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!