Surprise! (Well For At Least One Of Us)

Last weekend some of our neighbors hosted a "game night". We love game night - and the girls almost always win. In fact, the boys won't let us play boys against girls anymore - so we've resorted to drawing for random teams!

Well - low and behold this week, game night was just a cover for a couples baby shower! Andy got in on the secret last week but he kept it entirely hush-hush so Holly was completely in the dark until we walked through the door on Saturday night.

We had a wonderful time with our friends in the 'hood (and yes, we played a game of pictionary based on baby stuff). Baby Cowx received lots of wonderful things to welcome him or her to the gang and we were thrilled to get a huge jump on Baby C's library. We came home with quite a few classics and we're looking forward to lots of bedtime stories.

We'll post some pics when we can.

34 Weeks Have Passed, Full On Waddle With 5 Weeks To Go

How far along: Last day of week 34, 5 more weeks to go!

What's new: Well it's been sneaking up on me for a while now, but my swagger has turned into a waddle which is the biggest physical change recently.

Baby Cowx and mom got another A+ at the doctor's last week. Next week we start weekly visits to the doctor's office. Total weight gain to date is 24 lbs.

We're also two weeks into our three-week childbirthing class at St. Joe's. We got to see the labor and delivery rooms and the recovery mom-and-baby rooms. We also watched a video of a few deliveries which was an eye-opener.

Holly Jean says: OMG.

Geordie says: It's two days later and I'm still tramatized.

33 Weeks, Heading Into the Final 6 Weeks

How far along: Last day of week 33, 6 more weeks to go!

What's new: A few fun new things over the past two weeks...This past weekend we had our first childbirth class at the hospital (St. Joseph's). There was a little drama around the registration form, but we made it and stayed the whole time! There are two more childbirth sessions coming up and a couple evenings of baby care class to follow.

Baby Cowx has now gotten into a regular routine of hiccups. There has been several small spells of hiccups every day.

The last doctor's appointment went fantastic. Holly got high marks for her low blood pressure (thanks to Andy for keeping her chilled out). The baby's little home in Holly's belly measured 32cm, which is exactly the right size for 32 weeks.

Holly Jean says: So, what did you think of the class honey?

Geordie says: I've thought about it, and I'm gonna FREAK OUT!

All this playing is just too much!

While Andy took the Range Rover into work today, I worked from home (an attempt at reducing my carbon footprint). Tuxedo kept a close eye on me throughout the day - but he did take a few breaks to catch catnaps.

The fan in the office had a plastic bag moving around all morning, after a lengthy attack session, Tuxedo lost the battle to the bag. Here's the evidence...

Knitting is fun? Nah...

Holly was traveling this week for work, so there's no new belly shot, but trust us, it hasn't gone anywhere!
There is always a new hobby or project in the house. The latest for Holly is knitting (come to find out this runs in the family). Here are a few pictures of the first projects...

Yellow baby blanket with booties and hat in matching yarn (for baby Cowx).

Close-up of the baby blanket (this is to impress the Studley ladies with the pattern!).

White wrap sweater for baby Cowx which is actually called the Baby Yoda Sweater (click here for the pattern).

31 Weeks - Finishing 8 Months!?

How far along: Final day of week 31
What's new: Still growing and lots of movement. Baby Cowx has had the hiccups a few times over the past few days, but Andy hasn't felt that yet.
We had a good 4th of July and celebrated with some local friends. We also set off some fireworks with the guys next door (Mike & Mike) - they picked up some excellent aerial fireworks which were the hit of the hood.
Other big news this week also has to do with 31...Holly turned 31 on Sunday. We celebrated with a Mexican lunch and a few very thoughtful presents for Holly Jean.
Holly Jean says: Ummmm, Mexican food.
Geordie says: Just because it's your birthday, "ummm, Mexican food".

New Ultrasound Pics of Baby Cowx at 31 Weeks!

We celebrated Independence Day with a special little treat. We took a trip to Owings Mills and had some very cool 3D/4D ultrasound pictures taken of Baby Cowx.

The baby was a bit camera shy and spent a fair amount of time hiding behind its feet and hands, but we did get a few glimpses of our baby's face. Here are some of the better shots:

First is one of the best face shots (mom's lips).

Second is a cute pic with lots of tongue.

The last one is a full foot - second toe as long as the first (dad's toes).

P.S. This may be too much information, but the fuzziness around the forehead and eyes is the placenta. Perfectly normal but not ideal for taking pictures!