Week 20; 23.5 months; Cherry Blossoms, Swim Class, 1st School Picture, Golfing, Eating out, singing videos

Welcome to Week 20~
I'm still feeling great! Here is my belly pic from this week with Baby Bluey
With Tyler:

I can feel the baby move several times/day!

We've had a busy last couple weeks and I didn't have time to get these pictures up in the last post.

We got up early last weekend to go to the Cherry Blossoms before the rain came. Even though it was cloudy, the weather held out and we had a great time! Tyler was fascinated!

By far the best line of the day: While looking at the paddle boats and after I had given a lengthy explanation of what they were, he says "Where is the captain of those boats?"












Water Tots
Tyler has been enrolled in the Water Tots class through Arlington County and it's a wonderful bonding time for Ty and J.D. ...although it didn't start out that way. On the day of the first class, we arrived, and Tyler saw a big basketball hoop in the big pool. He insisted on playing basketball in the big pool. He had no interest in the swim class. In spite of our best efforts to explain that first we would do swim class and then daddy would take him to shoot...the first class was a bust...crying the whole time. Ty actually tried to negotiate with us. When we said "first swim class, then shooting...he responded with "no, first shooting, then swim class." We stuck to our guns, and let him watch the swim class (while crying) and he didn't get to shoot....very sad.

The speech pathologist in me decided I had to write him a social story for what to expect in swim class (the routine etc.) We read the story many times during the next week and before we left for swim class the following week. Sure enough, Tyler did amazing from that class forward. No more crying, no more arguing, no issues! He and J.D. ended up having a great time at swim class. The social story is below:




Tyler waiting on the bench for the class to start

Ready to get in
Walking down the rampPracticing kicking and floating on his back



Go get that duck
Jumping in the pool
Daddy trying to teach Tyler how to blow bubbles in the water


Singing "The Kids in the Pool go up and down" and the Hokie Pokie....his favorite part of the class.
And now for the best of all.....BASKETBALL!

He shoots
He scores!!!!
Now he waits on the side of the pool while Daddy collects the ballsShooting from inside the big pool!

Tyler had his first school picture. Too cute!!! Tyler got to go to the club today with Gee Gee Sue and Pops


Tyler loves doing everything. He just loves life! Joie de Vie, as my parents used to say about me. That sums Tyler up also! A man after my own heart....he appreciates all of the little things in life. He really loves going out to eat at restaurants and is very well behaved (as long as it's not too long and someone is paying attention to him at least a little bit). Here's us walking in Clarendon (please notice his sports backpack which is hanging so low because he insisted on packing it with all of his favorite things...thanks Pete, Jane and Angie for the backpack!)
I can't believe how big he is getting...eating black beans and rice with a spoon out of a bowl....


Tyler has started singing and he loves it. We hear him all day long singing two of his favorites Old McDonald (below) and Wheels on the Bus.

Also in honor of Passover, he is singing Dayenu (in the 2nd video) while watching youtube of it.



Welcome to Week 20: Baby Bluey is a CANTALOUPE!!





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 top of your uterus is about level with your belly button

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 (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

• You're half way there!
• The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival.
• The baby's heart grows stronger. Find a quiet place, lay flat on your back. Locate your own heartbeat by finding your pulse. Next lay your hand on your belly. You may be able to distinguish the two heartbeats!
• His legs are reaching their relative size. With the increase muscle develop occurring as well, you will start feeling much more than tiny flutter kicks soon!
• Immunities are being transferred from you to your baby now. These immune cells will protect her from viruses you've already had for up to six months after birth!
• The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections.
• Your baby may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, she can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds that baby becomes accustomed to during her development stages often are calming after birth.
• If your baby is a girl, her uterus is starting to develop. She has approximately six million eggs in her ovaries. About one million will remain at birth.
• Baby is about 6.46 inches (16.4cm) and weighs around 10.58 ounces (300g).