Happy Birthday Zachary!

Zachary McGowan Walker

July 17, 2007

4:16 pm

7 pounds

19 inches

(3 weeks early)

Zachary is the newest member of the Walker family. 

He  joined us a little earlier than planned but is doing fantastic.

We couldn't be happier or more in love with the little man.

Happy Birthday Zach!

Week 32: 8 more to go.........

Week 32! Less than weeks to go until baby (he better be on time!).

Good Afternoon one and all!
I hope this email finds you well. We are less than 8 weeks away from the big due date and time seems to be slowing. I couldn't believe we finally reached 30 weeks a few days back. I sat there thinking about how fast this has all gone by. Somehow these 8 months have been both the longest and shortest of my life. Doug and I were talking today about the last 3 years together and how our wedding seemed just like yesterday, then he followed up with, but man it feels like you have been pregnant FOREVER! I am struggling now in trying not to will the summer away and making sure I am enjoying these warmer, sunny months (wait, I live in California, summers are a little grayer? but it is a little warmer, those blustery days of 60 degrees can be brutal!), but part of me is counting every second of every day waiting for this little boy to get here. Some call this excitement, others Anxiety, I simply think I may need some help.

So what does 32 weeks mean to me! Well, as you can tell by my delay in sending out a new update..... Procrastination comes to mind. Along with Exhaustion. I was feeling guilty today knowing I have been meaning to write this email and just haven't done it yet. But then laughed when I pulled up my email drafts realizing I have 3 emails in there labeled, 29 weeks, 30 weeks and 31 weeks, so you know my intentions were good. Obviously none of these emails were finished, and while I didn't want to mess up the counting system I thought it was definately time to actually SEND an email!

So here it goes........... I keep hearing about this nesting thing. Nesting, where one wants to clean the house, pull everything together, finish uncompleted tasks, clean out closets, rearrange furniture, do the laundry, dust, vacuum, wash dishes, take out trash (oh wait, are they supposed to be everyday tasks?). I am waiting for this to hit. I am also wondering if it applys to emails?? hmmm.......... Also does nesting happen to husbands? Now that would be a great Pregnancy Symptom!

You know what is not a great pregnancy symptom (if I was looking for raised hands I would not ask Doug or my mom! knowing grumpiness would be among their first answer, though I am sure they could also think of a few more!). The one I am thinking of is SHORTNESS OF BREATHE, which I learned from the doctor yesterday is written in shorthand as SOB (VERY APPROPRIATE!). I am starting to take bets on how long this baby is. I think I might have a basketball player inside me or if not some sort of miniature YOGI (not the bear), who is perfecting each yoga posse before he actually gets out. Each of these stretches seems to involve my diaphram (for balance of course). At least he will be ready for our baby yoga classes in the fall. Good thing we live in California, I will have to look up one of those oxygen bars (ok so maybe they were "Hot" a few years ago, but some group of goofy Californians must still go right? and I know you are thinking maybe she is one of those goofy californians now, baby yoga and oxygen bars......hmmm).

We went in for some breathing tests yesterday just to make sure my SOB wasn't anything more serious, and while they were quite thorough (we were there for 5 hours), the didn't find anything concerning. My official diagnosis was.................Pregnancy. Which was wonderful to hear, but unfortunately doesn't help me breathe any better. Overall though I am still doing great, even with these slight aggravations (like my positive attitude! ha! It translates well on paper).

We have a Dr.'s appointment on Monday for the final ultrasound to guage/estimate how big the baby is and predict how big he will be at/around delivery time. At the last appointment we found out he is now head down. This is a great sign and proves he is an overacheiver. Most babies flip down around 32-35 weeks. This smarty-pants moved at 30 weeks (or at least that is when the appt was to notice (of course he probably moved earlier!)).

Just to compare here is where he should be....................................

Your Baby: At almost 4 pounds (2 kg) in weight and 19 inches (48 cm) in length, your baby is nearly filling up your entire uterus. Most of the time his head will be facing upward, but there's still enough room to somersault now and then. In his spare time, baby is getting ready for his first loving look at Mom, as she practices opening and closing her eyes. Baby's skin is also becoming less wrinkled, as layers of fat continue to plump out the body. His fingernails have grown in completely. Some babies have a head of hair already, while others have only peach fuzz. Your baby is taking up a lot of space in your uterus, but those tight quarters shouldn't reduce her activity level. You may have heard that it's normal for babies to slow down later in pregnancy, but that's not true.

Enjoy your summer! I will try to be more on top of my emails, as I know they are the highlight to your day (your really dull, desperate for something to do, why hasn't perezhilton updated anything in the last couple hours or is there anything on espn besides men's amateur bowling kind of day!).

PS. we have some good friends moving to Philadelphia this fall, so those of you in the area I will be calling on you for some help! Thanks in advance.

Love you and miss you all.

Doug, Ally, her SOB and the baby (just in case you needed the reminder I was not referring to him or me any other way).

Week 27, Second Trimester, They say I will miss you............

Pregnancy: Week 26!
Good bye Second Trimester, They say I'll miss you...

This email wouldn't be appropriate unless I started with a giant THANK YOU! Last weekend I was in Houston, where I had a wonderful time and was thrown an incredible baby shower by Pam Townsend, Christy Evans, Kelly Walker and Erin McGowan. I also want to thank my mom and Mary for all of their help in putting this shower together as well. It was so nice to see everyone and I am still in awe of all the wonderful and generous gifts we received. I now must learn to not only build these gifts but also figure out how to use them. While I don't feel completely clueless as this excerpt I am about to share is, I still think it is funny enough to mention in this email.

This if a photo of Pam and Kelly, two of the shower hosts and my very good friends.

And a photo of one of the best petit fours ever made, yum.............

I am probably not alone in missing FRIENDS but I now can relate to this very funny episode.

Mrs. Green: Rachel, you must get a nanny. You don't know how overwhelming this is going to be. I mean, when you were a baby, I had full-time help. I had Mrs. Kaye.

Rachel: Mrs. Kaye! Oh, she was sweet. She taught me spanish. I actually think I remember some of it. "Tu madre es loca."

Mrs. Green: Such a sweet woman.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katherine: It's a diaper genie

Rachel: Oh, it dispenses clean diapers!

Katherine: No, it's where you put the dirty ones!

Rachel: Well, that's gross. Why don't you just take it outside and throw it in a dumpster?

Mrs. Green: Well, are you going to do that ten times a day?
Rachel: It goes ten times a day? What are we feeding this baby, Indian food?

So as we start putting together these gifts, I am sure I will also have to find some sort of restraining system to keep Doug from "testing" these toys first as well. I can already picture him just "trying" out the cradle swing or seeing how good the movement sensor is on the baby monitor (as he holds his breathe shouting down the stairs, "Is it beeping yet?"). The good news is we all know this little boy is going to have a wonderfully hands on father, along with our incredibly supportive friends and family. Thank you again.

I still feel great (knock on wood). The only complaint I have is shortness of breathe. When I asked the Doctor about this last week, he replied with "Welcome to the third trimester", well, at least he is honest. And one of the reason's we liked him early on was for his candor. Funny thing is I liked his candor more when he was telling me to ignore most of the restrictions in baby books and on the web, his main thought in all of this is live your life and do everything you did before in moderation, not at all like some of the Strict and Forbidding advice I have heard from others.

The baby is moving around a lot more now. I thought it was strange just to feel him moving, but now I watch my stomach do this weird wave type mood or all of a sudden jiggle funny (ok, no mean comments here), it is pretty strange, but wonderful at the same time. I probably shouldn't share this but he becomes much more active when cold hands touch my belly. We learned this very quickly as my sister would rub ice on her hands for ten minutes then procede to freeze me! Yes, he would move alot, then I would move a lot trying to plot revenge against Erin. Everyone else will just have to take our word! "


How your baby's growing: Your baby is really starting to fill up your uterus. This week he weighs almost 2 pounds and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?

Happy Early Mother's Day everyone. We love you and miss you.

Ally and Doug

Week 25, 15 mas

Time it is a flying!

I am 25 weeks pregnant today! Yea, me! And I am definately starting to look the part. I finally decided it was time to start wearing maternity clothes and give my regular clothes a break from all that stretching! So today I have broken out one of the first dresses and even received a compliment today that "I look so cute", then got some smiles from strangers. Just to make sure my head didn't get to big, I also got a "You must be having a girl because you are growing wide, girls make you grow wide, especially from the back!". Ha! Shows how little she knew! Oh, the joys of pregnancy! While I believe I have been lucky for the most part, pregnant women may be one of the final frontiers of people feeling like he/she can say just about anything on one's mind to said pregnant woman! A friend of mine has been told repeatedley she must be having twins since she is so big (and to make sure she checked with the Dr. to be sure), another had a stranger sitting next to her at lunch tell her it wasn't a good idea to eat those fries she ordered, heavens, it isn't good for the baby! Obviously, the demise of Imus made zero impact on these people. Yes, I believe in freedom of speech, but I believe more in manners!!!

Rude manners aside, nothing can get me down. I am heading to Houston on Thursday for a long weekend. I can't wait to see many of you. Unfortunately Doug won't be joining me on this trip, but he is lucky enough to have his Aunt Debbie and Uncle Steve visiting the West Coast to keep him company. I know most of you remember Aunt Debbie from the wedding, so you know how lucky he is! ( I will miss you Debbie!).

Things are going well with the baby. We are headed back to the Doctor next week and are just days away from the third trimester. Everything is becoming a whole lot more real now a days. My good friend is a few weeks away from her due date which makes me realze this little guy isn't in there forever! The baby moves pretty frequently, and Doug finally believes me that the baby is kicking. He got his first jab this weekend! If I will see you in Houston this weekend keep your fingers crossed that he decides to come out to play.

And on to what he is up to behind closed doors:

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half to two pounds— doesn't sound like much, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.

Love you and miss you all.

Week 21: Halfway there.................

Good afternoon everyone!

So just to clarify a few things with everyone. Some people have asked if Doug and I already know the gender of this baby, but haven't shared the news. They questioned whether our gender references in the emails being sent were clues. Not to undermine anyone's detective skills, but no, we do not know the gender of our child..............yet. Only 7 more days until we find out if we will be having a little Arnold Schwarzeneggar Walker ( we are very loyal to our governors or should I say Governators) or Shiloh Nouveaux Jolie-Pitt Walker (this name seems very original to us, and being Angelenos we are trying to pay a little homage to Hollywood). With all that being said this will be the last email you receive with no firm standing on the genders mentioned below. I hope this doens't confuse anyone too much, I just don't likethe idea of calling the baby it! (p.s. please don't have anything monogrammed with the names above,while we are definately leaning those directions, we may make some changes in the coming weeks).

On to the Ahnold or Shiloh: How our baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of apound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long (head to toes, babies are measured full length after the 20th week). His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. (Doug and I have been waiting patiently for this moment, and can now definately tell the baby is moving. He/She is also very aware of when we are talking about him/her and when I am sitting in a position that he or she doesn't like. There is already sign of defiance letting me know that he/she doesn't like it! Or maybe he/she loves how I am sitting set it in yet. Along with the defiance, h/s has also shown extreme signs of intelligence and athletic ability. Don't ask me how I know, I wouldn't want to make other pregnant mom's feel bad..just kidding). While I am having the pleasure of feeling the little one, Doug is still waiting patiently, it should only be a few more weeks until our little soccer player can kick hard enough for us to feel it from the outside as well.

How your life's changing: You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual aches and pains associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. Relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester will bring some mild discomfort from carrying a baby who is nearly full-term. (Always so much to look forward too, I have started pre-natal yoga so I am hoping this will help too. We are now less than five months away from Delivery, I am looking at this time as equivalent to Marathon Training, let's get in gear to be in shape and ready for the big event. Being overprepared should ensure that this goes easy, right) That's not to say you don't have some minor glitches to deal with now. Increased oil production may have given you a mild case of acne (I have decided to pass on this one), for example. The baby is hearing is developing, and sounds from your conversations can be heard inside the uterus--along with your heartbeat, stomach rumblings, and the pulsing of blood vessels. In fact, the womb is sonoisy that it's been compared to an airport runway during takeoff; it's thought that the stimuli prepare the baby for the cacophony of noises, sights, and sounds that will greet him at birth. (Time to start singing to the baby. Doug has been practicing and should be a shoe-in for a Grammy this year.) I hope you all have a wonderful day. And next week we will update you on the Gender of our new baby!!!);

Week 10

Here is some information I thought you may find interesting. I havebeen asked for updates but If you want to be removed from this mailing let me know as I will be updating about once a week. Or as often as I remember.

WEEK 10 (measured in 40 gestational weeks)DUE DATE: August 7, 2007We have had one ultrasound where we saw the babies heart beat. We are headed back on January 19, 2007 for our next appointment.

Your Baby: The embryo reaches a developmental milestone at the end of thisweek--it has achieved its basic structural form, and will be known as a fetus (Latin for "offspring") from now until it reaches full term. Because the fetus is still curled up in a snug position in the uterus,it's hard to measure an exact length including the legs. For this reason, health professionals use the crown-to-rump measurement, or the distance from the top of the head to the buttocks. Your baby's crown-to-rump length is now about 1 1/4 inches, and she weighs less than half an ounce.

Your Body: When you ask your doctor why you're either laughing, crying, or going after someone with a frying pan, she'll say, "It's hormones." But what are your hormones actually doing? According to doctors at theTexas-based Methodist Health Care System, several hormones play majorroles in pregnancy. These include human chorionic gonadotropin hormone(hCG), which prevents the release of additional eggs from the uterusand stimulates the production of the hormones estrogen andprogesterone; estrogen, a group of hormones responsible for thedevelopment of female sexual characteristics, which is also produced by the placenta to ensure fetal health; and progesterone, which is responsible for placental functioning. During pregnancy, the levels ofthese hormones skyrocket and then drop precipitously as the need forthem ebbs and flows. And in many cases, the emotional hills andvalleys of pregnancy correspond closely to these hormonal highs andlows.