we're halfway there!

Well, I am officially halfway through my pregnancy (time sure does fly) and we only have twenty more weeks to go! Up until this point, the baby has been measured from head to bottom but after this week she will be measured from head to toe as she has uncurled in there... she looks like a baby now! "She’s the size of a cantaloupe! Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!" I was watching an episode of A Baby Story over the weekend and when the woman's water broke there was meconium in there... once I explained to Steve what was going on, he was sufficiently grossed out. He has a lot to learn before the baby's birthday! Heck, who am I kidding? We both have a lot to learn in the next few months. I just pray he doesn't pass out.

Yesterday was a busy day - it was both Mother's Day and my mom's birthday. We ran around all day meeting Steve's family for breakfast, my family for brunch and my family again for dinner... while squeezing in a little car shopping. Baby wants a gas-friendly SUV (not an oxymoron - the new Nissan Rogue gets pretty decent gas mileage)! Steve and I had been craving sopapillas so our brunch at Rio Grande was deeeeeeelicious. My mom gave me a wonderful Mother's Day gift - it's a crest claddagh ring that she got when she was in Ireland. It has the Kennedy crest in the center and says "to Kennedy, love Dad" on the band inside. My name came from his side of the family, hence the ring being from him. One day I'll be passing it down to our little girl because she's getting Kennedy as a middle name.

If it's at all possible, every single day that goes by we get more excited about our little baby girl... our little Ryan Kennedy Velasco!

cha-ching

I may not completely agree with the whole stimulus package, but it sure was nice seeing $1200 magically appear in our bank account.

fiesty little one

I'm not sure if it was something I ate or just the fact that she's getting bigger (over six inches now!) but that little girl was kicking me non-stop as I tried to fall asleep last night. We're talking kicks that were hard enough that you could see by just watching my stomach... she's a fiesty little one.

she's a mango!

In the baby updates department, it is a rather boring week: "Busy with hiccups, rolls, twists, kicks and punches… She’s the size of a mango! Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature. " I know there's a lot more going on in there that would make for a more interesting update, but this is what they gave me this week. I have yet to feel any hiccups, but I definitely feel all of the rolls, twists and kicks.

We spent yesterday afternoon registering (www.babiesrus.com and www.potterybarnkids.com) and watching my sister's lacrosse game in the beautiful weather... and then went out to dinner with Morgan and Peter and sat outside at Fairfax Corner in the beautiful weather... oh, and we sat outside in the beautiful weather when we went out to lunch today in Fairfax. Basically, the weather was gorgeous this entire weekend.

Steve was very productive today and put up some new shelving in the garage so we were able to throw away or store what was in our guest room closet... which is now full of baby clothes, receiving blankets and stuffed animals. Her closet is going to be completely full by the time September rolls around! I'm having a hard time not buying everything I see - how can you resist baby Uggs?

loves/hates

Current loves:

• Starbucks reduced fat blueberry coffee cake
• Our little baby girl kicking me all day long
• My first mother's day present!!

Current dislikes (hate is a strong word):

• Maternity clothes... no matter what, even the XS is too big for me. It's only belly that's growing, not the rest of me! The only solution I have found is Gap Maternity, which I then wash and dry in super high heat... ugh.
• When it rains for days and days and days

it's a............

GIRL!!!

We (me especially) are very very excited... Steve's first words were "right again!" as he was convinced it was a girl from the very first positive pregnancy test. We've already been to Janie and Jack and bought her first two outfits and some cute things for her nursery at Pottery Barn Kids. My favorite bedding at PBK also came in again a few days ago and I went ahead and ordered it just in case and - voila, it's a good thing I did! I've uploaded a handful of sonogram photos on our baby website... the link is to the right just below the baby updates. It's hard to tell just by looking at the above photo, but the ultrasound tech said she was 'definitely all girl'. The shot is as though she is sitting on the screen, so it's from an angle underneath her butt. All girl!

Ummm, I also have pink eye. Again. In my other eye.

Yay, babies!

sweet potato!

Not exactly the cutest visual, but here it goes anyways: "Adorable alert! Baby can now yawn … She’s the size of a sweet potato! Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon." Actually, I'm feeling those movements all the time now! The baby experienced its first show last night (and right next the speaker, hopefully he/she isn't deaf!) and has been kicking me for it ever since. Tomorrow at this time we should know whether we're having a boy or a girl... hopefully the baby isn't too modest and is willing to show us the goods as clearly as possible. I've heard many many stories of babies on their tummies or with their legs crossed or an umbilical cord in the way which prevented any sort of guess at the ultrasound. Cross your fingers!

Speaking of the show, it was awesome. Paramore was great and Jimmy Eat World as a-mazing, of course. The crowd was... different. Luckily most of the underage Paramore fans cleared out before JEW played and it was much more enjoyable. Great show, though.

I'm off to flip through "Cool Names for Babies" (by the authors of "Beyond Jennifer and Jason" -very excited) and attack the condo with blue tape for our warranty appointment. I'll leave you all with this hilarious picture my dad sent me:

Mickey D's in the desert