SAUCER SCHNANIGANS

Your baby is no longer an embryo! Though she's barely the size of a kumquat — just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, she has completed the most critical portion of her development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in her body grow and mature rapidly. Her vital organs — the liver, kidney, intestines, brain, and lungs — are now in place and starting to function, although they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy. Her liver continues to make blood cells, and the yolk sac, which previously supplied these cells, is no longer needed and begins to disappear. During the next three weeks, your baby's length will more than double to nearly 3 inches. Her head is proportionately smaller now than it was a few weeks ago, but it's still almost half the length of her entire body. Her forehead temporarily bulges with her developing brain and sits high on her head; it will l...

Today our MOPS group and our playgroup at the base reserved time at a place called Pump It Up. This is an indoor inflatable park for little people to jump and slide. The boys had a BLAST!! Here are some pictures from today. All 3 of us sliding down the BIG inflatable slide! Alan sliding solo Eddie sliding solo. I don't know how many times he managed to get other mommies to help him climb to the top!! Alan finishing the inflatable obstacle course

Here is "Noel's" first ultra sound. This was taken to be sure of the due date and show's "Noel" at 7 weeks of development. I had the boys with me for the doctor appointment and Alan was very excited to see the baby in mommy's tummy on the "TT". He even did a tribal dance and whoop when the heartbeat came on the speakers. If Daniel couldn't be there at least my little Alan came through!! the wave across the bottom of this picture is the baby's heartbeat. Many of you were curious about where the info from the previous post came. I get email about the baby's development every week from subscribin for FREE at www.babycenter.com. I also check on info and "chat" in the message forums on www.epregnancy.com Both wonderful resources for any expecting family.

Hello, Amy! Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — your baby has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin, and his veins are clearly visible. Your little one also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. His liver is busy producing red blood cells, and a loop of your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his tiny body. Your baby still appears to have a small tail (actually, it's an extension of his tailbone), but it will disappear in the next few weeks.

We took Grandma and Papa Joe to the beach to see the sunset and have dinner. Eddie LOVES the beach. The restaurant had live music and the boys had a BLAST!!!

Here are some video clips from Christmas. The first one is a few days prior when Eddie found my Santa Chicken from last year! This is one of the boys opening the BIG present from Grandpa Bear and Big D. It's already getting lots of use as we are having a "sunny & 80" winter :) Thanks Grandpa Bear and Big D!!! This one is of the boys enjoying the electic train from Great Uncle Tom.

It was very exciting to share our big news with Grandma (my mom) on Christmas day in person. She had a very special gift to open and was very emotional when she figured out what was inside!!!

Well the holidays have had us pretty busy so I apologize for the delay in our holiday updates. Here is a video clip of Daniel finding out our biggest news. p> Yup, that's right we are going to have 3 kids under age 4 for awhile. You can keep track of our pregnancy progress with the ticker count down below. Due on Daddy's birthday August, 27th.

Grandma Jean made it in safely from Green Bay!! We are enjoying her visit and aged Swiss cheese YUM!! Alan had a good time showing her his special scrapbook of Madison and himself.

We had a very hard rain this morning. Eddie got away from me when unloading the mini van and the rest is history!!!

Well, a few weeks ago I lost my mind. There was a post to one of my message boards about a really great price on my favorite scrapbooking adhesive, but you had to order $1,000 worth to get it. Someone had suggested a group order so you guessed it I volunteered to organzie it!!! Well needless to say I had to cut it off when the order hit $5,000 plus shipping expenses. I am amazed at how fast people responded and can't even tell you how many emails I received and responded too. I am happy to report that the order arrived yesterday and today and as of now the boxes for those who have already paid me are packaged, addressed and waiting in the van to go to the post office tomorrow afternoon. Daniel has been very understanding in all this and even loaded them into the van for me!!! Alan thought today was Christmas with all the empty boxes and I got a couple video clips and will post them below.

Today has already been a very productive day and it's only lunch time!! After throwing the bedding in the wash, Alan and I got busy making jerky in Daddy's new dehydrator. Then we switched laundry around and washed more sheets. After that we made 4 loaves of banana bread and did some work on the computer!!! It's about time for a nap. Here is a clip of Alan making jerky.

Alan has been saying "trick or treat" a lot lately. It wasn't until santa showed up at playgroup on base yesterday that I figured out he was trying to say "Christmas tree"!! Here are some pictures of the boys with santa yesterday. Can you tell who santa is?? It only took Alan 2 minutes to figure it out, but mommy was able to convince him otherwise :)

We received a package from "Gramps" and Mary today. Alan was very excited so I let him open it. Inside there were some beautiful handmade Muc Lucs for the boys and mommy. Alan couldn't get them on fast enough!!!

Here is a video clip of Alan unwrapping rolos for me this afternoon. I was baking cookies to take to the church tonight where the Circle Of Friends church ladies will be baking up a storm. Alan seems to think that everytime we bake something it must be for Bailey!! Does he really think my baking is so bad it's for the dogs!?!

Well, I'm not sure what made me think I could sew. . . I thought sewing a santa suit wouldn't be too difficult if it was part of a "kit". The base playgroup was doing some Christmas pictures of the kids and I thought I could get the suit done in time to have Daniel take an early lunch and show up as Santa. Well this "kit" had very confusing directions. They may as well have been written in Japanese!!! After spending an entire 3hr naptime studying and attempting to cut out the pieces I was beyond frustrated and ready to cry. I ended up using my resources and sending out a very desperate email to EVERY email address I had for people that lived near me (there are some playgroup lists with emails of people I don't even know). Within 30 minutes a friend, Erin, from my MOPS group responded so I called her and she was able to help me figure out how to cut the pieces out correctly!!! Ok so the pieces are cut out, know what do I do!?! Well. yesterday I r...

Talk about a warm winter. Today is December 1st and it's sunny and over 80 degrees!!! The boys and I enjoyed the sunshine in the back yard. Here is a video of big brother Alan pushing Eddie in the swing.

We had a family night out in the hot tub tonight and the boys had a BLAST!! Alan even got daring and enjoyed counting to 3 and jumping off the cool off seat!!

Yesterday was sunny and 80 so we decided to put ourselves to work. Daniel dugg up all the flower beds in the front yard and got rid of the nasty pine straw. We got the fabric laid to keep the weeds down and then put the mulch and bark down. We ran out of mulch so Alan and Daniel will be heading to Lowe's tonight after work. Eddie of course had a blast spending most of the day out doors. Then after dinner we decided to make some homemade doggy biscuits for Bailey.

I am making pies for our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow and the boys found the pots and pans cupboard. Alan created his own drum set and we caught a short piece of the newest drum craze on video. Hope you enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!