Happy Easter, y’all! We were so blessed to spend this day with my Mom and Haley, who came to Cornelius to join us at our church. All day long we marveled in the fact that next year we’ll have a precious 9-month old celebrating with us. God sure is good!

This week we joined 10 other mommies- and daddies-to-be, and had the opportunity to take a tour of the maternity floor at the hospital where we’ll deliver, Presbyterian Hospital – Huntersville. The maternity wing is brand new, and we were awed by the large rooms and friendly staff. Presbyterian encourages “rooming in,” so we’ll get to keep our little one with us (rather than in the nursery) the whole time we’re in the hospital. Can’t wait!

Here’s a rundown of how we’re doing at Week 23:

Baby’s size: Somewhere around 11.5 inches and a little more than a pound. Our books are a bit fuzzy when it comes to the current growth spurt…but we’ll let you see for yourself:

What’s keeping Baby busy: Baby’s face is fully-formed now — he or she just needs a little extra fat to fill it out. We want chunky sweet cheeks!

What’s keeping Mom and Dad busy: Craigslist! I’ve been stalking our local website, and was delighted to find our dream glider from Pottery Barn Kids posted for a quarter of the price it’s regularly sold for. Adam and I ventured over to the seller’s home last Friday and purchased that chair before anyone could change their mind. Nana Kay gave her soaring approval — and even helped Adam lug it upstairs to the nursery. I’ve never sat in a more comfortable chair…and I imagine that’s a good thing, considering how many long days and nights we’ll be rocking our little one. Now we just need a side table and lamp…and that little corner will be pretty dreamy.

Cravings: Strawberries are back in stock at the Teeter (praise the Lord!), and I’ve added milk as another gotta-have. Oh yeah, and cereal…morning, noon or night!

Struggles: Smooth sailing still!

Joys: This little one is mighty active, and it was a huge delight to share that with each of our moms and Haley. The kicks (or punches) are fairly frequent and Baby is clearly enjoying his or her “playground.” I’m happy to oblige!