26 Weeks... I think?

Well hello again! It's been so long since I've written an entry, I am having trouble remembering how to make all of this seem entertaining for you all. Hopefully the the concept alone of this miracle child developing inside my womb is enough to keep you all on board for this one. :) I am pretty sure that we are nearing 26 weeks now- which means baby Ratliff is very close to weighing 2 lbs. and measuring 14 inches in length. He is a very active little munchkin, which is becoming more and more evident as his infant limbs grow longer and stronger- the better to punch and kick with, right?! I love it, though. It's fun to watch people's faces when they can actually see a swift kick through my shirt from across the room. According to all the baby websites, this week is when I need to sign up for birthing classes for Ben and me. Let's all take a moment and picture Ben at a birthing class... touching isn't it? :) It will take some convincing, but I know he'll be come along because he is just a sweet husband like that. Speaking of my sweet husband, he has had quite a week! Aside from finding out that his beloved Longhorns will not be going to the National Championship (he could write an entire blog entry on why that is so ridiculous...), he also accomplished the task of MOVING US into our new house! That's right, the Ratliff's have officially moved on to our first family home, and we absolutely LOVE it! The timing of it was just a bit unfortunate because while I had the fun job of pointing and directing everyone (as I am 6 months pregnant and not allowed to lift anything), my poor husband, dad, and father in law had the grueling task of doing all of the lifting for the whole move. It was the most helpless I've felt during my entire pregnancy, and Ben and I agree on one thing: we will forever avoid making another move while I'm pregnant! :) But the great news is that I can finally begin NESTING in our new house and preparing the nursery for sweet baby boy!! This has definitely been a week full of thanksgiving for us- we hope you all had equally as blessed weeks. Happy December everybody!

PS: This picture is of my full body so that my dear friend Cameron can see my "pregnancy glow". Sorry for those of you who were hoping for a giant belly shot... :)

23 Weeks

Hey Friends! Hope everyone is doing well on this gorgeous Sunday evening. I am LOVING the weather lately, and I know Margy and Lily are too. They love hanging their heads out our living room window (since we've been able to leave them open lately) and spying on all the Glenco Park drama. Cuties. Anyway, I know you all did not visit our blog to get the latest Margy and Lily updates, so I'll cut right to the chase; Baby Ratliff is about 11 inches long now, but shockingly he is just now reaching 1 pound! Skinny little thing. I am now understanding why everyone tells me if I think I am growing fast now, wait until the last month... if he's only 1 pound now, he's got about 6 more to go and we are more than halfway through the pregnancy! Fun fact of the week: since he is beginning to get used to common sounds that he hears on a regular basis, I read that those sounds will not phase him after he is born. For example, he's been priveledged to hear our dogs bark more than enough, and he also has his share of vacuuming experience (thanks to his Mama!). So it's great to find out that when he's an infant he won't be absolutely terrified when I whip out the vacuum for a quick fix... which happens to throw Margy and Lily into a complete barking frenzy every time. Perfect. 

21 Weeks

Hey hey, hope everyone is doing well! We're in full throttle over here in the Ratliff household. Ben is beginning to think about preparing for his exams.... notice I said "beginning to THINK about". This is just the preliminary stage of stress for him. It gets worse as we near the holidays. So we've got that going for us. :) I'm sure he'll do SUPERIOR as he always does. I've been feeling very pregnant lately, especially after stepping on the scale at my monthly doc. appt. last week. I can honestly say that I've never gained 10 pounds in one month... until now. WOW. I just love stepping on those scales. Really though, it's a great feeling knowing that it's just a sign of a healthy baby boy growing rapidly inside me. By the way, he's now at least 8 inches long, and one of my books compared him to the length of a SQUIRREL! As Ben says, "babe, no wonder your belly is so big! It's like you've got an entire squirrel surrounded by a water balloon in there!" :) Nice point- that does explain so much. The biggest milestone I've noticed this week is the fact that my belly button is SO very close to popping out (to be an "outtie") it could happen any day now. I am curious as to after it "pops"... will it ever go back in?? Any mommies have an answer for that one? 

We're back...

Sorry once again for the delay... I wanted to start giving belly updates every other week for a while, but I just get so tickled when I get phone calls and emails "demanding" an update! So here you go... a big fat belly picture just to appease all you skinny minis out there. I bet you just like looking at them because it makes you feel better about your own belly! :)  Kidding. I am about 20 weeks now and feeling great. Whatever I said last week about not having a big appetite is absolutely NOT true anymore.... I am eating anything and everything this week! And I can tell the baby is going through a growth spirt because I am having "growing pains" more than ever in my abdomen. Baby boy is the length of a banana now, and throwing kicks and punches whenever he pleases. He's most active at night when I lay still and am trying to go to sleep... of course that's when he decides to come out and play. Speaking of sleep, I've had the hardest time adjusting to the new sleep positions I've had to take on. I've always slept on my tummy, but that is no long an option, as I feel like I am going to smoosh his face whenever I try! But laying on my back is no good either- apparently it causes pregnant women all kinds of back problems. That's been my challenge of the week- figuring out how to go to sleep on my side with a baby performing what feels like an acrobatic routine in my abdomen. Trust me- it's harder than it sounds! 

18.5 Weeks

Hello friends! First of all, I must say that it was quite funny receiving two phone calls from dear friends yesterday REQUESTING an update on the blog (you know who you are!) and reminding me that I was already a day late on the usual update routine. I loved it though, because it made all of my blog writing hours - okay minutes- well worth the effort, just knowing how "into it" some of you get! :) So yay- here's your weekly update, and MY APOLOGIES for the 24 hour delay. Never again. This week, baby Ratliff is the length of a mango, which I enjoy telling people much more than last week's comparison. His 5 senses are heightening at a great speed these days, which means he can finally hear his mama talk ALL DAY LONG to her students. I told Ben and he immediately lowered his head to my belly and began talking to him in a deep burly voice probably about something important like football or beef. My appetite has kind of slowed down lately, which seems strange since baby is growing so FAST. I'm sure it will all even out in the end. Here's a few pictures from the week. Ben's working hard to start the UT brainwashing early. I've GOT to find some TCU stuff for this baby to have a chance. Y'all have a great week and eat some pickles and ice cream for me.

17.5 Weeks

LOOK HOW MUCH I'VE GROWN IN A WEEK! We take the picture every Sunday evening so we can be consistent, and I am even shocked when I compare the pictures from this week and last. How does mommy skin ever go back to normal? Seriously. Not a whole lot of news for everyone... let's see... our little boy is now the size of a LARGE white onion! That's exciting. I wish they could have chosen a more appetizing vegetable or perhaps even a fruit for this week, but I can't think of anything better so we'll just go with it. OH I do have a little something exciting- he KICKED me this week! I've had a few times where I thought he had thrown a few punches, but I'm pretty sure that was... well... not the baby. :) But this week, there have been several days when I am positive about what I'm feeling, and it has been the COOLEST, weirdest most alarming experiences of my life. I can't wait until he's big enough and Ben will be able to actually see his foot or fist moving across my belly. That will freak him out for sure. But for now, I am completely satisfied with a few small kicks and nudges. It's sweet. 

Thanks for the prayers over my root canal. It was not my idea of a "fun" day off work, but it definitely got the job done. I do not recommend it for anybody, but if you have to get one, go to Dr. Greg Smith- he's great and has the sweetest staff ever! 

The Verdict Is In...

Let me begin this entry by letting everyone know one thing: I was wrong and Ben was right. (Yes, this is the first time ever...) For the past three weeks, I have insisted that I am the Mama of this child and therefore I KNOW what the sex of the baby is: a girl! This was seriously the strongest "feeling" I've ever had about something so important, and I honestly have always wanted a big family full of boys, so I had no ulterior motive for predicting a female. As we rode in the elevator in the hospital today, Ben did his best to guard my heart by telling me "please don't get your hopes up for a girl... you just never know..." Well in this case, Daddy must know best because he was right- WE ARE HAVING A BABY BOY!!!!! We are both just so excited- Ben is pumped, my mom and grandmother have been rooting for a boy all along, and I am having fun adjusting to this new idea of life with two boys. My dream come true! :) Anyway, that's the news. Who would have thought?!? 

Dental Dilemma

Apparently, I am such a selfless mother already that my body has decided to deprive itself of ANY necessary calcium needed to sustain my pre-baby healthy dental condition. That's right- it's all going straight to the sweet child growing inside me. (I am okay with that, considering he/she is currently developing real bones this week rather than the soft cartilage he/she's had so far.) I discovered this fascinating fact last week when I endured the most PAINFUL toothache of my life. (Poor Ben- he had no idea what to do but felt so helpless he began researching home remedies for toothaches and played doctor with a few experiments. Sweet sweet Ben. :)  It was so bad I had to call in a sub for the next day so I could go sit in the dentist office and pray they would squeeze me in to see what the problem was. Praise the Lord, the wonderful Dr. Greg Smith fit me in for a 10:00 appt., only to inform me that I had a huge cavity that would call for a root canal as soon as possible. This was terrifying news for two reasons: firstly, yes- I am pregnant. Any stress my body goes through, my baby also endures. Secondly, no- we do NOT have dental insurance. YIKES. Another life lesson learned the hard way. Anyway, all this goes to say that I would greatly appreciate your prayers this Thursday (Sept. 25th) for a smooth and painless (ha!) surgery. Thanks so much, friends! Oh yeah, this picture shows my belly at 16.5 weeks + a big dinner from Texadelphia. That combination leads to one big old belly! 

15.5 Weeks

Well, here he/she is in all his/her glory! Inside that belly is the apple sized (not shaped- Ben had to clarify for me yesterday...) baby of ours! For some reason this picture does not really represent how big my belly FEELS at times during the past few weeks. I think water retention has a lot to do with how much I am "showing" each day. Anyway, not a lot of details yet... I am still waiting to feel that first kick or punch. The past few days I've felt GREAT- the school days fly by and I am at home resting on the couch by 4:30, which is nice. I would love to start planning a sweet little nursery but our living situation is still a big question mark. We should know more on that by November... stay tuned! 

Second Visit

Hey everyone . . . this is Ben. So, Hanna has been pretty sleepy lately. Our daily routine usually involves me getting home from class and fixing dinner. We will take a long walk with the dogs after dinner and then come back and turn on a DVD. Hanna usually falls asleep between 8:00 and 8:30. Since I do not get tired that early, I have been catching up on my law school reading and X-Box time. I have also taken a keen interest in meteorology given this hyperactive hurricane season. Besides being extraordinarily tired, Hanna is developing an appetite similar to mine for the first time ever. As you can imagine, I am enjoying this to the fullest extent possible.

We went to the Doctor two weeks ago, this was the first time that I got to attend one of the prenatal appointments. We waited for two hours in the waiting room because the doctor had several deliveries that day. I guess I wasn't surprised, but I learned that the OB/GYN office really does not pride itself on providing reading material for men. Next time I will have to remember to bring a book. The exciting part of the visit was the sonogram. This was the second one that Hanna had taken. We could see our baby moving around, and it even got hiccups while we were looking at it on the screen. The whole process was very exciting for me, and I think that is when the fact that we are really going to have a baby finally sunk in. 

That is all the news I have for now. Look for another update in a couple of weeks because Hanna is supposed to have another doctors appointment. There is a fair chance that we will get to find out what the sex of the baby is at this next appointment. One more thing, did you remember that today was September 11. Can you believe that the twin towers tragedy was 7 years ago? I remember that I found out in the football locker room at Lake Highlands High School. During football season, we had weights in the morning before school. After weights and showers, we all heard the news when Coach Holmes ran in and told all of us while we were half-dressed. Do you remember where you were? This is the father-to-be signing out.

Our little peanut

Today was my first visit to the doctor since I found out the great news, so it all became very REAL very fast! As if I was in no hurry at all to see my baby for the first time ever, my mom and I found ourselves restlessly twiddling out thumbs for an HOUR in the waiting room before it was finally my turn. Thank goodness my mom agreed to be there for support- I would have gone absolutely crazy!  But everything from that point on was definitely a positive experience; I am a healthy mama with a healthy (and TINY) peanut baby inside of me! We are exactly 8 weeks along, which puts our due date at March 8th. The most incredible part of the entire visit was when we got to see the baby floating around on the sonogram screen. It was the cutest little tadpole I'd ever seen! The doctor even pointed out where the heartbeat was flickering- very rapidly. But she assured me everything about our baby was "normal" and on schedule, and bonus: next time I see the baby, he/she will will have arms and legs. That's what I like to hear! :)

First time...

Well, we decided it was time to begin our "family blog" site, now that we've got a baby on board. I still feel funny even typing that... WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!! Man, God sure does love to throw a few curve balls doesn't He? Obviously, we feel extremely blessed, excited and clueless (to name a few), but we are also confident that the Lord's will is rightfully at work in our lives. We continue to seek Him daily for guidance through this new world of PARENTHOOD. :)  

Hopefully I can remember to keep this thing updated each week! My first doctor appt. is July 29th, so I'm sure I will have a juicy post for everyone after that. For now, Ben and I are still living in Houston temporarily as he ventures through his second law clerkship of the summer. When they say "Houston's hot", they're not kiddin'. It's a whole new WORLD out here.