It's all of us here this time for the latest update!! We do our best to keep things "up-to-date" but frankly, sometimes life just gets in the way... hahaha... Between softball season, laundry to do, packing to get started on, garbage to take out, growing people and preparing to move, there's just ALOT going on in our lives right now!! hahaha..

Everyone is wonderful - just eating and resting and growing and doing our best to take time out to smell the roses and really enjoy this pregnancy!! We're having a blast!!! It's really been wonderful. =o)

We've started to collect paper boxes from work so we can begin packing to move to our new apartment at the end of August. Those boxes are stacked everywhere, and Mommy being the neat freak that she is, well, it's starting to get to her!! hahaha......We're sooo blessed with how we found our new home!!! Our apartment manager was moving to a smaller place, and her apartment was becoming available and she offered it to us first!!! Obviously with less than 800 sq ft and a new person coming into our lives, we were desperate for more space. Our new home was becoming available at the exact time our current lease was expiring. Perfect timing! We were able to get a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom FIRST FLOOR apartment with 1120 sq ft - yea for Daddy who's knees were having a hard time on those stairs!!! The apartment also has a few upgrades like California Closets and hardwood floors - love that!! It's WELL within our budget and we're sooo blessed for that!!!

Mommy bought her first body pillow to help with some of the aches and pains that she's been having at night. She's spent a few nights getting up in the middle of night to move to the couch because you can sleep upright comfortably in there.... The corner of the couch is an easy nook to snuggle up in and get some rest!!! Eventually she realized that the huge body pillow was not exactly what she needed; she really needed something to support her tummy at night. Daddy convinced her that he was RIGHT and she broke down and went to Babies R Us and got a Body Wedge. It's basically like a HUGE wedge of cheese that slips right under the belly when you lay on your side for perfect support. Now I'm not saying that later, as I get bigger, that I won't need the body pillow but for now, this works. Still a little achy but comes with the territory, right?!

One of Mom's new cravings is filling comfort food. Macaroni & cheese, turnip greens, pinto beans with onion, cornbread, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, etc... Is anyone else hungry now?!! hahaha.... I'm sure that it's a phase and it will pass, just like the crunchy stuff and the veggie soup phases passed too!! =o)

On Saturday August 1, Daddy's church team, Team SOS, had a BIG tournament in Dayton, Tennessee. It was the ASA Church State Tournament and everyone traveled out of town to watch the team play. We left work early on Friday and got home to pack then we were on the road again. It took us a few hours to get to Dayton, but eventually everyone ended up at the hotel. We watched the movie Taken in the Theatre room and that was cool!!Then we we all went next door for dinner as a group - and our group is HUGE!!! Sorry guys, that's a comment on the number of people, not your girth!! hahahaha. Later we had devotion as a group and then everyone went to their rooms to try and get some rest for the next day....

Despite the rain from the previous few days, the tournament had a good turnout - 13 teams total and they were pretty good too!! We had a really big tent set up in the outfield so the wives could watch the games, but still not have to sit in the sweltering heat. I'm still not sure how the guys did it!! I know that they were burning up in those uniforms!.. But everyone managed to stay well hydrated while they played and rested and cooled down between games.



As the day progressed, the guys never lost a game and stayed in the winners bracket during the entire tournament. They played their last game that day at 6:00 pm and they won!!! They won the ASA Church State Tournament and it was awesome!!! Great day of ball and friends and fellowship!! So proud of all of them.... And of course, on the way home, we had to stop in Cookeville at Golden Corral to celebrate!!! Those boys LOVE a buffet!! hahaha.... =o)

We spent much of week 18 washing uniforms and recovering from the weekend!! We had so much fun, but it took until at least Wednesday to catch up on our rest!!! We recently found out that some friends of ours (Kristy & Matt) are also expecting and it's quite possible that they are expecting MULTIPLES!!! WOW!! She hopes to find out soon (they have 2 already!!).... That would be so exciting.. I know how excited we are with just one, so she's got to be overjoyed - scared, but overjoyed!!!

On Saturday Aug 8, we had dinner at Bo & Erin's house; they're old friends of ours and we haven't gotten together in a very long time!! Their little girl Leighanne is 4 years old now (I think) and is just adorable! Those big blue eyes will melt your heart. Our other friends Mike & Andrea were also there with their kiddos - Braden, Addison, and Ethan. Steve & Cara, some more friends of ours, also came and it was a blast!! Its funny how with some friends you can just pick right up where you left off. They're a special bunch and I'm glad that we were all able to reconnect.

Daddy had another softball tournament that day, so he wasn't able to join us for dinner. The church team, Team SOS, played in the ISA Church World tournament in Mt. Juliet and Daddy said it was a great day!! (It was really hot that day, almost 97 degrees, so Mommy stayed home in the A/C and tried to pack a little.) They met alot of church teams that have similar ministries to theirs and had a really good time playing them and getting to know them. This tournament had teams from all over the country playing in it - Mississippi, Alabama, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc - so it was the biggest tournament this year by far!!! They played hard all day, against some GREAT competition (the best they've played against this year, according to Daddy) but they fell just a little short... they placed 4th, but not bad for a World Tournament!!!! And Daddy hit .840 for the tournament too!!! hehehe....Go Daddy!!! =o)

Lil Duck just keeps growing and I am in amazement every day at how this little one is progressing..... During this week - week 17 - the little one weighs about 5 ounces (about as much as a turnip) and is about 5 inches long. The skeleton is changing to bone from soft cartilage, and the umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker. Even tiny things are miracles, like he/she is starting to develop sweat glands!!! This is a glimpse of what we look like at week 17....





We are getting bigger by the day during week 18!!! Lil Duck is already about 5 1/2 inches long (that's like the size of a bell pepper!!!) and weighs almost 7 ounces (that's like 2 ounces more than just last week!!) He/She is so busy flexing arms and legs. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around the nerves, and this will continue for about a year after the baby's born. Not sure if it's a boy or girl yet - BUT - if it's a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If it's a boy, his genitals are noticeable now. This is a photo of how we look at week 18.



We have a dr's appointment on Tuesday August 11, and it's a big one. This will BY FAR be the best anniversary present ever (our 15 year wedding anniversary is on the 13th)!!!! This is the appointment where Mommy has her glucose test AND we have our first BIG ultrasound!!! We're praying that whether it's a boy or girl, that we're able to tell, and that the little one won't hide anything from us while we sneak a peek!!!! hehehe. =o)

We're so excited to share all of our new developments and accomplishments with everyone. Hope you're enjoying them like we are! Next time we post, we hope we're able to share the gender of our little miracle!!

We love you all,

Mommy, Daddy & Lil Duck!!

Hi everyone... thanks so much for keeping up with the blog...

It's been a while since we've updated but growing people is hard work!! We wanted to update everyone on how things are going for us during Weeks 15 & 16.....

We had a doctor's appointment on July 14th and were still recovering our awesome vacation... it takes a little longer to recover from those trips these days!! We were anxious to see if we would finally get to see our little one for the first time. We immediately asked the nurse if we would be able to have an ultrasound today, but she said no not this time; there wasn't one scheduled for us today. So naturally we were disappointed a little. I think I had gotten my hopes up because so many had told me that their sister/friend/etc had found out the sex around 13-15 weeks and I thought I might be able to also. =o(

The appointment started out a little different than most. Our nurse had to take my blood pressure 3 different times!!! At first, it was ALOT higher than usual - around 145/90. She knew that that was waaaaay off, so we tried it again. Well that one came out really high also - 140/90. At first I was a little concerned... "had my blood pressure gotten that high and I didn't know it? How much salt DID I eat on vacation? Hmmmm"..... So we resorted to doing things the old fashioned way - not the electronic BP monitor - we used the stethascope and sphygmomanometer ( I just call it the BP thingy)... Luckily our nurse was right because it was only 112/60.... Now THAT'S more like it!! My weight was right in target range, and I was surprised with all that I had eaten on vacation I didn't gain 20 pounds!! hahaha....

When Dr. Lipsitz arrived, she asked all the usual questions - How are you sleeping? How is your appetite? Has the nausea subsided? Is your energy back to normal? I was a little concerned because my hips had been hurting at times during the night, but she reassured me that it was normal; just use a pillow between your legs to relieve some of the pressure on your hips. My appetite was doing better BECAUSE my nausea was going away (FINALLY!!!). I hadn't gotten back into the swing of things with being so tired and having no energy but she said that it would come back soon. Around 15-18 weeks, most realize that they've slipped back into their usual routine with no problems.

Although we didn't get to "see" the baby, we did get to hear the heartbeat again. I assumed she would be able to find it quickly again, and after a minute or two when she hadn't, I started to get worried. Donald and Dr. Lipsitz both could see the concern on my face. She immediately said "I can hear the heartbeat just fine. I'm just trying to get it into a position that you can hear it clearly too.".. and that definitely calmed me down.. She had moved about 3-5 inches to the left of where she was a few weeks ago when we heard it the first time and I almost said "You're in the wrong place lady", but her years of medical school WAY out trump mine! hahaha. She found the heartbeat where we could hear it and it was just like I remembered..... "Wub, wub, wub, wub".... so sweet!! It was a little deeper than last time, but it was healthy and that's all that mattered... Our little one is growing so fast!!

July 16 was my birthday and we went to one of my favorite restaurants, Tully's, with Jim & Jill (Uncle Rico & Aunt Jill) to celebrate. I'm finding that my tastebuds are a little different now than they were a few months ago because I ordered the crabcakes (so excited about them) and they were, well, different.... so I ate what felt like half of Donald's steak and my sides, and of course we got dessert!! CHEESECAKE!! YUM!!! We'll definitely go back again, but I may steer clear of the seafood next time. Hahaha.....

Daddy had a softball tournament on July 18th with his team ARS. It was the ISA State tournament. This is the team that he plays on with Jim, Pepe & Joey and the other guys. They played hard all day, starting at 8:00. It was way to early for Mom to get up and going on a weekend so I slept in and went out to the fields later. The guys ended up finishing 5th in the state!! Great Job!!

I can be perfectly honest and say not much of anything happened during week 16 except catching up on some rest and doing laundry. Oh wait, I did get a haircut that week! hahaha.. but like I said, not much happened..

Daddy did have a BIG ball tournament to get ready for on Saturday so he rested during the week with me too!! July 25th was the NSA State tourney and he was playing with ARS again. These guys are great, their wives & girlfriends are fun and they're just alot of fun to hang out with. It was another early start time - 8:00 again - and I slept in again and went to the ballpark later. Plus it was crazy hot that day too.... The guys played a tough group of teams this time around and they still managed to finish 5th in the state again!! So proud of my boys!!! =o)

During week 15, we continue to see alot of changes in our little one... He/She is about 4 inches long now and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces, like the size of an apple. The air sacs in the lungs are starting to develop. The legs are growing longer than the arms now, and he/she can move all of the joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still shut, the baby can even sense light. Here's a picture of how we look at 15 weeks.



Week 16 we had to prepare ourselves for a growth spurt. We found out that in the next few weeks, our Lil Duck will double his/her weight and add inches to his/her length. Right now, the baby is about the size of an avacado; about 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. The legs are much more developed and the head is more erect than it has been. (This part amazes me) The patterning of the baby's scalp has started but you can't see hair yet. Even the little ears are almost done moving into position. Lil Duck's heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day!!!! AMAZING!!! God is Good!!! Here's a picture of how we are developing at 16 weeks.



Hope everyone enjoyed our latest update. We're finding that for "catch up" purposes, that 2 weeks at a time helps - especially if it's been a busy time for us.. Bear with us as we do our BEST to update everyone on our exciting time!!

We love you all,
Mom

Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. We know it's late but Lil Duck insisted we get the blog updated, so here we go......

Hi everyone - Lil Duck here!!! We had a great Week 13 & 14... I had my first road trip to Florida and man it was so fun!!! I had to talk the 'rents into coming home just so I could get some rest... Vacations are exhausting!!

We left Thursday after Mom & Dad got off work - around 1:00 - and hit the road! Grabbed some munchies - they're pretty much a must at all times now - and we were off and running... at least until Mom had to stop and pee - AGAIN!! The trip down wasn't too bad, but MAN Florida is a long way away.... I hope people come up here to visit us from time to time!! ;o)

Thursday night we got in kinda late but stopped by Yaya's house to say hi. She hugged Dad & Mom so tight I thought I just might pop out!! Kidding!! But it was good to finally meet her... she seems really sweet - I think she likes me and might spoil me a little!!! :o)

We spent the night at Gamma & Gaga's house - Auntie Carol was there too.... And all the doggies too... Oh they just sooooo love us!! hehehe... Gamma & Gaga are great, but I kinda knew that they would be - I've heard alot about them. Friday morning we went over to Uncle Danny & Aunt Holly's house for breakfast. My cousins Emma & Cole live there too!! We hung out for a little while and then Mom & I went shopping with Yaya for a little bit. Later we went to get lunch and some Gator gear, then back to the house. Mom wears out still pretty easily nowadays so she needed a break! Dad stayed in Macclenny with the rest of the family and hung out in the pool. Mom and I did finally make it in the pool later Friday night and that was way fun!!! We had a huge dinner of steak, potatoes, salad w/all the fixin's and ice cream!!! It was sooo yummy!

Emma is sooo fun to swim with!! She likes to splash around and make alot of noise and that's way fun for me!!! Mom likes to be lazy in the pool sometimes, but she loves her some "Emma time" too and we had a blast!! Emma even got to spend the night Friday night - she's a great sleepover buddy!!

Saturday - 4th of July - EVERYONE (it seemed like) was at Gamma & Gaga's!!! First we got up and had bacon & eggs - we eat that alot for breakfast in FLA... Gaga even made mom her very own 1/2 pot of coffee - now she thinks she's special! :o) Later that morning, Uncle Danny, Aunt Holly & Cole came over to start our "Day O' Fun!" Emma & Gaga (with Uncle Danny's help) changed the flag on the flagpole in the front yard. We all gathered around and watched and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we watched as Uncle Danny & Gaga refolded the old flag! That was really cool!!

Mom was missing my Uncle Clayton that day too... (For those that don't know, Uncle Clayton is actually a cousin, but he's one of "the guys" with Dad & Uncle Danny & Uncle Adam so that's why he's 'earned' his title. He's in the Army and right now is in AIT at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.) Mom said that saying the Pledge made her remember that Clayton wasn't there, and it made her a little weepy. But she perked up as the day went along, remembering how special he is to her and Dad!!

Emma & Cole were ready to get in the pool, so we all changed and jumped in!! It was starting to get really HOT so it was time for a cool dip! A little while later, Uncle Ronnie & Aunt Leslie & the group (my other cousins - Chase, Danielle, Victoria & Courtney) came to eat, swim and hang out. I really like them - they're all loads of fun!! We had lots of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, cookies, cokes, watermelon & ice cream... it's easy to get full over there!!

Dad, Uncle Danny & Uncle Ronnie went to Uncle Ronnie's house later to get the 4-wheelers (they have 2!!!) and brought them over to Gamma & Gaga's so that we could all ride around the circle. Dad almost freaked out when Mom said that she would ride one with him. (Side note, 2 things Mom does NOT do - ride Jet-ski's and ride 4 wheelers. She says that it's not so much that she's scared of them, but she's intimidated by them!! They're big, loud, moving machines!!!!) Auntie Carol made Mom promise to wear a helmet, but she threw caution to the wind. Actually Daddy said that he wouldn't do anything silly that might get them hurt, and she trusted him, so she decided not to wear one this time. We rode around for a little bit and MUCH to Dad's surprise, Mom even learned how to drive one!! Uncle Ronnie rode with her and showed her how & she was pretty good at it! She had so much fun & she said she would definitely ride one again!! Everyone rode 4 wheelers until it started to get dark, and by then we were all winding down.

Uncle Wade & Aunt Joetta showed up a little later after we were winding down from 4 wheeling... Aunt Joetta made a homemade Key Lime Pie that was out of this world yummy!! Saturday night, after we put up the 4 wheelers, we ate some more, and then hung out playing cornhole and swimming again and waiting for fireworks to start. We lit some sparklers and played with the kiddos for a while. Then it was time for Aunt Holly to take Cole home to get some shut-eye. Emma spent the night with us again and she's was so good... she's so fun!

Sunday we just kind of laid around doing nothing, mostly because we were tired and sunburned from the day before. We watched tv, and played with the kiddos, and just vegged out... Gaga made a turkey that was Out-of-this-world good and stuffing and all the yummy sides!!! Man, we eat GOOD on vacation!!! Dad ate as much as Mom that night!!! hahahaa - sorry Dad....

Later that night we met up with Uncle Ronnie & Aunt Leslie at a friends house over by the river and played cornhole and rode 4 wheelers again. We had so much fun!! Mom was really pooped by the end of the day though, and had to be the bad guy and cut the night short... It's always good to see them and hang out with them... I really like them!

Monday was alot like Sunday - more laziness and hanging out! But we're on vacation, right??!! We did manage to get showers and get cleaned up and go over to Yaya's house and take her out to lunch. We went to the new seafood place in Macclenny and it was really good. Of course, Mom had NO PROBLEM finishing off her meal - but Dad needed a hand with his.... hehehe......

Tuesday was a lazy day and it was the day before we headed back home. This is usually the day that mom gets really sad because she knows we have to leave soon. We finished up some laundry and went swimming one more time. It was "float time" for me & mom, just a chance to chill out - just us - in the pool... I think we floated for about 2 hours that day - it was great!! Even Yaya came over and we chilled out for a while, but mom was tuckered out and needed a nap. We helped Gamma & Gaga clean out the fridge of leftovers - or at least we tried!! I think they probably would have had a weeks worth of leftovers if we weren't there.... It was fun to help, that's for sure!! hahaha....

Wednesday we had to say goodbye and head home. Dad drove the whole way - he's a trooper!! We didn't have to stop that much this time, just to eat, pee and get gas (for the car)... hahaha... it sure made the trip home seem faster than the trip down. It was alot of fun to finally meet everyone. Auntie Carol was awesome, and I can't wait to see her again. Uncle Danny & Aunt Holly love me already, I can just tell!!! I can't wait for our next trip to see everyone again!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot - the week 13 & 14 updates... well, in week 13, I have fingerprints on my fingers now, and my body is FINALLY starting to catch up with my head - it's like a 1/3 of my body size now!! At 13 weeks I'm almost 3 inches long, about the size of a big shrimp and I weigh about an ounce. Here's my 13 week picture....



In week 14, I can make faces and squint and even suck my thumb!! My kidneys are making urine (ewww) but that's a good thing. It goes into the fluid around me. I'm about 3 1/2 inches long from head to butt and (all of a sudden) I'm the size of a lemon!!! (Can you believe that?!! so much for growing like a weed - I'm growing like produce!! hahhaa.) My arms are finally in proportion to my body, but my legs still have some catching up to do... I'm also growing that really fine baby downy hair... My feet are about a 1/2 inch long now and I'm much more flexible & active... I'm moving more, but Mom still hasn't felt anything yet.... Here's my week 14 picture...

OK, so I'm pooped now.. Mom has had to type all this, but she knows it's time to get me a snack and a little nap. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures of the fantastic time we had..... Be sure to check in for week 15 because we have a Dr's appointment that week!!!

Love you!!!
Lil Duck

Just Mom here this time!

We're trying to get back on track when it comes to updating the blog, so I apologize that we're bombarding you with LOTS of information over the last week or so.... Once we get updated on week 12, we should be back on schedule... WOW!! 12 Weeks has just flown by!! I mean, it seems like just yesterday we were calling everyone in tears with the fan-freakin-tastic news!!!

Week 12 was somewhat uneventful. I hate to say that, but not a lot has happened. Mom has been feeling good. Made it almost a full week without having to wear my seabands (they help with seasickness and motion sickness, but have been wonderful with helping in morning/all day sickness too!!). That's huge because there were days where I would dread taking them off at work, for fear of having to YAK at work! Nothing worse than that!!!

I went on a "crunch craze" this week as well. I went to the grocery store and proceeded to buy boxes of Crunch 'N Munch, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Peanut Butter Captain Crunch! But it was all completely coincidental!! I have, however, learned that if you start your day immediately with a bowl of Captain Crunch, you can ward off the icky's until at least 8:00. =o) I also call it Feeding The Beast (if I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaly hungry in the A.M.)!!

Dad has been doing wonderful also. Having a rough few nights sleeping but I think that's just because it's been so late getting to bed (because of ball or umpiring EVERY night) and then so early getting up to do it all over again the next day!! Daddy needs some REST! He played in a Church State Tournament this weekend and we (Mom & Lil Duck) went to watch this time. It was still HOT, don't get me wrong, but I knew our limits this time. In the heat of the day, we watched the game from the air conditioned car parked near the outfield!! Hahaha. It was great though. They WON the tourney!! Yea!! DADDY IS A STATE CHAMP & LIL DUCK WAS THERE!!

Dad is playing lots of ball now - it's that time of year - and he seems to really enjoy it! Can't wait until we can play together. He's gonna teach me ALOT, I can just feel it!! He had a tournament this weekend but Mom & I stayed home. Dad got home late, but it was worth it because they placed 3rd in the tournament!! GO DAD!!

It was just waaaay to hot to be outside. I mean, even going to the pool didn't sound good! Yep it was THAT hot! Saturday we just layed around and watched what Mom calls "trash tv" - reruns of 90210, Wife Swap, Jon & Kate Plus 8, Cake Boss- yep, Trash tv!!! Anything that doesn't require thought to watch and can make your brain mush, but you still get a good laugh out of it! That's mom's definition anyway. We slept through alot of it!! I wonder if Mom worries about the affects on me of watching these shows....hmmm...!!! Well if she didn't before, I'm sure she does now!! =o)

Dad likes to watch sports - SWEET - and shows where stuff blows up or cop shows - like Crime 360 or the First 48. But he likes funny stuff too, like Friends. We're all having fun just hanging out and getting to know each other! Like I said, I'm really starting to like them!!

Anyway, Mom is going to post another picture for me (still in the womb - remember!!) of how I'm growing at 11 weeks. I'm just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig. My hands open and close and my bones are starting to harden (Mom drinks ALOT of milk!). My diaphram is forming and I hiccup alot - but Mom can't feel it just yet. I'm sure she'll let EVERYONE know when she does!!

OK, gotta run. Time to watch as Mom gets the icks again!! That just "quacks" me up!!

I know, don't freak out - this is the second update in just one week!!! =o)

Mom here again!!! Just going to fill you in on Week 10. Week 10 was the start of some serious sickness for mom. It usually hits around 2:00 in the afternoon, but can linger for hours it feels like..... I'm soooo tired of peanut butter crackers, toast, saltines & almonds!! Oh goodness... but it seems that they're the only things that will make the icks go away at times.. Naps are fun to try and squeeze in a work too... I've crashed twice at my desk for about 10-15 minutes... Holy Cow - power naps really do work!! hahaha

Week 10 we found out that ice cream on an empty tummy is not good! hahaha... We had ice cream here at work for our June company anniversaries and Mom ate a brownie with ice cream and some nuts... it tasted fantastic, but about an hour later my tummy said "Hey! What is up with this?!! We want FOOD down here, not junk!!"... hahaha.... It's so sad too because Mommy LOVES ice cream... we've had some since then, but in serious moderation!!!

We received a present this week from Aunt Janet (GranJan)!!! Yeah, it's our first outfit!! It's the cutest little Carter's Sleep-n-Play with ducks on it.... so sweet!! Even the feet look like sweet little duck bills! Thank you so much GranJan!!

Daddy is getting really good at this "daddy duty"... Taking care of Mommy like a champ!! He knows that popsicles make Mommy's tummy feel better, so he's back and forth to the kitchen ALOT!! I call them Emma's popsicles because they're just like the popsicles that Emma (& Cole) have at their house (and Gamma's too I think) for hot days or just for a fun snack. I used to call them flavored colored sugar water, but now I call them LIFESAVERS!!! =o)

Daddy had a softball tournament in Cookeville on Saturday (6/13) and I thought that I would go and have fun, like I usually do at tourney's.... Well, we found out that Mommy's having a hard time tolerating heat too!! hahaha... Just comes with the territory of growing a person, huh?! I love it!!

The lil one is growing so much lately!!! Hard to believe 10 weeks has gone by so fast!!! Lil duck is about the size of a kumquat!! (What do you think about the nickname kumquat instead? ...hmmm...) Week 10 is the start of the "fetal period" when the tissues and organs start to grow rapidly. All the organs are in place and are developing. Even tiny fingernails and peach fuzz hair are starting to grow. The little arms & legs are starting to bend and the hands can now meet in front of the heart (ooooh how sweet!). AND Lil duck is already 1 1/2 inches long!! WOW!! Pretty amazing!! Here's a picture of the little "kumquat" (yeah, I like Lil Duck better too!!) at 10 weeks. What a miracle!!

Hope everyone is well .. Week 11 we have a Dr's appointment, so check back... We'll update you soon!!!

Love,

Mommy

Ok, so we've been really bad about keeping up with the blog.... but we're trying! hahaha. Everytime we think about updating the blog at home, we're either hungry or sick feeling or just plain exhausted. Our hearts are in the right place, it's just a matter of getting up and getting all the info on the computer!

Well, lets give you a quick update on the little one for week 9!

Everything is going well, Mommy is pretty much feeling icky every day. No actual sickness, per se, just the icks.... Luckily the morning sickness doesn't hit in the morning, mostly in the afternoons around 2:00. It's not that bad, but if I don't eat every 2-3 hours, it can get ugly. And although before I was pregnant, I wasn't much of a fan, I'm learning that CARBS ARE YOUR FRIEND.... Crackers, bread, potatoes, pasta.... anything that is filling seems to make the queezys go away....

Daddy is coping well with Mommy being sick. He's great at pampering, back rubs and cracker/snack duty before bed!! He's also been great at dealing with the mood swings, whether it's tearing up at a tire commercial or getting angry at a call on the ballfield... He's just been so great!! Props to Daddy!! = o)

The little one's development is moving right along too. Lil Duck is starting to look more and more human. All essential "parts" are accounted for, but they're still growing. His/Her heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form. We even start to get tiny teeth. Organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The eyes are fully formed, but won't open for a while. Apparently, now is the time that the baby is ready to start rapid weight gain. YEA!! Growing like crazy... Here is the 9 week picture of Lil Duck!!