33 Weeks

Yesterday, on Christmas, Lillian Grace turned 33 weeks! Christmas Eve the boys did a wonderful job following my directions, as well as the written recipe for our traditional overnight baked french toast (recipe compliments of Mary Jane). Seeing as I am currently restricted from the kitchen, it was up to Scot and Canyon to carry out the job of preparing this family favorite. They did quite well, minus one "egg-mergency" as Canyon called it, when he dropped some egg on the floor! The following morning, we were all delighted as we ate our breakfast and opened presents (Lillian even enjoyed herself and expressed it by jabbing me in my sides)!

This was a very un-traditional Christmas for us considering the circumstances, however, it was a good one! We reminded Canyon that this would be his last Christmas as an only child, hopefully he enjoyed it.

The Singing Grandmas

Today's visit with Dr. Christensen was a long one, but so very worth it! Scot and I went in and had what felt like a 45 minute ultrasound appointment - and much to our surprise, the tech showed us our little bundle of joy in 3D.

During our appointment Dr. Christensen confirmed that Lillian Grace is successfully gaining 1/2 pound per week, bringing her current weight to 4 lbs 7 oz. Such a big girl!!! I, on the other hand, have gained a total of 23 lbs. so far...an even bigger girl!

The most fantastic news of all (besides the fact that I am DONE with bed rest in two weeks), was that little Lily has finally turned. She is no longer breech. This, I must attribute to the Singing Grandmas. Just yesterday, Grandma "Macsay", and Grandma "Holmes" sang their loving rendition of The Byrds, "Turn! Turn! Turn!". So moving and heartfelt, Lily actually listened to their pleas and did just that. Thank you Grandmas!!

Nursery Photos Part 2

I sit and observe the process from Canyon's inflatable chair. My mom checks in as well, in between laundry, washing floors, and dusting.

My dad and Scot did an excellent job at putting up the chair rail! My dad went on to put up her blinds and curtain rods, while Scot got other things squared away around the house.

The curtains still need to be ironed, but here is a sneak preview of the coming attraction. I should add that the curtains only look so beautiful because of the new windows that Scot installed.

That is Scot's toy box from when he was a little guy, Canyon's from his "youth", and now it is Lily's! Of course, the television will be going - as soon as we find a new home for it.

Proud Daddy!

32 Weeks

Week 32 brings lots of excitement! I am home to count down another week for the first time in about six weeks, Lillian's room is on it's way to being finished, Christmas is in less than a week, and little Lily's arrival is getting closer! I am feeling great, minus all of the aches and pains of being stuck in a bed going on my 7th week. I think I am going to need some serious physical therapy after this little ordeal is over and done with. My belly is getting bigger, and I KNOW I am about to jinx myself with the next thing I am going to say: Still no stretch marks. My next doctor visit is tomorrow afternoon, I am not sure if she will do an ultrasound or not. I am hoping so, I would love to see how much this little munchkin weighs now, and am keeping my fingers (toes, eyes, arms, and legs too) crossed that she has turned out of her Frank Breech position.


Being on bed rest at home is DEFINITELY much better than in the hospital - hands down. However, it definitely has its challenges. Perhaps I need a little silver bell, but even with that little bell, I don't have the conveniences of the nurses, techs, room service, and concierge. I should however point out that just like when I was in the hospital, my mom comes to sit with me most days during the week. Actually, she doesn't do a lot of sitting. She has kept herself busy cleaning, do laundry, and decorating for Christmas. Scot is busy with work, and when he is home, he takes the time to "fix me up". He is a stickler about me getting up. If there is anyone I have to watch out for, it is him! This morning, Scot, Riley, and I sat in our bed. Scot made a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheese, whole wheat toast with cream cheese, and homemade hash browns. But here's the tear jerker (for me at least), Scot has never in our 11 years of knowing each other, EVER, put Christmas music on. Well, before he brought the breakfast upstairs, he did just that...and I have to admit, it brought a tear to my eye. What a splendid morning!

PS...Lillian Grace has the hiccups right now. ;)

Baby Update

*This post was originally written when I was about 28 weeks, however, I was having severe difficulty getting the heartbeat sounds to post. It wasn't until after I returned home that my favorite (uber smart) boy, Lily's big brother Canyon, was able to help me.*

Click on the file below to hear little Baby Shapiro's strong heartbeat. I get to hear this four to six times per day. They hook my belly up to this contraption that measures her heartbeat, movements, and contractions for twenty minutes. YOU WILL HAVE TO PAUSE THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC THAT IS PLAYING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE, PRIOR TO PRESSING PLAY ON THE VIDEO. IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL HEAR BOTH MUSIC AND LILY'S HEARTBEAT.

Since I am confined to my hospital room, my resources to "make things work" are limited. So, it is up to my creativity to find ways to make everything work for me. Let me share a story that really exemplifies this. I LOVE the cream of chicken soup they serve here. However, it should be renamed cream of chicken broth, because there is absolutely nothing in the soup except for the creamed broth. The flavor is what really does it though...it definitely tastes chickeny. The first few days of eating it, I was more than fine with this. After about a week, I figured I had to make some changes to their secret Winnie Palmer recipe. I (creatively) looked at their menu and ordered sides of tasty morsels that would help to make a spectacular (in the world of hospital food) cream of chicken soup. Here they are: steamed carrots, steamed rice, and a grilled chicken breast. I have discovered that if I "chop" these ingredients up, and toss them into the soup base...Voila! Homemade cream of chicken soup. An added bonus is that I sort of feel like I am cooking again! Hmmmm....this gives me an idea, maybe I should write a recipe book for Winnie Palmer patients titled, "How to Make the Most of Your Hospital Food"! Haha!

As for this picture below, it is our little munchkin's face. It's slightly blurry, because following in my creative ways, I have had to take a picture of the ultrasound picture so that I could download that to my laptop (remember, limited resources, no scanner)

A Whirlwind of Events

I am pleased to announce that this post has been written from the comfort of my own home. Yesterday, Dr. Christensen appeared in my hospital room bright and early. In his hands I saw a pair of latex exam gloves (I know, TMI for some of you). However for me, I was thrilled, I knew that those gloves could be the key to my release from the hospital. Leading up to this day from my last post, I had started to break down emotionally. Let me catch you up to speed on a few things:

- There had been a rather plump fruit fly living in my room for quite some time. On any normal given day, I would have squashed that fruit fly in two seconds flat. Unfortunately, after several weeks in the hospital, I started to understand the solitary mind of a prisoner. I was actually able to relate to those stories of the inmate that had affectionately cared for the rat in their cell, or the cockroach that lived under their bunk...for me, it was a fruit fly named Ditto. Ditto had become the one constant in my daily life at the hospital. He (yes, it was a he) would fly by and with the same type of excitement that I would muster up for a good friend, I would say hello to him. I know it was really bad when one night, Scot, not even thinking twice, tried to kill that nuisance of a bug flying around his head...."No, you killed Ditto!" I shouted. Thank goodness, his aim wasn't very good, and Ditto survived his first attack (the second would come from my nurse Marianne - which he also survived).

- I woke up one morning in tears. Not just tiny tears trickling down my face - a waterfall, rolling down my cheeks. And what was even worse? I could not, for the life of me, turn those waterworks off. As Murphy's Law would have it, a girl from concierge came to my room to deliver a letter...right in the middle of my meltdown. I tried to pretend like everything was okay, until she asked me if I was alright. Didn't she know that asking a pregnant woman who had been in the hospital for over a month, if they were okay was a HUGE no-no. That just led to more tears as I tried my best to nod and give her a smile. Without fail, a few moments later my nurse arrived to check on me (with a little motivation from the one that had just left my room, I'm sure). Again, the waterworks came, with a little uncontrollable shaking...and just pure frustration for everything that was going on. Due to this event, my very sensitive nurse Karin spoke to my doctor by kindly telling him I had hit a wall, and that I needed a little motivation. So, they removed me from the toco (contraction monitor which I had been on 24 hours per day), and gave me 30 minute wheel chair privileges back.

Now, back to the latex gloves...Dr. Christensen had originally told me we could discuss my options at 32 weeks. I was only 31 weeks and 4 days when had showed up in my room that morning. Without any arguing from me, he examined me and informed me that I was 1cm dilated and although the ultrasounds showed I was 100% effaced, I was in fact only about 70%...I could go home and spend the rest of my pregnancy on bed rest there! Just in the nick of time, because honestly, I do not think I could have spent another hour, let alone day, in that hospital! It was (I know this will sound weird), bitter sweet. I was thrilled to finally be going home after just about six weeks there. However, I was going to miss many of the nurses and techs that tenderly looked after me daily. Many of them came to say goodbye and wish me luck.

The picture below was taken at 31 weeks, only a few short days priro to my release!

A *Sigh* of Relief

I woke up yesterday morning feeling that a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. We have finally made it to week 30. There's just something about moving from the 20s to the 30s that makes me feel overwhelmingly good. Yesterday, Scot and I took a tour of the NICU here at Winnie Palmer. This was fantastic, because not only did we get to see the facilities and the teeny-tiny babies, but I was able to escape my hospital bed for the fourth time in a month. What an amazing place! Considering all of the critical care babies that were being tenderly nursed to a healthy size, there was an overall sense of peace. The doctors and nurses were gentle and very optimistic. We even met a neonatologist that also lives in Maitland and had four sons that played baseball through Maitland Little League. Although we enjoyed our conversation with him, we politely told him that we hope not to have to see him again. :) When they first wheeled me into the NICU, I had to hold back the tears...I couldn't believe how many babies there were. And although I wasn't necessarily sad, after all, these babies were alive and in a great place, for the first time I truly felt like everything would be okay. If Lily were to end up there, she would be just fine. It wasn't until they showed us a 3lb baby (approximately the size of Lillian right now) that it hit me...that little baby is in my belly...and I will do whatever it takes to keep her there to make her big and strong!

Lillian's brain is growing daily, beginning to show those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. The nurses give me an Omega 3 vitamin every morning to help boost this process. Now that she is able to regulate her own body temperature, she is starting to shed her lanugo - the soft hair that has covered her body for months. Some of the very premature babies we saw yesterday looked like baby Chewbakas with all of that body fur...a common characteristic of premies.

I have to be on a continuous toco monitor which measures my contractions, that's what is around my belly. As of last Wednesday's ultrasound, I was 1.5cm dilated and 100% effaced. I will go for another ultrasound this week to check my measurements as well as Lillian's size. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there haven't been any major changes, because my doctor is considering a release date of 12/18, as long as I am not dilated more than 3cm by then. I sure hope I get to spend Christmas at home!

And So It Has Been Decided...

Last night, Baby Shapiro's mommy and daddy finally came to an agreement (with a few twists of the arm) on her name. Our little daughter will be named Lillian Grace Shapiro. Before Scot left the hospital for the evening last night, he spoke to the baby in my belly and told her her new name (bye-bye Baby Shapiro), and then told little Lily to sleep good at night.

(PS. She didn't listen)

Oh Christmas Tree

The Shapiro family tradition, which began probably around the time Canyon was five or so, has been to go out the day after Thanksgiving and pick out the perfect Christmas tree. And although I am confined to my hospital bed, family tradition is family tradition. So today, the boys, along with Scot's parents, went out on this holiday tree hunting trip.

And, as I mentioned, tradition is tradition, so I too put up the first Christmas tree of the year in my hospital room (thank you Paula and Christine). Not quite like the real thing, but festive nonetheless.

Hooray for 29 Weeks

Yet another week has passed and Baby Shapiro is getting bigger and stronger, while I am getting bigger and crazier (semi-joking about the crazy part). The shirt I am wearing in this picture was my mom's shirt that she wore during her pregnancy with my brother and I. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of that to share, but I tend to believe that she filled it out a little better than I am!!

Thank goodness for week 29, our baby's brain can now control her breathing and body temperature. She can also cough, suck, open & close her eyes, and as you already know - hiccup! As of Wednesday, Baby Shapiro weighed 2 pounds, 11 ounces. Each day she will look less and less like a wrinkly raisin, and more like a little baby. She keeps me up at night with her kung-fu moves and acrobatics. Based on the most recent ultrasound we had, Baby Shapiro is breech. She is currently positioned like the Frank Breech baby shown below. She's all balled up, with her little legs over her head...I guess she's comfy!!

Because Baby Shapiro is currently in a breech position, my doctor came in the other night and explained that due to her "unpredictable nature", it would be wise for us to go ahead and get the paperwork squared away for a cesarean section. Much to my disliking, I understood that she could make her grand appearance anytime, and if she is still positioned the wrong way...a C-section it will be! So, there it is...the dreaded paperwork with my permission to perform this procedure. After the doctor left, I gave our little unnamed daughter a stern talking to (I'm sure this is the first of many to come) about cooperating, turning around, and staying put for just a few weeks longer. Hopefully she listened!

Happy Thanksgiving

I awoke this morning to the sound of nurses outside of my room, the compressor on my leg pumps, and a baby's heartbeat on a monitor in the girl's room next door. These sounds stopped me for a moment, and made me reflect on my life for all of the things that I am thankful for. Naturally, I am thankful for ALL of my family; words will never express the gratitude I have for them.

Today, I am thankful for modern medicine and all that it has provided for me. I am thankful for the nurses and doctors at Winnie Palmer hospital for taking such good care of me and the little one in my belly. I am thankful for Dr. Check and his wonderful team at Cooper Center for IVF for making our dream come true, the feisty little girl that has already tested my patience. I am thankful for the students at Altamonte Elementary for giving me the opportunity to touch their lives forever. I am thankful for Susanne Nicely for opening up her heart and her classroom to me during my internship, she has supported me in becoming the teacher I am today, and has proven to be a lifelong friend. I am thankful for Mary Jane Haley for making my grilled cheese sandwiches in cookie cutter shapes when I was a little girl. Her fun loving and creative ways have encouraged me to share those "specialties" with other children in my life. I am thankful for Dr. Sherron Roberts at the University of Central Florida. Because of her encouragement and support, I was able to accomplish goals that I never thought possible while working on my undergrad degree in education. I am thankful for Harriet Kaplan for opening her heart to my family and becoming such a good friend, and of course, I am thankful that she was passionate about our meeting with Dr. Check.

This Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be thankful for. I am especially thankful for Baby Shapiro, and her continued cooperation to "stay put" for just a while longer!

Thanksgiving breakfast...ham and cheese omelet, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, fruit loops, and apple juice...yumm! Later in the evening, Scot brought me turkey dinner from his mom's house.

28 Weeks - 3rd Trimester

Week 28 (the start of my 3rd trimester) brings a huge milestone in the life of Baby Shapiro. The nurses and doctors here at Winnie Palmer have expressed their excitement and encouragement towards her, and continue to tell me that each day counts. At 28 weeks, the survival rate of premature babies jumps from 50% to 80%...spectacular news for us!! I'm hoping we can make it another four weeks here at the hospital, with a possible return home on December 18th, just in time for Santa!! My nesting instincts have temporarily been put on hold these days, except for the constant nesting I do between fluffing my pillows and straightening my bedding. As I am typing, I feel Baby Girl bopping around in there, a possible case of hiccups?

I was surprised with some of my favorite foods today: my mom's ham sandwich surprises, Hawaiian salad, Bubs' potato salad, and my dad's banana pudding...and let's not forget the root beer. Why all of the good eats you ask? In celebration of 28 weeks! My mom spent the day with me as usual (Bubs was supposed to come too, but she came down with a cold), and Scot & my dad stopped by as they were both just down the street at work. What a wonderful way to remind me that each day is precious, and each week is HUGE! Keep on "staying put" baby girl!!

Boys Will Be Boys

My two favorite boys stopped in for a visit this past weekend. They came bearing a pregnant woman's favorite gift...food! The other thing they brought with them was a small dose of appreciation. Canyon walked into my room exclaiming that I really needed to come home. He was running out of clothes, had no clean socks, and there wasn't anything good to eat in the house. It was evident, the boys were suffering from a severe case of "Angela-is-absentitis", and that they were clearly living in a bachelor pad!! I had brief visions of laundry all over the dining room table, empty keg barrels on the patio, and pizza boxes tossed in the kitchen. (I knew it wasn't that bad, but it was a funny thought to say the least)

After we devoured the barbecue they brought, we all settled in to watch some prime time television. This is my favorite shot of Dad n' Lad and their bellies!

Winnie Palmer

Monday, November 9th was a normal Monday morning for me. I woke up early, checked my email, looked at baby clothes online, ate breakfast, snuggled with the dog, and then I got ready for what I thought was going to be a routine doctor's visit at 26 weeks 3 days. Little did I know that this was the last morning I would spend in the comfort of my home for quite a while. My first ultrasound showed a very healthy little girl, weighing in at nearly two pounds. Strong heartbeat, good measurements, beautiful! My second ultrasound wasn't as promising. I knew once the ultrasound technician said, "Oh, yes, there's your cervix..." that it wasn't a good "Oh, yes". It was the kind of "Oh, yes" that turns your whole body sour. I knew at that time that although I wasn't scheduled to see my doctor that day, she would be in shortly. My cervix that was measured at 2.4cm six weeks ago, and then 4.2cm two weeks ago, was now down to 1cm. As Dr. Cascio sat me down, her mouth opened and it was in typical cartoon slow motion fashion that the words, "You will need to go to Winnie Palmer for the rest of your pregnancy" came oozing out of her mouth. This, I thought, is not happening. Because for once, I was beginning to believe that the rest of my pregnancy would go just as described in What to Expect When You're Expecting. I truly thought that the days of coming up on the crappy side of the odds were over. I should have known though, that normal for me would mean "expecting the unexpected".

26 weeks 3 days

Dr. Christensen would be my new doctor during my stay at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. He is a specialist in maternal and fetal medicine. After his initial exam, he determined that I was 60% effaced, .5cm dilated, and I was having very minor, random contractions. All of this pregnancy jargon was news to me, I had no idea what effaced even meant. I quickly realized that it was serious. This basically meant that there wasn't a lot keeping Baby Shapiro from arriving right then and there. Dr. Christensen gave me betamethasone shots two days in a row to help mature her lungs in the event that she wouldn't stay put until her due date. His next goal was to keep her in her place (and me in mine) until I am at least 32 weeks.

27 weeks 3 days

So, here I am, on my 8th day at Winnie Palmer. I certainly could not have asked for a better place to be. The nurses are fantastic, and quite honestly, it's like being in a hotel (except that I can't leave my bed). I can order room service between 7-12am (and I'm happy to share that although I find my days to be filled with eating and sleeping, I was weighed this morning and haven't gained a pound since last Monday), there is a concierge that will deliver DVDs to my room, my bathroom is all black granite, doctors, nurses, and guests have to knock before entering my room, there aren't any "hospital curtains" in my room, I have floor to ceiling windows, a Murphy bed for Scot, and I've even got an air mattress under my bed!

Nursery Photos Part 1

While we are just beginning to get Baby Girl's (still nameless) bedroom ready, there has already been an enormous transformation. The room, formerly known as the "yellow room" for it's bright color, is now the baby's room and has been painted a dark red on the bottom, and cream on top. Our friend, Tony, spent the weekend here applying coat after coat of paint, until it was just right for the little one!! We will hopefully pick up the chair rail this week and get that up by next weekend. No, she will not have a pink bedroom the first few years of her life. When she is old enough to decide what she wants in her room, she can have pink walls, pink carpet, and pink furniture. But for now, it's up to her mommy! If you'd like to see a photo of her bedding set that her grandparents and great-grandma (Bubs) purchased for her, click HERE. The next thing we have to do is put in a new window, and purchase her crib/bedroom set. It's all starting to come together!

(Riley likes to check in on the progress every once in a while)

This and That

Whose bump is bigger?? Canyon, fascinated with the baby bump, compares his impression of his little sister and I (a balloon bump), to the real deal! Looks like he's ready to POP and day now!!

If ever there were a good time to purchase stock in Charmin toilet paper - now is it!!! Since I have been pregnant, I have noticed a strange phenomenon...it is near to impossible to keep the house stocked with toilet paper. For the first time in my married life, we actually ran out of toilet paper the other day, and had to borrow a roll from Scot's parents. How could this happen?? I just went to the store and bought some!!! Must be my bladder that is this size of a walnut and shrinking!

Our "Fairy Godmother"

Cinderella, a movie I always enjoyed as a child, but never felt any personal connection to (unlike the Wizard of Oz). The classic fairytale of the girl that was magically transformed from rags to riches, along with her little mice friends and pumpkin. Thanks to her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella's dreams came true and she was able to attend the formal ball where should would meet her Prince Charming. However, up until the meeting with her Fairy Godmother, the thought of attending that extravagant ball was just that, a thought. Never in her wildest dreams would she imagine that it would come true. That is exactly how I felt about having a baby, until the day I met Harriet Kaplan. If ever there were such a thing as a Fairy Godmother, it is Harriet.

At a time when I was beginning to give up, and come to terms with the fact that I would never have children of my own, she offered me hope. Harriet told me to speak to Dr. Check at the Cooper Center for IVF in New Jersey. She truly believed that Dr. Check and his team would be able to provide me with my "dream come true". I had been through so much at this point, and couldn't possibly believe that this was the answer to it all. It sounded too good to be true. After all, what she had been telling me was basically that I had won the lottery in the medical world of fertility. It was as if she had just handed me a billion-gazillion dollars...no, not even that, it was as if she had handed me more than that. In fact, there is no monetary number I can attach to this to explain how outrageously insane it felt that someone was going to make my dreams come true. With much encouragement from Harriet, my meeting with Dr. Check (who will receive much thanks in a blog to come) finally took place, and the rest, as they say, is history...just read my blog from the beginning! Each day I wake up and look at my belly, each time I feel our little girl move around, each trip we've made to Babies R Us, each ultrasound we have...I am reminded of our Fairy Godmother, Harriet. And for that, I am thankful!

(PS. I see a bit of a resemblance between the two pictures; I told you she was my Fairy Godmother.)

Wow...25 Weeks!

The weeks finally seem to be slowing down. As of today, (25 weeks, 1 day) I only have 14 weeks and 6 days left until our little one arrives, provided she arrives on time. I can only hope that the weeks pick up again when the holiday rush starts. I am anxious to meet this little girl!! Unfortunately, Baby Shapiro is still nameless at the moment. Scot and I continue to bounce names back and forth (Vladimir is absolutely ruled out, as well as any female version of it) and will let everyone know when we have chosen the perfect name for her.

This morning I woke up with what seems to be swollen hands. I have never had the feeling that my hands are tight, and I noticed it when I stretched and then made a fist. My fingers are a little chunky today! I understand this is very normal. Food continues to be an issue, for all the wrong reasons. The problem is not what I CAN eat...the problem is that I can't keep up with my hunger. Due to this reason, I am adding a personal chef to my baby registry...if you decide to purchase this gift for me, I will move you to the number one spot on my Favorite Person List! :)

Baby's hands are now fully developed and she spends most of her awake time groping around in the darkness of my uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that she can feel the sensation of touch. Baby Shapiro's arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth. Her nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out and she can practice breathing through her nose. The structures of our baby's spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in her body, giving her formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. Our baby weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13 1/2 inches long.

Dolphin Update

Dolphins pre-pregnancy

Dolphins at 25 weeks

All I can say at this point is, "Not too shabby." Although I have three more months to go, and I know this belly is only going to get bigger, I am impressed with how they have held up! In fact, the color seems to be "popping out" more (along with my belly button). I am sure this is because of the daily, sometimes twice daily, application of Palmer's Cocoa Butter. In addition, I simply love how they appear to be migrating away from my navel. Heading South for the winter?? This is an obvious reminder that my skin is s t r e t c h i n g!

Baby Vladimir

As we all know, Canyon is a clever and creative kid, so it wasn't much of a surprise when he sprung the Vladimir Petition on us. This story should have been added quite some time ago, almost five weeks to be exact, when we had our appointment to find out the baby's sex. However, it wasn't until recently that I was actually able to obtain a copy of the "official documents". Upon learning that he would be the proud big brother to a little sister, all the time pulling for a brother, his response was, "Oh man!" Oh man??? Oh man, what? It wasn't an "Oh man, I am going to have a sister", it was an "Oh man, I can't continue my petition". What on earth was he talking about? It was then that he had revealed that over the past few weeks he had been working diligently (at school, when he probably should have been focusing on his academics, but hey, this was important stuff) on the baby Vladimir petition. He was so sure that he was going to have a brother and was so passionate about naming him Vladimir, Vlad for short, that he started a petition. His goal was 100 signatures. Sadly, between the time he started the petition and found out we were having a girl, he had only reached thirty-eight. Kudos to him, however, he was able to obtain two teacher signatures, and one administrator (whom signed with his other hand, so that Canyon couldn't forge his signature at a later date).

24 Weeks!

Unfortunately, my "cameraman" has been very busy since Friday. I therefore do not have a picture of my 24 week belly! Baby Shapiro woke me up at 1:30 this morning, with what I am positive was a case of the hiccups!

Check out this video to see what is going on with our baby between 21-27 weeks. And click here to see what baby looks like at 24 weeks.

Gotcha!

Today was a big day of "Gotcha!" This morning while my mom and I were waiting for my doctor appointment, Baby Shapiro was most certainly performing all sorts of acrobatics in my belly. Not only did "Grandma Holmes" get to feel these movements for the first time, she was also able to see my belly move!

The second "Gotcha!" moment of the day happened while Canyon was focused solely (cough, cough) on his homework. Again, Baby Shapiro started with her acrobatics, and I quickly raced through the house yelling, "Canyon, give me your hand!" He immediately presents me with his palm, as if I am going to give him a high five. As soon as I put it on my belly...she stopped. As usual. With a few seconds of patience, her movements started up again, and finally he felt his little sister move.

Football & Furballs

Baby girl Shapiro experienced her first "cool weather" football game. The UCF Knights played the Miami 'Canes (lost 27-7) this past weekend. We had to bundle up with sweatshirts and blankets, and we even left at halftime. If she happened to chug a little amniotic fluid during tailgating, she probably tasted grilled pineapple, shrimp and veggies (the mushrooms were delicious), and grilled artichokes - my kind of meal!! Notice my "Future Knight" shirt?

Riley officially met Baby Shapiro this afternoon. While resting his furry little head (as best as he could) on my belly - he received a swift kick to his noggin. He promptly sat up and looked at me as if I had thumped him... "Hey, what'd you do that for??" I had to explain to him that it wasn't me, it was the little bundle of joy that will be following him around, pulling his ears, and poking him in his eyes in a few months. So he'd better get used to it!!

23 Weeks

I am definitely looking more pregnant now at 23 weeks and 2 days, and I know this because I have had more people out in public ask me about our little bundle of joy. She has been very active with karate chops to my belly, as well as using my bladder as a trampoline. She continues to tease Canyon with her lack of movement when he puts his hand on my belly. Likewise, he teases right back by poking her! This week, all I have been able to think about are Butterfingers. Hopefully Halloween will come and go quickly without too many Butterfingers in site.

Round Two!!

Last night Scot and I went back to Babies R Us to finish our registry. Click HERE to view it. It is quite apparent in this type of situation that we are two totally different people. While Scot is comfortable with randomly scanning items on impulse, I have a check list and cringe at the very thought of skipping items (or even worse, complete sections). So it is here, in Babies R Us...that I try my best to step outside of my habits and allow Scot free roam of the store. After all, this should be a fun experience (and I can always edit our registry online)! Just as before, Scot promptly took control of the scanner, and the minute he was out of my sight...I could hear, "beep........beep....beep, beep, beep..." Deep breath Angela...deep breath! :) I am sure at that moment, Scot was thinking to himself, "This is scantastic!"

Here's another picture of one of the "she has to have this" moments. An I ♥ Kisses clothing set. Clearly she already has her daddy wrapped around her finger! After a few bottles of water, a painstakingly long time in the diaper bag aisle, a controversial conversation about "suckies" (otherwise known as pacifiers), and several laughs later...we were finally finished. Our little one is all set...now all we have to do is wait. 17 weeks and 2 days!

*Side note: Although we are both aware and thrilled by the fact that we are having a girl, I noticed Scot struggling with a few items on our registry. As I heard the random beep of the scanner...and quickly turned my head, I could see that he had scanned such things as a toy dump truck, little boy outfits, and a baseball onesie. About the baseball onesie, after quick clarification that little girl Shapiro will be able to wear that to her brother's baseball games, I understood completely! After all, she will be born right around Opening Day. :)