A million thank yous

Tater and I have arrived home to North Carolina safely after a wonderful time in California. It was great to see so many family members and friends, and I had so much fun at the showers.

(For the backstory on Tater's name, see the Dec. 20 post, about 4 paragraphs down. (-: )

Last Sunday, my family showed so much love at the shower in Stockton. It was so surreal to be around everyone who remembered my mom when she was pregnant with me! It was the first time that I'd been around family members from both of my parents' sides for a long time -- perhaps it hasn't happened since I was little Tater's age. :-) Having that opportunity meant so much to me, and it made me realize, once again, exactly how far away we are from everyone. I can't explain how special it made me feel, and I just wish that J and Miss A could have been there to share in the fun. Thank you Momma, Daddy and T!

On Monday, I experienced a very fun surprise. Thinking we were just going for a "light dinner," I headed to my Uncle David's with my mom and sister. But what I thought would be a relatively empty house was filled with people from my childhood. Naturally, a lot of things have changed since my dancing days in '94, but being there was such a familiar feeling -- and it was nice to catch up with old friends. And again, a surreal feeling overcame me as stories were retold about my days in utero and growing up. It is so nice to have such a wonderful extended family and I really hope that we can make the trek back to California often enough so that Tater can meet and know everyone, too! Thank you Uncle David and Eric!

As you can see from the picture above and in the online albums, the family's love was felt through more than their presence alone. We were overwhelmed with thoughtfulness and generosity, and now baby Tater is off to a smashing start! It has been so much fun sifting through all of the adorable baby stuff -- and it just makes the idea of a real baby arriving soon hit home. We can't thank you enough for your emotional and material support!! (By the way, if you've got more pictures, I'll be happy to add them to the album. Some of you in Stockton managed to evade the camera and some pictures from Fresno were quite out of focus.)

We sort of missed Week 32, so here are updates for last week and this week:

Baby's Age (this week): 31 Weeks
Baby's Weight: About 4.5 lbs
Baby's Length: 12" head to rump; 19.5" head to toes

Week 32:

The baby is now able to register information from all five of its senses, but certain senses, like smell, will not be used until outside of the womb when air is breathed. The baby's brain has also increased dramatically in size but is folding in on itself now as part of the development process. The baby's pupils are opening and closing now in response to the amount of light. The baby's toenails will be completely formed by the end of this week.

Week 33:

The baby continues to grow at an amazing rate of development. The baby may be sucking its fingers and thumbs, preparing for the process of breast feeding. Baby is making its greatest demands for protein and fat in the later stages of pregnancy so your nutrition is, as always, very important to your pregnancy and the baby.

Can you believe it? Only 49 days until March 11!!!!