Week 33

It turns out "33 weeks pregnant" and "cocktail party" are not mutually exclusive phrases.

Caleb's weighing in at about 4 pounds this week and should be about 17 inches long. His skeleton is hardening and he's just packing on pounds for the next few weeks in preparation for his debut in January.

I've perfected the art of the pregnancy waddle and am getting increasingly less graceful as the days wear on. My knack for bumping into things with my belly is improving, but Caleb doesn't seem to mind too much. In fact, he seems to be doing quite well throwing parties and punches in my uterus! He continues to be extremely active, and it's fun to watch my belly take on a life of its own once in a while when he decides to start doing calisthenics in there.

The nursery is coming along slowly but surely...it's a lot more challenging to complete these home improvement tasks with a 15-month-old running around! Please pray that our hearts, and Abby's, would be prepared for Caleb's arrival in a few weeks and that God would teach us how to parent this precious son He's giving us!

Week 32

After a holiday hiatus, I'm back and bigger than ever! Coming in at just over 38 inches around (about a half inch bigger than I was with my first pregnancy at this point) and 22 pounds heavier than I started (just a pound lighter than my total weight gain in round one), I'm thrilled to be at week 32 and counting down the last two months of waiting on Caleb!

First, a huge thanks to everyone who prayed for relief from the sciatic nerve pain I'd been dealing with. Your prayers have been answered! The doctors gave us little hope of relief, but Caleb managed to ignore them and shift out of the position that was causing so much pain. I've been pain-free for over two weeks now, and it's made a world of difference!

The shift in position is a surprising one considering how big our little guy is getting. He probably weighs over three and a half pounds by now and is almost 17 inches long. That's a lot of baby in this little belly! I'm adding about a pound a week to my gross tonnage at this point and about half of that is going to Caleb, meaning he could more than double his weight before his birthday. His little body is complete with toenails and fingernails now, and whatever hair he's going to burst into the world with is probably already in place on his head.

Our most recent doctor's visit confirmed that he's still in his head down position, a good place to be at this point in the pregnancy. His movements tell me that he's laying on his side with his body on the left side of my belly and his tiny butt up under my sternum, which means my right side gets a fairly good daily beating as he continues to use the inside of my uterus as a punching bag.

Our eight-week countdown kick off found Justin hard at work with power tools cutting and hanging chair rail in what will soon be our little boy's nursery. Please pray that we would find time for all the preparations required for a new baby over these brief last two months and that our hearts would be prepared as well to welcome the newest member of the family of fish into our lives!

Week 29

We'll call this "The Week Mom's Toes Disappeared."

Caleb's the size of a butternut squash this week--over 15 inches long and weighing about 2.5 pounds. He's taking up just the right amount of space to cause my belly to completely obscure my view of my toes this week. That's a pretty big pregnancy milestone in my book.

In other news, his muscle, lung and brain development are picking up speed and his head is getting bigger to make room for that growing brain. I didn't really need a pregnancy book to clue me in on that last fact...his freakishly low position in my abdomen has made me painfully aware of the fact that his head is growing. My milk cravings are probably due to the fact that his skeletal development is kicking into overdrive and his tiny hardening bones are soaking up a tremendous amount of calcium each day.

Caleb's already proving to be a very active child, and seems to have enrolled himself in some in utero kickboxing classes. My belly is becoming less and less my own with each day that goes by, and Caleb isn't shy about making his presence known with some feisty kicks, punches and spins when I least expect them. Also, he's falling into a regular pattern of throwing dance parties in my belly from about 7 to 9 each night. (Just about the time dinner's starting to settle, I guess...)

Please pray for all the development that's happening in the third trimester. How awesome to know that God is intimately aware of every stage of our son's development, even down to the number of hairs on his tiny head that we won't see for weeks!

Week 28

Caleb's still growing like a weed, but he's got nothing on his mama. At 37 inches around and 15 pounds heavier than I was 7 months ago, I'd like to think I'm winning the guess-who's-growing contest. (Although to his credit, rounding out a belly is significantly simpler than growing things like a nervous system and internal organs.) I've got my son to blame for almost two and a half of those extra pounds, and he's probably over 15 inches long as we head into the third (and thankfully final!) trimester.

Caleb can blink his eyes now, and is most likely sporting some eyelashes by this point. He's able to detect light that filters through my belly, although there's not too much sunshine breaking through the layers of my fall wardrobe. Billions of neurons are developing in his brain and he's still packing on the extra fat he'll need to stay warm once he makes his debut in snowy January.

I'll go for my awful glucose screening test at next week's doctor's appointment, and then we'll be visiting the office every other week instead of monthly from here on out. Things are winding down in the pregnancy department, but the nesting instinct is only starting to kick into high gear and the household baby preparations are just getting started. There's a room to paint, a fan to hang, boxes of clothes to wash and some sleep to stock up on before this baby can arrive!

Please pray with us this week that we would find ways to prepare Abby for the transition from only child to big sister and that our adjustment to a family of four would be a smooth one.

Week 27

It's a good thing Caleb's staying curled up in there! This week he's the size of a head of cauliflower, about 2 pounds and almost 15 inches head to heel if he stretched out. He's a growing boy, and my belly is proof of that! He has fairly regular patterns of asleep and awake times now, and developmentally, he's able to open and close his eyes and may be sucking on his thumbs and fingers inside the womb. He's not nearly as hiccupy as his big sister was in utero, but when he does get the hiccups, it feels like great big bubbles popping inside of me.

Our son still sitting incredibly low inside my belly, and though I'm getting bigger by the day, I still have the feeling that I'm not nearly big enough to accommodate all the baby inside of me. Thankfully, I've got Justin to remind me that we've still got a long way to go and I'm going to get even larger to make room for this big boy I'm growing. I don't know if that's a comfort or not at this point...

The sciatica continues to plague me and is beginning to interfere with my daily activities, which is quite frustrating to this would-be active mom. Please pray for healing for this problem and that I would find a way to relieve the pain throughout the day if it's something that's going to continue through the end of this pregnancy. Pray also for Caleb's continued development. He's a growing, active boy, and we're thankful for all the positive reports we get at each doctor's appointment. We can't wait to meet our son in January!

Week 26

In what might be the strangest comparison ever, Caleb is about the size of an English hothouse cucumber this week. To be honest, I don't even know what that is. So to clarify, he should weigh almost 2 pounds by now and is about 14 inches long, head to heel. The nerves in his ears are well developed now, which explains his responsiveness to Justin's voice and other noises I encounter throughout the day. He's practicing his breathing and his lungs are getting ready to take their first breath outside the womb, and he's still busy packing on more baby fat in preparation for his birthday.

He's still just as active as ever, and I seem to be getting visibly bigger by the day. Justin came home from work one day this week and noted that I looked bigger than when he left that morning. I think he was right. Caleb's movements are getting more and more distinct, and I can finally make out little knees and elbows, which produce much sharper jabs than his usual punches.

A trip to the doctor this week provided us with an explanation for the ongoing sciatic nerve pain I've experienced. I mentioned to the doctor that I felt like this baby was particularly low in my abdomen and that I thought I was feeling him kick quite a few inches below my belly button, and she immediately wanted to check to see if he was in a breech position (with his feet down at the bottom of the uterus). The good news is that he is not breech; the bad news is that he is in fact head down already with his oversized baby skull pressed firmly against my spine. So unless he decides to move, I'm stuck with the stabbing pain in my back until he pops out. Hopefully he'll be real cute when he's born to make up for the inconvenience.

Please pray with us this week that he would move off of this nerve and provide me with some relief, and that he would continue to pack on baby fat and have all the nutrients he needs to continue his healthy development over these last three and a half months.

Week 25

From top to bottom, Caleb's coming in at about 13 1/2 inches right now and probably weighs about as much as your average rutabaga...about a pound and a half. He's starting to pack some fat on his little body and is sprouting whatever hair we'll see on his head when he's born.

If I ever complained that my first baby moved a lot, I take it back. And if I ever complained that she was riding too low in my belly, I take that back too. Caleb is redefining low and active in my second pregnancy. He kicks, punches and rolls around constantly and is especially active whenever there's a lot of noise going on around me. (Like when Abby's chattering away...which is most of the time.) Thanks to his perpetual motion, I've got a pretty good idea most of the time where he's hanging out in my belly, and I must admit I'm a little frightened at the kicks/punches I can feel happening 5-6 inches below my belly button. Maybe he'll just fall out when the time comes. A mother can dream....

Meanwhile, my middle is just big enough now to throw me completely off balance, making my already clumsy nature that much more precarious.

Now that the weather's starting to cool down and we're spending more time inside, I hope to get started on Caleb's airplane-themed nursery soon. Colors are all picked out and the crib bumper is tucked away waiting to make its debut.

Thank you for continuing to pray with us for the healthy development of our little boy as he's growing inside of me. Please pray also for us as we prepare to make the big transition to family of four!

Week 24

Anybody else think this baby growth-vegetable size comparison is a little corny? (Sorry...I couldn't resist.)

Well whatever your opinion, Caleb's still chugging right along in the growth department, weighing in at over a pound now and about as long as a large ear of corn. He's still pretty long and lean but should start putting on some fat now as we head into the last few months. His brain development is accelerating and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are undergoing some major changes this week as well as branches of the respiratory tree are growing and the substance is being produced that will help his lungs inflate when he takes that first breath on his birthday.

My belly, meanwhile, is doing its best to accommodate this growing little boy. I still don't look "that pregnant" according to my friends, but having my mom point out that my waist is now the same circumference as my dad's was a good reminder this week that I am, in fact "that pregnant." The discomfort of having a baby rolling around on my full bladder after meals is also a great reminder of my great-with-child status.

Caleb's getting more and more active by the day! Please pray that he would continue to grow and thrive inside of me for these last few months and that my sciatic nerve pain would ease up a little as he gets even bigger. Just four months to go!

Week 23

At just over a pound, Caleb's the size of a large mango right now--add in those active little legs and he's probably just under a foot long. His sense of movement is well-developed by this point, which means he should fall into regular patterns of sleeping or resting when I'm up and about and awake and moving when I'm still. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare them to breathe outside the womb and his well-developed ears are probably beginning to notice familiar sounds like mom or dad talking or Abby whining.

If I ever complained about how much Abby moved around inside of me, I take it all back. This baby is giving his big sister a run for her money. He seems to be in constant motion, and the times I think he's still and pause to see if I'm right, he starts right back up again. He kicks, rolls, hiccups and even head butts my insides for most of the day and night. I'm afraid by the time he's born my uterus is going to be completely out of shape and fairly badly bruised. No visible movements yet, but my knee-jerk reaction to his knee-jerking is enough to alert most anyone in the room to his activity.

Please continue to pray for relief from the sciatic nerve pain in my back and leg, and for a continued healthy pregnancy!

Week 22

Caleb's looking more and more like a little newborn every day. He's probably passed the one pound mark and should be around 11 inches long now, head to toe--about the size of a spaghetti squash. His eyes, eyelids, eyebrows and lips are more distinct and his irises have formed, though they won't have any pigment until closer to his arrival. Also, tooth buds are growing under his little gum lines this week. His pancreas is developing this week and his skin is still pretty wrinkly, and will remain so until he starts to bulk up in the last few weeks in the womb.

Following in his big sister's footsteps, little Caleb is proving to be a very hiccupy baby as well. It's a strange feeling to have someone else's diaphragm having spasms inside you, but I imagine hiccups are a pretty full-body experience for someone that small, so I can't blame him if he gets a little aggressive when they attack. His movements are definitely getting more frequent and I'm beginning to notice predictable patterns of wakefulness and restfulness as his movements get stronger and more discernable. Caleb's a strong boy and Justin is often amazed at the strenghth of his kicks!

The sciatic nerve pain has continued to bother me, although for the most part I'm starting to get used to it. Caleb does occassionaly move off of that nerve now, which provides me minutes or even sometimes hours of relief at a time!

As my belly continues to take on more of its maternal shape I'm realizing that this baby, like the first, is going to ride low and large, prompting well-meaning baby prophets everywhere to start telling me as early as 34 weeks that I've "dropped" and "it could be any day now." Actually, my babies just seem to like riding as close to my knees as possible. Though this womb position is pretty annoying (both a baby and a bladder don't fit in that space, trust me), I figure it should make the delivery go quickly again since he won't have as far to travel. (Special thanks to my babies for not growing high up under my lungs...it seems this is what I did to my mom, and I'll take frequent trips to the bathroom over not being able to breathe any day.)

Please continue to pray for relief from my back and leg pain and for Caleb's continued healthy growth inside the womb for the next four months!

Week 21

Caleb's probably almost a pound now and should be about 10.5 inches long, about the length of your average carrot. His movements are much more pronounced now and he's getting big enough that I'm often able to tell where in the womb he's hanging out at a given moment. He's definitely following the standard fetal pattern of sleeping when I'm up and moving around when I'm still, which is making getting to sleep at night a little bit of an adventure. It's hard to go to sleep, no matter how tired you are, when there's a baby doing karate in your belly. His eyebrows and eyelids are developed by this point and his face is beginning to settle into what it will look like when he makes his big debut.

I'm definitely getting larger, though not so large as to make things like washing dishes and doing laundry uncomfortable yet. I'm just large enough, in fact, to make carrying Abby on one hip inconvenient, but she and Caleb usually have a fun time seeing who can kick the other the hardest through my belly whenever I have to carry her around somewhere.

There's only so much room in this little (growing) belly of mine, and unfortunately for myself and pregnant women everywhere, babies and normal-sized bladders do not coexist well. Frequent trips to the bathroom, small meals and constant snacking are a big part of my life now as Caleb declares his dominion over what was my abdomen.

And, like his big sister before him, this little guy is perfectly content to spend all of his time doing jumping jacks on my sciatic nerve. With Abby, this resulted in a left leg that was, for the most part, numb for the last 4 months of my pregnancy. Caleb has kicked off his attacks on my sciatic nerve much earlier, leaving me with residual pain that resonates from my left hip down to my ankle and feels a little like someone trying to drill a butt-cheek-sized drill into my left butt cheek. I've not yet found a position--either moving, sitting, standing or lying down--that offers any relief. (Moms who've been there....any thoughts?)

Please pray with us this week that this nerve pain would ease up, and that if it doesn't, I would at least be able to go about my day normally. And as always, thanks for your continued prayers for a healthy baby boy and his continued development over these last 5 months!

Week 20

Poor little Caleb...it can't be comfortable to be the size of a banana (he's probably about 10 inches long now, head to heel) and be squished inside this little belly of mine. Thankfully, we're at the halfway point, and thankfully, my midsection is doing its part to make room for our little boy.

It's nearly impossible for us to believe we're halfway through with this pregnancy already! The time really is flying by...if this last half can go by as fast as these first few months have, you might get to see the big-bellied version of my happy dance.

Since every pregnancy is different, I think a concise side-by-side comparison of Abby and Caleb's gestation periods is in order. Sort of a halfway-through-the-pregnancy review.

So here are my 20 weeks stats:

	Abby	Caleb
total weight gain:	7 lbs	10 lbs
belly circumference:	34.5 inches	35 inches
maternity pants:	optional	necessary
fetal movement:	faint	strong

So it's true for me as well...things happen more quickly and in greater degree with successive pregnancies. I'm carrying this baby low just like the first one, and am attributing the necessity of stretchy waistbands (in spite of the only half-inch difference at this time from my first pregnancy) to the fact that my hips just aren't as close to each other as they used to be.

Caleb's movements are getting much more discernible. Unfortunately for me, they come without warning and tend to stop me in my tracks or make me jump. He's a strong boy! Please pray for his continued strong and healthy development, and for a healthy last 20 weeks in the womb.

What's in a name?

A lot actually. We've thought long and hard on this one to make sure we'd be packing a pretty good punch with the name we chose for our son, so we're very pleased to announce that Peanut is now officially...

Caleb Steven Fisher

Caleb comes from two Hebrew words meaning "of the heart" or "faithful." God has indeed shown His faithfulness to us in this pregnancy in healing my uterus and allowing this baby's development to continue unhindered, and we'll be reminded of His grace every time we speak our son's name. It was Caleb who, when Moses sent out his twelve spies to survey the promised land, returned and reminded the people that though it seemed a daunting task, God had promised them the land and they could indeed occupy it and overcome the "giants" that lived there, because God was with them. It was Caleb (along with his faithful friend Joshua) who was promised entry into the promised land when the rest of their faithless generation turned in fear and refused to occupy the land God had given them. Our prayer for our Caleb is that his life will be shaped by such a bold faith and that He will walk confidently in the Lord.

Steven is a tribute to Justin's dad whose own faithfulness and leadership of his family will echo down through generations to come. God has used Justin's dad mightily in the life of his own three sons, teaching and training and guiding them as they've grown in a knowledge and understanding of the Lord, and we will look forward to telling our son about the Godly heritage his grandfather has given the Fisher family (and probably share some of Steve's jokes while we're at it).

Yep...these are big shoes we're giving our little one to fill. Can't wait to meet our precious little Caleb!

Week 19

It's a boy!

This week's much-anticipated ultrasound showed that everything's looking good with little Peanut's development, and revealed that we'll be welcoming a son into the world in January! He's a big boy and showed off a pretty full belly when he had his picture taken on Tuesday. The technician told us he must like to eat (seems to be a common theme for our kids). He's weighing in at about 10 ounces but we weren't able to get a length for him, so we'll just guess that he's on track at about 6 or 7 inches long (head to rump) this week.

Peanut's been moving like crazy this past week, kicking, squirming and--our ultrasound showed us--head-butting my upper abdomen. Justin's able to feel the firmer kicks now, but much of our son's rolling around is still only discernible to me. He was a sleepy little boy during our scan on Tuesday, yawning, stretching and sleeping through most of the one-hour exam.

His sensory development is beginning to take off this week and his brain is designating special areas for his senses. Peanut can hear us now, and unless he's going to be a baldy when he's born, the hair on his head should be sprouting around this time.

Please pray for us as we prepare for the awesome responsibility of welcoming a son into the world and into our family. Just when we thought we had this girl thing figured out, one of my friends pointed out that now we get to relearn everything! We know God has a plan and a purpose for our little boy...pray that we would be up to the task of raising this precious gift up to know and love his Creator!

No names yet...but we're getting close!

Week 18

At about 5.5 inches long and about 7 ounces, Peanut's finally big enough for us to feel his little movements as he stretches and moves around in the womb. I'd been feeling the popcorn like little movements for a day or two before Justin was finally able to feel them...and they are undeniable little kicks! I guess things are all stretched out in there, because Peanut sure feels like he's got plenty of room to move around!

This may be our last week of little Peanut talk...on Tuesday we go for our big anatomy ultrasound that marks the halfway point of this pregnancy (or thereabouts) and should reveal whether or not we need to be stocking up on little boy clothes.

Aside from the excitement of finally being able to feel little Peanut moving around in there, other week 18 milestones include the absolute and necessary shift to maternity clothing and a pretty noticeable increase in girth. Things are definitely progressing more quickly with this second pregnancy!

Please pray for a clear and informative ultrasound on Tuesday and that we would hear good reports as they check out our little baby.

Week 17

Our little Peanut is getting bigger by the day! She's about the size of a turnip this week, weighing about 5 ounces and stretching to more than 5 inches long, head to rump. The soft cartilage that makes up her little baby skeleton is beginning to turn to bone and she can move all of her joints now. Which, by the way, I'm fairly certain she is doing a lot of, because this week I finally got what I've been waiting for and felt those first few tiny twinges of a baby moving around inside my belly. It feels a little like having a tiny fish flopping around inside me, which, coincidentally, I have felt before...but that's another story for another blog...

Pregnancy brain is rearing its ugly head for the second time in my life, this time bringing along with it all the same frustrations as last time, and about as much humor. Justin's getting used to me asking the same question three or four times because I forget he's just answered me, and written lists (to-dos, grocery lists, names of close friends) are a must for getting through my day. I'm still not sure what it is about pregnancy that makes you suddenly forget who you are and what you're doing, but I find solace in the fact that this phenomenon is both common and temporary.

The nesting instinct is also kicking into high gear this week, and since we don't know the sex of the baby and there's no nursery decisions to be made yet, my nesting is manifesting itself in the form of what can only be called a spray painting bonanza taking place almost daily in my backyard. Picture frames, mirrors, lamps, even our fireplace...nothing is safe from my urge to redecorate with a can of spray paint. (Interestingly enough, I've managed to pull my pregnant neighbor into the abyss with me. It's fun to look down the street and see her in her backyard, spray can in hand, updating pieces of her home decor, and know I had something to do with helping her find a cheap way to satisfy her nesting urges as well.)

I'm continuing to enjoy the second trimester and all the perks that come with it. My energy level is up, my belly is growing, and things are overall going very well. Abby has discovered belly buttons and seems particularly intrigued by the squeeze-ability of mine. I'm trying to help her understand she has her own belly button to prod, but she's far more entertained by the one on my middle. I guess she's getting a head start pushing her little brother or sister around.

Please continue to pray with us for a safe pregnancy, a healthy baby and a smooth transition for our growing family!

Week 16

Coming in at about the size of an avocado this week, Peanut is poised for a major growth spurt. His almost 5 inches and 4 ounces will soon be a thing of the past as he prepares to double his weight fairly rapidly. His legs are more developed this week and his eyes have moved closer to their final position at the front of his head. Toenails are beginning to form and hair will be sprouting from his tiny scalp soon. His tiny heart is working hard to keep up with his rapid growth, pumping nearly 25 quarts of blood each day!

Things are definitely happening more rapidly with this pregnancy than they did with our first. The round ligaments and abdominal muscles that were so sore as Abby grew inside of me are stretching much more quickly this time around, and all that rapid stretching out is making for a lot more muscle pain this week. My belly, which up until now has been noticeable only to Justin and I, is trying hard to make its debut, and fast! It feels as if I went from not showing at all to very pregnant almost overnight!

We continue to praise God for the miracle of the continued growth of this little one inside of me. This pregnancy started out with a lot of unknowns and a lot of fears, and I was awed again this week as I thought back over the healing miracle God did in my uterus. It's just another evidence of His grace in our lives that He's continuing to keep this little one safe and secure, for there's certainly nothing we could have done (and the doctors confirmed that fact!) to bring healing to the blood clots that were worrying us before. Thank you for joining with us in thanking this great God of ours for caring for this tiny life that He's knitting together in my womb!

Week 15

Crown to rump, our little Peanut is coming in at about 4 inches long this week and probably weighs about two and a half ounces, roughly the size of an apple. Air sacs in her lungs are beginning to develop and she can move all of her joints and limbs now. Her eyelids are fused shut, but she's able to detect light at this point, and will move away from a beam of light shined at my belly. She's still too little for me to be able to feel that tiny motion though.

The first trimester blues are a thing of the past now...finally! I'm able to eat whatever I want again, and am not feeling nearly as tired as I was a few weeks ago. Now that my uterus is healed, the restrictions on my activity are lifted and I'm looking forward to being able to take some daily walks with Abby and start a prenatal water aerobics class with an expectant neighbor soon. We return to the doctor on Monday for our monthly visit and will find out when they'll be sending us for the big anatomy ultrasound, which should be sometime in the next few weeks. That means there's just a short time left to wonder whether or not Justin will be severely outnumbered by another little girl or if we'll find some balance with a little baby boy!

Please continue to pray for healthy development for little Peanut and for a healthy pregnancy for me. Pray in confidence knowing that God has been faithful to us so far, and He will continue to do so...we continue to praise Him for the disappearance of the blood clots in my uterus and for lifting the concerns that went along with that so that we can enjoy this pregnancy. Your prayers were a huge part of that!

Week 14

Belly expansion is official. My pants no longer fit. Thankfully, this problem is easily solved with the help of a hair band and a sturdy zipper. No elastic waistbands yet, but my time is coming soon!

Peanut has all sorts of new tricks this week: he can squint, grimace, pee and even suck his thumb by now! He probably measures about 3 and a half inches--the size of a lemon--and weighs about an ounce and half. His hands and feet, about a half inch long each, are busy punching and kicking, but it will be a few weeks before we'll be able to feel his tiny movements.

My energy level continues to improve and life seems a lot less crazy now that I'm only needing one nap a day. That frees up time for nesting while Abby takes one of her naps! My clothes are all starting to fit a little tighter, a good sign that my body is doing what it's supposed to as my ribs expand to make room for my increased lung capacity and my waistline expands to accommodate this little person I'm growing.

We found out while helping out in the church nursery on Sunday that Abby isn't too bothered just yet by us holding other babies--unless they happen to be crying. She was fine with us playing with the other kids and letting her play on her own, until a fussy baby demanded my attention and our little girl suddenly became very very clingy, even trying to push the other little baby off of my lap! Please pray that as I spend time around other moms and their kids that Abby would have a smooth transition into being a big sister and that we would be able to find ways to spend quality time with both of our little miracles when the time comes.

Week 13

We're thrilled to report that our most recent ultrasound showed a well-developed Peanut and no evidence of any remaining blood clots in my uterus! Praise God for His healing touch and for watching over our little one!

Peanut is about three inches long this week (medium shrimp-sized) and is moving, rolling, kicking and swinging her arms like crazy in her little womb. She was quite active throughout our ultrasound and showed off by flipping over twice for us. (She also did this funny little thing with her hands that looked like she was shaking tiny maracas...but you kinda had to be there...) The lobes of her brain and chambers of her tiny beating heart were clearly visible and she definitly looks like a little baby now--just very very tiny! Fingerprints have formed on her little fingers and her body is starting to catch up to her very large head, which we could see still makes up for about a third of her body size.

In mommy news, I've definitly felt the second trimester kick in. The tiredness is beginning to wear off and I'm down to just one nap a day now, and the nausea is almost a thing of the past. My energy level is getting back up to where it should be and my little baby bump is beginning to make it difficult to fit into my cute new jeans.

Thank you all for your many prayers for Peanut and for the complete healing of my uterus. We were thrilled to find out those prayers have been answered! Continue to pray for a healthy baby and a patient mommy as we wait just a few more weeks to find out if Abby's new sibling will be a little brother or a little sister.

Week 12

Peanut's working out his reflexes this week and rumor has it that if I poke my belly, he'll squirm in response now. (Although his little movements are still to slight for me to feel.) He's about two inches long now--the size of a lime--and weighs just half an ounce, but is busy opening and closing his fingers, curling his toes, clenching his eye muscles and making sucking motions with his tiny mouth.

He's beginning to look more human now with his eyes and ears finally in their rightful places on his little head. Also this week, his brain synapses are furiously forming and his nerve cells are multiplying like crazy!

I'm continuing my two-nap-a-day trend and am well past feeling guilty about it. I don't feel like I'm doing much, but Justin keeps reminding me that my body is running a marathon, and I'm doing it while chasing a baby around for much of the day. So this mom-to-be takes her cues from little Abby and when she goes down for a nap, so do I! Some nausea medication--a welcome gift from my wonderful doctor--is doing wonders for improving my appetite and my disposition, and I'm happy to report that I'm gaining weight again.

Please continue to pray for complete healing of the blood clots in my uterus and healthy development for little Peanut. We'll get another update next week on how things are progressing and are trusting God for positive results!

Week 11

Peanut's little body is almost fully formed now, but with lots of growing left to do. She's probably about an inch and a half long (about the size of a fig) and is busy kicking and stretching, though her movements are too slight for me to feel yet. Her tiny fists are opening and closing, and many of her bones are beginning to harden. Her diaphragm is forming now, so those tiny baby hiccups that plagued her older sister could be starting soon!

Meanwhile, in mommy news, the fact that no two pregnancies are alike is making itself very evident in this second pregnancy. Two naps a day is standard now, and if I skip one I'm pretty much dead on my feet by the time dinner rolls around. Our most recent visit to the doctor showed that I've actually lost a little bit of weight, and the doctor accurately guessed that my fairly severe all-day-long sickness and nausea is to blame for my poor eating habits. She told me that first trimester weight loss doesn't concern her, but did advise this "skinny momma" to find something I like and eat lots of it until the morning sickness stage passes. So our fridge is now well stocked with fruit salad, pasta salad and peach flavored jell-o.

Please continue to pray for complete healing of the blood clots in my uterus and for continued healthy development for our little Peanut!

Week 10

Peanut hits his first major milestone this week, transitioning from the embryonic to the fetal stage. At just about an inch long (the size of a kumquat) and weighing less than a quarter of an ounce, his little body gearing up for some major growth now. His kidneys, intestines, brain and liver are starting to develop and function, and his yolk sac is disappearing.

The webbed hands and feet we saw last week are a thing of the past now, replaced by tiny fingers and toes, complete with itty bitty developing fingernails! He may be tiny now, but Peanut will more than double in size over the next couple of weeks!

The doctor is continuing to monitor the blood clots in my uterus. Reports from the most recent ultrasound show that one is half the size it was 10 days prior, while the other has doubled in size. That means more rest and taking it easy for me--a plan that Abby is having trouble getting on board with--and a follow-up ultrasound in a few weeks to see how things are progressing. The good news is that the clots do not interfere at all with Peanut's development!

Please continue to pray for complete healing for these two areas of concern, and for healthy development of our little one!

Week 9

What happened to week 8, you ask? Apparently, Peanut is too good for week 8. The ultrasound technician bumped us up a couple of days, and between that and my late blogging, I'm afraid you'll have to satisfy your week 8 needs somewhere else.


Peanut is about the size of a grape now--about an inch long--and while most pregnancy books describe her as looking more "human-like" now, we'll let you be the judge. It's a good thing full size humans don't look like this.

We're continuing to monitor the blod clots in my uterus (which is why we've had so many ultrasounds) and are happy to report that they remain small, and are, according to the doctor, not something we should be too concerned about. We ask you to continue to pray that they would completely go away so that we could take the doctor's advice.

Her heart was beating like crazy today -- 174 beats a minute -- and at this stage of development her heart has finished dividing into four chambers. Her eyelids will remain fused shut for some time, and her tiny nose, nostrils and earlobes are getting more distinct. She's passed from the embryonic to the fetal stage and should begin some rapid weight gain soon.

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to suffer from and whine about morning sickness (a misnomer, by the way--it actually lasts from sun up to sun down). I'm twice as tired growing our little Peanut as I was when I was growing Abby, probably due in part to the fact that I'm chasing Abby around now. Since the energy exerted by my body in this stage of pregnancy is the equivalent of running a marathon every day (which I was not trained for), I'd like to point out that I am actually running that marathon with a ten-month-old on my hip. Let's see Uncle Matt try that one.

We praise God this week for good reports on Peanut's development. What a miracle this is, and what a blessing to be entrusted with another one of His little ones to care for!

Week 7

(It's okay--it's looks like a blob to me too.
The longer blob on the bottom in the dark area is the baby.
The smaller blob on top is the yolk sac.)

There's lots happening in my belly this week! Paddle-like hands and feet are sprouting at the ends of Peanut's developing arms and legs, and Peanut has almost doubled in size since last week to be about a half an inch long now (about the size of a blueberry). Her eyes already have some color to them at this point, and the tip of her nose is beginning to protrude from her tiny little face. And already wrapped up in that tiny package are her appendix, pancreas, and beating heart. In fact, in our most recent ultrasound, we were able to easily make out the heart because of its rapid beating--158 beats a minute!

This pregnancy is already proving very different from the first, in more ways than one. I'm guessing they call it morning sickness because you notice it when you wake up, but my version is something akin to all-day-long sickness that just sort of hangs around making me feel queasy all the time.

We're also continuing to monitor the blod clots in my uterus (called subchorionic hemorrhages). It's a frustrating condition that doctors seem to know little about, other than that it happens in one percent of all pregnancies and is something that may or may not go away on its own. What we do know is that they are small areas of bleeding on the gestational sac (the "chorion") that are slightly larger this week than they were a week and a half ago. Our doctor tells us they are not a major concern at this point, just something that needs to be monitored. (Not worrying about a blood clot that is the size of my baby is easier said than done.) Meanwhile, I'm being commanded to continue to take it easy and rest.

Aside from that, Peanut seems to be developing well according to the most recent ultrasound and is still on track for a January 31 due date. Please continue to pray that the subchorionic hemorrhages would heal completely and Peanut would have a safe place to continue developing.

Week 6

We're happy to announce that Baby Fisher #2 is on the way! Little Peanut's official due date at this point is January 31, 2009.

In keeping with tradition, we will alternate the choice of pronouns we use to refer to our baby until we have some concrete evidence that we should stick to either "he" or "she" exclusively, sometime around week 20.

This week in my belly, Peanut's nose, mouth and ears are beginning to take shape and he'll start to have little arm and leg buds protruding from his bean-like body. As you can see from the ultrasound, "bean-like" is the most appropriate descriptor for our little baby. Peanut is the little bean --about a half an inch long now--that you see at the bottom of the ring inside the dark spot at the center of the picture.

Meanwhile, we found out that there are two small blod clots on Peanut's gestational sac that need to heal. My part in this is to take it easy, rest, and not lift anything heavy (like Abby). Your part in this is to pray for quick healing and that Peanut would continue to develop normally and have a healthy environment in which to grow.

Having been through this once before makes this no less of a wonder to me and Justin. We were still blown away to see that little bean moving around in the ultrasound, still amazed at the miracle of life, and still thrilled that God would bless us with another one of his children to care for. Thanks for helping us countdown to Peanut's arrival!