25 Weeks

We've hit the 25 week mark and I'm already feeling quite large! This belly of mine is holding the most precious package ever, but it sure gets in my way these days. As you can see, our baby bird is definitely growing - she is now about 13 1/2 inches long and a weighs a pound and a half. We still have 15 weeks to go so she needs to keep growing. We've come to the conclusion that she just likes to show off and steal attention so of course she is making herself known! Also, many people have asked me what we plan to name her and we don't have anything nailed down for sure, but our favorite name is Maria. We plan to keep our options open until she arrives because there are just so many choices. There is so much pressure when it comes to naming a human being. Usually my naming habits for animals and cars and things is pretty unoriginal, but it's much more difficult naming this baby girl!

24 Weeks

Well, these last 24 weeks have definitely flown by! Baby girl now weighs over a pound and is over a foot long (about the length of an ear of corn, which Tim says are not in season yet!) At least a few times a day it feels like she's having a dance party in there and I love to just watch her pokes and prods. On Wednesday this last week I did take a trip to the hospital birthing center because I hadn't felt any significant movements for about 24 hours. I called my doctor's office that evening and they suggested I just go and get checked out so I did. Of course she started showing off the moment I was hooked up to the fetal doppler, but I was thankful and relieved that I went. Tim has been the most wonderful husband throughout this entire pregnancy, which has not surprised me! He goes to the store whenever a craving hits (lately it has been grapes, cinnamon roles, and pie) and he even painted my toenails for me last night since they are a little difficult to reach :) Seriously, he is amazing! I can't wait to see how he treasures our baby girl.

23 Weeks

Happy Easter! How even more thankful I am for God's mercy and forgiveness in this season of life. I know I won't be the perfect wife or mother, but I am loved and forgiven! In this 23rd week of pregnancy, I can't even put into words how much I enjoy carrying this little girl inside of me. This is the ultimate experience of living in expectancy and each moment is filled with anticipation - for another round of kicks from inside my belly; for my family's future; for holidays shared with Tim and our child(ren).

This week, our baby girl is over a foot long and weighs just over a pound (the same as a large mango). She is kicking up a storm and I'm starting to notice her regular patterns throughout the day. I love seeing Tim's face light up when he can feel his daughter reacting to his voice! This is such a precious time for us and as excited as I am to have her here, I love everything about being pregnant.

22 Weeks

Baby girl has officially been growing inside of me for 22 weeks now. She's 11 inches long (the length of a spaghetti squash) and weighs nearly a pound! (The squash I'm holding here weighs 2 pounds, so she's not quite that big yet!) Things have still been going really well as far as how I'm feeling, thankfully. I realize, though, that my little complaints about my belly getting in the way some times will be magnified as time goes on because I'm not getting any smaller over the next 4 months! We've gotten some special gifts from generous family members, so we already have her crib, changing table/dresser, pack-n-play (for bassinet use right away), and her infant carseat is ordered as well. These are all amazing blessings and we are having so much fun preparing for our little girl. We picked up the pack-n-play on Saturday and the minute we got it out of the car, Tim was setting it up! We are both extremely excited, obviously :) Thanks to everyone for sharing in our excitement. 

p.s. Does anyone have any ideas for how we should use up this spaghetti squash?