Sunday, January 28, 2007

Peanut at 35 weeks


How your baby's growing: Your baby's getting big. He weighs a tad over 5 pounds and is just over 18 inches long. Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Final bi-weekly appointment

So Enz had her final 2 week appointment, and now she'll begin seeing the doctor on a weekly basis. I've said it before and I'll say it again because everyone knows it's how we feel--this time is flying by SO fast! As much as Enz has enjoyed being pregnant, I can't wait to see how much she'll enjoy being a mom.

Which brings me to my next point: Wow, Enz & I are going to be parents!! How scary yet at the same time exciting is that??

Many thanks to all who attended Enza's baby shower, and a special thanks to the family for planning such a gala event. Enz told me she had a wonderful time with everyone! I was, and still am, in shock at the amount of presents the baby was showered with. Your generosity speaks for itself and has helped in making the coming of our little one much more special! Thank You again!!

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Peanut at 34 weeks


How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is probably almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her central nervous system is still maturing and her lungs are well developed by now. If you've been nervous about going into preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that 99 percent of babies this age can survive outside the womb — and most have no major long-term problems related to prematurity.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Fun with the belly

This weekend, Gina & I finally finished painting the border around the baby's room. Thank you Auntie Gina!





After the border was complete, Enza & Gina decided to have some fun with Enza's belly.

Aren't ladybugs a sign of fertility?

I love flowers!

Gee, your flower smells terrific!

Jer, there's a bee!!!


Peanut at 33 weeks


How your baby's growing:This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and measures 17.2 inches from the top of his head to his heels. His skin is becoming less red and wrinkled, and while most of his bones are hardening, his skull is quite pliable and not completely joined. This will help him ease out of your relatively narrow birth canal.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Another two-week appointment

Enz had another two-week appointment yesterday, and amidst all the chaos in the doctor's world, everything is coming up roses! It appeared that our little peanut has gone through a growth spurt as of late, and that was verified by our doctor. Of course an indication on my end was the fact that Enza's belly has really started to protrude and that she's been more vocal about how heavy it is, but hearing and seeing the measurements from the doctor really cemented it for us.

All is well, and the baby is in a great position at the moment. We've been feeling different body parts moving around and Enz is always having everyone feel whatever it is the little peanut is pushing out against her belly. She's been kicking or punching a lot more lately, but what I've just recently started to feel is the actual movement or shifting she's doing in there. Maybe it's because I haven't been patient enough to keep my hand in one spot for a LONG time, but now that I've felt it, that's all I want to feel. It's like she's doing tai-chi or some basic dance steps. Whatever it is, it's a strange feeling, but in a good way. Not too long now, somewhere around 50+ days and counting...

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Enza at 32 weeks

It's hard to believe that Enza has reached the 8 month mark. It seems that she's getting tired earlier, and that she's starting to find that the weight of the baby is becoming more of a chore to carry around. There have been times where she's had problems moving around, or when she's lost her balance, so it's definitely a little different for her. Here's how beautiful she looks at this milestone in her pregnancy, while the "jealous pup" sneaks into the photo and attempts to ham it up!


Peanut at 32 weeks


How your baby's growing: By now, your baby probably weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. She has tiny toenails now, and her fingernails have grown in, too. Some babies have a head of hair already; others have only peach fuzz.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Hee-Hee-Haaaaaah.....

Last night we attended the first of three birth preparation classes. We met an interesting mix of couples who were all fairly close to us in regards to due dates. Out of the 15 couples in the class, 9 were expecting girls, 4 were expecting boys, and 2 were unknown.

While we had an idea what this class was about, we had no idea of the immediate effect it would have on us. As we sat through the initial presentation, we felt like it was just an overview of the stuff we've read in books. We went on to break up into two groups; one group was expecting in February, while the other in March. We met a couple whose due date was on the 7th, and even one whose due date was the 22nd. For those of you who know, those are our birthdays! What a small world. There weren't any other babies due on March 4th, making our peanut's due date a little more special, to us at least! Then again, it's not guaranteed that she'll be born her due date anyway.

Once the ice-breaking exercise was over, we watched a couple of preparation videos. As the videos went on explaining the different stages of labor, it seemed like Enz got a bit overwhelmed. Reality seemed to set in, in a big way. Gone were the thoughts of "I can't believe we're pregnant." It was almost as if they were replaced with thoughts of "Oh my god, how big is 10 cm???" Afterwards, we got on the floor and practiced breathing techniques, as the expectant fathers got a taste of being a support system. We were also teased about not really knowing what pain our wives would go through, so our wives were asked to place clothespins on our ears to give us an idea of what it's like to focus through pain. Yeah right, like that's the same!

Nevertheless, we made it through the first class with flying colors. Not only did we meet some nice people, we were left with a strange feeling inside. A feeling that was telling us just how real this experience has become, and that there's literally no turning back now. Hah, like we'd really want to anyway!

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Happy New Year

Wow, 2007 is finally upon us and that just brings us closer to our baby's due date. Although we still have a couple of months to go, we can't believe that the day is rapidly approaching, and we constantly find ourselves wondering just where the time went.

It seems like it was yesterday when Enz & I decided to share the good news with everyone, and that was way back in July. While the family was preparing for the arrival of a second grandson, we were so excited to share the news of a third grandchild for the Aveni family, and a first grandchild for the Camero family. 2006 was a very eventful and blessed year!

Much like the days leading up to our wedding, Enz has a countdown leading up to the baby's due date. Believe it or not, the count is already down to 60 days! To this day we're still in a state of shock that we will soon be parents, or that we'll finally have a little one to be responsible for. Our life as we know it, is no longer just about the two of us. That being said, we are more than ready for life's future challenges!