Meet Daniel Patrick O'Rourke

My precious nephew was born on Monday, September 13 weighing in at 6 lbs and 12 ounces. I got to spend a whole week with him and miss him already. His proud parents are Dan & Kylee O'Rourke. Can't wait to see you guys again at Thanksgiving.

Strout Fork

kitchen

Bourne and Bauer are loving life in the country

front door on your left and bunk house door to your right




living room

view from the front porch

Welcome to what we like to call 'Strout' Fork.

The Strout's have graciously provided their guest house for Johnny and I to live in for the next 60 days of our lives (until November 3). They even put in a mini deep freeze and stocked it with my favorite (thank you pregnancy) frozen pizzas.

What great community and love has been poured out on us since we got to Tyler. We are truly blessed even in our unsettled situation of living in different homes until ours in Killeen has sold and we can, Lord provided, purchase our very own here...and being pregnant and all.

We hope you'll come visit us!

Weeks 21 - 24 and counting...

Pregnancy Highlights: (GB stands for Gummy Bear)

How Far Along: 24 weeks

Fruit / Veggie: carrot (21 wks)

Length of a spaghetti squash (22 wks)
Weight of a large mango (23 wks)

an ear of corn (24 wks)

Size: 10 1/2 inches long (21 wks)

11 inches and almost 1 pound (22 wks)

more than 11 inches and just over 1 pound (23 wks)

almost 1 foot long and has gained 4 ounces since the previous week (24 wks)

Baby Changes:

21 wks

* initial fluttering movements turn into full fledged kicks and nudges

* GB's eyebrows and lids are present now

* if GB is a girl, her vagina has begun to form

22 wks

* GB is starting to look like a miniature newborn

* lips, eyebrows and eyelids are becoming more distinct

* tiny tooth buds are forming beneath gums

* eyes have formed, but irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment

* pancreas is developing steadily

* GB is sporting lanugo (fine hair) and wrinkles

23 wks

* sense of movement is well developed - GB can feel me dance

* may be able to see GB squirm beneath my clothes

* blood vessels in lungs are developing to prepare for breathing

* the sounds that its ears are picking up are preparing GB for entry into the outside world

24 wks

* body is filling out proportionally and will soon begin to plump up

* brain is growing quickly now

* taste buds are continuing to develop

* lungs are developing 'branches' of the respiratory 'tree' as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help air sacs inflate once GB is here

* skin is thin and translucent, but will begin to change soon

Total Weight Gain / Loss: 7 lbs in 4 weeks...this puts me at a total of 18 pounds. Yikes! I'm almost to my target gain and still have a ways to go...

Best Moment this week: We moved to a new place last Thursday with our cats and got to have Johnny's parents in to visit for the first time over his birthday weekend.

Gender: We've chosen to be SURPRISED!

Movement: Oh yeah! Lots of 'thumps,' every day. I can't wait for Johnny to experience it - every time I have him feel for it, the movement stops.

Food / Drink Cravings: my sweet cravings are back...unfortunately. I actually miss NOT having the desire for sweets after every meal. This probably has a little bit to do with the 7 lb gain in 4 weeks. :/ Still eating pizza - although the last 2 times I had it, I threw up.

Sushi, cereal, strawberries, ice water and orange juice

What I miss: We miss living with our sweet friends, the Wallace's, but are so thankful to the Strout family for opening up their guest house to us and our cats.

Sleep: sleeping pretty well in our 'new' place - I'll blog about this too - although my ribs feel sore every day, especially when I sleep. We are sleeping in a queen size bed now, rather than the full size we've been in the last month - this is wonderful, especially with the necessary extra pillows.

What I am looking forward to: flying to Florida next week to be there for my sister's baby's delivery - talk about first hand experience. We can't wait to meet Daniel Patrick.

Symptoms: I felt like I had a great 3 weeks, and have digressed (once again) a little bit. It's nothing extreme, just noticeable - I've increased my zofran dosage some days and have thrown up as well; sore ribs, but that's about it.