It's a GIRL!

Well, most of you already know this...

Gwendalyn Gail was born on May 20th at 4:50PM.  She weighted in at 7 lb and 3 oz, measuring at 19* inches. (*they measured wrong at the hospital, she was actually 20 inches)

Finding time to blog is difficult, but we are settling into a routine and I'm hoping to pick up my blogging hobby again soon. I promise to write her birth story soon! 

40+ weeks...

Mommy at 40 weeks

Just waiting...

Had a Dr. appt today.  He stripped my cervix - fun - to see if that might get things going. Otherwise, I'm dialated to 2 cent. I will have another appointment next Monday if needed, and induction will be next Wednesday night.  I would go to the hospital Wed evening and stay overnight to see how it goes. I don't feel like that will be necessary.  I can't imagine still being pregnant in a week! Yikes!

Maternity leave has been a little boring, but mostly because I'm just waiting, and waiting, and waiting.

I did buy a new car today. That was fun.  I got a 2003 Ford Escape XLT. It's blue - love it! Fully loaded, so I'm very happy.

So, until something happens....tick tock tick tock.

my new ride

Maternity Leave with no baby...yet.

Maternity leave has begun. Friday was my first day off.  It just felt like a regular day off.  Today feels different. 

The weekend was pretty mellow. I didn't do a whole lot.  Saturday I started a puzzle, finished in on Sunday. Ran an errand on Saturday - Walmart - ick. But I did find a nice camera bag for our new camcorder at a great price.  Sunday my greatest adventure was grocery shopping.  I made peel and eat shrimp with homemade oven fries and garlic bread. 

This baby is very comfy in his/her home.  I have another Dr. appt tomorrow.  I thought it would have been today, but my Doc was booked all day.  So, tomorrow we'll discuss a "plan".  I'm not sure how over he'll have me go.  What I really like about Dr. M is his more natural approach to the process.  He won't induce unless he thinks it's necessary for baby or me. I'm fine with that. I feel pretty comfortable still.  Sleeping is a challenge, but I imagine the constant waking up to pee is just preparing me for the constant waking to feed. :)

Home Stretch

Well, here we are...in the final days. Due date is 5 days away. I can't believe it's almost time! I can barely remember being 20 weeks pregnant and it seems to long ago! This 9+ months has been very long, short, rewarding, amazing, educational, exciting, and many other feelings I just can't seem to wrap my head around.

I don't feel like I'm having a baby any time soon. I know things are happening, but it just feels so "status quo" right now.

I'm a little over 1 cent dialated. I've had plenty of practice contractions (Braxton Hicks) some more unpleasant than others, but nothing too serious.

So, we wait. We wait for little baby Anderson to make his/her debut.

tick tock tick tock.....

Nursery and Nesting

We finally have a "nursery".  It's a little make shift, but it will do until we move into the new house this summer. The daunting task of packing my craft room was finally managed this past weekend thanks to the nesting instinct finally kicking in. It actually kicked in on Thursday while at work. I cleaned out my entire desk and started organizing for my temporary replacement. It carried over once I got home.  I also had a bit of a panic attack Thursday night/ Friday morning. I realized I had a lot to do before baby arrives. I took most of Friday as a personal day and got lot's done.

We did quite a bit of shopping on Saturday at Babies R Us.  Jeff was just as overwhelmed by the store as I was when I did the initial registry.  We purchased a few "necessities".  We bought some bottles, drying rack and bottle brush. Mirror for the car to see what kiddlet is up to in his/her car seat. Window shades to block the sun in the car. Changing table pad and cover, and the swing.  I set up the swing on Sunday night after returning from another shopping trip to Target (where I got more stuff). Then I worked on the baby's room some more. By the end of the night, I had the pack n play set up where the crib will go, diapers out of the package and in the special place for diapers, clothes washed and hung in the closet, stuffed animals and blankets out, and our new(old) glider chair in it's place. I even put up some monkey decals on the wall above where the crib will be to give the room a decorated look. After all my hard work was done, I sat in the glider and stared at the room. Eventually Jeff came in and sat down and did the same thing. He finally says "I can't believe a baby Anderson will be in the room in just a few weeks." Yep - my thoughts exactly.

I will try to post some pictures this week. Oh, and Frankie loves the baby's room. We think she might think it's her room. She waits for us to open the door when we get home for the day, then she just pokes around to make sure everything is in it's place, then lays down on the floor in the sun. She loves it. She does not like the stroller and swing, but we'll work on that.

Week 36

What a great weekend!

Baby shower yesterday. Had a fantastic time. Not sure what to do with all this stuff, but feeling very blessed to have so many wonderful family and friends to share the excitement with and am very thankful for all the gifts! (pics later this week)

Then today was date day with hubby. We enjoyed an awesome Twins game at new Target Field (ok, so they didn't win...)

Jeff caught a foul ball. That was definetly the highlight. We had really good seats and tons of fun!

We even took my bump update picture at the ballpark!

Me and my bump at 36 weeks

Mommy and Daddy

View from our seats

Daddy's gift for baby!

A tea party for Baby Anderson and Mommy (and Daddy too)

My office held a baby shower for Jeff and I yesterday.  It was a fabulous tea party! (Crystal was at it once again!) When I first walked into the room, I was completely overwhelmed and I started to cry. I had to excuse myself to the bathroom to compose myself.  Then I almost started crying again when Jeff arrived.  It was such a beautiful shower.  The food was excellent and the cake....OMG!!!! It was SO GOOD! (It was a Patticake from YUM bakery in St. Louis Park).

18 people were present at my party.  That includes my boss' wife Bev who came in just for the occasion. She had lot's of good advise, and her and Bill were very entertaining. :)

We opened lot's of amazing gifts, including an adorable handmade blanket covered with monkeys and a small handmade blankie with lot's of fun ribbons sewn to the edges for baby to discover.  Handmade gifts really touch my heart. It was so nice that these ladies put themselves into gifts for our little one.

I had a great time at the party and it was very hard to go back to my desk when it was done and work for the rest of the day. (but I did...I was swamped!)

Here are some pics from the party:

A Tea Party for Baby Anderson

"The Kelli Belly"

I love that title! :)

Here is a link to more photo's from my belly session a few weeks ago...

Tina Vega Photography

34 weeks

I still feel pretty good. Here's what I hear a lot:

"Are you ready to be done?"

No. I am still fairly comfortable. I haven't gained a ton of weight. I'm rarely swollen. And I'm just not ready to be a mommy quite yet.

"You're pretty small for xx weeks/months"

Bless those who say this to me! I feel like strangers look at me differently now than even a few weeks ago.  I feel like I'm getting the "oh, that poor lady" instead of "oh, look at that cute pregnant lady". I know it's in my head, but still....

"Are you getting excited?"

Really? Why do people ask this? I just want to say, "nope. decided to give the dumpling away. mommyhood...ick." Of course I'm excited!

"Looking forward to that first cocktail?"

YES! I miss the taste of beer fiercly.  Especially Dos Equies. Fajita's just haven't been the same without Dos Equies.

So enough about that.

Other updates:

Still waiting to hear about the hosue. Should be any day now. I'm more anxious about that than having this baby. I think it's because I KNOW I'm having a baby, but I don't KNOW where I'll be living. Makes me a little nutty.

Allergies - HOLY CRAP! It started Saturday night with a sore throat. I feel like complete poo today. At my appointment yesterday (see Check Ups page) my doc said I can take Claritan.  It helps a little, but I still want to die. I hope this goes away really soon! My work shower is on Thursday, and I want to be able to enjoy it!

33 weeks

Still feeling great.  Having a little trouble sleeping, but still have energy. I'm getting very excited for all the changes coming up.  New Baby, new house, Summer off....FUN FUN FUN!!! I can't wait to meet our little one. 

He/She is very active, but running our of space.  I can't quite see appendages moving across my belly yest, but I can FEEL the pressure. 

 I think I know what a butt feels like now! HA!

Here's me and my bump at 33 weeks...

I also had my belly session yesterday with Tina Vega.  She is hosting the scrapbook retreat I am at this weekend and asked me a few weeks ago if I would be willing to "model" for her. I said "HECK YES!" She's amazing! We had a lot of fun and her style is exactly what I would look for in a photographer. I can't wait to see the pictures.  Here's a peak at my session:

You HAVE to check this out!

I just posted a SUPER long, but VERY fun post on my other blog.  You should check it out.

click here: Like Totally

Enjoy! :)

A Party! YIPPEE

I'm so excited! I got the invite for my work shower yesterday! Isn't it cute! A tea party just for me and baby!!!

Rough night

Sleeping has become very complicated lately.  I HATE sleeping on my left side, but that's what I gotta do. I HATE having to get up 2-3 times every night to pee. I HATE waking up at 6:00 for work. HA!

But...I LOVE that I'm going through all this for our little bundle.

Last night was a little more rough than usual.

I must have streched a muscle or something when I was getting ready for bed because I was in pain! It hurt very badly.  Jeff was perfect.  I went downstairs to tell him I didn't feel good and I was in a lot of pain.  He said to go back up and lay down and he would be right up.  So when he came upstairs, he asked me to explain the pain. Shooting, dull, comes and goes? etc. We agreed it was most likely a muscle or something over streched.  He gave me a tylenol and sat with me for a little while.  He then got Frankie to distract me with her adorableness. I eventually got sleepy enough that he could turn out the light and go back downstairs.  I slept until about 2:30 before my first pee was needed.  When I got up, Jeff must have been awake because he asked me how I was feeling and I actually felt better.  But...I didn't sleep well.  I was up two more times. 

I just really really want a decent nights sleep! I doubt I'll see that again for about 20 years, if ever. At least I'm realistic. :)

DID YOU SEE THAT?!

Last night we were sitting on the couch and I told Jeff to watch my belly.  He finally got to SEE baby moving.  It was pretty cool. Got to feel baby move again too.  I love those moments.

Dr. M

Today I would like to share with you a little bit about my doctor.  He's great! I am so happy he is our doctor.  Jeff and I both really like him.  His name is Dr. Moriarity (more-e-air-ity).  Took me forever to be able to say his name properly. 

When we were at the "mom-to-be" expo at St John's Hospital this past weekend, the nurse who gave us the tour went around and asked each of us who our doctor was.  When I said who my doctor was, she lit up and said "oh, Dr. Joe! He's wonderful!" Jeff and I prompltly agreed.  She made a few references to him during our tour.  That made me feel really good.  Now I know Dr. M is well known at our hospital and has a fantastic working relationship with the nursing staff. I also learned that he did his residency at St. Johns.  He definetly knows his way around that hospital.

All these things put my mind at ease and help me better prepare for our big day.

Stress reduction and relaxation is the name of the game from here on out people. Let's all play along! :)

PS. Here's a little more about Dr. M.  - http://www.healtheast.org/index.php/about-healtheast/search-for-doctor/provider-details/?DocID=22303

Mommy and Daddy's minds at ease

Today we got to tour the maternity care center at St Johns Hospital.  The easiest way to sum up how I felt walking out of the hospital...

ah....

It was awesome.  They just finished (on Friday) a year long remodel.  They did a GREAT job! The colors, rooms, everything was fabulous. 

Some of the highlights I really like:

• Large rooms with lot's of windows to let in the sunshine
• "Spa like" bathroom
• sleeper sofa for Daddy
• All new equipment including a new hightech monitor so I won't be hooked up to any cords and wires while walking around the maternity care center, etc.
• Two family pantry's on the ward - stocked with water, soda, juice, snacks. 
• Kitchenette provided with fridge, freezer, and microwave for family and friends to use while waiting for baby to arrive
• mini fridge in our room for snacks and drinks.
• Afternoon tea time  for Mommy with cookies and scones brought to our room.
• Oshi Bori (a form of integrative therapy - aromatherapy)

Having the opportunity to see the delivery rooms and ask questions has given us  a lot of peace. After we left we sat down outside to rest (for Jeff's poor knee) and talked about how everything had exceeded our expectations and how we're so happy we got to tour the maternity care center.

Mommy at 30 weeks

In all my belly glory!

Hiccups, Rippling Belly, and We Interupt this blog...

First, let's talk hiccups. Poor Baby gets them a few times a day.  Poor Mommy gets to "enjoy" endure them too. If you're not pregnant, haven't been, maybe never will be, or just plain forgot what it was like, let me try to explain what it feels like. Imagine a tiny bubble popping over and over in your belly.  Or...a little muscle spasm. It's sometimes annoying, but wonderful at the same time. Any movement by baby is fantastic.  Let's me know the little bugger is doing something in there.

Second, let's talk about the "rippling belly". I experienced this laugh riot last night.  I was laying in bed and Baby started kicking, as he/she usually does at bed time.  I wondered if I would be able to see the movements. So I lifted my shirt and stared at my belly.  Within moments I watched a ripple move from the right side of my belly to the left. I shrieked with laughter.  Baby must have thought this was fun or funny too. It happened a few more times.  My belly would either "ripple" or just raise up suddenly in one spot.  It made me think of Katy telling me about her watching Kiley moving about in her belly.  I didn't really grasp what she was talking about until now.  It was very cool!

And lastly, let's talk about interupting life to... pee. OH BOY. I can't believe how often I have to waddle to the bathroom in pain.  I feel like a little kid that's having so much fun outside, they wait until the last minute to go in to pee. Only I'm not outside playing.  I'm at my desk, making dinner, or SLEEPING. And where does it all come from? I drink a fair amount of liquids, but come on! And I know, I know...it's only going to get worse. Sheesh.

When impulse buying is a good thing

I waited too long! :(

I just went to the website to buy that awesome diaper bag I so desperately wanted and it was sold out. I should have know better! I'm so impulsive and the one time I decide to wait, it totally bites me in the arse. And they had FREE shipping too! dang it.

Yeah for Daddy!

Poor Jeffrey, he's had a tough couple of days.  On Tuesday, he had knee surgery to replace his ACL and miniscus.  I got to play nursey for him all day.  It was pretty easy to do considering how much he usually takes care of me, how thankful he was, and how much I just plain ol' love him.

So there he was all day long, in and out of it with the drugs, and feeling pretty miserable.  We went to bed early, well, my normal time, but WAY early for him.  He usually doesn't come to bed until about 1-2AM.  Since he rarely is in bed at the same time as me, he misses out on gymnastic time with Baby.  As we were lying there, I said "here, give me your hand." I put his hand on my belly and within seconds he felt a powerful kick! He pulled his hand away and said "whoa." But then put his hand right back.  With the next kick he said "hey Pal, whatchya doin in there?" And then he felt a third kick.  It was very COOL! So even with the not so great day Daddy had been having, I imagine that all made it a little better.  Sure made Mommy feel good.

Daddy snubbed

Last night I felt a few powerful roundhouses from baby while watching TV with Jeff.  After the second kick, I asked him if he wanted to see if he could feel it.  So we sat there for a few minutes while he put his hand on my bump...nothing.  A few minutes after he moved his hand away...whomp, another kick. But this time Frankie was laying across my lower belly and legs and when the baby kicked, Frankie snapped her head up and looked at me.  It was pretty funny.  So Frankie has been able to feel a baby kick, but not Daddy. HA!

Guilt...in many forms.

Wow, what a weekend!

Well, first let me start off with the results of my Glucose test.  I finally received a call on Thursday afternoon that my test results were normal. I had figured this to be the case since I hadn't heard anything until then.  Knowing my doc and how quickly I usually get stuff back if there is follow up, I wasn't too worried about the results. 

So with that pushed out of my mind, I spent all of Thursday night preparing for my weekend getaway.  I went to SCRAPCAMP this past weekend! Ok, it's a scrapbooking retreat, but we fondly call it scrapcamp ever since Jeff called it that last year when I went.  Crystal and I left Friday morning for the retreat. Anyhow, I found all kinds of energy on Thursday to pack my stuff, make pasta salad and lemon bars, and do some laundry. When I finally went to bed at 1:00AM. I was pooped. I had to be up early on Friday to head out, so no sleeping in for me. (this turned out to be a theme of the weekend.)

And we're off...Finally Scrapcamp weekend had come.  I'm posting my full review of the weekend on my other blog http://www.aqueenscourt.blogspot.com/

Here's where the guilt comes in:

1) I felt slightly guilty that Crystal spent a large portion of Saturday making my shower invites. They turned out AMAZING - So Thank You Crystal! She kept telling me to shut up and not feel guilty, but I still did.  What a great friend for doing that during her time at the retreat. (She kept saying, "well, when else am I going to do them, besides you're here so if I mess up or have a question, you can help" LOL!)

2) Jeff ate pancakes for dinner on Saturday night.  This made me feel guilty because I accidentally brought his deli turkey with me on the retreat. It was left in the bag I grabbed out of the fridge for the weekend. Oops. In my defense, we live 1 minute from a grocery store - sheesh.

and finally, something baby related...

3) I only felt somewhat connected to baby this weekend.  Here's why: I look very pregnant right now, so naturally people comment on this.  The ladies were so nice, telling me I looked "cute" and so on.  I also ate like a pregnant lady.  I think this made a lot of the ladies laugh.  It seems like I was always grabbing a snack or eating something. So, the focus all weekend felt like it was about ME and ME being pregnant.  I know there was talk about the baby, but it still felt like it was somewhat about me. I know it's silly to feel guilty about this, and I guess it's harder to explain that I thought.  Another way to put it is that most of my days I go to work, focus on work all day, then go home and it's just me, Jeff, Frankie, and "baby".  I have time to think about baby, talk to baby, and even feel baby moving.  On weekends, I feel more connected because I eliminate the work part of my day.  This past weekend, I was with other people, focusing on my projects, and never really alone.  While pregnancy and baby was a much talked about topic, I didn't have that alone time with my bump, so as a result I felt somewhat guilty. Crazy, I know.

Glucose test # 2 - 3 hour adventure

Well, here I sit.  I'm at my clinic right now enjoying my 3 hours of "work time", since that's what I'll be doing.  I will either spend this time preparing my 3 Day pictures for my scrapbooking retreat this next weekend, or work on Thingamabobs & Doodads.  (check out the work I did on the blog over the weekend - http://www.thingamabobsanddoodads.blogspot.com/)

I drank my "stuff" first thing when I got here.  This time it was lemon/lime (last week it was orange - yuk).  The lemon/lime wasn't much better, but it wasn't as gross either.  They will take my blood four times while I wait here.  My first # was 85 and it needed to be under 95.  I have no idea what this means, but the lab tech said that was a good number - anything under 95 is good.  I'm sure I'll be more educated by the end of this "adventure".  More to come.....

My Valentine...

I love this guy!

27 weeks!

:(

Well, I "failed" the glucose test.  My blood sugar came back higher than my doc would like so on Monday I get to do the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. ack.

Hopefully this second test rules out gestational diabetes.  Here's what I read on the web about the test I did today:

If the reading is abnormal (too high), which happens 15 to 23 percent of the time, your practitioner will have you come back for a three-hour glucose tolerance test to see if you really do have gestational diabetes. The good news is that most women whose screening test shows elevated blood sugar don't turn out to have gestational diabetes.

So on my day off (office is closed Monday) I get to sit at my clinic for three hours. yippee. I also have to start taking an additional iron supplement twice a day.  And things were going so well....poo.

Glucose Screening tomorrow for Gestational Diabetes

I'm not sure why this test freaks me out so much.  I think it may be because I worked with a girl once who had gestational diabetes and had to eat a special diet and test herself every day. That seemed like a huge hassle. 

So, here I am, it's my turn for the test.  Here's what I'm in for:

How is the screening test done?

When you arrive for the test, you'll be given a sugar solution that contains 50 grams of glucose. The stuff tastes like a very sweet soda pop (it comes in cola, orange, or lime flavor), and you have to get all of it down in five minutes. Some centers keep it chilled or let you pour it over ice and drink it cold.

An hour later (bring a book or magazine!), your practitioner or a technician will take a blood sample from your arm to check your blood sugar level. The idea is to see how efficiently your body processes sugar. Results should be available in a few days.

If the reading is abnormal (too high), which happens 15 to 23 percent of the time, your practitioner will have you come back for a three-hour glucose tolerance test to see if you really do have gestational diabetes. The good news is that most women whose screening test shows elevated blood sugar don't turn out to have gestational diabetes.

So I have that to look forward to tomorrow. Other than this test, here's what happening with us...

My wardrobe has shrunk considerably.  If you'll recall last week's posts, I had to go shopping for my first batch of maternity clothes.  It was a successful trip! I got a few tops, two pairs of jeans, and a little bit of confidence back.  However, I'm still in need of a few more items.  I had a mini online Old Navy shopping spree the other night, so I'm patiently awaiting a UPS delivery any day now. 

Baby is very active..or is he/she? I don't know if it's because I'm use to the movement, been super busy and haven't noticed, or kiddlet is mellowing out, but I feel like I haven't felt as much as I should be lately.  I'll be asking Dr. M about this tomorrow.

Hormones are back! Weepy pregger lady was visiting on Monday.  I felt terrible.  Physically and emotionally.  I was trying to still wear some of my "regular" clothes - what a mistake.  I was so uncomfortable.  That led me down a wicked emotional downfall.  Then to top it off we got semi-bad news about a house we were interested in.  I actually started bawling at work.  I ended up leaving early for the day.  It wasn't good. 

But, I feel great again today.  Sun is out, I get to sleep in a little tomorrow, and a wholesaler is coming in today and bringing FREE lunch! Poor guy, he has no idea he gave his credit card information and free range ordering power to a pregnant lady. ha ha ha!

i feel huge.

I've finally hit the point where none of my clothes really fit (barring the elastic stuff!) I'm suppose to go shopping tonight with Katy to get some moo moo's or something, but the snow is messing with my plans.  Not to mention the fabulous dinner out I have my heart set on!

So, there you are.  I feel huge.  Thankfully I've been told/ or lied to/ that I'm "so little". 

But...I'm still 6 lbs under my first appointment weight.  Why didn't any of you tell me I was the size of a whale pre-pregnancy?!

me in a few short weeks? eek.

Registry - check.

Yesterday I started our registry at Babies R Us.  Sheila and McKenzie helped me.  I was completely overwhelmed and without Sheila, I would still be in the infant care department! We spent almost 2 hours walking through the store.  I knew there would be a lot that was foriegn to me, but I was not prepared for the emotions I would deal with afterwards.  When I got home I started to feel a little panicked.  I started to cry and had to take a hot shower and nap to recover.

After my recovery period, I found energy again for the registry process, so Jeff and I stopped at Target to start that registry.  We added a few items, mostly because I wanted Jeff's opinion on some of the "big" stuff.  I felt much better and pretty excited after we left.  We then had date night and went out for dinner.  All was well as we drove home and I started to think about holding our little miracle and felt better.

I'm gonna love being a Mom.

oh, and at Babies R Us...I got to park in the "expectant mothers" special parking spot.  That was pretty cool.

Squeeky Ball + Frankie = Excited Baby (or freaked out Baby)

Today I experienced a first. 

I was snoozing on our bed with Frankie when she decided it was time to get up and play ball.  She brought me her loudest squeeky ball and started the NOISE.  All of a sudden, Baby started moving.  Then when Frankie stopped with the ball, Baby stopped moving, but as soon as Frankie started again so did Baby.  It was pretty neat!

Long awaited UPDATE!

Me & My Bump at week 23

Oh boy, where to begin?!


I left off at week 13. I was too sick to care about the blog – sad I know. But, I feel GREAT now! I’ve actually felt great for about a month now. Actually, it’s probably even longer.

Baby’s doing fantastic! Here are some of the highlights from the past 11 weeks (yes, I’m at 24 weeks now!)

Week 18: I had the weirdest sensation hit me one evening as I sat on the couch watching TV. I felt this light “bubble popping” feeling in my tummy. Most books and websites say a first time mom won’t feel the baby move until about week 20, so I didn’t think it was baby. I told my friend Shelly about it the next day and she also said “nah, it probably wasn’t baby”. Well…it was! Now that I feel the bambino moving all the time, I know it was actually the first time I felt baby moving. I’m glad I didn’t dismiss it. It's such a neat feeling.  It's really hard to explain, but it feels a lot like little air bubbles popping - and not like GAS! HA! It's an airy light feeling. 


Week 19: Ultrasound – WOW! What a neat experience. I thought I would be emotional, but it was so interesting that I never really attached an emotional feeling to it. Jeff and I sat looking at the monitor in amazement. We got to see baby move his/her arm, we saw the baby’s heart beating, and the tech pointed out all the important “parts”. We left with a DVD of photo’s and some short videos. I did not enjoy the full bladder part of the experience, so I’m ok if my Dr. decides I won’t need another one during the rest of the pregnancy.

Christmas: Our kid is completely prepared to wear his/her UND Fighting Sioux gear and Vikings attire! For Christmas, little bambino got a UND onesie from Auntie Terry and Uncle Cordell (well, we’re hoping he’ll be an uncle some day!) UND gear from Mommy, and Vikings attire from Uncle Pat and Auntie Jen. Nana (trying this name out for my mom) already has a little girl Vikings outfit, which sadly, she had before we announced we were expecting. I’m sure she’ll spoil our kid with lots of MN sports team clothing. Baby also got an AMAZING gift from the Satniks. They gave us a play mat/baby gym play set. It’s Fisher Price Precious Planet – very cool! I set it up a few days after Christmas to see what Frankie thought of it and surprisingly she didn’t seem to care about it very much. This is good, but not sure it’ll last. Daddy also bought baby a nice little present. I was very impressed. He even got a baby gift bag for it. He found two body suits that say “Who needs a Superhero when I have a Daddy” and “I’m the boss (when Mom’s not around)” He also got a package of newborn Soothie pacifiers. I joked with him and asked if they were for Frankie because every time we visit the Headley’s, Frankie finds Addy’s Soothies and tries to chew them up.

We’ve also had a few Dr. appointments since last update. Everything is progressing just as it should. My Dr. says I’m doing excellent. We decided to decline the four marker genetics test. It wouldn’t change anything we would do, but might cause stress if the test were to come back abnormal, which our Dr. says is somewhat common. No thanks! It is what it is, and we’ll deal with whatever comes our way when and if anything presents itself. I get to do the glucose test next appointment – oh joy.

So, here we are. Week 24. Baby is very active, especially at night when it’s time for Mommy to sleep. It’s our special time. I’ve started talking to little bambino, but it’s kind of weird sometimes to talk to “air”. I’m getting more comfortable with it. We’re pretty sure that baby will know Frankie the minute her bark is heard. She’d definitely the most vocal Anderson in our house!

Oh, and here’s what Baby’s up to these days:

• Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.


• His body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn.


• Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste.


• Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb.


• Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.


• His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.


• This week your baby is officially considered viable.


• Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!