Week 26

Roundin out the second trimester, goodness gracious!! Cant believe it!!

Ok so lets see, trying to capture the day to day events is getting more difficult, like where does the time go?! Definitely in full swing mode getting ready for her and also enjoying such a wonderful time of year with the holidays, family, friends, and great times spent together :D

A couple of weeks ago at week 24, we had our 5th doctor appointment. Definitely less exciting than the past, no glamor shot to share! We did get to hear her heartbeat, a sound I will never tire of :) And it was a great time to just checkin with the doctor and chat with him about whats to come. He says everything looks good, which is always an answer to all of our prayers! God is so faithful.

We have started our labor/birthing/ parenting classes.. I forgot how much I LOVE school, I love the note taking, the structure, the power point handouts, the forms to fill out.. LOVE LOVE LOVE it :D Even though Erik and I went to college together the only class we ever took together was social dance, we should have a mean fox trot but dropped out half way through, LOL! So, it was quite interesting being in a "real" class with him.. I always wondered how he never had notebooks for classes?? We are very different in our approach to learning, it makes me laugh.. I have to stand up for his methods of madness though.. Erik has always gotten great grades.. He is just a little more relaxed about the whole process and I am, well... NOT ;) hehehe.. I left class wondering if Baby Caines will be a front row girl like her mama or a little more "chill" and middle to back row like her daddy!!

Mommy style

Daddy style

And yes, I fully understand that Erik will be the fun parent, and am reminded by my lovingly honest friends of this all the time.. hehhe ;) BUT I will just be "fun" in a different way.. like in a lets play school and do flash cards kind of way, LOL!!

And I know a few of you out there were very worried about Harvest Day, this being the 2nd Annual year for our beloved fake-holiday ;) Harvest Day did in fact happen!! It just looked very different this year, less crafting and baking and more us realizing we only have so much time to have special date nights with minimal planning.. So for Harvest day we dressed up (my version, aka not sweats) went to one of our favorite restaurants in Pasadena and saw Thor.. it was pure awesomeness!! And next year when Baby Caines is here for Harvest Day we plan on keepin it a little more traditional with the pumpkins and baking at home :D

Yesterday was Thanksgiving!! I hope you all had a great day remembering all that we have been so graciously given. I am continually humbled this year by Gods grace and His outpour of blessings. His greatest reminders of love have come through many of you. I thank Him often for each of you!!

Have a great weekend!

With Love,

Kel

Doctor Appointment #4

Ok, sooo mama is falling a little behind, but I guess I should get used to it..I have heard something about how the baby won't want to cooperate with my scheduled and task-orientated life, HOW RUDE! ;-)

But I have loved documenting each doctor's visit because it helps me to remember each precious month and also share with each of you :) So our forth doctors appointment was 3 weeks ago when I was at 20 weeks...

It was such a special appointment, this was the day we found out we were having a baby GIRL! We will both remember this moment forever, the joy we felt, the moment we could picture our family with a beautiful little princess, our specific hopes and dreams for her began to form in this moment.

She also looked so much more like a baby, her sweet face, her round tummy, her long legs, and precious fingers and toes... our miracle, our love

I am now at 23 weeks and have my next doctors appointment next week, the months are FLYING by... and yet I just wanna meet her already!! But am very happy she is taking her time to cook in there :D

Lets take a look at what she has been up to...

• She is now the size of a spaghetti squash!! Almost a full 12 inches and just over one pound!! You GO GIRL!!
• Her ears are in final position
• Myelin is forming around her nerves.. a process that will continue for a year after she is born 
• Brain has now designated specialized areas for taste, smell, hearing, vision, and touch
• She is practicing her swallowing
• She has eyebrows, eyelids, and tooth buds!!
• Her ear are fully delevoped, she can hear everything you and I would hear.. its just a little muffled for her being in my belly :D

That brings us to her last new development: KICK mommy!!! She is kicking up a storm, making my whole belly jump!! But she is very particular about when she will kick :-) All day I will feel little flutters.. until she hears Erik's voice then she really gets going!!! It is the most precious thing EVER.. Yesterday she was being rather tame, and I didn't feel her that much. Then we are lying in bed and Erik started talk to her and WHOA!! she was kicking like CRAZY.. hehhe She loves her daddy!! Then she wouldn't stop kicking.. leave it to daddy to get her all excited before bed ;-) LOL 

Hugs from Mommy and Kicks from Baby!! Love you!

Month 5: BELLY

Ok, now we are cookin ;-) All of a sudden this month my belly has grown!! Its now undeniably a baby bump.. strangers are even getting the courage to ask when I am due!! I love it, its fun to actually look pregnant instead of just looking like I forgot to go to the gym for 4 months, hehhehe

This picture was taken today, right before we left for our hospital tour and orientation :D What a fun experience!! We absolutely LOVE the hospital, all the nurses were so nice and informative. They did a great job of walking us through the whole processes of where to park, checking in, what to expect in the labor and delivery room and then the maternity room. We then got to see the rooms we would be in, which are sooo much nicer than we expected!! And my favorite news of the day, as long as I have a normal delivery baby caines receives all care in our room!! yipppeeee, I have been worried about her leaving the room, giving Erik strict instructions to leave me no matter what to be with baby, LOL But to all get to stay together is the BEST!! Yep! I get that I am over the top and crazy and you think that I might want to take advantage of the nursery for sleep.. but I am a first time mom and Im allowed to be a little crazy :D

 Also took theses pics before going to a Halloween party! Bump is a little harder to see in all black, but wanted to show off our cute costumes.. Erik was such a trooper for being my scratching post.. perhaps a little metaphorical of the past 5 months, hehhehe

Erik couldn't let me have all the fun shopping.. this was so cute!! He went to a comic convention with a friend and came back with these, baby caines is already daddy's little princess, I LOVE it :D

Also, other BIG NEWS Erik felt baby caines kick for the first time this AM, it was totally awesome!! She was putting on a little show for him, kicking all morning :D Lazy Sunday morning in bed as family are like the absolute best thing, can't wait for her to join us outside of my belly!!

Have a lovely week!!