Week 23

At 23 Weeks Baby

• is the size of a grapefruit:  about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces, baby's not just getting bigger, but also getting even cuter. 
• is forming little nipples
• has a fully formed face now --just needs a little extra fat to fill it out.
• is listening to your voice and your heartbeat -- and even to loud sounds like cars honking and dogs barking.

23 Weeks  11-9-13

23 Week Update

This week started out pretty nicely--I had Monday off of school.  I was pretty caught up with report cards and conference stuff, so I used my day off to do things I normally don't have the time (or energy) to do!  I got up quite early and cleaned and organized a ton of stuff...I actually had the energy to do some of that "nesting" that everyone talks about!  I cleaned closets and filing cabinets downstairs, I organized things upstairs, and I organized our Target gift registry a bit more.  

The rest of the week flew by!  I had parent-teacher conferences on Thursday.  I was worried about how tired I would be after being at school from about 6:45a.m until 7:30p.m.--BUT I did alright....that is until I got home and sat on the couch...then I was OUT for the night!  I was also pretty tired by Friday afternoon.  Friday night was one of those nights where I didn't leave the couch much...Thursday's long day caught up with me and I needed some rest!  

Backing up to Thursday--I got an AMAZING surprise!  During one of my conference breaks, a WCA family popped in and said that they had something for me that I might like!  It was a family I recognized from school, but I hadn't taught any of the kids, etc.  Anyways, out of a gift bag, they pulled out 10 Winnie the Pooh figurines--the figurines you are supposed to give each year of a child's life!  I was astonished and SO excited!!  She said that she bought them for her boys but never used them and she saw heard we were doing a Winnie the Pooh nursery, so she thought I'd like them!!  Like them??  I LOVED them!!  I offered to pay her for them, but she said I could just have them, because she knew they were going to a good home!  Some people make the world a better place just by being in it!!  How sweet of her to think of me!!  I brought them home and showed Mike immediately.  He loved them, too!  Here's the thing--we don't want to wait 10 years to display them all--we might just display them on a shelf all at once right away!!  Yes, they are THAT cute!!!

Some of our new Pooh figurines!!! LOVE them!!

  After doing nothing Friday night, Saturday I regained a little energy and we went into Alex to watch a movie.  I also wanted to register at KMart, because I was looking online and they had a lot of cute Pooh baby things.  Well, after going into KMart, we found out that they don't have a baby registry in the store.  : (  However, there is an ap that allows you to scan items and put on a list.  I added a few things to a list; however, people aren't really able to see these things, so it's sorta pointless, but oh, well.  I wanted to register at Walmart, too, but by the time we ate and finished KMart, it was time to go to Oath's house for Tracey's birthday party.  Next week we'll tackle the Walmart and probably Herbergers registry!  

Sunday was pretty fun, because I worked a little in the nursery again.  Mike painted the shelves for our book corner and we found the spot that we will hang the shelves!  Saturday I also bought another decoration for this reading corner and then I ordered a cute Winnie the Pooh rug to place there as well!!  The paint is still drying, so no pictures yet, but hopefully within the next week I can start filling it up with books!  Yes, I'm a teacher...reading corners are very exciting for me!! : )  

Speaking of books, last week I was at Dad's place and I came across an entire drawer of books that my Mom had bought for her future grandchildren!  This is SUCH an emotional thing for me--it boggles my mind...I know my Mom was always looking for good deals and buying excess of things when she found them, BUT now that she's gone...and finding things like this...it just mystifies me.  Prior to these books, there was also a bag of things that included a baby blanket, bibs, baby spoons, and a few other items that was tucked away in her closet!  These books and things were bought anywhere from 6 to 12 years ago...LONG before I was even married, let alone pregnant.  I can't look at them without tears coming to my eyes...maybe all a big coincidence, but coincidence or not--these items will be the most memorable and meaningful baby gifts I will EVER receive.  I've already received items "in loving memory" of my mom for Baby.  Don't get me wrong, this is a very sweet sentiment that people go out of their way to do for me--however, it really doesn't make me feel any better.  In fact, it almost makes me feel worse...anybody can sign a card in memory of someone, but regardless, those items are not from my mom.  Like I said, it's not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, but I guess what I'm trying to point out is how significant these items I found are to me...simply due to the fact that my mom actually bought them herself and stored them away for Baby.   It just goes to show how much my Mom unconditionally loved her future grandchildren long before they were even here.   I plan to put a label inside each and ever one of the books she bought with a picture of her--that way when I'm reading with our baby boy, I can point to that sticker and show him that this book was from his Grandma and even though Grandma isn't here to read to him, she loved him and thought of him even before he was born.  

All items that my Mom bought for Baby years ago!