26 & 27 Weeks

The past few weeks have been very busy, so you'll have to excuse my lapse in the blogging world. Mom and Dad flew in on November 1 to stay for 9 days. It was great to have them here for one last visit before our family grows. Their visit was structured around a few key events, which just happened to all fall within one week of each other. On November 2, Liz hosted a baby shower at her house. All of the Pape and Ribeiro women along with the Elliott Road crew converged for a fabulous luncheon. This past Sunday, my family hosted a shower at Aunt Cindy's house, pulling together all of the Bancroft women and some dear friends. It was great to get to see everyone, and I especially appreciated Mom and Liz's decision to hold the two showers separately. I was actually able to talk to each of the guests and spend time catching up with everyone rather than simply jumping around person to person saying "hi" just to be polite and then moving on. Everyone was incredibly generous. We have truly been "showered" with baby gear, clothes, bathing supplies, blankets, and toys. We feel incredibly lucky to have so many people in our lives who already care to deeply for our son and are anxiously awaiting his arrival. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again to everyone out there who has given so generously to help us prepare for life with a baby. It really means so much to us!

As Mike mentioned in his Dad's Corner, we seem to have entered a period of rapid baby growth. It often feels like the baby is pressing outward on my stomach, completely out of room inside there. I'm also starting to feel quite large. It's becoming hard to tie my shoes, bend over, and even sit for long periods of time because my stomach gets compressed. I know that I'm only going to get larger -- we still have over 2 1/2 months to go -- but it's just interesting to have reached this point where I'm almost constantly aware of this whole new part of my body. No matter what discomfort it may cause at times, it's an amazing experience.

Last week, the baby was the size of a cucumber. This week, he's the size of a head of cauliflower -- over 2 pounds and about 14 1/2 inches. He's beginning to open and close his eyes. His brain continues to develop. This week, the brain is beginning to develop the grooves and indentations that we all associate with brains; up until now, it has been smooth.

I greatly enjoyed a day off today - one of the perks to the world of education - but it's back to the real world tomorrow, so it's time to head to bed. As Mike mentioned, a fabulous birthday gift from Liz and Larry is making it much easier for me to get a good night's sleep. I'm enjoying being able to sleep through the night (except for having to get up to use the bathroom), as I know those days are limited!