Week 23: Kick Drum

The baby is the size of a mango this week. I love mangoes and I usually check them out in the produce section so I am very aware that they are NOT larger than spaghetti squash. That's just dumb. Obviously, Nebraska may not have prime mangoes but the comparison is not even close. This reminds me of when I used to recruit in Hawaii, kids would ask the dumbest questions about school in Omaha. "Do you guys even have pineapple there (or insert mango to fit the blog)?" Um, yes. Yes we do. We do not grow pineapple but it is sold in stores. Did they think the island produced everything they ate? Another favorite comment was "Nebraska? That rhymes with Alaska. It must be cold there." That was from a kid in New Jersey, but I digress.

Back to Baby. I clearly win this argument. These are the pictures provided by the info givers each week. Baby is measuring over 11 inches long. As I read closer I discovered this week the baby is about the size of a large mango, just over a pound. Last week it was just the length of spaghetti squash. Comparisons are fluctuating between size and length. Big difference. Apparently that is their excuse for the above pictures.

hort.purdue.edu

This week baby can officially hear things from the outside. Music, dogs barking, loud movies etc. Supposedly the familiarity with these sounds makes them less fazed by the noises once they are out. Gus barks at squirrels, bunnies, the neighbor's beagle, anyone who rings the doorbell, weed whackers (even if they are turned off and laying on the patio) and his #1 most hated noise and most favorite thing to bark at.... the vacuum! I guess that is a good reason for me to vacuum more frequently, to get Baby acclimated to the buzzing and barking all in one shot. Another thing for baby to get used to is... Musicals! Baby got a dose of Broadway this weekend and hopefully he/she appreciates it like I (we) do. Matt and I saw Guys & Dolls Friday and it was fantastic. Matt pretends to not want to go but I just say "Sit down, you're rockin the boat!" Guess who knows the lyrics to most of the G&D score (hint - its not me)? He blames it on a music program from grade school but I blame it on the DVD copy we have of the movie version. Next up, The Music Man at the outdoor theater! "Yes we've got trouble, right here in River City! That's capital "T" that rhymes with "P" that stands for pool!"

http://www.ticketomaha.com/tickets/production-details.aspx?prod_season_no=7015

I'm sure the Baby was boppin' along to Guys & Dolls and kicks are definitely becoming more and more frequent. It used to be mostly at night when I went to bed but now it seems to be morning, noon and night. 2 nights ago, I noticed the action because the book I was reading was bouncing around on my belly. Last night Matt finally felt one. He hasn't had the patience to set his hand on my belly for more than a few seconds at a time but last night he held out and got a good one. Aside from the peak times I mentioned, Baby also reacts to the warmth emitted from a laptop and certain angles. Definitely an amazing thing to witness.

I'll wrap this week up sharing mangoes with you. The seasonal cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory is Mango Key Lime Pie Cheesecake. I passed on it once in the last month but on Saturday, I did not and thank goodness I didn't. Holy Cow! It was sooooo good (Another instance of eating the baby just days before the fruit diagnosis). I am not a huge cheesecake person but this was worth it. Its a coconut macaroon crust, cheesecake, key lime pie filling and fresh mango puree. SOOOO good. My mouth is watering as I type and I will probably have to go back for another piece soon. 

In other mango news, I made a delicious mango rhubarb pie. I am also not a big pie person because I don't really like pie crust but this cornmeal crust is much more to my liking. Try it. I made it last year and this year during rhubarb season. Bake Me, Mango Rhubarb Pie.

I have now said I am not a huge cheesecake or pie person. Don't get this wrong though, I am a dessert person. I will eat cheesecake and pie, I would just choose other desserts first. And now, I must Man- GO (probably to Cheesecake Factory).

*Week 19, the What to Expect When Expecting book compared the baby to a large mango. That was 4 weeks ago. Someone needs to revisit their produce.