We're posting pictures on our Flickr gallery at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markcoffman

Justin is doing great.  Lisa's parents (Grammy and Pop-Pop) have been a tremendous help over the past few days.  They volunteered to stay in our guest room and take Justin during the fussy times at night.  What a lifesaver!  We've offered them a permanent stay.

Last night Grammy and Pop-Pop went "on-call" and we tried watching him on our own.  They are only a few minutes down the road and Grammy said to call even at 2am if she was needed.  We're still learning what he likes but we had a pretty good night.

Some of our friends have coordinated meals for us.  We are so thankful for such good friends.  I am reminded all the time what a blessing it is to have friends and family to help out and I feel for those who have to do this on their own.

Isn't he a little angel?

Baby Justin arrived on October 27th at 5:18pm, weighing 7lbs, 13 3/4 oz, and measured 20 inches long!  Here is a photo of the little man:



He is doing great and is eating well.  He had a good night last night and slept well between feedings.

We are so happy and thankful that he is finally here.  More pictures to come.

My friend Rob suggested that we should all guess the baby’s arrival and see who is the closest.

I’ve heard that each child costs approximately $250,000 from birth to 18 years of age, so the prize for this guess will simply be the satisfaction that you were closest. 

Post in the comments below.  Lisa’s due date is October 27, 2008.  The doctor won’t let her go past 7 days after her due date without scheduling an induction.

Here is what we hope to be the ultrasound prior to BIRTH!  Mommy is getting a little uncomfortable and has had increasing pressure.  It is probably a sign that the Big Day is almost here.  Justin’s heart rate was 142bpm today.  He’s measuring approximately 7lbs, 4oz today.  We both think that sounds like a good size. 

Last night was interesting.  She started having Braxton Hicks contractions around 7pm, and they were somewhat rhythmic… approximately 8 minutes apart.  Nothing we could get a stopwatch out and predict, but this had not happened yet.  It was comforting to know that some progression was taking place.

I feel so sad for Lisa, because she just wants to see her son’s face and hold him.  The fact that due dates are not exact predictors of birth doesn’t help.  You hear so many stories about deliveries being a week or two early, combined with the knowledge that the baby is fully developed by 37 weeks, and it is really difficult to wait.  It’s like knowing Christmas is “soon” but not knowing “when.”

And though my anticipation cannot compare to a mother’s anticipation for her child’s arrival, I think about it throughout the day, dream about it at night, and find it hard to have any patience at all.

We did get some encouraging words from one of the doctors Lisa works with.  Very nice guy.  Right or wrong, he’s saying Tuesday or Wednesday to get ready for this baby.  We hope that he’s right.  If not, we have a Thursday doctor appointment with her OB.

Here’s hoping the next picture is one with a digital camera and not an ultrasound probe.

Lisa and Justin are getting close to meeting face-to-face.  She had a doctor visit on Thursday and he said that she could have Justin at any time now.  We're both very happy.  My dreams for each of the last 3 nights have been about Justin and about me having my son here, finally.

Here's his ultrasound for this week.  We keep hoping the next photo of Justin will be with a camera instead of an ultrasound probe.

Here’s a picture of his ultrasound this week:

Here's this week's ultrasound.  Justin has never really cooperated when Mommy tried to get a 4D scan done.  He is usually up against the uterus which makes it difficult to get a clear picture.  And for the last few weeks he's covered his face with his hand. 

He is now 6lbs 7oz.  Not bad — Lisa is happy that the growth spurt that he had recently isn't a weekly occurance.

We took some more pregnancy pictures this week:

We're both anticipating our baby boy's birth.  I did some research to find out how accurate the due date of a baby is, statistically speaking.  What I found is pretty interesting. 



This information comes from a paper found at: http://www.transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/birthed/duedatespaper.htm

Looking at the graph, it appears that the breakdown is something close to:

Before 37 weeks: 2%
37 weeks: 3%
38-39 weeks: 10%
39-40 weeks: 20%
40-41 weeks: 35%
41-42 weeks: 20%
Over 42 weeks: 10%

Once Justin's lungs are ready (nearly guaranteed at 37 weeks) we hope he decides he's had enough of the "womb with no view" and comes out!

Lisa is 36 weeks along, and she is doing great.  We just got back from our anniversary vacation this weekend (today is the actual anniversary).  To celebrate, we went to St. Augustine, Florida and enjoyed excellent weather.  We walked through the old city and Lisa did very well.  Her fingers and toes got just a little swollen.  Everyone in the shops commented on how great she looked and asked when the big day was. 

Justin has been increasingly active.  He has found a little bit of a schedule too.

Early morning - hiccups
Lunch - hiccups
Mid Afternoon - hiccups
Evening - hiccups

Poor little guy.  I looked around online and found that not only is this common, but a good sign of a healthy baby.  He is really healthy. 

Justin has tickle spots too.  If Lisa moves her finger back and forth across his foot or leg, he goes crazy.  I've wondered if he smiles inside or laughs.

We're less than a month away from his birth, now.  I really cannot wait to see him in person.

Here is his ultrasound for this week:




He is now 6lbs, 3oz.  Last week must have been a growth spurt.  Mommy is not complaining!

Justin had his 35 week ultrasound today.  He is growing... he is officially 6lbs now, which is an 11oz jump from last week.  Incredible.



Justin is doing what he was doing last week - eating.  He is licking the placenta wall and swallowing.  It looks like we won't have any problems getting him to finish his supper.

He is getting stronger each day — I'll place my hand on Lisa's belly and feel little kicks here and there and then at some point —- POW!  He'll kick so hard that I'll pull my hand away quickly.  I think he's saying, "enough already, Daddy!"

5 more weeks!