23 weeks

First of all, Steve's grandmother died on Monday, so we had the funeral today. She is in peace now and we are at peace with that. I do get saddened when I think of the boys never getting to meet her, but we'll just have to be sure to tell them her funny stories and describe to them what a great lady she was.

Still working on basement, but will have Maggie fully moved down there this weekend. So, I will have all of her furniture moved out of the soon-to-be nursery very soon. We are planning to put lots of stuff in a neighborhood garage sale on Saturday, so we are cleaning the house over the next couple of days. First thing on the nursery list is to remove the carpet so we can start putting down hardwood. I have all of the babies furniture in the garage, just waiting to move them upstairs as soon as possible. Painting room a pretty green (sage) color. I promise to take pictures!

Also getting excited about my upcoming baby showers! My Aunt Vicky and Cousin Molly are hosting my first shower in my hometown on May 9th. Here is the sweet invitation...



And Molly came up with this creative little insert-love it!! So cute!!



My second baby shower will take place on May 17th. My SIL and BF are hosting this one. It's my local shower which will include friends and family. Thanks Connie and Stephanie-love you both very much! Can't wait!

From BabyCenter this week..."Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb."

22 weeks and babies have surpassed 1 lb!!

Harry Face Pic

Luke Face Pic



Mommy Belly Pic



Good check-up this week at the perinatologist office. Harry weighs in at 1 lb 4 oz. and Luke is close at 1 lb 3 oz, which is right on schedule! This is so exciting to me as I've always thought of this as being a big milestone. Both looked perfect and actually were very well-behaved during the u/s. And my cervix was closed, measured 4.5cm, and had no funneling, so no signs of pre-term labor. Woohoo!

Unfortunately, we don't have great pics this week. The u/s tech didn't do a good job at getting some good pics for us. I found myself saying "That's a good picture" just to get her to take one and print it out. Oh well. We've had her 3 different times, so I should be used to it, but I'd really rather have someone else.

On a sad note, Steve's grandmother fell this week and hit her head. She suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and won't make it out of this. She is 90, but was in overall good health. We will miss her very much. I'm sad that our boys won't get to meet her. We really didn't see this coming.

Per Baby Center this week-"At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily."

Finally, one of my dear friends got her long-awaited and well-deserved positive pregnancy test this week. If you don't know Emily, please stop by and wish her congratulations! I'm so happy for her!!

21 weeks and I finally get the stranger acknowledgement

I am pregnant, no doubt about it. I kept wondering when I was gonna receive the "Congrats on your pregnancy" from random strangers. Finally got it a few days ago!

Steve and I were at the horse track on Sunday, which I might add did not benefit us financially at all. I never cashed one ticket. But we had fun. Anyway, I headed off to the ladies room and got in line. Then all of a sudden the lead gal in line says, "Momma-you can jump in front of us. You get the next open stall." I was thrilled for 2 reasons: 1) someone was being so kind as to actually think of a pregnant gal and 2) a stranger acknowledged my bulging belly! I laughed at the lady and told her that I would've taken her up on it in my first trimester, but my bladder is a little better now that I'm in my second. She went ahead as scheduled, but the next lady wasn't letting me get out of it so quickly. She insisted I should go before her anyway. I obliged. What sweet people!

Pregnant belly very obvious to strangers: CHECK!

So, I'm on to 21 weeks this week. Things are going well. I love feeling the babies move. I love talking to them. I also bought them their very first book this week: "Goodnight Moon." One of my favorites when I was a little girl. I have been reading it to them at night before we go to sleep. I can't wait for our nightly storytime when they get here.

I realize that last line was a very positive statement. I hope these babies will stay in their current home for another 16 weeks. I really do. I worry a lot (I know, I know) that something will happen and I'll deliver early. This week a girl from one of my message boards (many of you may know or at least heard her story over the past week) gave birth to her twins at 24w1d. Her son died 2 days later and her daughter died the following day after him. How completely and utterly tragic. That's only 2.5 weeks from now at this point in my pregnancy. Too soon, too scary, too real. Also, scratching "24 week viability" from my vocabulary and brain. Obviously, some babies aren't viable at 24 weeks.

From Baby Center and The Bump this week: "Your baby now weighs about 13.9 ounces and is approximately 10.5 inches long — the length of a carrot or a banana. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now. Baby also gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch."

Basketball, Bluegrass & Bourbon

Strange combination, but let me explain. All of them make Lexington, Kentucky the unique place that it is!

First there is our love for basketball. Most of you know that I'm a huge football fan, from Little League to High School to College to the NFL, I love (and follow) all of it! What I don't often talk about, but is equally dear to my heart, is Kentucky basketball. I don't follow any other team (did not watch March Madness since we missed the NCAA tourney) from college or pros, but I do love our Kentucky basketball. Yes, it's basically a religion here. Yes, people definitely need to find other things to do and obsess about. But, when we got our new coach this week, I admit to being equally obsessed. I already love Coach Calipari (he was actually the Coach I wanted the last time we had a coaching change)! You may ask yourself, who cares-for goodness sakes, it's just basketball! But, again think basketball=religion and you'll understand why I care!

Kentucky basketball is: No. 1 in all-time wins (1,985), No. 1 in NCAA tournament appearances (50), No. 1 in NCAA tournament games (145), No. 1 in NCAA tournament wins (100), No. 1 in Associated Press poll No. 1 finishes (8) and No. 1 in SEC titles (43), winning more than the other 11 SEC teams combined. Finally, there are also those (7) national championships and (13) Final Four appearances. We pack 24,000+ fans every winter into our beloved Rupp Arena!! Below is a snapshot of a very devoted Wildcats fan, Ashley Judd.





Next, there is the beautiful Bluegrass state. I have traveled around the U.S. quite a bit and have lived in Naples, Florida previously (which I did love). However, I remember getting tears in my eyes when the plane would touch down in Lexington while I still lived in Florida. It is the one of most beautiful places to fly into. You come in over horse farms and our famous horse racing track, Keeneland. Gorgeous green grass (not blue-lol) with beautiful white fences, it is known as the horse capital of the world. We have horse racing in Lexington only 6 weeks out of the year. Of those, 3 weeks of racing occur in April and 3 weeks occur in October. So, we are very limited in our "live" racing fun here. Spring season starts today and will run through April 24. Steve and I plan on heading to the track this weekend. Always fun! I wish I had some of my old Derby pics in hats and fancy dresses, etc on this computer, but I don't and I'm lazy and I'm pregnant. So, I'll just load an older pic of some of my nieces and nephews and step-daughter from a Fall day at the track.

And, there is a family pic from this same day at the track of Steve, Maggie, and me. Not one of our best, but a pic just the same.

Finally, here are some "true" bluegrass pics, from the horses we adore to the local farms where they reside...








Finally, bourbon. Kentucky is the bourbon whiskey capital of the world. 95% of all bourbon is made here in Kentucky. It's an acquired taste, but one that I find pretty yummy. You can put it in recipes, mix it with cola or water, or drink it on the rocks. I've done all of the above and tend to stick to recipes and Diet Coke mixes. In case you're wanting to try bourbon sometime, I'll make a few suggestions. The best selling of bourbon in the world? Jim Beam. The best mixing with cola bourbon? Maker's Mark. Reasonably priced and tastes great with Diet Coke. I should mention that I'm a Maker's Mark Ambassador and that I've had a barrel named in my honor. Just for the record, I did not have to drink any specific amount to become an ambassador...However, the bourbon I prefer to drink? Woodford Reserve. I drink it with Diet Coke, but get made fun of for ruining good bourbon by mixing it with cola from hard core bourbon drinkers . LOVE IT! Other fantastic bourbons to try if you get a chance (they are all small batch bourbons, so not easily found): Basil Hayden, Booker's, Knob Creek, and Blanton's.

If you want to try a good bourbon mixed drink, the mint julep is the most famous (think similar to a mojito). It's the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. Also, bourbon martinis are delicious. Steve and I had these Kentucky martinis as our "signature drink" at our wedding. I would post the recipe if I could remember it, but can't find it!

Hope you enjoyed my Kentucky "love" post! I just thought I'd share my adoration with you!

Sorry for all the confusion!

To all my faithful blog reader friends-I'm so sorry! As you all know, I've been wanting to make a blog name change for a while. When I finally came up with my new name, I went forward with changing not only the name, but also the address. I never thought it would be so difficult for everyone with my blog listed on their Google Readers and Blog Rolls.

I did figure this out in less than 2 hours and tried to go back to the "Desperately Seeking Spawn" address. As most of you have now found, someone snatched up my old name VERY quickly. I do not find it to be of any coincidence since it would appear she is heading to CCRM. So, for all of you clicking on my old name and finding this strange person, I'm sorry. Completely my mistake and one that I quickly tried to correct. But it would appear someone has been stalking my blog, waiting for me to change names, and then snatching it right up and discussing CCRM. I wish her the best and hope she gets pregnant, as it was my mistake, but what a mess!

On to better topics, I have a belly pic! I'm getting there!! This one was taken a week ago, so I'll have to take another soon. But, here I am at 19w4d...

Had an OB appt. today! No u/s, although the Doppler picked up both heartbeats and kicks and movements!! Luke was low (lol) and hanging out near my left pelvic bone kicking and moving up a storm and Harry was high (lol) up in my right rib cage where I do feel him often. He was there last night too and I had to sleep sitting up thanks to all the pressure on my ribs which makes it hard to breathe!

I check all the time to see if I see a head or a foot jab through my body, but so far, nothing. I guess they're still too little! But, I feel them moving A LOT, so I'm very thankful for that. I love being pregnant and I love these little boys so much!

Hope to post some nursery pics in a few weeks. Still not started on it!