I am the size of spaghetti squash!

22 weeks – 128 days to go!

Hello everyone,

It has been a while since the last update, but here we are again to keep you posted on what is new and happening with our little bebê.

We have finally chosen a name! It was suggested by someone very special to us.
Our bebê's name will be - Ryder Rayol Glover. We are keeping the Brazilian tradition in giving him my maiden name as his middle name.
Ryder comes from English origin and it means Knight, a mounted warrior.

Two weeks ago when we went for the routine doctor’s visit our bebê was 10 inches long and weighed exactly 1 pound. He is growing well and strong and he is now looking more like a miniature bebê with more distinctive facial features. They took measurements of his head, bones, spine and most importantly they checked again to make sure that we are indeed having a little bambino; everything looked good and in place. We also got the results from the second part of the genetic screening and our doctor’s words were “superb”, the results were great, which give us both piece of mind that our bebê will be a healthy little guy.

We are at 22 weeks and 5 days (almost 6 months) and Ryder's little body continues to grow. Tooth buds have developed beneath his gums; his eyes are formed, but the color part of it (the irises) still lacks pigmentation, so we don’t know yet if he will have his mama’s dark eyes or his papa’s blue eyes.
He is able to hear sounds in his own little world, my belly, and in a few more days he will be able to recognize sounds from the outside world, like our voices!
He is on his own little schedule of regular sleeping and waking periods and if his schedule is any indication of his sleeping patterns once he is born, oh boy we are in trouble!!!
Remember the somersaults he was doing at 10 weeks old? Well that has not stopped and I can now feel all of his gymnastic feats; I love to know that he is moving around, being active and developing coordination and motor skills.

My belly is bigger and it seems to attract hands wherever I go like a "hand magnet", which I don’t mind at all.
All I have to say is that I love being pregnant. It is everything I envisioned and more, and yes, I watched the Oprah show the other day, and it is true that some days you just don’t feel a hundred percent, but really, who cares when something this wonderful is happening to you? Personally everything else becomes secondary.

I am so in love with my little Ryder and I can’t wait to meet him. As for Duke the other day he realized that we are only 3 ½ months away from the big day and his words were “Holy Sh….!!!” He could not believe how soon our little guy will be here with us. However, aside from being scared, and we both are, he is getting more and more into the pregnancy and what the future holds for him and Ryder, like racing cars and WoW playing nights.

A few Sunday’s ago we went to our favorite beach, Long Boat Key. It was a perfect day, cool breeze, clear-blue sky, crystal-clear water, dolphins swimming, and nothing else could top it up, except for having Duke place a kiss on my belly for the first time; It was more than a perfect day it was priceless. Whether he was moved by the scenery or just couldn’t resist my beautiful belly ;o) I am not sure, but what I know is that Ryder and I will treasure the moment for forever.

Easter was also a very special day for us. Duke felt Ryder move for the first time and he didn’t know what to make of it. We had been trying this for a few weeks with no success, it seemed that he was playing games with us until Easter evening when he finally decided to communicate with his papa, and it was pretty cool.

As the day of our bebe’s arrival gets closer we try to prepare as best as we. We read about babies, we talk about babies and we make important decisions about the baby, it is all about the baby.
We talk about important things and silly things like our baby will have a “café con leche” skin complexion or how he will be better at the turntables than Duke or possibily Tio Mikee. As far as the more important thigs, we have decided to use a cord blood banking to store Ryder’s stem cells in the event of unforeseen and unknowns in life. We have attended a baby class where Duke learned to change diapers, he’s still brainstorming the “Poop Removal Device”, and we have decided to speak both English and Portuguese at home. I definitely want Ryder to learn to speak my native language and be exposed to my Culture as well, we both believe that he will benefit from it in many different aspects.

I’ve asked Duke if he would like to add anything to the blog from “his perspective”, but he said that I am doing a good job and as you all know he is not much of a talker.
So friends that’s all I have to say for now.

Until next update.
Duke, Laura and Ryder