Merry Christmas!

Its almost Christmas! We can not believe how fast this year has gone. It is our first Christmas as Mr and Mrs. Its also hard to believe that next Christmas Ela will almost be 1 years old! :)

Not too much new here. We had a relaxing day for Jessi's birthday. We went lunch at a restaurant Puntacanesa that we have wanted to try with Jessi's grandma and cousin Anita. Then we decided to brave the Herald Square crowds and went shopping at Macy's. BAD IDEA! Jessi's belly was knocking into everything! There was SO many people. That did not last long to say the least and we ended up back home for a quiet even on the couch. We are both excited to have a few day off and get to relax for the holidays. Jessi said its a good time to be pregnant because when everyone brings in chocolate and cake for her in the office she has an excuse to eat it!
Check out the belly: Its hard to believe its going to keep growing....

This week we got a present from Grandma....Along with the help of Amy and Amanda she made a "Baby Cake" for Ela. Don't know if you can see but it has diapers, receiving blankets, lotions, pacifiers, teething rings, washcloths, shampoo etc. It is so neat!! Can't believe it survived the mail!

Merry Christmas to everyone! :) See you soon!

JB and TB

Ela in the Bella!

Hi Everyone! In accordance with the past few months we had another wonderful but busy weekend! Jessi's dad and sister came into town for the weekend and we went to Long Island for Grandma K's birthday....Oh yeah and more sightseeing! A few more visitors and we will be authentic NYC tour guides! Ela does not even realize how many places she has been already! It was pretty cold and then got warm for a few days but it sure made up for the nice days today. The high here today was 23 degrees and right now it "feels like" 9 degrees.(Never understood why they don't just say 9 degrees) Thank goodness for Ela in the belly keeping Jessi warm! We are supposed to get our first real snow storm this weekend on Jessi's birthday!
Check out some pictures from this weekend:

Aunt Amy kissing her Niece

Daddy's Girls(All Three)

Tomek and Jessi

Of Course we cant forget about our "son"-Ozzy in his Winter Coat

Just got back from our 33 week doctors appointment. Everything is still looking good. Jessi is starting to experience Braxton Hicks contractions and Round Ligament Stretching. In layman's terms her body is "practicing labor". Braxton Hicks don't hurt, it just feels like tightening in the tummy. Through it all Ela is still managing to kick and roll around. We think we are going to have an athlete on our hands! (Or one hyper baby). Jessi's Dad(Proud Grandpa to be) got to feel Ela kick pretty hard a few times over the weekend. Amy was upset that Ela would not kick on command but was able to feel her once or twice. Our next doctors appointment is Dec 28th and at this appointment Jessi will have her thyroid tested for the last time, get a Strep B culture test(all women are tested between 35-40 weeks), and have an exam to see if she is dilating. All these tests mean that our sweet Ela will be here in no time! :)

33 Weeks Pregnant

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

**Whats going on this week?!**

How far along? 33  Weeks
How many weeks left? 5-6
Total weight gain: 24 pounds
Maternity clothes? oh yes, and Tomasz's clothes
Food Craving of the Week: Ice Cream Sandwiches (Amy dont even say anything)
Sleep: Not going so good...even with the Snuggle sleep is hard
Best moment this week: Seeing family
Movement: Yes, kicking, rolling and protruding
Belly Button in or out? Out and now Jessi has a bump under the shirt it is so far out
What I miss: Mobility and Sleep
What I am looking forward to: My Birthday
Weekly Wisdom:  Keep walking
Milestones: First Snow in NYC and not falling on my butt!

Is that a Snowman in your Jacket?!

Hello Everyone! Sorry its been a while since our last update we have been SO busy! As of yesterday we are 32 weeks pregnant....only 8 more weeks to go! It seems so long when you think about it but compared to the past 8 months it will fly by!

See the big picture

 

 

 

 

How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

See what your baby looks like this week.




 Tomasz's Mom and Dad were here over the Thanksgiving holiday for a week. We had our first Thanksgiving at our apartment with Marian, Wanda, and Uncle Bob. It was a fun day with lots of yummy food. We used our wedding china for the first time too! This next weekend Jessi's Dad and Amy are coming up! We love having family visit us!! We cant wait for everyone to meet there little granddaughter, great-granddaughter, niece, or cousin!

We finally finished Ela's room this past weekend! It feels more real now that everything is done and we are waiting her grand entrance! We always ask Ozzy "Wheres baby Ela?" and he walks over to her room. He knows that somethings going on but does not quite understand it yet! We just hope that he does not get jealous as he is used to being the center of attention each and every day! Check out some pictures of her room!

Jessi went to the doctor last Tuesday and everything is still looking good. Ela is beginning to drop to make her grand entrance. Dr. Kanos said that starting in January he will be able to start to see if Ela will be on time or late so that Tomasz can make sure that he is home. They can check out dilated Jessi is and what direction Ela is heading in. So far Jessi has gained 19 pounds which is right in line with where she should be. Ela is still kicking away, sometimes kicking so hard she wakes Jessi up. Slowly the kicks are getting less  frequent but stronger because she is running out of room in the tummy! I guess she is preparing us for the sleepless nights to come!

The bump is getting bigger. -31 weeks

Does anyone want to take a guess what she will look like?! Talk to you soon!

JB and TB

Elizabeth Sofia Baran

Here is what our little one's name means!

The name Elizabeth has the following meaning:

Pledged to God. A very popular name. Traditional and elegant sounding, this name was popularized greatly by the famous actress Elizabeth Taylor. It is also the name of the mother of John the Baptist.

The girl name Ela is pronounced EHLah †.It is predominantly used in the Polish language.
Ela is a short form (Polish) of Elizabeth (English).

Ela is also a form of Ella (English, Scandinavian, and Italian).

Ela is also a form (Polish) of Elvira (English, German, Italian, and Spanish).

Ela is also a form (Polish) of Melanie (Dutch

The name Sofia has the following meaning:

Wisdom
*Sofia was the most popular name in 2009.