Avocado's have ears??

Having grown up in the Midwest I've always known that corn had ears, but I never knew that avocados could have ears too! Man, I've turned into quite the comedian as of late, must be Joel's strange and silly sense of humor rubbing off on me, haha!


We are simply amazed that our little bambino can hear us now. So if you see me talking to what appears to only be myself or Joel talking to my belly instead of my face, don't think we need to be committed. We're probably talking to our little one about our dreams for him/her.



Here is the 16 week update for Baby M. Enjoy!



Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

Orange you glad....

Orange you glad I finally got around to posting about Baby Mathew's goings on this week?? hehe. I couldn't resist that old knock-knock joke punchline.

So here is the latest and greatest with our little orange.

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

Dear Mother

Dear Mother

Did you ever think, dear Mother,
As the seeds of me you sowed,
As you breathed new life inside of me
And slowly watched me grow,
In all your dreams about me
When you planned me out so well,
When you couldn't wait to have me there
Inside your heart to dwell,
Did you ever think that maybe
,I was planning for you, too,
And choosing for my very own
A mother just like you?
A mother who smelled sweet and who
had hands so creamy white,
A tender, loving creature
Who would soothe me in the night?
Did you ever think in all those days
While you were coming due,
That as you planned a life for me
I sought a life with you?
And now as I lay in your arms,
I wonder if you knew
While you were busy making me,
I was choosing you!
- Author Unknown

This poem should have come with a warning such as "May cause hormone induced crying for pregnant women". I needed about half a box of Kleenex when I first read this. Seriously. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, maybe minus the Kleenex though :o)

Simply Amazing

Whenever I read those posts about how our baby is doing it simply amazes me. There can be no other explanation for such a complex process other than our good Lord and Creator. How anyone can have a child and still cling to the notion that millions of years ago we developed the ability to reproduce this way through evolution is beyond me. Thinking that Michelle has another human growing inside of her and that we will be responsible for them is truly humbling. I would do anything for the little bugger already and I've only seen them once and heard their little heart beat a few times. Despite all the fears that come with being a parent I do take heart in the words of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Lemon Love.

Baby Mathews is up to big things this week including growing hair all over and thumb sucking, how cute! Check it out below!

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

14 week check up

Wednesday, September 10th Joel and I went to the Dr.'s for my monthly appointment. Since I'm still pretty early in my pregnancy they only see me once a month. Our first appointment was when I was 9 weeks and 5 days, this appointment I was 13 weeks and 3 days, and my next appointment I'll be 17 weeks and 3 days. It always seems so far away, but it flies by at the same time.

Stats for mommy:
Blood pressure - Great
Pee in a cup test - Great. They check for several things but mostly the presence of protein and/or sugar, because that is a bad thing for pregnant women.
Weight - drum roll please......I had ZERO weight gain in my first trimester and I actually lost a pound between my last appointment and this one. I haven't had much of an appetite lately but I still manage to get my 6 small meals in a day. My Dr. is please and said that is they way she would like to see it, saving all the important weight gain for the last two trimesters.

Stats for baby:
Heartbeat - 160 beats per minute and strong. The nurse found it right away which I always hold my breath for. It still is the coolest sound in the world.
Now if you are a big believer in old wives tales then know this, they say that a heartbeat above 140 is indicative of a girl and below 140 is indicative of a boy. So believe what you may.....
Joel and I on the other hand still have no strong feeling one way or the other if we are going to have a boy or a girl. I did call the baby a "He" the other night, so maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something.

Anyway, our next appointment is not until October 8th, so more stats to come then!

Peachy Keen

This weeks marks 13 weeks for me and baby M. Joel and I can't believe how fast the time is going. In about 7-8 short weeks we will know if baby M is a boy or a girl. Or as Joel says, if baby M is a girl then that marks the day he will go and buy a shotgun to ward off teenage boys when the times comes. Such a protective daddy already! If Baby M is a boy I'm sure that is the day Joel will start dreaming of a football state championship, ha!.

Here is the scoop on what Baby M is up to this week:

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

Fun Facts!

I found this fun website that provides facts about your baby based on their birthday
http://www.babiesonline.com/funfacts/

Here are the fun facts for Baby Mathews who is due on March 15th, 2009

Your baby's birthstone will be Aquamarine (Courage)
Your baby's Astrological Sign will be Pisces
Your baby's Flower is Daffodil or Jonquil (White or Light Blue)
Your baby will be born in the Chinese Year of The Ox
This time next year your baby will be 25 Weeks Old!
Your baby will start kindergarten in 2014, be old enough to drive a car in 2025, finish high school in 2027, and will graduate from college with the class of 2031, give or take a year. Can you imagine?

Plum perfect!

Baby Mathews is now the size of a large plum so here is the weekly picture & update on what he/she is up to. Enjoy!
As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

Note: This description is a bit misleading by stating that I'm moving into the second trimester this week. However the second trimester will not officially begin until 13 weeks 3 days which is next Wednesday for me. Since pregnancy is divided into 3 trimesters and gestation is 40 weeks by medical definition, 40 weeks divided by 3 trimesters makes each trimester 13 weeks and 3 days long. I hope I didn't confuse anyone!

These are a few of my favorite things....

The other night The Sound of Music was on TV and while I did not watch the entire movie I did catch the scene where Maria and the girls were singing about their favorite things. So my post is partially inspired by that.

Favorite boy bedding:

Favorite girl bedding:

More favorites to come soon I'm sure!