16 Weeks and Taking a Beat

Whew!  The time is really flying by!  We can't believe we're already 16 weeks along and baby is the size of an avocado.  (Speaking of avocado, am I the only one who has really bad luck in getting the avocado to be ripe -- and not under-ripe or overripe -- when cutting into it?  I feel like it should be perfect based on assessment of the outside, but nope, it never is!!)

We went for our monthly appointment earlier this week and heard baby's heartbeat loud and clear at about 160 beats per minute.  There's an old wives tale that says the baby is a boy when the heart rate is below 150 and a girl when it's above.  That worked out for Gabriel (130-140 most of the time), but I read a lot of comments on message boards that says this is not true for all babies!  Well, we'll see come November!  (Click on the video to hear the heartbeat via Doppler - the ultrasound picture is from a month ago)

It was great to hear the heartbeat, because baby's little fluttery movements have been few and far between the last two weeks.  Maybe that's stress-related or maybe this baby is just a good sleeper right now, haha!

We received a lot of well-wishes by phone and text this week, after the baby announcements went out, which was really special for us.  We're so happy that so many people are as excited as we are (or more so!).

In other nesting news, I went through a lot of the baby stuff we had from Gabe, and thankfully things like bottles, diaper bags, car seats, and clothing are in great condition still.  I guess it's time to stock up on diapers and a few odds & ends that should be replaced.  I also began working on a new crocheted baby blanket for the baby.  (Gabe got 2 Mama-made ones when he was born, so I figured this kid should at least get one!)  It's a gingham pattern in different shades of teal and I'm excited to try a new edging pattern when the blanket part is complete.  Photos to come soon!

After a busy May, we're taking a beat to enjoy the new-found summer weather here in Massachusetts.  Craig has been working diligently on getting grass to grow in a new part of the yard where he erected Gabriel's {{giant}} playground.  We're thankful it's finally showing GREEN!  I've been growing some herbs inside, awaiting warmer weather for planting outside.  We've put some perennials and bulbs in the ground already, but I have to get Dziadizu's red canna flowers planted still.  The pool has been open for about a month but even with the solar cover on, it's not above 68 degrees yet - brrr!  Here's to hoping for a more consistent warmer stretch of weather!  This pregnant mama wants to float in the water ASAP!  (Not to mention the resident 3.5 year old!)