Week 13 and our Little Peach...

Week 13: Different Growths for Different Folks (and Fetuses)
Your fetus is now about three inches long and the size of a peach. But don't compare your fetus with the fetus next door. Starting about now, babies begin growing at different paces, some faster than others, some more slowly, though they all follow the same developmental path. Growing at a universally breakneck speed now is your baby's body as it tries to catch up to the head in terms of size. Though your baby's head is about half the size of its body now, by the time your baby is ready to make his or her entrance into the world, the head will be only one-fourth as large as the body.
Your baby's intestines are also in for some big changes right now. Up till this point, they've been growing in a cavity inside the umbilical cord; but now they're moving to their permanent (and more conveniently located) address, in your baby's abdomen. And to serve your growing baby's needs, the placenta is also growing. It weighs about an ounce now and will weigh one to two pounds at birth (something else you'll soon be able to blame your weight gain on!).
Also developing this week: your baby's vocal chords. Because sound can't travel through fluid (your baby's current habitat), you won't be able to hear any sounds or cries just yet, but oh boy (or girl) — those vocal chords will get a good workout once that baby is born.

(thank you whattoexpect.com)

Happy Birthday GW!

What a party we had the other night with our friends the Matteos!! We finally got to have them over for a dessert night, but decided to do it George Washington-style, since it did just happen to be his birthday that day. We had a big fat ice cream buffet bar, eat as much and creatively as you like, but don't forget to celebrate George in the midst of the party. Will had some fantastic facts about GW, and I was all ready to sing Happy Birthday to him, but Will had ixnayed that before the party even got started. Go figure?! After we got all sugared-up, the girls sent the boys off to a RHS basketball game and we crafted till our little hearts were content. These 3 gals were pros from the racing gates! They stepped up to the necklace-soldering table, like they'd already been at it for years. Emma even did her own solder job (even braved a hot solder iron burn), as shown below and both she and Grace picked out just fantabulous designs for their own soldered art necklaces. I was SO proud of both of them for their hard work and creativity! Mama Tachan got to make her own creation for her sis and there were smiles all around by the end of the party. Not sure if that was pleasure with the workshop or still rejoicing over George's bday, but either way, it was a party and a half!! Thanks George for giving us a reason to celebrate together, we honor you! And thanks friends for braving another Irwin adventure! We can't wait till the next president's bday party!

Grace and the protective gear! There were no fumes gettin' into that wee nose!





Emma & Tachan diligently working...





Check out this brave Emma girl!




The masterpieces dangling from their beautimous necks!
"For we are God's masterpiece." -Ephesians 2:10
Not only are we His masterpieces, His creative works of art, made by His skilled and perfect hands of love, but He enables us to try our hands, by His gifting and abilities, to create our own little works of art. Isn't that a trip?! Love it!

Happy Late Day of Love!!

Just a little reminder that whether you've got a man by your side loving you, or not, Your Heavenly King is the One and Only who will fill that deep down need we Queenies have to be loved from our heads to the tips of our toes and to be gushed over with words of our beauty...

“The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for he is your Lord.” Psalm 45:11

Let Him be enthralled over you and then be enthralled with Him right back! He's so worthy!

I want one...

Check this precious wee out (truly He has perfected praise out of the mouth of babes!). Copy the html link below into your address bar to see the godtube video...

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e7c4b40cf5a13cea6ca

We'd like to introduce...

Our active wee Irwin (this little one was quite the squirmy one with those little stubs and head bobs, measuring in at a whopping 2.6cm with a rapid heart rate of 179bpm. Alive and well is this wee one! Will thinks the babe was already doing warmups for a basketball game.)

I think this has now caused me to finally hit the reality button, that YES I am pregnant and I can now officially get REALLY excited. I'm a cautious one, so to fully enter into the reality and joy of it all was hard for me while we were in the elusive state of the unknown of what was really going on inside me. I often wondered if we were just making this whole thing up and someday the midwife would tell us it really wasn't true, we were just being wishful! ha! Here's a perfect picture of how I'd been feeling until Wednesday...The other thing I felt through this ultrasound experience was the absolute awe and wonder of what we were getting a glimpse of. I told Will that I felt like I was getting a peek at what only God should be seeing. His private workings of knitting and weaving are so mysterious and miraculous. But man did I feel blessed to see it, even if it did feel almost crazy to be able to do it! So here is our little sweet pea everyone, the little blob of love with stubs that we are already so endeared to...

4-D version above (thank you Kris :)), 3-D below...

Praising God for this miraculous creation, Daddy Will & Mama Krystal.

Psalm 139:13-17...You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable!

Some words from the wise...

or just the whattoexpect.com people that I hear from daily right now. I really enjoy and appreciate some of their tips for the parents, some even sound biblical (imagine that, real wisdom actually sounding biblical, hmm), read on...

"Week 10: Nurturing Your Relationship "This pregnancy is all we talk about — will it hurt our relationship?"
What's the single most significant relationship you'll have in your new life as a parent? Surprise: It's not the one you'll share with that beautiful baby you'll be bringing home some 30 weeks from now. It's the one you share — and will continue to share — with your spouse. After all, fetuses grow up into babies, who grow up into children, who grow up and move away from home (and it happens a lot faster than you can even imagine…trust me!), but a spouse is yours (with a little luck, a lot of hard work) into old age.
That said, there are sure to be some changes in the dynamics of your twosome once baby makes three (or even threatens to make three). That's inevitable (little babies tend to make a big impact on their parents' lives). But if you play your cards right (and play them right from the start, which it sounds like you're committed to doing), they can actually be changes for the better.
The first thing you guys will need to do is to start thinking of yourselves as a couple again — instead of just a couple of parents (or a couple of parents-to-be). Of course, you'll want to focus plenty of attention on your pregnancy, and on your baby-to-be — that's great, as long as you also remember to keep your relationship front-and-center (no back burner for your love life). Nurture your pregnancy and your baby, by all means, but don't forget to take the time to — and put the effort into — nurturing each other. Your baby doesn't have to come between you (though your belly definitely will).
Wishing you a lifetime of loving! Heidi"

Thanks Heidi! I think that's a lifetime's worth of advice for us, eh?! So much to learn, so few days...