Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone! We're ringing in the new year with a belly bump and his new little friend, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Cheers to you all!

28 Weeks

Are you dreaming about your baby? At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs.
By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to his or her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing.

The good news is that babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity — so you too can breathe a little easier now. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• At the doctor's office today, I learned I've gained 22 pounds. That was after about 5 pounds that I lost at the beginning though. So about 17 pounds weight gain so far.
• Cranky and tired. Feel like I've been pregnant forever!

24 Weeks

Here I was almost 24 weeks. Compare to one month prior.

Smart Cookie

Check out this awesome toy that Grandma and Grandpa gave me for Christmas. I won't be able to play with it right away, but you know mommy loves that it could help me learn my ABCs and 123s. The blocks are nice and soft to throw or kick around so I won't hurt myself or anyone else. Plus, there are cool little rattlers and teethers that fit inside the blocks. Mommy already tried out all of the toys, so that she could be certain I would love to play with it when I'm able to. I'm excited to get them out and dig in!

Future Soccer Star

Daddy bought me these super cool soccer boots for Christmas. I am all ready to go to play soccer as I now have a Manchester United onesee, these new soccer boots, and a Manchester United ball. I've also been practicing my super cool soccer moves in Mommy's belly. I've been kicking super hard, but I don't think she minds. Even if she's trying to sleep most the time that I'm training in here.

27 Weeks

Most babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.

Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices. So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun at 27 weeks pregnant: If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he or she isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Oh my aching back!
• Trouble sleeping - partly because it's impossible to get comfy and partly because Miles is very active at night.

Merry Christmas

From Judd, Lisa, Sinjin, Jessica, and the Baby Bump (Miles)