WEEK 39!! WATERMELON!!!

I'm so PUMPED that I made it to the watermelon stage! WOOHOO!! Hazelnut is probably somewhere in the neighbourhood of 8lbs now (according to our doctor's estimation), and about 20 inches long. His brain is still developing (what a smartie he shall be!), he's flexing his limbs, and his nails might extend past his fingertips!

And now for what may or may not be the last LISTY-LOO..

1. This baking spree of mine has been glorious for the tastebuds but detrimental to the waist lines. Cookies for supper and cherry pie (homemade from our own cherry tree cherries) for dessert. No joke… that was Wednesday’s menu at the T home!

2. We’re fairly intelligent people and we know it’s highly unlikely (read: impossible), but we’re really hoping that Hazelnut get’s Kumeu’s eyes. How can you look at these eyes and NOT melt a little bit inside?!

Also, I’ve been thinking… we love Kumeu SO MUCH. I can’t even IMAGINE how much we’re going to love our child.... our very own flesh and blood!

3. Lowell has been on a broccoli kick lately, and let me tell you. Broccoli burps are horrid. And don’t even get me STARTED on broccoli toots…

4. I love that we’ve had amazing basement dwellers (renters). The problem is that our cool room (i.e., storage room) is in the shared area, and I feel obligated to put pants on whenever I need to fetch supplies. As we all know, I do NOT love pants. *sigh*

5. It’s common knowledge that my least favourite- and in fact most dreaded—domestic activity is cleaning muffin tins. During my recent baking spree I actually started using those little paper muffin cups. Why did I not hop aboard THAT train several years ago??!!

6. Long story short, we went to the hospital for a non-stress test this week. Don’t I look stressed though?

Actually, it was kind of stressful, but all is well with me AND baby, and the nurse even said we have a "very happy baby". Yeay, a happy baby!

Before we went in, Lowell and I were discussing bleeding and placenta tearing with a doctor friend, and Lowell ended up leaning against the wall, colour drained from his face with glazed-over eyes. I’m 85% sure that Lowell will faint at some point during the birth. Good thing Mom and/or Carlynne will be there!

7. Mom and I canned 66lbs of peaches!

I'm soooo lucky that my mama is my canning buddy. I dare say one could not have a better canning buddy than that!

8. Have I mentioned that both of my shins are carpets of red speckles (popped blood vessels)? Add that to the veins and water retention… hawt. Also, things have definitely been loosening up more down there. I'm not sure that the upper, inner thigh/groin area spasms can be attributed to that or some sort of pinched nerve, but the hip discomfort has returned. It's actually a good thing though because this narrow-hipped woman is going to need all the help possible to get a KID through there!

9. 44 lbs up in total. Yeay me. And I measure 42 inches around!

10. Over the last few weeks, Kumeu has turned a corner fetching-wise! He’s always been a great little fetcher INDOORS, but when outside, it would turn into a game and he’d run around with the ball/stick in his mouth just EGGING us on. I think it’s finally clicked that if he brings the ball back to us, we’ll throw it again and again and again, and he’ll get to go for little sprints/swims again and again and again...

He's such a fun puppy child!

11. CARLYNNE AND WATSON (Kumeu's puppy cousin) ARE COMING TOMORROW!!!

12. STATS on the contest that you really should hurry up and enter:
45.5% girl - girls really making their move this past week!
54.5% boy
most common guess is the 20th.

Loving the guesses and the creative questions. Our families have some particularly amusing name suggestions. Marc suggested 'Greiselda', Carlynne guessed "Miralda", and nieces Emily & Katelyn predicted "Flower" and "Mermaid". There have also been some really legit suggestions that weren't on our list but we're seriously considering for baby number 2!
If you haven't voted yet, you are running out of time! Do it now... http://goo.gl/Fxd0J