Past, Present, and Future

We've reached the point in the pregnancy that I find myself both marveling at the journey that brought us to expect our precious baby boy and anticipating all the changes his arrival will bring to our lives. At 22 weeks, everything is developing and progressing as it should. I'm still quite comfortable, baby Zane is reassuringly active, and we've started on some tangible preparations for adding a baby to our home.

Today's OB appointment showed all my vitals to be normal with no weight gain in the past 2 weeks (depending on which scale you believe, I've gained a total of 8-10 pounds at this point). Zane was moving and showing off for the sonogram (seems he's always quick to show off his "boyhood" anytime he's near a sonogram machine). In fact, he was moving enough to make it difficult for her to capture his heart rate on the screen. Eventually he was still enough for it to calculate his heart rate at 148 bpm. Everything looks great, and my next OB appointment is in 3 weeks.

At home, we've started buying some of the baby necessities (diapers, clothes, etc.) and furniture. We found a crib earlier in the week and thanks to my wonderful in-laws, have a rocking chair and chest of drawers to use. I think it is so very special that Zane will be rocked in the same chair his grandma used to rock his daddy and aunt to sleep. Next week we'll begin painting his room and some dear friends have offered up a number of other baby items they are no longer using, so the nursery will be fully furnished soon. We've signed up for a prepared childbirth class in August, and though we're not due to deliver our bundle of joy until November, I'm hopeful everything at home will be ready for his arrival before I begin work for the fall semester.

Only 4 months to go!