The Nursery

We are beginning to get things ready for our baby.
Below are some pics and descriptions.

Corner of nursery with curtains Charissa is still making.....



Antique highchair I am refinishing


We finally have a need for a "chair and a half". This is Charissa's favorite reading area.

Wise Words

Setting a good example for children takes all the fun out of middle age.

- William Feather

6 Months

I can not believe its been six months (24 weeks). Does not seem that long at all. I am still getting use to seeing Charissa with a tummy. Still surprising when I wake up and see her.

Yesterday we went to the doctor for our check up. He said that Charissa looked really good (i think he's hitting on her right in front of me) and that her weight is GREAT. She was happy to hear that. We heard the heartbeat. That is still so cool. It is fast and consistent. (I know because I am an expert.) We signed up for a childbirth class. We are doing the all day long option. Its from 8:45 in the morning to 6 at night. It will be in December. One long Saturday. Nothing like hearing "this will hurt" for 9 straight hours.

After the doctors visit we went home. Another choice to prepare for the baby. We usually go out to eat after each doctors visit to celebrate and talk; but since we are trying to save money we had leftovers. We did the math and figured how much per month having a baby will be and then looked at our financial forecast to see how it would turn out. Charissa now takes the 2-5PM prayer slot and I do the late night "warrior time" prayer hour.

We are excited for the many holidays and family visits we have coming up. Should be some fun for the next few weeks. Below is a description of how our baby is doing...

OH BUT WAIT -

You have to check out these cool websites I found. Now back in the day our parents, when looking for baby names, would go to a thing called a book. (to those under age 54 - its a collection of papers put together that gives information on a printed form, strange I know, but some people really liked it) Our generation of course goes to the Internet. I found these sites really neat to play with. Far and above our baby name research I typed in my name and friends just to see. The first one below is cool. It gives a graph of the name's popularity. The second one is from the government telling you the total number of people with that particular name and also gives you the percentage in the population. Enjoy.

Baby Name Wizard

Social Security Administration




Week 24
You are 24 weeks pregnant. Even though baby is receiving oxygen through the placenta, after she is born, her lungs will take in oxygen on their own. To prepare baby for the outside world, her lungs will now start to produce something that is called surfactant. Surfactant keeps the air sacs in our lungs from collapsing and from sticking together upon exhalation, thus allowing us to breathe properly.

The inner ear, part of the vestibular system, controls balance in our body. Now that the inner ear is fully formed, baby should be able to tell when he or she is in an upside down or right side up position while she is floating and moving in the amniotic fluid.

She weighs in at 1 lb 5 ounces (595 grams) and 30 cms or 11.8 inches total length!

Week 23

This past week has been a busy one for our little girl.

Congratulations, you are 23 weeks pregnant and your baby has hit the one pound mark! Its cute little body is growing to become more proportionate as each day goes by. Now, the bones of the middle ear begin to harden. Also, this week, the pigment that gives color to your baby's skin is deposited.

Even though fat accumulates on your baby's body, her skin still hangs loosely, giving baby a wrinkled appearance. This occurs as the skin is produced at a quicker rate than it takes for the fat to accumulate.

Your baby is now working out daily. Her routine may include regularly working out the muscles in the fingers, toes, legs and arms. As a result, you may start to feel stronger kicking.


If you read that second paragraph you may think that is odd. But fear not, knowing that she is part Ludlow I am sure the fat is growing at the same rate. I know my fat grows at rates faster than what I would think is normal.

Besides my weight, most things are going as expected. I am enjoying my job more and more. Charissa is having some tough times at her job but overall is doing good. She is getting a bigger tummy with each passing week and their is no mistaking a baby grows inside.

Now on to some radom fun stuff...

Your baby's birthstone will be Amethyst (Sincerity)

Your baby's Astrological Sign will be Aquarius

Your baby's Flower is Violet or Primrose (Violet, Sky Blue or Yellow)

Your baby will be born in the Chinese Year of The Pig

This time next year your baby will be 35 Weeks Old!

Your baby will start kindergarten in 2012, be old enough to drive a car in 2023, finish high school in 2025, and will graduate from college with the class of 2029, give or take a year. Can you imagine?

Reason #458 as to why its better to have a girl

"At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies."
- PG Wodehouse

Week 22 Tummy

The baby is getting bigger and continuing to practice for life outside the uterus. This week your baby has fully developed eyelashes and eyebrows and the hair on your baby’s head is continuing to grow as his brain begins a rapid growth process. The fetus has fully formed fingerprints and loud noise can “wake up” the baby. She may begin kicking and turning around, too. Your baby’s heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope. Her nose is taking on a more defined shape as cartilage (the soft bone) appears. Your baby is approximately 30-32 cm (10.8 inches) and weighs about one pound.

The Name Game

Everyone is asking if we have picked out a name. The answer is yes. Our name, top choice, will become official later is......

Lou Lou

Just kidding. We have not picked out a name but we are trying. Its fun and hard at the same time. Leave your choices in the comment section below to help us out.