Seven months and one week!

Six months and one week - can you even get over it?

Amazing day with our little mover and shaker!

I've been feeling the little muffin move for a couple of weeks now. What an amazing experience!

But I've been sad that Kirk hasn't been able to share in it. The few times I've felt him/her kick, it's been so sporadic that by the time Kirk gets his hand on my belly, it's gone.

This morning was a big show! Feeling movement, I quietly reached over and put Kirk's hand on my stomach, not even telling him to shut his eyes and concentrate (as usual). And within moments, he felt it!

Kirk's reaction to things like this has to be one of my favorite parts of being pregnant. It's all in his eyeballs. They get so big when he's excited, and he was very, very excited this morning.

Here comes mama bear!

I had the most interesting experience today. I've been having back pain, so I went to see a chiropractor. I asked her all sorts of questions about her experience with pregnant women. But when she went to "adjust" me, she had me kind of hunched over, and I felt like she was going to sort of shove my abdomen into the table.

That did it. I started crying. I said I didn't want her to do anything anywhere near the baby and that I would live with the pain, but please don't do anything that might hurt my baby. A few weeks ago, I was on a plane that had hydraulics trouble, and that had been the first time I felt like my reaction to something was totally different, knowing I had a baby inside me.

Now there on that table, I couldn't stand thinking anything might harm my baby. I was ready to put up with whatever it took to ensure this.

Maybe I have more maternal instincts than I knew.

A room full of pregnant ladies

I went to my first prenatal yoga class last night. I am telling you, nothing gives me a case of the giggles like being in a room full of pregnant ladies. I swear some of them looked like they had bowling balls under their shirts, and in no way does it seem possible I could look like that EVER!

But it was good, and I met someone I asked to join a play group. Now THAT'S planning ahead! But my friend Kara inspired me to do this, and so I'm building my list.

Everything else is going well. We've been cleaning up our house in order to put it on the market, and we're so happy with it we just might stay and put baby in little room off the the laundry room. That will surely be an efficient way to do all that laundry I've been hearing about!

Dying for a kick

One thing I've always wondered about was what it would feel like to have a baby kicking inside me. Knowing I probably wouldn't have kids, I felt I would really miss this experience.

And wouldn't you know it. Little Muffin hasn't been much of a kicker. It was several weeks after you're "supposed" to feel them. One night, I was having my usual one-person, 4 am party. My hands were on my belly, kind of meditating and feeling for any sign of life. Finally, I said the first thing I'd said out loud to the baby.

I said, "what are you doing, baby, and why won't you make yourself known to me?". About 10 seconds later, I felt it. The baby moved. It was amazing. In my groggy state, I almost thought it was a dream. But I'm so happy it wasn't.

I have learned the secret to feeling your baby kick is to be still and quiet. Also I'm so grateful to my business partner Aaron, who explained it almost feels like a spasm. This helped me make sure I was feeling for the right thing.

Feeling something move from the inside has definitely been a highlight of pregnancy. I can't wait till it's big enough to feel from the outside so Kirk can feel it too!

Five months and six days!

Happy 5 month pre-birthday, Little Muffin!

Things are really flying now! I feel great, still very peaceful and calm, which is such a blessing. We even got to have our anatomy ultrasound Thursday. It was so exciting – I got teary, as usual, when I saw the muffin moving around, heart beating, etc. Wouldn't you get teary too if you saw this on the monitor?

And if it’s possible to compound joy at such an event, we did, because Melinda went with us. She was shaking, she was so excited, and it made the whole thing more fun and exciting. We didn’t look at the gender (much to Melinda’s dismay, dare I say harassmentJ), but the doctor said the baby looks wonderful.

I have been in Colorado camping with my folks, so I’ll put up my 5 month picture here ASAP, as well as I’m hoping pictures of the muffin.

Stay tuned!

JibJab announcement

JibJab quit putting our "We're Pregnant!" message at the end of our video announcement to people, so we had to cancel the service. But not before we took a little video of it. I've watched it hundreds of times and can't get enough. Priceless. Enjoy!

The big announcement to Portland gals

This week, I got to tell my Portland book club gals about being pregnant, and it was SO fun!

Jenn and Kara knew, so they wanted a piece of the action of telling everyone. So Jenn brought her camera, and we all agreed how we would get it all on film. So we got everyone together, and said:
1....
2....
KENDRA'S PREGNANT! (all in unison) before the CLICK!

Here's the stream of how it happened. First, here are Kara and Jenn (on the ends) making the announcement with me (behind the camera):

People starting to react...

It's starting to set in:

Susan (who also announced she's pregnant that night!) and Margit:

Margit and I:

Sandy and I:

Iva-Marie arrived late, so she got her own special trivia contest to try and guess who's pregant!

The whole gang...

I also told Irene this week. We met for breakfast, and I wore my "Mom To Be" necklace. She noticed it right away. Tears, hugs, the sheer bliss that only comes from the announcement of a baby. It was wonderful!