31 weeks (and other things)

This week was so eventful I felt it needed to have it's own post. 

Big Brother

I decided to put Whit first in this post because he has had such an interesting week.  After a difficult holiday break (3 Christmases are tough when you are two!) Whit has finally gotten back on schedule today.  It's a good thing because we all head back to school in just 4 days.  I know he's enjoyed the time home with Mommy and Daddy and he is not sounding excited about getting back in the swing of things next week. As always, he will roll with it and be ok and I am comforted with the knowledge that in just 7-11 weeks we will get to be back together again (albeit in a slightly more chaotic way). 

Whit's language and understanding continue to develop at a rate that is shocking to me.  He mostly understands that there is a baby inside of Mommy and he almost gets that eventually she will come out and be at home with us.  We've been trying to read books about new babies and new siblings to encourage his understanding.  Whit has also begun singing with me at bed time and I cannot wait for the first time he tries to sing Baby Sister a lullaby (or pick her up, feed her, or changer her diaper for that matter!)

Whit's imagination has also kicked into high gear.  A few weeks ago he began "pretending" on a more regular basis.  Now, he re-enacts scenes from his favorite movies.  We've tipped more tractors than I can count and he can quote nearly every line from Cars. An interesting manifestation of the re-enactment has happened in the last 2 days.  Whit is a big fan of Caillou, and we watch an episode nearly every night as we get ready for bed.  The other day Caillou was afraid of monsters and couldn't sleep.  As a result, 2 of the previous 3 nights Whit and I have had to go on a "monster hunt" to make sure that there aren't any monsters coming to get him before bed.  It's a fear I can remember having as a child and although I don't want Whit to experience the fear of going to bed himself, I have a hard time not smiling as we trek through the upstairs with the Thomas flashlight looking in all of the closets.

Daddy & Mommy

The (repeat) parents to be were busy this week with home repairs, maintenance and cleaning.  We managed to fix a few unknown issues below the house, organize a few closets and find space for the carload of generous gifts from our holiday break in Virginia.  Of course, this involved taking a load (or two) of items to the dump and goodwill.  Mommy had great intentions of having a super-sized yard sale this summer, but my current mind set is more about keeping 'stuff' out of the house, not holding on to it for another 5-7 months.  Daddy repainted the bathroom cabinets and Mommy washed and organized all of the baby things.  Although Baby Girl's stash of clothing is no where near the wardrobe that Whit boasted before birth, she should still be able to make it through the first 6 weeks of her life without repeating an outfit more than once, not bad for a newborn. Mommy has also begun packing the hospital bag and working on a few other sewing projects that I need to complete before Baby shows up.

Baby Girl
 
Baby Girl continues to grow bigger this week which will be her main job until delivery.  At an estimated 3lb 10oz and another 3 to 5 pounds to gain before delivery we are expecting another healthy child between 7 and 9 pounds who likely won't be fitting into the few newborn sized outfits she has.  It's a good thing I decided to pack both newborn and 0-3 month sized clothing in our bag. 

We had an ultrasound today that was deemed "perfect" by the midwife.  This was, of course, a relief to Baby's overly worrisome parents, not that we've had much cause to worry with this pregnancy.  Whit was excited to see pictures of his baby sister and will tell you that's who is in them if you were to ask.  We were able to see the little one drinking in some amniotic fluid and learned that she is a bit of a contortionist keeping one leg in the fetal position and the other up above her head (that explains how she can kick me in the bladder and the ribs at the same time!) She has just a little more wiggle room than her big brother did at the same time (Whit weighed about half a pound more at an estimated 4lbs 4oz). 

The biggest surprise?  The ultrasound tech pointed out that the reason her profile looks at little fuzzy around the head is because Baby Girl is already working on her curls (although you can't see it well in this image).  She's sporting quite the compliment of baby fine hair and with two more months of growth to go, I may need to pack a comb, brush and hair accessories in our bag as well.  Only time will tell if she will have the same head full of hair that her brother had at birth.

Baby Girl in profile at 31 weeks (the nose/mouth area is in the middle of the image)

Month 7

Weeks 26-30

November 22-December 26

The halfway point of the 7th month marks the beginning of the 3rd trimester. At the end of this month we have between 9 and 13 weeks left to go.

Month 7 was another very busy month for the Renegar family.  This month ecompassed both Thanksgiving and Christmas and saw us home in Virginia for two visits, attending several holiday parties, a few doctors appointments for well and sick checkups and doing some shopping and engaging in festivities of our own.

Baby
At the end of this month, Baby Girl will be up to 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 pounds (given the size of Big Brother, I'd say close to 3 1/2).  She's developed taste buds and is practicing swallowing (while tasting amniotic fluid) and breathing.  This effort to regulate both swallowing and breathing at the same time often leads to the hiccups.  Although kicks and turns and other movement are becoming stronger and more noticebale, Baby Girl is much more calm in the womb than her big brother.  Some days hiccups are the most activity we get.  Unless, of course Mommy eats something really yummy... Mandarin oranges and hot chocolate (not together) are really getting her going these days. I even got a strong elbow (or knee, or foot) that made me jump a little the other day.

Mommy
As month 7 comes to a close I have a hard time believing that we will have another little bundle in just a few short months.  It seems so far away and I feel like I have so much time to get things ready.  Then when I think about returning to school on January 7th (after a much needed Holiday Break) I realize that this little angel could be a real, live part of our family as soon as 7 or 8 weeks later.  Of course, given my family's tendency toward 10 month pregnancies, I probably have a few more weeks of wiggle room. Still, I know these last months will go quickly and I'm really looking forward to meeting this little one and embarking on the next leg of our family's journey.

Daddy and Big Brother
Daddy contiues to be very excited about a little girl being part of the family and Whit continues to be not so sure about, and not very aware of, the impending changes. He is adjusting to Mommy's growing belly well, to the point of not even noticing that there is a difference until bedtime when getting snuggly with Mommy has become more difficult, especially with Baby Sister asking for more room.

Check out what Big Brother Whit was doing during Month 7

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

I can hardly believe Christmas is a short 5 days away. 

In part, this is because I still sit here, in Tennessee, in my classroom, with students buzzing around me (by the way, wearing t-shirts and no jackets due to the 65+ degree weather). 

At home, we have the tree up and all of the presents wrapped and gleaming beneath the lights.  Frosty the Snowman has been a staple part of our TV rotation and we've been listening to Christmas music regularly, but I'm still having trouble settling and finding that Christmas feeling.  I'm ready for snow and heavy jackets, or at least hats and mittens.

One of the wonderful things about having children is the ability to pass down traditions to them.  I'm looking forward to a Christmas Eve service in which Whit will be able to sing some of the songs (Go, Tell it on the Mountain is one he actually knows!) and reading stories before bed.  I'm also ready for Christmas cookies, plenty of busy time with family and friends and that ever-special Christmas morning experience, taken to a whole new level by watching the joy of children rather than experiencing it for yourself.

Still, we are trying to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive in our house.  Whit recognized Baby Jesus before Santa and I try to remind him, in spite of presents, that the celebration is truly about the amazing gift that was given to the human race.  It helps that Whit is wary of strangers and does not take kindly to the idea that some strange man is coming to his house even if he is planning to bring presents.  I know it will be a battle over the coming years to separate the fulfillment of material desires from the gift of a Savior, but perhaps by teaching him at such a young age it will become the basis for his understanding of the holiday as he gets older.

5 days and counting.... our last Christmas as a family of 3!

Month 6

Weeks 22-25

October 25- November 21

Perhaps I won't be able to keep up with a weekly or even bi-weekly update on this baby.  But... so goes the life of the second child.  I'm sure our baby girl will also suffer from half as many photos as big brother Whit (just as her mother did).  It's just exhausting keeping up with a busy 2 1/2 year old and working... especially during the holiday season.

So here we are getting ready to wrap up the 6th month of pregnancy, weeks 21-25.  The baby is steadily gaining fat to keep warm and the skin is starting to pink up with the formation of tiny capillaries. Baby grows strong and she is practicing her future dance moves.  Not nearly as active as big brother in the womb, I'm hoping it means this girl is going to be a little less rambunctious outside of it (but just a little).

The digestive system is continuing to develop and baby can swallow (and taste) amniotic fluid and sometimes gets the hiccups.  Mommy is also getting bigger and starting to put on those ever so lovely fat deposits that while unflattering now will come in handing in about 4 months when it's time to feed the hungry little one.

By the end of this month Baby weighs about 1 1/2 pounds, can respond to sound and touch and would survive outside the womb with intensive care.  Although given this families track record, I wouldn't expect the news of another Knoxville Renegar until March!

Here's a link to what Whit was up to during the 6th month back in February 2010

And a comparison shot:

25 weeks with Whit

24 weeks with Baby Girl! 

Photo Update!

The time period between the 15th of October and 15th of November proved to be the single busiest month for our family.  We were busy in our professional and personal lives.  I'm posting some pictures below so that you can quickly see what we've been up to. We had quite a lot of fun at the Pumpkin Farm and all of the Halloween festivities.  Since then we've been trying to chill out and catch up!

Racing Tractors with Mommy

Down the big slide with Daddy

Feeding the goats!

Getting a cuddle from Papa (it was so cold!!)

Picking a pumpkin

Found it... and Daddy!

And not letting go

Trunk or Treat - Bounce house! (with Sarah)

Climbing up with Marcus

Getting ready

And down the big slide.... fast!

At the pre-school costume party with "best friends: Whit (footballer), Trip (cookie) and Tucker (dinosaur)"

Trick-or-Treat with Reese and Sarah

Riding in style!

The first trick or treat

Treat received!

Mommy and Baby Girl at 5 months (22 weeks) You'd be surprised how much bigger I've gotten in just 2 weeks!

On a trip with Whit's class mascot "Sparkles"

Taking Sparkles to the baseball field

Playing baseball with Daddy

And now soccer

And back to baseball - the first "pitching" photo