12 Weeks

The first trimester is coming to a close, and everything is continuing smoothly. This past Saturday, we enjoyed the annual Pape whiffle ball tournament, where we got to share the exciting news with all the Ribeiros. Mike was excited that he was finally able to share the news with his family, but I think Liz was even more excited to proclaim her future title of grandmother! I was also able to spend some time chatting with Kate Pape, wife of cousin Fred, who is expecting her third baby in January, just a few weeks before our new addition will be arriving. It was fun to have a chance to compare stories and talk with another expectant mother, especially one who's an old pro by now and has all sorts of advice to share!

While all that pasta I consumed in Italy is now gone, the baby (and the belly) still remain. I'm now wearing most pants with a hair band through the button hole and around to the button to keep them up. I think it's about time to go do some shopping, but I've been relying on my summer dresses and drawstring shorts in the meantime. The only thing that makes me wonder is when people tell me that I don't even look pregnant. I know it's meant in the most compassionate way, but really? Did I always have such a round belly? I don't remember it that way! In any case, you can judge for yourself just how pregnant I look! :-) The baby is now just over 2 inchese long, weighs about 1/2 an ounce, and has reached the size of a large lime. The big development this week is the development of reflexes. The baby is squirming, sucking, curling his/her toes, and opening and closing his/her hands. Of course, we can't feel any of this going on yet, but it's still exciting to know there's all sorts of movement going on in there.

And as if the baby were not enough excitement around here, we have more excitement to share! Mike has a new job, which he'll be starting in about two weeks. He'll be working for Brainshark, a company based in Waltham that creates online presentations for companies such as AT&T, BlueCross BlueShield, Bose, and many, many others. He'll be a Senior Programmer, helping to expand the software capabilities that already exist. He's very excited about this new opportunity, as it's certainly going to be a big step for his career and really allows him to pursue his passions more fully.