24 Weeks & into my 6th month!!

Happy 24 weeks to ME! Well, I started off this morning feeling a little queasy and made a dash for the bathroom, but luckily it was a false alarm!! I am feeling a lot better now, and happy that the weeks are moving right along. My baby shower is coming up in June, and I am really excited to see all my friends and family together on that day, it will be so much fun to celebrate Violet's arrival. I know I have some wonderful people working away on the details, so I'll send a quick pre-shower "THANK YOU" to my Aunt Gay, Aunt Terri, Becky, and my sister Sherri! Love you guys!

I am starting to feel Violet kick and move more and more. Steve was able to feel her moving for the first time last night! FINALLY! I am always wanting him to feel it, but as soon as he puts his hand on my belly, she stops moving. Also, my little Daddy-to-be isn't so patient......so he'll only sit there for maybe 30 seconds so Violet really has to step up to the plate quickly or he loses interest!! I don't blame him, it's gotta be frustrating to wait and wait and feel nothing. Hopefully from here on out everyone else (that wants to) will get a chance to feel her in action!

Here are some early six month photos:

Dad wasn't too excited about taking a picture this day, but he did it for me anyway - thanks Honey!

and now the news for 24 weeks:

"Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon." - courtesy of babycenter.com

23 Weeks & Healthy again!

What a week this has been! Steve and I both came down with a virus late on Sunday evening in to Monday morning that took us both out of work for two days! So there goes a little more of my maternity leave, but what are ya gonna do, right? Steve sister Nikki and husband Jeff also had it too, and I am thinking we got it from our sweet little sugarbear Julian (Steve's great-nephew)!! We are watching him again tomorrow night, so let's hope he doesn't bring anymore new germies with him. The good part is we are all feeling better, and Violet wasn't affected my the virus at all. Dr. Abbott said she sounded great, and she is kicking away!

This weekend we are planning on finishing up our baby registries. Here is a picture of the bedding we have chosen, now I just have to make a trip out to USA Baby to see it in person!:

22 weeks

Here we are at 22 weeks! I was just looking at the ruler that I've been using since the baby was conceived. Violet's now at 11 inches!! What do I do when she surpasses the ruler? What an exciting little milestone that will be. Last weekend we began painting her room, and last night Daddy started putting together her dresser / changing table. It's quite an undertaking since none of the pieces were numbered, but he's doing a great job!

...and now for the weekly news:
"At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily." - courtesy of babycenter.com

21 Weeks, IT'S A GIRL!

We are so happy to announce that we are having a baby girl! We've decided on the name Violet Sophia Schoff. It was an amazing day from the very beginning. At first Violet was really uncooperative in the ultrasound room. The tech even asked us, "Which one of you is the stubborn one?". Well of course I said Steve, but truth be told, it's BOTH of us. Little Miss Modest just wouldn't open her legs to get a good look. After what seemed like forever, the tech had me roll onto my left side and then Wa-lah....we got the shot we were looking for and she said "it's a girl"! I immediately teared up from excitement, and RELIEF. I was so worried we'd be leaving there without knowing the sex, and that would have really stressed me out!!!!!! So, thank you little one for making your Mommy SO happy today! The best part was that she looks very healthy and is growing perfectly. Violet's heart rate was 154 and she weighs 15 ounces (one shy of a full pound - yay). It's such a wonderful sensation to be calling her by name, it just makes everything that much more real. I am certainly counting my blessings today. I know we are so very fortunate to be where we are, and I am thankful to God for blessing our little, but growing family with so much! Here are some photo's from today:

Me and Steve with our Her"SHE"y Bar!

Becky, Mom, Me & Steve at breakfast celebrating little Violet!

BIG Kicks!

Sunday evening as we were sitting down to eat dinner I felt a kick!! Not just a little flick or light tap like normal. This was a biggie! So big, in fact, that it startled me and I jumped a little and said, "Oh my God". Baby gave me a good one, and I was so happy to feel it, but the sensation was definitely a little strange. I can't wait to feel more....so keep on kickin' on Baby Schoff!

Speaking of "Baby Schoff"....only a little more than a day and we'll actually be calling you by name, and not just "Baby" anymore! We can't wait!!!

20 weeks, 5 months, Halfway THERE!

I am so excited that I - I mean WE, are at the halfway point! Within the last few weeks I've started feeling a lot of movement which to me felt like rolling around and stretching. A few nights ago I (think) felt my first kick. It was one, followed by two more in a row. It was so neat. Of course, the kicks aren't hard enough for Steve to feel them from the outside, but I am so glad that I can feel them in my tummy!

Only 7 more days until the anatomy ultrasound, could time go any slower?? I mean, really it feels like I've been waiting for this appt. for YEARS! haha I told Steve that I will feel like a kid on Christmas morning, I just cannot wait for that day to get here! I know that I'll probably cry when we find out, I just want to start calling the baby by his/ her name.

Here are some pictures that Mamaw (my Mom) took yesterday evening of the new Mommy AND Daddy at 5 months! Try not to laugh to hard at Daddy!! He's such a goofball, I LOVE HIM!!!

20 weeks - YES, it's all about the POO!!!!!!!
"You're at the halfway mark — congratulations! Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (The way your baby is measured changes now.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (although some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). " - courtesy of babycenter.com

Garden Fairy!

Well Baby Schoff, you've got one heck of a Mamaw (my Mom)! While we were at work yesterday, she came over and cleared out our front garden, planted flowers and added bark mulch! I was in total shock when I came home....it looks FABULOUS! It was such a sweet surprise, and as you'll find out soon, she can be full of surprises! You have got great grandparents all the way around including Papaw & GiGi & Mamaw & Papaw Mustin. You are one lukcy BABY!