GOOD-BYE TO MY HUNTIKINS

I had to make one of the hardest decisions I've had to make in a long time. I decided to give Hunter up for adoption to another family. Our last day with him was just a few days ago on Sunday, and it was so difficult to walk away from him. I haven't cried like that in a long time.

While it's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he's no longer living at our house and that I probably won't ever see him again, I know deep down that this was the right decision. And it wasn't a decision that I took lightly. I've been thinking about this for almost a year now, battling with what I should do. In the end, Baby Ben helped me to make the decision.

This will be best overall because having three dogs and a newborn baby would have been a lot to handle. Even though Hunter was the smallest member of the family, his barking and neurosis really took a toll on everyone, including the other two dogs. It was obvious that Hunter's bad habits (i.e. barking, possessiveness, neurosis) was rubbing off on the other two dogs, and it seemed to be getting worse over time. We just couldn't allow that to continue.

I am hopeful that Hunter will have a wonderful remainder of his life. He's almost 10 years old, and he probably has a good 5-6 years left in him. I hope that the next family loves him and appreciates all the cuteness and cuddliness that is Hunter. He will be missed in this family forever.

24 WEEKS DOWN, 16 WEEKS TO GO!

I am 24 weeks 2 days pregnant today! Another week down! I'm over 60% of the way there! Baby Ben's kicks are growing stronger with each week, and it's such a wonderful, reassuring feeling.

According to www.babycenter.com:
"Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon."


(photo courtesy of http://www.babycenter.com/)

Here's an amazing photo of a 24 week fetus.

(photo courtesy of http://www.caringpregnancycenter.net/)

23 WEEKS BABY BUMP

Here I am at 23 weeks 2 days. :-) I love my son already! I can't wait to meet him! But, I curse my fat arms! :-P

NATURAL VS MEDS

Okay, so up until recently, I kept telling myself (and everyone else who asked) that I will most definitely ask for the drugs when the time comes to have this baby.

Well, after reading books and just thinking more and more about the big day, I am leaning a little more towards trying the natural approach. I know that this may seem crazy to some people, but I at least want to TRY it.

Obviously, I'll need to read up on it more and mentally prepare myself more for a natural birth, but it's definitely something I'm heavily considering.

We'll see!!!

23 WEEKS DOWN, 17 TO GO!

I'm 23 weeks 2 days pregnant today. It's so crazy to think that I still have so much time left, but at the same time this pregnancy seems to have flown by!

Everything has been pretty smooth so far. I recently started getting nervous about the whole birthing process, but I'm trying my best not to freak myself out too much. Also, as dumb and shallow as it may seem, I'm getting a bit bummed out about how fat my arms and my face are getting. I know, I know. People can say whatever they want to me to try and make me feel better about it, but the truth is that it doesn't matter what people say. I hate that my face and arms are fat, and that's that. :-P Eeshk.

Baby Ben is kicking a lot these days. And just a couple of days ago, I felt the hardest kick so far. :-) It was really neat! Mark felt a good kick last night, as well.

I can't wait to meet the little guy!

According to www.babycenter.com:
"Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb."


(photo courtesy of http://www.babycenter.com/)

HEARTBURN STINKS!

Uuuuugggggghhhhh. Heartburn. It sucks. The reflux, the burning, the burping. It's gross, unpleasant, and it burns.

This is a short entry...just meant to be a way to vent today.

BENJAMIN ANDREW MCDONNELL

I've been referring to my baby as "Baby Ben", but I don't think I ever actually confirmed what his full name is!

So, Mark and I have decided to name our baby boy Benjamin Andrew McDonnell. We just love the name Benjamin, and it happens to be the middle name of his Godfather. Andrew is Mark's middle name. And Mark's favorite thing about the name??? The fact that the initials spell out the word BAM! LOL.

22 WEEKS DOWN, 18 TO GO!

I'm 22 weeks pregnant today. That's 154 days, 55% of the way through. :-) So, that means I have 126 days left until my due date, and only 35 days left until my third trimester!

I've been feeling baby Benjamin move around a lot over the last couple of weeks, which is such a wonderful and reassuring feeling!

According to www.babycenter.com:
"At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily."


(photo courtesy of http://www.babycenter.com/)

BUY BUY BABY vs BABIES R US

I've been going back and forth on this. Do I register at Buy Buy Baby? Or Babies R Us? Well, I've finally made up my mind. The winner is: BUY BUY BABY!

There are pros and cons to both, but Buy Buy Baby has more pros than cons, and way more pros than Babies R Us! Buy Buy Baby seems to have a better and wider selection of baby items, and because they are under the same company, they accept Bed Bath and Beyond coupons!!! The only downside is that because they are fairly new, there aren't a lot of locations open in Texas yet. But, most of their shipping is free, so I figured there really isn't much of a downside to picking a baby store that doesn't have very many locations.

So, Buy Buy Baby is where our registry will be! :-)

MY BABY IS A PAPAYA!

So, over the next few weeks (my 5th month of pregnancy), my baby is about the size of a papaya. :-)

The website I refer to says the following:

"Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop."

21 WEEKS DOWN, 19 TO GO!

I'm more than halfway there! Baby Ben has been moving around a lot lately, which is the most amazing and reassuring feeling. :-) I can't wait to meet the little guy!

According to www.babycenter.com:
"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well."


(photo courtesy of http://www.babycenter.com/)