27-week Photo

Here's the 27-week photo, with mother and child in Grandpa Ken's kitchen. Baby Woodruff got a taste of some (early) Thanksgiving treats, as the Peterson family celebrated at Grandpa Ken's house with some good eating ... all of the good stuff was there, but unfortunately, with BW taking up more and more space in Heather's tummy, mommy could only eat just a little at a time. But, it appears that little BW does like Thanksgiving-type foods ... mommy had a happy little baby that night.

And also this past week, on Friday morning, Heather had yet another appointment with Dr. Zawacki. The dreaded glucose test was not nearly as bad as anticipated; Heather only had to drink 12 ounces of sugary carbonated water. After drinking it, she then had her regular checkup. The doctor measured her belly and checked the baby's heartbeat (130 bpm). After a little wait, Heather had her blood drawn to check for anemia and glucose levels, although that required a couple pokes in the arm. Finally, it ended with one more poke, this time for the RH factor. Dr. Zawacki said that all was well with mother and child, and that the next appointment would be in 4 weeks.

Sick Day

Yesterday was a day that Heather would just as soon forget about, as it marked the first time she had gotten sick (other than the expected "morning sickness") while being pregnant. She woke up with both chills and hot flashes, so she called her work to say she wouldn't be in. Then she called the doctor's office for advice on how to treat it, and they recommended acetaminophen to keep the fever down. Her temperature would reach as high as 100.5 F, and after a rocky evening, she managed a good night's sleep ... and she was back on her feet today. Through it all, little Baby Woodruff didn't slow down at all ... the kicking and punching continued stronger than ever in Heather's tummy, which didn't exactly help with her nausea.

26-week Photo

Baby Woodruff's big arrival into the outside world is getting closer, as you can see in this 26-week photo of Heather.

She is standing in front of our new garage that Uncle Dave, Grandpa Ken, Grandpa Bob, Uncle Richard, and our neighbor Jack have been working on for the past month or so. Once the foundation was poured, it went up quick! It's going to be big enough for 3 cars and a shop area ... and it'll have enough storage space for all of that stuff that comes with a growing baby. Plus, there will even be a toilet and shower for a bigger BW to use during and after all those ultra-dirty play times.

Knock, knock

Today, Baby Woodruff made sure to let mommy know that there's someone in her tummy. BW started by waking Heather up early this morning with lots of kicks and punches, then kept on banging on her belly throughout the afternoon ... and hasn't stopped moving around in there as of this evening. This has been one of baby's most active days, and it's all making for one very tired first-time mother. The kicks and punches haven't hurt (yet), but they are definitely becoming a little distracting. Heather is hoping that little BW will be all tuckered out in time for bedtime!

25-week Photo

We have a special guest tonight ... the mommy-to-be, Heather!

"Here is my 25 week photo. Much to my reluctance, Rick waited until after I was in my grubby clothes to take this photo. We just returned from checking on the cats at Dad's and cleaning up his flower pots. Baby and I are feeling well. BW's kicks and punches are getting stronger by the day. Everyone keeps saying that I don't look very big, but believe me I feel it! I think the only other person besides Rick that enjoys showing off my belly is Adam; he can't just point to my belly, he has to lift my shirt up every time! I am looking forward to the arrival of BW, but I feel like the pregnancy is going by fast. I feel very blessed to have a healthy pregnancy. Thanks to everyone for your support and well wishes. I also must thank the creator, author, and editor of this blog, my loveable husband Rick."

EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks, honey ... I love you, too!

Checkup again

It was time for another visit to Dr. Zawacki's office for a routine checkup of mommy and Baby Woodruff. Once again, the doctor said that all was well. She performed many of the usual exams on Heather, including her weight, blood pressure, temperature and pulse. The doctor then checked out BW, measuring the length of the uterus and heartbeat (a solid 140 bpm); she apparently had no problem finding the beat this time around.

And Dr. Zawacki had even more good news ... Heather will be undergoing the dreaded diabetic drink test in 2 weeks, when she'll get to ingest a gallon of sugary water. Also, because Heather is O-negative blood type, she will be receiving the RH factor shot to prevent bad blood interaction between her and BW if the baby's blood type is positive (just routine, nothing to worry about). And as a final bonus, she'll also get her blood drawn to re-check for anemia (the previous blood test was negative). So, lots to look forward to!

24-week Photo

Baby Woodruff reached the 24-week mark ... and mommy Heather and daddy Rick celebrated not only that, but also their 1st-year anniversary!

All of us made the trip to Leavenworth for the weekend for a little anniversary-getaway. We enjoyed sleeping in, shopping around town for early Christmas-y things, and eating some fantastic meals (and snacks, too). It has been a fun and exciting 1st year, and Heather and I can't wait for what the 2nd year has to bring (namely, little BW)!