Week 31, She's pink, has strong lungs and is listening to us!

Our not-so-little-one is just a bit closer to her birth weight and height at around 4 pounds and 17 inches. With each added layer of fat, Baby O's skin is starting to look more and more like it will when she finally gets to see the light of day, her skin is now pink instead of red. The heavy news: our miracle-gro muffin will gain about a half a pound of weight per week from now until about two weeks before birth. (Great. That's just what Becky wants to hear! Even more weight to carry around!) This week marks an incredible milestone in Baby O's lung development. Before now, the air sacs and branches in her lungs were present but not functional. The lungs were not able to inflate properly. However, now there is surfactant being produced in Baby O's lungs. Surfactant prevents baby's lungs from collapsing outside of the uterus and she is able to take in air and breathe properly. (I wonder if this is why she is hiccuping almost daily?) Our cute little chubber's fetal ear is almost completely developed both inside and out. She can hear our voices and other familiar sounds (Ashby barking?) that she will recognize after birth.

Nothing really new to report. My Dr's appointment this week went really well. My weight and moving on the nursery this week. My back has been feeling better. I realized that I was making it worse measurements were good and Baby O's heartbeat sounded good too. The Doctor tried to determine where her head is just by feeling my abdomen, but couldn't tell yet. She thought in a couple of weeks it would be easy to determine. So from here till week 36 I will go see the Doc every other week, then from 36 weeks on I will go in every week! My progress on the nursery has been non-existent. I have been trying to gather tax info over the last few week (I've also been procrastinating), but am going to try to push myself, and get it done. My back has been feeling better this week, I determined I have to just slow down a bit, which I don't really like, but everyone has told me to enjoy the slow pace while I can! I also had a Valentine's pre-natal massage on Wednesday which was wonderful, I am sure that helped my back and aching bones! Thanks Valentines!

What a wonderful World

Another one of those cute Utube animal videos, its just so sweet, especially the ending. It'll get you in the mood for Spring....Click here to Enjoy!

Girl Scout cookies!

Boy are we in trouble!

So we have been polishing off our Girl scout cookies with no problem. As I was slowly eating my last Samoa (my favorites) I was thinking that they couldn't be that hard to make. I did a quick google search and sure enough there are recipes out there for knock-off Girl scout cookies.

Click here for recipes of Samoas, Thin Mints, Tagalongs, and Do-Si-Do's

I will do some baking once the REAL cookies are gone and report back on how they turn out! If you try the recipes let me know what you think!

Week 30, Baby Bump!

...How the world sees me....


...The real deal....



...And up close. If I didn't feel the Girl moving so much I might think there was a basketball in there! My belly button has imploded, its just a sad little sliver that is starting to show stretch marks...nothing button-like about it!

Greetings from the Broermann's

A Valentines card from Beau Broermann



Custom greeting Sally commissioned from Etsy.com
Ashby and I, per the blog! (Connie and Tina helped too!)
{click here for more info.}



The cutest Fox letterpress card from Sally, love it, thanks Sal!

Hey Ya'll, Happy Mardi Gras!

Over the weekend Greg and I went to a Mardi Gras party at a neighbors house. It was nice to meet some of the people on the street and do something social. Turns out our neighbors have lived in New Orleans, Oklahoma, Saint Louis and now Denver...very similar to where Becky has lived. Anyway, they had a full New Orleans Mardi Gras menu including a big King Cake flown in from Haydell's Bakery in N'awlins. It was de-licious! And guess who got the baby? The big lady with the baby bump....you guessed it Becky did. Greg's favorite treat of the night was a Krispy Creme Bread Pudding, it was rich and sweet and soooooo good, I just found a recipe online if anyone is interested, Enjoy! To get the scoop on King Cakes and "getting" the baby click here.

Goodies from Aunt Shani and Uncle Jamie!

We got a package last week from Shani and Jamie with some goodies:

A CD of Coldplay Lullaby's, we love it and Baby O will too!

An awesome book for first time parents, its kind of like Consumer reports on Baby stuff. We love this too, I already have dogeared several pages.

And the cutest little hat you have ever seen! Love it.

Thanks Wahl's for all of the goodies...Can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

Week 30, or Month 7, light at the end of the tunnel!

Wow, 7 months! Light is visible at the end of the tunnel! The fine lanugo hair that has been growing all over our little monkey-like baby is going to start falling off this week in preparation for the big day. No surprises here: our little girl is getting even cuter with increasingly pudgy arms and legs this week thanks to the ever-growing layers of subcutaneous fat. In terms of numbers, Baby Ortyl should be weighing in at around 3 pounds 12 ounces (or more!) and be nearly 16 inches long.

This past week was a good one but I feel bigger, slower, clumsier, more tired, achy all over, and a little shocked that I still have 10 weeks and that I'm going to get even bigger! I already feel huge! My back has been giving me a lot of trouble. Yesterday I woke up and could hardly move my right leg. As the day went on it got better, I did lots of stretching, but I can't imagine this for another 10 weeks! And laying down at night is so uncomfortable, I think I will be moving to the couch pretty soon.

I have a Dr's appointment on Wednesday and will report back if there is anything exciting to share!

Or will she look like Baby Greg?

Will Baby Ortyl look like Baby Becky?

RE: #7, Those boots that don't fit...

...In case anyone was interested, Tina Fox, my concerned and loving Sis, has volenteered to take any shoes that don't fit now or in the future off of my hands! Now, is anyone really surprised?! Thanks for the call Sissy, I love you!

10 things Becky can't do anymore:

1. When I'm standing and I look down I can not see my feet anymore.
2. I can't comfortably bend from the waist anymore, I do lots of squatting.
3. I can't take hot baths anymore. And haven't for months. This may be the one thing that I really am looking forward to doing again.
4. Pass a mirror or my reflection without doing a double take! Is that really me?
5. I can't get comfy in bed anymore. I'm already tired of sleeping on my side. And getting from side to side takes a lot of work. Wha!
6. I can't eat regular meals. I just don't have room. I really just graze all day.
7. I can't fit into my boots anymore. My feet/legs are just a tad bit too big!
8. I can't squeeze through tight spaces that I could have 6 months ago.
9. I can't carry a laundry basket in front of me (or anything that is big for that matter), it has to go on the hip or I have to get Greg to help!
10. I can't go too long without seeking out a bathroom!



{I need one of these to reposition me at night! Flickr.com}

Valentine's treats.

Last Friday this beautiful arrangement of flowers arrived at the house. All of the flowers have bloomed now and they smell so wonderful. The card with the flowers said Happy Birthday, which was a mistake, but I'd like to think that my birthday celebration has really started more than a month ahead of time!

On Saturday Greg opened his gift, it was the onsie plus a tube of lip balm! He kind of blew me out of the water, but to be fair we agreed no gifts!

Our first baby item has arrived!

We registered for one of these but then found it on eBay at a big discount so we just bought it. The cool thing about this chair is that it adjusts as the baby gets bigger, so Baby Ortyl could use this for many years to come! Hope she digs the color! I'm excited for Greg to get home and check it out.

Cute Ashby!

Ashby was laying under the table right next to me when Greg kicked this little red ball from about 20 feet away and it landed on Ashby's little paws just like this. She didn't move an inch!

For Subscribers....

{Sun dial image from Flickr.com}

In case you haven't seen, on the right side of the blog, right at the top are two polls. One is a poll where we're asking everyone to guess the delivery date (a prize is included)...when you have a second make a guess! Just email me and I will add your guesstimate.
PS: The official due date is May 3, 2009! Good luck!

Week 29, Hiccups, fluids, and the spleen!

Our amazing baby has had hiccups again: a fairly common occurrence at this point resulting from practicing breathing for her big birthday. In addition, to getting a round of hiccups, our little swimmer has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of her overall body weight. Yeah, compared to we adults, it’s not a lot, but when they’re little like that—it’s certainly a healthy (and warming) accomplishment in its way. Another fantastic accomplishment: our baby's spleen is now in charge of hematopoiesis—the 10 dollar name for the process involved in building up certain important blood components. Another fantastic-accomplishment: our little monkey has been peeing into their amniotic sac for a little while now and if you didn’t know, actually swallows it along with the rest of the amniotic fluid. Although the concept is nasty, her urine is sterile and as part of the amniotic fluid base, is replaced several times throughout the day. At this point Baby Ortyl's crown-to-rump length is approximately 10.4 inches and her total length is around 16.7 inches, she weighs about 2.7 pounds and continues to grow every day. (The average baby's birth weight at full term is 7 to 7.5 pounds.)

Another good week! I feel good, but changes are more obvious than ever. I had sciatica (pinched nerves in my back) so I've been squatting if I need to get down low, bending is just too hard. I have been going to Prenatal yoga and doing lots of stretching everyday which helps a lot. I mentioned this to my OBGYN on Tuesday and she asked me, "What do you think about massages?" - I was thrilled that this was the medical answer to my aches and pains. Then yesterday to my surprise my Valentine gave a gift certificate to a place called Belly Bliss to get several massages before the Baby comes! I am so excited and thankful! (Thanks Valentine!)Yesterday we spent the day shopping for a glider but didn't have much luck. We can't find anything that looks good, fits us both and is comfy! The other baby news is that the girl has been waking my up around 5:30am. She seems to think that that is a great time to practice the drums, her golf swing and her gymnastics floor routine. That's it she's grounded...I need some sleep! Last, Greg has been talking and singing to the belly. I love it, he talks to her like he's on the phone just chatting away, telling her what we've been up to, singing ABC's to her...I love it. More than once it has made me teary, he is going to be such a great Papa!

Happy Valentines Day!

{Image from Flickr.com}

Hope you have a wonderful day.
Greg will be heading to the gym in a bit, and I will go to my Prenatal Yoga class, then we are shopping for a glider/rocking chair, and we'll wind down at home this evening with home-made brisket and chocolate chip cookies. Should be a great day!

Ideas for Baby Ortyl's Nest:

We're going for modern and colorful, girly but not so babyish. Kind of the same, anything goes, "if we love it, it will all work together somehow" idea we have about our house in general. We hope its gonna be super cool!



1. The coolest crib ever, slightly loved and drooled on, being lent to us by Becky's sister Sarah. Thanks Broermann's (let us know when you gonna need it again!)

2. Eames, Hang-it-all. A gift that Greg gave me way back when we were dating! click here.

3. Well of course there is gonna be lots of love in that room. We love her already and can't wait to meet her!!

4. The graphic fabric that Becky is using to make bedding for the little one!

5. The best glider we have found yet. We want one that looks cool, glides, and is wide enough and tall enough for both of us.

6. "Keep calm and carry on" poster, etsy.com of course. click here. To be hung over the changing table. Seems very appropriate, right?! Cool history to the poster, click here.

7. Art work. Saw it on a fab blog, not sure who did it, but I'm going to borrow the idea and paint a huge canvas to go over the crib. I'm thinking graphic, colorful, moths or bugs of some kind. click here. (Scroll down a bit, image is on the right)

8. Knobs for the fixer-upper dresser. Maybe in turquoise or yellow? click here.

9. Oh, that old thing? Becky picked this "old crusty" dresser up at an estate sale. It was a deal and with a little love will be a perfect changing table/dresser for Baby Ortyl. (I'll be sure to post the "after" pics)

Our Maui trip

Aaaa....I'm pretending I am still there.

To see more pictures from Maui, click here.

Baby Ortyl's bedding

I have been slowly gathering stuff for Baby Ortyl's room and have had no luck finding bedding that I LOVE. So I decided to make it myself. However I didn't find anything at the fabric stores that I loved either. Finally, I found this duvet cover that I do love and plan to take it apart and make bedding out of it. Click here to see more pics.

Becky's Belly is growing but her stomach is shrinking!

These pics made both Greg and I laugh. This was our last day in Maui. We had heard that the BEST cinnamon rolls in Maui were right down the street from our hotel and we had to check them out. They were really wonderful, but I ran out of room really fast (right before Greg snapped this pic I think I was rolling my eyes while groaning!)

Ashby and her Kong.

This is several minutes long and probably not that interesting to most. However, Greg and I can sit back and watch Ashby play all evening and just laugh, so I thought I would share. I had just put a big dog cookie in this rubber hollowed out toy called a Kong and here you will see Ashby working to get the cookie out. Notice how well she uses her "hands" to hold the Kong. Of course, the end of the clip is the best part!

Week 28, Fat, blinking and a growing brain

For the time being, we've got ourselves a baby in the business of collecting fat and lots of it! In spite of the dubious joys of being a human-barn, this baby fat business is very serious and I have got to put up with it because it’s going to keep our little porker warm and healthy after birth. Plus, who doesn't love a chubby baby? Other good stuff from inside: Baby Ortyl's eyes are doing lots of blinking this week because they’re now able to respond to light and dark. Also, her industrious little bone marrow is now a major construction site for developing red blood cells, while her super-cute adrenal glands are actually producing androgen and estrogen—which will stimulate my hormones to begin milk production. Can you say, “Moo?” Baby Ortyl's brain continues to develop and is now forming the folds and grooves of a fully developed brain. The amount of tissues within the brain also continues to increase in large amounts. Baby Ortyl is approximately 10 inches crown to rump, 15.75 crown to piggies! She probably weighs about 2.4 pounds.



{28 Weeks, new shoes and all}

Another good week to report. We are settled back into our house here in Denver. We actually have had a super fun weekend this weekend, Greg's sister Shani was in town visiting and we had so much fun with her. The highlights were hitting every baby store in town and treating ourselves (or I guess our soon to be babies) to cute baby clothes, Becky bought a new pair of gym shoes for waddling around, and Greg had a crown fall out (Thanks to Dr. Fox and Dr. Broermann he is on his way to the Dentist now to get it fixed...thank goodness) The other highlights were eating great meals and having Red Velvet cupcakes and key lime pie all weekend (what do you expect when you get two pregnant ladies together??)!

I have a Dr's appointment tomorrow morning and will have my glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes, among other standard tests. I'm feeling good so I am hopeful that everything comes back OK. I will keep you posted. From here on out I will go to the Doctor every other week for check-ups...we are getting close!

My goals for this week are so solidify plans for the nursery and make final decisions on baby gear. I will post pics of the nursery before and after as things start coming together!

Week 27, We are now in the Third Trimester!

Our not-so-tiny-anymore brilliant baby (about 2 pounds 3 ounces and 15.3 inches long!) is slowly rotating in preparation to “head out.” Even now, at the beginning of the third trimester, her little lungs are already capable of breathing air while the pulmonary vascular system can provide sufficient gas exchange and the central nervous system can generally regulate rhythmic breathing as well as her basal body temperature.



Our last night in Maui, having dinner at Spago, yum!

I can't believe we are in the home stretch, it feels like these last 3 months have flown by! Just in the last week have I really start to feel like I'm carrying around extra weight. I think I'm walking a little slower, I lose my breath a lot faster and for the first time last night when I got into bed I noticed that my ankles were all swollen! All in all, I feel really good, and can't complain!

Our "Babymoon" was a wonderful treat, Greg and I both loved getting away for a bit and spoiling ourselves. We did lots of laying around at the pool and beach, we loved watching the sunset every evening and looking for whales during the day, Greg managed 5 rounds of golf, and we had some really wonderful meals. We are now back in Denver, with our Puppy (whom we missed terribly, (Thanks Pete & Katrina for spoiling her for us!) and we're getting back into the swing of things. Lots to do now that the baby will be here in 3 months...getting furniture for the nursery, picking a stroller, car seat, highchair, and all of the little stuff too, not to mention we still don't have a name!

Stay tuned, I'll be posting Maui pics this week!

Aloha!!

No snow for the Ortyl's this week, we are in Maui! The first few days we had showers and lots of clouds, but we are having lots of sun and surf now. More pics to come....