Hi everyone... we are now approaching 20 weeks - halfway! Baby is about the size of a small zucchini - ahhhh!!! It's so hard to believe! I feel great. It's been a really enjoyable experience - most days I find myself saying "no way, there's a baby in there?" - it's normally when I catch myself in the mirror and I look more and more oddly shaped. :)

Jeff is working hard at a bathroom redo. In our effort to prepare for the nursery, we've had a home overhaul... thinking about the nursery meant we had to clean that room out first. That meant finding a place for that stuff, which meant first cleaning out the garage, which meant frequent trips to Goodwill/The Christian Center. Then thinking about colors, etc. meant thinking about registering... all of this to say... he's now redone his drum room, ripped apart and put back together our bathroom, painted here and there, we got a new fridge, etc., etc., etc. This baby triggered Extreme Home Makeover. He gets to "tinker" and I love watching his excitement about the baby and get to do things at home that allow him to prepare and provide for "it" too.

YES, we are still planning to be surprised! This is so fun to not know what the baby is... except when I'm out shopping and have to restrain myself from buying any baby clothes. If you know anything about our families, you know that we'll have no shortage of clothes coming once we do find out if it's a boy or girl. I'm thinking our baby may me just a little spoiled. :) Jeff and I do think that it's a girl though...

Well, this coming Thurs we have our appointment where we get to study the anatomy of the baby - see the brain, heart chambers, spine, etc. This process has required constant trust that God cares more about him/her than even we do. I haven't really been worried (somewhat surprisingly since it's such a major deal!!!), but I have a peace resting in that comfort.

Some days for me are harder than others as far as a changing body goes. If someone says, "you look cute" at the sight of my new "bump", I sometimes want to say "well, you haven't seen me naked." Awkward. Somedays, I marvel at the miracle my body is going through and some days I struggle to feel "pretty". I'm thankful for such a loving husband that verbalizes sweet encouragement in this area.

Well, thank you for your continued prayers... now I'm off to help re-tile the bathroom floor.

Love,
J,S, & Baby McL

PS - here is some info on what's going on with baby's development...

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.