cute one! Everyone always says that being a stay-at-home mother is harder than having a fulltime job. I am not sure I believed that before, but I have definitely found that to be true since she was born. But it’s also 10 times more fun and rewarding than any job I’ve had. I am probably going to be going back to work part-time in a month or so, and while it will be nice to get some adult interaction, I am not really looking forward to it. For now I am loving being home and caring for my sweet girl!

Below are some pictures of Ruby taken a few days ago on Mother’s Day. We celebrated with my mom and grandmother at my brother and sister-in-law’s house. We will be travelling to Illinois to celebrate Chad’s first Father’s Day with a visit to his family and a golf tournament. And, next week Ruby will be taking her very first plane ride when we travel to Arizona for a family gathering of the Kleins and Boiks. Ruby can’t wait to see her Grandma and Grandpa Klein again, or to meet her uncles and the rest of the family. Ruby has already been quite the social butterfly spending time with our local friends and family and will no doubt continue to win many hearts.

Miss Ruby is one week old today and I am just barely getting settled back into daily life, including my computer and emails and thought I should update the site. The three of us are all doing very well and could not be any happier. Chad and I are on a high I don’t think we’ll ever come down from (well, maybe when Ruby hits her teen years, haha). We have been very lucky that Ruby is such a good baby that sleeps and eats well. She slept for seven hours straight the first night home! I would have appreciated it more if I could have slept, too, but I was up constantly checking to make sure she was okay and trying to wake her up to eat. I haven’t had to worry about that since, though, Ruby wakes up every 3 hours overnight to eat which is about how often she feeds during the day, as well. Luckily, Chad and I are both off work to be with her and can adapt our days and nights to her feeding and sleeping schedule, She is also starting to be awake and aware a lot more and it is fun to watch her take in her surroundings. Aside from a touch of Jaundice she is an absolutely healthy and happy baby. Chad and I adore her, as does everyone who meets her. Even the cats like her!

I am pleased to report that I am also doing great. What an amazing experience the birth was. Labor was long, but the delivery went as smooth as can be expected and recovery has been easier than I imagined. It doesn’t hurt that I have the world’s greatest husband. Or that my mom stayed with us through yesterday to help us get settled at home with the baby and left us with a clean house and full refridgerator. Physically, there are a few aches and pains here and there, but nothing a little Motrin can’t take care of. Emotionally, I’ve had my moments, but the pure joy of having Ruby eclipses all else. I’d have to say that about my biggest complaint at this point is being between sizes where I only fit into about half of my pre-pregnancy clothes. That sounds like a good excuse to go shopping, but who has time for that?! I’d rather stay home and stare at the baby.

We took Ruby for a walk in the park today to celebrate to 1-week birthday. Here is a cute shot of the three of us that we took while we were there. Check our photo album on the main site at www.chadandkate.net/gallery/ruby1week for the rest of the pics.

Ruby Kay Klein was born at 5:50 pm on March 21, 2007 (3-21, easy to remember!). She weighed in at 7 pounds 8 ounces and measured 18 inches long. Mom and Ruby are doing great.

Please see our main page at www.chadandkate.net for links to pictures and video.

Unlike hide-and-go-seek, I know exactly “wherever” Jackaruby is, unfortunately – IN MY BELLY! I’ve done everything I can think of to bring on labor, short of drawing a map and directions for the baby to take to get out and swallowing them. I keep telling her/him, “You’re two days late now, baby, it’s time to be born!” I’m not sure they are listening, though! I still have contractions that come and go, but nothing regular or strong, just enough to keep me uncomfortable and up all night!

What a rollercoaster the end of this pregnancy has been. From a preterm labor scare and bedrest and being sure that the baby was going to come early, to now being 41 weeks and facing an induction date. That’s right, there is an end to my discomfort in sight! If Jackaruby doesn’t decide to come before – and, oh, how I hope he/she does! – labor will be induced this Friday, 3-23-07, at 7:00AM. The doctor said most women have their babies by 3:00PM after they are induced at that time, but I’m not sure I believe her predictions anymore and at this rate am expecting a long, painful labor and just hope to have the baby by Saturday night! Haha.

Chad has to be back at work on April 16th to start a project, so he started his four weeks of “paternity” leave today. Lucky him, he can stay home and wait on this baby with me and accompany me to all the tests and doctor’s visits I have this week. That will keep us busy! That, and enjoying these last few days of freedom and time together just the two of us before our lives change forever (though if we didn’t have them that would be fine, too – we’d rather have the baby at this point)!

Can’t wait to share the good news. If we don’t have an update before, we’ll post all the info and pics of the newest Klein this weekend!

We received with a beautiful baby quilt from Chad’s Aunt Teresa and Uncle Matt. Teresa clearly put a lot of thought and hard work into it and made a special gift for Jackaruby! I had never seen a quilt pattern like that, or one featuring frogs and monkeys! Check out the quilt below, or see the full album here.
Now all we need is a baby to put on it! But, alas, we still don’t have one. I have continuing contractions, nausea, and other symptoms of labor, but am not in labor yet. We’re hoping it will be soon! In the meantime, I’m walking laps around the block to get things moving.

Finally a new post! Sorry if we left anyone in suspense these last few weeks with no updates (no baby yet!), I’ve been wanting to get some current pics to post along with it and finally we have some. Below are a few pictures of us at the beach where we went walking yesterday and a few others from around home. You can link here to the full photo album.

I have been pregnant for 38 weeks now and am really beginning to feel like a ticking timebomb! Labor could start any second. I am over 2.5 cm dilated, 70% effaced, the baby is at 0 station and I am having occasional contractions. On Friday the doctor predicted I’d be in labor in a matter of days, most likely within the week. Good thing we finished our birth preparation classes last week and, thanks in large part to another wonderful baby shower, finally have all the baby gear we need (… for now)! The last few nights I went to bed thinking we’d be going to the hospital before morning, but no such luck so far. I was up a lot last night with contractions and back ache and they are continuing this morning, so maybe it’ll be today. Chad and my mom would both like to not have to go to work tomorrow, so we’re gonna take some long walks and I’ll see what I can do. As eager as we all are to meet Jackaruby (and for me to not be pregnant anymore), we’ll just have to wait for when s/he is ready to come – it could be in two hours it, could be another two weeks! Oh, the suspense!

Chad and I are so excited and can’t wait for the baby and to share the happy news with all of you. We will be sure to update this blog as soon as possible after the baby arrives.

We saw the doctor on Friday, and I am continuing to slowly progress towards labor. I dilated about another 1/2 centimeter and am now 50% effaced. The doctor felt it was best to continue the bed rest for another week. She said she would release me when I see her again this Friday, and in the meantime we will have one last ultrasound on Thursday to check the weight and development of the baby to make sure s/he is ready to be born. Chad and I are still in shock that the baby could be coming so fast – we keep saying that we thought we’d have another month – so we agree that continuing the bed rest at least another week until we have finished our child birth preparation classes (and I’ve attended another baby shower this weekend) is the best plan! It could be that I will finally get off my butt and still not go into labor for weeks, but most likely my being active will bring labor on pretty quickly. So, I spent the weekend on the couch and in bed, as per usual these days. Chad is nesting for both of us and has been cleaning the house, patios, and cars like a madman for three days straight. It’s hard to sit back and not help, but he doesn’t seem to mind. He is such a great husband, I can’t wait to see him as a father! (Okay, that’s not true – I’d like to wait at least another week!)
As promised, I have pictures of our new niece Mia. There are the pictures of her from the hospital that Alex sent to me that you may have already seen. If not, click here to see them. I was able to get the doctor’s permission for a quick visit with Mia on Friday. She is so cute and very calm, I hope we are as lucky with Jackaruby! Below is a picture of me holding her, click here for more pictures.

It’s not an update on our baby, but it’s a baby update nonetheless! My brother and sister-in-law had their second child yesterday. Mia Rose Miller was born at 6:32PM on February 12, 2007. She weighed in at 7 pounds 6 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. I hear she has dark hair and big feet (it must run in the family). It’s killing me not to jump in the car to go see her, but I’m sticking to doctor’s orders and continuing my bed rest. Chad and I are hoping to be able to go see the new little miss and the rest of the family this weekend once they are home and after we have seen the doctor on Friday and hopefully been given the green light for me to be more active (but not too active – we’re still not ready for Jackaruby to come). In the meantime I have been promised pictures of Mia and will share them as soon as I get them!

Super Bowl weekend is here and I, like most Americans, will be spending a large chunk of it on the couch. Unfortunately, it seems I will be taking up temporary residence here since my doctor has put me on 2 weeks of bed rest. I had my 34-week check up yesterday and told my doctor about having felt quite a bit of pressure and a bit of cramping. I didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about. But, she checked and I am a little less than a centimeter dilated and about 15-20% effaced. The baby’s head is very low putting lots of pressure on the cervix. By laying around for the next two weeks, possibly longer, I will be taking the pressure off and stave off an early labor. We’re not ready yet! And I’m not sure Jackaruby is quite ready, either. The doctor says I’ve got to get to at least 36 weeks, but I’m hoping for 38 at the minimum, as that would be considered full term. I say that now, but give me a couple weeks of this and I might sing a different tune! I’ve got lots of magazines and books, music, games, baby shows on tv, and a great husband to keep me from being too bored.
Chad helped me pass some time this morning by painting my belly with the Chichago Bears logo. His Dad is a huge Bears fan, and we’re all hoping they do great tomorrow. See below for a sample pic, you can also link to a few more here. Go Bears!

We’re at 32 weeks, seven months are officially down and we’ve got eight weeks (hopefully not longer) to go! Last Friday we had a ultrasound and later an appointment with the doctor where she proclaimed that our child is “perfect.” Of course it is! The baby weighed in at 3 pounds and 14 ounces, so just under four pounds. It is expected to about double in size over these last couple months. An eight pounder sounds like a big one. I’ve roasted smaller turkeys at Thanksgiving! Everything looks symmetrical and all of the organs were the expected size and were functioning. Since the baby is much bigger now you can’t see as much as we did in earlier ultrasounds, but we saw lots of wiggling and movement, the tech had to chase it around my belly! The growth continues to indicate we’re on track for a due date of 3/17/07, still no changes there. The only thing that might be slightly abnormal seems to be the humongous feet, we may be going straight to 3-6 months sized socks! Below is a pic of a foot from the ultrasound and a link to check out the other two photos that we were given.

We had a couple’s baby shower last Saturday with friends and family up in Oxnard. Many thanks to our hosts, Chris and Mario Gurrola, and everyone that attended. We had a great time! There was lots of great food and entertianment and we enjoyed seeing people we don’t get to spend lots of time with. And, I’ve had tons of fun playing with all of my, er, I mean Jackaruby’s new things! The nursery is all decked out now in everything frog. Below is a picture of the cake from the shower with a link to the other baby shower pics, as well as a pic of the crib with the new bedding and a link to the updated nursery photos.

http://www.chadandkate.net/gallery/32weekultrasound

http://www.chadandkate.net/gallery/baby-shower-1-20-07

http://www.chadandkate.net/gallery/updatednursery

The count down to 2007 is over, but the countdown to Jackaruby’s arrival continues.  Only ten more weeks to go!  Below is a current picture of me at 30 weeks.

We haven’t posted any updates lately, because really there isn’t that much to share!  I’ve decided the middle of pregnancy is pretty boring, it’s mostly just a lot of waiting and watching your belly grow.  It’s starting to get more “exciting” again in the third trimester as some of the symptoms of late pregnancy are starting or returning (hello to my old friend miserable morning sickness!).  But a little swelling, leg cramps, and a few aches and pains aren’t gonna get to me, I try not to focus on it and instead just count the near-constant kicks to my ribs and hope the next two and a half months go by quickly!  I enjoy the pregnancy but am getting anxious to meet our baby.

Kate

Below are two pictures of me at 23 weeks (5 months and 1 week). There’s no hiding that I’m pregnant anymore! I stood in the nursery this time so you can see a little of what it’s looking like these days. We haven’t done much, just hung up the wall hangings that go with our nursery theme that Chad’s parents sent us and a few other pictures.
I am doing great. Little Jackaruby is as busy growing and moving as ever. He/she weighs over a pound now and seems to really be taking advantage of the last few weeks that they’ll have room for somersaults before they get too cramped.

21 of the projected 40 weeks of pregnancy are behind us! Luckily so is most of the discomfort. I have terrible heartburn most afternoons and wake up at night with sharp cramps in my calves – but nothing compared to the constant sickness of the first three months. It is nice to finally be able to enjoy the pregnancy now that I am feeling better and a closer connection with the baby as I feel it moving inside of me more and more.

We had our big ultrasound this week that confirmed all is looking well with little Jackaruby. Chad and I were able to see the heart beating (at a strong BPM of 146) and lots of other organs that have formed and are functioning – kidneys, bladder, stomach, and even the brain! We could see it opening it’s mouth and swallowing the amniotic fluid, which helps the fetus practice digestion. Yum! Everything the tech checked she told us was “great” or “good” with a few “normals” tossed in, too. She also said the genitals were normal, and now it drives me nuts knowing that the ultrasound tech knows what we are having but we don’t. No fair! But, in the end I’m glad we held strong to our decision to not find out the sex. We know it appears to be healthy and that’s what really matters!

The baby was moving around a lot and seems to like to tap dance on my bladder. So *that’s* what I’ve been feeling! It comforts him/herself by putting it’s hands up by it’s face which I thought was cute. Seeing that stuff made it sink in more that that really is a tiny human growing in there, crazy!

In our ongoing attempt to prepare the the little one’s arrival, I drug poor Chad through Babies R Us last weekend to register. But, he survived and we think we chose really cute stuff! You can check it out at http://www.toysrus.com/registry/index.jsp

You may also want to check out pictures from the ultrasound. In the pic below, you can see Jackaruby’s head and a little hand waving hello. If you click on it, it will take you to the photo album with the rest of them.

Here is the latest pic of my pregnant belly. Not overwhelming yet, but definitely getting bigger! Random people in public are starting to notice, which is kind of fun. At least until they ask what I am having and I tell them we’re not going to find out and they get annoyed with me. We’re surprised by how strongly people feel – even people we don’t know – that we MUST find out the sex as soon as possible. Does it really matter? Not to us!

Jackaruby is moving more and more, or else I’m just feeling it more now that he/she is bigger. It’s mostly random with one exception – apparently the baby has strong feelings about Neil Diamond. Last week I put my Neil CD on in the car and I felt the movement right away and it lasted the whole time the music played. I tested it again by putting the CD on again over the weekend and, sure enough, Jackaruby started wiggling around. I just don’t know if he/she is dancing and enjoying it, or squirming in misery and telling me to turn it off and stop singing!

We had another doctor visit yesterday and all is well and moving along as planned. Almost half way through the pregnancy with only five months until the due date!

Kate