Jackisms

Mama: Jack, PLEASE do not wipe your boogers on the couch. You need to go get a tissue.
Jack: No.
Mama: Jaaaack. Seriously? Go get a tissue or I will shut your movie off.
Jack: Ok, I will put it back in my nose (and that he did).

Week 28: Chinese Cabbage (LBN2)

 

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. :)

LBN1 & LBN2

Week 27: Cauliflower (LBN2)

This week, LBN weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, LBN's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now.

I can chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements I may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so I'm just to relax and enjoy the tickle.

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Very active is right! My belly shakes all day and all night! Last week, I had my 26 week check up - which included an ultrasound! So, Auntie Robbie joined Jack and myself to take a sneak peak at LBN2! Jack was a gem at the doctor's office. He was a little afraid of the ultrasound room - but who can blame him? It was dark with big equipment and beeping noises with an odd table that looked like a bed with feet coming out of it.

Jack warmed up and was thoroughly entertained - and of course, Robbie was super helpful with Jack. Not sure how women do the OBGYN with kids in toe.

Below are some sneak peaks at LBN2 - all organs look great. His brain is measuring 2 weeks ahead of time. But that's to be expected ... Neal's. Jack was the same way. Jack believes he has a baby brother in my belly that he will call 'Baby Sister' and due to the 2D pictures of LBN2's spine, he also thinks there is an alligator in my belly. 

Do you think he looks anything like LBN?

Week 24: Grapefruit (LBN2)

LBN2 is 10.5-to-11.8-inches and weighs about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces. Every week he gets closer and closer to being ready to survive (and thrive!) in the outside world. Since he's almost a foot long, he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. LBN's brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Bryan Update

Bryan's unit made it to their location. His address is now active.
SFC Bryan Neal
GA-ADT II
FOB Shank (East)
APO AE 09364
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Jackisms

Jack's going potty - hunched over.

Mama: Jack, what are you doing?  

Jack: Going fotty. (pause) My booty can't push the poopies out, so I'm pullin'em out! 

Neal's Stand Tall in Georgia Guardsman

So I still haven't talked about Bryan's deployment. That's me, putting things off. However, here's a good reason to start. The Georgia Guardsman published a nice article about the 265th's deployment; this morning, one of Bryan's friends told me we graced the back cover. So as I sat at my desk eating my Frosted Mini Wheats, I looked at the back cover - wow. There were were. Then I flipped to the front and started scanning all the articles one by one, reading about the Georgia National Guard. Finally, I came across the story about ADTII - paired with it a huge picture of my family.

I lost it.

There we stood, staring at the bus Bryan was about to board and Jack clutching his flag that he held onto all day. Moments after this photograph was taken, we let go, I held Jack as he screamed for his daddy and Bryan boarded the bus.

Jack was too upset, so I got him out of there before the buses left. However, during my drive out of Metter, I watched in my rearview as my child cried and the buses followed me through town and onto the interstate. It's something I can't get out of my head.

Open publication - Free publishing - More air force

To start the day, we had lunch at the Metter Armory. It was nice, but it just prolonged the heartache. The food, decorations - everything was donated to the unit by the City of Metter or other establishments.

From there, our soldiers boarded their buses and we met back up with them at the Metter High School where they stood in formation during their departure ceremony. My mind was in other places, obviously, so I didn't catch a lot of what they said. Following the ceremony, they gave families about 30 minutes to say their goodbyes. It was a somber setting - very quiet. Again, just dragging out the inevitable.

Here are a couple of photos from the ceremony.

Metter Amory; Nick in the front, Skyping with his brother in Afghanistan.

Metter Armory

Jack & Daddy, Metter Armory

Jack & Daddy, Metter Armory

Family Photo; Metter Armory

Departure Ceremony; Bryan, back right

Jack & Mommy during the ceremony at Metter High School. (unposed) 

My emotionally exhausted baby.

Slept all day.

Week 23: Pomegranate

Now that LBN2's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see him squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that LBN2's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing his for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as a dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

Bryan Update

Tonight I will write about Bryan's departure. I've been putting it off because, well - I'm really good at avoiding things in hopes the situation will just, you know, go away. 

In the meantime, I invite you to read another blog, brenthitchcock.com. Hitchcock is one helluva smartass blogging about their adventures. A good writer + a sense of humor makes an interesting/entertaining read. Many of you ask about Bryan - but because of Bryan's busy schedule and the unforeseen communication abilities I believe provide a good foreshadow of what's to come - this outlet provides better answers than I can give you.