Katelyn news

So this past week we have really been pushing hard the potty training, and it has been paying off! We are doing underwear during the day and diapers during nap time and bed time. She has been dry the past three days in a row and even did #2 on the potty yesterday evening. We were so excited you wouldn't have believed it! lol. Oh boy the things we get excited for now!!! So now she is a 'big girl' and will even say so after going each time. Big girls go potty on the potty, not in a diaper. And that is exactly what she is doing. Whats also great is that at her daycare, Cathy is helping us by also doing the potty training during the day. She is wonderful and patient! My goal during this whole thing was to go without having to buy diapers at least once before Mitch arrives, and I think its going to happen! We are so proud of our Big Girl!

36 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely he's in a head-down position. But if he isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating him from the outside of your belly.


I went to the doctor this week and while I'm not dialated I did find out that I am 40 to 50% effaced. So there is 'some' progress, and while I am ready for him to arrive, I do want him healthy and can wait another week or two. I am hoping he is early though! 38 weeks, that sounds like a good time for him to come! :)

35 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

my little ham

Katelyn likes to take pictures, she doesn't like pictures taken of her very much though. Every time I pull out the camera to take my weekly shot she wants to have hers taken but will never stand still or smile for me. These are from earlier...



I wish that I had taken her picture last night when she had hold of grandma's camera, she doesn't hold it the right way and always takes a picture of her face and eyes. Lucky she always has her eyes closed so the flash doesn't blind her!

34 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

2.5 year check-up

Katelyn and daddy went to the doctor yesterday for her 2.5 year check-up and all is well. She measured at 37" tall and was 26 pounds. Brad said that as soon as they took off her clothes that she started crying and was a very unhappy girl. I think this is stemming from her hospital visits and surgery. She still has her eczema flare ups and we can keep using her hydrocortisone prescription cream as well as keep her lotioned up. The doctor asked Brad if we were brushing her teeth which is funny because she opened her mouth to show them off! She will start off 'brushing' her own teeth and then hand over her toothbrush to one of us to finish the job. So cute. Other than that our little lady is doing quite well.

33 weeks

Katelyn decided at the last minute to jump into the shot! I loved it so much that I didn't want to try and take another one!
How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.


The below shot of my sister and I was taken on the 4th but I wanted to add it anyways!

A new toy...

for daddy and Grandpa at least! They went on a little day trip to Kansas to see their new toy as it had recently been completed and rolled off the line. Fun for them!

Happy 4th of July!!!

We hope that everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!

Newport Aquarium

This morning we headed out to the Newport Aquarium and Katelyn was excited and ready to go. To tell you the truth, Brad and I were just as excited to take her! She had a blast and loved looking at all the 'fishies'! She tried to grab at each of them and wasn't afraid of getting up close to the glass. In most cases she had to be held in order to see the fish but in other areas she could walk and look for herself, which she loved. She did great in the shark area as well, I wasn't sure if she would be afraid but it didn't seem to phase her. She absolutely loved the penguins though! they put on a good show for everyone watching too! Here are (a lot of) pictures from our trip...

"Look at the fishies!"

She saw an octopuss for the first time.
And a giant 'alligator turtle'

Some more fishies, this time at her level.

Little alligators

With mommy in the shark area.

Seeing the sharks was fun!

Big fish!

The fun penguins.

A perfect picture opportunity! She had a blast, and we couldn't have been happier. We stopped by the gift shop and she picked out a 'nemo' stuffed animal fishie. She's been carrying it ever since.

32 weeks

How your baby's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.


32 weeks already?! Time seems to be going by so quickly. I actually have a doctor appointment later today so I'll get to hear Mitch's heartbeat again, I love that sound! He does move all the time so I don't forget that he's in there!!!

This upcoming weekend will be a fun one. Tomorrow we plan on going to the Aquarium and I hope to get lots of pictures. I'm sure Katelyn will absolutely love it! We have a bbq to go to on Sunday, Monday is the 4th which will be fun fireworks and Tuesday I'm hoping will be a lazy day. Somewhere in there will be time with family as well! We're going to keep busy thats for sure! I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!