Squishee at 23 weeks

Here is a pic of Lisa at 23 weeks. Yep... Squishee is growing in there!!!

Highlights of the past couple weeks include:

- Lisa is really starting to feel Squishee kick in the past week. A few times, it has actually been visible from the outside! Within the next couple of days, we're guessing Daddy Shep is going to be able to feel one of these kicks, but we just haven't been able to time it well yet! :-)

- Lisa's sister (Lorna) came to visit and helped us get Lisa's office moved into the former guest room. Sean then built the crib and voila... we have the start of Squishee's room!!

- Lisa had her first (of many) irrational mommy panic attacks. Squishee was kicking so strong last week and then I didn't feel her at all for most of Friday and Saturday up through the afternoon. I was trying to tell myself to be logical and remember that it's still early for paying such close attention to the kicks, but hey... I'm pregnant. I get to be irrational sometimes! =) Anyway, by Saturday afternoon, I was in tears, so Sean and Lorna encouraged me to call my friend Sarah who has a doppler heart monitor rented for her pregnancy. She was so sweet and came right over to the house and did an impromptu nursing visit for me! Squishee's heartbeat was strong as can be and she's doing great. It was just a case of me putting too much importance on those continuous kicks. I'm sure this won't be the last of my new mommy worries as we go through the next few months, but we'll see!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

In early February, we did what all couples do when they're 20 weeks pregnant... we went to LAS VEGAS!! :-) While there, we saw a couple of shows, danced in some clubs and just enjoyed seeing the sun for a couple days. It was a fun adventure... and if Squishee comes out tapping her feet, we'll know where she got her dancing rhythm! :-)

We got dolled up and headed out on the town. We were up until the wee hours of dawn both nights we were in town... I guess we're practicing for the midnight feedings that are coming in a few months! :-)

Our fearless traveling partners, John, Julie, Don and Stacey made the trip with us. With Don's bum Achille's Tendon and Lisa's growing belly, we were quite the motley crew strolling around Vegas, but we had a blast.

On Sunday, we squeezed in a wonderful brunch with Dad & Mom Shepard and family friends, Russ and Robbie. It's a good thing we had such a full breakfast since our flight was delayed by about 4 hours and we got to wait in the airport for about 6 hours! We made it to Portland around 1:00 am and crawled into bed, excited for that alarm clock to go off in the morning!