Week 20...halfway!

Well we have arrived at week 20. I can't believe we are already at the midway point of our pregnancy! Baby Tripp is growing and growing! Here is what he is up to this week:

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe! Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

So based on that information Tripp is going to love cheese and mexican food ;) It is so fun knowing the sex of the baby. We have now been able to get going on the nursery. Carl painted the room on Friday afternoon and we started getting decor together as well. We are now just searching for the perfect bedding...which is really hard! Below is a picture of the nursery at this point. We are really happy with the way the paint colors turned out.

The start of Tripp's Nursery

This weekend was a busy one, but so much fun! On friday afternoon, Carl and I went to lunch with my sister, her family, my dad and his wife Ginger. We went to Benihanas to celebrate Dad & Ginger's wedding. We had a fun time and Tripp really enjoyed it;) Saturday we went to a halloween party with Carl's family. It was so much fun! His cousin Amy did a great job organizing everything! Next year will be even more fun when we have Tripp with us to enjoy all the festivities!! Today I hosted a jewelry party for Jessica who has started selling premier jewelry. It was great getting together with some good friends and family, having some yummy snacks and shopping for some super cute jewelry. Poor Carl was stuck outside in the garage working on Tripp's changing table/dresser that he is making. I don't think he minded being out there too much, too many ladies inside for him to handle ;) Now it is my favorite time of the week...time for Carl and I to relax and hang out together! I have posted some pictures from our weekend. Enjoy!

Me, sis and my nephews

Me and my precious nephews

Dad and the boys

Dad, Ginger and the boys

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!! Thanks for tuning in this week ;) We will keep updating about our little tripp so be sure and check back again soon!!

Blessings,
Traci and Tripp :)

IT'S A BOY!!!

Well we went to the doc today for our ultrasound and we were told that we were having a boy! I have kind of always had a gut feeling that it was a boy and it turned out that gut feeling was right on! Tripp was moving and kicking around! So that explains what I have been feeling every night. He was also not being very shy with his genitals, he was more than happy to show us ;) Dr. J also said that Tripp is a big baby, he is already measuring a week ahead! We are so excited and feel so blessed! We can't wait to meet Baby Tripp!! Now it's time to get to work on the nursery:) We are also still working on a middle name...so for now it's just tripp, at least we don't have to refer to him as baby schinde anymore!

We hope everyone is having a great week!! We will be updating again soon!!

Blessings,
Traci, Carl and baby Tripp

Week 19...the big reveal week!

We have arrived at week 19! Not only are we almost to the half-way point, but we also find out this week if we will be having a he or a she!! Wednesday is the big day so stay tuned....;) For now here is what baby schinde is up to in the womb this week....

Baby's now the size of a mango! Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.)

The hair on his/her 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. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, taking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

So over the past week baby schinde has been having a little dance party in my belly! To feel our precious little miracle moving around is the most amazing feeling in the world!! And to top it all off, in the last few days we are able to feel the movement on the outside of the tummy! So Carl gets to share in all of the excitement also! It seems that baby schinde doesn't like it when mommy moves around too much. He/she moves around so much that it feels like my stomach is in a knot! It usually happens if I start going too fast while working out or if I walk really fast. It's so funny! Baby already knows who is in charge ;)

Last week was wonderful with baby schinde but also a stressful one for mommy and daddy. Ironically both of our moms had surgery on the same day. So needless to say Carl and I were pretty busy. However, both moms are doing great and on the road to healing! We are so thankful for the blessings of healing!!

Despite a stressful week, we still managed to have an enjoyable fall-like weekend. The weather was wonderful!! On Friday both of us went to visit our moms (my mom who is at home now and carl's mom who will hopefully be home in the next day or so) then we came home and snuggled up on the couch together and watched a movie. It was a good night to stay in! On Saturday, I went with my sister, Dad and Ginger to take the boys to the pumpkin patch. It was a fun-filled day, but really crowded. The boys had a good time and were super exhausted by the time we got home. I have posted some fun pics from the day. Today Carl and I started the day off at church and then again we both went to visit our moms. We rounded out the day by enjoying the awesome weather and taking a nice long walk around my mom's neighborhood. It was a picture perfect Sunday ;)

Well we hope everyone had a great weekend and has an awesome week ahead...how could it not be a great week, the long-awaited sex of baby schinde will be revealed!! Thanks for reading our blog this week!! May God continue to bless you all!! And make sure to check our blog on Wednesday ;)

Blessings,

Traci & Baby Schinde

18 weeks pregnant

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato! Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements.

I have officially begun to feel baby schinde move! It is the most amazing feeling. I only wish Carl could feel and understand how truly amazing it is! Last night baby schinde decided to have a dance party in the womb. He/she was moving all around for about 30 minutes all while I was trying to sleep of course! But I didn't mind :) This baby is going to be just like their daddy, not liking to be still and restless!!

Mom (yaya) actually got lucky this week and was able to hear baby schinde's heartbeat with me. I went to mom's pre-op appointment with our doc and he of course let us take a listen to the heartbeat. I wasn't expecting to do so, so it was a nice surprise. The heartbeat is strong and such a miracle!

I have been loving the cool weather! Except when I went to put on one of my sweaters and realized it didn't quite fit as good around my tummy ;) That's ok I guess...at least we know baby schinde is growing and healthy! Speaking of, I have been feeling so much bettter lately. I have been getting back into my workout routine, modified a bit of course, and it feels so good! The second trimester truly is proving to be a fun time!

This weekend was nice. Not too busy, just right ;) Carl and I had a nice date night in on friday night, which was really nice! My sister, brother-in-law and nephews came into town on Saturday. They went to have a much needed date day while mom and I watched the boys. Mom took blake to the movies so carl and I were on jake duty. We had so much fun and got some good practice with a 10 month old! Carl even took jake for a ride on the lawn mower, which he loved! Saturday night mom took us all to dinner at texas roadhouse, which baby schinde enjoyed very much! It was great to get together with the fam! Today Carl and I faced the rain and the "cold" went to church and then had lunch together. I even talked carl into grocery shopping with me, he just loves shopping ;) Adam, Jessica and Joshua stopped by and then we all went to visit carl's parents for a bit. Now we are relaxing and enjoying a lazy day in...or at least baby schinde and I are ;) I have posted a few pics from the weekend, hope you all enjoy!

Brother in-law and nephews

Uncle Carl and Jake on the lawn mower

We also are very excited for two really good friends, Lance and Michelle who got engaged this past weekend. Congratulations! We love you both and can't wait!

In closing I just want to remind everyone to have faith and know that no matter what obstacles get in your way, God loves and has a plan for everyone!

Hope you all have a blessed week and be sure to keep an eye on our blog....we will be finding out if we will be needing blue or pink paint in about a week!

Blessings,
Traci and Baby Schinde

Moving right along...Week 17

Here we are, moving right along into week 17! Here is a little peek as to what Baby Schinde is up to this week:

Baby's now the size of an onion! Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

I have heard that around this time you may be able to start feeling the baby move. I am still patiently awaiting that moment ;) I have a had a few feelings that I was unsure about...but I am waiting for that moment when I just know! Otherwise, other than feeling a little chubby and not fitting into most of my clothes, I feel great!

Carl and I found a crib that we liked and made the purchase this past week. Carl already has it set up in the nursery. Carl has also been busy at work on painting the chair-railing he put up. Now we are awaiting to find out what color we will be painting the rest of the wall....pink or blue?? My very talented hubby is also beginning to work on a beautiful shevling unit that will also house a changing table. He is so talented and I can't wait to see the finished project! Hopefully our baby will inherit Carl's creative woodworking abilities! Speaking of, Carl recently made a dollhouse bookcase for his brother's little girl who will be arriving this November. I have posted a picture so you can all see :)

Dollhouse bookcase Carl made:)

our crib and the start of the nursery

Although dreary and rainy, we still made the best of the weekend. On Friday I (and carl for a little while) went and baby-sat Joshua while Adam And Jessica went to their ultrasound to find out the sex of their second child. They are having a boy who will be arriving about 3 weeks before baby schinde! We are so excited for them! Saturday was a pretty lazy day for baby schinde and me...Carl of course was hard at work in the baby's room. Saturday night we went over to Lance's to have dinner with he and michelle and watched the aggies get their butts kicked:( Today Carl and I went to church and then went and had lunch with my good friend Stacy. We plan on spending the rest of this rainy day watching some football and relaxing :)

Well we hope everyone has a blesssed week! thanks for reading our blog this week. I have posted a pic of the preggo belly for the beginning of week 17! We will update again soon!

preggo: beginning of week 17

Blessings,

Traci and Baby Schinde :)

Week 16 and oh so fun weekend!

Well here we are at week 16. Time sure is flying by! Here is a glimpse at what our little monkey is up to this week:

Baby's now the size of an avocado! Watch what you say...tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean she can now pick up your voice. A few more minuscule changes: Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

At any time, you will begin to feel fetal movement as your baby's bones harden, and she starts a big growth spurt. Your baby has plenty of room: At this point, she could fit in the palm of your hand. This is a great time to be a fetus. At any given time, she might be playing with the umbilical cord (which she's now able to grasp), putting her thumb in her mouth, or kicking at the amniotic sac.

Wow, so many new developments! Guess we will be able to start talking to the little girl/guy. We went to the doctor this past week for our 4 week check-up. We were able to hear the strong heartbeat, which never gets old, and we were told that October 21st will be the big day to determine whether we will be having a boy or a girl! I don't think that day can get here soon enough!!

Carl and I had a busy but awesome weekend! Friday night Carl took my mom and I out to eat some seafood which I was badly craving! On Saturday we had such an eventful day. It started out with a baby shower followed by a birthday party for one of my best friend Kelly's nephew. It was so great to see her, her husband and her family! It was a lot of fun and we had plenty of goodies to eat while we were there ;) After the party we headed out to Carl's Uncle Michael's house for some awesome grilled chicken and duck! We had the oppurtunity to spend some time with Adam, Jessica, Wendy, Joe, Erin, Uncle Michael and all the precious kiddos. We got home home pretty late and we were exhausted. All I remember was taking a shower and then crashing in my comfy bed ;) It was a busy day but it was worth it!

Today Carl and I had the oppurtunity to visit with another one of my best friends who was also in town for the weekend. Traci and Matt! We went and had lunch with them at Jason's Deli and got to catch up on all the excitement that is going on in their lives right now! They are engaged and I couldn't be more happy for two people. I love them both so much!!

So all in all it was a weekend full of family and friends which is always great!! We are so thankful to be blessed in so many ways.

Finally I have posted some preggo pics. I never think to take pictures when I am actually dressed up so here are some "reality" pics ;) Hope everyone has a great and joy filled week!!

week 16

week 14

Blessings,

Traci & Baby Schinde

Week 15

So the weeks are just passing by and here we are at week 15! Here's what our precious little baby is up to this week:

Baby's now the size of a naval orange! Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure his arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably can't feel the movements just yet.

So baby schinde is apparently having a ball in the womb ;) I can't wait to feel the little guy/girl moving around in there. Luckily things have been getting a lot better for momma! I have been feeling so much better all around!

Carl and I can't wait to find out what we're having. We have even tried a few old wives tales to see what we came up with. So far results have been inconclusive. The next thing we are going to try is something I read about in a magazine called "inteligender". I checked it out at walgreens one day and it was 30.00 so I thought twice about spending the money on something I wasnt sure about. However, Jessica told me she saw on the show "The Doctors" that they claim that it is 90% accurate, about as accurate as an ultrasound! So thanks to Dad and Ginger who were curious enough to know what the results are, we will be trying it very soon! We'll see what happens and in about a month we will see if it is really accurate.

This weekend was fun and relaxing for us. I had an early morning friday when I took my mom and grandmother to the airport to go to Cali. They treated me to breakfast as a nice treat :) Michelle bought me lunch for my birthday and brought me some yummy cupcakes from Crave. Dinner was out as well, we went to Gringos and then Carl took me to see "love happens". It was a great movie! Just dont forget the tissues ladies....or it could just be my hormones...hmmm ;) Saturday was not too action packed, but it was great to kick back and relax with each other. Today after church Carl and I went and had lunch with my fam and watched the Texans game. Now it's time for us to unwind and relax....I seem to be doing a lot of that lately;) I think its going to be a Quiznos kinda night!

Well we hope everyone had a great weekend and hope everyone has a great and joy-filled week! We will update again soon...

Blessings,

Traci, Carl & Baby Schinde