Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Happy Turkey Day everyone! I am thankful for many things this year. First I'm most thankful for being pregnant with our beautiful baby Natasha, who we can't wait to meet in April. I'm thankful for my husband, all my family and wonderful friends and the time I get to spend with them. I'm thankful for all the wonderful food I will be eating later today. And I'm thankful for my 5 day weekend!

I started out the day by sleeping in, until Mr. Chauncey (my trusty alarm clock) woke me up around 8am. It was still sleeping in. I ate a yummy breakfast and then took Chauncey for a nice walk around the neighborhood. Then Zac and I went on a bike ride (thanks to Jackie and Geoff who gave us their bikes). The hills were too much for this preggo lady, so we stayed on level ground for the most part. It was a good ride and I am glad I got some exercise before the day of eating begins. I have to make some room in my belly for all that delicious food, since I have a banana occupying most of the space. I'm 21 weeks pregnant and I still feel pretty good. I'm trying to stay active by walking Chauncey everyday, taking a couple of Prenatal yoga classes and now bike riding. I'm feeling Baby Natasha more and more, but no definite kicks yet! This week Baby Natasha's eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. Her eyelids are still sealed, but her eyes are very active. Her taste buds are formed on her tongue, so she will be enjoying Thanksgiving dinner too!

This extended weekend's goal is to clear out the guest bedroom, which will now be Natasha's nursery. I received her bedding in the mail and can't wait to get started on the room. I still need to order her crib and dresser, but I have some time since the room needs to be painted first. A good friend of ours will be doing the painting and now that I have the bedding we can match colors. I will post pictures along the way. The rest of weekend I will relax and take some yoga classes and hopefully go on another bike ride. That's all for now...

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for following our blog!

20 Weeks and Half Way Done!

Baby Natasha is the size of a Banana at 20 weeks!
 

I can't believe I am halfway done with my pregnancy...where has the time gone! I am 20 weeks today and Baby Natasha is about the size of a Banana. She is swallowing several ounces of amniotic fluid a day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. At our last ultrasound at 18 weeks we could see her gulping fluid and awhile later the ultrasound tech showed us how her bladder was filling up. It was very neat to see. Today at my appointment we got to hear her strong heart beat and Zac and rocking out to it...very cute! My doctor is also starting to measure my belly, so it will be interesting to see how it changes in the next 4 weeks until my next appointment. I've begun to feel little flutters or bubbles this week, especially while lying down at night before bed (this is when I read her stories). I can't wait to feel some real kicks soon! As for me, I feel great. I guess this is why they call the second trimester the most comfortable. I try to walk Chauncey everyday and I am still taking my prenatal yoga classes, which I look forward to every weekend. Soon we will be starting the nursery for Baby Natasha. A good friend of ours will be painting her room and painting a small mural on the walls. Hopefully in the next week or so, I will order Natasha's crib and dresser. But first we have to clear out that room first! That's all for now.

The verdict is in...

 

Zac and I are so excited to welcome our baby girl into the world in April! And we have a name... Natasha Olivia Larson (Zac has already given her a nickname..."No L")! We had a great ultrasound and Baby Natasha was not modest at all. The first thing we did was find out she was a girl. She is quite flexible...we think she wanted to suck on her toes and not so much her thumb! After moving around a bit she then settled in for a nap. Natasha definitely did not like that our ultrasound tech was trying to wake her up. We think she gave us a "look." Already developing a little attitude...we are in trouble now! While napping, she was sleeping with one arm on her head...just like her Daddy! It was so cute to see that. Other than that, everything is progressing well and all her measurements are right on track for 18 weeks!

Also, Baby Natasha will have an automatic best friend when she arrives! My best friend Jackie is expecting Baby Kyra in February. Baby Kyra and Baby Natasha will be about 6 weeks apart (give or take). I'm looking forward to starting this new chapter in my life with my best friend right there too!

Stay tuned for more on Baby Natasha and her nursery (I'm so excited to finally get started)!

xoxo,

The Larson Family