25 weeks!

How far along? 25 weeks - only 15 weeks to go! Eek!


Total weight gain/loss: +18 pounds

Maternity clothes? It's been so warm this week, I pulled out maternity leggings and cute dresses. Fun!

Stretch marks? Continuing to creep their way in. I cannot say I'm a big fan, but I am getting used to seeing them in the mirror.

Sleep:  I am becoming more uncomfortable at night - hopefully I find a pillow combination/position that I like soon! It will likely look something like this:

Best moment this week: We had an in-dept ultrasound with the perinatologist yesterday - and everything is okay with Henry's kidneys! No more talk of inducing early, or anything else scary. He will check up on us in the middle of May just to be on the safe side, but it was such a relief!

Movement: He is starting to kick hard enough that I can see my belly move almost every day. So cool! And look at his adorable foot! :)

Food cravings:  Today I thought I would not live if I did not eat Panera immediately. I might have survived, but I did not take that chance. Mmmm... Panera.

Gender: He showed off for us at the doctor again yesterday. He's so proud! Still won't show us his face very well, but we did see that he has some hair on his head already!

Labor Signs: 

 

Belly Button in or out?  In - I'll be surprised if it sticks out after all, but we shall see!

*New Question*  What do we want to teach Henry about?  Other parts of the world. The kids I watch after school recently were asked if they know how to speak "African" (their family is from Nigeria). Really people? Really?? I felt so bad for them - and they thought it was so ridiculous that someone would think there was such a language - but I sadly was not that surprised...

What I miss: Bratwurst.

What I am looking forward to: Continuing with some warm weather. I love all the sunny days we've been having!

Weekly Wisdom: This week I have been reading a book about why us in the developing world have made breastfeeding so complicated. It has been really interesting and empowering. One of the most interesting things I learned is that brand-new infants can actually "crawl" to the mother's breast to eat if they are placed on her abdomen. (I even watched a video of it because I wasn't sure I believed it at first!) I always think of infants as so helpless (and in many ways, they are) but it's cool to think of all the instincts and reflexes babies have at birth.

Milestones: At 25 weeks, babies are considered "viable" - they have a chance of survival outside of the womb. I plan on keeping Henry snug inside for another 15 weeks or so, but I think it's amazing that if he came now, he would already have a fighting chance. It makes it feel even closer to his arrival!

Daddy's thoughts:

So it got warm again.  It's weird because it wasn't that terrible of a winter, it's only March 14th and yet I'm still thinking "Man, I thought spring would never get here!"  I have no conception of how weather is supposed to work, I just believe I deserve 70 degree spring/fall all the time.  This much warmth makes me think about being outside, and now with Henry!  We're getting a pretty awesome stroller (or so I believe), which folds up simply by grabbing a handle on the base of the seat.  Should be easy to transport anyway.  I think Graco makes it.  So we'll be taking him on plenty of walks when he's old enough to go out.  There's a little park on the corner by our house that I walked by today.  Seriously, when I say little, I mean it.  I think postage to Lichtenstein would completely cover it.  Apparently Peoria is full of these little guys.  Somewhere to take Heinrich, at least.  

   And campus.  Just having survived self-diagnosed pneumonia, I've finally cleared myself (with a doctor's note I wrote on the back of an envelope) that I could go running again.  I go through campus today which was kind of weird 'cause all the students are at home on spring break.  That too will be Henry someday, won't it?  "Hey mom, dad, I'm going to be in my room talking to my friends online for a while.  Come bring me food if you feel like it."  And so on like that.

  As you all know I'm a U of I alum and Nicki is true to her Bradley roots.  She keeps insisting our kids will come here (not really, she just calls them her "Bradley babies", whatever that is supposed to infer).  I was in a seminar 2 weeks ago that talked about putting money away for your kids' schooling.  It actually looks pretty affordable, which is nice, because I can only assume that the cost of college will near the total debt of Lichtenstein by then.  As long as they get out of the house.  :)

 Nicki's had more aches and pains with the change in the weather, which she's always been fairly sensitive to anyway.  She says my massages saved the day though, so that's nice.  At least I know what my super power is now.  Teleportation would have been nice but I'll take what I can get.  Anywho, things seem to be going pretty well.  Looking forward to Tate's Birthday Party/St. Patrick's Day celebration at my sister's this weekend (St. Tater's Day?).  I'm also very much looking forward to mom's cake.  I haven't had that since...Eli's birthday in Septembuary?

  My beard's getting longer.  Someone said it made me look more "fatherly".  Someone else said it took my baby face.  I didn't even know I had one of those!  We'll see what the family thinks this weekend.  They'll probably think I look like I come from Lichtenstein.

    -Ben