23 Weeks... It's a Boy!

Well here we are at week 23. A lot has happened. The biggest news being that we learned that the baby that has been kicking, punching and living inside me for 23 weeks is a boy.  It is so fabulous to be able to call him by his name; Michael Adam James!  

Joe and I went up to Raleigh for a long weekend. It was Dad’s 50^th Birthday and we wanted to celebrate with everyone. We also welcomed the Wesley and Hamilton families. It was a long drive for them but I am so glad that they decided to make the trip! I love visiting with everyone. And not to mention we got to visit with Baby Jacob. Oh and how he has grown. I had a great time learning the ins and outs of motherhood through Bridget. She is a fabulous Mama and if I am half of what she is to Michael, he will be a luck boy.

We had a surprise birthday part for Dad on Sunday. I can’t believe he turned 50! We had a good crowd there and He was quite surprised I think!. For his birthday we had the cake dyed blue or pink inside. It was a secret and no one knew the sex except for the technician and the baker. We were all anxiously awaiting the first cut. I have never had that much excitement brewing around a cake cutting! We also had a cake delivered to Joe’s parents in New Jersey. They skyped in and cut their cake at the same time. As Dad cut, he of course tried to peak before revealing! As he lifted the piece of cake cheers rang out and we all learned that it was a BOY! Hugs and congratulations all around! It was very exciting!

Here is the Cake!

Surprise

Singing Happy Birthday!

Skyping with Joe's Parents

Getting ready to blow out the candles

Cutting the cake and its BLUE!

Happy Grandparents to Be :)

Here is the Blue

Dad's Scrapbook from the three of us

We are back home now and Joe and I have had fun feeling and talking to Michael. In fact, yesterday, Joe and I pulled into the Grocery store parking lot. There are 2 spots right at the front for new and expectant mothers. Joe pulled right in and parked the car in the spot (I was oblivious) and he reached over to my belly and rubs it saying “Thanks Mikey!”  It was quite funny!

Here it what is going on with Michael this week!

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, Michael can feel me dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), we may be able to see him squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that Michael's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as our dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.