25 Weeks Down, 15 To Go

Our trusty internet sources tell us that Haley is weighing in at approximately 1 1/2 pounds and is about 13 1/2 inches long. She's the weight of an average rutabaga...I'm not sure I would know what an average rutabaga (or a rutabaga, in general) would look like. I don't think I've ever eaten rutabaga...how does one cook it?


She's starting to pack on the baby fat and sprout some hair. Karl is hopeful that Haley is born with some hair on his head. I had to break the news to him that I was a baldy for 2 years. Bald is beautiful!

Haley continues to move and squirm on a very regular basis. I think she takes a secret joy in hitting my bladder in the middle of the night. She's going to be grounded the moment she comes out :O)

I passed the glucose test (yay!) and have a doctor's appointment later this week. We've signed up for our childbirth class and are quickly approaching the 3rd trimester. It's going by so fast!

Dear Haley,

Babycakes, you have an awesome dad. The other night I was changing our bed sheets while your dad was in the kitchen.

"Can you make me some orange juice please? Fresh squeezed if possible," I hollered from the bedroom, knowing full well we didn't have oj in the fridge or oranges anywhere in the house.

"We don't have orange juice Kara," Karl responded from the kitchen.

"I know, but a girl and her pregnant belly can dream."

The next thing I know your dad hands me glass of grapefruit juice...fresh squeezed. I don't know if I've tasted anything better in the 24 weeks I've been pregnant with you.


Love,
Mama

Tall as an ear of corn

We've hit week 24...16 weeks to go. Haley is just over 1 pound in weight - according to our trusty internet sources she packed on nearly 1/4 pound since last week. Wow! She's also the length of an ear of corn. The little girl just keeps growing!

The little lady has also decided that it's fun to wake Mom up at 4 am to dance around her belly. I think Haley is going to be a dancer or soccer player - she can kick! We're going to get another view of her in a few weeks with a 3-D ultrasound. Johnson County Ultrasound knows how to appeal to its target JoCo market; 5 guests are allowed to come with me (both sets of grandparents and Karl) to watch the ultrasound on a big screen while enjoying snacks and drinks.

The nursery is coming together slowly but surely. Pictures will be posted soon!

Baby Mango

We're 23 weeks and our internet sources tell us that Haley weighs just over one pound is over 11 inches in length - akin to a large mango. Our little girl continues to grow!

Karl and I had a wonderful Easter - baby Haley reaped the rewards and was spoiled with all kinds of cute things. Our families are wonderfully generous - thank you all! It's hard to believe that next Easter we'll have an 8 month old.

We're headed to Omaha this weekend with Nana and Papa Manies, our good friends Stacey and Jake and their cutie, Ryan. We're going to the zoo, which is amazing. It'll be nice to get away for a weekend. Pictures to come!

Baby Roo

Karl and I are convinced this little girl is part kangaroo. Each sonogram we've had Karl and I have watched in astonishment as Haley wiggled, kicked and bounced around. Now, I'm starting to feel those kicks. Each time I hold my hand to my belly in the hopes of feeling a kick from the outside, she decides to settle down. I get the feeling that Haley is going to give us a run for our money.

We've reached 22 weeks and according to our trusty internet sources Haley is approximately 11 inches long and nearly one pound...about the size of a spaghetti squash.

Drumroll Please!

We're thrilled to announce...

we're having a....

GIRL!

Our ultrasound was on Friday and I was a nervous wreck! I desperately wanted to know the gender of the baby and was fearful that he/she wouldn't cooperate. As I predicted, Babycakes played hard to get. She moved and kicked each time the technician got close to telling us. Just as the technician got to the right position, the baby put her hand between her legs. After some prodding and poking we finally saw the girl parts.

Karl and I are over the moon - it's such a relief to say 'she' and 'her' instead of 'it.' As for her name, we are spilling the beans early.

Haley Lynn Schweigel

Haley is the name Karl has had picked out for years. Lynn is both our mother's middle names - the coincidence was too good to be true. We can't wait to meet her and the color pink has already started to invade our house.

Dream Analysis

I've been having weird, bizarre dreams since falling pregnant. Usually I don't have a vivid recollection of the dreams, however last night's dream stuck with me. I wonder if it's telling me something...

Bare with me, because it is unusual. Weird enough for Karl to question my sanity. In my dream I was with our baby and the baby (like all other babies) was in plastic casing, like you might find a doll at a toy store (first sign of weirdness). Anyhow, our baby had pink earrings and a necklace on (weirdness again). I was disappointed because Karl wasn't with me and now I knew we were having a girl. There was a lady next to me - a nurse or doctor maybe - told me that I couldn't be sure. We argued for awhile and when I picked the baby up its diaper fell off and lo and behold, the baby most definitely wasn't a girl. The mysterious lady I earlier argued with told me that the earrings and necklace were for show...there to trick us.

I can't begin to explain what this dream means, other than I might be a bit nuts. We'll find out what we're having tomorrow...we can't wait!!