19 Weeks

19 week bump!

Bebs: Bebs' sensory development is exploding! The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that s/he may be able to hear my voice now! The baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his/her body now. The kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his/her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

How's it lookin' in there?

Hebs: I gained 2 pounds!! It must be that one avocado and all the donuts I ate! ;) For the most part I've been feeling ok. Feeling my belly skin stretching is weird, pregnancy acne issues are back and I've been super irritable lately. Fun! Morning sickness, nausea and headaches seem to have passed, though...knock on wood!

Hubs and I were fortunate to see our family from Maryland this past weekend! Shane, Tara and baby Seth came to stay with us to visit their family and friends in PA. Tara, who gave birth in March, looked absolutely fantastic! (you do, Mama!) It was great to be around a baby and see all of the funny faces and smiles that Seth makes. He just seems like SUCH a happy baby. He seemed to enjoy checking out Dexter and would rub his chubby little hands in Dexter's fur when he got the chance. Dexter didn't seem to notice Seth....except when I was rocking him in his rock n' play. Then all of a sudden, Dexter, who is a total Daddy's boy, wanted to sit in my lap and steal all of my attention. I think he will be in for a rude awakening come January!

Dexter freely jumped up on the couch all on his own for this picture!
Ebersole babies!

Uncle Jason, Aunt Heather and their nephew Seth!

I can't wait to have a picture like this with my own little girl or boy!

Seth babbling to Uncle Jason

Om nom nom... Uncle Jason's glasses are yummy!

 

The song "In My Life" by the Beatles came on the radio during my drive in to work this morning and I immediately got all misty-eyed. I started thinking about how much I love Bebs and began wondering who Bebs would look like and take after. Will our baby be logical like Daddy or an emotional mess like Mommy? Will our baby ride bikes after school with neighborhood friends like Daddy did growing up, or will s/he keep a flashlight and chapter book hidden under the bed so s/he can read under the covers like Mommy did when she was little? Will Bebs have Daddy's blue eyes or Mommy's brown eyes?

Maybe our child will be musical like Uncle Shane, or be an excellent public speaker like Uncle Ryan? Maybe Bebs will take after one of his/her grandparents and be kind and independent like Mimi or be a drummer in a rock band like Pop-pop? I can only hope Bebs will take after Gramps by being hard-working and generous, or have the ability to light up a room with his/her smile like Grammy.

We are able to find out the gender in 9 short days! Both of us are beyond excited. We are planning on having a little party to reveal the gender. Still deciding if we want to find out at the ultrasound, and then just tell everyone the news; or if we want to have the tech write the gender on a piece of paper for us to have revealed to us in a creative way in front of everyone? Balloons? Confetti? Baby outfits? Decisions, decisions. :)