16 weeks

Beckett is wondering what's in Mommy's tummy...

At 16 weeks, Baby Center says, "Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his or her weight and add inches in length. Right now, he or she is about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces.

"Your baby's legs are much more developed, his or her head is more erect than it has been, and his or her eyes have moved closer to the front of the head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his or her scalp has begun, though hair isn't recognizable yet. Your baby has even started growing toenails.

"And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, your baby's heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to rise."

Here is a cool video of what's going on with the little pumpkin:
Weeks 15 to 20

We have a doctor's appointment on Friday for bloodwork and a check-up with the nurse practitioner.  I am am not above begging for an ultrasound. :)

Ready for Trick or Treaters

Beckett and I have both had colds and sinus issues, so we aren't going out in the cold tonight.  Instead, we are going to great little goblins and ghosts and hand out candy.  We might even watch The Great Pumpkin with Charlie Brown.  Sounds like a great night to me!


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Cowboy Monkey

What a difference a year makes!

Halloween Party!

We had Beckett's second Halloween party last night, and it was so much fun!  Maybe a little crazy, with 17 kids and 17 adults, but we all had lots of laughs and tons of yummy food.  It was great to watch the kids play in their costumes, too!  They all left with lots of goodies in their trick or treat bags. 

Beckett's been through the desert on a horse with no legs...

You can really see my bump here!  Don't the boys look cute? I love Beckett's hat.

Some of the families got pictures taken. I made the bunting for fall in Beckett's playroom.

Here are a few of the kids. The couch picture took forever and I took about 30 shots.  This one was as close to the best as I could get!

For memory's sake, L-R: Braylon U., Molly S., Ava K., Kiptyn S., Beckett, Emmett H., Wil and Reese P., Football Baby Josh and Drew T., Hayden and Julia M., Hampton and Hadleigh W., and (Front row, L-R) Kaylee S., Braylon H., Lily and Grace G. 

I put together a plate of the goodies from the party.  S'mores, spider suckers, witch fingers, cookie sandwiches, witch hats and broomsticks, orange crush with swirly straws, M & Ms, and more.  We had Mummy hot dogs and Halloween mac & cheese, plus chips and dips, mini sandwiches, goldfish and cheese puffs. 

My favorite picture. :) 

At the end of the party, Kristin put Ava into her PJs and the sugar had started to kick in...  What a fun night!

18 Months!

Beckett turned 18 months on October 14th.  Talk about a quick year and a half!  At the same time, it's completely amazing to see how much a baby grows and changes in such a short time.  He is quickly becoming his own person, and I can't believe how much he learns and is able to say.  His verbal development seems advanced, and he is still the sweetest, most cuddly little guy, but that's his proud mama talking. (I'm pretty sure his proud grandparents and daddy would agree.)

Here are a few notes about Becket at 18 months.
-He weighs 25 pounds, which is the 50th percentile
-He measures 31 inches, which is a little below the 50th percentile
-He loves to say, Yep, Okay, No, and thank you, YUM YUM GOOD
-He uses the following multi-word phrases:

• Mommy, Car, Keys, Go?  Daddy hunting deer, antlers, big buck?
• Potatoes good. MMM, MMM, good.
• No, no, Lexi
• C'm here!
• Boom! Fell down. (This is typically on purpose. :)  )
• I'm okay!

He also repeats everything and picks up new words incredibly quickly.  Grandma Hild brought him a catalog of animals, and he can say almost animal in there by memory. It's a really cool catalog because it groups animals by continent.  Some of the animals in there (that amaze me) include yak, hippo, rhino, zebra, tiger, lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe (he sometimes says 'big tall' for this one - so cute!), hedgehog, warthog, panda, penguin, and it goes on.  I am continually amazed at how his brain is a little sponge.  It has all the regular farm animals, too, and he has been obsessed with cows for awhile now. (I think it's because it is the first animal we say in Old MacDonald.)

Other info:

-He loves eggs, potatoes, ham, and cheese scrambled together for breakfast.  

-He still eats just about everything, but once he makes up his mind about not eating something, you can't change it.

-He will read the same book about 4 times and then go get another one.  He especially likes books with animals.

-He likes to play hide and seek, but starts to come out when you start counting.

-He usually hangs out with dad in the morning while I get ready.

-He loves tickling, hugging, and wrestling.  (If you say "baby snack" he starts laughing right away.)

-He loves his Grandparents on both sides and is excited every time they come over.

-He really likes going places. (Car? Go?)

-We have started letting him watch Sesame Street and he really likes it!

-He loves other kids and always gives them hugs.

He is such a happy, sweet little boy. We are so blessed and thankful!

Trapped in the Cereal Aisle

Beckett is really exploring, and I love his curiosity! Sometimes it means we come home from the grocery store with a few extras.

No High Fives

Shonn sent me this video at work on Monday. It made me laugh out loud.  I just can't believe how ornery Beckett is being to him!

Pomegranate Fan

I don't remember ever eating a pomegranate.  Janis and Beckett went to the grocery store yesterday and did some exploring. They found one there and she brought it home.  Beckett kept calling it an apple, so Shonn looked up how to eat a pomegranate online and found out how to cut it open.  It's a beautiful fruit!  When he was cutting it, Beckett and I watched and B kept saying, "Daddy. Cut. Apple," but when we got inside, the seeds were like mini, transparent, purple pieces of corn.  Beckett was confused.  Then he tasted one and it was like, "Candy! Apple! Yum!"  He loved it.  It was fun to see what it looked like inside and to taste the fruit, which was delicious.  Shonn found some ideas on how to eat/use pomegranate, but we just ate it straight from the fruit.  As you can see, Beckett enjoyed it.  Thanks, Grandma Hild! :)

MMM, MMM, Good.

Beckett loves corn on the cob.  Grandma Hild brought some today and it was a treat.  He ate almost every kernel off the corn, while taking plenty of time to pause and tell us, "mm, mm, good," and "corn good!" 

 

 

 

Great-Grandpa K

We visited Grandpa Kracht over Columbus Day weekend.  Beckett loved Katie, their German Shorthair, and kept saying, "doggie, hug," and hugging her.  Plus, when she wagged her tail, which is bobbed, he would laugh hysterically and say, "Ding dong, ding dong!"  Grandpa really got a kick out of it.

From Baby to Boy

 

It's amazing what a haircut can do.

 

I have been dragging my feet on cutting Beckett's hair.  1) Because it's so pretty and simultaneously cool; and 2) Because I still think of him as a baby.  But. I had Monday off school, and I was noticing how it had started itching the back of his neck (communicated as "ow-ee"), and it also was getting long.  Really long.

 

So, we did it!  Before we went to the salon, I cut a little at home and tried propping up my phone to get a video of it. 

 

 

Then we went to Exsalonce and he did GREAT! He sat so still and loved the water bottle. 

Now, he's a grown boy and just as cute as ever.

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Baby Pictures!

Now that we are sharing our good news, I can properly introduce you to the peanut!

We are considered "high risk," and although that sounds scary, it actually means we get to see the baby a LOT!   In the most amazing gift EVER, we actually saw the little one's heartbeat at 6 weeks. 

We got to say hello again around 8 weeks,

The peanut at 8 weeks - September 10th. Heart rate = 168

and then on Friday, the little one was waving to us!

12 weeks, 2 days; measuring 12 weeks 6 days.  Heart rate = 161

Baby Hild was really moving at the doctor’s office at our appointment on Friday!  The sonographer (who we love!) took tons of pictures and said she could tell if baby was a boy or girl but since the stubborn little one had crossed legs, she wouldn’t say. (Plus she said it was too early for them to technically be able to tell, so she couldn’t.)  So, our next ultrasound isn’t for eight weeks, and that’s when they will (hopefully) be able to determine gender! 

In the meantime, we took a gender prediction test, and it said BOY! 

Taken on Wednesday, October 3rd: 12 weeks!

 I think it would be wonderful for Beckett to have a little brother.  They would have such fun when they were little and I can imagine them being such great friends when they grow up!  If baby is a boy, we might have them share a room while they are young.  My sister and I shared a room for years, and although there were lots of fights over clothes, there were also lots of late nights laughing, talking, and becoming very close.  I think it would be good for them.

Of course, we will be very happy with a boy or a girl, we just pray the little one is healthy and happy! In the meantime, we are really enjoying this special gift...and all the pictures!

A BABY!

We took some pictures today to announce our exciting news: We are having a baby in April!  

This one is my favorite because it's exactly how we are.

I like this one because Beckett is pointing at the photographer. (Grammy!)