Lil Hoff Update Week 27

Hello! Welcome to week 27, are you ready to strap in and hang on for another exciting week of what is going on with Lil Hoff and his momma?

Here is what is going on with Lil Hoff

1. Lil Hoff is approximately 15 inches long

2. Lil Hoff is currently weighing in about 2 pounds. 

3. Lil Hoff currently has more taste buds now than what he will have when he is he born. Which also means that Lil Hoff can taste a difference in the amniotic fluid based on what I eat.

What is going on with me.....

1. This week was a great week! Besides the usual being tired and and restlessness at night, it was much, MUCH cooler. The good Lord shined down on this abnormally large pregnant woman!

2. Farmboy got to feel Lil Hoff move for the first time. He was amazed by how much he could feel him. Lil Hoff is very active once I lay down in bed (and also through the day) and Farmboy has tried and tried to catch him moving but he laid his hand on my stomach just at the right time as Lil Hoff was moving or kicking or something and he could definitely feel him. Then Lil Hoff stopped for a moment and Farmboy started poking me and saying "Lil Hoff, its your daddy, where are you?" (Farmboy will deny he did this, but he really did) 

3.  Along with the cooler weather came some much needed rain as well. And since Farmboy

occasionally gets a day off when it rains we went to the city and started looking for the nursery. The day started off wonderfully but I'm not sure if Lil Hoff didn't like what I had for lunch or what but he let me know it when we pulled into our first stop and I lost it in the parking lot. I then refused to go into the store that we had pulled into because I was afraid that they might have be inside watching me. Farmboy, although will not get queasy at anything on the farm, felt sick the rest of the day since he saw me get sick. I was a trooper though and the rest of the day I felt weak but other than that felt fine. 

4. The nursery theme is "Antique Toys" and I am in love with it. The problem is I figured I would be able to hit some antique stores and decorate with antique trucks, blocks, and what not, but when you price some of these toys you are looking at $50 to $100! Yikes!! Farmboy and I did find a few things at a local antique mall. So I am starting to get the nursery decorated. 

5. I am noticing how people look at you in public. I love the encouraging smiles I get from woman who I believe are remembering what it is like to be pregnant and also the sympathy ones from mothers who are being overtaken by their children, but with those I chose to look the other way. I love the way I feel like somehow I am more empowered (like I really need that, ha) knowing that I am carrying another human being in me. I love how people are naturally more kind around you with manners. 

6. We celebrated August birthdays this week with my family.....

My sister-in-law made Isaac's cupcake cake. They were red velvet cupcakes that she decorated to look like baseballs. Isaac believes he IS the next great baseball player.

This is my nephew Isaac, who told everyone he just wanted cash for his birthday. Then every card he opened up he went "WOW!" and in the end said "This is more cash then I ever expected!" He was a very happy boy all the way to the store where he bought himself a new Nintendo DS and some games. 

My birthday boy made the remark to my mom that if you share a month with a kid you just get overlooked. So my mother bought him his very own cake that even has his name on it. Some kids never grow up. 

 This was part of his gift. My mom thought he could read it with Lil Hoff one day.

One of the really fun things I did this week is go with the women of my family to see this movie. It was fabulous! Amazing! Wonderful! Tear-jerker! The list goes on and on. All of us had read the book and was counting down the days until it came to the movie theater. But it didn't come to our theater in town so we drove about 45 minutes to the nearest one and shared many laughs and a few tears. It is amazing to see stories like this come to life about such a different time in our culture. We all talked afterwards about who we might have been, like Miss Hilly, Miss Celia, or like Skeeter. I love movies that make you think after you watch them and imagine yourself in them.  By far, this is the best movie I have seen in a long time. I can not wait for it to come out on video so I can buy it and watch it again!

Week 28 is right around the corner and with every passing week is getting us closer to D-Day!

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Lil Hoff Update Week 26

Oh boy! This was a big week for Lil Hoff and I we are in week 26 and we had a doctor's appointment this week. 

What is going on with Lil Hoff.....

1. Lil Hoff is a 2-pounder and is 9+ inches long. 

2. Lil Hoff's eyes are beginning to open. I can't wait to see what color they are. I have blue while Farmboy has hazel. But it is still too early to tell. 

3. Lil Hoff might start to react more strongly to bright lights or when he hears a loud noise. 

4. The most movement I have felt from Lil Hoff has been in the lower part of my belly. While waiting at the doctors office yesterday I felt my first movement up high and it felt like kicks, just three short movements just to let me know he was there. 

5. We have no names picked out, it is so hard to decide on a name that will be with your child the rest of his life. We have narrowed it down to a few, but we are wanting to keep it a secret until Lil Hoff makes his big debut. 

6. Lil Hoff's nursery is going to be done in Antique Toys, such as rocking horses, wooden blocks, teddy bears, red wagons, and the list could go on forever.....

What is going on with me......

1. Going on week number four of 100+ degree weather. I'm sure you all know how I feel about that!. 

2. Lil Hoff must spend part of his time on my bladder, cause I feel like I have to go sooooo bad, and then nothing but a trickle comes out and no relief!

3. I did have my monthly checkup this week and took my mom and sister with me. My mom wanted to meet my doctor and take a tour of the hospital since she is not that familiar with it. Which ended up being a relief to me as well, because I became more familiar with it and learned some things I wouldn't have other wise. 

4. Some things to take away from the doctor's appointment. 

A. I have lost a pound. So overall, I believe I have gained a pound so far in this pregnancy. 

B. My glucose test came back normal. So that is a relief.

C. The doctor after bringing out a tape measure told me that I have a abnormally large belly for this point in my pregnancy. While I don't believe he was worried about it, he did say he wants to see my back in three weeks this time instead of 4 and he will be doing a ultra sound next time or the time after that to "see what is going on in there" Can't wait! 

D. We did hear Lil Hoff's heartbeat and both my mom and sister teared up.

And to quote my mother when we got back into the vehicle "So I guess that really IS all baby" as she is looking at my belly.My ultimate cheerleader

5. The tour of the hospital was very nice. They have 10 birthing rooms and they are prep, deliver, and recovery all in the same room. The room they took us into was sooo spacious and even had a walk in closet. It was room number 429 and they are holding it for me. :) Each room does have a chair that pulls out to accommodate my "significant other" as the nurse said, I was quick to say that my HUSBAND was 6'1" and might need a longer chair.  They showed us where the O.R. was in case I might have to have a c-section which it is right down the hallway on the same level. The nurse that walked us around was so friendly and easy to talk to and even joked around with us. She even pointed out where to park to get to maternity area the fastest and easiest. She said that they were all about the "moms" and would be the mean people to the family and friends trying to come see us. So if the mom is napping or doesn't feel like having company they will not let people through the door. Let that be fair warning to everyone :)

6. Farmboy has cooked or helped me cook every meal this week! I sat down with Farmboy and had a "family meeting" on everything that had to be done, cause we are now 3 months and counting away from meeting Lil Hoff and we have so much yet to do. Very exciting times in the Hoffman Household!!

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Lil Hoff Update Week 25

And we are steam rolling into week 25. For all concerned these pictures are taken by Farmboy and I have usually one shot to get it right and for the most part it usually works out, but if sometime in the future you see a fluffy white dog or I am looking cross-eyed or maybe not smiling that is why.

What is happening with Lil Hoff......

1. Lil Hoff is reaching 9 inches in length. 

2. Lil Hoff is developing capillaries, (not caterpillars like I thought is said the first time I read it) which are forming under the skin and filling with blood. By week's end, air sacs lined with capillaries will also develop in his lungs, getting them ready for that first breath of fresh air. 

3. Lil Hoff's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open this week.

4. Lil Hoff's vocal cords are functioning now, leading to the occasional hiccups. 

What is going on with me.....

1. A lot of the same stuff...peeing in the middle of the night, being tired, being hot (since we are now going in our 3rd week of 100+ temps) 

2. Lil Hoff and I went and had our glucose test done. They took the blood from my upper arm on my right side and I have a nicely sized bruise on it now. Which is getting a lot of comments from people, all from an insured asking who is beating me up and that they will hunt him down for me, to what did I get my arm pinched in, to what did I run into. 

Farmboy, myself and Lil Hoff went the the 1st Annual Yoder Family Reunion last weekend and had so much fun. We haven't seen some of the cousins in years as many of them are all spread out over America, ranging from California to Florida. It is always nice to slow down and spend a weekend getting caught up with everyone.

These are some of the Crazy Yoder Cousins!

Grandpa Yoder wanted some maintenance done on his house which included washing the front windows and trimming up some trees. 

Chara took the reigns and started washing windows.

As Farmboy told me, "I can't go a day without driving a tractor, it's unnatural". So he took over the job of driving the tractor with the grapple which picks up the limbs that are cut down.

Here is Grandpa Yoder giving instructions to the boy cousins on what he wants done.

Then Jordan went to work cutting down limbs.

But it wasn't all work, we had lots of fun too. Kayla and Melvin are entertaining themselves with a game of Corn Hole. 

While Jessica was the professional pusher of the next generation of "Little Girls"

There was also lots of good food and desserts! These three guys are representing the colors of the shirts that we had made for the weekend. The Yoders were MIZZOU colors with yellow and black. The Hoffmans were John Deere with green and yellow. The Masts were Colts with blue and white.

And these two very sweet ladies opened their house up to Farmboy and I to stay all weekend. They were very welcoming and it felt like we were right at home. Here is to a weekend of laughs and stuffed bellies! Can't wait for the next one.

While we were at the reunion, my mom kept Roscoe for us. I do have to admit I was pretty nervous when they drove away with him. But mom assured me that they have had a wonderful weekend and that he was just a pretty good little dog. She could get used to a dog that comes trained like him. There was two accidents in the house, but mom even laughed at those. Roscoe was as glad to be home as we were.

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Lil Hoff Update Week 24

It's Week 24 and I am surviving!! Just kidding, I have been very blessed with a relatively easy pregnancy. I have not hit labor yet, but so far I believe I will be pregnant again sometime in the future.





What is going on with me.....

1. I have hit the point that I now am getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. (I HATE that!)

2. I still don't feel like I have that much energy. I get up and even after my shower I feel like I could crawl back in to bed for hours.

3. Lil Hoff is constantly moving. Especially at night when I turn on my side to go to sleep.

4. We are going on week number 2 with 100 degree temperatures.

5. I am having some shortness of breaths while walking.Which is not helpful when ones own mother believes the farther you can walk to your destination the better off you are.

What is going on with Lil Hoff....

1. Lil Hoff is measuring the length of a standard sheet of paper, which for reference is 8 1/2 inches long.

2. Lil Hoff's weekly weight gain is about 6 ounces now. Much of the weight being put on is from accumulating baby fat, as well as from growing organs, bones, and muscle.

3. Lil Hoff's face is almost fully formed, with eyelashes and eyebrows and a good sprinkling of hair on the head. I know most of the is the "norm" but I have my doubts about the whole sprinkling of hair on the head. I was as bald as I could be as a child, so let's hope that he does have a sprinkling of hair on his head.

4. Like I said before Lil Hoff is moving quite often now. Farmboy is always trying to catch him moving but at this point has not yet.

5. Grandparents and Aunts are going crazy over him already. We have received several gifts already, so I thought I would share a couple with you.

This is from Aunt Sara....they are Lil Hoff's first pair of Big Smiths. I'm sure they will come in useful while riding in the gator with Farmboy!

And then what kind of Farmkid would Lil Hoff be if he didn't have a pair of Carharts, so Aunt Kayla bought Lil Hoff some. I can't wait to see him running around in these!

Then Grandma Hoffman had to go to John Deere to get some parts, but couldn't pass up the clothing section or the opportunity to buy Lil Hoff his very first John Deere outfit. Too cute!

Grandma Light then couldn't let one side of the family's preference be honored without the other so we now have duelling tractor shirts....John Deere vs. Farmall...good grief!

And then Aunt Sara went to South Dakota on vacation and saw a little Bamm-Bamm shirt and couldn't pass it up for Lil Hoff. Do you think she is saying something?? 

Then Aunt Chara has been in Oregon for some schooling and working on a clinical and brought back Lil Hoff's very first book. The pictures inside are amazing! I can't wait to look at it with him. 

So Lil Hoff is already being very spoiled by both sides of the family, and something tells me this is just the beginning :)

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