Week 23

By week 23, your baby is taking on the shape of a full-term baby — but her bones and organs are still visible beneath a thin layer of translucent skin.
Although your baby continues to add fat to her body, she still looks wrinkly. This happens because Baby's skin develops more quickly than fat accumulates. However, she continues to grow, and by the end of the week will measure about eight to nine inches long.
Here are other developments this week:
* She'll begin moving around more than ever, stretching and flexing the muscles in her arms and legs, fingers and toes.
* Skin pigment is being deposited this week to create your baby's skin tone.

Andy took some pictures of me yesterday so as soon as I get those on the computer I'll post them. People are saying that I finally look pregnant. In the last 10 days or so he must have had a growth spurt or something. :) We aren't any closer to a name for him. I had about 10 girl names that I was ready to go with. Choosing a boy name is much harder! Maybe we'll have to wait until we actually see him and see what fits. We'll see...

Week 22

This week nerve endings become functional enough so that Baby can feel! She may experiment with this new sense of touch by stroking her face or feeling other body parts to see how they move. You may feel Baby stretching her muscles by pushing against the muscular wall of your uterus with her feet or head.
In addition, Baby's liver is busy breaking down bilirubin, a substance formed by the breakdown of hemoglobin in blood cells. Because a baby's liver can only break down a limited amount of bilirubin, the excess is passed on to you through the placenta to filter from your liver. Baby weighs almost a pound now, and is seven to eight inches long. Although she's filling out, her body still appears wrinkled because she lacks a significant layer of fat beneath her skin.
Other developments taking place this week include:
* Baby will form distinct lips.
* If Baby is a boy, testes, which have been tucked up inside the pelvis, will begin to descend into the scrotum this week and immature sperm will form in the seminal vesicles.
* Baby's eyes will complete formation, although the iris (the colored part of the eye) will still lack pigment.
* The pancreas, essential to hormone production, will continue to develop steadily. (verybestbaby.com)

I can feel him moving around throughout the day. Those movements are so comforting to me. It's like he's saying hello! :) We're talking about names but I think it's going to be tough to reach a concensus! We went through a list a 1,000 boy names the other night and only found 2 or 3 that we both thought were a remote possibility and none we were both super excited about. Oh dear.

We have been so busy the past few days as we begin to get this house ready for a fourth Becker. We painted the downstairs bedroom this weekend and Andy and I moved down there last night. We did a lot of rearranging as we figured out where to put everything that was being stored in that bedroom closet. We got rid of the mini blinds and put new window treatments in 5 windows! Faux wood blinds are in the family room and our new bedroom. Cellular blackout shades are in Lily's new room and the baby's room. (I am VERY excited about these because until now we've been using a green sheet to make Lily's room dark! Not anymore!!!) I bought them online which seemed a little risky to me without being able to actually see them in person first and know for sure what color they'd be. But we're really happy with how they look! It's a huge improvement over mini blinds. :) We bought a "big girl bed" for Lily at Ikea last week and a new bookshelf for her "new" room. Andy put those together today. I started painting Lily's new room today but that'll probably be a several-day process since it's hard to get a lot done without someone to play with Lily. We still have to paint baby's room but that'll get done eventually. I'm just so excited about how much headway we've made on these projects and every little accomplishment makes me feel that much more ready for the arrival of our baby boy!

There's very little doubt

IT'S A BOY!!!

I had my ultrasound this morning. The technician got a nice little shot of his private area and asked what I thought. I asked, "Is it a boy?!?!" She said, "Yes, there's very little doubt." So we're very excited to meet our little boy. Andy was sure it was a boy so he's not surprised at all. I think I just assumed it would be a girl but this is a good surprise. I do have to go in for another ultrasound in a month. They weren't able to get a good look at the four chambers of his heart. They had me roll around on the table to try to get him to move but he was in a comfy position! So we'll go back in a month and they'll try to take another look at his heart. You can be praying about that! He weighs 12 ounces - the size of a pop can. :) It was so amazing to see him. Keep us in your prayers and check back here for updates... I'll try to post the ultrasound photos soon.

Week 21

What does a baby dream about as she drifts lazily in the womb? We may never know, but beginning with this week a baby's sleep begins to settle into identifiable patterns. You might be able to tell when Baby is sleeping if you notice that her movements slow down dramatically at certain times of the day. Some experts believe that your eating and sleeping habits, along with how much light and noise there is in your environment, all combine to help Baby synchronize her internal clock.
Here are some other developmental highlights that occur this week:
* At this point, Baby's brain will be growing very quickly, especially the structure deep in the center of the brain responsible for producing brain cells. This structure will disappear shortly before birth.
* During this week, Baby's general growth pattern will slow down. However, different organs will continue to mature, Baby's heart will get stronger and her legs will reach the correct proportions. (verybestbaby.com)

By the way, the ultrasound is tomorrow morning at 8 am! I'll be back shortly thereafter to announce the gender of our baby! Wah-hoo! Just for the record, Andy believes it is a boy and I have no idea! :) But just for fun I'll guess that it's a girl. We'll see...

Nesting

Nesting is hitting me hard core. I've done 8 loads of laundry in the past two days. That's partly due to the fact that laundry hasn't been a priority for me the past couple months and I've let some things sit for a long time. But I'm also feeling driven to get things done! I went through our closets and took two large bags of stuff to Goodwill. And my to-do list keeps getting longer. We had originally decided to move Lily to the downstairs bedroom so we painted it pink to match her new bedding set. But I had really been dragging my feet and I just wasn't looking forward to moving her to the basement. And recently it hit me, why don't Andy and I move to the basement??? Why didn't I think of this before?!?! Lily can stay upstairs and the baby can be next door to her. I think it's a brilliant plan. However, now we have to re-paint the downstairs bedroom and my husband is not thrilled about it! We bought paint on Sunday but who knows when we'll actually get to it? We also have to paint Lily's room upstairs to match her new bedding and we'll most likely be painting the baby's room too! Should be interesting... There's lots to do. I'll keep you posted. No pun intended.

One thing that should delay any progress is that my husband is home sick today. It's been coming on for a couple days and last night he had a fever. He did go to work this morning to get things going but was home by about 8:30 and has been sleeping most of the time since. Since we've been married I can probably count on one hand the number of times he has missed work for being sick. He is just never sick. I am praying hard that Lily and I stay healthy. I feel very much NOT up to being sick myself after the past couple months, or taking care of a sick child. Nobody sleeps well when she's sick. So we're staying put and staying warm. It is COLD today. Dangerous wind chills. And some of the schools in Minnesota had a late start this morning because of the cold. It's a good day for soup...

Week 20

The 20th week is an important time for Baby's sensory development, as nerve cells serving each of the senses (taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch) are now developing into their specialized area of Baby's brain. As these existing nerve cells get bigger and make more complex connections with each other, the brain's production of additional nerve cells will slow.

Believe it or not, you're halfway there on the journey toward holding your new baby! Your little one now weighs about nine to 12 ounces and has grown to about six to eight inches in length. She's come a long way since her first days as a microscopic collection of cells, but has a lot more growing to do—remember, the average newborn is 18 to 21 inches long and weighs six to nine pounds at birth.

Other baby developments this week include:
* Under the protective vernix coating, Baby's skin will continue to develop into three layers: the dermis, epidermis and subcutaneous layers.
* Baby's nails and hair will continue to grow.
* Baby's heartbeat will be stronger now, and will beat about twice as fast as your heart. You can hear it this week through a stethoscope.
* Baby will take up more and more space in the uterus, and her continued growth will put more pressure on your lungs, stomach, bladder, and kidneys. (verybestbaby.com)

Compassion International

Andy and I started supporting a child through Compassion International more than a year ago and it's been such a cool experience. My first experience with Compassion was as a part of my church youth group. We sponsored a girl from Kenya named Ndunge Malalu. I sent lots of letters to her during those years and loved being a part of her life from halfway around the world. My friend April gave a presentation at our church about Compassion and so we decided to sponsor a child as a family. We chose Yulistika "Shinta" Ardanis from Indonesia. She was only 4 years old when we began sponsoring her and she'll be six in July. We've exchanged several letters with her and have received a couple photos of her. It is SO COOL to see how she's grown and changed! She's so precious! Her mom usually writes the letters for her since she's in school and learning how to write. It is such a privilege to pray for her and to communicate with her. I hope that our involvement with Compassion will make a lasting impression on Lily and this new baby as they grow up "with" Shinta. I hope they'll become compassionate people and learn to care about others they haven't met who live on the other side of the globe. I hope to get a photo of Shinta up soon. Check out Compassion's website and think about sponsoring a child. A small monthly donation makes a HUGE difference in one precious life! We have it automatically deducted from our bank account and we don't even have to think about that part. So easy. And so rewarding.

The Herzbergs

Our friends Joe and Cara Herzberg left the United States on January 18 for Senegal, West Africa. They're working under the ministry of Mission: Moving Mountains which is part of The Navigators. They have a blog for anybody interested in checking out what they're up to. Joe has been a big influence in Andy's life. He invited Andy to be in a Bible Study when they were living in Stearns Hall at SCSU and led my husband to Christ. He was also a groomsman in our wedding. Anyway, we're so thankful for the internet so that we can keep in touch with them and be updated quickly and regularly on their ministry in West Africa. The people there have a hard time with their names so they have new African names. They go by Yusefa and Sophia. :) Don't they look great in their new duds???

Week 19

Welcome to the fifth month of pregnancy! This week your baby is working on protecting her skin, as she develops a waxy substance called vernix caseosa, which will disappear at birth. Vernix is secreted by the glands in the skin this week, and protects the growing skin from getting chapped or wrinkled from floating in amniotic fluid.
During this time, you may feel Baby's first movements, called “quickening.” If you've already had one child, you'll probably feel those first flutterings about 2 weeks earlier than you did in your first pregnancy, mainly because you know what sensation to look for. This week, Baby will grow to about five or six inches, and will weigh about seven ounces by week's end.
Also this week, you can expect that:
* Buds that will later produce permanent teeth are now forming behind the baby teeth buds. (verybestbaby.com)

I Like Mike

Mike Huckabee is my favorite Presidential candidate at this point. Check out his website to see where he stands on the issues.

Week 18

By now, the bones of Baby's inner ear and the nerve endings from the brain have developed enough so that your baby can probably detect sounds clearly. Experts believe that one of the most comforting sounds she hears is Mom’s heartbeat. She may also hear your voice, your stomach rumbling, and the sound of blood moving through the umbilical cord to and from the placenta, which is now almost as big as she is.
And that's not all! Here's what else is happening to baby this week:
* She will begin to swallow, and may even feel thirsty sometimes. Some experts think thirst may trigger your baby to swallow. Since amniotic fluid is constantly being produced, Baby’s swallowing of excess fluid helps keeps it at a constant level.
* Baby's chest will continue to move up and down to mimic breathing, but she's not breathing air — just swallowing and inhaling amniotic fluid. This is a normal part of baby’s development—this intake of amniotic fluid will not harm her.
* If baby is a girl, the vagina, uterus, and Fallopian tubes will be in place by the end of the week. (Courtesy of verybestbaby.com)

Spring Fever Scrapbooking Extravaganza!

A Wonderful Weekend Workshop

Friday, March 7 from 6 pm to Midnight AND Saturday, March 8 from 9 am to 9 pm

Location: My Home

Registration Deadline: Monday, March 3rd

Details:

• Door Prizes
• Goodie Bags
• Lunch and Supper on Saturday are included in your registration fee
• Fun
• Fellowship
• Ideas
• Borrow tools you don't have
• Wi-Fi capability so bring your laptop and work on digital albums
• Place a preorder by March 3rd and receive 15% off your entire order! It will be waiting for you on your table at Spring Fever!
• Space is very limited so register soon!

What to Bring:

• All your cropping tools
• Photos
• A munchie to share
• A favorite CD to listen to
• Your laptop to work on digital albums

Visit my website to view the full product line and check back often for NEW products!

Vegetable Soup

It has been bitter cold here lately. Yesterday the schools had a 2-hour late start because of the windchills which were about -40! And our power went out in the night for a few hours. It was getting pretty chilly in here. Andy brought Lily into bed with us and we snuggled and tried to stay warm. Our noses were cold! :) Anyway, all this cold has made me crave soup. I've had some good soups at a few restaurants and I've also made a few soups at home. My friend Heather Jones shared a recipe for Pizza Soup on her blog which I tried. It's really good and you MUST have garlic bread with it! Yesterday I tried this recipe from Real Simple. It's yummy. I'll just say that half an onion was enough for me (onions aren't my favorite) and make sure the green beans get tender! Enjoy!

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped object
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 14.5-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped broccoli
Grated Parmesan (optional)
1 baguette, sliced and toasted (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, 1 cup of water, the potatoes, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green beans, and broccoli, return to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the Parmesan (if using), and serve with the baguette slices (if using).

Week 17

As your pregnancy progresses, your baby's first feces are starting to build up in her bowels. Called meconium, this sticky substance is made up of dead cells, digestive juices, and swallowed amniotic fluid. Meconium is usually not excreted until after birth, although occasionally Baby may release it into the amniotic fluid before delivery.
Baby is now almost five inches long and weighs about four or five ounces. She is firmly anchored via the umbilical cord to the placenta, which continues to grow with her. The placenta, which is now more than an inch thick, contains thousands of blood vessels that exchange nutrients and oxygen from your body to your baby.
Big happenings this week include:
* Layers of fat are beginning to develop under the skin to help keep Baby warm and protect her after birth.
* A rubbery skeleton continues to develop, although Baby's bones are still primarily cartilage, flexible enough to enable her to pass through the birth canal.
* A protective coating called myelin is slowly beginning to cover Baby's spinal cord. This coating will help protect the cord for the rest of Baby's life. (compliments of verybestbaby.com)

I had my check-up yesterday and everything seems to be going well. My blood pressure was 118/60 and the babies heart rate was in the 130s/140s. It's always so comforting to hear that heartbeat! Lily came to the appointment with me and she was a really good girl. She got a little nervous when I laid on the exam table to listen for the heartbeat but she got over it quickly. My ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27 at 8 am. I can't wait!

CHRISTmas 2007

We celebrated Christmas with my parents on Sunday, December 23rd. Mandi and Bryan weren't able to be there because they got a huge blizzard in Stevens Point and were snowed in. We missed them a lot and it was a quiet and intimate little gathering without them. But it was such a nice relaxed day. Andy and Dad went to the Vikings game that night but unfortunately the Vikes lost. Here are a few snapsnots from our Christmas celebrations over the next couple days.

Andy, Lily, Dawn and Baby :)

Grandpa, Lily and Grandma

Lily and her new toaster

A Boz book. Can you tell she likes it?

Christmas Eve at our house. Opening gifts that morning.

A new Dora book! She's so delighted! :)

Andy and I gave her this basketball hoop and she really enjoys it. Look at her form!

Isn't she cute?

I love her little hands.

Christmas Day at the Beckers. The whole family was there. Eric had said he wouldn't be able to come but he was standing in the doorway when we got there! That was a fun surprise. Lily really enjoyed her cousins, especially Hally. They played pretty well together and followed each other around.

Playing with new toys

The Becker Family Four :)

Lily and her cousins

(l to r) Hally, Zach, Shelby, Lily, Max and Abby

Baking with Mommy

Lily and I made Gingersnaps several weeks ago and it was so much fun! This is one of the first times that she was actually really helpful and I think she really enjoyed it. She was really listening and following directions. She held the mixer and managed to keep it upright but it was so heavy for her and it didn't take long for her to say, "Mommy take it." She loved dumping in the ingredients and sitting on the counter is always fun for her. The cookies were a total success and Lily was a big helper. I'm definitely looking forward to more baking with her.

Warm and Cozy

It's been a long time since I posted. I have been feeling very yucky with this pregnancy and haven't spent a lot of time on the computer. I'm nearly 13 weeks so I'm hoping and praying that I'm on the tail end of this part and will start feeling better very soon. It's been a rough 6 weeks or so - nausea, throwing up and feeling really pooped. There are lots of projects around the house that I keep adding to my list because they'll have to wait until I have more energy. But I feel like a little "nesting" has already started because I keep thinking of things to sort through or throw away or move to a different place. :) I had my 12 week appointment on Wednesday, January 2nd and everything went well. I had actually lost a little weight which didn't surprise my doctor since I've been so nauseous. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat which was a HUGE encouragement to me! It might seem ridiculous to some, but it was reassuring to know that there IS a baby in there! I'm not just making all this up. A few tears rolled down my face. I'm glad that little peanut is doing okay so far. This better be a really wonderful kid for all I've been through the last month and a half!!! :) The past few days I've been really consumed with thoughts about when the baby is here and I feel excited about it! I honestly can't wait for him or her to be here. I know life will change again and I'll be sleep deprived but life with Lily has been so good and I can't wait to know what this little person will be like. Anyway, you can pray that I start feeling more normal very soon.

The week of Thanksgiving our friend Keith Nelson put a fireplace in our basement. It looks really nice and it makes our basement "warm and cozy" as Lily says. :) The first time we turned it on she said, "Mmmmm. It smells so good. " We laughed so hard because it doesn't have a smell, but she knew we were excited about the fireplace and she was just trying to participate in the conversation. :) She is so precious.

Do you love our decorating themes? We have some Christmas garland, two lonely candle holders and Vikings helmets. The basement is sort of Andy's domain so there's not much I can do. But the fireplace itself does look really nice. :)

We're having a baby!

I took this test when my period was a couple days late. The second pink line is there but it's very faint. Look very closely!

I took this test exactly a week later. The second pink line is BRIGHT! No doubt about it.

We're delighted to announce that we're expecting baby #2! Please pray with us for a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby. We're due in July and we'll post baby updates here. Stay tuned! Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Retreat

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to Fall Retreat with our youth group. The theme was Becoming a Contagious Christian and Josh really focused on the Gospel. I'm pretty sure every kid that attended could tell you their version of the Gospel! :) We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Baxter and it has a very cool water park. I was in a room with Rachel, Hannah, Leah and Paige - a really fun group. :) I ended up getting a bed all to myself, though! It was a great weekend and I'm so glad I went along. Needless to say, I'm tired! So I'm off to bed...

My mom came up early this morning to watch Lily while Andy worked. Thanks Mom!

The Lion King

To celebrate our 5th anniversary Andy took me to The Lion King at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis tonight. I don't even have words to express how wonderful it was! It was spectacular! It was beautiful! And the voices! The voices were amazing. The opening number brought tears to my eyes. It was all just so big. And so, so beautiful. I enjoyed every minute of it. You can ask Andy. :)

A BIG thank you to Grandma Vicki for watching Lily tonight. Lily spent the evening at Grandma's house so she was in good hands and I was able to relax and enjoy the show. And boy did I enjoy it! It was a fabulous evening!

The Lion King is at the Orpheum until November 25th so GO SEE IT!

Waiting for the doors to open!

During the Intermission :)