Butternut Squash Tan

Yesterday was the start of week 29 :) This morning as I was taking a little nap after seeing my Mr. Tan off to work, I suddenly began to feel the weight of my belly shift from one end to the other. I placed my hand over my tummy and there was this little bump shifting from one side to the other!? The feeling was quite awkward and yet so exciting. Time has flow by so fast! Eleven weeks left to go! Exciting and yet scary but still very exciting but some what scary! :)

ML

Chinese Cabbage

Sweet baby Tan is now about the weight of a Chinese cabbage! Hooray!!! 12 weeks more to go! Over the months mommies around me have been asking me what is one of the things I am looking forward to once our little one arrives. In all honesty there was nothing really that I could respond back with. I don't think the reality of a little baby coming into our home had really set in by then. It was more like like a fairy tale than it was a soon-to-be life experience. Just recently I have come to find my joyful anticipation. I am so looking forward to picking up our little baby in the midst of his distress in his new & unfamiliar world and take him into my arms to soothe & comfort. I know that may sound a bit too picturesque but it is my little that I treasure in my heart. Another moment I totally look forward to witnessing is my wonderful Mr Tan being an amazing father to our little baby. Though initially Iwas hoping for a baby girl so that I could selfishly have all sorts of girly moments with her, it gave me even great joy when I realized that Shaun would be able to have such incredible moments with our little mr tan and deposit the wonder things that I love about him (Shaun) into the heart of our little one.

ML

My "little mr tan"

As our little baby continues to grow and as time continues to pass there is a little more to do or prepare as each day passes. Yesterday was quite a busy day for me. With girlfriends coming into town for the weekend I was busily preparing for our awaited guests. In all of the business of the day I hadn't felt much fetal movement. Typically I'll feel baby Tan move shortly after meals, after having sat or laid for a while, but yesterday was different. By the end of the evening I became a little worried. I even tried tapping my belly a bit to see if I could wake my little one up. There was some movement but not too much to rejoice about. My Mr Tan noticed I looked a bit troubled was I was laying in bed with my belly exposed. After sharing my thoughts with him he quickly assured me all was well. Still, I felt a bit uneasy. After shedding a tear or two I went to bed knowing that my God is in complete control. I had decided that had I not felt my regular fetal movement I would call my OB the next day (today). After my routine bathroom run at 2:30am I laid in bed feeling sorrowful. It's one of those moments in which you feel sad but yet you're not quite sure why it is you feel sad. I began to shed a few tears and was so wanting to wake my Mr Tan up and share what it was I was feeling, but knowing his day would be a long one (he was driving 4 hours to Louisiana for work) I decided not to. As I laid there it hit me-I LOVE BABY TAN!!! For the last 6 months baby Tan my "Poppy Seed Tan", then eventually my "Mango Tan", etc. Though babycenter.com is still comparing him to strange & foreign vegetables & fruits, he's now my baby! He's growing causing my belly to pop. He's moving causing my tummy to move just a bit. He's no longer comparable to a fruit or vegetable but to this little person I am eagerly awaiting to embrace. It's hard to love a "Poppy Seed" but oh so easy to love this little being inside me. I had suddenly realized that I had fallen in love and because of love was now feeling strong emotions I had not felt before for our little baby. I had become vulnerable once again, yet this time it was to my "little mr tan". :)

ML

Rutabaga Tan

Happy 25th week baby Tan!!! :) Our little baby now weighs as much as the average rutabaga (1 1/2 pounds) and measures about 13 1/2 inches. Just learned that a rutabaga is a cross between a cabbage & a turnip. Thank goodness the only cross our baby will be is of a Hispanic & Chinese! Only 15 weeks to go until we can finally hold our little one in our arms and appreciated even more so the tiny sacrifices as well as the wait Shaun & I have encountered during these past 9 months! We still don't have a name =Z We are leaning towards Ethan but missing a middle name. Ethan _______ Tan. Hmm..maybe :) Our week 24 appointment last Thursday with our OB went well. Baby impressed us with his strong heartbeat! Baby moved from his head down position to a side to side position. That would explain all the tickling on the sides of my tummy. OB says, "not to worry, baby knows which way is out!" Our next routine appointment will be week 28 and then the following will be week 32-that's when we'll get to take another peek at baby Tan to see what he's up to!

ML