Not just dreaming of a white christmas

Jason and I are enjoying the wintery white north.  It's been snowing pretty much since we got here.  We had one day of icky rain, but otherwise it's been pretty, white, fluffy snow.... as pretty as it is though, I'm reminded more and more why I like living in the south.  Snow is miserable... it's cold, it's wet, and it's messy.  I remember loving it when I was little though... and I would love for our little ones to be able to play in the snow... go sledding, make snowmen, ice skate.... maybe just visiting my parents in Chicago every winter will cut it though! ;)

Our trip up to Wisconsin was fun.  We stayed in a time share resort for 5 days.  Jason got to do some snowboarding and the two of us played around in the water parks that were built into the resort... indoor water parks of course!  We also hit up one of the local Indian casinos where Jason won $80.  Woo hoo!  We lasted about 45 minutes at the casino though... can't really handle being in those places for long.

Now we're in Chicago visiting my parents and Laura.  We had a very nice Christmas yesterday, and it even started to snow again!  It's so nice to admire from inside....

The baby is now at 15 weeks and is about the size of a naval orange!  I've been enjoying clementines lately, it's hard to believe the baby is probably twice as big!  I'll be posting a new belly pic next week.  I find it interesting that my belly seems to grow and shrink day by day... I guess it won't be long until it's fairly permanent though (for a few months in any case).

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")