29 Weeks OH MY!!!!

Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But here's a reason to relax: Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if your baby is born this week, he'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news.

Other awesome developments:Baby's brain can now control his breathing and body temperature. He can also cough, and his sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs!Your Mini's skin is looking less wrinkled as he packs on the pounds. He's starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. He's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat he'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!). And speaking of energy, your little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days. You're sure to feel your share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when you're lying down. You might want to start keeping a kick chart to monitor your baby's movements, and also to later show your 13-year-old child what you endured for him or her.

This week your baby is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop.

And what exactly am I laughing at this time??

Could laughing hysterically at just about everything be a side effect of pregnancy? I think it is for me! Once I start laughing it takes an act of god to get me to stop! It could be at a funny face Darren made, the dog tripping down the steps, a thought that popped into my head of something that happened a couple days ago; doesn't matter - I will laugh and laugh and laugh till tears are running down my face and I am infamously snorting!! You don't even know how many times I've had to pause T.V. or just sit down and "wait it out" till I stop laughing! Poor Darren......he just has to sit and wait patiently until I am done having an "episode"just to even continue with a conversation we might have been having at the time, which actually makes me laugh even more because he has to sit there waiting for me to stop laughing! HAHA!! What a conundrum!

Out of all the side effects I could be having, I think this has to be the best one. At least I am not crying hysterically or moody! Laughter is the best medicine they say!! :o)

2 down, 1 to go!! Trimesters that is.....here's to 28 weeks!

As the Big Day nears, your baby is getting ready to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel (the tunnel being the birth canal, the light being the one the doctor is shining directly into it so she can see what the heck she's doing).

Other highlights this week:Your baby's eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it's fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We'll be here all week.)

His eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color he ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they'll most likely change soon. Sorry.

Your babe is downright chubby compared to a few weeks ago. He is about 15 inches long, about the length of an amusement park cinnamon-sugar-coated churro (yum!), and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.

** To be honest, I still dont even "feel" pregnant. I sometimes forget that I have a soccer ball under my shirt (oh yes, I say soccer ball because I want to be a soccer mom!!) Dane will be here before we know it and we just can't wait to meet him and see what he looks like!

We have our 3D ultrasound scheduled, so we will get a sneak peek - don't worry, I'll post the picutes and the 15 minute video we get.

Here's to 27 weeks!!

Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point. Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town. (OK, the baby is the size of that roast you meant to cook before you decided that ordering Chinese was a much better idea.)

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Darren and Nicki +1

I have two fingers!!!

This video is sad and funny at the same time! This little boy must have just had some sort of oral surgery and is still feeling the effects of the anesthesia. Poor thing! Just watch, it's cute!!

http://break.com/index/stoned-little-kid-after-dentist-visit.html

Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!!

The survery says......!!!!

Yowza!! You all finally guessed the name!!! Yeah!!

Thanks to all that have played along in the guessing game!! It was a lot of fun!!! Thank goodness you all guess correctly because we were running out of hints!

Our baby boy will be named.........


Dane Lee Hartenstine

Cora VS Santa

Hey there!

If you want to watch how our vicious german shepherd Cora protects us from Santa, go to "Our Pictures and Videos" link to the left, then click on the "Our Video's link" and watch the video!

You can leave your comments here!!

See what's going on with our baby boy at 26 weeks

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

New Name Hint!!!!

Ok all you Shakespearians:

In one of Shakespeares tragedies, the main character goes by another name.

It is "The _____"

Can you guess what it is????