Baby Girl at 20 Weeks

Here's our cute little girl at 20 weeks.

Sugar and Spice

Sprout is a girl, and she is now the length of a banana. She's definitely growing, and we are loving being able to know more about the baby by just knowing her gender. The sonogram pictures are very clear. I will get Tommy to post them. He said our daughter was already an exhibitionist. He's nervous about how she will be as a teenager, but we will take it one step at a time.

On the homefront, life has been overwhelming to the point of weariness at times dealing with all of the small tasks that go into getting a house ready for the market. It's almost there; in fact there is a sign in our front yard, and it should be listed tomorrow. Tommy has reverted back to some old college habits and pulled a few all-nighters (or at least until the wee hours). And because of him, the house is looking better than it has in a long time. It's a shame we are leaving it soon!

More to come.

Onward and Upward

Time marches; it's December already, our Christmas tree is up and twinkling, and Sprout is nearly halfway ready to join the outside world. It actually snowed on Friday too! Some teacher friends and I skipped out of school and grabbed Subway for lunch, and on our way some flurries blew in from the sky, not a common sight for San Antonio. Of course it didn't stick, but it was quite exciting for us Texans for the fifteen minutes it snowed.

Hopefully Topeka has some heavy, snow-angel-worthy snowfalls in store for Tommy and me. We will be uprooting from this rocky soil and settling in up there sometime in January. The emotions that this decision has created are mixed and strong. We are sad to leave our San Antonio family at church, our/my friends at Tejeda, our first house together, the adventures we have had here together, good Mexican food, all of it. But we are excited for the adventure in store for us and our family. And thus the three of us are moving onward and upward.

Speaking of the third member of our family, we will know what color to paint Sprout's room in just three days. On Wednesday we have our next sonogram, and we will get to know more about the person we'll be meeting in April.

Our lives have suddenly become crazy and emotional, and we are thankful that we have a God who is in control. His blessings to you, and we will update in a couple of days!

Laura

Boy or Girl?

Our next sonogram is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9th, and we should be able to tell if Sprout is a girl or a boy. We can't wait to experience the next big surprise, and we hope we have the same technician who let Tommy record the last sonogram.

There are many happy things happening around us. My cousin Christian and his wife Pennie had their baby boy, Kainoa (it's a Hawaiian name - they'll call him Kai) last week. Our good friends, Blake and Lydia, tied the knot last night. And on Wednesday Tommy and I leave for Ft. Wayne for an Eggold Thanksgiving. God's blessings are overwhelming, and we have so many people around us to celebrate them with. I can't wait to be surrounded by Eggolds, some of my favorite people, with a big helping of mashed potatoes on my plate. Is that what heaven will be like?

16 Weeks

Tommy and I read that Sprout should be able to hear noises, voices, music, etc. by now. It makes me ponder noise a bit more closely. What tone am I using with my students when they frustrate me? How loud is the music in my car to Sprout? Which Jackson Five-era Michael Jackson impression is better, mine or Tommy's? I'm excited that he/she can get to know our voices now, and maybe Sprout's listening closely when I'm reading aloud to my students. Time to break out the Mozart and begin the Ivy League prep.

Next week is our monthly appointment, and I will be asking when the big Gender Reveal can take place. It may be a Christmas gift next month.

Tommy received a call to a church in Topeka, Kansas. We are praying and considering, praying and considering, and we ask for your prayers as well. We've built quite a life and home here in San Antonio where the Lord has richly blessed us, but we know His blessings will follow us wherever we go.

Today, our friends, Doug and Jessica Taylor, bring their second daughter, Adelyn Mae, to the font to be baptized. Tommy and I are honored to be standing up there as her Godparents. God's blessings to little Adelyn today and always!

Laura

12 Weeks by Tommy

People have asked me if the reality of impending fatherhood has hit me yet. At those moments I recognize that the full weight of parenthood won't hit me until I'm holding my child in my arms. Fortunately there are things along the way that have allowed me to hear and see my child in order to remind me that I'm a father now and I thank God for all of those opportunities.

Today Laura and I went in for some tests which included a sonogram. Below are some videos of our baby. We were able to hear and see the heartbeat again. What was different from the last sonogram was the ability to see the details of arms, legs, hands, feet, and even some facial features. We also got to see the baby kicking off the uterine wall. Though the audio isn't the best, I was still able to hear myself make the 'awe's and the occasional 'that's crazy' as I marveled at all our child could do at 12 weeks.

So...check out our baby. He or she is a pretty cool kid.

audio of hearbeat

visual of heartbeat

kicking and hiccups

feet and the scoot

Week 7 Day 6 - Raspberry-Sized

Here is the baby's first photo. The head is on the left facing up. We could see the heartbeat, just a shimmering spot in the middle of the chest, and we could hear it too. The technician said it's a good, strong heartbeat.

The visit definitely makes it even more real. The new due date is April 27th, and, as Aunt Kathy pointed out, Sprout will be the first in the Eggold family to be born in April.