Week 27

The mirror I use for taking pictures of myself has gotten moved for all of the redecorating activities... so... these pics served to remind me of how badly I need to strip the walls in my bathroom and paint as much they did to remind me that this little boy is getting big :o). 

In The Mean Time...

Well, I suppose if I'm not sharing nursery pics just yet, I could offer you something to keep you entertained :o).  So, here it is: THE BALTIMORE SNOW OF 2010!  Grandpa Laub has had to work just as hard shoveling us out as he has been working inside hanging crown molding and whatnot.  As I sit here looking at a near-whiteout outside my window I'm beginning to wonder if Grandpa is going home before this baby is born...

A special thank you to Ben Lounsbury too!!  He's the boy up the street that helped Dad with the shoveling the other day and who will be back down helping us today.  Ben's a good sport, and his positive attitude and willingness to help mean the world to us!

This table on my front porch has been our own little weather center.... we watch it the closest to tell how much snow has actually acumulated.

The Reveal Will Have To Wait

So, I have been debating with myself about whether or not to post pictures of the nursery Grandpa has worked SOOOO hard on.  I finally came to a decision last night... I really want Shawn to come home and see it in person before anyone else does.  I have lots of fun pics to share...from the work in progress - to where Grandpa finished up.  Once he's home, I'll give Shawn time to get the furniture together... I'll have the rug in by then and the curtain up.  Then I'll do one big post with the whole progression.

Sorry folks...I know there are some anxious people out there... I just don't want Shawn to miss all the fun because of this deployment.

Week 26

Week 25

It was nice having a guest photographer for this pic... Grandpa Laub was/is in town putting his grandson's nursery together... well, we're saving the furniture for Dad when he gets home from the desert.  Anyway, here's me, the "Boy in the Belly" as Shawn recently called him, and NO CAMERA in the shot :o).

Week 24

OH MY GOODNESS!!!  This means I'm, dare I say it... CAUGHT UP! :o)

Week 23

Week 22

Seussin' It Up

Dear Grandma Laub,
Mommy couldn't help herself- she found this starter set for SO CHEAP!  So, if you would like to buy me Dr. Seuss please do, just not any of the 5 books that come in this set (Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks).  Yes, I know Green Eggs and Ham is your favorite - it was selfish of Mommy to steal from you the joy of buying that one! 

Love,

 Baby Boy Kennedy

Week 20

Here it is... the beginning of the weekly (or near-weekly) pics.  While I am 23 weeks today, I'm behind as usual :o).  I thought week 22 was with this one, but it's still on the camera at home so I'll update that once I take this week's pic....  NO LAUGHING AT ME!! ;o)

Baby's Third Ultrasound

This was the BIG day!!  The day we finally found out if we were having a boy or a girl.  I was very surprised when we were only given one picture :o(.  It's another profile of Baby, but additionally this time he's got his arms bent at the elbow with his hands over his face.  I was amazed at how much he'd grown when we saw him at this appointment.  OUR BABY BOY!!!  It was just an amazing moment!

Baby's Second Ultrasound

I MIGHT just get all the ultrasound pics up by the time this baby's born :o).  The purpose of this visit was genetic screening... there was blood work, a long family medical history review, and the ultrasound.  Part of the ultrasound was to check for Down's Syndrome - one of the primary things they check is certain proportions (especially those of the face), and the pocket of spinal fluid at the base of the neck (the bottom most white area basically on the upper two pics). 
Good news is that Baby looks fine (no guarantees but all signs are good)!!  Bad news is that we walked away with nothing but profile shots.  Oh well... the good news was SO worth it!  Can you make out the little nose, lips, and cheek area?  Is he cute or what!??

Dad out...

Yeah, Shawn shipped out this morning.  It's only two and a half months though... we're very lucky in that respect.  Anyway... if anyone would like to send him anything his address is:
SHAWN KENNEDY
451 EAMXS / A-10
APO, AE 09355

PLEASE NOTE:  Shawn asked me to again make sure everyone knows he has little/no room to store things... he will also have little room to bring anything home with him.  So...keep it edible and/or share-able, please. :o)

Baby's First Ultrasound

Again, I'm terrible, and these are VERY late.  Here they are though...at this point I was 10-weeks pregnant.  I joked that we were having a little grub because the baby's head was still so disproportionately big that when we'd see the baby move it looked like just the bottom half was flopping around... like a grub taken out of the ground.  Sorry Baby... Mommy still loves you!  Shawn said it looked like a deep sea squid... I never saw that one, but it's more intriguing than a grub.

All kidding aside, in the first picture you're seeing Baby's first profile shot; the whitest area in the center is the mouth and the darker lobe above is the forehead.  

In the next three you're seeing full body profiles; there are two prominent parallel white lines in this second picture, just above are three faint white parallel lines...those little lines are fingers!

In this fourth picture the baby's head is in the curve of the u-shape and at the opposite end the white area up higher is a foot/leg.

Last one today... I swear... for Grandma

Grandma - you were asking the colors for the nursery... this is the bedding set we're using.  Our crib is Cherrywoood, and i don't know what the rest of the room will look like yet, but colors will be based on this with other things (paint, rugs, etc) pulling in some red and khaki.

Registered

Registry is done... I've never created one before... I feel a little demanding and spoiled.  Honestly, cards full of advice and well wishes are enough for us!  For those that have asked when this will be ready though, here it is: Babies 'R' Us, registry # 44783688... we're in Parkville, MD. 

I guess I should send this link out...

Well... so much for sharing my personal life online... I never finished updating the page and never sent the link out, so i haven't been sharing very much :oS. 

Yesterday we had our 19-week ultrasound.  The baby looks great...arms and legs are growing well, spinal cord, brain, kidneys all look good, etc.  I am so grateful!!  We also got to find out the sex of the baby... IT'S A BOY!!!!  Yipee!! 

I'll see if i can't use the couple extra days off for Christmas to get all my ultrasound pictures from various stages scanned and posted...maybe I'll even throw in a belly shot (clothed!).  Sorry for being so out of touch everyone.  I love you all!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I can't believe I'm a blogger

With so many people we love so far away I suppose I'm grateful for this technology, but I never thought the day would come that I'd be sharing my personal life over the internet. Babies do change EVERYTHING.