Week 25

We had a great week traveling to Kansas to visit Rachel's family for Christmas. Hopefully, she'll get some pictures up to her blog soon (Story of the Smiths).

Noah is intermittently doing a lot of moving around. We've been reading bible stories to him each night and last night after reading he became a little wild man!

We're starting to into development time that will change Noah's outward appearance from little fetus to little boy. His skin continues to get more opaque and will start to straighten some of the wrinkles out. He is also going to start putting on some cute little baby fat to plump up his little cheeks. He's also starting to grow some hair that is similar in texture and color to the hair he will have when he is born!

What an amazing time this has been! Spending time with Rachel's family reminded me how priveledged we have both been to grow up in such wonderful families. We are so excited that Noah will have wonderful great-grandparents, great-aunts and uncles, amazing grandparents fun aunts and uncles to help him to grow into a terrific young man! We just pray that we can be half the parents to our son that our parents have been to us.

Psalms 127:3 Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.

Week 24

Well, it's been a pretty busy few days as we traveled back to Ballinger to visit my grandmother because she was in the hospital. Things are looking better here and I have some time to sit down and jot a few notes down on the blog...

Week 24-60% of the pregnancy behind us and a big 40% left to go. Noah has been moving around alot. He kept Rachel up 'till 3AM last night doing some late night exercising.

Noah's brain continues to develop extensively. His taste buds are beginning to develop. Hopefully he's developing a taste for Mexican food and barbecue because around our house those are necessities.

We'll be traveling to Kansas tomorrow to see Rachel's family. So, pray for safe travel there and back.

Luke 12:23-Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

Week 23

Short post this week. We were in Austin over the weekend where I went to a conference about becoming a team physician. It was a lot of fun to hang out with a lot of other doctors who are interested in fitness and sports. We also went to see our friend's football team (Hightower) play in the 5A state semi-final. They won and will be playing next Saturday in the championship game. My parents and Rachel's parents also came into town to celebrate my birthday which was a lot of fun.

This week is a big week for vessels to begin developing in Noah's lungs. His lungs are currently filled with fluid but he will eventually need to know how to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide across vessel walls. This simple but amazing process is essential to allow Noah to be the strong boy we want him to be!!

Genesis 5:29 He named him Noah* and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed."

We're about to read the story of Noah to our little guy so I better run!!

Week 22

Noah has been moving more and more. I've been able to feel him pretty easily as his movement has increased.

At this point, Noah likely weighs close to 1 pound!! His eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed.

This is a big time for brain development. The germinal center forms which begins to form and send brain cells throughout his developing brain. The germinal center disappears before birth but should get credit for a lot of work it is doing right now to help Noah's brain develop.

We're going up to Austin this weekend for a conference I am attending in order to learn more about being a team sideline physician. This is something that I would love to be able to help out with when we get out to Abilene. Both of our parents are planning on meeting us to make a quick weekend trip out of it.

Pray for Noah's developing brain and for safe travel for us as we travel out to Austin.