The Caleb Blog - Second Trimester

Bikers Can Suck My Big Toe!!!

Fri, 04 Aug 2006 22:58:00 -0700

Ok, I have to rant a little bit.

Jordan and I are making our way back home. We're in South Dakota at the moment and we were having a little bit of trouble finding a hotel around the area. Why you may ask? Because of Bikers. Yes, Bikers. They are everywhere around here. Westbound. Eastbound. Northbound. And I'm sure as we are making our way south to KC, they will be there too.

You might be sitting here asking why there are so many bikers on the road. One word. STURGIS!!! It's this big biker convention that takes place every year in Sturgis, SD. Bikers come from all over and take over hotels, motels, inns, bars, historic sites in the Rapid City, SD area. It's crazy. We called every hotel in Mitchell, SD and then on to Sioux Falls, SD, and we wound up having to go an HOUR out of way to find a hotel where bikers haven't invaded.

I am so sick of bikers right now. Jordan was talking about how he felt taken advantage of when trying to get a room at a hotel in Mitchell that actually had a vacancy, but they wanted $110 for the room. You know they boosted up their rates for this weekend, and it just makes me upset to think that they are allowed to do such things. Supply and demand sucks right now.

While we were in Deadwood, the hotel that we were staying at only had 2 rooms available when we checked in, and of course, you have to grab a room if it's available. Otherwise, we would have had to stay at the Bullock Hotel, which they say is haunted, and even THAT hotel could have been booked solid for the weekend.

So, here we are in a little podunk town in South Dakota called De Smet that only has a Dairy Queen and a Subway for people to eat at that isn't a Country Club. Don't get me wrong, it's a cute little town and we plan to do some sight seeing since Laura Ingells Wilder's homestead is here, but c'mon!!! We shouldn't have had to drive an hour north of I-90 to find a single room because of bikers. The owner of the hotel said that even this route, bikers come through since it is a straight shot into the Sturgis area and that for the next 2 weeks, THIS hotel will be booked.

Today, Jordan and I ended our Deadwood stay by going to Mt. Moriah Cemetery where Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane and Seth Bullock are laid to rest. It is on this huge hill above the town and it was really nice, but boy can I tell you that I am completely out of shape. Because it is on a hill, the cemetery has all kind of slopes. I was worn out after getting up the first hill!! Then, Jordan and I got this insane idea of going up a slope that is 750 feet above the cemetery where Bullock is. HOLY COW!!! I thought I was going to literally collapse my leg muscles were so tired. I did make it though, and I'm so glad that Jordan pushed me to go on with it because I actually feel like I accomplished something today. I was winded, and I was tired, but I prevailed. WOO!! I'm going to make a T-shirt that says:

I survived the 750 foot climb to Seth Bullock's gravesite, and I was pregnant!!

Let me tell you, this was a STEEP climb, so I'm not being a wimp here.

Yesterday, Jordan and I went to the Bullock hotel which is said to be haunted by Seth Bullock himself. We took a lot of pictures of the areas that were said to be haunted, including a mirror. We're not sure if we actually captured anything or not, but we have to look at the pictures again that we took from this morning. We did capture an "orb" in one of the rooms that is said to be a ghostly energy. We'll post pictures when we get back home.

It's almost 11 and we have a big day tomorrow. Going to tour Laura Ingells homestead and start the final leg of our drive home to KC. We thought we might get in tomorrow, but it might be Sunday instead. Just don't know yet.

Have a good night everyone!!

Today's Baby Forecast: Muscle cramps

On the Way Home

Thu, 03 Aug 2006 20:42:00 -0700

Jordan and I are making our way home and we are now in Deadwood, SD. We got in yesterday at around 3pm and decided to just check out the historic old town in order to find things to do today. We found a few places and we decided to have an early dinner because we were just tired from the festival, the pre-vacation, and all the driving.

We ate at a place called Big Al's Steakhouse. I ate Prime Rib for the first time in 3 years and it was EXCELLENT. I ate all but 4 bites of it. So, I was pretty pleased with myself. At the end of the meal, I was beginning to feel pretty bloaty and full and I was beginning to feel miserable, so we came back to our hotel room.

We went to bed and fell asleep at around 9:30 or so after watching reruns of Criss Angel: Mindfreak. I woke up at about 1145 feeling really bad and made my way to the bathroom. I was feeling terrible and I knew I was moments away from worshipping the toilet God. And, I did. A LOT!! It wasn't just a little spew, it was full on wretching and splattering. I wound up staying in the bathroom for like 45 minutes trying to clean out my sinuses, my throat, my mouth, etc. I came to bed around 1230 after brushing my teeth and slept like a baby until about 8:30. Caleb usually wakes me up if I happen to be laying on my back, and when I was awake enough to realize that, I got a little concerned. I rolled over to my side and soon thereafter, Caleb gave me several hard kicks. I'm not talking taps like before, I mean full on kickboxing. I felt better after that.

For the rest of the day I was feeling kind of icky, but as the day wore on I began to feel better. Tonight for dinner I just had a light meal: Salad, ambrosia, rice and a bowl of fruit. I'm feeling ok so far, but we'll see how the night goes.

I haven't had the much time to blog, so I'm a little late on the 26 week Weekly baby report and my 26 week belly pic, so I'll skip that pic and just do the 27 week one next week.

Monday marks the day that I will begin my third trimester. I will officially be in my 7th month and realize that I only have about two and a half months left. I'm completely nervous and scared because the time is getting so close. But I'll write about that another day. I've gone on long enough.

Nighty Night Everyone

Weekly Baby Forecast: Your baby now weighs a little under 2 pounds and measures about 14 inches, from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his ears are developing, which means his response to sounds is growing more consistent. His lungs are developing now, too, as he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when he's born and takes that first breath of air. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Another Foot Update

Sat, 29 Jul 2006 00:50:00 -0700

Today, the kick off to the festival began. It went pretty smoothly and all was well.

My left ankle still hurts a bit and when we got home before leaving for the dinner before the movie night, I propped up my foot so that it wouldn't be so bad when we got home tonight.

Tonight a wore a really cute outfit: A black and white skirt with a black and white top that really accented by pregnancy. For shoes I wore black flip flops. Well, at the end of intermission tonight, I noticed that my foot was HUGE!! We planned on leaving at intermission anyway, and it probably was a good thing.

An updated pic:

Caleb really has been active today. This morning, I started off in our jet jacuzzi in our room and I'm not sure he really liked that. My stomach was vibrating and about every 30 second or so, he'd give me a good lower kick. The water wasn't hot, actually it was lukewarm, but I'm not sure he liked the vibration. Ever since then, he's been doing a lot of lower kicking, and of course the one thing he likes to hit at the moment is my bladder.

I really like feeling him kick. When he's not as active on some days I miss it. You'd think that one would want it to stop at times, but I don't. It's a feeling that I like simply because I know things are ok with him.

I'm off to bed now. We have another big day to get through and I need to make sure that I get through it with my foot.

Good night everyone!!

Today's Baby Forecast: Tired and Achey

Just What I Need

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 21:43:00 -0700

This trip has been an interesting one so far. Before we left it just seemed like everything was going wrong, and that it wasn't meant for us to go. Once we got on the road, it got better, but things weren't happening the way that they were supposed to. Finally, it has calmed down, up until yesterday.

Yesterday, we got into North Bend and went to the Edgewick Inn to meet some friends. About a half hour later, I needed to go to the car for something and when I came around the car, I saw a dog. I went over towards the owner and asked if I could touch his puppy, and then the next thing I know, right as the word puppy came out of my mouth, I lost my footing in a ditch, heard a pop and I came crashing down in the grass. Needless to say I said a choice word, cried and realized that I did something pretty bad to my ankle. The one that I hurt was my left one, which was already weak to begin with due to an old injury that I sustained when I was around 5-7 years old. I didn't break it that I know of, in terms of a hairline fracture. At the moment, I think it's a sprain, but I'll keep a watch on it and make sure that it heals, and if not, I'll have it x-rayed.

Here's a pic:

The pic on the left is a frontal view. You can see the nice bump on the left hand side and the swelling of both sides of the ankle. The pic on the right is a side view of my ankle. This one you can see the bruising and the swelling.

The good news is that I landed on my knees then went to my side, rather than landing solely on my stomach, so Caleb is alright. In fact, he's been moving a lot today, so that is a good sign. And you guessed it, it's been right on my bladder. Little stinker.

I'm a bit tired today. I woke up earlier than I wanted to, and I couldn't get back to sleep. Mostly because I had to pee forever and a day. Because of me waking up early, I'm dog tired now, and it's only going to get worse the next few days because we are going to be really busy.

Not sure if I will be blogging as much the next few days which is why I'm writing so much now beforehand. We'll see how it all goes.

Love and hugs to you all

Today's Baby Forecast: Tired

My Bladder has Turned Into a Punching Bag

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 23:05:00 -0700

All day I've been kicked by Caleb in the bladder. Good Lord, i think i had to pee every hour it seemed like. At times I would try to hold it, but sometimes, it just wouldn't work. Good news is, I never had to change clothes. He's done nothing by kick or punch my bladder all day. Needless to say, he's been very active today.

Had a good day today. We went to the aquarium and then to the Science Fiction Museum. Both were very interesting. Again, we'll post pictures once we get back.

Tomorrow we make our trek to North Bend where we will then go immediately to pick up our co-organizers and head over to Poulsbo, WA where the Kiana Lodge is. Then it's festival showdown where the hectic stress begins. I'm looking forward to this being finally over.

Todays' Baby Forecast: Tired

Update on my Feet

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:55:00 -0700

Today was a good day in the driving department. I made it through the day without too much swelling. They actually appear to be normal. Yay!!

My belly sure is getting big. I was shaving this evening and I can hardly bend over like I used to in order to shave my legs. It seemed to take forever tonight to do it.

Caleb has been kicking my bladder all day. I have needed to use the restroom most of today, but I force myself to hold it.

Today's Baby Forecast: Exhausted (from the trip)

Oh, my POOR Feet

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 23:01:00 -0700

The past two days have been really bad in terms of swelling. Last night, I noticed for the first time that my feet swelled up to the point where they looked like both were sprained. I thought overnight, the swelling would go down, but it really didn't. It was better, but still pretty fat looking. So, I decided that I would not drive today and just keep my feet propped up on the dashboard. That worked like a charm. The swelling went down to where it almost looked normal.

So, I decided that I would help Jordan drive. Big mistake.

Only two hours of driving, I looked down and my feet were worse than they were last night. So much so, that it was pitted. Pitted means that there will be indentations made in the edema made from either a finger, or other object that is pressed against the skin. It was pretty gross. It was so bad that when we got out of the car to see an old prison, it hurt to walk. I've done nothing but waddle every since.

Now, I'm sitting here in our Super 8 motel in Missoula, MT with my feet propped up, hoping that they will go down by tomorrow.

We had a good day today. We started our day leaving Hardin, MT and went to Little Big Horn (Custer's Last Stand). It was really a nice national monument. It was ominous and sad all at the same time and it really puts into perspective what they all must have gone through. Again, we have pictures, but I'll post them in our album when we get home.

Next, we drove most of the day until we got to Deer Lodge where the old prison is that I talked about earlier above. That was really neat to see. Some of those cells were so small that it made me claustrophobic, and I was standing outside!! I wish our prison system would go back the way that it was back then. They had very little back then, and now prison is just glorified.

After that, we drove awhile and wound up being in a big traffic jam for about an hour. Turned out it was a head-on collision involving a pick up and a truch carrying a hook on camper. It was bad. Both cars/camper rolled over and the camper was just demolished. If anyone survived that, I'd be surprised.

We were hoping to be further along today then where we got, but it wound up being ok. We stopped a little earlier and hopefully we can just rest up for a bit before another big drive. We're going to try to make it to Mt. St. Helen's tomorrow. Not sure if we are actually going to go in the park, but for sure we'll see it either Monday or Tuesday

In honor of me being 25 weeks today, here's a belly pic as well as a pic of my poor, poor feet.

Weekly Baby Forecast: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.

Caleb Kicked for Daddy!!!!

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 00:56:00 -0700

We are now in Hardin, Montana where we sit in a hotel trying to go to sleep. Caleb is pretty active tonight, so I got Jordan to put his hand on my belly and sure enough, Caleb did a kick and Jordan felt him for the first time since quickening began. He didn't really say much, so not sure what he thinks about it at all.

We are Day 2 of our vacation. We went to the badlands today and spent a good few hours there. It was WONDERFUL. We got to see the canyons and prairies. It is simply a great wonder. They say that it's very much like what the moon is like. Jordan and I did some hiking around the canyons, but stayed near the trail so we could get back easily. We have some pictures but we'll post them when we get back in 2 weeks. Took some excellent photos of the wildlife: bison, prairie dogs, and big horn sheep. We got some really good close-up shots that are just phenomenal.

Tomorrow we will be going to Little Big Horn (Custer's Last Stand), and from there, we will go through the rest of Montana, Idaho and probably stop in Spokane WA.

It's been a fun trip so far, although tonight, my ankles look like I sprained the both of them. They are so swollen, it's pitiful. I guess I didn't walk and stretch enough. Tomorrow, I will have to prop them up in the car so as not to have this problem again. They tingle, but they don't hurt, so that's good.

Today's Baby Forecast: Tired and Swollen

I am TICKED off!!!!

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 16:00:00 -0700

For the past SEVEN days I have been talking with Capital One about getting my credit card sent to me to have it here by today at the very latest. Well, today has come and gone in terms of mail and did I get it!!! NO!!!! I have been talking with reps for the past two days complaining and it seems like it's just going in one ear and out the freakin' other. Supposively, I will have it at the Salish Lodge by next Thursday, but I'm not holding my breath. The reason I'm having them send a card is because accidentally the new card was shredded rather than the old one.

So what does this mean? Means we probably won't be having a 2 week vacation. Everything that I was even thinking for this vacation is probably going to go right out the window in terms of sight seeing and so forth.

Maybe Jordan has something up his sleeve that I don't know about, but as of right now, it's looking pretty bleak. So much for our last twosome vacation.

It's just been a real crappy two days for me. Nothing is going the way that it is supposed to at all. And it's really beginning to depress me. I was looking forward to having a nice vacation without any worries and it's all turning to CRAP!!!

I'm just hoping that Jordan has a backup plan because I need some cheering up at this point.

Great Appointment Today

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 13:02:00 -0700

After the major mess up of yesterday, I got to see Dr. Magee today. The appointment itself probably lasted about 5 minutes if that, but we got some stuff accomplished.

We talked about my weight gain, which I've only gained 17 pounds since pre-pregnancy, and he said I'm right on target and most of that is baby stuff anyway like water retention, breast enlargement, amniotic fluid, baby, swelling, etc. So, I feel pretty good. so far, I'm all baby, so the weight should come off pretty easily.

We listed to Caleb's HB again and it was a strong and louder 150bpm.

He measured my uterus and it is just above my belly button, which I have to say is beginning to shallow out. Everything seems to be on track.

Caleb is definitely kicking more and it is stronger now tot he point where I can put my hand on my belly and feel the kick.

Dr. Magee pointed out today that my next appointment is going to be a longer one. I have to take a glucose test which tests for gestational diabetes then I have to take the RHOgam shot since I'm RH negative.

Joy!! I'll be a pin cushion next month.

I got the following baby gifts from a co-worker, Ellen. She's a nurse that I work with in the adult ICU. She handmade the blanket which is of different sports shoes, 5 pack of onsees up to 12 months, and a book called, " Love You Forever".

THANKS ELLEN!!!

Today's Baby Forecast: Energetic

I'm So Stupid!!!

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:30:00 -0700

Just a small rant today since nothing is really going on.

So, I thought my doctor's appointment was for tomorrow but when I called to find out the time again, the receptionist told me that my appointment was for today at 9:30 rather than Wednesday. I so upset!!

I ususally don't get a call from them and I'm pretty good about remembering to put it on my calender when I get home, but not this time.

I feel so stupid at the moment.

Good thing though is that she was able to schedule me for 9:15 tomorrow, so that is good news.

My Uterus is the Size of a Soccer Ball!?!?!

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 16:50:00 -0700

In just a few days, Jordan and I will be heading out on our last adventure as a couple. From now on, we will go on vacation as a family. It's exciting, but a little sad because we have been together for 12 years now (including college), and it's always been us. It's going to be a little different I must say. Instead of me asking if we have everything about a mile down the road, I'll be asking, "Do we have the baby?" Ok, maybe not, but a little humor isn't going to kill anyone.

I want to send out a big thank you again to my parents-in-law: Fred and Pam Chambers. I received a package from them last week and I'm now just getting around to putting it on here and saying thank you. I got some really neat stuff.

As seen in the picture, and in no particular order, we got 5 pairs of socks, 2 little caps, a rattle, a Houston Astros outfit, mini diaper bag, burping cloths, onesees and a bath gown.

THANK YOU SO MUCH MOM AND DAD!!! That was really sweet of you.

The heat here is awful and I'm really beginning to feel the effects on my body. I've noticed that I get overheated a bit more now that I'm carrying a little extra wait. But then, it doesn't help that we are having 100 degree days with a heat index of over 100. And on top of that, NO RAIN!! But you guessed it, we're having thunderstorms the weekend that we leave. Figures!!

We mowed our front lawn nice and short so that by the time we get home, and with the heat, it shouldn't grow all that much. We'll find out in a couple of weeks.

I have a full week ahead of me. Today, I had an appointment with my lung doctor: Hottie doctor #1. He was a little shocked that I haven't taken my nasal spray yet, but I had to tell him that I just picked it up a few days ago. Obviously, I could have started it the day that I picked it up, but I didn't. Just forgot. I worked the last 3 days, and by the time I get home, I'm too tired to even think about anything else. So, now, I have to take it. I have sinusitis and that is what will cause my bronchitis to break out if I let it go. I might have Jordan try it too because he has really bad sinus problems. It's a product called NeilMed. From what I've been told, it's the best on the market.

Sunday marked the 24 week mark. Caleb is officially viable outside the womb. If he was to be born now, he could survive, but he wouldn't be very healthy. He'd be on the ventilator and chances are, he would have a lot of brain injury because his brain still isn't developed to the point of being "normal". It's been said that babies born this early have a greater chance of having Cerebral Palsy or other brain injury. If I can make it to the 32 week mark, we'll be fantastic, and of course, anything after that, is WONDERFUL!! I'm not stresing though because I know God is giving me the best little miracle that I could ever have and I trust in Him that all will be ok, and if not, there's a reason. So far, everything is going smoothly.

I have my appointment with Dr Magee this Wednesday. Should be a quick one. Not sure if I'm due for tests this time or not, but I know I get the infamous RHOgam shot in August. Woo!! Because Jordan is O+ and I'm O-, there is a potential for me to fight off Caleb towards the end, so I have to have a shot to "trick" my body. Joy!! I'll also get another one after his birth to be sure that everything will be ok if we get pregnant again.

To honor making it to 24 weeks, here is a belly pic. I'm a little bloated today, so forgive the way the picture looks:

Weekly Baby Forecast: Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when he was just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, his brain is growing rapidly, and his taste buds are developing. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

Thank You Jen!!!

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:55:00 -0700

I wanted to shout out a big THANK YOU to Jen back home for the baby items that I received yesterday afternoon. I emailed you hun, but I wanted to spread the word out there for everyone. It was such a sweet thing that you did even though you didn't have to.

Here are the items that she sent for Caleb:

I have loved everything that people have been getting Caleb so far. I am so lucky to have the friends and family that I do.

I was going to take the blankets and the sleepware out of the packaging, but I don't want them to get dirty right now. I have plenty of time to hang them up and put them in drawers later, even though I do have the combo dresser. I love just having them out to see. It just makes the experience real.

Today's Baby Forecast: Extremely Happy

Feeling A Little Better

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:42:00 -0700

I'm now nestled down in bed and decided to write a little blurb before going to bed. Being that it's almost 10:30, I'm surprised I'm not as tired as I think I should be.

I haven't really done much the past couple of days. Mostly just resting and doing some last minute calls for our vacation that starts in about a week. I'm really excited about going. I'm looking forward to just getting away, having some time with Jordan and sightseeing.

We've set a plan on what we are going to do either on the way up or back. For sure we are going to make a stop at the Badlands, and I really would like to spend a whole day there if I can. In reality, we should spend more than just a day, but we're on a schedule, so I'm hoping to get some good shots of animals and the land out there. I hear it is absolutely beautiful. We're also going to make a stop in Deadwood.

Some other places we'd like to see is, and in no partiular order, Little Big Horn, some natural caves, Sioux Falls, and Pompey's Pillar National Monument. On the way home, we're going to stop at the Omaha Zoo as it is supposed to be on the best zoos in the region. I've heard nothing but good things about this zoo, so I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Tomorrow, I need to go to work for a couple of hours for training on our new stress test equipment. We got a new computer system and treadmill, so I'm really hoping to learn this well enough so that I can do it. Pulmonary stress testing is very similar to cardiac, but I what's going to get me confused is the program. That is the difference between the two stress tests. Being that there are three of us training, and we're pretty smart people, it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Of course, I'm going to take fantastic notes to use as a cheat sheet.

I was really hoping I'd get a massage tonight, but Jordan is working late on some consulting business, and honestly, my back is feeling pretty good right now. Who would have thought? It just felt so good the other night when he did it. I really just felt relaxed and I slept pretty good that night too.

It's starting. I can't just sit straight down anymore. My belly is getting so hard that if I sit down as normal, it hurts, so I have to open my legs just a bit in order to feel comfortable. Now I don't have to sit like they make the actresses do on TV or anything, but I am beginning to feel the effects of the weight now.

I'm really beginning to wheeze for awhile after going up the stairs, which I didn't do prior to being pregnant. Between the humidity out here and the fact that I'm getting bigger, it really isn't helping my asthma any. Good thing is, that I see hotty doctor number 1 on Monday, so I hope to discuss some options then. Thursday, I go in for a spirometry, which is a test to see how I'm doing. I haven't really been compliant with my advair simply because there hasn't been enough studies on pregnant women, and I've been feeling really good up until now. I might have to breakdown and actually start taking it again now that Caleb is bigger and the dangers of the first trimester is over.

I'm feeling a little better than I was the other day. I still feel a little nauseous every now and then, but I'm doing much better. Reminder to self: DO NOT EAT SO MUCH ALL AT ONE TIME!!!

Today's Baby Forecast: Feeling Good

Somebody Just Kill Me Now

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 11:50:00 -0700

I don't know what it is lately, but I seem to be getting really sick at my stomach. I've already vomitted today and feel the need to do it again. This time I know it isn't because of food. I'm not sure what it is, but it's maddening, and I wish it would stop. Could be stress. Could be tummy related. I don't know. I just want this to just end. I feel miserable.

My belly is definitely taking the shape of pregnancy. It should now that I'm 6 months along. Baby Caleb will be here in no time, and like I said in a previous entry, it's scary, but exciting. My 23-week belly pic will be at the end. I used to have an inny belly button. Now, it's beginning to come out a little bit. Not all the way, but it's beginning to flatten now. That's rather weird to see.

I have the next 4 days off. Since I traded with someone today, I had a total of 7 days off. I was planning on doing some yard work today, but that was booted right out the door when it started to rain. Of course it would happen. We haven't had rain in over a month, and now that I want to go out and do some things, it rains. Figures. Probably just as well since I'm worshipping the toilet god again today.

I slept really good last night. Jordan gave me a lower back rub down while we were watching the season premiere of Reno 911! . I think it really helped to relax me. I woke up only twice last night: once to go pee and the other was a "just because" wakeup. I think I finally went back to sleep around 6am, and woke up to the phone at 0930. It wasn't important. Just a nonprofit sales call which we haven't been picking up for the last month. You'd think they would get the hint. They may be persistant, but I'm holding strong to not answering the phone. I will prevail.

My tummy is churning, so will close this entry for now.

In honor of reaching 23 weeks, here is my belly pic:

Weekly Baby Forecast: Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.