Welcome to New Mexico!

We'd like to welcome our fabulous friends, Valerie and Jon (aka "Bol and Mr. Ashe") to the Land of Enchantment!

Valerie has lived in the Bay Area for several years and returning to the Albuquerque area, and Mr. Ashe has lived in the Bay Area all his life. We applaud him for taking on the adventure of moving out to the desert Southwest! Quite a change from San Francisco life!

For those of you you know the Ashes, we invite you to check out their blog at http://rightturnatabq.blogspot.com.

We're just delighted to have them here and look forward to some good times and great company. Especially when they become Auntie Bol and Uncle Mr. Ashe in a couple of months!

We love you guys and welcome you with open arms!

Jennifer and Jonathan (aka Whenathan!)

The Baby at 31 Weeks

Week 31: Thumbs Up

As far as growth goes, your baby's still on a roll, measuring an impressive 18 inches and weighing in at more than three pounds. You can still expect your baby to gain at least three to five pounds, possibly more, before you two meet.

Your baby's brain is working overtime these days, developing faster than ever. Connections between individual nerve cells are growing at a frenetic clip, and your baby can now perceive information from all five senses. Sure, your baby can't smell anything right now, but that's only because he or she is still submerged in amniotic fluid and needs to be breathing air to get a whiff of anything. Lucky for you — and your baby — yours will be one of the very first scents your baby breathes in, a scent that will quickly become his or her very favorite.

So what's your little dove doing all day while you're busy feathering your nest for his or her arrival? Making faces, hiccupping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with little hands and feet along your uterine wall, and even sucking his or her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb (what a little sucker!).