My fun little game!

So, I just wanted to share this because it has been really exciting the past couple of weeks. Kai has become really active now and moves around non-stop it seems like. Lisa is always saying, "Man, he is doing flips or something in there!" It is such a cool experience to feel Kai moving around, kicking, punching, etc.

I've actually made all of this into a fun little game. We take time regularly, either in the morning or evening to play with and talk to Kai. We sing to him, talk with him, pray with him, etc. It's not just fun to talk with him and feel him move around, but he actually responds to our voices and actions. When I sing to him, I'll sing a line, pressing on him with each word, and then I pause and he kicks back. I do the same when I talk with him or pray with him. He kicks in response to each line and it is such an amazing experience to already be playing with Kai and developing a relationship. It's hard to express, but I already feel a bond with him and at moments I cry because of the emotion I feel and the love that is growing in my heart, a love that is different than any other. I really don't have the words to express it adequately, which is a unique experience for me, being a man of sooooooooooooooo many words.

So, like I said, our little game is a great deal of fun. I could play for hours with him, but he eventually gets tuckered out and stops moving around so much. I take that back, I think he gets bored of my games and plays dead, knowing that I'll lose interest after about 5 minutes and as soon as I walk away, Lisa says, "Man, he is rolling like crazy." Oh Kai, you little opossum you! I pretty much have guessed that he DOESN'T like when I lay my head on her belly. I actually think I heard his heartbeat the other day and I lay down on her stomach to listen and feel him move around. When I do, he starts kicking my head and then moves to the other side. "Get off me, dad!" is what I imagine he is saying.

Also, I'm pretty sure that Kai loves sticking his little butt up against Lisa's belly. It's funny cause you can see her belly lop-sided when he is pressed against one side and if you feel it, you can definitely feel a little round bump that isn't his head. Yes, he has already develop the Sears bump! And, sometimes you can feel him from rump to head, tracing a long hard line down his back. It really is cool to do that! Lisa also says that he is going to be a baby that needs to be swaddled. She says he likes to find the little nooks and crannies of her uterus to hide in. "Oh look a fallopian tube, perfect place for my foot!"

God is such an amazing Creator and to witness this little body developing just confirms how amazing and loving He is. I can't imagine feeling the love of a father yet and won't really know until Kai is born, but if it is anything like what God feels for us, His love is incomprehensible and vast.

Week 23 - Not even born and he's already an international traveler!

Man is that tummy getting big! It's so cool! So, we were thinking about Kai and all that he's done already since he was conceived. He's traveled through 4 different countries and he's not even born yet! That's more than many people do in their entire life. Just thought that was kinda funny. And, just in what we have planned in the future, he'll visit the US, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and possibly Ecuador. Just amazing how much he gets to do being a little MK (Missionary Kid).

So, this week, now that I'm back on track, Kai is officially the size of a large mango. He weighs just over a pound, though it seems like he should weigh so much more by now if you go by Lisa's belly size. He is more than 11 inches long and I'm sure a lot of that is leg. Baby Center says that now Kai's sense of movement is well developed and he can feel the movement from walking, running, and even dancing. It also says that you can see him move under your clothes, but we discovered that last week.

Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, which is always a good thing, and his hearing is becoming more keen. His little cochlea (the inner ear part that houses all the parts for hearing) is fully formed. He can hear what we hear, but not necessarily at the same level. The sounds and stuff are obviously muffled by the belly, muscles, and all that fluid in there. Studies show that babies at 5 months begin recording sounds from the outside, learn the rhythm of speech patterns from mommy, and can even start distinguishing the pitch and speech pattern of people. They begin recording memories and dream. I can't imagine what in the world Kai is dreaming about, but it can't be too exciting. I mean, all the kid gets is sound from outside, food coming in the little tube attached to his belly, and he swims around all day. What could he possibly dream about? Sushi? Yogurt?

I really like what The Bump has to say about this week. "Baby's little face is fully formed--minus the baby fat of course. The next task at hand: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples." I'm not sure why, but the word "nipple" still makes me giggle and especially when it says sprout. I get the image in my head of cartoon farmland bowing up under the pressure of the seed and then "pop, pop" two little flowers sprout. For some reason, that's the way I imagine his little chest creating nipples. POP, POP, just like popcorn and they're there! Tada!

Man it feels good to be all caught up on this blog!

Week 22 - POP goes the Belly Button!

So, you know those little turkey thermometers that you use at Thanksgiving? Well, mama's belly button is starting to resemble one. =) They say that it happens about this time in the pregnancy, it's just kinda funny. I make that joke all the time with her, that the bun in the oven is almost done, but she never finds it funny. Some people just don't get good humor. =)

Kai is officially the size of a Spaghetti Squash or a Papaya, which is kind of ironic. Normally, papaya helps you with digestion, quiets the stomach down, and aids with stomach issues because it has enzymes that are good for the body and it's a natural meat tenderizer. Well, Kai, although the size of a papaya, has just the opposite effect on Lisa. She has indigestion, nausea, and even throws up a little in her mouth from time to time. So much for the papaya resemblance. Apparently, that only applies to size.

Kai weighed about 1 pound this week and was 11 inches long. Baby Center says that he is officially starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct and tiny tooth buds are developing under the gums. His eyes are formed but the irises still lack pigment. They actually say that caucasian babies eyes all look blue in the womb, but develop pigment later on. Just an interesting tidbit from National Geographic's "In the womb." Also, Kai's little pancreas is working full throttle, producing some very essential hormones.

Kai now is settling into a regular sleep cycle, napping about 12-14 hours a day (boy, that must be a rough life!). Remember what I said last week about a regular schedule? Yeah, he has that! He is getting stronger and stronger by the day too. His kicks have increased in strength and you can actually watch Lisa's stomach move up and down as he kicks and moves. You can watch a roll across her belly as he moves from side to side. It really is incredible!

Week 21 - Very late indeed

Ok, I need to start off by saying that this blog is officially 2 weeks late, but I have good reason for it. We've been in Nicaragua working and just haven't had the time nor the internet availability to really update the blog. For those of you who are faithful followers of our miracle journey to parenthood, I'm sorry you had to wait so long.

During this week, Kai weighed about 3/4 of a pound and was approximately 10.5 inches long, the length of a carrot. Now, if you know me you know that carrots are my personal kryptonite. I choose to disregard this week's comparison to our little baby. Thank you Baby Center for telling me Kai is the length of something that causes me death. =) The Bump says that Kai is the length of bananas, which is more appropriate for our family since neither Lisa nor I like carrots but both of us love bananas.

Kai's eyebrows and lids are now present and he is fully active. Trust me this is definitely the case! He does flips, rolls, punches, kicks, etc. He really likes pounding on mama's bladder, which I must admit makes me laugh. "I GOTTA PEE...no wait, that's just KAI, STOP THAT NOW!" =) He really is one long little baby now. We went to see a doctor while here to check on Kai and had an ultrasound. They measured his little body and boy does that kid have some long legs, just like Daddy! A chip off the old block!

Kai is also starting to develop a schedule of activity. He is really active about 7-9 am and then in the evening around 10 pm. He has other times throughout the day, but that's when we notice the most. He is definitely one active little boy and we have started singing with him and talking with him regularly each day. It's a lot of fun to experience this little journey and I can't wait to have him out here with us.

Week 20 - Half way there!

Wow! 20 weeks into this pregnancy and it seems like just yesterday we found out about our little pumpkin. Sometimes when I think about it, the time seems to have flown by. Other times I think to myself, "9 months of being pregnant, Lisa might have a hard time getting back to 'normal' life without a baby inside her!" I'm thankful that I don't have to deal with all that post-partum stuff. I can't even imagine what it must be like going from feeling your baby everyday, talking to it, singing to it, etc. inside the womb to suddenly actually having moments alone again. It must be weird. Well, that's all 20 weeks away, so no need to get all depressed and what not now!

Let me just say that finding out the sex of our baby has made it so much more real and exciting. For some reason, when you finally go from not knowing to really understanding that it's a boy or girl, it makes life a lot more real. Not only that, we settled on a name for the baby and that really makes things hit home. In case you haven't read it on Facebook yet, we have decided to call him Kai Noé Sears. We are very strong believers in having a meaning for the name, because each time you call your child you are reaffirming that child's meaning, whether for blessing or cursing. There is a great deal of power in name and in what we call each other. So, what does Kai Noé mean? Kai is actual a Hawaiian name meaning "ocean" and is also Latin for "rejoice." Noé is Spanish for Noah and means "peace, rest." We rejoice because of the fact that Kai is a miracle baby. We rejoice every day in the fact that God made a way where there wasn't a way. Also, Noah sailed on the ocean, which is just a coincidental meaning. =)

Exciting news in Kai's life? I'm glad you asked! This week he jumped from being the size of a tomato to being a banana. Apparently, before 20 weeks, the baby is curled up and doesn't stretch out too much, so it's hard to get a real measurement and they just use the Crown-to-Rump measurement. At 20 weeks the baby starts stretching out and moving a whole lot more so they start measuring from head to toe. Kai is 10 inches head to toe and weighs 10.5 ounces. That's really a big jump from tomato to banana, something small and round to long. I love it! He is more aware of his reflexes and movements. He's moving around, thrashing, kicking, etc. Lisa tells me constantly how he is kicking around and last night for the first time I felt it! I put my hand on her stomach and BAM! He kicked me! He's also swallowing a lot more and is more aware of his environment.

Another interesting side note is that his digestive system is producing meconium, a sticky tar-like substance that is developing in his intestines. This is apparently the first thing that he poops out when he is born, the by-product of the food he's consuming through the umbilical cord. From what I've heard this stuff is lethal and probably could be used in weapons grade biological warfare. That's what I hear anyway. Unfortunately that is one thing that I don't think I'll have the option to avoid. Lisa will be out of it, recovering from labor, and that first diaper I'm sure will be my baby's first gift to me. JOY!

Well, that's enough for this week. I'll apologize now for the fact that I won't be able to write as much in the next few weeks, as we'll be traveling throughout June. I'll keep up where I can, but please be patient, those of you who follow Kai's progress. Blessings!