Week 36

Well, we're in the home-stretch...or so I'm told. Baby Stock had quite a weekend. Two showers were thrown in her honor and she collected a massive pile of new outfits, baby gear, and blankies! We are so very thankful for our friends throwing such encouraging and fun showers to celebrate our little girl.

We had a check-up today which let us know that Mandy is dilated 1 cm....don't know if this is too much information to put on a blog, but it seems I'm getting used to talking about breast feeding, labor, and all that sort of stuff. Anyways, this is normal for this stage of the pregnancy, and Baby Stock is ready to meet the world within the next few weeks. Contractions are a daily occurrence now, which is also normal...preparing us for the "real thing".

The nursery is slowly coming together. We hope to have her clothes laundered, pictures hung and bed made before we even leave for the hospital! We figure anything we can do now is less stuff to worry about when there is a newborn around. We truly cannot wait to meet our little girl and see her face to face.

Week 32

Just 8 more weeks! With the Christmas season upon us...and consequently the "baby shower season" for us, it seems like Baby Stock will be here before we realize it.

She is continuing to grow healthily and moves around her mom's belly freely, sometimes with a foot or two in the rib cage! Unlike her parents, this little girl seems most active at night now...perhaps because we eat dinner so late with Brian's work schedule. Hopefully she will adapt into our "morning person" household within the first few months of life...or maybe she'll just be different and love the nightlife like most of our extended family!

This weekend we have our debut baby shower at Mandy's mom's house in Sumter, SC. Baby and Mom are especially looking forward to a few hours at the spa which "Nana" slotted out for us before the shower. A prenatal massage sounds heavenly anytime!

Week 30

Just 10 more weeks until we meet our little Baby Stock. According to our pregnancy books, she is about 3 pounds right now and if she stretched all the way out (and Mandy is praying she doesn't for the sake of her rib cage) she would measure 17 inches in length! Her movements now can be SEEN if you watch Mandy's abdominal area closely. She is either getting restless or just enjoying a little swim. Either way it's pretty phenomenal to watch and feel our little girl move around.
We have also decorated our house for Christmas (notice our little Christmas shrub in the picture here). We certainly look forward to next year, celebrating Christ's birth with our little 10 month old girl. This year we rejoice in this wonderful gift of a little life given to us and the greatest gift of all: God's son, Jesus Christ who is God but made Himself nothing in order to save His people from our sins.

Week 29

Here is Mandy with more than a bun in the oven....we had ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and more. This Sunday we both had our small group Bible studies over for a family-style dinner. In total there were 14 adults and one baby...and of course Baby Stock. That is not the most we've had at our house before but this time it was a little different since we decided to not do buffet-style, but to have everyone crowd around 2 long tables. It was a challenge, but the close quarters made the fellowship better and more "cozy". It was well worth the tight squeeze.

This week, of course, we are also in for more eating and fellowship time for Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for this year: our growing daughter, our family who loves us, and of course all the wonderful holiday food God provides! Praise the Giver of all things, how He loves us!

Week 28

Sorry, no picture this week. We just ran out of time when I felt like having my picture taken and we were both home together! Promise there will be one for week 29. New things this week in the developing baby Stock world include a new "scooting" motion rather than simply kicks and turns (although those are still there as well). She also is very excited about the holidays...I can tell this by my urge to sing Christmas carols already...oh, wait that happened even before I was pregnant!

Baby Stock is healthy and growing. We are in prayer that God is growing her spiritually even in the womb. We pray she would be a baby, young girl, and eventually woman who is so in love with Jesus and lives in reverent fear of God. Pray along with us for her to come to know Him as her Savior, Lord and Treasure at a very young age.

Week 27

We have officially entered the third trimester!

Baby Stock has grown to a little over two pounds and can (according to the baby book) open her eyes. Although, I'm not sure what she is seeing since it's dark in there...unless my kidneys are giving off an orange glow after that ridiculously strong Tang I drank at youth group last night!

Our doctor's visit last week confirmed she is still growing healthy. Mandy does NOT have gestational diabetes...another test involving something very much like strong Tang. She is precisely within the weight-gain guidelines (even with all that Halloween candy!) and, perhaps most exciting, the doctor predicted no stretch marks!

Last week we attended our first "birthing class" at the hospital. The labor and delivery nurse that teaches left nothing to hide from all these rookie parents. We passed around an epidural needle, fetal monitoring kits, and a baby vacuum puller-outer (which she assured us they rarely use). The video was not as graphic as you would expect but did show the true emotion, frustration and sheer exhaustion of a laboring mother. As Brian said, he has the easy part...and true labor looks nothing like they make it look in the movies!

24 Weeks

Here we are introducing Baby Stock to her new crib. The nursery is coming together with a barnyard theme. Daddy's books and computer are getting crammed into one limited space to make room for a crib, new dresser, baby book shelf, and a glider.

Our friend Sarah may even paint a little farm mural on one of the walls! Why not make it fun right!? Mandy is still trying to convince Brian to get a real chicken to put in a little hayloft. Not sure that's actually going to happen. :)

23 Weeks

Little Baby Stock has made it to the one pound mark! Her mom has gained quite a few more as well. With this new weight accomplishment she has also decided to kick and squirm much more, especially when mom is just laying down for bed.
The picture is getting out a little late this week. We had a little unexpected car break-down issue. Thankfully this "very rare mechanical problem" is being fixed and the car is back to health. The mechanic's bill may deplete Baby Stock's college fund, but we're hoping she's smart enough or a good enough runner to get lots of scholarships! :)