32 Weeks

This week marks both the 32nd week of Lil Hoff's life as well as the last week of our birthing class! We've filled an entire notebook with really useful information from the midwife teaching the course. The whole thing is geared toward prepping mom-to-be for a natural birth....proper nutrition, supplements, and other holistic methods to make sure the body is ready to perform when it needs to!

Julie's beginning to feel the uncomfortable side of pregnancy....the boy has been wailing away on her ribcage for a few weeks now. Perhaps another soccer player? More likely a kickboxer..........

Crib: check. Dresser: check. Car seats: check. Stroller: check. Bassinet: check. Changing table: check. Baby body carrier: check. Speaking of the baby carrier, a buddy of ours, Mark, who lives in Logan but who is taking a year-or-so-long hiatus in France with his wife and daughter, designs things for a living. Climbing gear, ski gear, and oddly enough, a particular baby carrier for a company called Belle Baby Carriers. A couple days ago the UPS guy dropped a package off from Mark, and in it was a brand new baby carrier...made of all-natural hemp for all the hippies out there. Anyway, we're coming along in terms of baby gear.

Food craving of the month: A one-night fast food burger binge at McDonald's and Wendy's. Only lasted one night, and she couldn't bring herself to throw in a whopper to complete the trifecta. Also, milk.

Here is the 32 week photo:

Prepping the baby room

Here's the excited dad-to-be getting the baby room ready. The walls will be a light khaki, but Scott has plans to paint a giant tree on one of them. Stay tuned for the finished product...

28 Weeks

Here's the 28 week belly. Getting bigger every day. Little Hoff is doing great. He should be about 2 1/2 pounds this week.

Food Craving of the month: peppermint ice cream cake (or any sweets - which is usually not my thing)

25 Weeks

Here is a 25 week shot. I'm finally showing and no longer have people telling me I don't look pregnant. Our 24 week appointment went well except for the news that I have surpassed Scott in weight this past month. The baby is healthy and definitely growing. I feel him moving around every day. Scott was able to feel his first kick on December 14!

Food craving of the month: None. Too much heartburn!

20 week ultrasound is in!

We've been waiting for this news for a while...there is always the question, "Do we want to know the sex of the baby before he or she is born, or do we want it to be a surprise?" We've been asked this question at least a hundred times...I'm sure all expecting parents are. Well, I guess we don't like surprises, so if you do and want to try to withhold from knowing for another four months, better sign out now......

The ultrasound was able to detect very clear...and I do mean very clear...evidence of a baby BOY growing inside Julie's belly. So there it is...Lil' Hoff is officially a boy! More importantly, he is very active and as healthy as can be. He weighs 13 ounces.

Attached are some photos from the ultrasound...if you haven't experienced one of these, all I can say is, when you do it will be one of the more memorable things you'll ever see. The first one is the bottom of a foot...thought it was cool. The second is the entire kid...head, ears, heart, spine...

S&J

20 Weeks

Today marks the half-way point in the pregnancy, and we are anxiously awaiting our next ultrasound on 11/18 during which we will hopefully find out the sex. Still not showing too much yet, but I have felt the little flurries of little hoff moving around. The most movement was felt during a Piyo (Pilates and Yoga) class I took.

Food craving of the month: Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Moab Half Marathon

October 18, 2009 - Scott, our friend Shannon, and I all successfully completed a half marathon amidst the beautiful canyons of Moab. Shannon and I finished with a respectable time of 2 hours 15 minutes. Thanks to Shannon for putting up with my frequent pee stops.

Scott, finishing with a time of 1 hour 30 minutes, was the 16th person overall to cross the finish line (out of 1500!). He received a medal for finishing third in his age division! Needless to say, he was pretty well rested by the time we crossed the finish.