Mommy turns 27 and Baby turns 14...weeks

Photos coming soon!

I turned 27 this past weekend, and it was quite a memorable birthday--one of the best, thanks to my darling husband, family, and friends. I guess it's safe to say it started a couple of weeks ago when my mom came up a couple of weekends ago to celebrate my birthday. She bought me some new running shoes and took Josh and I out to dinner!

Then on Friday night the 18th (day before my bday), Josh surprised me when our friends Peter and Jocelyn met us for dinner at Macaroni Grill. I had lobster and shrimp ravioli, and mommy and baby likey! Josh organized a bunch of my friends to go see the movie "Expelled" at the theatre. I knew where we were going and what we were doing, but I didn't know how MANY friends were going to be there! We took up a whole row and two seat behind the row in the theatre. The flick was EXCELLENT and a MUST-SEE. It is from a very eye-opening perspective about the evolution vs. intelligent design debate, and we may not all realize the ways it affects our freedom of speech, freedom to ask questions and pose a valid argument in the spirit of true science, our schools and therefore our children, the media, the courts and government and so much more. It's funny too, and very educational. Here is the link to learn more about the movie and find a theatre near you: http://www.expelledthemovie.com/

Afterward, we went across the street to Coldstone (ice cream) and talked 'til 11 p.m. My friends Jennifer and Seth, who are getting married in September and are originally from San Diego but Seth is now an engineer in Palmdale and Jennifer is a meterologist ("weather girl" as some might understand it) in Boise, Idaho, also just happened to be in town and met us for ice cream. Then we came back to our house and talked 'til midnight.

This mama was tired, but it was a great night!

The next morning, Josh drove me up to Los Canyons golf course to have breakfast. I had no clue, but 10 of my closest girlfriends were waitng there for me sitting at a round table with balloons and flowers and gifts, oh my. What more could a girl ask for? It was a total surprise, and I have to thank my AMAZING husband for planning the whole thing, and my longsuffering friends who (half of them) had just seen me the night before, haha!

I got to open their gifts and, later at home, a bunch of gifts from my in-laws Sue and Norm, one from my sister Adeena, and several from Josh. Then Josh and I drove up to Santa Barbara where Josh had a semipro basketball game and won! Woohoo! Nothing like watching your man kick butt, three-pointer style, hehe.

If that wasn't enough, the next morning my dad and little sister, Yoli, drove up to meet me for breakfast and spoiled me with their presence, love, and some great gifts!

It was a fabulous weekend. I felt so incredibly loved and blessed, and my heart is full. Baby can't wait to meet all the people who love his/her momma so much. :)

My little choo-choo train

I had my 12-week check-up yesterday and got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. It instantly brought a big smile to my face! My doctor says it sounds like a small freight train passing by, and that is such a perfect description! Next check-up is at 16 weeks, right before I leave for Israel and Rome.

12 weeks today!

I now have what I like to call a "pooch." It's small and barely noticeable, but it's definitely new. The baby is 12 weeks today, and about the size of a lime, according to babycenter.com. That's a big leap from the kumquat he or she was last week. And we're moving on down the food group with just 28 weeks to go! I can't believe I'm almost in my second trimester already. Time flies when you're full of love and growing babies.

Major developments this week are: reflexes (the baby begins to open and close his or her fists and curls his or her toes); nerve cells are multiplying rapidly; brain, synapses are forming furiously; eyes have moved from the sides to the front of the head, and his or her ears are right where they should be. Thanks for checking out Baby Merrill's blog.

What a weekend!

We had a wonderful visit with my mom this weekend who came up to see us along with her two-month-old, adorable, miniature Schnauzer named Marco. That little puppy was hysterical, and soooooo cute. He doesn't even look real! He's like a little stuffed animal come to life. Our dogs, Blue and Ernie, who are about a zillion times Marco's size, did very well with him. Josh and I were very proud. I kept calling Ernie "the baby sitter" because if my mom left the room, Marco would cry and search EVERYWHERE for her. (Oh my goodness he loves that woman! :) BUT if Ernie was in the house, Marco spent the whole time chasing and barking at him.........until Ernie turned around and then Marco would chicken out and run away, only to come back for more a few seconds later. He's the funniest little guy. Josh says small dogs are stupid, and that I've yet to show him "a cool little dog," but I think he kind of likes Marco. :)

Anyway, tonight I took Josh to a Clippers vs. Rockets game at Staples Center to celebrate his 32nd birthday, which was last Tuesday, April 1. (Yes, yes, April Fool's day, "the biggest non-holiday we have," as our waiter that night at P.F. Chang's so pointedly described it.) I told him a month ago that I had a surprise for him, and he usually likes to wait for his surprises. But I think he has lost some patience in his old age, because he HAD to know where I was planning on taking him. So I told him, but I didn't mention that his buddies Matt and Charles would also be there, that we actually had four tickets. So they were sitting there waiting for us in row 18 with drinks and big thing of nachos for us! Josh was pretty surprised.

Before the game, we had run into our friends Tomas and his beautiful wife, Senah. Well, they came and found us at half-time because Senah wasn't feeling well and they wanted to give us their tickets, which were FLOOR seats! It was so sweet of them. So we got to see "Sleepy Turtle" (which is what I call Tracy McGrady on the Houston Rockets team) up close and personal! It was so cool. Rockets won by the way. They pretty much killed the Clippers. (Sorry Clippers fans. I am a San Diegan. My loyalties lie only with the Chargers, the Padres, and Jesus, hehehe.)

Baby's First Sonogram - 3.11.08