Here's what's going on this week with Whisler Baby Boy 2009: 

Baby Stats:

Size: 13½ inches
Weight: 1½ pounds

Baby Developments:

Baby's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of the uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that he can feel the sensation of touch. That doesn't mean he can feel it when his father pokes at the belly.

The baby's arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short. Baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out (like he's taken a super-dose of Sudafed) and he can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of his spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments.

The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in baby's body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. I can't wait to see how well that worked out when he gives those lungs a workout at 3 in the morning. 

The baby weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—roughly the length of one of those recorders you played in elementary school music class.

What We're Doing: 

I found out that Restless Heart was going to be in Branson last weekend so it immediately turned into date night.  We began with The Landing for dinner followed by a show at the Oak Ridge Boys Theatre featuring Country Tonite and Restless Heart.  Check out these pictures as proof. Also, make sure you follow our guide to The Landing on your next visit.

The Whisler Entertainment Guide to The Landing

• Arrive at your restaurant of choice no later than 5:45pm.  Coordinating the transition time between the early bird old folks and twenty-somethings is critical.
• Count the number of times you hear Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way".
• Play the game, "Old Man Benches".  You'll find most benches filled with older men waiting on their wives to finish shopping.  Count them quickly.  Double points if you walk back and they're still sitting there.  Triple points if they are holding a shopping bag.  Try and beat our high score of 48.
• If visiting in the evening, make sure you play, "Who Dressed Me?".  The goal is to count the number of inappropriately dressed young women.  Bring pencil and paper as you will lose count quickly.

Farm Report:

Remember, Laura and I are both farmers now.  We will bring you the vegetable of the week accompanied by a rating and perhaps a recipe.

Week 25's vegetable is Kale. Kale is a highly nutritious vegetable with antioxidant properties and is an anti-inflammatory. It contains sulforaphane which is a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties.

Rating: 8 out of 10

This vegetable has been approved by Mark and Laura.