25 weeks.

No interesting pictures or videos this week! Sorry about that.

Those little kicks have become big violent rolls. I imagine he's starting to run out of room in there since his last growth spurt. He's a bit over a foot long (the little guy in the corner seems to still be measuring CRL, tip of his head to his butt, not counting his legs) and a bit under 2 lbs now. It seems like just last week we were able to indicate how big he was between our fingers, and now it takes both hands!

This is the last full week of my second trimester. In the middle of next week sometime I hit the third, and thus seven months. The last two months passed quickly thanks to the holidays and the busy-ness, and I think January will be quick with all my appointments and the baby shower, but what will I do after that? LOL I hope time doesn't start dragging again.. although I think it will.

We start our childbirth classes next week, which I am really excited for. Most of the pregnant women out here are 20-25 years old and I'm hoping that the childbirth class brings opportunities for new mommy-type friends. It's a 12 week course and will take up our Sundays right up until this baby makes his appearance. We're doing Bradley classes which was the best I could come up with for a homebirth, most childbirth classes are geared toward hospital births but I thought it would be best, particularly for Jim, to have some sort of instruction so he can be helpful when I'm in labor. Bradley is husband-coached childbirth so I figured it would be best for him! The coolest thing about it for me is the post-baby potluck, where we all get together and share our birth stories and meet the babies!

Jim has expressed interest in catching the baby. The current plan is for me to catch the baby, but if I'm in an inopportune position to catch him myself, Jim will probably do it. I think ideally I would love to be in the tub (my bathtub, small as it is, I really gravitate there for comfort these days and I can't help but feel I'll end up there) with Jim helping where he can, and the midwife in the corner keeping an eye on things.. kind of like how we would be when the horses were giving birth. We would crouch in the corner and let her do her thing unless it looked like she needed our help, we would step in and do what we knew we should do and then back off again. I haven't decided if I will have a doula, my midwife is going to make a few calls and set up a few interviews for me I think, as I've asked for someone who has some massage therapy experience and she knows the doulas in the area better than I do. I've had bad lower back pain for several years and I could really use someone (if nothing else, in early labor and nothing more if I decide I'd rather it just be Jim and me) who knows where I hurt and how to help. I've had issues the whole pregnancy, and sciatic nerve issues, and Jim's hands get too tired too fast.

Nesting has kicked in, now that I'm feeling better. The baby's room is evolving. I cleaned up my sewing area and sat down and made him a quilt a few days ago, it is so soft and cute, and I have enough to make one more.

He moves around in there all day long. Sitting here at the computer I can see my belly moving and shaking. I don't think I've ever heard of such an active baby, who seems to have a fairly regular sleep schedule and likes to play poke-the-baby in the mornings.

Blah I guess I should get up and go to costco now.