Twilight - Why Vampires Aren't Really That Sparkly - Doug Wilson

I'm fully aware that I'm treading on what some might esteem as their favorite book, movie, etc., but Doug Wilson says here what I can only attempt to say in response to the "Twilight" series. I respect his attempt to confront such a popular series with honesty, frankness, and concern instead of dismissing the book in condemnation. Scripture tells us that we live in the world--to stick our heads in the sand naively is to ignore Scripture. And part of loving God with all of our minds is to exercise discretion and wisdom in the face of modern culture so that we are effective dwellers on this earth. Enjoy!

27 weeks!

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: At 24 weeks, I had gained 11 lbs. More pounds have arrived since then.
Maternity clothes? yes and I'm slowly losing creativity to coordinate outfits that both fit and look nominally appealing
Stretch marks? Nope, not yet!
Sleep: I technically should be getting more sleep since I'm going to bed earlier but nope.
Best moment this week: Michael's sweet parents coming over to help us put chair rail in the nursery. It looks beautiful and it was done with LOVE! :)
Movement: lots of movement. I mean lots of movement, especially as I lay down to go to sleep. No wonder I've had reoccurring dreams about little arms and legs reaching through my belly!
Food cravings: Just a general, constant hunger.
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Elijah, and the middle name is still in the air :)
Labor Signs: Nope, none.
Belly Button in or out? In, still! We're watching it closely though.
What I miss: This week, a solid night's sleep.
Milestones: I'm in my last week of the second trimester! Oh, and Elijah is 14 1/2 inches long, over 2 lbs.

26 weeks!

Please excuse this terrible picture of me; school starts tomorrow and today was a long day of planning--need I say more?

How far along? 26 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Still gaining...
Maternity clothes? yep but amazingly I can still fit into a few pre-pregnancy shirts.
Stretch marks? Nope, not yet!
Sleep: Still restless sleep...
Best moment this week: Finding THE swivel glider from Babies R' Us on Craigslist... virtually brand new and we saved over 200 dollars!
Movement: YES--and my amateur filming DID catch it this week by placing a quarter on my belly and watching the quarter move.
Food cravings: None to speak of...
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Elijah, and the middle name is still in the air :)
Labor Signs: Nope, none.
Belly Button in or out? In, still!
What I miss: getting in and out of bed effortlessly.
Milestones: Elijah weighs about a pound and two-thirds!

25 weeks!

"Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture." (from babyCenter.com)

How far along? 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Loss? Seriously?
Maternity clothes? yes... I'm getting bored with them :-)
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Baby Cranford seems to enjoy what should be my sleeptime to perform his acrobatics in the womb... as I've heard said before, clearly an omen of the sleepless nights to come
Best moment this week: Deciding on and purchasing our bedding. Which I love. :)
Movement: YES--and my amateur filming DID catch it this week by placing a quarter on my belly and watching the quarter move.
Food cravings: None to speak of...
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Haven’t signed this in blood yet, but probably Elijah.
Labor Signs: Nope, thankfully, although at my 24 wk appointment, Dr. told me Braxton Hicks become more normal now.
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely noticing some advancement from the back of my belly button.
What I miss: Heartburn-free dinners.
Milestones: THANK YOU, Teisha, for the reminder --at week 24, our baby is viable outside the womb. Thank you, Lord, for your protection over our son thus far. :-)

24 weeks!

Week 23 passed quickly as my family spent a relaxing week at the beach. It was good to get away and spend *interruption free* time with the family, especially since this was the last beach trip sans baby for a while. As I sat on the beach, book in hand, I was thankful for that time but also eyed the mommies and daddies playing with their children and looked forward to meeting Elijah and introducing him to the experience of beach going. I'm not so naive to think this will be a peace of cake. No more book to breeze through on the beach, no more closing my eyes as I listen to the sound of the waves, and no more intense people watching that I love so much... BUT what we get is of much more worth--eternal worth--screams of fear, mouthfuls of sand, dirty diapers, and all! So here's to week 24!

How far along? 24 weeks... 4 more weeks until the third trimester begins!
Total weight gain/loss: Loss? Seriously?
Maternity clothes? Can still fit semi-comfortably in some of my regular clothes
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: I feel like my naps are more beneficial than my regular sleep. I wake up a lot.
Best moment this week: Finding some INCREDIBLE deals at the Tot Trade Charlotte consignment, including Michael's favorite find, a Baby Bjorn for 20 dollars!
Movement: YES-- we've tried to catch it on film, but to no avail. He must get stage fright :)
Food cravings: None to speak of...
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Haven’t signed this in blood yet, but probably Elijah.
Labor Signs: Nope, thankfully.
Belly Button in or out? In, and I'm crossing my fingers that won't change!
What I miss: Turkey sandwiches, this week.
Milestones: Well, I've conquered heartburn with Zantac's aid. That is quite a milestone. And my pregnancy is becoming a bit more noticeable by the day.

22 weeks!

Here's where baby C is so far in his 22 weeks of growth:

At this point in your pregnancy, your baby's brain and nerve endings are formed just enough so that the baby can feel touch! During week 22 of pregnancy, your baby may experiment with this newfound sense of touch by stroking his or her face or sucking on a thumb. Your baby may also begin to feel other body parts to see how they move.

Other fetal development that is occurring when you are about 22 weeks pregnant includes the following:


* The eyelids and eyebrows become well developed.
* The development of fingernails is completed.
* Taste buds have started to form on the tongue.
* For boys, testes have begun to descend from the abdomen to the scrotum.
* The liver is starting to break down bilirubin, which is a substance found in red blood cells. Once broken down by the liver, bilirubin is removed from the body through the intestines.

How far along? 22 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Not quite sure, actually...
Maternity clothes? Yes—a combination of both maternity clothes and regular clothes; maternity clothes are definitely more comfortable
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: Kind of a halfway sleep accompanied by rather odd and vivid dreams...
Best moment this week: Going three days without getting sick in the AM! This is huge, people!
Movement: YES--and right now, I love it. He's clearly very active.
Food cravings: Cold Milky Ways. YUM.
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Haven’t signed this in blood yet, but probably Elijah.
Labor Signs: Nope… not for a while.
Belly Button in or out? In—hopefully it will stay that way.
What I miss: Feeling like heartburn was just an old person's malady.
Milestones: If we're patient, we can now SEE the baby moving. It's pretty incredible!

21 weeks!

There's a terrible shadow in this picture, but you get the idea.
How far along? 21 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Not quite sure, actually...
Maternity clothes? Yes—a combination of both maternity clothes and regular clothes; maternity clothes are definitely more comfortable
Stretch marks? Nope!
Sleep: With the arrival of my body pillow, sleep is more comfortable!
Best moment this week: Michael finally felt him move!
Movement: YES--and they are kicks and punches, not just flutters :)
Food cravings: I crave food that settles my tummy, especially in the AM.
Gender: BOY. Yay!
Name: Haven’t signed this in blood yet, but probably Elijah.
Labor Signs: Nope… not for a while.
Belly Button in or out? In—hopefully it will stay that way.
What I miss: Eating dinner without having heartburn afterwards.
Weekly Wisdom: I'm taking care of our son by taking care of myself--even if by "taking care of myself," I mean eating a Milky Way when I'm really hungry.
Milestones: We're so excited that Michael finally felt him move!