a head to grow into

Your baby weighs about 7 grams, is about 2 inches long and in an ultrasound will look a bit out of proportion. Your baby has toes, eyes, ears, fingernails and lips, but it may appear that your baby's head is about 1/2 the size of their body. This will change as the baby grows. I always said I liked kids with big heads but maybe not quite that big.....

very powerful heartbeat

All 3 of us went to the doctor this morning and experienced both frustration and love. We had to wait a very long time to get in to see the doctor. 45 minutes of sitting in a waiting room and watching 6 people go in to see the doctor ahead of me (including 3 men...what could they possibly need?) and we got to go in and hear the heartbeat. I could have stayed all day.

The bean sounded so strong and so beautiful. I have a new favorite sound.

monkey's fall look

Nate has started telling Monkey that he's going to be a "big dog." Here he is in his fall sweater, looking forward to the bean's arrival.

making your presence known

I've been pretty miserably sick the last couple of days (partly pregnancy related and partly a cold). (add apples to the growing list of foods to avoid.) I'm learning how to take care of this baby. To give him/her good things to eat, lots of naps, plenty of water.... I'm learning this while the bean is still on the inside.

For me, this year has all been about waiting. Waiting for school to start, for it to end, to stop feeling sick, for baby to be born.

I'm thankful that we're designed to carry a baby for nine (10!) months before they magically appear. This design is so smart. Imagine just instantly having a baby without the weeks and weeks of anticipation and preparation and pain. That's how I would have designed things...not a smart design at all!!!!

Always know little bean, that you are worth the wait. I'd gladly throw up a tree full of apples to hang out with you. We're going to have a great time together.

friends, family, sausages...

Your baby now is somewhere between 1 and 1 1/2 inches in length and probably weighs about 4 grams (which is about the same weight as 4 paper clips). In terms of physical development, your baby has toes, eyes that are usually open, and ears that are completely formed. Your baby now has lips and the genitals that are becoming more clearly defined. The little pollywog you have inside loses its "tail".

What are you looking at with those openned eyes, baby?

This weekend we took the bean to the Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel. We worked at Calvary's fish taco booth again this year. Nate fried fish and I stayed as far as possible from all varieties of tacos. This was somewhat challenging for this pregnant lady. We finally settled on some not-so-exotic fare and of course, lots and lots of lemonade, the staple of my pregnancy...

with elbows and everything...

Your baby now has elbows and is somewhere between .51 and .66 inches in length. And your baby probably weighs only 1 gram. Your baby will now move if touched through the wall of your uterus, and can also move on its own. In terms of physical development, sex organs are becoming evident. This is the week your baby can officially be called a "fetus", which means young one.

We love you, little young one.

4 generations of slyter women

this weekend the bean met the slyter women- aunt carol, grandma and great grandma. it was a sweet, sad time as great grandma is needing some extra care and will be living in an assisted living place. but that's not what i want to talk about. we had such a good visit. great grandma is so excited that you are coming, baby. she smiled and smiled when i told her about you! the lady loves babies. she even said, "now i have something to look forward to." - which was great.

your grandma and i also took you for your first pedicure. this is a long tradition for the slyter women. i can't wait til you're on the outside so all of these women who love you can hold you and hug you.

a grape-sized bean...

An ultrasound done of your baby at this stage should show a fluttering heartbeat. Your baby is three-quarters of an inch long about the size of a grape. The liver is churning out large amounts of red blood cells until the bone marrow forms and takes over this role. Week eight marks the beginning of a very busy developmental stage. The face continues to change as the ears, eyes and the tip of the nose appear. The intestines start to form in the umbilical cord. Your baby's teeth develop under the gums.

Grow baby, grow.

very small morning person...

The bean and I have been spending our mornings together. we started out getting up between 3:00 and 5:00 AM, and have now switched to 2:00 AM. Pregnancy is a weird, weird thing. You never forget that there is this tiny person there with you, at least I don't.... we're doing fine though, we registered for our fall classes this week and had our student id photo taken (I hogged the camera). The bean will possibly be the youngest grad student in Corban's short history.