23 week update

This week James is 11 inches long and weighs about as much as a mango (just over a pound). He's grown so much since his kidney bean and kumquat days many weeks ago! Our little guy has an increased sense of movement and can feel me dance. His hearing is also becoming more developed. Blood vessels in James's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing.

James's nursery is well under way! We have all our bedding and decor and Dave has started painting. I spent some time last night painting wooden letters (J-A-M-E-S) that will hang above the crib. It's been so much fun preparing for our little guy's arrival! I'll post pictures of the nursery in the future.

Registering at Babies R Us

This afternoon I met my sister, Karyn, at Babies R Us to register. Her presence was so much appreciated since she could share some wisdom on what we will need (and just as importantly, not need) for Baby James. It's amazing how much stuff is required for such a small person! I was fascinated by all the little gadgets and gizmos that have been made for babies. It could be so easy to get carried away with the registry gun and just scan it all. In the end, I think we came up with a pretty decent list of mostly baby necessities and a few luxuries. I was excited to see that all of the bottles were BPA free, and there were options for sippy cups and such that were either BPA free or made of a material other than plastic. One thing I have been thinking about is diapers and what route we want to take... before going to Babies R Us today, I thought our only options were cloth or disposable. I'm not incredibly interested in washing cloth diapers, but I'm also not excited about the "carbon footprint" our son will leave at such a young age by using disposable diapers. Today I discovered a couple brands of diapers that are either a mix of cloth and disposable parts or are all disposable, but are absolutely biodegradable! We will definitely be trying those out!

22 week update

Baby James is now about 11 inches long (the length of a spaghetti squash) and weighs almost a full pound. He now looks like a miniature newborn! His pancreas is developing more fully and is producing some important hormones. James's lips, eyelids and eyebrows are becoming more distinct. He also has tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises still lack pigment.

We are only 4 months away from getting to meet our baby boy! Dave has already began working on the nursery, and we already have all our nursery decor picked out and purchased (thanks to Mom Stoner and Mom and Dad Gabriel). I have been feeling James kick more regularly, and I can't get enough of it. I haven't been sleeping well at night this week for various reasons... one being that James gets active around 3 am and I have a hard time falling back to sleep because I don't want to miss it. Dave and I are both so excited about the arrival of Baby James!

21 week update and belly picture

This week, James weighs about three quarters of a pound and is 10 1/2 inches long- about the length of a carrot. I should expect to feel his kicks more strongly in the next few weeks, and I should be able to notice a pattern to his activity. I am already feeling him daily and most frequently in the afternoon and evening.

My belly has definitely grown since the last picture was taken! You can't miss my baby bump now!

20 week sonogram

Our sonogram today revealed that Baby Stoner is a BOY! We are naming him James Kenneth Stoner. The name has been chosen in honor of Dave's dad, James Herbert Stoner, and Dave's grandfather, Walter Kenneth Humphreys. Both men passed away in 2003.

Baby James looks healthy and is growing on schedule for a May 28 due date. We could see him kicking and moving around during the sonogram. I have just started to feel him this week. We are so excited to know we are having a boy, and we can't wait to meet our son in 20 more weeks! According to the the Baby Center website, James weighs 10.5 ounces and is 10 inches from head to heel (about as long as a banana).

Below are 2 profile pictures of James. In the 1st, you can see James's face more clearly.

Below is a picture of James's foot.

And here is a picture of James's boy parts in all their glory!

Happy New Year and 19 week update

Welcome 2009! We are so excited to bring in the new year, and we hope 2009 is better than 2008. 2008 brought more bad news than we would have liked so we're hoping things calm down for a bit. We already know one good thing that will happen in late May... Baby Stoner will be born!

Baby update: Our little bundle of joy is 8.5 ounces and 6 inches long from head to bottom. The baby's size is comparable to a large heirloom tomato. Baby Stoner has reached a crucial time for sensory development, and it is possible he/she can hear our voices. Next Friday (Jan. 9) is the big day when we will find out the gender of our baby. We are very excited!