Nursery is DONE!

Thank goodness gracious, the Baby's room is DONE and covered in Pooh. :)

Here are some pics:

35 weeks and 35 days to go...

Bottles are washed, sterilized and air drying. Baby's laundry is done and folded. Nursery is almost completely ready. Um, am I missing something?

I have stopped being ecstatic and started getting anxious. Not nervous, just ready for this kid to be here. I am getting into that period of pregnancy in which you just want to slap people when they say things like, "any day now" or "anything yet" and the everyday asked question, "are you excited?" No. Not at all. I am about to become a parent with the coolest bearded man on the block. Why would I be excited? :)

Here is what is happening with Baby Benzin this week:

Our baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that baby is over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in my womb, Baby Benzin isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of kicks should remain about the same. The kidneys are fully developed now, and the liver can process some waste products. Most basic physical development is now complete — he or she will spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

So many things to look forward to...

34 weeks!!!

What a day. What a WEEK! Todd and I had 2 showers over the weekend; one held by my Mother in Law and the other by my Mother, Aunt Debbie, Grama, and Sisters Amanda and Barb. The outpouring of love and kindness shown by both sides of the family was just amazing and Todd and I were quite overwhelmed. We got so many wonderful things and are really giddy imagining Baby Benzin in some of the outfits and being new parents!

On another exciting note, our nursery furniture was delivered yesterday and it is just GORGEOUS! Todd and I stood in the doorway looking into the room and the feeling is surreal. We are about to start such an amazing journey with the best of each of us wrapped up in this little being. In just 6 weeks (hopefully less) we will be holding this little one and our lives will truly begin. Life will never be the same, and we will wonder what our lives were like before Baby Benzin arrived.

Our wonderful friends the Garvey's live downstairs (for now, sniff sniff) and their 2 1/2 year old daughter Maeve has been deemed the Baby Whisperer. In June, 2008 I went downstairs and Maeve, out of nowhere, lifted up my shirt and poked my belly. The next day I found out I was pregnant. Today Lisa, her Momma, asked Maeve what was growing in my belly and she replied, "Girl Baby." I asked what I should name her and she again replied, "Girl Baby." Ok. Girl Baby Benzin it is.

Also, I had my bi-weekly visit today and I was informed that another sonogram has to be done. My Dr. felt my belly and said, "Oh Michele, this is going to be a big baby." So a sonogram will be done in 4 weeks (if I last that long) and if the baby is measuring over 9 pounds, the Dr. will allow me to labor on my own for 4 hours and if there is no dilatation or progress, a C-Section will be done. However, at 32 weeks Baby Benzin was 3 pounds, 14 ounces (approximately) and was considered "average" for its size and age. Assuming babies gain 1/2 pound a week at this point, that would put Baby Benzin at around 4 pounds, 14 ounces as of today. Now if you place a 5 pound anything in a little bag, it will appear MUCH bigger than say if you placed same said 5 pound anything in a duffel bag. He has been telling me I am measuring ahead since the beginning. I go to the sonogram and they have always told me the same thing: "Baby is right on time and measuring normal." Yeah, no shit. On that note...

Here is what is happening with Baby Benzin this week:

Baby Benzin now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Fat layers — which will help regulate body temperature once born — are filling baby out, making baby rounder. The skin is also smoother than ever. The central nervous system is maturing and the lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

33 weeks and 5 days!

I have been slacking, big time. Todd and I had 2 baby showers this weekend and our Nursery is FINALLY being delivered tomorrow so we have been a WEE BIT BUSY! I will elaborate a bit more later on our wonderful showers. Although another update is due in 2 days, for now:

Here is what is happening with Baby Benzin this week...

This week Baby Benzin weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. Baby is rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and the skeleton is hardening. The bones in the skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for Baby Benzin to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as the brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Another update and picture (hopefully) in just a few days!!

The Duggers have NOTHING on this lady!!!

I saw this on my weekly baby email and I thought I would share it with you.

Just a little something to pass the time while you wait for an update and new picture.

Brace yourselves.

A Russian woman holds the record for having the most children. Between 1725 and 1765, she was pregnant 27 times and had 69 children.

32 weeks and 4 days!

We are at the 8 month mark! Unfortunately women are pregnant for 10 months so I have another 2 months before our "due date" of March 5, 2009. I am pretty sure this will be a February baby so I am thinking another 40 days of pregnancy is in the works. I can already tell I will really miss being pregnant. Yes, yes there are a handful of annoyances that come along with it that I will NOT miss at all, but all in all I will miss it.

There WERE 7 of us who WERE pregnant (Baby F., Baby G., Baby U., Baby C., Baby C., Baby K. and US) and one of us have welcomed a new baby. Congrats to Paschal and Kristen for Little Gabriel who was born on Sunday January 11th, 2009 at 12:45am!! I am NEXT! Then Meg, Kimmy, Michele U., Kristy and Mo will round out the bunch. If I had the money to start it up I am pretty sure I could make a living running a Theatre Day Care.

Ok, here's what is happening with Baby Benzin this week:

By now, baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space. Mommy is gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to the baby. In fact, Baby Benzin will gain a third to half of the birth weight during the next 7 weeks as baby fattens up for survival outside the womb. Baby Benzin now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). That gorgeous skin is becoming soft and smooth as baby plumps up in preparation for birth.

DON'T FORGET TO PUT IN YOUR GUESS FOR BABY BENZIN!! THE QUIZ WILL BE CLOSED AS OF FEBRUARY 1ST!!!

LINK IS TO THE RIGHT ----------->

Let's act like celebrities and make a statement!!

Baby names have come a long way since Jack, Mary, John, Jane, Steve, Sally, Mike and so on. People are really going out on a limb and coming up with some REALLY cooky names. Why it seems like celebrities take the cake on the strangest baby names? Who knows. Here are my top 10 favorite celebrity baby names:

10. Bono - Elijah Bob Patricus Guggi Q
9. Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence - Tiger Lily Heavenly Hirani
8. Jermaine Jackson - Jermajesty
7. David Carrdine - I.P. Freely
6. Jason Lee - Pilot Inspekter
5. Shannyn Sossamon - Audio Science
4. Paula Yates and Bob Geldof - Fifi Trixibelle
3. Angie and David Bowie - Zowie
2. Helen Baxendale and David Eliot - Nell Marmalade

and the WINNER IS...

1. Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa - Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa (pronounced Na-Ko-Ah Wolf Mana-Ka-Ooh-Ah-Po Namma-Kay-Ah-Ha Mo-Moa)

Hmmm. Pilot Benzin? I.P. Benzin? Jermastesy Benzin? None of those work. We will stick with our favorite: Ivanna Mercedes Benzin. That kicks all those celebrity kids collective asses.

This may be the cutest, sweetest 4D baby that ever lived...

We had our last sonogram appointment today (we think) and Baby Benzin is measuring around 3 pounds 14 ounces (56th percentile) which is LOVELY! Not too big, not too small, just right. As the technician was looking at the baby in the 4D image, Baby Benzin opened its eyes which she said was very rare. She called the baby a "swimmer" since it liked to look at things under the water as well as being a squirm bug. So, here is Baby Benzin in 4D!!!

Baby Benzin with its eyes open and looking sleepy:

Looking grumpy:

Talking on its baby cell phone:

(Note: Because the technician was bouncing the wand around, artifacts were created in the picture which is why it looks like my child has horns.)

We are so in love with this child already. Pretty soon we will be squeezing those little cheeks and holding those little hands. Soon...

31 weeks!! (And Happy New Year!)

Amazing to think that 2009 is the year Baby Benzin will be born. 63 days from now will be the 40 week mark and 44 days from now will be the 37 week mark. For those of you who don't know 37 weeks is FULL TERM!!! Todd and I will be parents so soon and every day that passes we get more and more excited. Nervous? Yes, of course. I think of the movie Juno when Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) is holding her new baby and asks Bren (Allison Janney) how she looks. Bren replies, "Like a new mom. Scared shitless." However, Todd and I work so well together as a team that my fears melt away as quickly as they come. Our baby showers are coming up in just a couple of weeks and not long after that our furniture will be here. Everything is coming together and with every little step forward we get a bit more giddy about this new Benzin coming into our lives.

On that note, here is what is happening with Baby Benzin this week:

This week, Baby Benzin measures over 16 inches long. He or she weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. Baby Benzin can turn its head from side to side, and Baby's arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath the skin. Baby Benzin is probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Here is our most recent BUMP picture:



Happy New Year everyone!!!

**ADDED NOTE**

Today Baby Benzin's little foot decided to shove past my stomach muscles and I was able to grab on to his or her heel. It was amazing, wonderful and disgusting all at the same time.