The Auto Equivalent of Mommy Jeans

A lot has happened in the last month, and I've been a real slacker about sharing it all with you guys!  First, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's house.  Mom, Dad and Adam were there.  Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Barry were there.  My cousin Carrie, her husband Josh, and their son, Aiden, were there, too.  But the real treat was my Uncle Terry, who was able to come in from Seattle to share the holiday with us!  The food was fantastic, it was great to see everyone, and, by the end of the day, I was really thankful for the stretch in my maternity pants!

On November 29, I had another doctor appointment.  It was pretty routine and boring, except that I got another sonogram after the doctor had trouble finding the baby's heartbeat over mine!  Never one to be upset over an unexpected look at my baby, I was thrilled to see that tiny face again!!!  This time, BA was sucking his or her thumb...too bad BA changed positions before the image was captured. You can still see the arm next to his or her cheek, though!

In the world of mommy, I'm feeling lots of kicks and fist jabs these days!  I'm going to the bathroom a lot and eating tons of Tums, but other than that I'm feeling great.  I'm working hard to find warm clothes that still fit, and I'm happy to report that my coat still zips...as long as I'm standing (I don't want to see what would happen if I tried to sit down with it zipped)!  The belly is getting bigger and bigger, and I have no real perception of where I begin and end anymore.  They tell me this will get worse before it gets better.

In other mommy news, I traded my 2000 Honda Civic for a 2010 Kia Rondo this week.  I'm excited about the new car (let's face it - my Civic didn't have an iPod hook up or 3rd row seating), but it's weird to be driving around in the automotive equivalent of mom jeans!  I really like the car, and I'm sure I'll be thrilled to have it once I have to put the baby in a car seat in the back!



Goodbye, 2-door "single girl" Civic....



.....hello 4-door "mommy car" Rondo!





Our Baby Is An Acrobat

Today, we got our 20 week sonogram.  It was amazing!  I had been worried that I hadn't been feeling the baby move, yet, but after the acrobatics we witnessed during the sonogram, there's nothing to worry about!  BA (that's Baby Archer) showed off by twisting and turning, reaching a tiny arm above his or her head, opening and closing fists, and kicking like crazy.  We got to see the heart, the spine and the brain (which is thankfully contained inside what appears to be a Kristin-sized head!) - all of which look good!  The baby was riding high above my belly button, has a heart rate of 162, and weighs in at 11 ounces.  Does anyone else think it's unfair that the mom starts growing quicker as the baby's growth slows down?!



Right and left profiles of BA's head





Sorry About the Swearing, Baby...

Me and my brother, Adam, attended the last K-State v. Nebraska game on Oct. 7.  Baby, I would like to apologize for the new words you learned that night.  I realize that you can now hear sounds outside of my belly, and I am sorry for exposing you to such language.  I'm sure we'll get those nasty 'Huskers next time...

We have also been enjoying this fantastic fall weather!  We took a trip down to City Market last weekend and got ourselves a pumpkin and some great baked goods from a nice Amish lady.  We hear the carrot cake was delicious, but our naughty, naughty dog will have to be the one to confirm that for you.  She has learned a new trick - counter surfing!  So far, she has had a carrot cake, a 1/2 loaf of bread, and 5 1/2 dozen pumpkin cookies.  That's right - five and a half DOZEN.  Bad dog.

I have also developed the tell-tale "baby bump."  We took the dog for a big walk at the Overland Park Arboretum this weekend (generous, considering she ate all my cookies!), and took some photos to prove it.  The belly is higher than I expected...does anyone else think it will be a girl? 

Here Comes the Bride!

My cousin Lizzie got married on Saturday (Sept. 18).  It was a beautiful wedding, we LOVE her new husband (it's about time you joined the family, William!), and it was fantastic to see our whole family in one place.  Carrie and Josh's baby, Aiden, looked dashing in his tuxedo onesie, and Travis and Yumi's son, Tyler, really tore up the dance floor!  We also got to spend some quality time with Uncle Terry (in from Seattle), Cousin Elaine (in from Boston), and Aunt Anita and Cousins Natalie and Dashiel (all in from LA). It was a great chance to catch up with everyone....and take a family photo!  We're only missing Adam, but I'm sure we'll get him at the next wedding. Right, Adam?

It was my first big family function with the "no alcohol during pregnancy" rule in effect, and I'm happy to say that I truly enjoyed spending time with each and every one of my family members - even without a drink in my hand!  Of course, the fantastic Italian buffet dinner and super yummy wedding cake would have been enough to keep ANYONE happy...

Now it's a BIGGER fuzzy white thing!

This has been an exciting week!  Uncle Adam and I went to the first K-State home game of the season (Natalie, so sorry we beat up on your Bruins like that!).

Then, Grandma Marti and Grandpa Jeff bought us a crib and changing table (thanks for driving all the way out to the Target by the speedway to get that for us, Grandpa Jeff!).  It's super cool and changes from a crib to a toddler bed to a day bed to a headboard, so it will be with us FOREVER!

Finally, I went to the doctor again on Sept 9.  Our little BA has grown to 18 cm in length (measuring right at 12 weeks) and has a healthy heart rate of 162 beats per minute!  We got a new sonogram, too, which would be cool if you could actually make out a baby in all that black and white fuzz!  The sonogram technition pointed out the head, body, arms and legs to me...and I could see them on the monitor at the time.  I guess it just doesn't translate well to printed photo!





The dotted line in the middle measures the baby from crown to rump - can you see the arms sticking up from the torso? Me, neither...



I Think I See a Head...

...and it's frighteningly Tom-sized!  Our second ultrasound was even cooler than the first.  Just a week after the last sonogram, our peanut jumped from 2.1 cm to 7 cm in length and the heart rate went from 120 to 170 (all normal, I'm told!).  The outline was also decidedly more "baby-shaped," which was an exciting moment for us! 







Congratulations! It's a fuzzy white thing...

Some of you may be more skilled than I am at reading an ultrasound.  To you I say, "Congratulations. That is a talent I will never possess."  To the rest of you who are as lost in the hazy black-and-white pictures as I am, all I can say is that there was a definite heartbeat! 

This morning, Tom and I were able to see our baby's tiny heart pounding away at 122 beats per minute. (No wonder I'm so tired, kid!)  We were also able to hear it, which was an absolutely amazing moment for the two of us!  I'm super happy Tom was able to be there for all of it, so if you happen to see his boss around, be sure to tell him, "Thanks for taking the week off!"

Spilling the Beans About Our Belly Bean

On July 26, my mom and dad took us out to celebrate Adam’s and my birthdays (they’re just a week apart, you know). After a FANTASTIC dinner at M&S Grill (Thanks, Dad!), all 5 of us went back to the Lee house for birthday cake and presents. As the birthday celebration began to wind down, we shared our big news with the family. Tom had already told his mom we are expecting, so it was great to have the big baby secret out in the open!

It's Official - We're Preggers!

Now that the word is out that there will soon be THREE Archers, here are the details:

E.T.A. of Baby Archer - March 25, 2011

So far so good on the morning sickness thing!  Mama-to-be is tired and can't stop drinking water (or getting rid of it later!), but no nausea or other icky side effects!

No, we're not finding out if it's a boy or a girl.  Kristin is cheap and wants stuff she can use again for any future brothers or sisters.

And yes, it's good timing!  We're hoping to make it to the due date - that way Kristin can take the last quarter of the school year off and not have to leave the little munchkin at daycare until August!

More details as they become available...