Welcome Elizabeth Mae Miller!!!!

Today, at 16:23EST (4:23pm) on Wednesday July 1st, 2009 Allison and I welcomed our Daughter, Elizabeth Mae Miller, "Elsie" into this world. She weighed 8lbs even, is 19 3/4 inches long, and had a 13 1/4 inch chest. She had way more hair than Daddy and man are we happy she is here.

I am writing this from our room at Northside Hospital watching over my wife and daughter as they both get some much needed sleep after a very stressful day. One filled with a very Happy Ending and Beginning.

This past Sunday Allison felt that Baby Miller was not kicking her as much as normal (actually so decreased was the movement that Allison and I went to Northside to make sure our baby was Ok). After about two hours and a couple of apple juices later they told us to go home, that the baby was in good shape and to follow-up with our Doc, Dr. Joffe (make sure to ask me who he looks like).

So today we went to the Doctor's office and he put Allison on a stress test with the baby and had a monitor on her for about an hour. Once the test was completed we sat with him in his office and took in his recommended of a C-Section. When I asked when he would schedule it he replied "This afternoon about 3 or 4, is that good for you all?" So with that we drove around shocked, nervous, and excited about what the day had in store for us.

Allison and I arrived at Northside where they prepped her for the C-section and got me dressed in a cool blue suit.

Once into the C-section the doctor discovered the Elsie had cord wrapped around her neck twice and around her mid section twice. In addition to finding the cord wrapped around everything, Allison had a complication when they took Elsie out, which caused her to loose a good amount of blood and caused our C-section to be anything but routine for the Doctor. Also, unbeknownst to us while the doc was tending to Allison our new baby was having some issues breathing on her own. Our doctor was the Hero today for two reasons...1) delivering a beautiful baby girl and 2) making sure my wife, her mother, came through.

So now as I sit here and look at my wife and baby girl, I am excited about what this new beginning will bring and thankful that they are both doing so well.

Hard to Believe...

I've spent the last few minutes reading back to the first couple of posts that Chris and I did on here, and it's really hard to believe that we've made it to week 40. I've been so blessed to have a relatively "easy" pregnancy, and I can honestly say that I am going to miss being pregnant. We're ready to meet Baby Miller (even though I'm not so certain that we're ready for what's ahead), and we're excited about having this new addition to our family. I have a lot of hopes and dreams for our first child, but my biggest hope is that Shim will have a love for the Lord, and that he/she will be surrounded with the kind of support system that Chris and I have found. We have such wonderful family and friends, and we know that you will all make a difference in our child's life.

Chris and I heard more of the same this week at Dr. Joffe's office (looks great, doing good, see you next week...). It's a little frustrating, but as many of you have pointed out, the longer this little bean stays in here, the more shim can grow (and the more time we'll have to await the arrival of the crib). We did make some major headway in the nursery this week- the curtains are up, and Chris proved just how easy it is to hang curtains on double rods in a house with plaster walls that are 80+ years old. He made it looks like something you'd see on the DIY network. Seriously. It was amazing, and it gave us something to do on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night...

A notable favorite from this week: I've gotten in the habit of waking Baby Miller up in the morning by singing "it's time to rise and shine and (clap) give God the glory, glory..." This is fun because I use my belly as the percussion in the song, and it makes Chris laugh. Wonder if shim will have an aversion to clapping and singing this particular song when shim gets here.

And so, with one week left on the 40 week plan, I am so thankful for what has been the most amazing experience of my life, and I can't wait to see what comes next!

Our Little Cucumber Part 12

So my unborn child is very similar to me now since Baby Miller, per the progress chart we follow, says our “baby has really plumped up” and so have I. Shim is tipping the scales at 6.8 pounds (and I just hit like 390 lbs.) and over 19 1/2 inches long (and I have shrank and am now at 5 foot and 3 inches). Shim this week is just like a....WAIT FOR IT….WAIT FOR IT…WAIT FOR IT…Just like a ALLIUM AMPELOPRASUM VAR. PORRUM (That is Latin). The Alliaceae family of veggies include the brother and sister (or vice versa) to the ALLIUM AMPELOPRASUM VAR. PORRUM the Onion and Garlic and two other related vegetables the Very Rare Great Elephant Garlic and the Kurrat.

If you have not been brushing up on your Latin I am talking about that great but often forgotten vegetable the Leek. Yep my kid is a Leek (which I am sure that he/she will be doing a lot of once he/she arrives).

Baby Miller now has a firm grasp, which we will be able to test when we hold the little hand for the first time. It never occurred to me until just now that in a few days I will get to hold my child’s hand or have them grasp mine. What a humbling thought…Really to me it is such a surreal thing to think that I will be able to get to hold the hand of the new life that Allison and I have created (along with a little help). That first grab of their hand to mine will be the first one of many throughout the years. That little hand grabbing mine looking for affection, protection, or comfort from me. Wow!

The World Wide IntraWeb also says that Baby Miller’s organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb (Not sure if Allison and I are ready for their life outside the womb yet and I know I have not Matured enough but I guess there is no turning back now).

Another amazing thought that I had not thought of until I started writing this was what color eyes will Baby Miller have? It will be interesting to see but I never knew that we would have to wait 9 months for them to get their full dose of pigment to the iris for us to see if they get Allison’s Green or my Greenish/Blue eyes. Maybe Shim will get some really cool dark blue eyes or maybe hazel or gray.

It will be an amazing journey and I can not wait to hold their hand (or have them grasp mine) or to look into their eyes.

Car Seat? Check.

Chris and I took a trip to the VA Highlands Fire Department today to have the car seat installed, and it's a good thing we did. The nice fireman made it all look relatively easy, but I feel certain that Chris and I would have been in trouble had we tried to do this on our own...And to top it all off, this nice man looked completely happy to be installing a car seat in the back of a black car on a nice 95 degree Atlanta day.

37 Down, 3ish to Go!

We made it through another week, and we had a pretty major milestone: Chris and I attended a breast feeding class (for couples), and we didn't even leave early. It was an excellent class, and I highly recommend it to anyone who might be considering nursing, or other individuals who just want to learn about the cradle hold, cross-cradle hold, and football hold. I mean, seriously, I can't believe that individuals are required to take tests to be able to drive, and yet they'll let any dummy do this parenting thing. I just thought you held the baby so that his or her head didn't fall off and you were good. Man, are we unprepared for this...

We went for our second weekly appointment this past Wednesday, and again, much to my dismay, they told us nothing. I guess I was kind of hoping the Doc could give me an approximate 2 or 3 day window as to then we could expect SHIM, but I was sadly mistaken. Just the same old routine and we were sent on our way until next Wednesday. We did learn that my doctor would be vacationing away for the holiday weekend, so depending on when Baby Miller decides to come say hello, he might be greeted by a complete stranger. I'm OK with this though, as I feel confident that when the time comes, I'm not going to care who is calling the plays as long as he makes it all quick and painless. (That's right, I said it, QUICK and PAINLESS. It's possible...) We did get a good laugh when Dr. Joffe started telling us about the silly requests that some of his past patients have made as part of their "birthing plan". People are crazy (refer back to above point about not having to have a license to have kids...). Let's just say that while I thought the one lady's request for red wine during delivery was not all that ludicrous, I think I'll stick to the ice chips (at least for the first couple of weeks).

Our Little Cucumber Part 11

Baby Miller has now reached Terminal Velocity FULL TERM which means that if SHIM arrives now, the lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though that is still a couple of weeks away (However, I am sure that Allison would be happy if it was sooner rather than later).

Our baby weighs about 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel like a stalk of Swiss chard (Yep...Exactly like a SWISS CHARD) If you have ever eaten Swiss Chard Please Raise Your Hand (You can raise your hand on the Internet...Silly Readers but just as I thought...NOT ONE PERSON RAISED THEIR HAND). Seriously (as serious as I can be anyway, which is not that serious) let us know if you are the one person who has had Swiss Chard and what the Swiss Chard was like (does any else enjoy saying/reading Swiss Chard? I do...Swiss Chard...Swiss Chard...Swiss Chard...Swiss Chard...Swiss Chard...Swiss Chard...Swiss Chard...Sorry got carried away yet again!) Also, for those adventurous types you can buy the seeds at Johnny's Selected Seeds to grow some for yourself but don't be to disappointed that the Golden Sunrise Swiss Chard seeds are SOLD OUT (I hear they are ALL THE RAGE this year). If they are good we are going to ask Susan if Baby Miller can plant some in the garden next year.

The World Wide IntraWeb says that many babies have a full head of hair at birth, amazing as many of you voted that I would have more hair than my newborn...Actually, I was the only ONE who voted that I WOULD have more hair (and I will if you take into account the amount on my face but Who really needs enemies with Friends like you all. Or who needs self-confidence or a good self-image...Well I am off to Shoot Myself, Get Hair Plugs, and/or Counseling to deal with my bad self image you have instilled in me. Really Thanks to ALL who voted) and that the locks could be a 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. The World Wide Intraweb also said that SHIM could come out as blond or a redhead…That would be funny if the kid came out with RED hair…We would have to give them an Irish name like Finley or Murray (I guess in that case LL Cool J would be surprised).

See you next week on Our Little Cucumber...

Lucky Guess

If you haven't had a chance to enter your guesses for when Baby Miller will arrive, how big shim will be, and what she/he will be, take a few minutes to check out our poll at  http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyMiller_09

Here are the results so far:

Another One Down

With week 36 having come and gone, Chris and I are starting to really feel the pressure. As the trusty Babycare website says, I am now considered "full term", and Baby Miller could arrive at any time! The "Eviction Notice" has been sent.

Of course we're completely prepared for that, and everything that needs to be done has been finished for weeks now in anticipation of the arrival of Deuce... (or, nothing has been done, the nursery furniture still isn't here, and Chris and I are holding on with all of our might to our "ignorance is bliss" mantra). Either way, we're getting more and more excited, and we (I) can't wait for shim to come on out! Sleep is no longer a restful experience, and turning over at night has become something like an Olympic event for me, so I will be happy when our little bundle is on the outside!
Week 36 brought with it my last day at work, for which I was very thankful. Summer has definitely arrived in Atlanta, and the heat has had an adverse effect on my already long-forgotten ankles, which has made it hard to wear cute outfits. With work now over, I can feel quite confident as I go about my days in "lounge wear". I'm hoping this isn't an indicator of how I'll "let myself go" once shim gets here.
Chris and I have started our weekly doctors visits now, and I think we were both hoping when we went to see Dr. Joffe on Wednesday that he would tell us the baby was on his/her way. No luck. We got the "everything looks good, see you next week" speech and were sent on our way.
This week has given me plenty of time to focus on washing all of the great baby clothes/ blankets/towels and other fun stuff that we've acquired over the past few months, and it's been fun pulling the miniature shirts and socks out of the dryer and trying to figure out the best way to fold them (without the use of Chris' handy folding board). It makes it all seem very real when you have a room full of neatly folded onesies, socks, and mittens, and it makes me so very thankful for all that we've been blessed with over the last 8 months. Looking back, I can't believe (ye of little faith) how far God has brought us since we first found out we were pregnant nearly 7 months ago. God is good.
So, week 36 in short: clean baby clothes, no more work for Alli, ankles that resemble something from the Dinosaur age, continued blessings from God, and sleepless nights.
Can't ask for much more than that.

Showers for Baby Miller

Chris and I have been very blessed to have wonderful family members and friends help us get ready for the arrival of Baby Miller. We've had several showers over the past few weeks, and I want to say a HUGE thank you for everything that we've been given (hopefully I've sent you a thank you card by now..., and a great big hug for all of the hosts (Megan, Kate, Kristin, Debbie, Leigh, Kelly, Michelle, Sam, Kevin, Angel, Courtney, Katherine, Susan, and Pam).

Baby stuff is the coolest stuff in the world, and we can't wait to put it all to use! I can't lie- Chris and I didn't know exactly what a receiving blanket was a few weeks ago, but we're starting to get some idea of what all this baby stuff is for!

Weeks 33 and 34

OK, so I kind of fell off of the blogging wagon, but I'm jumping back on!  I figured all of the posts that Chris has been writing were more than enough to take up most of our diligent followers' free time, but what the heck-  I'll add a little too!  I can say that there are two things for sure that I hope Baby Miller gets from his/her dad:

1.  His ability to talk/write about absolutely anything and sound like he knows what he's talking about

2.  His ankles (I use to have ankles, but it's been a while since I've seen them, so I figure it's a safe bet to hope for ankles like Chris has...)

Note:  There are a ton of other things I hope this kid picks up from Chris, these two are just presently at the top of my list.

I digress.

Weeks 33 and 34 brought many tired days and nights with them.  It's getting harder and harder to sleep, and nearly impossible to get comfortable while sitting, standing, or walking.  Which pretty much means that I am uncomfortable most, if not all, of the time.  I will say again though that this pregnancy has been fairly easy on me (physically), so I'm trying to not complain too much as I come into the home stretch (don't quote me on that...)

Chris and I have had fun reading to Baby Miller at night before we go to bed.  Hopefully this is a tradition that we're able to keep up with once are little guy/gal gets here!  A huge thanks to all of our friends and my students for the books that have been given to us.  It's fun to read books that I read when I was a kid, and it's even more fun for Chris to read many of them for the first time.  Our current favorite:  The Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton.  It's a cute little book about hippos and belly buttons, and I highly recommend it!

Our Little Cucumber Part 10

Back for OLCP10, Yep that’s right another week of me impersonating a writer and sharing with you important things about our how our Little Cucumber Bundle of Joy is developing and what ever happens to spill out of my pea size brain that sits on my shoulders.

BM (Baby Miller) (Yes, that is the first and last use of those initials together) is almost 6 pounds and still packing on the pounds at a rate of about an ounce a day (and jumping around all crazy like in BabyMamas belly (seriously last night the kid moved over to one side and it looked like Allison had a lopsided belly (it could still be an Alien) but as Long as SHIM is happy and comfortable, right?). In addition to nearing a good fighting weight to “Take On the World” (queue Rocky Music) Baby Miller is also about 18.5 inches in length from head to heel.

So the fruit/vegetable of the week is a Crenshaw Melon, which happens to weigh about the same as SHIM this week. I had planned on providing a wealth of knowledge on the said "Crenshaw Melon" but I was unable to find anything on the fruit at Wikipedia. However, Wikipedia did highlight that Crenshaw is a town in South LA that brought us Ice Cube, Ice-T (and several other cold items), two mayors of LA, Eric Davis and Darryl Strawberry, and a portion of the LA Riots. I might try to look the fruit up in other places next time on the World Wide Intraweb like in a food dictionary.

So there is a lot the baby is doing in these last 3 weeks of living in Allison, which I will spare you most of the details of. However, Procter & Gamble should change the name of that fabric softener which SHIM seems to be shedding and eating which leads to other things…

At the end of this week Allison will be considered Full-Term, which means she made it to 37 weeks with Baby Miller (which I think is about as long she has made it with me if we factor in the Boston/Brazil living arrangements). It is amazing/scary to think that we are only a matter of weeks (and it could even be DAYS) away from being parents and having a child.

I wonder if Baby Miller is having thoughts of what is to come. SHIM is probably thinking and saying “So I am not going to be working living around here anymore?”. I wonder if that baby is as scared as I am that they are coming into my life and into this world. I have no idea what to expect and in a lot of ways what to do.

Such big things are all happening at once…Pregnancy, birth, a new life, a child, being parents; I hope and pray that I RISE up to the challenge, I hope that I am a good parent, I hope I am a good role model, I hope SHIM looks up to me, I hope he/she doesn't do the things I did wrong, I hope that I instill faith, character, honor, politeness, toughness and teach him/her to dream, have great confidence and self-control. I hope that this Baby achieves everything I want for him/her (AND MORE) and achieve all he/she wants to accomplish, I hope that….well I could go on and on for all the things I wish/hope/want for my new child and one thing is for sure…It will be an interesting journey.

Get your guess on...

CLICK HERE to take a guess on the baby's gender, due date, weight, and length. Also, check out our Polling Questions (Yep, just like CNN durning the election) Down the RIGHT SIDE of the page to help pick a name and poke fun at Chris (if he will pass out or if the baby will have more hair than him).

http://www.expectnet.com/games/BabyMiller_09

Our Little Cucumber Part 9

In this chapter of "As the World Turns"...it does but it is not our show...I meant "General Hospital" No wait, we will be going to Northside Hospital not the General one. I think it is "All My Children" ....Nope don’t even have one of those yet. Or is it "One Life To Live" Right, like I could live more than onedual lives especially for someone like me who can not remember much. Maybe our show is "The Bold and the Beautiful" Again No, I may be the Bold not so much the beautiful. I could go with the "Guiding Light", which I should probably follow a little more (maybe I need a new head lamp or something brighter for me to follow). Then again there will be "The Young and the Restless" or at least this is what I am told. And that all happens in the "Days of Our Lives" (said with a matter of fact and weird TV voice).

Actually none of those shows above are REAL ( Does anyone really follow the shows when they have a script like "I slept with my wife, who really is my long lost cousin, who was really my mother, who was really your brother's father, and carried your baby") and what I can gather they are all very similar to the WWF but geared toward the demographic that will watch. Personally just watching the News or any of the “Reality TV” shows that fill the airways these days fills my desire for watching Soap Operas . Real life is much crazier than those shows…but then again maybe the news and other stuff is made up as well and we are all being feed by the media....A whole Media Conspiracy....In fact, I am not even having a kid...we are just getting a puppy, we just want you to think about having kids (in a couple of months I may be wishing for that puppy with the sleep deprivation I keep hearing about).

Anyway…….. I hope no one feels they have to tune in each week but in the off chance you do, Thanks for tuning in...This week is Part 9 in Our Little Cucumber series of posts and get ready for some crazy drama, speed, and food...(I think this is where I need to come up with a them song...que theme song)

...Allison Carries the Cantaloupe, Chris Drives to fast...and will Dottie and Johnny get thrown from the car...Will Allison bring the watermellon instead... Will Chris get a ticket...Will Dottie and Johnny........(gasp)....survive!!!!

So Allison is carrying your average cantaloupe around, which now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds and is almost 18 inches long. Chris’ Baby Miller’s fat layers — which will help regulate body temperature once born are filling out, making SHIM rounder (like Chirs). The skin is also smoother than ever (I am guessing as Smooth as a Baby’s Butt). The central nervous system is maturing and the lungs are continuing to mature as well (Now if only I could mature). The Intraweb goes on to talk about if your nervous about Preterm Labor….Dude…I am terrified with Preterm, Postterm,Term Term, Pre-pre-Term Labors...I mean AM NERVOUS ABOUT ALL OF IT and I am not even carrying the Cantaloupe.

At the moment we are trying to get the house cleaned out and get the Nursery setup. Which is going OK but man, have we got a lot of STUFF. So if anyone needs some STUFF let us know, we would be happy to move said STUFF from our house to yours. In additon to moving STUFF around I will also be attempting over this coming weekend the "First Install" of the seat for Baby Miller.

For this test I have created a plan to take baby seat and the Chariot of choice for Baby Mama and Baby Miller, which I have outlined below:

"First Install" created in part by NASA Engineers:

1.) Install baby seat in

2) Strap in Johnny (a cool doll Allison gave me, which I think is was for Baby Miller, who will now have to fight me for him) and his friend Dotti (both from Blabla Kids a very cool shop we found here in the ATL))






3) Take the Baby Miller Chariot (the Old New to us Porsche Cayenne S) up to WARP SPEED (which means exceeding the speed limit by at least 45MPH)

4) Then Slam on the Brakes


By doing the above test I will see IF Dottie, Johnny or I fly out of the car and/or the Baby Seat. If nobody ends up through the windshield or in the front seat...Then the Baby Seat is Good to Go with Baby Miller. By the way did you see that really cool Perambulator in the picture (Yes, that is a word and No I am not refering to the wife's new car (2nd one in the family though, good choice Honey)...actually talking about the Pram--a Baby Stroller, if you will, and yes, I did just learn that word). So If anyone sees me pulled over with two dolls above on the hood and a cop you will know why (did I just leave myself open to jokes).

See ya next week!!!

Our Little Cucumber Part 8

What is yellow, green, can stick you, and loves hummingbirds? If you guessed the fruit/plant that Baby Miller is this week you would be right. Our little Cucumber now weighs a little over 4 pounds and has the heft of a PINEAPPLE (our fruit/plant for Week 33). In addition, SHIM has passed the 17-inch mark and is rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look (I knew we were having an Alien, I just didn’t know that Alien Baby Miller would grow out of it) and the baby’s skeleton is hardening (still sounds like an Alien to me…Hardening Skeleton…weird/crazy). The bones in SHIMs skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for Baby Miller to fit through the birth canal (THE WHAT???!!! I guess that was covered in the Birthing Class I failed out of). Apparently, the pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance (Well I thought I was passed the whole Baby is an Alien thing but hardening skeleton, conehead, and moving skull bones…That all sounds like Aliens GOD at work to me). These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood (Can you just add Miracle Grow and Water and get a really smart kid or would that result in a really large Cranium?).

On a Side Note: (As you know, I love side notes) Did anyone know that people claim that pineapples help to induce childbirth when a baby is overdue (Good to Know) and that it helps with some intestinal disorders (Also, Good to Know). In case you did not know the natural/most common pollinator of the pineapple is the hummingbird (so that is the story of the birds and the bees…kiss a plant and you make a pineapple). Pineapple is also a good source of manganese (91 % of your Daily Vitamins in a 1 cup serving), as well as containing significant amounts of Vitamin C (94 % Daily Vitamins in a 1 cup serving) and Vitamin B1 (8 % Daily Vitamins in a 1 cup serving).

On a Cranium Note: The Intraweb says that Cranial capacity is a measure of the volume of the interior of the cranium (also called the braincase or brainpan) of those vertebrates who have both a cranium and a brain. The most commonly used unit of measure is the cubic centimetre or cc. The volume of the cranium is used as a rough indicator of the size of the brain, and this in turn is used as a rough indicator of the potential intelligence of the organism. However, larger cranial capacity is not always indicative of a more intelligent organism, since larger capacities are required for controlling a larger body, or in some cases are an adaptive feature for life in a colder environment.
Examples of cranial capacity:
• Orangutans: 275–500 cc
• Chimpanzees: 275–500 cc
• Gorillas: 340–752 cc
• Humans: 1100–1700 cc
• Neanderthals: 1200–1700 cc
So above states that Neanderthals start with a larger Cranium Capacity or possibly more intelligence than Humans…guess I can’t call my friends Tom or Brad Neanderthals anymore.

Go fourth and eat Pineapple and think of Baby Miller. See Write you all next week for the next exciting chapter of…Just What in the Heck is our Baby?!?!

Goodbye Ankles, Hello Week 33

I'd like to take a moment to remember the ankles that I once had.

Seriously, this week marks something new in the pregnancy process. The swelling of my ankles, feet, and toes has officially begun (edema, they call it...), and I have officially become extremely thankful that it is flip-flop season (and that I am allowed to wear flip-flops to school).

Chris and I took a tour of Northside Hospital tonight, and I am happy to report that we lasted for the ENTIRE tour.  Not a small feet, I mean, feat, considering the fact that my ankles/feet/toes started to resemble some sort of main course at a family BBQ...  All joking aside, it was very informative, and I feel great about having Baby Miller there.  Chris is still joking that he and Steve will be quite comfortable in the lobby while they wait for Dr. Joffe to come out and make the "It's a ____"  announcement.  Looks like I might want to start seriously considering a back-up for my supportive husband...

It's so hard to believe that this part of the journey is quickly coming to an end.  I still can't believe that we're having a baby soon, and I am so thankful that God has helped us make it this far.

Birthing School Dropouts...

Chris and I signed up for a "birthing" class that was offered at the hospital, and we devoted this past Saturday to learning all about the whole process. Some might say that we're quitters, because after 4 hours of the 8 hour class, we bolted. Don't get me wrong, we did it in a respectable manner, waiting until the lunch break to inform the instructor that I wasn't feeling well and we wouldn't be coming back. While some of you might think that this was a lie, I assure you it wasn't (totally). Chris and I were definitely both feeling a little "under the weather" after some of the things that the instructor shared with us. I seriously think that some things are better left unknown...

All that to say: Please pray for Chris and I both when the big day rolls around. While we did learn the "slow dance" relaxation/breathing method (which Chris and I both laughed through...), there is a slight chance that we may have missed something important. (I say slight not to discount the informative nature of the class, but more to make myself feel better about being a birthing school dropout.)

The Top 10 things we did learn:
1. Only one out of ten couples opt to not find out the sex of their baby before birth (we were the one couple...)
2. Don't go to the hospital until the 5-1-1 kicks in (5 minutes between contractions, 1 minute per contraction, for at least 1 hour)
3. Walk as much as possible once labor starts (unless it starts at night, then try to sleep- right.)
4. Don't let the nurses take the baby from you right away (as long as all is well). As it turns out, mothers produce a "love hormone" that triggers all sorts of crazy bonding stuff within the first few minutes after birth if the baby is in direct contact with the momma.
5. Have a backup for Chris (in case he DFOs- "done falls out")
6. Be prepared to wait- instant gratification is unknown in labor in delivery
7. Chris's role is to remember the acronym PURE once I go into labor. What the letters themselves mean is not as important as him simply remembering that, no matter what, I am right, he is wrong, and it's all his fault.
8. Be nice to the nurse.
9. Be prepared to wait. (This warrants a double entry, especially for the laughing couple that never came back after lunch...)
10. Bring things to engage ourselves in mindless activity. Puzzles anyone?

We're signed up for a hospital tour on Thursday night. We'll try to make it through the entire 50 minutes, I promise...

My First Mothers Day

Even though Baby Miller isn't here yet, I did get to celebrate my first Mothers Day this year, and it was very emotional- partly because EVERYTHING makes me cry these days, and partly because I started thinking about how amazing this whole process has been, and how much I wish my mom could be here to share it all with us. I have been (overly) blessed with stand-in moms, and I am so grateful for/to each of you for being here throughout this process. I know that my mom would be very happy with the support system that I have, and I know that she is enjoying every minute of this right along with me. So while this is all a little overwhelming at times, I like to remember one of my mom's favorite verses from Isaiah, and I like to think that even though Chris and I have no idea what we're doing (in the parenting department...), God's not going to let us mess this up.


Isaiah 41:10

So do not be afraid. I am with you. Do not be terrified. I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. My powerful right hand will take good care of you. I always do what is right.

Our Little Cucumber Part 7

So our “Little Cucumber” is no longer a “Little Cucumber” this week Baby Miller weighs 3.75 pounds and is about the size of a LARGE JICAMA and is about 16.7 inches long. Allison will be gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to Baby Miller. In fact, the baby will gain a third to half of its birth weight during the next 7 weeks as Chris Baby Miller fattens up for survival outside the tummy. Baby Miller now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). The skin is becoming soft and smooth as our baby plumps up in preparation for birth (if only I had the excuse for plumping up for the birth).

Maybe some of you are asking what in the heck is a Jicama? Well so was I. Google shows 387,000 pages dedicated to the ROOT (there are some people that have way to much time on their hands to be writing the Intra-web like that) and on Sally Bernstein’s website she provides a description of the root as "A stranger in the produce section...a lumpy, odd-looking creature…inert-looking blob… humble…homely in appearance”. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would say any of those things about a baby? I am dumb but even I know where to draw the line (yes, I am still learning how to do that). I do not think I have ever eaten Jicama but if you really are what you eat... then I am sticking with nice big STEAK (preferably from Kevin Rathbun Steakhouse, if anyone would like to take me I am available most every night) not some dumb “homely in appearance” looking root.

On a side note... (yes, I know that all my bloggings/posts on this here Intra-web are filled with side notes...Thank you so much for pointing that out!!!). Anyway, as some of you may have realized, this past Sunday was Mother's Day, and I experienced my first (Expecting) Mother’s Day. I like to think that some things take a bit of practice and that is what this first Mother’s Day was for me, a practice of sorts. Learning that this holiday was/is for expecting Mothers as well as established ones, is something that would have been good to know ahead of time (way sooner than Sunday would have been good. Allison if you read this...I am just writing a funny story I heard two weeks ago while shopping for your Mother's Day gifts). However, I may have pulled it out at the last second but I will most likely NOT get nominated for any Husband of the Year awards (good thing this was a trial run My Wife is so understanding). I think next year the execution will be much better and I am not expecting much a LOT for Father’s Day.

Back next week with another episode of As the World Turns “Our Little Cucumber”...

Has it really been 31 weeks?

Wow.  We've just finished 31 weeks, and even though we didn't find out we were pregnant until I was 7 weeks along, I feel like it's been a long haul. I think that has something to do with the fact that this week has proven to be a little difficult for this pregnant lady. Take for instance, it's 3:26 in the afternoon, and I'm not sure how I am going to stay awake for the next 15 minutes (let alone make it until I get to go home at 5...). Or there's the fact that I seem to have "lost" my right ankle somewhere.  I keep trying to remind myself what a great pregnancy I've had (aside from the scares at the doctor's office), and I'm trying to keep a grateful attitude for that. Check back in with me on that in, say, 2 weeks.... Or tomorrow. Baby steps.

This week was a very exciting week for Chris and I because we got to see Baby Chris, I mean, Baby Miller in 4D. What an amazing experience! Susan, the tech that did the ultrasound, was so great, and she had us laughing the whole time. It seemed as though our little peanut didn't want to have any part in having his/her picture taken, so Susan had to get creative... As it turns out, you can make a baby move by shaking from side to side, walking, and doing lunges (great idea, Chris). In the end we got some super cute shots of our little star, and I think we may have even convinced Chris that there is, in fact, a baby in there!

On a not so fun note, I learned on Monday that going to the dentist on an empty stomach while pregnant is not a good idea... No more cleanings for me until after July 3rd. Long after July 3rd..

With 8 weeks left, we're trying to prepare as best we can for what lies ahead! Keep praying, and keep telling me how great I look. :)

Baby Miller in Star Wars...it will be an adventure!

Certain things amaze me and one of them is the imagination and creativity of people. For example, George Lucas with his creation of Star Wars and the characters like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO and R2-D2, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader. In addition, my wife and her ability to paint and draw things that just come to her (where as I have to trace anything for it to turn out well).

Anyway, this past Sunday, Allison and I got to experience something that I still have not really wrapped my head around yet. We were able to see our baby through technology. It was an amazing thing to see. I am still not sure it was real (both Allison and the Tech said it was, so I guess I believe them even though it could still be from a Galaxy far, far away). Enjoy the slide show below; I know Allison and I are blown away every time we look at the pictures.

Our Little Cucumber Part 6

Week 31 is now here and Baby Miller measures over 16 inches long. SHIM (She/Him) weighs about 3.3 pounds which is about like carrying four navel oranges (and is what the Intraweb says our baby is like this week). The little guy/gal is heading into a growth spurt. SHIM can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out (I have been doing a lot of that over the years) as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. SHIM is probably MOST definitely moving a lot too (so much so that last weekend at Church Allison got punched/kicked so hard that she actually came up off the pew. It was like in the movies where the superhero hits someone and they go flying across the room...how cool is it that we are going to have a Superhero or will it be a Villain maybe we could even have a Superhero Team like the X-Men (I am a bit of a mutant) or Fantastic Four (Allison is pretty and fantastic) ...Sorry, I think I got off into one of my daydreams (but maybe we could add Wolverine to the name list and maybe Baby Miller will come out with some crazy facial hair)). While I have been having dreams of adding a Superhero to the family, Allison has been having trouble sleeping because our baby kicks and does somersaults that keep her up (or it could be my snoring- Right, like I snore). The kicks, hits, and somersaults are all good as they are a sign that our baby is active and healthy (or it means that our Baby will be the Villain versus the Superhero...).

Week 30

Another one down!

This week was fairly uneventful, if you don't count the track and field event that seems to be going on in my belly. It is the strangest feeling in the world to wake up to someone kicking you (from inside) in the middle of the night. Strange, but really, really cool.

I'm starting to get a little sad thinking about the fact that in just a few short weeks I won't have this little one all to myself anymore. I sat down to chat with a friend this week, and was so touched by what she shared with me. She was asking me if I had been enjoying the pregnancy (which I have- I've been so lucky to have felt pretty good this whole time), and she told me about how wonderful her last pregnancy was- about how much she loved being pregnant with her baby (who is now a young adult). What touched me the most was how she talked about the last weekend she had before she was scheduled to deliver her little girl, and how she was so emotional over the idea that once she was born her little girl would no longer belong only to her, but to the world. It's a powerful thing to think of having to let go of something that has belonged only to me (in the physical sense) for the last 7 months. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet, but I am so excited for Chris, and all of our family and friends, to get to meet Baby Miller and fall in love with him/her as much as I have. (And I'm secretly hoping that he/she will throw a few punches in each of your ribs once he/she gets here- so that you fully appreciate what I've been experiencing!)

The Name Game

Still no name for Baby Miller, but we aren't too worried about it yet. Without knowing if we're going to be having a boy or a girl (even though I have a strong feeling about this...), it's hard to really fall in love with a name.

At least we're not in this boat:

http://blogs.babycenter.com/momformation/2009/04/21/womb-with-a-view-everyone-hates-our-baby-name/

Lucinda Miller. Not so bad, huh?

Our Little Cucumber Part 5

With 10 weeks until the Stork above crosses the finish line and drops Baby Miller upon us (Hope WE catch him/her) Allison is entering into her 30th week of pregnancy and our Alien Baby now rivals a good-size cabbage in weight, tipping the scales this week at 3 pounds and is about 15 3/4 inches, head to heel. (I hope no one does any comparison to what I rival in weight...Chris now rivals a small elephant….or a large Sumo Wrestler and is tipping the scales at just over 2 tons...Not a good thought)

In addition to having a 3 pound cabbage riding in her midsection, Allison also has a pint and a half of amniotic fluid that surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as Baby Miller gets bigger and takes up more room in her uterus belly (Not all medical words need to be shared, name changed to protect the parties involved).

Baby Miller’s eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he/she is born, the eyes will be closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision (my vision after Lasik is now 20/15) — which means that he/she can only make out objects a few inches from his/her face. (I hope that is the same when the Stork drops off the Baby Miller, I do not want to scare my new child… How horrible would that be to scare my new baby the first time he/she sees me...Could you imagine seeing this bald bearded mug the first time you ever opened your eyes…Scary!!!)

The miracle of birth is something that I still have not been able to comprehend. Each time I read what is happening in the coming week I am just amazed with the entire process and how this little life has been created. Not to mention how my Wonderful Wife is doing through the whole process; if it were me I would be complaining and milking it for everything it was worth (ask her about when I am sick). Instead, Allison puts up with me (for those of you who know me this is no easy task), works a full time job, makes sure our house is in order (again for those of you who know me this is no easy task), and still finds time to carry our baby. Allison in case I have not told you...Thanks for putting up with me and finding the time to carry our child!

Week 29

I use to have feet, and I could see them when I looked down. Chris tells me that they're still there, but I have a brief moment of terror each morning when I sit down at my desk and realize that there is a distinct possibility that I may have on two different shoes. I now keep a spare pair of (matching) flip flops in my office so that I can correct any fashion mishaps that may occur as a result of not being able to see what's going on at the end of my legs.

Only 10 weeks left, but this week has left me wondering how I will ever make it that long...

When I think back to the times that Chris and I have been in training for big races, it doesn't seem like I was anywhere near as tired as I am right now. I can't sleep through the night (with the exception of Tuesday night, when I didn't move an inch until the alarm clock went off), and by 1:00pm I'm not sure how I am going to make it through another reading class and two private tutoring sessions. All I can say is, thank God for well behaved children... There is no doubt that the Big Guy new what he was doing when he orchestrated the timing of this pregnancy. I have been so blessed at this school, and I know that it was not a coincidence that this all happened like it did. God is good- ALL of the time.

Speaking of timing... We're still in the process of trying to pick out a crib, and this week is our deadline. It seems as though, generally speaking, it takes anywhere from 4-10 weeks to have a crib shipped, so we're now entering into the "red zone". I call it this not because of the urgency of placing the order for the crib that we have not yet found, but because of the color my face turns when I start to stress about having to house our firstborn child in a dresser drawer because his/her parents couldn't make a simple decision... I digress.

On a lighter note, Chris and I watched a show on TLC the other night about women who didn't know they were pregnant until the baby fell out in the campground bathroom or during their dinner break at work. Seriously? I think I watched the entire show with my mouth wide open in pure shock (and horror) over the idea that someone could carry a child for 9+ months and never even know. I thought Chris and I were behind on the planning, but we've got those jokers beat...

Tomorrow I'll be 30 weeks pregnant. Chris will write a funny blog about our little vegetable, and we'll be one week closer to meeting this little guy/gal. It's all very scary, but even more exciting, and I can't wait to meet the new Miller. He/she is in for quite a ride!

Strolling Along

Chris and I are trying to research/decide on a jogging stroller. It seems that there are a huge variety of these available, and I'm thinking that the likelihood of Chris and me making a quick decision about this purchase is highly unlikely. We are open to ANY and ALL suggestions about which jogging strollers are the best- please contact us immediately with any information!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today is Chris's birthday, and it was fun to remind him that this will be his last birthday without a child. Next year he will be celebrating this day as a daddy. It is still so amazing, and overwhelming, to imagine that in just 10 weeks we will be parents. There's still lots to do to get ready, and plenty that we'll probably never really be prepared for, but we're doing what we can, while we can. We're still at a standstill on the crib front and the naming front... Maybe we'll figure these things out soon!

Our Little Cucumber Part 4

I know that all of our Blog readers have been waiting with unbridled anticipation as to what Baby Miller is this week... apart from being a baby. Well, here is what you have been waiting for. Drum Roll Please... More Drum Roll... a Little More... AND... WAIT FOR IT...WAIT FOR IT...WAIT FOR IT...

Our baby is now a

Yep, I am sure that you all figured out. I know I did when I first saw the picture. That is right- our baby is a butternut squash. OK, I hope my child does not look like a butternut squash (Really, who came up with this list?), but who knows maybe it will. If I had to choose a vegetable or fruit I hope it comes out like a MR. POTATO HEAD have you seen all the cool stuff they come with these days (I mean taters are timeless and still rule!). Actually, I not hoping for a boy or a girl I am just hoping and praying for a healthy baby...just a healthy baby.

Now Baby Miller weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His/her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his/her head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his/her increasing nutritional demands, Allison needs plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his/her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, Allison needs to drink lots of milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). So since they say find a good source, I think this is a good time to introduce Baby Miller and Allison to the best way I know how of getting said calcium. That means getting a high dose of…
AHHH, Yeah...Oreos and Milk

I figure if we do that the baby will not only add the 250 milligrams of calcium that will be deposited in our baby's hardening skeleton EACH DAY for the remainder of the 3rd trimester (at least that is what the World Wide Intra Web says) but maybe even double or triple that amount. Not to mention that will start the training for me and Baby Miller to share Oreos and Milk in a Frosted Beer Mug (I think Milk in a Frosted Mug may just be the best use of a Frosted Mug...MAY). I believe if we do this then everyone wins, Allison gets her calcium, Baby Miller gets calcium, and I got milk get Milk and Oreos (what more can I ask for).

Ps. you may have noticed links in this post. We are not getting paid for them (but I should...I mean do you have any idea how many Oreos I have eaten and how much Milk I have drank over the years). I happened to be looking on the internet at work home and saw those sites... and thought Man Tatters have gotten cool, the ability to share your Oreo moments (who does not have one of those), and the got milk sites where pretty cool. Thought the three people (I increased it from a previous post as I ran into someone who said they read the Blog but I think they were not telling the truth or they moved to Cali (shout out to Josh)....kinda like "I love all the names you picked out for the Baby") that follow the blog would find them funny or interesting.

Week 28

One down, 11 more to go!

Things I've learned this week:

1. While high heel shoes are a must in a woman's wardrobe, they do not pair well with the swelling feet of this pregnant woman. After a day of sporting really cute shoes for Easter (because Jesus cares about these things), my toes looked very similar to the Reese's Peanut Butter eggs that filled our baskets...

2. My students, especially the boys, love the idea that there is a baby in my stomach. One child in particular (whose father "makes medicine") informed me today that:
- the baby is probably a girl because it doesn't kick me very hard
- that touching my belly button with my pinkie will make the baby kick, and that
- the baby is probably going to come out soon. (All of his statements can clearly be backed up by my findings on Web MD.)

3. Finding a crib that both Chris and I like is impossible. Baby Miller might spend his baby years in a cradle.

4. Manufactures should consider making adult sheets as soft as crib sheets. (That's right, we have the crib sheets, sans the crib.)

Last Easter without a bunny

In preparation for the arrival of the new Miller, I'm making note of the "lasts" that Chris and I will have without a baby, and it makes me get more and more excited about the idea of having a little one around. For example, this past weekend we celebrated our last Easter without a baby, and I got excited about the idea of having a munchkin to dress up next year. I mean, generally speaking, Chris does not let me pick out his clothes, nor does he get excited about wearing bunny ears and going on hunts for eggs, so next year, and the years to follow, will give me plenty of excuses to do all of the silly stuff that I loved doing as a kid. And, despite what Chris might say, we will be showcasing a variety of inflatables in our yard this year for Christmas. I love, I mean, I hear babies love those things!

Week 27

As week 27 comes to an end, I'm beginning to really realize that my body has changed a lot over the past 6 months. Take for example the fact that I can no longer bend over without feeling like there is a soccer ball in my stomach. Add to that the fact that I haven't been able to sleep through the night for the last week (natures way of preparing me for a baby?), and the (not so welcome) realization that doing yard work while pregnant is a sure-fire way to wake up with a crazy backache. So there you have it. I'm prego, and I'm old...

I must say that I've been very blessed throughout this whole pregnancy- I haven't been sick for any long amount of time, I've felt pretty good, and I've had an amazing support system.

The big news this week: I won't be going back to work in the fall. This has been a very hard decision, mostly because I adore my job, and I am terrified of the idea of being at home all day with a baby (a creature whose only form of communication for some time comes in the form of grunts, cries, nods, cries....). You get the picture. I do feel at peace with the decision, and I know that it is the best thing for our baby, but it's going to mean a lot of changes for the Miller family, and that's a little hard to swallow. We are blessed to have this option, and I just pray that I can be the mom (wow, that's crazy) that God has intended for me to be.

On a funny note: Chris and I went to the bookstore on Wednesday, and I gave him the mission of finding a book for the baby. He was game, and the next 10 minutes or so would have been nice to have on video... Chris found a book, Baby Goose, which is a collection of Mother Goose rhymes, and he proceeded to read EVERY one of rhymes OUT LOUD in the middle of the store. Priceless. To his credit, I think it was a good idea to take the book for a "test drive" to make sure it "fit" just right. Chris is going to be a great dad!

That's all for this week. Only 12 more left!

Our Little Cucumber Part 3

Last night before falling into a very deep sleep Allison and I looked up what our “Little Cucumber” is this week and found that Baby Miller is like a Chinese cabbage. This is a little weird due to the fact that the single best dish I had last week in China was a Chinese cabbage with Red Chinese Chiles.

Also, the creation of life is continuing to amaze me. Now Baby Miller weighs around two and a quarter pounds and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her/his head to her/his heels. Baby Miller can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes (Can Blink and Sports Lashes, truly amazing). With eyesight developing, she/he may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. Development of billions of neurons are occurring in the brain (Let’s hope and pray that these neurons are coming from the lady who went to “Hahvad”) and our little guy/girl is adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Breaking News...

One of my students decided to include me in her last book report, and the result was pretty funny! She created an original version of the popular magazine PEOPLE, and yours truly was featured in the "Chatter" column. The story read:

"I'll do the best I can, " a confident Mrs. Miller tells Devyn Edlestein.

Mrs. Miller thought she had the world's most difficult job, teaching reading at the Atlanta Speech School...but soon, that will all change. See, up until now, Mrs. Miller got to leave those loud and obnoxious children at school, but soon, Mrs. Miller will be unable to escape. Mrs. Miller is expecting a child of her own!

In this week's, "Chatter" column, PEOPLE writer Devyn Edelstein asked the Schreinerites what they thought Baby Bubbles' name should be. Here are there suggestions... Nariyah Angel, Josiah Angel, Isaiah Angel, Jeremiah Angel, Jonah Angel, Makai Angel, Noah Angel, and Maliyah Angel."

Now that's good stuff!

Side note: The fifth grade class, The Schreinerites, decided to name the baby "Baby Bubbles". A touch of alliteration, and a nod to the fact that I recently became an expert "bubbler" when they took standardized testing (and I had to fill in about a million bubbles...)

Orange Kool-Aid and A Beat….

On Monday Allison had a doctor's appointment to be screened for gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that can develop in some women late in pregnancy (usually after the 24th week), THAT'S WHAT THE DOCTOR SAID :)…She really enjoyed the oral glucose tolerance test, which involves quickly drinking a sweetened liquid (called Glucola-it looked nothing like any Cola I had ever seen), which contains 50 g of glucose and looks like Orange Kool-Aid. The body absorbs this glucose rapidly, causing blood glucose levels to rise within 30 to 60 minutes. We were told by the doctor's peeps that "Precisely 57 minutes after drinking said Kool-Aid (which did NOT seem to go down like Kool-Aid) the nurse would take her blood Hah, hah, hah ...a blood sample and measure how the glucose solution was metabolized" and let us know in a couple of days the results. Man I sound all official and stuff, but when they explained the above at the office it sounded like...blah…blah…glucose….blah…blah…Kool-Aid…test…blah...blah… But then I got on the old handy dandy Intra-Web thingy and looked it all up on my Crackberry.

Anyway the real reason for the post was that whenever we go in to see the doctor, they always listen to the baby’s heart beat. Monday was no different, but I decided to use my Blackberry (which I am never without) to record the sound from the monitor they were using. Yes, I know I probably should have left my Crackberry in the car, but we all know that I cannot function for more than 10 minutes 5 minutes 2 minutes without said Crackberry looking things up on the Intra-Web (mostly to prove I am right).

Ok, back to the reason for my post... It is truly amazing to hear the heart beat of our little Alien…Baby, so I wanted to share that with the two people that read our BabyMiller09 Blog. So for the first time ever and for the first time on the World Wide Intra-Web...Baby Miller performs in its first video “The Heart Beat” (the pictures are from our last post).

Photo Op

A few pics of the baby along the way

Face first at 18 weeks

Profile at 18 weeks

The baby's arm, 18 weeks

Head shot, 24 weeks

Bigfoot, 24 weeks

Leg up, 24 weeks

Our Little Cucumber Part 2

As Allison has mentioned in a previous post, every Thursday night we check to see what our Bundle of Joy has grown into. We are now into Week 27 and our baby is no longer a English Hothouse Cucumber. Now it is like ... (drum roll)... ... ... ... a Head of Cauliflower.

In addition to growing in the dirt and looking very strange, our baby now weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14 1/2 inches long with its legs extended. Baby Miller is sleeping and waking at regular intervals (if Baby Miller is anything like Baby Mama Allison the sleeping is a long interval and the waking is a very short one). The great World Wide Wed tells us that the little Cauli is now opening and closing its eyes, and perhaps even sucking its fingers. With more brain tissue developing, Baby Miller's brain is very active now. "Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements Allison is feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which are common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother the baby but it does tickle Allison."

If you just can't wait till the next episode of "What Vegetable Will Baby Miller Be" you can check out the slide show at this website: www.babycenter.com/slideshow-baby-size

Disclaimer: I found things on this site that I am not sure I wanted to know. I am also not so sure that this whole Internet thing is good....way to much information. I am still not sure all of what they put on this site is accurate (or at least that is what I am telling myself).

Week 26

Another week down, and another week closer to meeting Baby Miller. All in all, this was a good week. I know that everyone says this, but I am feeling fairly certain that this baby is going to come out as a kick boxer... I've gotten use to the feeling of being kicked in various parts of my belly, ribs, and side, but it still makes me laugh every time. I have noticed that Baby Miller is on a schedule already. Baby is very active in the morning and at night, and he/she sometimes kicks "on demand", which always gives me a little thrill. Already a good listener.

Baby Miller does not, however, frequently cooperate when I'm trying to get Chris to feel the movements. He has felt the baby move a few times, but I feel kind of bummed that he doesn't get to feel it all of the time like I do.

This past week Chris went out of town for the first time since we found out I was pregnant, and at the same time I took a trip out to Houston to visit Lorraine for her 30th birthday. This trip was one of the first times I have gotten emotional about traveling without Chris. It occurred to me as I was waiting to take off that Chris and I are about to have a family, and it was a little overwhelming to realize how much love I have for my husband and for our baby. As a Christian, it's impossible not to think about the sacrifice that God made when he sent His son to die- I haven't even met this baby yet, and I already feel more love for it than I ever could have imagined.

Highlights from week 26: Baby Miller can now hear us talking to him/her. Guess I'll have to start teaching Chris some lullabies...

Low points of week 26: My tail bone has a mind of it's own. I found out this week that being on a turbulent flight when 6 months pregnant is likely to end badly...