[making progress]

perhaps i've already told many of you, but we finally had delivered on Saturday the ONE piece of baby furniture that REALLY seals the deal (as if it wasn't already--but you know)...OUR CRIB!!

it's been weeks in the waiting. we ordered it several weeks ago but it was on back order, so we had to wait until now to actually get it. we had this tremendous company in denver (guys and dolls) come deliver and install it for us. what would have probably taken us hours to do they did in roughly 20 min. it was awesome.

i've posted a picture below of the lovely crib, although there's no bedding in it yet. we still need to get a mattress. but it will give you an idea where we're at.

this week marks 29 weeks....boy...one more till the 30's. :)

i think i'll take a belly photo next week... till then... love ya!

[luck of the irish]

so i (sarah) have a fun story to share!

the past several weeks i've been seeing a chiropractor for my pregnancy pain. it's been a tremendous relief/help to my lower back and rib pain. this past week it was patient appreciation week at the office. being the "new kid"...i took advantage of all the games and "extras" offered that week. i got a free 10 min back/neck message by a professional who had the strongest woman hands i've ever felt--and even entered a "prayer" into this common candy game below (guess how many m&m's are in the jar...closest wins a prize.)


after deliberating for several minutes in my head how many m&m's were in this jar (above), i ventured up a "prayer"--ah--i mean guess--and called it good.

well, to my complete and utter surprise, when i walked into the doctors office this Monday for my visit, the receptionist kindly told me i had won the m&m game! I then proceeded to shout (sarah fashion)..."SHUT UP...YOU'RE KIDDING ME!...(and then a giggle)!!" She replied that no--in fact--she wasn't kidding--i had guessed 382 and there were actually 381 m&m's in the jar. did you catch that friends...i was ONLY OFF BY ONE STINKIN' M&M!!!! that's talent folks! hehe

needless to say, it totally made my day...i left with this lovely jar of green m&m's and a gift certificate! i'd say it was the luck of the irish!

[the final leg of the journey...]

well, i can thankfully say i'm reaching the end of this very wonderful, but sometimes painful journey. ;)

i have embarked upon the final trimester of my pregnancy (can i get a whoooo--hooooo!!) peter and i had a funny moment the other night as we looked at our calendars for the next few months, trying to plan out some ministry events, when the thought hit us both "wait a minute, mid-may, we can't make plans then, we could be having a baby!" WOWZERS!!!

it's so fun to start dreaming about what our little one is going to look like, act like, be like. i'm convinced she's going to be a night owl like her daddy...she tends to keep me up at night already with her kicks! haha.

oh, and i know in the last post i told you i've started on the baby's room. well...its true. here's where we're at right now.


now don't laugh, i know i've got a lot of work to do! the last few days have been spent organizing (although it hardly looks it), and i'm proud to say i've made a lot of progress! all that's to say, stay tuned. i'll keep y'all posted on the transformation. tomorrow peter and i might visit a thrift store to see if we can't find a few treasures to add to the room. **oh. be sure to keep this a secret. peter won't know the final look of the room until you do! it's going to be a surprise!


well, here's a photo of me a 27 weeks. am i getting any bigger folks..or just gaining more weight!?

27 wks -- fun baby facts

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she 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 her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

[headed toward week 26!]

well...i probably enticed you to come visit here because you THOUGHT we'd give away her name....but alas....it will be a tightly hidden secret until her birthday! hooooowever, the exciting news is that we DO have her name!! and we loooove it! can't wait to share it with you!

in other news...let the count down begin! it is officially less than 100 days until my due date. exciting huh?! this coming week is going to be week 26...last week of the 2nd trimester! boy, two down and one to go!!

yesterday, sunday, peter and i spent all afternoon at our good friends, randy & ginger's, where ginger (mommy of three adorable kiddos) gave me a gazillion maternity clothes! they are soooooooo cute and i can't wait to wear them all. we honestly brought home two HUGE bins full of clothes...hehe.

the other fun thing peter and i did recently was visit a brazilian steak house with our friends the haanen's. definitely the place to go when your preggers...it's all you can eat and delicious beef! here's a pic of us before we left. :)


things have continued to go well with how i'm feeling. I've been able to stick to the gym about 3-4 times a week and am thankful for that. i think i'd go stir crazy if i was on bed rest! haha OHHHHH.... and this past week we purchased our crib, which should arrive in 4-6 weeks!! can't wait to show y'all how the baby room is coming together!! :)

here's some fun developments about our baby this week (26)

Major excitement: Your baby opens her eyes! On the flip side, you might wish yours would stay closed so you could get some sleep.

If a full night's rest has become elusive, welcome to the (sleepless) world of pregnancy insomnia. Between heartburn and leg cramps, bathroom runs and that big beach ball beneath your nightie, it's no wonder your body's having trouble calming down and drifting off. But there are lots of tactics to try that should help keep you in bed (and asleep!) instead of pacing the floor; these include daytime exercise, a daily dose of fresh air, and limiting fluids before you hit the hay. What's up with your baby? She now weighs a full two pounds and measures nine-plus inches. And this week, her eyes, which until now were developing under fused eyelids, start to open. Of course, there's not much to see in there, but if your baby spots a bright light (or hears a loud noise) near your belly, you may notice an increase in fetal activity. (Hey, I'm in here, Mommy!)

week 25!

[baby barber--it's a girl!]

it's official folks...we are having a little baby girl come early june (maybe even may!)

i know i know...we thought boy all along, but we're thrilled to be having a baby girl. ;)

this wednesday marks week 22...which is pretty incredible. it seems like just yesterday i was reading that at-home pregnancy test thinking those two pink lines were somehow not right! haha.

so far, this pregnancy has been a joy (besides the throwing up part), and its crazy to think in just 4 short months we'll have a lil' one of our own.

the big changes this week have been the growth of my belly. yeah, i've noticed it a lot more now...bumping into counter tops. oh, and the backpain too....not liking that one too much. i'm having a real hard time sleeping at night.

here's some fun baby info:
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

here's a fun photo of me at 20 wks!

here's me and baby at 22 wks

[red hot rudolphs]

Peter here... Holiday cookies are such a tired convention (I'd say they're "sooo last year," but I'd sound like a blond Valley Girl--and that's sooo not me). And if I offended anyone out there who is in the midst of baking some holiday cookies, I meant no offense. I'm just really, really, REALLY excited about something that's going to become an annual Barber tradition.

And so, I present to you the first annual installment of (drum roll, please) the SARAH-BARBER-EXTRA-YUMMY-SUPER-DELICIOUS-INCREDIBLY-PHENOMENAL CHRISTMAS REINDEER CUPCAKES--(by the way, that is the official name, if you're wondering). OK, so let me explain what you're seeing (and unfortunately what you can't taste!): the faces are Oreo cookies with a "V" shape-cut, the antlers are pretzels, the eyes are white-chocolate chips, and the red noses are Red Hots. Oh yeah, and there's chopped up Oreo cookie mixed in with the cupcake batter, too.

All I have to say is that when I first bit into one, I went weak in the knees, uttered a whole lot of unintelligible noises, and felt like fireworks were going off in my mouth. Simply amazing. And if you want the recipe, don't bother. It's a closely guarded family secret that Sarah will take to her grave (not really, it's in a commercially available recipe book, but "family secret" sounded better).

Here's another shot of the whole "herd"--
Who needs cookies when you have a whole plate of these? I mean, seriously? Matter of fact, I think I need one right now...

[two reasons to be thankful this season!]

The second reason to be abundantly thankful this thanksgiving is because Peter and I (Sarah) are expecting the first and newest addition to our barber family! YES, THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS....we are having a baby!!!!!

We've been dying to share the news, and now that all our family knows, we're thrilled to get to spread the news to you! We actually just had our 12 week appt. today, and got to listen to the heart beat for the very first time--a moment I don't think either one of us will ever forget! Praise God lil' barber is healthy and has a rapid heart beat of 160.

The photo below is how we shared the news with Peter's folks and mine. The story goes like this. We found an online site where we could make and send personalized onesies--the perfect surprise gift! So Peter and I went ahead and made the three you see below and then sent them off to our parents with a note that said "Coming soon to a city near you" and then the due date, which is June 10th. We made sure to double package it, with the inside package requesting that they each call us before they open it--we wanted to be sure to hear their excitment.

All went as planned until our parents in Brazil didn't receive the package within the time we had expected. Sooooo....it was plan B with them and we'll have to share that story another time.

So there you are friends....we're so thankful for this new gift of life we have coming our way next June.