29 weeks and counting...

hi all.

Here are two 29 week pictures:

29 weeks... whew, not too many more to go now!  In a bit more than 2 months I'll be ready to go.  Go to the hospital, that is.  Yes, go to the hospital and hopefully not remember anything but the final "congrats, here's your daughter" moment.  I'm not paranoid, just scared out of my mind.  I kind of wish people hatched their babies from eggs... or that they really were delivered via stork.  But anyway, these are things I'd rather just put off thinking about for another, oh, 2 months.  So moving on...

Ahem.  This week Mike and I found out that 2 other couples that we are good friends with are also pregnant!  Lena will have lots of friends close in age which is awesome.  

And in other Lena news, she's been throwing fits lately.  A couple days ago and then again last night as I was trying to get some sleep.  Now, obviously I can't see her but let me describe the feelings inside and you can judge fit-or-no-fit by yourself.  So last night.  It's midnight.  I'm SO TIRED.  I am laying there trying to get comfortable.  All of a sudden up by the outer-right side of my rib cage I feel a "bam bam bam bam bam!" while simultaneously feeling the same exact thing down by my left hip.   I open my eyes briefly and then close them again because surely she is done.  no.  "BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!!" even harder!  and simultaneously in the same locations!  what is that?!  It's gotta be kicking and punching at the same time because what else could she possibly be doing??  sheesh.

and that's my story.

the end.

Bigger and Better

Here are some new pics from week 28.  Bigger and better every week.

but not pregnant from the front! 

and I say "bigger and better" but by that I really mean "bigger and I've definitely felt better" as in heartburn, bloated-ness, and insomnia.

Sheesh, I LOVE sleeping, why is it so hard for me right now?!  Not to mention the insanely weird dreams I have when I am actually able to sleep.  For example, last night I had 4 separate dreams.  In the first one I was responsible to re-locate roughly 20 children from Philadelphia to a rural area because of some tragedy that was about to occur.  So we had to flee the area, but our only available mode of transportation was horseback.  And by that I mean one giant horse's back.  Yes, I was luckily able to find a giant horse here in North Philly and me and 20 children rode together on this one giant horse to a train station where we could catch a train to safety.  Delusions of grandeur anyone?...

As for new news, there really isn't any.  Thanks for the middle name suggestions that came via comments and emails ;-)  That was fun, right?!  We'll pick a good one, don't worry.  and Lena kicks me all the live-long-day these days.  It's really funny.  She seems like she's going to be a good time.  :-)  Yesterday I cleaned out all of my junk that was residing in Lena's future room and now Mike's just got to get to his sometime when teaching & grad school & like 9 million other things give him time.  We gave ourselves an "end of the month" deadline for having an empty (& hopefully painted) baby room.  yay!

And how is it April 18th already?!  Sheesh!  July 10 will be here before we know it.  and yesterday my friend Meredith had a baby that weighs 10 pounds... and 2 years ago her first one was 11.7 lbs.  This baby-having-business is crazy.

LG

Hi.  So here we are.  Saturday night.  I'm sitting on the couch with The Patch 'cause I'm not feeling so hot.  I just ate the last piece of leftover Easter cake though so hopefully that'll make me feel better.  Lately LG is moving around like a jumping bean and I swear she had the hiccups 2 days ago.  Low-and-behold Mike read today in this week's baby-update that babies at this stage do indeed get the hiccups!  So funny.  Anyway, here are 2 pics of me and LG both from today at different points:

Clearly, she is growing.  and growing fast!!  As I just typed that LG did a flip, kinda felt like how my stomach feels when I'm riding on a roller coaster.   Also notice in the first pic my insane-ly hitch-hiker-ish thumbs...  yes, they do make perfect 90 degree angles. 

Anyway, LG and I are doing well.  And now that her name is no longer a secret, I'll fill you all in... Ready?  Lena.  (Rhymes with "Tina" & "Gina")  So yes, LG's name is Lena.  But you'll have to wait to find out her middle name... we have to have 1 secret left!!!  And besides that, we are still on the fence with middle names anyway.  

And speaking of middle names, they are kind of a weird thing.  Why do we have middle names at all?  I don't know.   They sure aren't used a whole lot and aside from your family, no one ever knows your middle name anyway.    but I do like them.  I like when someone's middle name is their mom's maiden name, like Michael "Benson" Roth.  Although as much as I love "DeGregorio" I will not make that LG's middle name.... even though it is now one of my 2 middle names, but that was my own choosing and I had 25 years of it as my own personal last name first.  No, middle names for little girls are supposed to be pretty.   add some extra charm to the first name/last name combo.  But I digress.  Wanna suggest me a middle name to go with Lena Roth?  If you've got one, go for it.

This is The Patch tearing the stuffing out of a striped snake.

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The Post-Easter Post

Ahh, back from New Orleans.  It was so much fun.  Here are some pictures:

Me and Jen eating beniets and cafe au lait.  YUM YUM!!

me and Mike eating the best fried chicken ever fried.  SO GOOD.

The best BBQ food ever.  (sensing a theme yet?)

and then just chilling out in some grass.  Ahhh, eating, relaxing, and fantastic music, that about sums up our trip.

Sadly, there are no "belly pics" for this week's post, but believe me, it's there... espeically after all that N'awlins food!!!

And now here we are.  I'm between 26 & 27 weeks, and into the 3rd trimester.  Feeling pretty ok.  Super bloated.  and my feet are swollen.  and there's someone inside me.  but all in all, pretty good!

So here's a story:  On Easter Mike slipped and accidentally told my family the name we are choosing! hah!  It was sooo funny too because he was the one that was so set on us not telling anyone.  oh well, so much for that one.  HAH.

and really, she'll be here before we know it anyway- only 3 months!!  whew.  we're getting more and more excited.  and more and more anxious too.  and a bit scared.

Until next time...