Week 31: 4 Navel Oranges?

This week, LBN measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so mom has trouble sleeping because LBN's kicks and somersaults keep her up. All this moving is a sign that he is active and healthy.

The Beginning of the Nursery ...

The nursery has been painted ... Decorations are still needed - but at least LBN has a place to sleep now. :)

Holy Hugeness

And I am only going to get bigger... yikes. Here at I am 30 weeks (7 1/2 months).

I hadn't realized how big I had gotten!

June's Visit

June & her "LBN"

June visited this past weekend - we had a very busy weekend. Bryan picked her up from the airport on Friday. Bryan and I opened gifts from the shower weekend June couldn't attend due to the airlines and weather ... They definitely win a prize for most traveled gifts. (NJ -> MN -> NJ -> GA) They both attended a reception at my work that evening and we ended the night with a steak dinner. We spent Saturday converting the office to an office/spare bedroom and picked out wall colors for LBN's nursery. Sunday we headed to Savannah and shopped around a bit. I took the day off on Monday to spend with June and we painted Christmas ornaments for her 'little kids' back home. We had a great weekend with Mom Neal and are looking forward to future visits. :)

Week 30: Cabbage

LBN's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

LBN's Traveling Digs

My MN besties (Courtney, Laura, Melissa and Lesley) and their moms (Lori, Teresa and Wendy) gave Bryan and I LBN's Travel System. Bryan just put it together while I made the mashed potatoes for the units Christmas Party. He then gave me a full overview on how to use it. (thank goodness for that). Thanks so much for the generous gift, ladies - it will definitely be used and we are very appreciative!

48th BSTB Christmas Party

December Drill Weekend included the annual Christmas Party. Bryan nominated me to bring mashed potatoes. I ended up making 24 lbs of mashed potatoes. The statement, "that's enough to feed the Army," was definitely true.

The day included an announcement from the Colonel in regards to their tentative plans for deployment, food, and a demonstration on how to clear buildings. Bryan and his team actually built the building in which they use to practice. They did a great job and the materials we donated from friends like Chris Harris, Wilkes Evans, and Todd Hunter.

The 'bad guy' on the roof of the building ...
please note that Bryan decided to use one of our Ralph Lauren towels for a turban... duck tape and all...

Bryan announcing the demonstration to the crowd.

The ladies ... Jessica (attached to Hersey), Ashley (attached to Ives), me, and April (attached to Walker).

Steph & Bryan

Friends Ashley & Nick

Week 29: Butternut Squash

LBN now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in LBN's hardening skeleton each day.

How is mom? Well, I was keeled over in pain last week - sharp, sharp pains - I learned they were called Round Ligament Pains ... meaning the ligaments around my uterus were stretching and growing. Bryan even noted that in one day, he noticed a size difference in my stomach. Sure enough, the doctor today said my stomach had grown 4 centimeters since my last visit (2 weeks). With that, my clothes even fit tighter in just that short period of time. My feet now swell, I am out of breath and I tire easily. I'm not so much a fun shopping partner anymore.

Hooray for the 3rd trimester!

Baby Decor

Like I mentioned in Week 28: Chinese Cabbage, LBN's room and other items are slowly getting situated. We received 2 big gifts from Aunts Brenda, Beci, & Boni: the pack and play and a swing for some 'hands-free' time, which we are entirely grateful for.

Our pack & play matches our high chair we got as a hand-me-down. Lucky me, I loved the color of the high chair, I decided to register for the matching pieces. The pack & play, from Aunts Brenda & Boni, is complete with a bassinet, play pen, changing station, mobile, and remote controlled music, light and vibrations. We will be putting this in our bedroom while LBN is young as his nursery is on the other side of the house.


The swing form Aunt Beci will be a lifesaver! Swings make both babies and parents happy for some independent amusement! This swing goes back and forth + left to right, has a tray of toys, mobile, and music. It was fun watching Bryan put it together. Took him a bit of time ... but he definitely beat my time on the pack & play assembly.

Thanks again, Beci, Boni, and Brenda! LBN and mom and dad are SURE to enjoy these generous gifts. :)

**Upon inserting batteries, I discovered a setting on the pack & play that when the baby cries, a lullaby starts to play... random - but nice. So high tech these days.

Week 28: Chinese Cabbage

Week 28 ... the start of the THIRD trimester. By this week, LBN weighs two and a quarter pounds and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. Not too much longer.

Before we know it, Christmas will have come and gone and LBN will be here... Yikes! The nursery has started to transform itself. It still has a full sized bed ... but there are stuffed animals, a pack and play, diaper bag and clothes hanging in the closet and in the drawers. A collection of diapers has started in preparation and color options for the walls are being talked about.

Don't get too excited - we still don't have a name. But we're not so stubborn about our name ideas anymore. :)

Chistmas Decor

Mr. Moose.
In looking into this, he should probably actually NOT be in the pine straw as he's camouflaged...

Our house during the daytime...
soon to be lit up on all ends once the sun sets.

Come nightfall, we're all lit up!

O' Christmas Tree!
It's our Dr. Seuss Christmas tree standing proudly tall at approximately 8 feet.
The skirt won't stay straight thanks to Peanut & Mac...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bryan and I enjoyed our Thanksgiving with close family friends, the Facchini family. Pete, Christine, Adriana, and Sophia came into town Wednesday night and stayed until Saturday night. It was a super fast weekend - we hardly had time for the cameras to come out. The girls are getting so big. We cooked a huge feast - Kelly from Savannah and her two girls joined us along with some neighbors. I will have leftovers until Christmas.


Bryan and I had a 'dry run' of how this house will hold up to a group of kids - we had 4 under the age of 4. It was quite busy in here. Bryan was the only person able to keep up with them. We roasted marshmallows, set up tents, and played outside as much as we could until the rain set in. Friday - Sunday was definitely a change of pace with the crappy weather. We attempted shopping on Black Friday and left the girls home with a babysitter to celebrate an adult evening. Saturday we had a huge breakfast, showed P&C around Statesboro and ate at El Sombrero the left around dinner time and I immediately fell asleep on the couch and remained there for the rest of the evening.

Sunday, Bryan and I woke up to more rain. We had plans to cut down our Christmas tree and decorate the house for the holidays. We decided to sleep in a bit ... but then ended up going on with our plans. We toughed out the rain and went to Effingham to cut down a tree. I believe it's approximately 10ft. tall. It was big in the field ... but DEFINITELY big in the living room. Bryan decorated the outside of the house, Clark Griswald style, while I packed up the fall decor and moved onto the winter ones. We concluded the evening off by both finishing off the Christmas tree and calling it a night.

Bryan cutting down our Christmas Tree ...
doing his best to avoid the sopping wet ground.

Of course, I stayed dry and almost warm while I watched him do all of the work...

He was too busy to stop and smile. :)

Our stocking hooks are missing and I have landed a cold that I have taken on like a wimp. It's the first time getting sick since being pregnant - and it sucks. But other than that - life is good for the Neal's in Statesboro and we're looking forward to the Christmas break.