First Sushi Attempt

Who doesn't want sushi after an afternoon full of baby things? I think Shaw made it through the baby assembly just thinking about the sushi he was to make right after he accomplished his task. I married such an adventurous man!

Creating the sushi:

Sushi filled with rice, cucumber, crab and avocado with pickled ginger on the side:

How kind he is to make sushi that I can eat while pregnant. After I posted these pictures, he went ahead and made some spicy tuna sushi with cucumber and avocado. But you will just have to imagine those!

The Great Baby Assembly

Before: The Changing Table in Pieces:

The Changing Table Final!

The Crib in Pieces:

27 Minutes Later (plus time for Maureen to decorate): The Crib Final

Close up on the material:

Whew! What a day! Now we just have to get the nursery set up!! The changing table will go in our room along with the pack and play, that will keep the baby closer to my side of the bed. We'll put the crib in the nursery for whenever it is best to move her. Can't wait to decorate! I'm so glad Tessa is close by, because she is going to be the personal nursery decorator!

Every day brings us closer and closer. What joy! :)

Tired Picture

Per my sister's request, here is a very tired looking picture of me and the little one at 24 weeks. It was taken tonight at about 11:30 PM, so please forgive the tired look! Looking at this picture, I don't look that big, but I sure do feel it! :)

Food Cravings

I found this blog from a blog that my sister Sarah mentioned on HER blog, and I LOVED IT! Here is an excerpt (Bolding added for emphasis)

I craved cheddar cheese when I was pregnant with Aidan. For several weeks, my husband would bring a plate of cheese to me when he came to bed. I’d wake and nibble in the dark, mouselike. I was a very big mouse.

Still, I find myself wondering if cravings are real or all in my head. I saw gorgeous cupcakes and suddenly the baby and I NEEDED a cupcake or else. It felt like a real craving—Little jabs from the pit of my stomach, anxiousness, and the feeling I could taste it before I took the first bite.

When my husband brought the plate of cheese he sliced in our little kitchen, I felt cared for and loved. He wanted his wife and baby girl to be happy and if cheese did the trick? Let’s dull our knives. Women everywhere may hate me for saying this, but I think having the perfect food delivered to you by someone you love is an element of the craving. It’s a throwback, caveman idea but I’ll admit to it. I like when my hunter delivers. Primal grunt!

That doesn’t mean you don’t need the chili cheese dog with every fiber of your being. It’s simply more special when it’s delivered with a smile, a kiss for you and a kiss for the baby.

http://www.lifenut.com/blog/?p=2964

In the blog post before this one, there was a very practical, albeit humorous, list of pregnancy musings. I have to admit that I have found many a great blog from Sarah's blog! :) Keep 'um coming Sarah!

Thank goodness for grandmas, aunts, sisters and sisters-in-law who all bring over STACKS and STACKS of new clothes, new-to-me maternity clothes, and baby things! This is going to be the best dressed baby on this side of the arch!

Wow, can this baby girl kick! :) I love every time.

Baby's photo op!

Baby Girl Leach! :)

(well, we are 90% sure it is a girl!)

Thanks to Mark and Judy's fabulous scanner, we are able to share these wonderful pictures with all of you! :) We only did the basic scan, but we were able to see her brain, the four chambers of the heart, the spine, and all vital organs. The doctor said everything looks normal and she is the perfect size for how far along we are. She is 8 oz! We were so surprised to see how she was wiggling around and playing during the whole sonogram. Maureen can't feel her yet, but we are sure after seeing her moving and grooving that it will happen soon.

For now, we are staying on the Lovenox shots daily, and we will have monthly sonograms to make sure our daughter is growing as she should. Because Maureen was only 17 weeks 1 day along, we have a 90% chance that it is a girl. But we all know how God has a way of mixing things up on you!

We are both so excited to have a little girl on the way - Shaw loves having another lady in his life! :)

Here is our baby's face in the top left (looks like a skeleton) with her beautiful arm in the top right. Her belly is the big circle in the middle!

Below you will see her lovely arm in the top with all five fingers, and the top of her head (which will soon be covered in curls thanks to Mom!)

Here you have another chance to see her face on the left, and her tummy in the middle.

This charming photo shows you her little fist in the upper right (you have to look very closely!)

Here you will see the top of her head, and her two little beautiful perfect hands!!

Here you have a charming bottom view of her little foot. See all the perfect toes?

The following in one of my favorite photos. Here you have a bottom view of her two feel that are crossed, just chilaxin inside of Mom. Dad says "she is already a lady!!"

Here you can see the hole where her brain is! We were able to see the two halves of the brain in other parts of the sonogram.

Now you have the opportunity to see her beautiful fingers!

Here our little daughter is making a fist (probably getting ready to punch Mom in the side to tell her to eat something delicious and chocolatey!) The view shows the front side of the hand in a fist, with the thump pointing towards the right.

There she is! We will have more pictures as we receive them! Thank you all for your continual prayers!!! :)

Love,

Shaw, Maureen and Baby Leach!

Millions of Peaches

Well, really just one! This week baby Leach is the size of a Peach! Due to the rhyming abilies of those two words, I find this week very appropriate! :)

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

We have been "packing" as much as we can (which is not very much because of the dragging of my feet). My thought process is as follows: we aren't moving for another 10 days, so why should we live out of boxes for that long? EXACTLY!

Doesn't that make you want some of this:

Anyway, we are still moving, I have 2 weeks left in my job. Shaw has about a week left of his. My head is still SPINNING! God is so GOOD.

Happy Birthday Dan! What a wonderful Father-In-Law I have been blessed with!

!

Changes...

Well, it is official... I have accepted a Youth Ministry position at St. Ann's Parish in Prairie Village, KS and we are moving in three weeks. We will most likely be living at an apartment that is literally a three minute drive from the Rielley's! It is a two bedroom, so we will still have space for all of our west coast visitors this summer!

I will start part time in June because of my busy grad school schedule the first part of the summer. But things will be in full swing by midish July!

Maureen has an interview for a part time DRE position at St. Ann's on Tuesday so pray for her as well!

Our little baby is now about the size of a plum!

We are selling some things on Craigslist and most likely holding a garage sale this weekend.

...if anyone is free May 22nd you can help us move into our new digs! Yippee!