Week 31 & CHRISTmas

Good Morning! We hope that everyone had a GREAT Christmas & was able to spend the holiday with loved ones :) We were lucky enough to spend a few days with the Goodroes in Social Circle! Unfortunately, I got really sick on Christmas Day, which really put a damper on things :( Still not exactly sure what it was, but it's definitely not a way you want to spend the holiday. I think I also had my first run-in with Braxton-Hicks contractions while I was sick over the weekend. Nothing too bad, but enough to get my attention for sure! Regardless, we had a wonderful holiday & really had fun imagining how next Christmas will be when we have a 10 month old!! This year also marked the last time we'll travel for the holidays since we'll start our own little family Christmas traditions with baby B in 2012.

We're back home now & getting in the swing of things today. Sad to see the Christmas decorations start to come down so soon, but we've got to prepare for other events! This weekend we are expecting a couple of JD's friends to come visit for NYE! AND we can't believe how close the due date is getting for Baby Baker (seriously, only a max of 9 weeks remaining???)!!!

I went to see my doctor last week & he said that everything is still looking good - baby is continuing to G-R-O-W (still measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule)! I won't go see him this week because he is out of the office, but will go back next week & every week until we have a baby! At my appointment next week we will do another ultrasound (to check baby's position & to see that the placenta is where it ought to be) & an NST (non-stress test) on the baby. Should be a longer visit, but I am really excited about seeing how BIG baby has gotten since our last ultrasound at week 18.

Now that the holiday season is coming to an end, we are hoping to do a few last minute things around the house & finish getting the nursery organized for Baby B's arrival!

Still feeling a lot of movement with Baby B, & different kinds of movement - more punches / kicks rather than flips & spins. Also, he / she is definitely starting to form some sort of schedule - I can expect to feel movement at certain times of the day / night. Here's what else is going on with our growing baby this week...

Your Pregnancy: Week 31 (www.parentsconnect.com)

Your Body
Your mind may not be anywhere near ready for your baby to arrive but your body is already making preparations. One of the ways it's getting ready is by "practicing" for labor in the form of Braxton Hicks contractions. Luckily, these are generally painless, although somewhat annoying as they can occur frequently (the middle of the night, during an important meeting, while you're trying to focus on Access Hollywood, etc).

Braxton Hicks contractions feel like a sudden tightening of your uterus. This is just a little preview of what real contractions will feel like. They usually start to become noticeable around the eighth month and can become very strong by the end of your pregnancy.

While you can't get rid of Braxton Hicks contractions, there are some things you can do to make yourself more comfortable, like gentle exercise (such as walking) or taking a warm, relaxing bath. Calgon, take me away. ...



Your Baby
From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth (even though it may feel like a whole lot more with every step you take). Other highlights this week:

Due to increasing space constraints, your baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position (oh, so that's where that name came from!). Plus, your baby can now process information from all five senses—so she'll be all set to smell the pureed peas, taste them, feel them as she mashes them into her hair, hear you crack up and then see the flash as you grab the camera to snap picture after picture.

By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. And by mature, we're not saying that the rest of your baby's systems are mature enough to be out past 10 PM with the neighborhood hooligan, just that her lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world.

Your baby weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches, about the same length as that miniskirt you used to wear (and will again someday!).

Week 28: The Third Trimester Begins!!

Hi all - sorry, I'm a bit behind in blogging this week! Things have been busy, busy at work & at home with the holidays approaching!! As of today, we are 28 weeks & 5 days along! Annnnd, WE ARE IN THE THIRD TRIMESTER!! It kills me how quickly time has gone by during pregnancy, yet at the same time we are so very anxious to meet this little bundle of joy!! According to my doctor, things are continuing to progress nicely with Baby Baker - still measuring about two weeks ahead of schedule, but my doctor is keeping my due date at 02/26. I'm now seeing the doctor every 2 weeks (rather than 4) & will go back this coming Thursday. Things are definitely starting to get a bit more cramped / uncomfortable for me as baby is growing, growing, growing! Getting a "good nights sleep" is becoming more difficult as I am getting up on average 4 times a night & it's hard to get back to sleep. No real swelling issues, but I have just about given up on wearing my winter boots - I think that more so than swelling, the problem is that my joints are loosening up, so my feet just aren't fitting like they did before. Feet & leg cramps are more severe, but I can't complain - I know it's all part of the body doing what it needs to do to prepare for Baby's arrival! Baby has been moving & kicking more this week & at different times of the day. Maybe he / she is celebrating hitting the 3rd trimester milestone?

Here's what's going on with Baby Baker this week as we venture in to the last phase of pregnancy...

Your Pregnancy: Week 28 (www.parentsconnect.com)

As the Big Day nears, your baby is getting ready to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel (the tunnel being the birth canal, the light being the one the doctor is shining directly into it so she can see what the heck she's doing). Other highlights this week:

Your baby's eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it's fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We'll be here all week.)

Her eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they'll most likely change soon. Sorry.

Your babe is downright chubby compared to a few weeks ago. She is about 15 inches long, about the length of an amusement park cinnamon-sugar-coated churro (yum!), and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.



Other events at the Baker house since my last post:
*got ourselves in the Christmas spirit by decorating inside & out! MANY thanks to my better half for doing all of the hauling of boxes & adorning of lights :)
*started holiday shopping (not NEARLY as far along as I had hoped, but baby steps, right?)
*our first BABY SHOWER hosted by JD's sister!! several of our family members were able to attend & brought lots of sweet gifts for our little baby-on-the-way!! We are so THANKFUL to Aunt Katie for opening her home & to our sweet families for coming out, especially during this busy time of year!! Baby Baker is already so very Blessed!!

Tomorrow JD & I have a full day of "Preparing for Parenthood" class at St. Vincent's hospital. During the day we will cover topics such as labor & delivery, options for pain management, C-section / postpartum care, newborn care, & a tour of the birthing suites! I am most excited to see the birthing suites so that I can get a better picture of what it will be like when Baby Baker makes his / her debut!!

That's all for now - hope everybody has a great weekend :)

27 Week Update

Another week down in the countdown to Baby Baker! Last week was a little crazy with Thanksgiving - as I mentioned before, JD & I spent this Thanksgiving in Mobile with the Bakers, a first for both of us (growing up, JD usually spent Thanksgiving in Birmingham with his grandparents). It was lovely - we relaxed, watched the Macy's parade, looked through all of the "black Friday" ads, & then got to cookin'! JD & his dad fried a turkey (another first for me), while his mom & I tended to the side dishes. Our spread included cornbread dressing, butter beans, sweet potato casserole, macaroni & cheese, rolls, pumpkin cheesecake, & pecan pie! I polled the table during our meal to see what everybody's favorite was - it was a tie between the turkey & sweet potato casserole (both were super yummy!).
Friday afternoon JD hosted a few of his friends at the house to watch the LSU / Arkansas game & have an unofficial beer tasting of all of the different homebrews that JD has made since last Christmas! Saturday we headed over to the Modling house to watch the Iron Bowl game. A sad loss for Auburn, but a good game to watch! JD & the Man played Saturday night at O'Daly's! There was a great crowd at the show, either out celebrating the Alabama win, or drinking their sorrows away for the Auburn loss... either way, it was great to catch up with some of JD's hometown friends & hear the guys play! It also occurred to me today that this past weekend was the very last time that JD & I would travel to Mobile as a family of 2 (CRAZY!!)!

**For the folks in the B'ham area who may have missed the show (or who can't get enough of JD & the Man), you're in LUCK!! They are playing again this Wednesday night at Big Blue Bagel in Crestline!! Hope to see you there!**

So on to Baby Baker... I don't know if it's the pregnancy or the time change, but I have been so exhausted lately!! I get upset with myself when I'm not as productive in the evenings as I'd like to be (still haven't decorated for Christmas yet...), but then I remind myself that I am on the verge of my third trimester & it is silly to think that I should be able to do all of the things that I used to be able to do pre-pregnancy. Any other moms out there remember feeling this way during the late 20 weeks? After reading this week's update, it made me feel better about being so tired - Baby Baker has been a busy bee, & is getting bigger & bigger all the time!

Here's what's happening this week...

Your Pregnancy: Week 27!! (www.parentsconnect.com)
The light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter for both you and your baby. With only 13 weeks left (give or take a couple of days), it's time to enjoy the ride because it's getting shorter. (This is the point on the roller coaster where you throw your arms in the air and wail like there's no tomorrow. Weeeee!)




Your Baby
Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point.

Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town. (OK, the baby is the size of that roast you meant to cook before you decided that ordering Chinese was a much better idea.)




I go back to the doctor on Wednesday of this week for another check up. I don't think there is anything worth noting happening at this appointment, just checking to see that Baby Baker is still growing. I was told that after this appointment, I would start to go see him every 2 weeks (instead of 4) until we get closer to my due date (CRAZY!).
This week we are busy getting the house all decorated for Christmas & to welcome our families to town for a baby shower this weekend!! JD's sweet sister was nice enough to volunteer to host a shower for Baby Baker for all of our aunts, cousins, & grandmothers! Can't wait to see everybody on Saturday!!

Week 26 Update & THANKSgiving!!

Time for another weekly update on Baby Baker! Hope that everybody is ready to get their turkey on for Thanksgiving tomorrow!! I know that we sure are - We have *so much* to be thankful for in the 2011 year! We are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving in Mobile with the Baker / Modling families for the first time! I even baked some of JD's holiday favorites last night to kick off the season (I'll post on that later)! Lots going on over the next few days: Thanksgiving dinner celebration, family time, Christmas decorating, IRON BOWL, & we'll end our trip with a JD & the Man show at O'Daly's Saturday night! Hope all of our Mob-town readers will be able to make it out!

As far as Baby Baker is concerned, things are starting to feel a bit more uncomfortable as baby continues to grow & grow! Baby Baker continues to move & swing around a good bit - & his / her foot even found my ribcage in the last few days :) I'm starting to feel a bit more tired in the evenings than I have been, but I can't decide if that's from pregnancy or if it's due to the time change? I have another doctor appointment next week, so we'll see if Baby Baker is continuing to grow, grow, grow! It's hard to believe that in a few short weeks (MAX of 13!!) we will have a sweet little baby!

Here's this week's update...

Your Pregnancy: Week 26 (www.parentsconnect.com)


{YIKES!! Look how big that baby looks already!!}

Deep breath! Air sacks are developing in your baby's lungs, which means it just might be possible for your baby to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing. Other highlights this week:

The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week—all the better to see you with. Well not you, per se, because her eyes are still sealed shut and it's really dark in there, but your baby's eyes are now fully developed.

Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in baby's noggin this week. That means baby's brain is registering things like sound and light. She can't understand what any of it means yet, but she's on track to comprehend an entire episode of Blue's Clues in no time!

As hearing continues to develop, your baby will start to recognize your voice. One hint that your karaoke rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not the best would be when the baby starts banging on your gut. Your bambino will also start to recognize your partner's voice. He may feel silly talking to your stomach, but assure him that somebody other than you is definitely listening. Research has shown that newborns actually recognize familiar sounds after birth. Proof that your baby has been paying attention all along.

Break out the sparkling apple juice—baby has now completed two-thirds of her stay in Hotel Womb. Your baby is about 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth (otherwise known as your primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months).



Hope that everybody has a safe & happy Thanksgiving weekend!!

Week 23 & Getting Ready for Baby

Hi all - another week is behind us already! Time seems to be going by much more quickly these days - and will only get worse as the holidays approach! Hope that everybody had a great Halloween! JD & I enjoyed greeting all of the neighborhood kids in costume & seeing our neighbors' *precious* baby girl (9+ months old), who was dressed as a duck!

Last weekend my sweet parents came over to help us finish up the "big stuff" in the nursery!! JD & my dad were able to assemble the crib & install the new hardware & blinds in the windows; Mom & I steamed the curtains, washed the bedding, & focused more on the "details". We are SO PLEASED with the finished product!!! Everything looks better than we even imagined!! Here are some pictures of the finished product:







Walls are still a blank canvas, & I haven't decided what I want to do just yet. Here are some ideas I've found on *pinterest*...

**over the crib, something with the initial & various "baby" items on small floating shelves**



**on the wall over the dresser / changing table - some form of assorted pictures (family? baby prints?) & I MUST find this huge safety pin!! anybody have a clue??**



**this idea is still in the works, but I like the idea of storage for books without taking up a lot of space in the room (like you would with a bookshelf)... thinking about these on the small wall immediately on the right when you walk in the nursery**


(another image of book storage - right side of the picture only)



I know that this stuff will come together in the next few weeks - it's such a HUGE relief to have all of the big stuff done in the nursery!! MANY THANKS to my terrific hubs for making sure that we got a jump start on the house projects & nursery early enough in our pregnancy so that I wouldn't stress too much, & to our families for all the help you've provided as we prepare for Baby Baker's arrival!!

This weekend we are looking forward to RELAXING & enjoying time at home! Our Supper Club group is coming over on Sunday evening for dinner - hoping that the weather cooperates because we were imagining doing a fire outside & making smores!!

Here's what's new with Baby Baker this week - no "new" pregnancy symptoms to report, but JD was able to feel & see the baby kick / move around this week! Baby continues to be very active, & I am starting to learn his / her schedule - I know to expect to feel movement at certain times in the day! Next week I am scheduled to go back to the doc & will have the dreaded glucose test. Wish me luck!!

Your Pregnancy: Week 23 (www.parentsconnect.com)



Your Baby
Your baby's got a while to go before her lungs will be ready for air and is practicing her "breathing" on the amniotic fluid—sucking it in and out of her lungs. Other highlights this week:

Fat production is in overdrive at this point (for the baby, not you! Well, OK, maybe for the baby and you). Your baby will basically double in weight over the next four weeks! You'll be happy to know the same won't apply to you.

Your Mini is starting to look more like a newborn as her skin becomes less see-through. Her body is looking more proportional now, although her head is still kinda big compared to her cute little body.

Your baby is about 11½ inches long and weighs 1 pound, or about the length and weight of a Harry Potter book.

21 Week Update & Nursery in Progress

Hello All - lots going on since our last update on Baby Baker! We attended our 20 week appointment on Friday morning with an ultrasound - doctor reports that all looks GREAT & baby is growing, growing, growing!! My official due date is still February 26, but the ultrasound tech measured baby last week with a due date of February 13 -- I guess this one is really going to surprise us on the arrival date!

Baby must have known that he / she was in the spotlight all morning because it was dancing all over the place! Not only could I feel it moving, but the ultrasound tech had a hard time keeping him /her on the screen & then the doctor had to keep moving his device to hear the heartbeat! He did get a good heart rate reading & it came in at *134* (for all of you who are playing the guessing game, the rumor is that a lower heart rate means BOY). I'm getting to where I feel baby moving just about every day now, which is such a great feeling! The best one so far was last Thursday morning (10/13/2011)- I woke up, it was overcast, I was really tired as I haven't been sleeping very well, & all I wanted to do was crawl back under the covers to get some more rest - well, as if baby could read my mind, I felt two quick *kicks* in my tummy, as of he / she were saying "Mom - you have to get up & go to work now or else you will be late!!" Well, that was all I needed to get me moving :) Still looking forward to when those kicks are more intense & hard enough for JD to feel them!

This weekend we drove over to Social Circle to visit with my parents! While there, we were able to get a lot of things checked off the list for the nursery, including window treatments, hardware, & an area rug!! I couldn't hardly wait to get home with our new purchases so that we could see how they were going to look in the nursery - I'm happy to report that everything is even more perfect than we even imagined!!! I know I haven't posted any "nursery in progress" pictures yet, but I am ready to do so now...

*the bedding - still no pictures of the assembled crib with the bedding because we haven't assembled it yet... updated pictures will be shared in early November*


*rug & window treatments - this is seriously the SOFTEST rug that I've ever seen in my life!! can't wait to get baby baker down there crawling around on it!!*


*close up of the dresser / changing table - prints were previously in the guest bathroom at my parents' house, we think they will be perfect in the nursery! The fuzzy guy on the dresser is a recent purchase - we just couldn't leave him at the store :)*


*another close up of the window treatments on one window - it AMAZES me what a difference some curtains & a rug will make in a space!!*


We also found these cute little guys from HomeGoods - just couldn't leave them there & they are PRECIOUS in the nursery!!



It's still hard for me to comprehend that we are move the half way hump in pregnancy!! Here's what's going on with baby's development as we kick off week 21...

Your Pregnancy: Week 21 (www.parentsconnect.com)

Twenty-one is a magic number. It means independence. It means you just won a hand of blackjack. In pregnancy terms, it means you have gotten over the hump and you only have 19 weeks left!



Your Baby
Chances are good you're feeling someone performing a round-off back handspring in your uterus by now. Is there any other feeling this cool? Other highlights this week:

By now your baby looks like a mini-version of what she'll look like when she's born. All her facial features are formed and hair is growing on her head. She's even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck her thumb or yawn. Aww ...

Baby's heartbeat is getting stronger and can be heard using a good old-fashioned stethoscope. Ask for a listen at your next prenatal visit! By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. This may not sound that exciting, but it's good news.

The amniotic fluid that has been cushioning your little bean now serves another purpose: Your baby uses it to "practice" chowing down. Yes, it sounds gross (as many aspects of pregnancy do), but it's an important step for your baby toward being able to chow down in the real world. Your baby has been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that she's absorbing small amounts of sugars from it. And let's face it, being able to effectively digest sugar is important at every stage of life.

Your baby now weighs between 10 and 11 ounces and is approximately 7 inches long—the size of a delicious, cold, frothy bottle of root beer. Float anyone?


That's all for now - looking forward to a visit from the Bakers this weekend for a JD & the Man show at ORE (Friday) & the Freshwater Land Trust Darter Dash 5k on Saturday! Wish me luck - not sure I was in my right mind when I agreed to do a 5k at a nature preserve at nearly 22 weeks pregnant...

Weekends for the Baker Bunch & 18 Week Update

Hi All - realizing that it's getting harder for me to keep up with my weekly blog updates! A lot has been going on for the Bakers -- here's a quick recap of what we've been doing...

We finally got the house projects complete {with the help of our amazing families!!!} & the Baker abode is getting closer to being ready for the arrival of Baby Baker!!! All of JD's music & home-brewing equipment is tucked away in its new home, thanks to JD's dad's incredible carpentry skills!! {I promise to post pictures soon of the beautiful cabinets he built for us!!} We now have new hanging cabinets in our screen porch for JD's homebrew equipment & we have two GORGEOUS cabinets in the guest room for JD's music equipment!! We also installed a kitty-sized pet door so that Aja is free to travel between house & screen porch. It took some time for her to get compfortable with the new set up, but she has finally come around & seems to be a much happier kitty overall! (For those of you who know Aja, I think she's really started to come out of her shell - a few mornings this week, I've gotten up in the morning & spotted her sitting in a window sill out on the porch just watching the yard & flicking her tail!! JD & I joke that she is out there enjoying her morning coffee, watching the world go by...)

We hit a couple of bumps in the road during work week, but we *could not* be happier with how everything has turned out!! AND - with JD's stuff out of the third bedroom, we were able to start making progress on the NURSERY!!

No pictures of the nursery-in-progress yet, but here's what we've done so far:
>painted the room (walls, trim, closet, etc...)
>put in new crown molding
>purchased new blinds for both windows
>picked up dresser & crib from furniture store - dresser was already assembled
>bedding arrived & is ready to go in the crib, once assembled

It's got a long way to go before the baby comes, but it's definitely coming along!! We ended up going with a nice, neutral color for the walls (Martha Stewart's 'Alpaca Brown') with white trim - it's amazing what a difference a couple of gallons of paint can make!!

JD & I find ourselves stopping by the *nursery* most nights just to look around & think about what it will be like when Baby Baker arrives & is living in his / her new space! It seems like so far from now, but at the same time, I know it will be here before we know it!! I get so excited thinking about it!!


Last weekend we spent some MUCH NEEDED R&R time at Smith Lake with some great friends! We enjoyed the sun, games, good food, football, & baby Caleb! Here is a quick picture I snapped of the view of the lake from our room at the GORGEOUS house:


(Sadly, this is the only picture I took all weekend... must have been having too much fun??)

Other big news for the Bakers this week is that we met with our mortgage broker & are going to be able to refinance our home loan & save 3 points off our current interest rate!!! We couldn't be more excited about this - it's going to save us over $200/month, which will definitely come in handy when we have to start paying for daycare next year!

Although this week is nearly over, here's an update on our baby's progress...

Your Pregnancy: Week 18 (www.parentsconnect.com)

Now that you're in the full throes of the second trimester, you're feeling—and looking—fabulous. So don't waste it! See friends (they've missed you since you moved your bedtime up to 7:00 p.m.), plan romantic dinners with your partner (you will miss those when junior arrives) and get active. Waterskiing might be a little too much but swimming and taking long walks are great for you and your bambino.

Your Body
At about 18 weeks, you might begin to feel a suspicious flutter in your belly. The professionals call it "quickening," we call it "baby's makin' waves!" Within the next few weeks, those tiny bubbly feelings will become more obvious. And soon enough they'll be unmistakably identifiable—especially when you (and anyone within 10 feet of you) can see tiny feet, elbows and knees moving across your belly.

>>>SIDE NOTE: I felt this for the first time on Sept 20!!!




Your Baby
Your baby's ears are now facing forward and are completely formed so she can actually hear you talking now. You don't need to abandon your potty mouth just yet, but you might want to start thinking about it! Other highlights this week:

This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork you'll have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of your baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing.

Your baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. Her sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.

Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long—about the size of a pickle from the corner deli. (You're familiar with pickles, right? Your regular accompaniment to a big bowl of ice cream?)

16 Week Update & Making Room for Baby!

Hi All - we are still trying to catch up after our first BIG work weekend!! We got sooo much done this past weekend, both inside & out! The tree that fell in our yard earlier this summer (did I ever mention that before now??) is finally gone & while we had the chainsaws, the guys (JD, his dad, & Katie's BF Dwain) went ahead & cut back a LOT of overgrowth from both in our yard & along the outside of our fence. The backyard, in particular, looks like a whole new yard! So nice! While the guys were busy outdoors, the ladies were busy inside cleaning out every closet & under the bed and doing some serious REORGANIZING! Several trips to the trash & GoodWill later, I'm finally starting to feel like we'll have some space to bring this new baby into our home, ha!

We also made some serious headway on the nursery!! Just about everything is cleared out of that room & the closet -- just waiting on JD & his dad to finish building the cabinets to store his homebrew & music equipment!! We ordered baby furniture this weekend & it should arrive no later than Sept 24! The pieces we ended up ordering are a convertible crib & what they call a "combo dresser" - I think they call it a combo piece because it is supposed to function as a changing table while the baby is in diapers (which it will at our house). Here are pictures of the furniture we ordered:



We are excited to be able to re-purpose two pieces we already have at the house to use in the nursery - a tall chest of drawers that belonged to JD's grandfather & a wicker rocker that my parents painted & recovered a couple of years ago that we have been using in the guest room.

We also ordered some baby bedding online this weekend as well - waiting for it to arrive to see if it's exactly what we want for Baby Baker! If so, then I can {finally} decide on a paint color & we can get the nursery painted!

Some other things on the "to-do" list for this week:
*finish painting / staining the cabinet pieces & get those in their correct spots
*replace screens on porch
*install pet door in backdoor
*get rid of remaining furniture in nursery that we aren't keeping
*paint nursery?

We are sooo thankful for our sweet families who have been such a HUGE help as we prepare for Baby Baker's arrival!! We absolutely could NOT have done it without their help!!!

I have another doctor's appointment this week - no ultrasound, just a check to see that our sweet baby is progressing as expected! I believe that our next big appointment with an ultrasound (what would be the anatomy reveal, were we finding out) is in two weeks - & I can't wait to see how big he / she has gotten since last time I saw him / her! I have been feeling pretty good, just finding myself getting tired more quickly than I did pre-pregnancy. I haven't felt any movement from the baby yet, but I read that I could feel hiccups starting last week & should start to feel kicking / movement starting next week!! We have a long weekend planned at Smith Lake next weekend with lots of friends who we don't get to see very often - I'm really hoping that Baby Baker decides to do some kicking / moving while we are together so that hopefully they can feel too :)

Speaking of, here's what's going on this week...

Your Pregnancy: Week 16 (www.parentsconnect.com)

What You're Thinking:

"I. Only. Have. Five. More. Months. Until. Everything. Changes."

Your Body
No, you don't have a new superpower, although it'll feel like it because you're able to smell pizza, burnt toast or a pulled-pork sandwich from miles away. Your heightened sense of smell isn't the only new trick your nose is doing. You're probably noticing some extra nasal congestion and maybe even some nosebleeds to go along with it.

Clearly your sense of smell is in overdrive, so try to avoid walking past the BBQ Pit or Curry Emporium.

While pregnancy-related nasal congestion is annoying, it shouldn't cause any problems and will go away after the baby is born. If you're getting a lot of nosebleeds, it could be because your partner keeps cheaping out on theater tickets, buying seats located in the top row of the balcony. Either that or it could be an indication of high blood pressure, so check with your medical provider.




Your Baby
Your baby is already mugging for the camera as she practices all sorts of facial expressions, such as squinting, yawning and grimacing, which will come in handy when you introduce her to pureed spinach. Check out what else is happening in utero:

You're just getting comfortable with being a new mom, but you're actually on the road to being a grandma. If your baby is a girl, her uterus is fully developed and the ovaries already hold primitive egg cells. Did that just make you feel a thousand years old, or what?

Your baby's skin is still translucent and wrinkly, not unlike an old man's, but more fat will soon accumulate under the dermas to plump her out. If you could peer inside right now, you'd be able to see all of her veins under her skin. And speaking of veins, your baby's heart now pumps about 25 quarts of blood per day, and she hasn't even seen Orlando Bloom yet! Also, her eyes are now locked and loaded at their final destination, facing forward rather than to the sides. (Whew!)

This is the week women get an amniocentesis, if their doc recommends it. In addition to supplying doctors with a boatload of info about the baby's health, amnios are also more than 99 percent accurate in determining what version of baby you'll be having. So if you want to know and you're getting an amnio, now's a great time to find out for sure.

Your baby weighs about 3 ounces this week and measures between 4 and 5 inches, about the length of your mascara.

15 week update & OTW

Greetings! Sorry for the late-week post this time! Short work weeks always seem to throw me for a loop...

I hope that everybody had a great Labor Day weekend! We were just productive enough to not feel guilty about relaxing on Labor Day :) Saturday was filled with FOOTBALL as the new season begun. Our Auburn Tigers left much to be desired, but they were able to pull off a W! JD's "hetero-life mate", Jason, paid us a surprise visit on Saturday & spent the weekend with us! Jason is currently doing Marine Reserve Officer training up in Virginia, so we don't get to see him as much as we'd like! Sunday JD & I continued our search for nursery furniture for Baby Baker. I think that we finally found what we are looking for - now we just need to get the rest of the nursery / house ready before we can bring it home!

This weekend, JD's mom & dad are coming up to kick off "work week" - we are hoping to get a number of things done before next Sunday, including cleaning out & painting the nursery! BUT - we have lots to do before we can get that started, so we'll have to see!

Speaking of baby, we hit the 15 week mark last weekend!! Here is this week's update:

Your Pregnancy: Week 15 (www.parentsconnect.com)
What You're Thinking:

"Why does this feel like it's going so fast and yet so slow all at the same time?" (A-men!!)
Your energy may have returned but that doesn't mean you should be hitting the clubs until 4:00 AM every night. With a baby growing inside you, sleep is one thing that you can't go without. Try these tricks to ensure you beat up the sheets.

If your growing belly is getting in the way of a good night's sleep, surround yourself with pillows to make for an extra-comfy nest effect. Sometimes room temperature can affect sleep, so make sure that your air conditioner is cranked up if you're feeling too hot.

Some sleeping positions are more comfortable than others for pregnant woman, like the "I'm just going to pass out on the La-Z-Boy" position. And get comfy sleeping on your left side while you're preggers: It's what the docs recommend to keep the blood flowing full steam ahead between you and the tadpole.



Your Baby
Although many women don't start feeling the baby move until the 17th week (or later), your baby has been having his own party in the amniotic sac he calls home. If you feel a little flutter in your belly this week, don't discount it as gas or hunger. It could be your babe banging around. Here's more to look forward to:

Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give you that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, you'll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.

Although baby's eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As your baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup. You'll know he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump you feel.

Over the next month, baby will grow faster than ever, so make sure you load up on enough nutritious food and fluids to support his growth. Your baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat "finger" (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces.





Tomorrow is our sweet puppy Luna's 4th birthday! To celebrate, her *thoughtful* brother Benny planned a small family birthday party. People in attendance will be: Luna, Benny, Aja, me, JD, Katie, Dwain, Tanner, Sadie, Johnny, Pam, & Wilson. Benny was in charge of sending out the "e-vite" invitations, so I promised I would help by making a dog-friendly birthday cake for all of the pups to enjoy! I'll let you dog lovers out there know how it turns out :)

Hope that everybody has a great weekend & enjoys this autumn-like weather!!

War Eagle!

14 Week Update

Good Morning! Just a quick update on the Baker family today... we spent the weekend down in Mobile for the 16th annual Dauphin Street International Beer Festival! As always, it did not disappoint; however, my experience was somewhat different from years past :) It was so good to spend time with JD's family & good friends - some of them were thoughtful enough to bring some O'Doul's non-alcoholic beer for me to drink so that I wouldn't feel left out, ha! On our way home yesterday, we stopped in Alabaster to check out the maternity section at their Old Navy store. Fortunately, I was able to find a few pieces (dresses & tops) that should get be through to winter!! I'm starting to "show" a little more each week & am probably wearing maternity clothes every-other day! This week is full of appointments - JD & I both are getting our teeth cleaned & then I have an appointment with my OB on Wednesday!! No ultrasound this week, though - boo :( Just hoping for a good report on BB's development!!

Speaking of, here is this week's update:

Your Pregnancy: Week 14 (www.parentsconnect.com)
You're officially in your glory days: the second trimester. Energy levels come back up, nausea levels go down and you may have a cute little bump that's beginning to show. It's a great time to celebrate the happy news ... if people haven't guessed already


Your Baby
Think of it this way: You're a third of the way through and baby's a third of the way cooked. Now that the "big stuff" (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, your baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work. Highlights this week include:

Your baby now has fingerprints! Book 'em, Danno! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.

Meconium, that tar-like, sticky first baby poop, is now loading up your baby's intestines, which means you might want to set aside a bottle of olive oil, one of the few things that will get the gooey poop off of baby's bottom.

Your baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help him fling food across the room later in life). Your tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.

Your baby is now weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, you haven't done the same.




Thursday night we are heading to Regions Park to see the Birmingham Barons take on the Tennessee Smokies! Hope everybody has a great Labor Day weekend - we are looking forward to staying home & relaxing! JD's big band (Dangerous Cousin) has a show at Tannehill State Park on Monday afternoon, but other than that, we'll be around the house!

13 week update

Not much new to report this week - but we have entered in to the SECOND TRIMESTER!!! I can't tell if time is going by quickly or not - right now it feels like it's creeping by, but at the same time I know that the next few months will go by in a flash! Another highlight this week - I am starting to transition in to maternity clothes!! Not for everyday yet, but some things from my pre-preggers wardrobe just don't work anymore :(

Mom & Dad Goodroe came to visit us this past weekend - we went to go hear JD & the Man play Friday night at Big Blue Bagel in Crestline. Saturday we spent the day running around town - mostly looking at baby stuff & nursery furniture!! There is so much to think about when shopping for new baby! Dad was cracking us up because he had apparently done some research on Consumer Reports recently & knew what brands were good & which ones to avoid - so funny to see a 70+ year old man have an opinion on baby strollers & car seats! HA!

This weekend we are heading down south for the annual Dauphin Street International Beer Fest - should be a good time, even for this pregnant gal :)

PS - I have recently fallen victim to pinterest. Many apologies to my husband who on Sunday only saw me from behind the laptop while I was scouring the many pages searching for great finds - I feel like that is bound to happen more frequently...

Here's this week's update!

Your Pregnancy: Week 13 (www.parentsconnect.com)
What You're Thinking:
"OK, fine, my skinny jeans aren't working anymore—and my "fat day" clothes don't even fit. I'm going shopping and I'm not coming back until I've got something I look fabulous in."



Your Baby
Your baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy ... and not so much at the age of 9. If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer! Other exciting developments include:

Your baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. (Baby ribs! How cute is that?!) Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord. Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and you a lot of lost sleep).

Who's that singing? Elton John? Could be your baby: His vocal cords and larynx are completed now.

Your baby-to-be now weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter Butter, covered in chocolate. OK, it doesn't have to be covered in chocolate, but isn't everything better that way?

12 week Update

Hello all! Just another quick update on what's going on with the Bakers. Since my last post, one of my very best friends gave birth to her first child!!! We are so happy to welcome Caleb Joseph Giesen to the world!! Congrats to Natalie & Joey - he is absolutely perfect & the most precious baby I've ever seen!!!

As I mentioned before, we traveled to New Orleans this weekend for a long weekend getaway! It was so nice!!! Lots happening in the Crescent City this weekend - Saints pre-season game at home Friday night; Red Dress Run Saturday morning; Dirty Linen party on Royal Street Saturday night. JD's sweet mom & dad came to spend the day with us on Saturday!! We had great food, saw all of our favorite spots in the city, hung out with old friends, & did LOTS of walking around - which I was nervous about in the beginning, but I ended up feeling great!! It has inspired me to pick back up on my exercise routine back home! We knew while we were there that we wanted to get some unique art from an artist on Jackson Square that we could use in the nursery - we were able to find a couple of the most *precious* pieces!! The cute little artist even signed them after we told him it was for our baby's nursery :) I will post pictures from our trip later...

On our way home, we swung through Foley, AL to stop at a place to look for supplies for our upcoming house addition project! We were able to find a new back door & wood for the cabinets that JD & his dad are going to build to hold his music & beer brewing supplies! We were able to get some really good deals - definitely worth the trip over to Foley!

In other news, I hit the 12 week mark over the weekend!! I am continuing to feel pretty good & can start to feel my energy coming back (finally!). Here's an update on what's going on with Baby Baker this week:

Your Pregnancy: Week 12 (www.parentsconnect.com)

What You're Thinking:
"Finally I can tell everybody that I'm not getting fat, I'm just pregnant!"

Your Baby
Baby's face is looking more human as his eyes have moved to the front of his head and his ears are in place. Hooray! Other amazing fetal highlights this week:


Your baby is able to swallow this week and practices on the amniotic fluid he or she floats in. (And you thought baby food was kind of nasty!) And in case you're wondering how your kid can breathe in all that fluid, here's your answer: Fetuses get oxygen from the blood pumped into their bodies by the placenta and don't breathe with their lungs. Mystery solved!

This is kind of gross, albeit fascinating, so feel free to skip ahead: Your baby's intestines are well under way, but they aren't all where you'd expect them to be. Instead of all being locked away in the body cavity, some are dangling on the outside, in the umbilical cord. Ewwww.

Don't forget to put a baby nail file on your registry—your little nugget's finger- and toenails are forming this week. The chin and nose are also becoming more defined.

Junior has doubled in size over the past two weeks and now weighs almost ½ ounce. He's also now around 2 ½ inches long, about the length of your pinky finger or a Vienna sausage, which, in a few months, will be indistinguishable from one another.

11 Week Update, & more

Hello All,

No real changes for me this time, but I thought I'd post the 11 week update on (BB)Baby Baker...

Your Pregnancy: Week 11 {from parentsconnect.com}

Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? Read on ...

What You're Thinking:
"I am not crazy for crying like a little girl during the cheerleading championship on ESPN. Those girls work hard!"




Your Baby
All of your baby's vital organs are now formed and functioning, so the risk of defects decreases this week as your baby becomes less susceptible to outside influences. Phew! Other exciting developments include:

Baby's ears are assuming their proper place this week and the fingernail and toenail beds are beginning to form. Your little "pumpkin head" really lives up to his nickname as his head is nearly as big as the rest of his body.

While testes or ovaries are completely formed now, don't start decorating the nursery. You won't be able to see your baby's gender for a few more weeks yet.

Your baby is really on the move now. In an ultrasound you might be able to see your little acrobat flailing his or her arms and legs and doing somersaults worthy of Cirque du Soleil. You still won't be able to feel any movement, so if you feel something "kick" in there, it's probably gas.

In the next nine weeks, your baby will increase 30 times in weight and almost triple in length. You might feel like you're increasing 30 times in weight at this point, too, but we can assure you're not—because, honey, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

Your baby now weighs a third of an ounce, about the same as two small, Starbucks-sized packets of sugar, is about 2 inches long, the length of one of those sugar packets. Isn't that sweet?




I'm still feeling better than I was for the first several weeks, which is a GREAT relief! Still waiting for my energy to kick back in. JD & I had a pretty lazy weekend, however we did get a closet & a chest of drawers cleaned out. We're in the process of trashing or donating the stuff we don't need anymore, or putting things in storage we don't need but still want to keep, all in an attempt to get ready for BB!

We have a 3 bedroom house currently set up as 2 bedrooms & an office / music room / beer brewing room. The initial thought was that we would turn the current guest room into the nursery; however, since we have family who live out of town, getting rid of a guest room wasn't really an option. So, we have since decided to turn the office into the nursery. That means, however, that we need a space for JD's music & beer brewing equipment to go. After talking out the logistics with JD's dad, we have decided to close in our existing screen porch & make it a family room. JD & his dad are going to build custom cabinets to house his stuff. Work week is set to take place in early September - and we are sooooo excited!! Once the new space is complete, we can start working on the nursery!!

Also, on the short horizon for the Bakers is a mini vacation to New Orleans! We leave Friday & will spend 3 nights in the Big Easy! We are really looking forward to getting away for a little while & spending some time with friends who we don't see very often! I know, NOLA seems like an unusual place for a preggers lady to go - we scheduled & paid for this trip before we knew we were expecting! But, I was still excited to go! I'm really excited because we decided not to stay in a hotel this time, but in a little one bedroom condo! We found a GREAT place on a www.VRBO.com search - it's right on Royal Street, behind Jackson Square! In the heart of the French Quarter - close to everything! We even have our own little courtyard & two bicycles for getting around town!!! This will be my third trip to New Orleans, & I am excited to see how different this trip is from past visits!

Hope everybody has a great week! Talk to you soon...

...and BABY makes three

Well, I suppose it's finally safe for us to share our BIG news... JD & I are expecting a baby!!! Baby Baker is due February 26, 2012! We found out we were expecting on June 30, & it has been so tough keeping it a secret when all we wanted to do was shout our GREAT news from the mountain tops! The past few weeks have been pretty interesting - I've definitely had my share of "morning sickness", which usually lasts throughout the day (yuck). I've also been BEYOND EXHAUSTED! It's hard to imagine that something so small can already have such an impact on my body! This week I've been feeling much better (thank goodness), but I'm still ready to get my energy back! I've heard that moms usually start to notice a difference after the 12 week mark, so I'm looking forward to that :)

JD & I have had so much fun thinking about names & nursery ideas for BB (baby baker, of course!). We have also decided that we are NOT going to find out the gender in advance!! I know, we're crazy... the idea is that there are so few truly pleasant surprises in life, why wouldn't we take advantage of this one?!? Plus, we aren't really the "pink & blue" kind of people, so it's not like we'd "need to know" in advance to get the nursery ready. So far, mostly everybody thinks it's going to be a little girl. JD is POSITIVE it's a girl - I can't say that I have a feeling one way or another. All of the "old wives tales" say different things, but the Chinese calendar says girl. Anybody care to guess?

I went to the doctor this week for another ultrasound & everything looks GREAT! In fact, BB is measuring a little bigger than the estimated due date (Feb 18), but my doc is sticking with the original due date. The ultrasound was pretty incredible thsi time - BB actually looks like a BABY now! It has a HUGE noggin & it even waved its little hand at me! I can't believe how much it has changed in such a few short weeks --- & how much it will continue to change between now & my next appointment! I go back to the doc in 4 weeks, but no ultrasound at that appointment. We have to wait 8 weeks for the BIG ultrasound - the "anatomy review". IF we were going to find out the gender, it would be at that appointment, which also marks my HALF WAY POINT in pregnancy!!?! CRAZY!

As of today, I am 10.5 weeks pregnant. I've seen a few friends post weekly updates on their pregnancies & I think it's a great idea - I've decided to do something similar! So... here you go!


Your Pregnancy: Week 10 {from parentsconnect.com}
The roller coaster of nausea may almost be over, but the roller coaster of emotions (happy, sad, crying, mad; and that's all in the last 30 seconds) is just revving up. No one will understand why Friends reruns are making you cry, so don't bother trying to explain it.




Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? Read on ...

What You're Thinking:
"Only 30 more weeks until I can eat raw fish and drink sake again."

Your Baby
By the end of Week 10, your baby graduates from embryo to fetus, which literally means "little one." It also translates to "I'm just going to keep getting bigger and bigger and so are you!" Other highlights this week:

Your baby has finally morphed from a little tadpole into, well, a baby. Not only is the face more human-like, but that unflattering "tail" (really just the developing spinal cord) has disappeared, fusing into the spinal column.

Your baby now has discernible fingers and toes, which will explain the steady stream of kicks and punches you'll feel down the line.

Junior's skeleton is starting to grow and harden. The ears are beginning to take shape and the eyelids are no longer transparent. Tooth buds are forming, although your baby won't get any teeth until six or seven (or eight or nine or 10) months after birth.

Baby's brain will make an incredible 25,000 new neurons every minute this week. While you may feel like you're losing as many as he's gaining, we can assure you it's not permanent. "Pregnancy brain," like nausea and bloating, is a temporary symptom that soon shall pass. (And then you'll get "Mommy brain," but we won't go there now.)

If you're baby is a boy, he's started producing that macho hormone testosterone. And whether your baby is a boy or a girl, the kidneys are creating copious amounts of urine. Lucky for you, you won't have to change a diaper for another 30 weeks.

Baby weighs only 4 grams and measures 1½ inches, about the size of a mondo Brazil nut.




We are so excited about all that is in store for us as we prepare for our new precious baby to arrive!

loving this

check out this really unique *customizable* piece of art from one of the blogs I follow, MadeByGirl

This little beauty might make its way to the Baker house in the near future...


...and a TOTAL steal at just $45!

Other Projects Around the House

Well, our biggest project was all of the work in the bathroom, but we were able to get a few other things done around the house:

*JD & his dad insulated & put "walls" up in our laundry room / storage room (this was really special for me as I am the one who spends the most time in this room & can REALLY APPRECIATE insullation & organization)
*They also built up new shelving for extra storage!
*Pam & I went through everything in our outdoor storage unit & threw a bunch of stuff away & organized what was to remain
*Pam & sweet Aunt Denise really helped us out with our outdoor areas (patio, yard, & porch) - lots of pictures below...

>>>WE ARE SO HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING & CAN'T THANK OUR FAMILIES ENOUGH!!!<<<
















We kicked off our Spring / Summer entertaining by hosting Supper Club last weekend! We had 11 people over for one of our favorites, Mexican! We had a taco bar with all the fixins', beans, rice, grilled chicken, ground beef, queso - JD even made a cerveza home brew for the occassion! It was delish! A lovely evening with great friends :)

I also want to share a recipe I tried for beer-margaritas - really easy & super yummy! For those who don't like margaritas, the beer cuts the sour / tangy taste of the margaritas...

(my recipe was for 16 cups, the size of my drink dispenser)
4 cups 7up
4 cups Corona Extra
4 cups silver tequila
3 (12oz) cans of frozen limeade concentrate (thawed)

Mix together ingredients & serve over ice with lime for garnish!