6 more weeks to go!!!

By 34 weeks pregnant your baby is now almost five pounds and just shy of 20 inches long!! More so than ever before your baby resembles a miniature being from pregnancy 34 weeks on. Your baby is continuing to grow and fill out during pregnancy week by week. In fact, that is his primary job during pregnancy at 34 weeks and beyond. Not much changes from 34 weeks pregnant and on except your baby is adding valuable meat to his bones.

Your baby kind of looks like he's coated in a layer of cream cheese these days. The thick, white substance that protects his skin from pruning in the amniotic fluid is called vernix. When he's born you'll probably see some vernix lingering in his "hard-to-reach" places.

Other news from the womb this week:The soft fur, lanugo, that covered your baby's body for much of his stay in the womb is now almost completely gone. Your baby begins to develop his own immune system, instead of relying solely on antibodies received through the placenta. This will come in handy when some grubby relative manhandles the baby without washing his hands first.

** All of last week Baby Dane had the hiccups, but they stopped on Saturday :(. I kind of miss them!! I also went on a shopping spree this weekend for some (well....a lot) of clothes for Baby Dane. He now has more clothes than Darren and I combined!! Everything is so stinkin cute - I think its a marketing ploy. They make the clothes so incredibly cute that you just HAVE to buy them!!!

I am related to a glow worm!

I had Darren take pics of me at 33 weeks, and boy do I look shiny! I think the pregnancy glow has kicked in!!

I couldnt possibly feel any better either, I have a feeling of complete joy and happiness. Everything is falling into place and I can't wait to meet our little guy!!

He's as big as a duck? Here's to 33 weeks!

The big news this week is lung development—baby's respiratory system is almost completely mature. That means if your baby was born this week, odds are he'd be a healthy bouncing baby with a just a little help from his friends (aka, the NICU).

Some of the specifics are: Your baby can now detect light and tell the difference between night and day (of course that ability will miraculously disappear once he's born and up all night screaming). His pupils will constrict and dilate in response to light. If you shine a flashlight on your belly, your baby may shy away from the light as if to say, "Cut it out, Ma. You're soooo annoying."

The bones in your baby's skull are soft and are not yet fused together. In other words, now is not the time to teach him how to do a headspin while breakdancing. This pliability allows the bones to overlap; making that trip down the tight birth canal possible (and resulting in that surprising cone head look your baby will sport for the first few days post-birth. Don't worry, it's totally normal and that's what hats are for.)

Your baby will continue to pack on the pounds gaining around ½ pound a week from here on out.Your baby weighs about 4½ pounds, as much as a grownup duck, and is approximately 17.5 inches long, about the same as a collarbone-length pearl necklace. (Did somebody say push present?)

** Dane has a case of the hiccups almost 2-3 times a day! It's pretty darn cute if you ask me.....And my OB stated at the last appointment that baby Dane is a long/tall baby! He is doing very well and so am I. I am not too uncomfortable (yet) and still sometimes forget that I am pregnant and knock things over with this gigantic tummy of mine!!

Sanding, Priming, Painting, Sanding, Priming, Painting...........

Well our "renovating" project is well on it's way! We almost have all the of trim upstairs sanded and primed. Even with just white primer on, it looks so much better and brighter in here!! We purchased the safe paint so that I can contribute....yay! I am in charge of priming and painting and Darren is in charge of sanding. Thank goodness because I do not like sanding to begin with. The feel of sandpaper makes me cringe (so does pulling apart cotton balls, but thats another story for another day...haha!) I primed/painted so much last night my hand cramped into a certain position and I had to coax it back to normal. Poor hand....it will all be over soon! It's one of those times I wish I was ambidextrous.......

Dane is helping out too by reminding me to take frequent breaks (because I have to pee every 10 minutes...haha!). All jokes aside, he is doing very well. His punches and kicks are getting harder and harder. I actually had the wind knocked out of me today! It also feel like his toesies are getting stuck in my ribs. I can't wait till he is bigger and his whole foot gets stuck in my ribs....not! Yesterday I was watching him roll around in my tummy and I try to figure out what body part I am actually seeing and feeling. I can't quite figure it out, but I do think his feet are up and his head is down. I was also pushing whatever body part it was and he would push back! It was incredible....With all his movements, I think he is going to be a great dancer just like his dad! His dance moves won't come from me that's for sure.....hee hee!

Hope everyone is well!!

As always, comments are welcome and appreciated!!!

8 more weeks oh my!!!

We are now 32 weeks pregnant - can you believe it?

Although your baby will still remain active, his days of trying out for Cirque du Soleil are nearly over. About this time your baby will settle into the head-down position in preparation for birth.

Other fascinating facts:Both you and baby are putting on some serious weight at this point (great for him, not for me!). You'll probably gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks, with half of that poundage bulking up baby. He'll likely double his weight in the next eight weeks.

Ever wonder what your baby is doing in there these days? He's busy blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, peeing and listening to everything around him—pretty much exactly what he'll be doing for the first three months of his life, sans the adoring audience and the flashing camera.

Your baby may (or may not) have a full head of hair now. If he's a baldy, don't worry. You can always buy a Baby Toupee or some adhesive barrettes.

By the end of this week, your baby will weigh about 4 pounds and measure over 17 inches long—about the length of a hot pair of above-the-knee boots. Christian Louboutin? Manolo Blahnik? We're thinking Isaac Mizrahi for Target—you've got a nursery to furnish!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wanted to thank you all for the wonderful surprise baby shower yesterday!! I know it was a lot of hard work to try and get both MN and PA family and friends together for this special day - and it turned out great!!! A special thanks to Darren, Cindy, and Denice for making it happen. I am not sure how you all kept it such a secret! I had NO idea!! Keeping secrets from me is kind of a hard thing to do because I am so nosey - haha!!

Not everyone can say they had a virtual and in-person baby shower!!

Thanks again from the bottom of my heart. It made me feel very special to have such wonderful people in my life that would go this extra length to put on such a great party!!! It really means a lot to me and I will never forget it!!!

GO team GO!!

This post should have been made yesterday, but with my pregnancy brain I forgot to do it until right now.....oops!! (and yes, pregnancy brain is proven to be a true symptom of pregnancy, a pregnant woman's brain actually shrinks!! - don't believe me? Google it!)

Yesterdays date was March 11Th. I know, you're probably thinking "yeah....so?" - but take notice to the day of the month.....the 11Th......Dane is due on the 11Th.....of May! Yikes!! This means our little boy will be here in 2 months!!! Sheesh!!! I just can't believe how time flies!!!! Wasn't it just yesterday we were finding out if our baby was a boy or girl? And wasn't it just last week we were telling our family about our expected addition? Ha!

Two months IS a long time...it's 8 weeks or 60 days or 1440 Hours or 86400 Minutes or 5184000 Seconds (give or take a few)....

That means we have 8 weeks or 60 days or 1440 Hours or 86400 Minutes or 5184000 Seconds to get everything done that we need to get done. Of course, my list is way longer than it needs to be.......haha!

Darren and I make a great team and will handle everything and anything that comes our way! We are doing a great job so far!!

Go Team Hartenstine!!

D A N E all puzzled!

Darren and I made a cute "thing" (I dont know what else to call it..hee hee) for Dane's room. Hope you like! It is hanging on the wall right above his crib. You will notice the little animals - they are all a part of the theme we picked!

9 weeks to go!! Here's to 31 weeks!!

How your baby's growing:This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. (another one???) He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. (Naaahhhhhhh, not my baby.....haha!!) Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

We are having a lot of fun putting together the crib and creating the other decorations for Dane's room. We ordered the changing table and dresser - and it should arrive later this week. It's all coming together nicely!! The only thing missing is a baby!! We have plenty left to do to keep us busy for the next 9 weeks, like painting our bedroom and possibly the rec room and all the trim upstairs. Luckily our good friend Ken is coming here next weekend to help Darren paint since I can't (it's oil based and the fumes aren't good for me and Dane). While the men have fun painting and getting dirty, Denice (Ken's wife) and I will paint the town shopping!!! Haha!!

Our baby has a bed!!!

After changing our minds about 1,000 times, we finally decided on a crib we absolutely love! I took the below pic with my camera phone, sorry if it is a little fuzzy. Our camera is out of battery power :o(. The wood is an espresso finish and the crib is made by Graco. We love it!!! Hope you guys do too!!!

Don't forget to add your comments!!