27 weeks today...

Well, I've made it to the 3rd trimester -- I'm 27 weeks today.  Can't believe it!

Lots of fun stuff is happening with our little one this week.  Here's what babycenter.com says:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

And whattoexpect.com has these things to say:

For a baby, it's time to trade in the old crown-to-rump measurement for a new head-to-toe standard. So what are your baby’s stats this week (which, coincidentally, is the end of the second trimester)? Fifteen inches — more than a foot long — and triple (or even quadruple) what it was in week 12. His weight is creeping up the charts as well, coming in at just over two pounds. More big news: Your baby may recognize your voice by now, so feel free to serenade your belly (start learning those lullabies!).

Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he may recognize both yours and your partner's voices. So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun at 27 weeks pregnant: If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to.

Wow, such interesting stuff!

Now that's perspective right there...

Jeff is steadily working on the crib and it's coming along rather nicely, if I do say so myself.  He's already got the front part of the crib done (sans stain) -- this is the part that will convert to the footboard of the regular bed.  It looks so great.  Now he's working on the curved sides of the crib -- a challenge, but I think he's definitely up for it!  :)  He really amazes me with this handiwork.

I, in the meantime, am doing things like getting us signed up for childbirth education classes.  We'll take a 4-week Prepared Childbirth class starting on Aug 11 (with our friend and lover of all babies, Jackie Parker -- she's an L&D nurse at the hospital), a breastfeeding class on Sep 15 and a Baby Care class on Sep 23 (Jackie's also teaching that one, yay!).  We'll also have 2 meetings with our doula, Kelley, in September.

Time seems so short and we're just cramming as much as we can into each day.  I hope we get everything done and ready before this kid gets here!