Here is Dawson's weekly update for last week:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

I apologize for getting this out so late! Things at work have been really busy. I'll try to do better in the future. Last night David put together Dawson's bassinet. It is simply adorable! I'm going to work on it to get some of the wrinkles out before I post a picture of it. It made me tear up. My little boy will be here before I know it. We are both soooo excited. David has completed painting the base and trim in Dawson's room. It is a light blue with white trim. We are going to paint some circles on some of the walls this weekend with Carissa's artistic sense! I tried developing a design and failed miserably! Once we get the room completely painted we will put carpet back in, and begin moving his furniture in. I think we may actually get it all done before the showers get here! I made a list of hostesses and guest lists last night too. I have also registered at Wal-Mart, Target, and Babys-r-Us. Things are moving along quickly, but I need to stay on top of things. School starts again in two weeks, and I'm going to try to stay ahead on all of my assignments. I know the last trimester is going to be challenging because of the drop in energy levels. I am proud to say that I have been quite successful in making over my eating habits. Now all of my snacks consist of protein, fruits, and vegetables. I have started a very low impact aerobic video along with walking Duke twice daily. He enjoys the strolls, and it helps my day start off well. I have also started avoiding heavy sugary sweets like the black plague. I'm hoping with all of these precautions that I will have a good chance of fighting off gestational diabetes. FYI so far Dawson's favorite fruit is watermelon! I'm not particularly partial to it, but I've been eating more than I usually would.

Tomorrow is our next doctor's appointment. I'm assuming they will check my vitals, and Dawson's heart rate again. I don't think we will get another glimpse of Dawson until the third trimester.

When I presented my parents with pictures of of Dawson's second ultrasound my father told my mother she shouldn't put it up in the house because he didn't want people seeing his baby's stomach. :-) Of course mom proudly displayed the picture anyway. Bless his heart. He's still in transition mode. I know he will snap out of it when Dawson arrives. He has been taking this kind of hard emotionally because I am the baby of the family. He's just not ready for his little girl to grow up. There is something to be said for our bond. What he doesn't realize is that no matter what I'm always going to be my Daddy's girl.

Have a great week,

Love,

Mrs. S