It's getting closer! Only about 30 more days...Lord please let them go by quickly! Each day and especially nights are becoming more and more uncomfortable...driving=uncomfortable, sleeping=uncomfortable, eating= heartburn, moving=potty break, 36 weeks=big belly, all of this= time to get here Jude!

Life has been busy. We are trying to prepare as much as we can and get things in order so that the adjustment to our schedules won't be to hectic. There are still a few more things to get done in the nursery before I can post pics...hopefully it'll be finished before he gets here! Derek and I would like to say thank you to everyone who came to our baby shower and purchased gifts...what an overwhelming feeling to know we have so many people who love us and who are just as ready as we are to meet Jude! We are truly blessed to have family, friends, and an amazing church that supports us 100%.
We have our great friends Ryan and Shari Dean to thank for these awesome maturnity pics...we are thankful that they were able to come down and spend some time with us last month...probably our last time to be together childless :)

Week 36(Thursday): From now on baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department- though he won't get much longer, he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. Baby's skin is getting smooth and soft, his gums are rigid, his liver and kidneys are in working order, and his circulation and immune system are basically good to go. His lungs are the only organs that still need to fully mature, but everyday he gets a little closer to breathing on his own.

Baby Jude

Well.. I wasn't going to get the 3d/4d scan done, but I just couldn't help myself...thoughts of him being a her and fears of a giant baby made me do it. I waited a little too long and he didn't have very much room in there, however we did get a few good pics. I still cant picture him though...its going to be sooo great when he is really here and in my arms.

We saw him move around a little bit...found out he likes to play with his feet just like his Daddy, Papa, and Grandpa. Must be in the genes....definitely has Parker lips, chubby cheeks, and we are still trying to figure out the nose. In one pic he looks like cousin Amelia, and in another he looks like cousin Jacob. Whatever the outcome he is bound to be cute!!

He seems to be healthy and happy with all ten fingers and all ten toes. Long fingers and big hands like PawPaw (Popsi)...large feet....and I'm still praying for a decent sized head :) We couldn't measure, so I still have no idea how big he is...I do know that we are both running out of room. He can't move and I can't breathe...7.5 more weeks!!

The Countdown Continues...

57 more days.......as I reach the end of my 31st week (7th month) I am realizing how much stuff still has to get done before Jude arrives. I thought I had everything well planned out, however, sometimes things don't go as planned. The nursery is yet to be completed...we are still waiting on some special orders and home improvements to be completed before I can finish setting up and decorating. This is annoying, but what can I do? Due to my insane calendar I haven't been able to take any of the classes I wanted to yet...I have one class scheduled in a few weeks and am still looking for a date that works for the other class.....but I only have about 57 more days!!!! that's not alotta time. Here are two projects I made for the nursery...I love how they came out!!

We did register for the baby shower....that was a long day, but was fun! We are registered at both Target and Babies R Us..what an overwhelming experience!! 95 different brands of one item, a billion things...how do you know what necessary and whats a waste of time and money?!? and I even did some research before we started the process, that didn't help much. Derek had a blast registering for any and everything he spotted that said "i love my daddy" or that was Star Wars related! I was soooooo tired at the end of that day! I think we got everything, who knows! I do know that alot of the stuff we like and registered for has to be ordered online.....

which is dumb...all the cute stuff is online :)

How you know your 7 months pregnant:

• Your hubby learns how to buckle, tie, and adjust your shoes
• You can barely shave your legs, and lotioning legs or cutting your own toenails is no longer an option
• You pop Zantac 150 as if they are tictacs
• Scouting out restroom locations is the top priority when entering an unfamiliar location
• You are responsible for making the decision for every meal cuz everyone asks what you and Baby would like to eat
• Grunting, moaning, and wobbling like a 90 year old is normal

What has this past month included you may ask........plenty more crazy dreams, sleepless nights, more OCD activities, back, hip, and leg pain, not so cute outfits on Sundays, extreme emotions including outrageous laughing at things that aren't all that funny and a never ending supply of tears even when whatever got me started crying in the first place is over, done with, and forgotten about. Derek will walk in the room and sincerely ask, "why are you still crying?" my response, in a shaky voice, "I don't know, I'm not a faucet ya know...cant turn it on and off when I please." Poor hubby....now when we are in the midst of a conversation and I know its headed towards something that will open the flood gates, we quickly change the subject...

Month 7: Squash

Week 31: Baby is about 16.25 inches, weighing 3.3 lbs. About the size of four navel oranges.

This week your baby is gaining more weight as baby fat is filling in underneath the skin. Your baby's color is also becoming less red and more pink in color. By now Your baby's irises can dilate and respond to changes in light, and all five senses are in working order. Baby's going through major brain and nerve development these days.

Who am I, and what did I do with the old me??

Back to life...finally! Jude has definitely grown plenty since I last blogged. We survived three weeks of camp and made plenty of memories, but now it is time to get back to our routine. I have been going through a serious stage of nesting. Believe it or not, I have kept the house SPOTLESS for a month now.....those who know me well can tell you this is not a custom. I pray that the OCD symptom stays cuz I think my hubby may be getting used to it :) Wat shall I do when it goes away?!?? I've gotten down to serious business people. Every closet, drawer, and cabinet has been cleaned out and organized...laundry is done, dishwasher loaded/unloaded, and bed made everyday...Derek has to get a new spoon for each cup of coffee cuz every time I walk in the kitchen I put the dirty one in the dishwasher and wipe the counter only to do the same for his next cup..and the next. Ya'll, I've been cooking and been hanging up my clothes, and even weirder...returning things I purchase that don't fit or that I don't have need for!! This is serious! It's like someone has taken over my body......this is not me!!!

The nursery is slowly but surely coming together. I can't wait to get the closet finished so that I can put the whole thing together!! I will post pics asap. I'm so ready to register and have a baby shower, and put away all the gifts...I can't wait to spend time with family and friends introducing our new little man. I can't wait to bathe my little jelly bean, and have snuggle time with mommy, daddy, baby, Mags, and Chloe. I can't wait to dress him up, rock him to sleep, sing to him, listen to his daddy tell him stories... I know once he is here time will fly by, and I'm not ignorant to the fact that there will be sleepless nights and miserable sick days, but it will all be worth it. I'm anxious to see our parenting skills put to work, see how many of our words we'll have to eat, and how many people we prove wrong! Either way we are ready to begin this process! Only 89 more days...

Month 6: Eggplant

Week 27: Baby is 2 pounds and 14.5 inches..about the size of a cauliflower.

This week your baby looks like a thinner, redder, more wrinkled version of what he will look like at birth, but in the next few weeks more fat will fill out his appearance. Your baby's immune system is continueing to mature as are your baby's lungs. The lungs are going through some major developments these days, which (combined with the opening of the previously plugged nostrils) means he's now able to practice inhaling and exhaling. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now.

ABORTION

Abortion- this topic makes my blood boil! As Christians we CANNOT sit around and pretend this isn't happening in our country or around the world. Wake up people! The world is going to hell in a handbasket and that seems to be okay with us as long as nothing interferes with our perfect little lives. We have to get outside of our bubble and STAND-UP for what we believe in!!! I was amazed when I watched twelve year old Lia Mills give this speech...Watch this!!

"The Supreme Court in 1973, in the case of Roe v. Wade, declared most existing state abortion laws unconstitutional."

"Babies can still be aborted for non-medical reasons at up to 24 weeks. Recent evidence shows that, of those born at 25 weeks, half of them manage to live."

There are two stories in particular that have stuck with me throughout my pregnancy. I think about them often and it just makes me soooo angry that ignorant people (#1 beong Barack Obama) are running our country....How in the world did we let it get to this??? Please take the time to read about these two situations. It goes to show what a miracle life is and how amazing our Creator is!

Samuel Armas:

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by a surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb. Michael Clancy, working for USA Today captured the surgery on film.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. During the surgery on little Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny but fully developed, hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity.

The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture.
She said, "The photo reminds us my pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person" "The Hand" of the fetus. You can see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible.

God made only mankind in his image.

We are uniquely singled out bearing the image of God above any other creature. He is the sole object of Christ's redemptive love. Christ went to the trouble of dying for our transgressions against God by becoming a human first. He went through the process of being put in a womb and being there for 9 months like any other, then born under the human conditions (without sin). Certainly The preexistent Son of God was a person, and he was a person in the womb.God said to Noah "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image." (Gen. 9:6) .

Amillia Taylor:

A girl born after just under 22 weeks in the womb - among the shortest gestation periods known for a live birth - will remain in a hospital a few extra days as a precaution, officials said.

 Amillia Taylor, who weighed less than 10 ounces (283 grams), had been expected to be sent home this week.
 However, routine tests indicated she was vulnerable to infection, said Dr. Paul Fassbach, who has cared for the baby since shortly after she was born.



"She has been fine," Fassbach said, but doctors are being extra cautious "now that she's going into the world." 

Video...the tiny baby who survived against all the odds
. Doctors say she is the first baby known to have survived after a gestation of fewer than 23 weeks. But full-term births usually come after 37 to 40 weeks. Amillia was just 9 1/2 inches long and weighed less than 10 ounces when she was delivered by Caesarean section. She now weighs 4 1/2 pounds. She has suffered respiratory and digestive problems, as well as a mild brain hemorrhage, but doctors believe the health concerns will not have major long-term effects. "Her prognosis is excellent," said Dr. Paul Fassbach, who has cared for Amillia since her second day. Amillia was conceived in vitro and has been in an incubator since birth. She will continue to receive a small amount of supplemental oxygen even after she goes home.

Her parents Sonja and Eddie, from Homestead, Florida, were visiting friends in Miami when Mrs Taylor went into labour at just over 19 weeks pregnant, having conceived by IVF. 

Doctors attempted to delay the birth but eventually were forced to carry out an emergency caesarean. 



Amillia Taylor weighed just under 10oz and was only 91/2 inches long at birth

Dr Guillermo Lievano, who delivered Amillia, said he was not expecting her to survive.



"I was prepared for the worst and prepared to break the bad news to the mother." 

Amillia responded to treatment, however. During two months in an incubator, she even had plastic surgery after her left ear was partially torn off during the delivery. "I'm still in amazement," said Mrs Taylor, 37, a teacher. "I wanted her to have a chance and I knew in my heart that she was going to make it. 

"It was hard to imagine she would get this far. But now she is beginning to look like a real baby. Even though she's only 4lb now, she's plump to me." 

scroll down for more

Ten ounces of determination: Amillia was little longer than this pen

William Smalling, neo-natologist at Baptist Children's Hospital in Miami, said: "She's truly a miracle baby. We didn't even know what a normal blood pressure is for a baby this small." 

Amillia's incredible story will reignite the debate over Britain's abortion laws, which campaigners say must be updated in the light of recent medical advances.

Here is a wesite that I got alot of information from....*be aware that they do have some very graphic photos*

http://www.bibleprobe.com/abortion.htm 


I like papayas....

...but nothing can beat the sweet love of God. We've made it to 23 weeks!!! Seems like things are getting more and more hectic around here...With three weeks of camp coming up, getting the nursery together, weekly worship ministry, church events, baby shower stuff, I'm surprised I haven't crashed! This second trimester has been very easy, and I've had tons of energy, thank God! Actually the whole pregnancy thus far has been great, aside from heartburn everyday of my life, everything is peachy. Been sleeping great (with crazy dreams), got my appetite back, and I have been enjoying this time with Derek preparing and wondering about our future with a son :) All is well!

The extra bonus is I get to decorate Jude's room...I absolutely LOVE decorating spaces, and I'm having a blast getting everything together.

I'm not going to lie, I stole alot of ideas from a picture I found online, but I plan on adding my own special quirks to the room. I wanted the room painted before we left for camp...sooo we did that yesterday. Thanks to Jude's Papa and Daddy, a very amazing fan has been hung (despite it taking 5 hours, it looks great!) The baby bed is in, and the rest of the furniture has been shipped. I can't wait to get it all together. All I need now is my orange rocking chair...the one I wanted has been discontinued :(..however I am on a mission to find another just as great!! So sorry that I didn't blog last week...as you can see, life has been hectic!

Week 23: Jude is now the size of a papaya weighing 20.8 oz and is 11.8 inches. Your baby is probably quite active by now and you should be able to feel movement or kicks in your belly. It might even be possible to see movements on the surface of your skin. Overall, your baby is now more proportioned from head size to the rest of the body and is looking more and more like a newborn. Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!

Snips and snails, and puppy dog tails...

That's what lil boys are made of! We found out yesterday what I've been suspecting all along...Derek and I will be welcoming home a little boy around September 30th!! Baby Parker was very anxious to show off his stuff when we went in for the 21 week ultra sound....there was absolutely NO second guessing it (as you'll see in the video I made). We are both very excited, and it has all of a sudden become a reality for both Derek and myself. I know I posted last week that we would keep the name a secret, but it seems so much better to give the little fellow a head start on his identity...we can't wait for everyone to meet Jude Sevelle.

I have put together two videos to share with you guys...and because I am the child of a former hippie...I added some songs i grew up hearing. LOVE IT! We hope you enjoy!!

Week 21: Jude is 10.5 inches, weighing about 12.7 oz. (our ultra sound says he is 14 oz.). This is about the size of a banana. As your baby's digestive system develops, he will begin to swallow amniotic fluid and absorb small amounts of sugar. However, most of your baby's nutrients are still delivered from the placenta. Inside your uterus, while there's still room, your baby is actively moving around, kicking and flipping positions. You may be able to track patterns in his movement.

Please meet our little man...