24 Week Update.

So its been a while since I posted an actual update about Helena's progress.  So at 24 weeks she weighs over a pound and is about a foot long.  Basically about the size of an ear of corn:

Our corn baby Helena ... is it gross what we had BBQ corn last night for dinner?

Even more exciting than her vegetable/fruit size comparison is that while visiting Uncle James and Aunt Ashely in Charleston I really began to feel her move and kick.  Her kicks are so hard now that BA can feel them too!  She gets really active after I drink a huge glass of ice water or some sprite.  Sprite makes her move around like a crack addict.

The other morning we were laying in bed and BA decided it was time to wake her up.  He jiggled my stomach back a forth a couple times and I shit you not she woke up and started kicking.  I think she was pissed because she kicked hard and for a long amount of time before she settled down.  Of course, being the good parents we are, BA and I laughed and laughed about it.

What is crazy to me is that at 24 weeks, she is basically done forming.  All her organs are in the right place, she can open and close her eyes, and even her finger prints are done.  In fact if she were to fall out  right now, with a lot of medical intervention, she could survive.  However, I'll let her stay a bit longer getting fatter (and making me fatter) with every day.  Just cross your fingers I am able to stay within my weight gain goal of ~30 lbs.  Which so far I am on track to accomplish.

What's in a Name?

So BA has decided on a name for our little Gypsy.  Her name will be Helena Margaret Nel.  We have been calling her Maggie for short as of now, but that is subject to change if she doesn't look like a Maggie when she pops out.

We wanted a strong name that existed both in English and Afrikaans since we will be raising her bi-lingual.  I also wanted a name that meant more than "oh I just liked it."  It just so happens that BA's grandmother's name was Helena Magrieta and my great grandmother's name was Helen Margaret.  So Helena Margaret is a perfect mix!

Meaning:

Helena (which we have decided will be pronounced like the Afrikaans way He-lee-n-a not the American version He-lain -a) - is a variant of Helen and is of Greek origin.  The meaning of Helen is "sun ray, shining light".  


Margaret -  is also of Greek origin, and the meaning of Margaret is "pearl"

Gifts Galore!

Here are a few pictures of the wonderful gifts we have received in the past few days.  Maggie is such a lucky girl!

Some Monkey Business from Jeremy, Leigh, Miss Madison and # 2 .... who is due about 8 weeks later!

Some Kansas City love and Maggie's first pair of Tom's!!!!  Sent to her from Auntie Christain.  PS - BA was super creeped out by the baby picture, which makes me love it even more. 

Homemade changing pads so "her little ass won't have to touch what other nasty ones have!"  Guess Aunt Beth knows the kind of places BA frequents :)  Love the Iowa onesie ;) 

A gift from my knob Rosita Navarro ... some lovely handmade wares from the Charleston's farmer's market.  Love the little dress.   BA has decided that his mom will make 100 of these while she is here on "vacation."

The hippiest towel of all.  A orange, organic tiger from Uncle James, Aunt Ashley and Bryce Cooper.

Pictures for my Dad (not that he even reads this silly blog).

To celebrate our last day in Charleston and my sixth month of carrying our lovely parasite, Helena Margaret, BA and I went to The Citadel campus to take a few pictures:

My slutty Citadel shirt wearing girlfriend ... 7 years late and blinded by the sun.  But oh so handsome!

BA peeking into my old room.  But don't worry it's summer and no one was in there, so he isn't that big of a pervert.

Maggie and I.  Hopefully she is super smart or really good at sport, so she can go to a real college and not this place. 

A Vacation Update from Charleston!

How BA sleeps, hand on my stomach.  Which would be really sweet if it wasn't 100 f-ing degrees in South Carolina.

Almost six month pregnant ... and why I shouldn't sport a bathing suit :)  

BA's  new kicks, so now he can full fill a life long dream of being a leprechaun.

American Gothic.  (the wind is making my dress blow out, not my stomach).

ITS A GIRL!

And BA has decided HER color is purple :)  I'll post pictures and the run down of our appointment after my final tomorrow.  

Two Days Until the Big Reveal

Unless of course the Gypsy decides it doesn't want to let us know his/her gender and keeps its bathing suit parts covered.

One of the questions I am sure pregnant people get asked all the time is if they have a preference for either ... and I have been thinking about it a lot in the past couple of weeks.  I guess either has its pros and cons and different hard decisions to make.  So I compiled a short list for each:

Male 

Pros - 

BA will finally have some one to talk rugby to so I don't have to pretend to listen. 

Little boys 5-10 are the most fun and cutest things out there.  They are so inquisitive, excited about everything and SWEET.   

We have a boys name picked out and neither of us have had second thoughts about it. 

Our Chinese/Korean baby will be a girl, so having a boy will give us one of each!

Boys like their mommies better!

Cons -

They take longer to develop and are harder to potty train.

BA will def be more strict with a boy than a little girl :)

Making a decision on whether to circumcise or not - I think we are 90% sure we won't. 

Female 

Pros -

Little baby girls have to cutest cloths and stupid bows to torture them with. 

My Dad really wants a granddaughter. 

Its the only gender I have dreamt about this whole pregnancy ... so it almost feels more natural to me to think of the Gypsy as a girl. 

I think BA will be able to deal with a lesbian daughter better than a gay son. 

Cons -

Teenage girls are moody and annoying.  

With BA's genes, she will probably be a very tall Amazon girl.  Which can lead to self confidence issues when you can't get a date to the school dance. 

She will probably have hair like mine :(

Little girls love love love their daddies!

Okay so in a perfect world, I would chose to have a baby girl who magically morphed into a little boy around the age of 5.  But that is just me :)  

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