Ferrara's in Florida

My photographer, aka husband, was busy relaxing in front of the TV for this photo. He has been very good to me, taking photos every week at my request :)

Louie's room is now officially a second bedroom. The wall separates the kitchen from the nursery and a French pocket door slides into one wall to allow for entrance. Yesterday Philip finished painting the nursery walls the same pale green as the original color, and the room looks & smells fresh. No sign of Louie anywhere in this warm, sweet room--no hair, no dog food pellets, no smelly blankets or food bowls--just three of our plants. We picked out furniture and bedding--I'll try to post a photo for all to see.

This post is especially for Holly, who thought we were having a girl...then a boy...and now just can't wait to know if she's having a new niece or nephew. After taking a quiz that is based on the famous myths, I have a 42% chance of having a boy and a 57% chance of having a girl. Only time will tell. And Here's Why... You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy. The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your preganacy, so it's a girl. Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl. Sleeping in a bed with your pillow to the north indicates that you will be having a boy. Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl. You prefer the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a boy. Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl. The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born. You didn't have morning sickness early in ...

This weekend we had a special treat as Dr. Chris and Rebecca visited us from Little Rock. We had a lot of fun but naturally wished their visit could last just a little longer. The first night we went to Jackson Diner, a neighborhood Indian restaurant, and afterwards they gave us some baby gifts: Boudreaux's Butt Paste, "I love my aunt" bib and the plaque in this photo. They did not know it, but the plaque will match the nursery perfectly as it is outlined in pale green to match the walls and the white ribbon will match the bedding. Our contractor begins construction tomorrow so by Friday we should have a second bedroom for our nursery. I think this may be just the right thing that motivates me to shop for the baby room.

This week marks the half-way point of our pregnancy. Twenty weeks down, 20 to go. I've gained seven pounds thus far; the baby weighing approximately one pound. Big Apple Baby has grown heavy enough for me to recognize routine movement, and our little creature is very active almost consistently at 10am and 10pm. I often feel Big Apple Baby at sporadic times throughout the day, but he/she gives me a friendly reminder every 12 hours. Another exciting moment is when my other half felt the baby move for the first time early Wed. morning. Philip said he thought he felt my pulse on the left side of my lower abdomen when he was praying over our baby before he left for work, but he only felt it only one time. I am pretty sure it was the baby after hearing him describe what he felt. The first half of our pregnancy has been filled with excitement, anticipation, peace and many new blessings. We look forward to the second half with even more excitement and joy!

We had our half-way ultrasound, or the Big One, today. We visited the hospital where we will deliver our baby. It's St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital, located on 10th Ave & 58th Street, about a 10 minute walk from my office & a 20 minute walk from the church building. I was surprised at how many windows were on the prenatal floor; there were rays of light & nice views of the Hudson River. It was comforting to have a relaxed, gentle staff help us as it eased the first time jitters of this soon-to-be new reality. Everyone has been so accommodating and it is a huge blessing considering the standard of customer service in New York City. We received more than we expected at today's visit. A wall-mounted television served as a viewing screen and we watched the baby wiggle around its little home. I've been feeling Big Apple Baby move every day since last Thursday evening, but today I didn't feel anything until the minute I laid on the table. Seconds before the staf...

My waist has grown at least another quarter of an inch. How do I know? Because the same pair of slacks that I wore 10 days ago were snug today. In fact, I could not hook the pant closure and noticed that the hook stayed a good 1/4 inch distance from the clasp. Now that I have a new wardrobe thanks to Mom, Angela (Ginger's lovely boss), Sam and Pastor Andrea, I want my tummy to "pop" so I can fit into my cute new clothes. Philip says I play "dress-up" every night, but I can't help trying everything on; I'm excited to sport a new look and one day soon I'm actually going to fill them out! Check out the 18 week photo--the baby bump is coming...

We're gearing up for Dr. Chris and Rebecca's mid-October visit to NYC. We always look forward to being with our close friends :)