Week 22

According to my email update this week, baby Pierce-Armstrong is beginning to look more like a miniature newborn now, with more distinct lips, eyelids, and eyebrows. He's even developing tiny teeth buds beneath the gum line. His skin will continue to appear wrinkled until he gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his head and body is now visible. His eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment.

The email also notes that my stomach "may become a hand magnet — people will touch it without asking permission." I guess I'm not poking out too far yet because so far people have been able to resist the urge to feel. I swear though, some days I look like I'm ready to pop and other days I barely look pregnant. I think it really depends on whether the clothes I wear accentuate the bump.

The funny thing for me is that, for the most part, I feel pretty normal. My energy level is high. I'm not insanely hungry or nauseated. And, when I am look down I can still see my feet. I kinda forget I'm pregnant sometimes until, walking through a restaurant, I see a table of strange women smiling sweetly at me, or I catch my reflection in a shop window - now that's enough to make me do a double take.

Scott and I have been keeping something of a video journal of the major events of my pregnancy. He actually turns out to be quite the comedian when the camera is pointed at him, and he keeps me in stitches with narratives such as, "shopping for the best diaper pail." Maybe when it's all done we'll share the edited version.

I, on the other hand, have been more focused on irrelevant things such as color schemes for the nursery. While we are racing to get the main part of the house finished by the time Justin arrives in June, and while an actual nursery is months and months away still - the baby will sleep in our room for the first few months and Justin will likely occupy the room destined to be the nursery until his upstairs hideaway is complete - I have a perfect image in my mind of what the baby's room should look like.

Inspired by our very first baby present - a lime green pottery barn blanket from Ross and Niki (thank you) - I have dreamed up a room design with an ebony crib and dresser, stark white (and completely bleachable) bedding and lime green accents. Tasteful and simple. (My hope is to avoid any Disney-themed interior decoration for at least three years.) Of course, I married a man who cares about things like furniture and bedding and wants a say in everything baby-related. He also has strong ideas about what nursery furniture we pick. He very begrudgingly allowed me my ebony crib and dresser. I haven't broken the news to him yet about the white bedding and lime green accents. (I wonder if he'll go for the scalloped edging on the crib skirt I want?)

The most exciting happening of the week arrived in the back of Dawn Biddlecomb's suburban. Dawn, a friend who lives nearby in Reedville, has three boys, all under the age of 4. On Sunday afternoon she brought us four huge seafood boxes full of baby clothes. I was in heaven. I sat on the floor and joyfully organized all the clothes into piles according to size (clearly I am nesting). Since Dawn is a woman with good taste, the hand-me-downs include the entire spring line of Ralph Lauren onesies. That doesn't mean I won't be shopping for new clothes – I think the urge to buy teeny tiny outfits is primal – but it does take some of the pressure off.

We'll that's the news from our end of the sticks. Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.
Reid and Scott