Waitin' on Abby: Week 17

Ziggy's in the middle of another growth spurt right now! He currently weighs about 5 ounces and is about 5 inches long--about the size of a large onion. (A pretty significant increase from the medium-sized avocado he was last week.) His sense of hearing is developing this week--time for Dad to start teaching him some electric guitar riffs! Ziggy can move his joints now, and his skeleton, which up until now has been just rubbery cartilage--has started to harden into actual bone.
We still haven't felt any movement yet, but the daily changes in Christina's belly are a huge (no pun intended) source of entertainment. We've watched this bump move further and further up toward her belly button this week, but it's still hard to believe there's a whole little person growing in there! The forgetfulness that seems to be a common by-product of pregnancy has come upon Christina like the plague, so please be patient with her as she tries to remember things like what she was supposed to do next at work, who she was going to call when she picked up her phone, and why she stopped at the grocery store.
All in all, things are continuing to go very smoothly, for which we are very grateful. The moms at our church have been a tremendous asset as they've showered Christina with books, resources, advice and even clothes to help her through the pregnancy, delivery and beyond. Who knew there were so many books on babies out there?! We'll go back to the doctor for Ziggy and Christina's next check up in just over a week, and then it won't be too long after that we can finally start planning the baby's room once we find out what we're having in April! Thank you for continuing to pray for Christina's health and the health of our little one. Pray that God will continue to prepare us for the awesome responsibility of parenthood.

In awe of this growing miracle,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 16

With a gain of about a half an inch this week, Ziggy's now measuring 4 1/2 inches long and weighs just over 3 ounces--about the size of an avocado. She's preparing for a tremendous growth spurt in the next three weeks, and by the end of this month she will have doubled in weight and added many inches to her lenghth. Her eyes have moved to the front of her head and her ears are close to their final position. Her lower limbs, which have been about as long as her arms, are much longer and more developed now. Her more advanced body systems are working now, including her circulatory system. Ziggy's tiny heart pumps about 25 quarts of blood each day (by the end of the pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts a day). Her eyes are moving, although still tightly closed, and she's able to detect light.
Justin's mom told us to start paying close attention this week--those little twinges in Christina's belly just might be Ziggy moving. We've done a lot of holding still and haven't been sure we've felt anything yet, but Christina's looking forward to being able to finally feel little Ziggy moving around inside of her soon!
We're counting down the days until we get to find out for sure whether we'll be be decking out the babies room in pink or blue. We go for another ultrasound on April 11 and should be able to find out what Ziggy is at last!
We continue to be blessed by the ease of this pregnancy so far! Thank you so much to all of you who are praying for a safe, healthy and easy nine months for Christina -- your prayers are certainly being answered! Aside from the craving for Starbucks' Java Chip ice cream (which isn't really different from Christina's pre-pregnancy cravings) and the growing bump on her belly, we don't really have much to talk about when people ask how the pregnancy is going. But no news is good news, and we continue to praise God for no morning sickness, minimal aches and pains, and the positive reports at each doctors' visit. Please continue to pray for healthy development for the baby and a healthy rest of the pregnancy for Christina as we near the halfway mark.

Lovin' this little miracle,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 15

Ziggy's gaining in weight and length this week to be about four inches long (crown to rump) and weighing about 2 1/2 ounces. The air sacs in his lungs are developing as he inhales and exhales the amniotic fluid he's floating in, and he's continuing to work out his joints and limbs by moving his arms and legs. Although his eyelids are fused shut at this point, his eyes are fully developed and can sense light. We're told if we shine a flashlight at Christina's belly, he's likely to move away from the beam (although Christina still isn't aware of any movements yet). Taste buds are forming this week--although there's nothing for him to taste yet!
Now that Ziggy's ears are formed, Justin's enjoying talking to him, telling him jokes and explaining how much we're looking forward to meeting him. Christina continues to do well healthwise and we're so thankful for how smoothly this pregnancy has gone so far.
Christina went for her latest prenatal visit this week and was able to hear Ziggy's heartbeat again--what a thrill! (If you want to know what it was like, go sit in front of your dishwasher next time it's running. That's exactly what listening to a baby's heartbeat through layers of belly and amniotic fluid sounds like.) As she and the doctor listened to the heartbeat (140 beats per minute--strong and healthy!) there was an occasional gurgling noise that indicated Ziggy's activity as he moves around in the womb. The doctor tells us that --just like his ultrasound showed--we've got an active baby that likes to move around. A lot! We're looking forward to finally being able to feel those little movements in a few more weeks.
And speaking of milestones, we've got our calendar marked for April 11. That's when we'll get to go back for our next ultrasound and find out if we're having a daughter or a son. No more waiting and wondering!
Please continue to pray that God would be daily preparing us to care for this little one and to point him to the only One who can love him perfectly.

By faith alone,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 14

To continue the tradition of comparing our child to various food items, Ziggy is about the size of a lemon this week--roughly 3 1/2 inches head to bottom--and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Her body is finally starting to grow faster than her oversized head, and she's got a more well-defined neck at this point. Ziggy's finally starting to looks like a pretty normal human! By the end of this week, her arms will have lengthened out and will be in proportion to the rest of her little body. Her legs still have a ways to go. Christina still can't feel the baby's movements yet, but Ziggy's hands and feet (which are about half an inch long!) are very active. Brain impulses are also causing her little facial muscles to work hard too, as she squints, frowns, and grimaces. She can grasp now, too, and may even be sucking her thumb inside the womb.
Healthwise, Christina is doing great. She's swimming and excercising regularly (the FitMama salsa workout was a great gift from a mom of four at church) and she and Justin are both enjoying the fruit smoothies they've perfected for breakfast. The early-pregnancy exhaustion is a thing of the past, and mom-to-be is happy to have her energy level back to normal.
In fact, now that we think about it, this has been a pretty easy pregnancy so far. (Please pray that that would continue!) Christina's had no real morning sickness to speak of, no weird food cravings (she always craved ice cream anyway...), and the first trimester passed incident-free. We're thankful for how smoothly things have gone and pray that this would be a trend throughout the remainder of the pregnancy--only 26 weeks to go!
It really is incredible to be a part of this miracle, and we're humbled when we stop to think that God's using us to bring a child into this world. What a tremendous gift little Ziggy already is! Please pray that God would prepare us for the responsibility of raising this little one, and that we would be able to show our baby His love from day one.

Loving this miracle,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 13

The race between Ziggy and Christina's belly is on, and the contestants are tied so far...Ziggy grew another inch this week to be about three inches long (about the size of a jumbo shrimp) and Christina added another inch to her belly for a total of about three inches in gain since the start of the pregnancy. Ziggy is getting to be much more proportional now, with his formerly oversized head now only about a third the size of his tiny body. His fingerprints are already in place and his kidneys are functional now. Most of his critical development will be completed this week as we close out the first trimester.
Meanwhile, in belly news, Christina broke down this week and bought her first pair of maternity pants. (And they're not the least bit frumpy.) Reports are in, and they are much more comfortable than the jeans that were beginning to cut into her growing belly. The doctor warned us that because Christina's small, we'd probably notice her growing belly sooner than some pregnant women. She was right!
The cold that plagued our household last week has come and gone, and all the Fishers seem to be back in good health. Thank you for your prayers!
The excitement continues to build as this pregnancy progresses. It's overwhelming sometimes thinking about just how tiny and helpless this little child is, but it serves as an excellent reminder of our own standing as children of God. Little Ziggy can do nothing for himself right now. He can't make himself grow, he can't keep himself healthy, and he can't sustain himself. Everything that happens from the moment of conception on is in God's hands as He works to grow and nourish this little baby. How easily we forget how true that is in our own lives! Far too often we forget how desperate we'd be if our relationship with God depended on us. It is He who created us, and it is He who sustains us. Were it not for His great love for us in sending His Son, our situation would be pretty grim! As we continue to pray for Ziggy, we're reminded also to praise our heavenly Father for calling us out of darkness into His great light!

By His grace,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 12

Ziggy hit the 2-inch mark this week, growing to about the size of a small lime, and weighing about a half and ounce. She's almost tripled in size in just the past three weeks! Her face starts to look less alien this week as her eyes, which started out on the sides of her head, are moving closer together on her face, and her ears near their final positions on either side of her tiny head. Her nerve cells are multiplying rapidly and the neurological pathways in her brain are forming. Ziggy's developed quite a few more reflexes by now, including sucking, and apparently she'll now squirm a little, open her mouth and even move her fingers and toes if we prod Christina's abdomen (although we still won't feel any movement for a number of weeks).

Ziggy's growth is becoming more and more obvious outside the womb as well. We were amazed at how much Christina's belly seemed to grow just over the past week! (Though we know she's still got a lot of growing left to do...)

We also hit another milestone this week. The following is an exerpt from a morning in the Fishers' closet:

Christina: Grrrrrr....
Justin: Whatcha doing there, babe?
Christina: Buttoning my pants. (More grunting)
Justin: Do you need some help?
Christina: No, I've got it. They're just a little snug.
Justin: Do we need to get you some bigger pants?
Christina: No, it's not that I can't button them. They're just more comfortable if I don't.

It'll be time for maternity clothes soon enough. For now we've successfully added an inch to Christina's pants with the help of a rubberband.

Christina's been fighting a cold all week, so please pray that she'll heal quickly and be back to normal. The good news is that Ziggy doesn't feel a thing--she's taken over the majority of Christina's immune system and is nice and snug and healthy inside her little womb.

Please continue to pray for Ziggy's normal, healthy development. Now that we've heard the heartbeat and seen her little movements, we're more excited than ever, but realize just how delicate this little life is. It's still amazing to read about how much she's growing and changing from week to week. Please pray with us that God will continue to oversee her healthy development and that Christina will be over this cold quickly.

In His grip,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 11

Our little baby is now fully formed--although still so tiny, measuring 1.25 inches exactly and weighing about a quarter of an ounce. Some of Ziggy's bones are beginning to harden, and tiny toothbuds are starting to appear under his gums. His fingers and toes have separated, and as we saw in the ultrasound, he's busy opening and closing his fists.
There are a few milestones we'll never forget, and yesterday we added one more amazing one. We got to see what you can see by clicking the play button on the video above--our little baby, dancing, kicking, squirming and stretching in his temporary home inside Christina's uterus. There are simply no adequate words to describe how we felt watching this little life move around, and we'll simply have to trust that all the parents reading this know what we mean. What a miracle! The ultrasound technician noted that Ziggy was wide awake for his first pictures, and he put on quite a show for us during the brief minutes we were able to catch these early glimpses of him. How incredible to see tiny legs and feet and arms and hands moving around, and to know that God is overseeing every detail of his development. Turn your speakers on, because about halfway through the video you'll be able to hear the fetal heartbeat--160 beats per minute. Strong and healthy! And if you pay close attention, you'll see Ziggy stretch an arm over his face and you can just make out those tiny, tiny fingers. We like to think he was waving. Toward the end the technician added some thermal imaging that shows Ziggy's blood pumping through his little body.
Christina continues to stay healthy but is getting a little bored of trying to eat so many fruits and vegetables. If anyone has any secrets for dressing up healthy foods to make them more palatable, send them our way! Her stomach is being quite finicky this morning, so please say a prayer that that will subside quickly so she can make sure to get Ziggy all the nutrients he needs.

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name." -- 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

We praise God for this tiny miracle that He's creating and thank Him that He sees fit to give us one of His children to care for! Please pray with us that Ziggy would continue to develop properly by God's strength and according to His soveriegn plan, and that our little baby would learn to praise His glorious name from a very young age.
We love this little baby so much already, and are so excited about all the friends and family Ziggy will have when he finally shows himself to the world. Thank you for your continued prayers for this little gift!

By grace alone,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 10

Ziggy hit another milestone this week, transitioning from the embryonic to the fetal stage. According to the world of medicine, she's an official fetus now! (Although we've known she was our little baby all along...) She's big enough now that all the books start reporting an average fetal weight. So this week, Ziggy's about the size of a kumquat (coincidentally, also about the size of Chrisitina's thumb, which makes her growth easy to illustrate to others) and weighs just under a quarter of an ounce. Now that she's in the fetal period, her tissues and organs will begin to rapidly grow and mature. Her liver, kidney, intestines, brain and lungs are all in place and starting to function. Over the next three weeks, Ziggy's length will more than double in size to nearly three inches! Her formerly-webbed fingers and toes are now completely separated and she is busy kicking her little legs--though Christina still won't feel these little movements for a few more weeks.
Ziggy's not the only one changing! Christina has been pleased to notice that the exhaustion that has been so prevalent over the last few weeks is beginning to subside, and she's feeling almost back to normal where her energy level is concerned. She's started swimming and is happy to have a fitness routine to help get and keep her in shape throughout this pregnancy. (Although the swimsuit she had in college is beginning to get a little snug...)
We'll go for our second prenatal appointment next week where they tell us we'll finally be able to have an ultrasound and get to see Ziggy for the first time! How exciting! We'll also be able to hear the baby's heartbeat at that time. It still overwhelms us to think there's a whole little person growing inside Christina's belly.
Please pray that the doctor's appointment will go well next Thursday and all reports will be positive. We continue to lift up our little one in prayer, and are so thankful for those that are coming alongside us to do the same. Pray that she'll continue to develop properly and that Christina will be able to stay healthy and eat well for the two of them.

Lovin' this miracle,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 9

Ziggy hit a growth spurt this week, nearly doubling in size to be about an inch long now and weighing just a fraction of an ounce. He's packing a lot of punch into that little body though. This week his organs, muscles and nerves will be kicking into high gear and starting their rapid development. He has earlobes now, and by the end of the week the inner workings of his ears will be complete. (Maybe it's time for Justin to start teaching him to appreciate the electric guitar...) His facial features are starting to look even more human, and his mouth, nose and nostrils are more distinct. All of Ziggy's major joints are working now, and he's busy exercising his shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees and ankles. His tiny heart has divided into its four chambers and the heart valves are beginning to develop. All this in a package no bigger than a grape!
Christina continues to do remarkably well and is beginning to get used to the need for a daily nap. The finicky stomach seems to be subsiding, thanks to some welcome advice that she should snack more frequently. Justin has made packing her a bag of grapes to take to work part of his regular morning routine.
We just returned from our first prenatal visit--how exciting! We have so much information to read through now. The initial report shows Christina to be healthy and the pregnancy progressing as it should be. We weren't able to have an ultrasound today, so we'll have to wait another two weeks to go back and hear the baby's heartbeat. (On a side note, Christina would like to take a second to brag about the fact that she managed to have her blood drawn without crying today. Trust us--this is a big step!)
Thank you for your continued prayers for our little one. How exciting will it be for you to be able to tell Ziggy one day, "Hey, I prayed for you when you were just the size of a grape!" We are trusting God with this tiny miracle--it's His, after all--and continue to pray that our baby will be born healthy, and that God will equip us to meet all his needs.

In His grip,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)

Waitin' on Abby: Week 8

Ziggy's had a busy week! She's constantly moving around, excercising her developing muscles, joints and appendages, although we won't be able to feel her little wiggles for quite some time. She's grown to be about the size of a kidney bean this week, and her little tail (an exension of her tailbone) is beginning to disappear. Her arms, legs, feet and hands are developing quickly, and her little fingers and toes are growing longer, though they're still slightly webbed. Her knee joints have formed--maybe Ziggy will be a runner like her uncles! Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs, and the nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another.
Christina continues to struggle with feeling tired all the time, and is having a hard time getting used to not having her usual amount of energy. (Cutting back on all the caffeine and sugar, she's sure, is also contributing to her decreased energy levels.) This week has been a little more difficult as her stomach seems to be getting a little more finicky about what she eats. Unfortunatly for Justin, it seems that very bland foods like plain chicken, salad, applesauce--and anything with very little flavor--seem to be most appealing to mom-to-be. We're thankful that Christina has been blessed with very few problems with nausea so far. Please pray that she would be able to eat well, and enough, for the two of them.
We continue to praise God for the outpouring of support from our friends at church. Ours is a growing church, due at least in part to the fact that there is an almost constant cycle of pregnancies and new babies going on there. The many moms at our church have been very forthcoming with advice, resources, listening ears, and gifts to help us as we get ready for Ziggy's arrival. Just this morning we received a call from a mom who is moving and would like to give us some of the baby items they're not taking with them. Our church really is our church "family," and we're so thankful for the ways God is showing His love to us through the body of Christ, His church.
There's just one week until our first prenatal visit, and it seems like it can't come soon enough. Christina plans to start swimming again soon (an activity she loved in college, and an excellent one for pregnant women) to help get and keep her body in good shape for this pregnancy. We're also trying to make the 3-mile walk around our neighborhood a more regular activity, which may be easier to get motivated for when it warms up a little! But as hard as it is, Christina continues to take her mom's good advice to take it easy and let her body rest when she needs it. Please pray that this time of preparation while we wait for Ziggy's arrival will be one in which we can truly learn what it means to rest in Christ, and to trust Him for all our needs.

In awe of this mystery,

Justin, Christina and Ziggy :)