apple d'amour

 

Our growing baby should now measure about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weigh about 2 1/2 ounces, which is about the size of an apple. Baby is bringing in amniotic fluid through his or her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the air sacs in the lungs begin to develop. Baby’s legs are growing longer than his or her arms now, and he or she can move all joints and limbs. Although eyelids are still fused shut, baby can sense light.  Baby Center tells us that if I were to shine a flashlight at my tummy, the baby would likely turn away from  or move in response too the light. Baby is also forming taste buds this week.

We spent 1/2 of this week at Green Lake, Wisconsin, for our annual Nigrelli family get-together over the 4th of July weekend.  Green Lake is one of my absolute favorite places in the entire world.  This year, we didn’t have access to our old cottage, which we’ve stayed in every summer for the last 18 years!  So, we rented a different “cottage” which was located near Lawsonia Golf Club.  This place actually had fewer bedrooms than our 800-square-foot cottage from our childhood, but easily kept all 11 of us within its walls, whereas our old cottage would only sleep 8 if you were lucky and didn’t mind sleeping behind canvas shades or pleated doors.  With the weather at a balmy 86 and heat index over 100 degrees, it was quite nice to have real air conditioning instead of all windows and doors open and the fans blowing.  That said, there really is no substitute for “our cottage”. 
Still, we enjoyed all of our Lake favorites: two (!) rounds of golf this year, lots of boating and swimming, great meals, ice cream parlor by boat, the annual Bocce Ball Tourney, and fireworks on the water. 
Congrats to Dominic and Mary, this year’s Bocce Team winners, though, if it weren’t for the vicious mosquitos that made it impossible to shoot without swatting and jumping, I’m pretty sure David and I would have had that one in the bag! 
Also, a special thank you to Hallie, who created two baby announcement puzzles for the family to put together!  You did a great job, Hallie!  Thank you for helping Cristina and your Dad and David and I share our news!