Taddy’s weekly update:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Tomorrow we travel to Shreveport for a very special visit to see Dr. Kinder. I’m going to cross my fingers that we get the news we are hoping for! Boy or girl, we aren’t picky. We just want a healthy, happy baby to love. If it’s a boy we are definitely going to have to fast track picking out a name! We just haven’t been able to find the one that rings in our ears. Don’t worry, we probably won’t come up with a “modern” name. We like to stick with the traditional classics. Although some of the modern names are cute, we just aren’t feeling them. So far the contenders are Jake, Jacob, or Logan. We may find something completely different that we love even more.

Aside from that, Friday afternoon David had to rescue me from work. I decided that I was going to cut back on sugar in my diet. I started feeling really dizzy, lightheaded, hot, and nauseous. I was in my supervisor’s office discussing one of our location’s glue reports and I had to sit down. I felt like I was going to faint. That is a very strange feeling! I know it wasn’t from not eating. I had breakfast that morning and two snacks. I composed myself enough to get to the kitchen to eat my lunch. After getting through lunch I felt like if I got up from the table I wouldn’t be able to stand up. I started fanning myself (hot flashes returned). My co-workers asked me what was going on. I explained. After about 10 minutes I managed to make it to our couch in one of the women’s restrooms. Ugh. I hate attention like that! I laid down and called David. Although it was very important for me to be at work at the beginning of the month, I knew there would be no way I could finish out the day. David came to get me. Bless his heart, he was a good sport. If he was worried he didn’t let on until we left. He gave me a run down of questions, and of course a status check on the baby. The little munchkin felt fine, aside from a few moments of adjustment. I began to drink some of the sprite Mrs. Marilyn gave me, and I started feeling better almost instantly. Then it clicked. I was worried about my sugar being too high, but never thought about it being too low.

I’m going to discuss what happened with Dr. Kinder tomorrow. I’m really not looking forward to the glucose test, but I suppose it’s necessary now. Even if it turns out that I am diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I’ve spoken with a few women who had it during pregnancy. They all said it wasn’t a big deal as long as you watch what you eat and exercise. I’ll admit I could incorporate a little more exercise and could eat more fruits and vegetables. I’ll do whatever is necessary in order to provide the best conditions for our little Taddy. I have faith that all will be well.

As for this week, I’m going to be finishing up projects for the party next Saturday. Remember it’s the 17th at Pat’s Building in Zwolle from 4-6 p.m. I posted the physical address on Myspace and Facebook for the out-of-towners. It’s a local meeting place for the locals. The building is beige with red trim. There isn’t a sign on it, so I’ll be putting out a sign with a few balloons attached. It’s on the right side of 191 if you’re traveling North, and on the Left if you’re traveling South. It’s going to be very casual, and family oriented. I’m hoping that I don’t make too many cupcakes! We hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Mrs. S.