Baby Charlotte - 21 Weeks and Baby #1 Heading Back to School

(ABOVE: Jaden organizing her st Grade Desk at the Back to School Event)
(ABOVE: Jaden's new blankets for her room - Old Room, for now!)
(ABOVE: Jaden and the Family Guy Cast - MN State Fair)
(ABOVE: Jaden swinging at the MN State Fair - 2008)
(ABOVE: Jaden as a tree - MN State Fair 2008!)

(ABOVE: Fetal Development at 21 weeks)

Happy Hump Day ALL! Well it is Wednesday - the eve before Jaden becomes a genuine First Grader! She's excited, I am sad that summer is 'unofficially' over starting tomorrow but I am happy that she's excited. Last night we headed to school to meet her teacher and to drop off her school supplies and load up her desk. I am pretty sure we lucked out this year with yet another GREAT teacher for Jaden. Mrs. Weikle seems like she genuinely 'still' enjoys teaching a classroom full of 6-7 year olds! Jason and I talked to her about Jadne's lack of interest in reading and we've come up with a solution to make it fun for her to learn how to read on a regular basis but generally Jaden would rather learn math or science and be in art class ... takes after her dad! After the Back To School Event we headed to a local pizza place for dinner before heading home to change and into gym clothes. Last night was the first day of the Fall Semester for Jaden at the Little Gym. She was excited to be bumped up to the 6-12 year old age group and of course to see her BF Hannah every Tuesday night is a plus. The class is an hour long and quite intense if you ask me ... when we were driving home last night she was red in the face with slimey hair and said "I'm tuckered out!" She got home, took a shower, picked out her 1st day of school clothes and went to bed. Speaking of bed - we DID find new blankets for Jaden's room at Target Friday night. Jaden and I had a great time together just us girls' - it was fun to have her shop with me ... she picked out 3 baby outfits ... one is a Viking Cheerleading Outfit - to which she exclaimed "Dad is going to go CRAZY when he sees this mom" It was cute. Saturday we went to the State Fair but sadly it was almost 90 degrees out with no cloud coverage so Jaden and I both her quite warm ... I also came down with yet ANOTHER head cold that made it hard to breathe at all Saturday let along hang out at the fair. PLUS with it being so warm none of us were really all that hungry to eat anything! It was fun but we were home by 7:00 - we did buy this pretty great Monkey Pool Sign we hung on the house - the little sign on the beer bottle says "We don't skinny dip, we chunky dunk!" HAD TO HAVE THAT! Sunday we spent the day filling a dumpster with rooms full of junk to make room for the construction that is to begin October 6th ... Monday we stayed home swimming and for me - napping - I thought my head was going to explode all day and a nap was the only relief ... UGH! I am happy to say now my head is draining but that is better than the pressure. I am not sure what we're doing this weekend but the weather has dropped to the low 70's with sunny skies all week and weekend - Jaden is happy because she'll be able to wear her new jeans to school tomorrow ... stay tuned for photos! How about I tell you what's up with Baby Charlotte now ...

How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

How your life's changing: You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you're feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.That's not to say you won't have some minor glitches to deal with now. For example, increased oil production may contribute to the development (or worsening) of acne. If that's the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap or cleanser twice a day, and make sure that any moisturizer or make-up you use is oil-free. Don't take any oral acne medications — some are very hazardous during pregnancy — or use any topical acne products without first checking with your practitioner.You're also more prone to varicose veins now. As your pregnancy progresses, there's increasing pressure on the veins in your legs; higher progesterone levels, which may cause the walls of your veins to relax, can make the problem worse. You're more likely to get varicose veins if other family members have them. Also, they tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy and as you age. To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs whenever possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.You may also notice so-called spider veins (a group of tiny blood vessels near the surface of your skin), particularly on your ankles, legs, or face. They may have a spider- or sunburst-like pattern with little branches radiating out from the center, they may look like the branches of a tree, or they may be a group of separate thin lines with no particular pattern. Though they may be a bit unsightly, spider veins don't cause discomfort and usually disappear after delivery.

I am happy, once again, to report that none of the above pertains to me at this stage - and I hope it doesn't either ... I am feeling fine, still quite tired in general and anxious for the construciton to start so I can decorate a baby's room - and Jaden's too! My girlfriend Jolene is throwing a shower so I have to get ready and prepared for that - not sure when it will happen but probably in October ... other than that we are just chugging along here ... I will post more pictures when I get home tonight and OF COURSE tomorrow's post will be Jaden's First Day of 1st Grade .... boohoo!

Love ~ The Clark Family ~ Rebekah, Jason, Jaden & Baby Charlotte