Bump Update: 20 Weeks

Week 20: Cantaloupe

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Camp Atterbury Mailing Address

The guys made it to Camp Atterbury. Just got their new multi-cam, too! 

We have a mailing address for Bryan while he is in Indiana. If you'd like to send him anything, I suggest sending it in the next week to make sure it gets there before he leaves.


SFC Neal, Bryan D
265TH RSG ADT II
PO BOX 5000
Edingburgh, IN 46124-5000

Jackisms

[Potty time.]
Jack: Mommy. I'm going poopoos... 
Mommy: Good job! ... Are you done, Jack?
Jack: No. I have ONE more and it really misses daddy!


...


While I was taking a shower before work one day this week, Jack opened the door. I asked him what he was doing.

Nuffin! (Pause) I don't want you to see I am eating Cheetos!!!

It's a Boy!

We're having another boy! It's true. Bryan and I went in for our ultrasound and the technician put the wand on my belly. Before we saw a foot, a leg, a booty, a belly or a head - we saw the penis. For a split second, I was a little disappointed ... no cute leg warmers and precious outfits this time around. But like I said - a split second. Luckily - I know all about boys due to my other little handsome devil. 

I can hear the neighbors now, "Those Neal boys are at it again ... "

Everything in the ultrasound looked great. She said he was measuring a little big when looking at his head. Bryan and both responded, "That's the Neal head."

Week 19: Mango

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Week 18: Sweet Potato

Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

Happy Birthday, Jack!

Jack has turned the big 3!!  I can't believe he's 3 and about to be a big brother. He has such an imagination, a caring, empathetic heart, a loud personality. What you see is what you get. He loves his friends, big and small. But most of all, he loves his daddy! And to his surprise, Bryan made it home to surprise his little tyke for his birthday.

Jack didn't leave Bryan's lap his entire birthday dinner. We made the traditional celebratory trip to El Sombrero - Jack's favorite restaurant. Our Statesboro family joined Jack, too: Auntie Robbie, Uncle Matthew, Baby McKinley, Auntie Brandi, Uncle Josh, and non-so-baby-anymore Nathan!

Jack's first lesson he learned as a three year old? Candles are not for eating.

Bryan, Jack and I came home and we opened Jack's birthday presents. Bryan helped Jack and I put Jack's new grill together (he got two - one from mommy and one from daddy!) and headed back to Ft. Stewart. However! Good news is, Bryan will be back TODAY!

More birthday pictures & updates to come!

Recipe to Share: Banana Bread

Jack is currently obsessed with Banana Bread, which includes pumpkin bread or any other type of flavored bread. So this cold morning I went on hunt to find a reason to use my brown bananas and heat up the oven. Here's what I found - it's delicious.

Banana Bread with Cinnamon & Nutmeg

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh nutmeg, grated

• Mix together butter and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs, bananas, and vanilla and mix well.  Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.   
• Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350º for 55-60 minutes or 2 smaller pans and bake for 45 minutes.   
• Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.  Slice and enjoy!

(I found this at http://becomingbetty.blogspot.com)

Week 17: Onion

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

A Recap of 2011: Lake Vacation

August 2011

Every year, we get together when the Georgia Southern Girls for some fun. This year we headed to Anna and Maggie's family lake house in South Carolina. In Jack's world, the weekend was called Lake Vacation. We (Lindsay, Jeb, Jack and myself) met Anna, Maggie, Jill, Carly, Dave, Brian, and some other South Carolina folk for a weekend of lake fun with jet skis, board games, wake boards and boats. (For those wondering, Bryan had to work . . . )

Auntie Maggie hanging out with Jack in his tent

You know, being a boy.

Maggie, Me, Jill, Anna and Lindsay

Toddler Pass

Jack's first JetSki ride! He called this a motorcycle boat. Pretty smart, kid.

Driving with Mommy

The weekend was awesome, it was full of much needed friend-time. Jack loved riding the JetSki. He loved hanging out naked on the dock. He loved the lack of schedule and bedtime. He loved all the lady love he received. The most memorable story of the weekend was Saturday morning. Dave was frantically searching the house for his ... wedding ring. That's right. The poor guy was broken-hearted and pale in the face. He searched through he and Jill's room, we scoured the front lawn where we hung out at the fire pit the night before. Let's not forget fishing from the dock - all of us searched and searched for a couple of hours, at least. It was awful.

Later that morning, we were cleaning up from breakfast and I checked in on Jack hanging out under the kitchen table playing with the ducks (He has a love for ducks - and the Bunch lakehouse has a collection of them. The kid was in heaven). I asked him - "Jack, what's in your hand," expecting him to hold up a miniature duck. He looked up, held up Dave's ring, and exclaimed, "A ring!"

Dave's hero.

A Recap of 2011: My 3_ Birthday

I confess. My blogging attempts in 2011 were unsuccessful. However, I've been getting the good ol' laptop out recently and have been looking through old pictures. So...  decided it wouldn't hurt to share some memories with everyone!

Starting with my birthday - 

 

After a lovely afternoon with family at my Aunt Bev and Uncle Dale's house, we headed home to have a family dinner with Derich, Mom, Dad, Bryan and Jack. Mom baked her famous red cake and loaded it with 3_ candles. My little helper loved helping me blow them out. (Sidenote: he just saw this picture and said, "Whoa. That's A LOT of candles!" Thanks, son.)

After dinner, we headed to Uptown to Chino Latino with Courtney, Jason, Freddie, Melissa, Nia and Brandon. (Nia and Brandon not pictured - they had to head home to feed precious baby Tegan). Fun evening had by all! I love and miss my Minnesota friends and family dearly. (Thanks for celebrating with me!)

Bump Update

Argh. When I was pregnant with Jack, you couldn't even tell I was carrying a child at 16 weeks! It's not the greatest picture, but I had a fabulous helper who also turned to the side for his mug shot. (He's saying CHEEEEESE.) And yes, he's holding his belly and I'm sucking in.

You should have seen my tripod - a DVD 5 pack on top of a toddler chair on top of a bar stool. So yes, you're welcome for the bump update. Don't get used to it.