Week 28!

I know it's been weeks since I put up an updated belly pic, but I really wasn't seeing much of a difference lately and didn't want to bore you all with pictures that all looked the same. I've also been working really hard the last few weeks not just at my job but at doing everything I can to avoid the flu/respiratory illnesses that have been hitting almost everyone at my work and keeping them at home sick. So far, so good (knock on wood), other than a small cough, drainage, and a slightly sore throat which is all pretty much gone now. 

28 weeks 1 day



28 weeks 1 day


I did actually take pictures at 27 weeks but just never got around to writing up a post.

27 weeks

27 weeks

Bill and I went for Hank's monthly appointment last week. He's measuring right at 27 weeks (or at least my uterus is) and his heart rate was 157 bpm. I also had the pleasure of doing my 1 hour glucose test. I must say though that drinking the bottle of orange sugary stuff was actually a relief for me after fasting for 3 hours in the middle of the day. I know 3 hours doesn't sound like a long time to go without eating or drinking but let me clarify - I ate a bowl of oatmeal and fruit around 8 AM; drank some water throughout the morning, and then had a small piece of candy around 10:30 AM, anticipating that I would eat lunch immediately following my appointment at 11 AM. Then at my appointment I was told that I had 1 week to get my glucose test done which just didn't work well with my work schedule. Therefore, I needed to get it over with that afternoon. Hopefully, that all comes back fine because I heard there is a 4-hour glucose test and spending 4 hours over at the hospital just sounds miserable.

I also started doing Hank's kick counts this week. Basically, he needs to get 10 kicks/movements in during a 2 hour period, 2 times a day. He's been doing fine so far. Do I actually count all the time? Not really, but he moves plenty especially after I get home from work. Below is evidence of his movement - he preferred the right side of my belly that morning.

Lopsided belly

I was kind of hoping that we would be almost done with Hank's room at this point so I could show off some pictures. But for now, I'll give you a peak at the crib. My goal is to have the room completely finished by the second week of April after we  pick up my glider from Santa Clarita during the first week of April.

And to finish off my rambling post, I'll leave you with some pictures of our puppy dogs. I bought a new digital camera (Panasonic Lumix) a few weeks ago that I really like so far. I've been using the dogs to test all the settings.



Mom, I need a hair cut



I missed you, Dad

Rough day

Visiting in the Valley

Ever since returning from our Christmas vacation, Bill and I have both been keeping very busy with work. I actually worked 6 days a week for most of the month of January, picking up extra hours at both my full-time job at the nursing home and at my PRN job at the Veteran's home. Bill was in the field for half of the month of January where he basically worked for 20 days straight and spent many of those nights sleeping in his work truck out in the desert. We finally got a break this week. Bill had a four day weekend, and I took a three day weekend. We headed down Thursday morning to the San Fernando Valley area to visit Bill's younger sister and to get some baby shopping out of the way.

On the way down, we stopped in Upland which is close to Ontario to get a 3D ultrasound done so we could get another sneak peak at our little bundle of joy. Of course, it was just our luck that Hank chose that day to be stubborn. He was sleeping and didn't want to be bothered. In his defense though, he does do a lot of his sleeping during the day. Once he did wake up and started moving, he would not get his hands away from his face so that the technician could get a good shot of his face. Here are a few of the better pictures that she was able to get:

His face is in the middle, and I think she said the stuff to the right is placenta.

You can see the nose, eyes and forehead, and his hands are off to the right side of his forehead.

This is a good shot of his hand.

Once we checked into our hotel, we headed out to get some shopping done. Bill has been wanting to try on these Vibram Five Fingers shoes so we went to REI (I think it stands for Recreational Equipment Inc.). Bill got his Vibram shoes, and I purchased a jogging stroller that I've had my eyes on for quite some time now. I think these Vibram shoes are the funniest looking things, but they're supposed to make it like your running barefoot without tearing the soles of our feet up in the process. Bill went for a run in them the next morning, and of course his first comment was "they don't have much cushion." I reminded him that was the whole point of the shoe.

Vibram Fivefingers

On Thursday night we ate at the mexican restaurant that Bill's sister Kalli works at and hung out with her boyfriend, Trevor. Friday morning we headed up to Santa Clarita to go shopping at BuyBuyBaby, which at this point is my favorite baby store by far. We ordered my comfy gliding/swivel/recliner chair for Hank's room and picked up a few other miscellaneous items. We then met Kalli and Trevor lunch and went to see the movie The Fighter, which is a very good movie that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. That night we finally tracked down a Target that carried the red Chicco infant car seat that was on sale this week. Now, I wouldn't even mention this fact except that I just can't go without showing you pictures of this stand-alone Target that had a parking garage, people escalator, and cart escalator. Bill said that I looked like a total tourist when I first saw the cart escalator, but they don't make Targets like this in the Midwest!

The cart is on a separate escalator in the middle and the lady in black is riding down along side it.

Parking garage off to the left.

On Saturday morning, we went with Kalli and Trevor to this cool park called Stony Point. Bill hiked almost to the top while I hung out in the shade. It was so nice to visit with his sister and her boyfriend this weekend since we haven't seen her since Christmas 2009. We'll get to visit again soon since we have to go back down to pick up my chair in a month or two.

Bill at the top.

I know this is a long post, and I promise that I'm almost done. I just want to leave you with something you might only see in California. As we're leaving Los Angeles county, Bill spots this car on the interstate:

I'm going to add that there was no license plate on the front or back of the car, and at least the 2 year-old child in the back seat was fastened in her carseat in the middle seat.

Stay posted, I'll get a new side view of the belly up soon!

23 Weeks!!!

Mommy, Daddy, and Hank had our monthly appointment on Thursday. Hank's heart rate was strong at 157 beats per minute, and my uterus (I think that's what she was measuring) measured at 23 weeks so we're right on target. I'm also very excited because we actually get to see the same doctor next month after seeing 4 different doctors for our first 4 appointments. We're not sure the second doctor was even an OB-GYN - we're pretty sure he works in the family medicine clinic. He had a very hard time working the doppler machine. I thought I would share the screening process that I go through at every appointment because I'm pretty sure this isn't how it goes in the civilian world:

A. I get called back to a little room and Bill is not allowed to come with me.
B. They take my heart rate, blood pressure, and temperature (this part is normal)
C. I get asked a series of questions:
     1. Do you feel safe at home?
     2. Do you feel like doing harm to yourself or others?
     3. Have you stopped taking pleasure in activities that you used to enjoy?

There are a few other questions, but I can't recall them right now. I just feel bad for the technician that has to ask these to every patient at every appointment. I also have to make sure that I hear the question correctly because if I say "no" to question #1 then I'm pretty sure they bring the MPs (military police) into the doctor's office and Bill might be going out in handcuffs.

Now for the picture that you've all been waiting for - 23 weeks 2 days:

  
I know that I should probably be taking these pictures in the same outfit every week so that it's easier to tell the difference. However, for those of you who know me pretty well and have lived in close quarters with me, you know how difficult it would be for me to find the same outfit for 20 weeks straight. By the way, I got called "pudgie" at work today. (sigh) I actually thought I was going to make it a whole week without a work comment. And don't worry, I really don't think that I'm pudgie. I'm perfectly satisifed with the approximately 15-20 pounds that I've gained so far. :)

Week 22!

I'm proud of myself - I'm right on time with my weekly update :) I thought I would share yet another comment from a co-worker because I seem to be getting so many these days. One of the nursing assistants at work came up to me while I was walking with a patient in the middle of the hallway (yes, while I was in the middle of a therapy session and holding on tightly to this patient in case she lost her balance) and said, "Oh girl, you got gas. You are pooched way out there." I'm pretty sure my jaw almost hit the floor. Since I was in the middle of a therapy session, I wasn't able to stop and explain to her that I actually didn't have gas that day and that it was truly just all baby - not that she really deserved an explanation in the first place. It's amazing to me how people's tactfulness just goes out the window when someone is pregnant.

Below are my 22 weeks and 2 days pictures. WARNING: I did show my actual belly in one.

I also feel the need this week to share some pictures of our puppy dogs. Colossus snubbed me a little last week after I put my blog post up, and I'm pretty sure it's because I didn't mention him in the blog. They are definitely a major part of our lives and constantly keep us entertained.

Maximus on the left and Colossus on the right.

Colossus protecting his new toy.

Max resting his head on the table. He actually falls asleep in this position every now and then.

The Fergusons have arrived!!

Well, I finally did it...I joined the blogging world! I can't tell you how many times I have sat in front of the computer over the last few months contemplating starting one and then managed to find something more enticing to do - i.e. facebook stalk, research infant carseats, waste a ridiculous amount of time playing solitaire and Battleship on our iPad, etc. I promised family and friends that I would start one so I made it my New Years resolution. Actually getting it started on the 2nd day of the new year is quite a feat. I'll credit that to the fact that I only worked for 3 hours today instead of the normal 6-8 hour Sunday schedule and to the fact that Bill is beyond obsessed with the Scrabble App on the iPad which has occupied much of his time since he found the App on sale for 99 cents a few days ago. It is definitely a good thing that I decided to start this blog now because if I waited for Hank to get here then it probably wouldn't happen until he started kindergarten.

If you're reading this then you probably already know that we're expecting a baby boy somewhere around May 13, 2011. Today we are 21 weeks and 2 days along. This picture was taken about 2 hours ago so it is an accurate representation of 21 weeks and 2 days.

I spend quite a bit of my time at work (or at least it feels like I do), and I just returned from a 2 week holiday vacation where we spent time in Indiana with my family and Michigan with Bill's family. In that 2 week period, Hank decided it was time to grow..A LOT; so now everyone at work knows that I'm pregnant - patients and co-workers. I'm getting used to all of the comments and opinions that are so graciously thrown my way. For example, "you can definitely tell that you're carrying a boy by how full your face is getting." I don't think I thanked her for that one.

Hank is the name we've picked for our baby boy - Bill picked it before this baby was ever conceived and I swore that we would not name any of our children Hank. However, the name has grown on me, and I can't imagine calling this child anything but Hank. Now as for the full name, we're still undecided but I will keep you posted. Here are a few ultrasound pictures for your viewing pleasure:

Approximately 11 weeks

18 weeks 4 days

18 weeks 4 days

18 weeks 4 days



We are beyond excited about our little one and are having fun getting ready for his arrival. Stay tuned - I will try to be good about posting updated belly pics and such. However, remember that this was a New Years resolution and that those sometimes end up getting pushed to the side (though I'm sure my mom will try to keep me on track). Happy New Year everyone!

Real quick side note - It is our 1 year anniversary today. We made it!!