34 weeks

Your Baby
Your baby kind of looks like he's coated in a layer of cream cheese these days. The thick, white substance that protects his skin from pruning in the amniotic fluid is called vernix. When he's born you'll probably see some vernix lingering in his "hard-to-reach" places like under his arms and behind his ears.

The soft fur, lanugo, that covered your baby's body for much of his stay in the womb is now almost completely gone. Your baby begins to develop his own immune system, instead of relying solely on antibodies received through the placenta. This will come in handy when some grubby relative manhandles the baby without washing his hands first.

This week, your baby measures about 17¾ inches, as almost as long as an American Girl Doll (!) and weighs almost 5 pounds, as heavy as a bag of sugar, minus the cup you put in your decaf this morning.

Mommy Update

So, at 6 weeks left, I am feeling pretty good. It is Winter Break, so I have plenty of time to rest. I have been exercising more (wii fit and a yoga for pregnant chicks dvd), and sleep hasn't been too much of a problem. Overall, I feel really well. I had meant to blog about every detail about pregnancy, but I don't feel much different. I have had a little bit of heart burn again, but nothing like I had during the summer! Also, my hips can be a little sore at times,usually in the morning - but nothing awful, and my lower back of course gets sore at times - but that's to be expected.

When I first started drinking lots of water, baby started moving a whole lot. Now he is getting bigger and his movement has slowed down again, but the kick counts, for the most part, go really well. Some days, he moves a ton - other days, not as much. Yesterday, I felt a whole lot of squirming but not a lot of kicking. Right now, he has what I think are hiccups - it has happened a few times in the past, too.

Also on my mind are the upcoming labor and delivery. I am not too worried about it at this point, and I am not very scared. I just feel like women have survived this for centuries - and most women do it again - so it is obviously doable. I have had funny dreams about delivery, though - like dreaming that I was checking into a lovely beach-view room at Hotel Hoag to deliver my baby - LOL - for some reason I don't think the experience will be THAT pleasant!

Baby Pool

I created a just-for-fun baby pool. (The link is on the right sidebar of this page.) I thought it would be fun to try to guess things about Baby G's birthday - the date and time of delivery, his size, etc. I thought it would be fun!

Follow the link if you'd like to participate!

This pool will close on January 10th, 2009, as we get closer to the due date!

33 weeks! 7 to go!

Your Baby
The big news this week is lung development—baby's respiratory system is almost completely mature. That means if your baby was born this week, odds are he'd be a healthy bouncing baby with a just a little help from his friends (aka, the NICU). Some of the specifics are:

Your baby can now detect light and tell the difference between night and day (of course that ability will miraculously disappear once he's born and up all night screaming). His pupils will constrict and dilate in response to light. If you shine a flashlight on your belly, your baby may shy away from the light as if to say, "Cut it out, Ma. You're soooo annoying."

The bones in your baby's skull are soft and are not yet fused together. In other words, now is not the time to teach him how to do a headspin while breakdancing. This pliability allows the bones to overlap; making that trip down the tight birth canal possible (and resulting in that surprising cone head look your baby will sport for the first few days post-birth. Don't worry, it's totally normal and that's what hats are for.)

Your baby will continue to pack on the pounds gaining around ½ pound a week from here on out.

Your baby weighs about 4½ pounds, as much as a grownup duck, and is approximately 17.5 inches long, about the same as a collarbone-length pearl necklace.

Friday's Ultrasound

So, in my last blog I was feeling sort of stressed, but by Thursday, my outlook was better. I reminded myself that things, overall, have been going really well.

On the upside:
- I feel good. Overall, I can count on one hand the number of bad days I've had.
- Baby G is measuring in the 50th percentile on all measurements- what more could you ask for?
- Baby G's due date on Monday's ultrasound was within four days - again, he's right where he should be.
- My kick counts are good - usually within 20 minutes, but always in an hour or less.
- He's been moving a lot more this week, and the movement feels different - like he really does have more room to move.
- I have been drinking a ton of water.

The worry?
- My fluids were at 9.2 cm, while they're supposed to be between 10 - 15. Yes, it is a worry, but it is only .8 away from the safe zone and 4.2 away from the DANGER _ WE NEED TO INDUCE zone. Something to take seriously, for sure, but one factor that I hoped I could effect.

On Friday, the ultrasound showed that I know have 11.2 cm of fluid! I was hoping for anything over 10, so I was stoked that I made it to 11!

I am also really happy because they told me to drink a lot of water as well as stay off my feel when possible (after work, etc.) I drank well over the suggested 2 liters a day, but had a harder time staying off my feet - with Cats on Tuesday, and my parent training class on Thursday, but I did try. And still, I was able to raise my fluids 2 cm in four days!

Also, Baby G is in a completely different position - his head is still facing down on my left, but his butt is on now over on the top on my left, and his legs are over onthe right - more like an "L" shape (as opposed to Monday's jack knife.) So he has more room to stretch and move now!

Baby Shower

Dear Baby G,
On Sunday, Mommy had her family baby shower! Grandma flew out from Michigan for a week. The party was a real team effort. Jessica and Karen hosted the party at their house and took care of all the decorations and food. Grandma Donna (who doesn't want to be called Grandma, but I am still not sure what name we decided on yet - Nona? We'll figure it out and edit this later...) made yummy cupcakes - Mommy's favorite. and Aunt Tammy and Grandma Patty took care of the games and the favors.

Lots of people who love you already came to the shower. Grandma Patty, Grandma Donna, Grandma Delaine, Aunt Tammy, Jessica, Gina, Michelle, Karen, Aunt Heather, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Nancy, Cathy, Katherine, and Angie.

Of course, with Aunt Tammy in charge of the games, we had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs! All of your "Aunties" helped mommy and daddy out a lot and spoiled you by getting us lots of great stuff that you'll need. All in all, it was a great time! You are one lucky baby! And I am one lucky mommy!

The uncertainty continues...

On Monday, I had an ultrasound. The good news? The baby is growing exactly on target - all of his measurements are in the 50th percentile - pretty much exactly where he should be. However, my amniotic fluid measured at 9.2 cm, which is too low - it should be between 10 - 15 cm. right now.

I am guessing that the dehydration diagnosis from Wednesday was pretty accurate. Luckily we caught it and I am working very hard to drink at least 2 liters a day.

Also, I have very good kick counts - Usually I feel 10 kicks in 20 - 30 minutes, easily, and Dr. Feldman said that was very important.

Today, however, I went in for a Dr. visit and saw a nurse practitioner - not my normal nurse practitioner. Usually I either see Dr. Feldman, or nurse practitioner Brownrigg. Today, I was scheduled to see the nurse practitioner.

During the first part of the exam, with the heartbeat and blood pressure, the nurse asked if I minded if another nurse practitioner came in "too," with my nurse pratitiner, which to me meant that she would come in WITH my practitioner (as in, like a medical student.)

Well, she came in by herself and I did not like her. SHe seemed very alarmist and pretty much made me feel like crap. It wasn't what she said, but how she explained it - my normal doctor has a calmer demeanor - very casual and very "we'll deal with it," type attitude which puts me at ease. This delivery felt more like I better be prepared for all the worse possible outcomes, without much talk about the positive.

Essentially she said if my fluids weren't up by Friday, we'd probably start fetal monitoring - and if we did that, then I needed to be prepared o go to the hospital at a moment's notice - bags packed and everything - because if my fluids dropeed below 5cm we would induce immediatly.

Now don't get me wrong - I appreciate knowing the possibilities - but I prefer to have it presented in a "this are some of the possibilities," rather than "this could very well happen." I don't know if I am explaining it well, but I just feel - well - stressed - which can't possibly help the situation.

I feel worried that I have taken the pregnancy to casually since everything has been going so well, and I haven't been taking care of myself enough. I am working really hard to improve that - I am trying to stay off my feet when I can, rest, and drink lots and lots of water!

32 weeks

Your Baby
Although your baby will still remain active, his days of trying out for Cirque du Soleil are nearly over. About this time your baby will settle into the head-down position in preparation for birth. Other fascinating facts:

Both you and baby are putting on some serious weight at this point. You'll probably gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks, with half of that poundage bulking up baby. He'll likely double his weight in the next eight weeks.

Ever wonder what your baby is doing in there these days? He's busy blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, peeing and listening to everything around him—pretty much exactly what he'll be doing for the first three months of his life, sans the adoring audience and the flashing camera.

Your baby may (or may not) have a full head of hair now. If she's a baldy, don't worry. You can always buy a Baby Toupee or some adhesive barrettes.

By the end of this week, your baby will weigh about 4 pounds and be between 17 and 18 inches long—about the length of a hot pair of above-the-knee boots.

wednesday scare

Last Wednesday was kind of scary for me. Around 11:30, my stomach started hurting - like a cramp. It wasn't contractions - it wasn't spasms - it was more like a solid pain.

I called the doctor and the nurse who called me back said the most likely cause was dehydration - if I am not drinking enough water my uterus can cramp up. She told me that I needed to slow down, go home, rest, and drink lots of water, and if I didn't feel better I needed to call back.

My stomach hurt a lot all day long. Mom flew out that day and she and Grant took very good care of me. I drank a ton of water. When I woke up Thursday, I felt back to normal - my back was a little sore from supporting my stomach, but I felt fine - but boy oh boy, lesson learned. I have been drinking lots of water ever since!

31 weeks

Your Baby
From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth (even though it may feel like a whole lot more with every step you take). Other highlights this week:

Due to increasing space constraints, your baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position (oh, so that's where that name came from!). Plus, your baby can now process information from all five senses—so he'll be all set to smell the pureed peas, taste them, feel them as he mashes them into his hair, hear you crack up and then see the flash as you grab the camera to snap picture after picture.

By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. And by mature, we're not saying that the rest of your baby's systems are mature enough to be out past 10 PM with the neighborhood hooligan, just that his lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world.

Your baby weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches, about the same length as that miniskirt you used to wear (and will again someday!).

Starting your nursery!

Hey Baby,
Do you know that you do more "rolling" then "kicking"? The kicking I expect but that rolling feeling is very odd. I wish I could watch you and see what you are doing in there!

Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that Daddy and Grandpa Gary started your nursery on Wednesday. It is all painted now and looks really good! Next we're going to put up the wall paper border so that it is ready for furniture!

So exciting, baby!

Love,
Mommy

30 week visit

Last week I had a 30 week visit. From now on, I see my doctor every two weeks! Everything is fine with the baby - his heartbeat is a consistent 140 beats per minute, and I can do a kick count every day, so Dr. Feldman says that is fine. He scheduled for me to have another ultrasound - so I get to see you again! That makes me SO HAPPY! I weigh 180 pounds now, so I've gained about 20. We're getting closer!

Something I have noticed especially this week is how funny my body feels when I move. Part of me feels like I am in another person's body. Movements that are normally automatic, like running for a few steps or bending over to pic something up, now require a second of thought to figure out how to make my muscles work properly to perform the movement correctly without falling or anything! Obviously, my center of balance has completely shifted, but it is still an odd feeling!

It is sort of like sometimes when I have this weird feeling in my house, like when I get to the bottom of the stairs and think I haven't actually made it to the bottom because I am far too high up - I can remember what it was like as a child walking down those same stairs and I know what height my head is supposed to be when I get to the bottom - I know - weird, right? Or when I am in the kitchen and I have this strange feeling because I am so much higher then the counters. That "off" feeling is the closest thing I can describe to moving with my new body.

There are somethings about pregnancy that sure are an adventure!

30 weeks!

Your Baby
Big news for baby's brain this week: It's starting to wrinkle and fold and looks like something that grew in the back of your fridge. This is due to the rapid growth of your little genius's brain cells. Other highlights this week:

Fingernails and toenails are finally finished—causing his or her parents great fear and anguish the first time they try to cut those little daggers (it gets easier, we promise)! Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now. Trust us, this is a good thing.

Baby is starting to shed his lanugo—the downy hair that was covering his skin. Now that he's chubbier and better able to regulate his body temp, he doesn't need to sport a fur coat 24/7.

"I spy an umbilical cord and the inside of my mom's uterus!" When your baby is awake, his eyes are now wide open and he's whittling away the hours looking around, checking out his rather dark, limited environs.

Your baby hasn't gained much weight or height this week, as most of his energy's been channeled to the brain. He weighs about 3 pounds and is approximately 15.5 inches long, about the size of London, not the city, Britney Spears' Yorkie terrier. Of course your baby is less hairy and way cuter!

3d/4d ultrasounds

You can go to youtube and search "hbsprite" to see all of the videos grant has uploaded. the 3d/4d ultrasound was split up into 4 parts. If you don't want to watch all 29 minutes of the ultrasound, I suggest skipping part one and starting with part 2 and/or part 3 and/or part 4. Most of part 1 is a traditional ultrasound.

Here are the direct links if you;d rather find them this way:
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlyd0gOdVhQ

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o932cbT7KE

Part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzWkF-V3Hf0

Part 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0JmMs5pnac

Merry Christmas

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey little one! Your due date is only 11 weeks away! You'll be here before we know it! Are we ready for you?

You have been moving, flopping, rolling, and kicking like crazy these past three days! Sometimes you'll do this weird roll, and I can feel a strange lump when I press on my belly - your elbow or hand or knee or whatever!It is very cool and kind of strange!

Yesterday, we went to get a 4d ultrasound. You are quite handsome! It was hard to get clear pictures of you. Apparently, you don't have a whole lot of room in there, and you're all folded in half! Your arms and legs were both up by your face! Luckily, your arms and legs weren't blocking your face, but they were really close! Also, you had your cord in front of your face, so at times, the left side of your face wasn't very clear.

The dvd is cool, though - you did come moving - throwing your head back, yawning, blinking - very cute and very cool.

You have a very cute nose and distinct lips already. I may be a bit biased, but I think you are pretty darn cute!

Happy Thanksgiving, little one.

Love,
Mommy

29 weeks

Your Baby
Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But here's a reason to relax: Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if your baby is born this week, he'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments:

Baby's brain can now control his breathing and body temperature. He can also cough, and his sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs!

Your Mini's skin is looking less wrinkled as he packs on the pounds. He's starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. He's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat he'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!).

And speaking of energy, your little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days. You're sure to feel your share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when you're lying down. You might want to start keeping a kick chart to monitor your baby's movements, and also to later show your 13-year-old child what you endured for him or her. Ask your doctor how to count kicks and how often you should do it.

This week your baby is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop.

Music

Hello Baby,

First off let me say that your mommy's kind of weird. That's ok - though! She loves you ans wants to make sure that you are healthy!

 

So I've started doing these kick counts. Basically, I count to see how many times I can feel you move - kick, swirl, whatever - and I see how long it takes me to count ten movements. I should be able to feel ten movements in two hours or less, but frankly, I feel better when I feel them in less than an hour.

 

Of course, I wonder if I am doing it right - like, if you kick twice in a row really quickly, should I count that as one movement or two? I count it as one to be on the safe side.

 

Like I said, mommy's a little weird. You'll see this when we go on vacations - I'll check my airline tickets twenty times - sometimes within a few minutes of the last time I checked - hee hee.

 

So anyways, last night, I was doing my kick count, but I was sort of worried because you weren't moving as much as I'd like. You, dear baby, are a little odd yourself - you have no set schedule for movement. Sometimes you'll move a lot in the evenings, and sometimes not very much.

 

Last night, as I said, you weren't moving much. So I thought of something. Instead of drinking something warm or cold or sugary, I decided to play some music for you. I grabbed Daddy's ipod and a pair of headphones, and did the cheesy put-the-headphones-on-the-belly thing. I had Grant find his Phantom of the Opera folder and we played it.

 

Well - it worked! After a few minutes, you started moving - and your movement seemed to correspond with the music! You got particularly active during "The Phantom of the Opera," and calmed down, but still moved, during "Music of the Night" and "Think of Me."

 

Either you loved the music, or you you were kicking me to tell me to turn it off becasue you hated it, but either way, you definately responded! (o:

 

So I need to get you familiar with some tunes. I'm going to make you a playlist composed of Disney songs, some tracks from some of our favorite musicals (Rent, Phantom, Annie, Sound of Music, Oliver, Les Miserables, etc.), and some classical pieces to round things out - raise that iq a few points... kidding - kidding! (o:

 

I love you baby! You're going to be here before we know it!

 

Love,

Mommy

 

28 weeks

Your Baby
As the Big Day nears, your baby is getting ready to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel (the tunnel being the birth canal, the light being the one the doctor is shining directly into it so she can see what the heck she's doing). Other highlights this week:

Your baby's eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it's fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We'll be here all week.)

Her eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they'll most likely change soon. Sorry.

Your babe is downright chubby compared to a few weeks ago. She is about 15 inches long, about the length of an amusement park cinnamon-sugar-coated churro (yum!), and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.

Baby Name Survey Update

The most popular names so far: *These names are all "liked" or "loved" by 75% of the people who have taken the survey so far.)
Gavin
Grady
Graham
Geoffrey
Gabriel

The least popular names include Gene (82% didn't like) and Gerramy (58%)

Gordon, Greg, and Glen are pretty evenly matched.

I surveyed my students as well - a copy of the same survey - and they had a very different take on some of the names.
My students love Gerramy and Gordon as well as Geoffery, Greg, and Grady.

They did not care for Gavin, Glen, or Gene.

Gabriel and Graham were pretty even.

Interesting!

3 hour glucose test

I got my test results! I passed! I feel so much better now that I know!

I wonder, though, if I didn't pass the first test because I didn't fast? I will ask my doctor about that next time I go in...

Here are my results!

Time	Passing	My score
After fasting	<95	83
1 Hour	<180	181*
2 Hour	<155	146
3 Hour	<140	118
*This score was slightly elevated but my other scores were normal. If 2/3 scores are elevated, you do not pass, and you move on to see the nutritionist.

27 weeks

Your Baby
Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point.

Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town. (OK, the baby is the size of that roast you meant to cook before you decided that ordering Chinese was a much better idea.)

3 hour glucose test

Last week I took the one hour glucose test. I scored a 158 and needed a 140 to pass. Today, I went to take the 3 hour glucose test. They took my blood and a urine sample, then I had to drink the orange soda again. They took my blood in urine 30 minutes later, then at 1 hour, 2 hours, and 3 hours after I finished the drink.

I should good the results tomorrow or the next day!

Baby Name Survey

Want to give us your opinion on baby names we're thinking of? Who doesn't?

Sound off in our baby name survey...

Click Here to take survey

Fw: 26 weeks

Your Baby
Deep breath! Air sacks are developing in your baby's lungs, which means it just might be possible for your baby to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing. Other highlights this week:

The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week—all the better to see you with. Well not you, per se, because her eyes are still sealed shut and it's really dark in there, but your baby's eyes are now fully developed.

Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in baby's noggin this week. That means baby's brain is registering things like sound and light. She can't understand what any of it means yet, but she's on track to comprehend an entire episode of Blue's Clues in no time!

As hearing continues to develop, your baby will start to recognize your voice. One hint that your karaoke rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is not the best would be when the baby starts banging on your gut. Your bambino will also start to recognize your partner's voice. He may feel silly talking to your stomach, but assure him that somebody other than you is definitely listening. Research has shown that newborns actually recognize familiar sounds after birth. Proof that your baby has been paying attention all along.

Break out the sparkling apple juice—baby has now completed two-thirds of her stay in Hotel Womb. Your baby is about 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth (otherwise known as your primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months).

From Mommy

Hi Baby,
It has been a whole since I wrote a personal blog so I thought I'd check in!

First of all, my belly is getting bigger. It is funny to see! My belly button is slowly stretching and starting to pop, and it is white around the outside, like skin can get when it is stretched!

Overall, I feel good. I was feeling tired when school started, but I've really adjusted well.

You've started moving more and more. I am not quite ready to start doing a kick count yet, because you're not moving regularly, but some days, you move a lot! Daddy likes to feel you at night when I am asleep. I guess you move a lot then - luckily you don't keep me awake!

We're getting close to having your nursery ready to start. We have the wall paper border - Mickey at the Circus - and we're narrowing down are paint choices.

You are totally kicking right now!

Yesterday, I took my glucose test to test for gestational diabetes. Those results should come in a few days. I had to drink this orange soda stuff (which didn't taste too bad) and the I had my blood drawn to see how may body processed the sugar. Today, I have my check up with Dr. Feldman.
 
One pregnancy symptom I do have is a lovely hemorrhoid (gross, right? I'm sure you love hearing that!) It is not too bad - I am not surprised, because I have had them before, and last week, this one got pretty painful, but it is getting better - although it is still there.

Well, I gotta go pick up daddy and head to my appointment. If I have any more news, I'll be sure to let you know!

25 weeks

Your Baby
Get ready for pat-a-cake! Baby's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of your uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that your baby can feel the sensation of touch. That doesn't mean he can feel it when his father pokes your stomach, however, so tell him to knock it off. Other highlights include:

Your baby's arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short. So don't be alarmed when your newborn's arms barely clear his waist. 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 your baby's spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. Can you believe you're growing something that complicated inside of you?

The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in your baby's body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. You'll see how well that worked out when your baby gives those lungs a workout while you're on line at the bank in a few months.

Your 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. Who's up for a round of "Hot Cross Buns?"

24 weeks

Your Baby
Your baby isn't just sitting around (on your bladder) doing nothing, he's working hard preparing for life outside the womb—perfecting his lungs and packing on the pounds. He'll gain ½ pound this week alone. Other highlights this week:

Things are starting to get a little crowded inside the old womb as baby grows bigger and bigger. Your ribs are probably pining away for the good old days when they didn't have a foot permanently lodged between them. Hate to break it to you, but it's going to get worse before it gets better.

Your baby's ears are fully functional now. And since they are, you may notice that loud noises and sudden movements can startle the little bugger. He's getting used to the everyday sounds inside the womb: the sound of your heart beating, your lungs inhaling and exhaling air, the growling of your stomach because your partner promised he'd be right back with that double cheeseburger and he's taking forever! He'll even be able to hear your voice when your partner finally arrives and you ask him where the bleep he's been! So talk nice!

Baby's got a fully developed inner ear now. This means his sense of balance is working and he can tell whether he's hanging upside down or right side up. He can also feel you moving, so go ahead, pop in your favorite tunes and boogie.

Your little Wiener schnitzel is about the length of a foot-long Chicago hot dog and weighs about 1 1/3 pounds.

24 weeks

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

23 weeks

Your Baby
Your baby's got a while to go before her lungs will be ready for air and is practicing her "breathing" on the amniotic fluid—sucking it in and out of her lungs. Other highlights this week:

Fat production is in overdrive at this point (for the baby, not you! Well, OK, maybe for the baby and you). Your baby will basically double in weight over the next four weeks! You'll be happy to know the same won't apply to you.

Your Mini is starting to look more like a newborn as her skin becomes less see-through. Her body is looking more proportional now, although her head is still kinda big compared to her cute little body.

Your baby is about 11½ inches long and weighs 1 pound, or about the length and weight of a Harry Potter book.

22 weeks and 3 days - Dr. appointment

I had another doctor's appointment yesterday. This one was slightly more fun then my others. I got my "26 week" bag with all of the third trimester info - like when to go to the doctor, etc. I also got the info for my glucose check - I hope that orange soda stuff isn't awful tasting. I also got a "kick count" paper to start keeping track of the baby's kicks starting in a few weeks. Lots of good reading material.

I've gained 12 pounds so far.

Babies heart rate was 145 bpm, which is right in the middle of where it should be.

We also went over the ultrasound I had on Sep. 19th. He is completely within normal range on all measurements, but on the small side of each range.  All the measurements were average for around 18 weeks and 2 - 5 days, except for his arms, which were at the average for 19 weeks 0 days. The important thing is that all the measurements are within a few days of each other, which they are! Baby has long arms! Also, becasue he is a little smaller, the ultrasound suggested a due date of Feb. 16, however, due dated on a 19 week ultrasound have a 14 day range of being accurate - while the first one I had was much more accurate - so Feb. 10 is still the due date.

So baby is growing well. The nurse practitioner seemed very pleased with how everything is progressing with me, the pregnancy, and my baby!

22 weeks

Your Baby
Your Mini's hands have grown bigger and stronger and the nerve endings in his fingers have developed his sense of touch. He's in there testing out his newfound abilities by touching his face and grabbing the umbilical cord. Other cool developments:

You're already raising a little Einstein. Your baby's brain is developing at a clip this week and will continue to do so until he's five years old (so load up on the Omega 3)!

Baby's hair is now a short, bright white crop (Billy Idol, eat your heart out!). No matter what color it will end up—red, blonde, black—all babies' hair lacks pigment at this point.

Your baby has started growing taste buds and may be able to detect strong flavors in the amniotic fluid. If you could see inside, you might catch him sticking out his tongue for a taste and then grimacing, a sign that perhaps you should chill on the chili powder.

Your baby now weighs almost a pound and measures almost 11 inches, head to heel, which is how you'll be measuring the Stretch Armstrong in your uterus from here on out. That's about as long as a package of Oreos and as heavy as a large bag of tortilla chips. Who's hungry?

22 weeks

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Baby Borders

Ok - we are JUST starting to look - if you find other ideas, send them to us. Of these, which do you like? We are trying to stay more gender neutral... What do you think of these? Any you don't like?

This is just one place we've looked so far. Thanks!

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST8-26W&Category_Code=DB

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST30-3&Category_Code=KBIT

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST2-10&Category_Code=KBIT

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST17-13W&Category_Code=KBIT

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST26-39&Category_Code=KBIT

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST23-21&Category_Code=ATCB

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST39-2&Category_Code=KBJTB

ht tp://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST1-6&Category_Code=KBJTB

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST5-29&Category_Code=KBJTG

http://www.borderstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BSO&Product_Code=ST31-8&Category_Code=KBJTG

 

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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Coming Feb. 10, 2009
(Well, that's an estimate, really!)

heartburn

My heartburn is severely decreasing... in fact, it has been almost non existent all week!

21 weeks

Your Baby
Chances are good you're feeling someone performing a round-off back handspring in your uterus by now. Is there any other feeling this cool? Other highlights this week:

By now your baby looks like a mini-version of what she'll look like when she's born. All her facial features are formed and hair is growing on her head. She's even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck her thumb or yawn. Aww ...

Baby's heartbeat is getting stronger and can be heard using a good old-fashioned stethoscope. Ask for a listen at your next prenatal visit! By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. This may not sound that exciting, but it's good news.

The amniotic fluid that has been cushioning your little bean now serves another purpose: Your baby uses it to "practice" chowing down. Yes, it sounds gross (as many aspects of pregnancy do), but it's an important step for your baby toward being able to chow down in the real world. Your baby has been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that she's absorbing small amounts of sugars from it. And let's face it, being able to effectively digest sugar is important at every stage of life.

Your baby now weighs between 10 and 11 ounces and is approximately 7 inches long—the size of a delicious, cold, frothy bottle of root beer. Float anyone?

21 weeks

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

movement

I really do think I am feeling the baby move. That weird bubble feeling has happened every day since Saturday - mostly on the lower left side of my belly, but sometimes in the middle and other times and the right.

The way to describe it as a little bubble or bubbles gently popping inside my belly. Little tickles... It is lower down on my belly then I expected. (o:

Feel you/shopping

Dear Baby,
I am almost 21 weeks pregnant with you - which means you are about half way done cooking. In some senses, time is flying, but I really can't wait to meet you in person. Yesterday, we went to see a showing of Rent, one of mommy's favorite musicals, in the movie theater. On the way home, I thought I felt a funny, irregular throbbing in the bottom left of my belly. Was that you? Were you trying to tell me you liked Rent, too?  I felt it a few more times during the day, always in the same place.
Today, I am going to go shopping to start trying to figure out what we need for you. My friend Katherine is going to take me to tell me what she found useful with her daughter, Brooklynn.  Then daddy and I are going to make some final decisions.
By the way - your daddy is SO excited about you. He kept trying to feel my belly last night to see if he could feel you move at all. (Not yet. Maybe he should sing to you?) Daddy's specialty is research, and he has done a lot of it to help find the very best stuff for you - stuff that is safe for you, and easy to use for us!
Love you,
Mommy.

20 weeks - 1/2 way!

 Your Baby
This is the week most women get that ever-important gender-revealing ultrasound. If your baby isn't shy, the genitals can be clearly seen at this point. Will the baby pee standing up or sitting down? Well, that depends on how you potty train—but if you're interested, you could leave the appointment knowing if you're carrying a boy or a girl. Other highlights this week:

Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.

If your baby is a boy, the testes have begun descending from the pelvis into the scrotum. If it's a girl, her uterus is completely formed and the rest of her "parts" are in development. (Is that TMI?)

From this point forward, your baby will put most of her energy into gaining weight and, not coincidentally, so will you! Right now your baby weighs approximately 10½ ounces and is about 6½ inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking).

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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Coming Feb. 10, 2009
(Well, that's an estimate, really!)

Kids say...

Last night, I was talking with Andrew - Angie's son.  We told him that we were having a boy, and that his name had to start with G. Grant asked him, "Don't you have any friends that have names that start with G?"

Andrew says no, only girls. Then he says, "Well, I guess there's God and Jesus."

Grant tells him, "Jesus starts with a J, but God works."

"Yeah," I said. "We could name him God. How's that?"

and Andrew says, "No. I don't think you can name him God. I think the name is copyrighted or something...."

Cool! Grant might be able to hear the heartbeat!

Baby Boy

Dear Baby,
Well, Mother's instinct won this time! You are indeed a boy! And you have daddy's nose (trust me, this is a good thing - except that I may never stop giving that cute little nose little kisses once you are here!) We also think you have daddy's feet.
You are quite the contortionist right now - your legs were bent so that your toes were right up to your head! So cute! We also got to see all four chambers of your heart, which was incredibly cool. You certainly don't have as much room as you had last time we saw you!
You are the perfect weight and all of your measurements were just what they should be. Your heart beat was 159 BPM, and you weigh 9 ounces. I am so excited that you are a healthy baby boy! Now everyone wants to know what we are going to name you! It's not a decision I am going to rush into, let me tell you! Besides, we still have a good 21 weeks, give or take, to figure it out!
So, you keep growing, little one. Stay healthy, grow strong, get bigger (um, but not too big, if you please...) and we'll see you soon!
Love,
Mommy

Boy or Girl?

Dear Baby,
Something you need to know about your Mom is that I am very bad at some kinds of decisions. Not that I make bad decisions - just that I don't like to make them - especially in situations where there probably isn't a right or wrong choice. Right now, I am being very indecisive about whether or not I should find out if you are a boy or a girl. Silly, huh? I mean, I'll find out some day soon, right? But I have an ultrasound in a few minutes and I am wondering if I should find out. Silly, huh? I mean, I am so convinced you are a boy already. That dream I had the night I took your pregnancy test really sort of began my whole gut feeling. In fact, in one sense, I think so strongly that you are a boy, that I wouldn't be at all surprised if they said you were a girl. I am getting excited! I want to know. Is that ok? I am silly, I know.
See you soon!
Mom

Dr.s appointment

Dr.'s appointment today! Baby's heartbeat is nice and strong - 154 beats per minute. According to the doctors scale, I am at 169 pounds. Yikes! But that is okay, apparently! Mom (Grandma Galliez) and Grant came to the appointment with me. Everything is looking good. Most exciting news? Ultrasound on Friday to find out the gender!!!

19 Weeks

Your Baby
This week your baby starts bulking up and packing on the grossly named "brown fat" he'll need to keep warm when he gets evicted from his comfortable uterine home. Other highlights this week:

Vernix, a milky white coating that protects your baby's skin, appears all over your baby's body to keep his skin from getting pickled in the amniotic fluid. Think of it as if your baby has been dipped in yogurt, like those delicious but fake-healthy yogurt-covered raisins and pretzels. Ooh, we feel another craving comin' on. ... Under the vernix, a fuzzy layer of hair called lanugo now covers baby's body. Don't worry, your Mini won't look like Cousin It when he's born. Most of the fuzz will fall off before baby makes his grand entrance.

Good news: Your baby's kidneys are fully functioning and producing urine this week. Bad news: That means there will be lots of diapers in your future. But so far you're safe—at the moment the pee just passes into the amniotic fluid.

He or she now weighs about 8½ ounces and measures 6 inches, as long as a turkey sub from Subway on warm, delicious Italian Herbs and Cheese bread (or Honey Oat bread, or Oregano bread or ...)

19 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

soooooo tired

I am so tired today. Now, it is the end of my first full week of school, so I am bound to be tired, I always am, but I feel REALLY tired today. My new bedtime is 9:00. 

funny story

So last Friday, one of my smart ass kids commented on the fact that I was eating a tangerine in class after I told them that they weren't allowed to eat in class. I told him that when he got pregnant, then he would be allowed to eat in class.

So today, he and another student were working in pairs. He said, "Too bad men can't get pregnant..." and the other guy said, "Actually, you can. A guy can get pregnant if he puts clothespins on his nipples for nine months..."

What??? I was laughing so hard - I didn't know what to say to that!!! I was just like, "You're kidding right?" And the kid kind of shrugged... so funny!

Baby Bump

SO I officially have a baby bump - and it really did kind of pop out sort of over night - well, over the last week or so. I am mostly leaving the "Is she fat or pregnant?" stage, and people are starting to recognize my actual baby bump.

In fact, I had my first person glance at my belly and say, without any qualms that they might be wrong or offensive say, "Oh wow, are you pregnant?"

Hee hee...

18 weeks - baby can hear!!!

Your Baby
Your baby's ears are now facing forward and are completely formed so she can actually hear you talking now. You don't need to abandon your potty mouth just yet, but you might want to start thinking about it! Other highlights this week:

This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork you'll have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of your baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing.

Your baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. Her sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.

Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long—about the size of a pickle from the corner deli.

My belly

My belly is starting to pop out a bit. I can fit some of my regular clothes, but some are getting too tight. My belly is a little better on the left then on the right which is funny. Odd, though, is that my belly button hurts! It is kind of itchy and tender on the inside. My boobs are sore too. It is just like everything in stretching and getting tighter. (duh, I guess it is!) Such fun!

update

I'm still feeling pretty good - except for the heartburn, which I am mostly keeping under control by taking a half a zantac every day or every other day. I don't love to eat, but I am managing. I feel very lucky to be having such an easy pregnancy.

I gained 2 1/2 pounds ish over the past 2 1/2 weeks on the cruise. (I was at 159.6, not I am at 162. )

17 weeks

Your Pregnancy: Week 17
By now you're well aware you're pregnant, even if your Mini hasn't started to make too much of a ruckus yet. You'll feel random aches and pains in weird places as your uterus grows. It's all part of the whole journey so don't freak out too much. Focus on those little flutters you feel in your belly as your baby lets his presence be known.

Wondering what's up with your body, your baby and your life this week? Read on ...

What You're Thinking:

"OMG! Is something crawling on my stomach? Oh, wait! That was the baby!"

Your Body
Talk about mixed messages. After spending your whole life trying to avoid gaining weight, now you're told you must pack on the poundage. But not too many pounds, of course. And not the wrong kind of weight. It's exhausting. The bottom line is this: It's essential to gain an appropriate amount of weight but via healthy foods, not milkshakes and FlufferNutters. Work with your health-care provider to develop a weight-gain plan that will work for you.

Now's not the time to diet. You should never try limiting calories while you're pregnant. Don't worry about gaining more weight than you should while pregnant. You can lose it after the baby is born. Remember that a pregnant woman needs about 300 extra calories each day, which is just a small snack, like a small bag of trail mix or some crackers with cheese.

Your Baby
Speaking of packing on the pounds, that what it's all about for baby this week. He's adding fat stores that will keep him warm and cozy after he's born. Your baby's weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks. Good to know you're not the only one tipping the scale. Also this week:

Your baby is hard at work honing his sucking and swallowing reflexes—all the better for eating that 2 AM (and 5 AM, and 8 AM ...) meal in a few months! The finger- and toenails are beginning to grow from their nail beds, which would explain why he'll need them trimmed almost as soon as he's born!

Your baby weighs nearly 5 ounces and is a little over 5 inches long—about the size of a baked potato (load on the butter and sour cream, please).

 

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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Coming Feb. 10, 2009
(Well, that's an estimate, really!)

17 weeks

What changes are occurring with your body?

As your abdomen continues to grow, it will begin moving other organs around to compensate for the growth of your uterus and baby. The top of your uterus is beginning to appear more rounded and is lengthening. Your uterus will begin pushing your intestines up and out towards the side of your abdomen. Most women find it easier to feel their uterus when they are standing. If you lie down and try to feel your uterus it can be quite difficult since it falls back towards your spine.

How big is your baby?

Your baby is about 6 ½ inches long and weighs 4 ounces.*

What is happening with your baby?

His/her umbilical cord is not only lengthening but also becoming thicker and stronger for these last 23 weeks. Your baby's sense of hearing is also developing since the ears have fully formed and moved into their final position.

Your baby is also beginning to form adipose or fat tissue. This will help him/her take on a more normal appearance by filling out the fine features that he/she has. Fat is important in helping regulate the body's temperature and metabolism.*

16 weeks

How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

16 weeks

What changes are occurring with your body?

Your uterus is continuing to grow and weighs approximately 8 ½ ounces. Your placenta is also growing, and your body is producing an increased amount of amniotic fluid that helps protect your baby during your pregnancy. Right now your body has about 7 ½ ounces of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby.

When you are pregnant, your body produces 50% more blood, resulting in more blood circulation through your body. This increase in blood circulation causes your face to be brighter. Your body is also producing hormones that cause your oil glands to work in over-drive, leaving your face shiny. Both of these things can result in a "pregnancy glow". What can you do about it? If your skin becomes too oily, you can use an oil free cleanser to clean your face. Other than that, do nothing but smile!*

How big is your baby?

By the end of week 16, your baby is approximately 6 inches and weighs 2 ½ ounces.*

What is happening with your baby?

Your baby is preparing himself/herself for a growth spurt over the next several weeks. Your baby's head is more erect now than it has been in the previous weeks of pregnancy. His/her ears and eyes are situated in their final positions. These three things are giving your baby a more "normal" appearance than he/she has had up to this point.

Several of the more complicated body systems are also beginning to function including your child's urinary and circulatory system. Your baby's heart pumps around 25 quarts of blood per day. However, by week 40 this amount will increase to 1,900 quarts per day!*

15 weeks

Your Baby
Although many women don't start feeling the baby move until the 17th week (or later), your baby has been having his own party in the amniotic sac he calls home. If you feel a little flutter in your belly this week, don't discount it as gas or hunger. It could be your babe banging around. Here's more to look forward to:

Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give you that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, you'll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.

Although baby's eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As your baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup. You'll know he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump you feel.

Over the next month, baby will grow faster than ever, so make sure you load up on enough nutritious food and fluids to support his growth. Your baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat "finger" (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces.

15 weeks

Your Baby
Although many women don't start feeling the baby move until the 17th week (or later), your baby has been having his own party in the amniotic sac he calls home. If you feel a little flutter in your belly this week, don't discount it as gas or hunger. It could be your babe banging around. Here's more to look forward to:

Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give you that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, you'll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.

Although baby's eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As your baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup. You'll know he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump you feel.

Over the next month, baby will grow faster than ever, so make sure you load up on enough nutritious food and fluids to support his growth. Your baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat "finger" (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces.

 

*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´*Bobbi Jo*
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Coming Feb. 10, 2009
(Well, that's an estimate, really!)

14 weeks

Your Baby
Think of it this way: You're a third of the way through and baby's a third of the way cooked. Now that the "big stuff" (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, your baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work. Highlights this week include:

Your baby now has fingerprints! Book 'em, Danno! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.

Meconium, that tar-like, sticky first baby poop, is now loading up your baby's intestines, which means you might want to set aside a bottle of olive oil, one of the few things that will get the gooey poop off of baby's bottom.

Your baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help him fling food across the room later in life). Your tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—he now moves with graceful control.

Your baby is now weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, you haven't done the same.

Maternity Clothes

My friend Katherine lent me a whole bunch of her Maternity clothes - because she totally rocks. Also, Delaine took me shopping at the Gap for some clothes. I really don't need them yet, but I wanted to bring a few things on our cruise, since my belly "could" pop out in those two weeks. I just figures better safe then stuck on vacation with uncomfortable clothes.

Anyway - OH MY GOD - Maternity Clothes are SO comfortable. Seriously, I think the word would be a better place if everyone wore comfortable clothes, and I swear, going back to regular clothes is going to be a nightmare. I think that is a huge contribution to why people have trouble losing the baby weight. I swear, I would be perfectly happy wearing maternity clothes for the rest of my life!

Worse Day so far...

So - Wednesday was my worst day of pregnancy so far. It was gross. Now, I know I have been very lucky in my pregnancy - other than a few complaints of heartburn, and I don't mean to sound whiny, but I am trying to keep track of all this so be patient with me!

So on Wednesday, I had an ultrasound at 10. I woke up at nine and started drinking water for the required full bladder. I drank a full glass, then hopped in the shower, and then drank two more glasses before we left.

Donna, Grant, and I went in for the ultrasound. This is a very specialized test, where the measure the thickness of the neck of the baby to rule out the possibility of Down's. (More about the fun parts of the ultrasound later when the pics and video are ready...)

In any case, they had to get a specific measurement, and baby was just not getting in the right position. To make matters worse, I was supposed to have completed drinking all of that water an hour prior to the appointment - oops - so my bladder was not full.

After a while, the technician decided that I would need to come back later in the day.

In between that time, I had some oatmeal, and went to visit Grant' s Grandma. I still had this lingering, annoying headache (I happen to have one now - fantastic - ) Then I got home. I went to lay down for a bit to try to get rid of my headache.

But I had this funny feeling. Next thing I know, I am in the bathroom throwing up. I know - I KNOW - this should not be a news flash for a pregnant woman - but considering that I was 13 weeks and hadn't thrown up yet, and really haven't thrown up since I was a little kid, it was gross and nasty and not at all pleasant. (I think, in retrospect, it was drinking such a large amount of water in a short period of time on an empty stomach....)

Thirty minutes later, I am slowly trying to drink my way towards 32 ounces. I have a thermos that lists the ounces on the side and I slowly make my way through the first four. Then, I feel it again.... "Grant, pull over, I think I am going to throw up..." So I get out of the car and proceed to barf on the grass in front of Albertson's. Charming.

So now, I am in panic mode. I mean I just threw up water. How am I going to get a full bladder for the ultrasound? Do I need to eat? Should I avvoid eating? What is going on?

We go to Carl's and I slowly sip on a sprite. We go to Walmart and I munch on saltines while continuing to sip on sprite. I make it to three o'clock without puking again, and with a very full bladder - a very painful bladder.

Lucky for me, my bladder was a bit to full, so in the high light of my day, I was allowed to go pee for 12 seconds. Man did that make me feel better. We finally got the measurement and I headed home, to lay down some more to try to get rid of the headache.

Ah - the joys of pregnancy! But as the card says, "There is no more joyful reason then to feel like such crap..." or something like that!

more about heartburn

So, In the evening mostly, I just get all full and have this nasty taste in my mouth and feel like nothing is quite settling - a;; my food just sort of hovers in my upper belly - threatening to hop up my esophagus. I have started taking zantac, although I am trying to take smaller doses - you know, like a half a pill instead of a whole pill, once a day instead of twice. It is helping, but not fully improving the situation.

The thing that is irritating right now is I am tired and want to go to bed, but I can't lay down for a few hours after I eat (even then, I usually have to sit up and lay down over and over until my stomach finally settles.) The problem is, after waiting those few hours, I get hungry again! So now I want a snack, but if I eat, I'll have to do the whole  waiting for the stomach thing to settle.

Heartburn - not fun. 

13 weeks - Nickname for the week? Nutter Butter!

Your Baby
Your baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy ... and not so much at the age of 9. If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer! Other exciting developments include:

Your baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. (Baby ribs! How cute is that?!) Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord. Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and you a lot of lost sleep).

Who's that singing? Elton John? Could be your baby: His vocal cords and larynx are completed now. He won't be able to make any sound yet, however, because sound waves travel through air and baby is submerged in fluid.

Your baby-to-be now weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter Butter, covered in chocolate. OK, it doesn't have to be covered in chocolate, but isn't everything better that way?

 

Heart Burn

Sucks. Royally. The last few days have just been yucky.

12 weeks

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: Reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

fingernails... really?

Your Baby - 12 weeks
Baby's face is looking more human as his eyes have moved to the front of his head and his ears are in place. Hooray! Other amazing fetal highlights this week:

Your baby is able to swallow this week and practices on the amniotic fluid he or she floats in. (And you thought baby food was kind of nasty!) And in case you're wondering how your kid can breathe in all that fluid, here's your answer: Fetuses get oxygen from the blood pumped into their bodies by the placenta and don't breathe with their lungs. Mystery solved!

This is kind of gross, albeit fascinating, so feel free to skip ahead: Your baby's intestines are well under way, but they aren't all where you'd expect them to be. Instead of all being locked away in the body cavity, some are dangling on the outside, in the umbilical cord. Ewwww.

Don't forget to put a baby nail file on your registry—your little nugget's finger- and toenails are forming this week. The chin and nose are also becoming more defined.

Junior has doubled in size over the past two weeks and now weighs almost ½ ounce. He's also now around 2 ½ inches long, about the length of your pinky finger or a Vienna sausage, which, in a few months, will be indistinguishable from one another.

Dr.s Appt - July 22

Today was my first visit with Dr. Feldman. It was pretty easy and not a lot of new information. I've only gained a pound so far, based on my stated prepregnancy weight of 160 (I am about 157 at home, but the doctor is always 5 or 6 pounds more - at my first visit, it said I weighed 164, so I think I've actually lost 3 pounds. The discrepancy between home weight and dr. weight, of course, is that I always weigh myself first thing in the morning, buck naked, right after I pee. Well, you know, consistency helps when measuring these kinds of things!!!)

Took a little while to find baby to get it's heartbeat with the Doppler - the little peanut was hiding over on the right side of my belly, a little higher than I had anticipated. But the heart rate is strong - 161 bpm.

Dr. Feldman didn't measure my stomach - nothing really to measure yet - but he did feel around my belly.

All of my blood tests came back negative - so everything looks good there. I am O+ blood type, which I knew from all my past blood donations.

We talked about lifestyle stuff - he told me I need to exercise more regularly... I know I KNOW!!!! He said blue cheese and feta cheese is fine - they are always pasteurized - He said even on cruise ships it is fine. He said to just be cautious of the Mexican soft cheeses - check to be sure it is pasteurized.

He said jacuzzi is fine at 100 degrees but no more that 15 minutes.

He also signed my cruise ship paperwork stating that I will be at 15 weeks and ok to travel.

My next appointment with him is Aug. 15, just before I leave on my cruise. I also have another ultrasound on August 6, for an early screening for Down's Syndrome. It is a new test where they measure the thickness of the babies neck, and it rules out like 70% chance of downs syndrome - so I'll find out more about that in a week and a half!!!

Also - found out some good news about my insurance - my initial copay covers 15 prenatal visits and an ultrasound - so I don't have to pay my copay every time I visit! Huzzah! 

I also learned something interesting and completely unrelated - did you know that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the same birthday in the same year? February 12, 1809, which is, interestingly enough, almost exactly 200 years before my due date (of Feb. 10, 2009).

11 weeks

Your Baby
All of your baby's vital organs are now formed and functioning, so the risk of defects decreases this week as your baby becomes less susceptible to outside influences. Phew! Other exciting developments include:

Baby's ears are assuming their proper place this week and the fingernail and toenail beds are beginning to form. Your little "pumpkin head" really lives up to his nickname as his head is nearly as big as the rest of his body.

While testes or ovaries are completely formed now, don't start decorating the nursery. You won't be able to see your baby's gender for a few more weeks yet.

Your baby is really on the move now. In an ultrasound you might be able to see your little acrobat flailing his or her arms and legs and doing somersaults worthy of Cirque du Soleil. You still won't be able to feel any movement, so if you feel something "kick" in there, it's probably gas.

In the next nine weeks, your baby will increase 30 times in weight and almost triple in length. You might feel like you're increasing 30 times in weight at this point, too, but we can assure you're not—because, honey, you ain't seen nothin' yet!

Your baby now weighs a third of an ounce, about the same as two small, Starbucks-sized packets of sugar, is about 2 inches long, the length of one of those sugar packets. Isn't that sweet?

10 weeks - my baby is a fetus now!!!!

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

exercise

I just did the first part of my pregnancy exercise video. I am pooped! And the video wasn't even hard! It is so weird! In one sense, I feel so good - very stretched and noodle-y, like when you get out of a steam room or jacuzzi or finish a rasul, but I also feel just wiped out! I could fall asleep right now and it is only noon!

 

Here is a video of my ultrasound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJQ8sT2Skac

00:00 - 01:36 - Looking for a clear view and good angle of the baby.
01:48 - Zooming in on baby...The dark circle around it is the liquid sack that the baby lives in.
01:55 - 02:05 - The green arrow is pointing to a "fluttering," on the baby's chest - this is the baby's heart beating!
02:06 - 02:16 - Close up/time lapse of the heartbeat - 176 beats per minute - very healthy!
2:30 - First measure of baby's length.
2:35 - 2:46 My favorite part! Baby moving around and stretching all by itself! SO CUTE!
2:46 - 2:56 - Identify the head, arms, and legs of my little cutie
3:30 - 2nd measurement
3:45 - 3rd measurement - This gives baby a final measurement of 26mm, which means that on July 11, 2008, I am 9 weeks, 3 days pregnant. This means that the estimated die date is February 10, 2009.
4:30 - 6:20 This large chunk of video is zooming out and looking at the rest of my belly - the uterus, ovaries, etc. (The egg came from my right ovary...) She took measurements of everything for the doctor to make sure it was all the right size and stuff...
6:35 - Zoom in on baby again, and watch for the fluttering that shows the baby's heart beat...
8:25 - video ends - the rest is dead time... maybe I will edit it someday!

Our first Ultrasound! July 11, 2008 (Grant's birthday!)

So, yesterday, we had our first ultrasound! I was able to have an early one to get an accurate due date (since lord knows we can't rely on my wacky cycles!)

It was the coolest thing ever to see the teeny tiny little thing!

I went in with low expectations - meaning, that it would be so small we wouldn't get a lot of detail, but I was pleasantly surprised! We sould see the head, body, arms and legs!

The baby measured 26 mm, which meant that I was 9 weeks and 3 days pregnant. This gave me a due date of Feb. 10, 2009 - so I was pretty darn close! I also got to see the baby's heartbeat - 176 beats per minute! We learned that the egg came from my right fallopian tube!

My favorite part was this one time where she held the want still and the baby was wiggling and stretching - SO CUTE!

9 weeks

Lots of things are going on now with your baby-to-be. A human being has many double body parts and organs that originate at the same time and develop into a right and left counterpart. A beautiful symmetry. Every cell knows exactly where it has to be and what it has to develop into, without anyone telling it what to do. A 'little person' is almost complete, measuring about an inch in length and weighing some 2 grams, happily splashing around in its membrane filled with fluids.
Did you know that at 9 weeks, your baby already has a tiny anus and that little bones are beginning to be formed? From now on the baby will develop hips, shoulders, elbows, hands and fingers. The 'lower stumps' will get knees, ankles and feet and the fingers and toes will eventually lose their webbing. He can wiggle them, too! With small twitches, he squiggles with his little arms and legs. He can move his thumb to his mouth, which opens and has a tongue. Soon he will start sucking his thumb yet and develop a preference for his right or left hand which will last throughout his life. He even has a tiny little nose. In short, your baby is becoming a real miniscule human being with a face.

Tonight is so weird

I just feel so yuck. I feel yuckiest in the afternoon/evening. Tonight, I might actually call it "evening sickness." I didn't throw up, but while reading a menu for the disney cruise line online, I felt nauseous and started to cry. Just now, I started to cry - just randomly sob - for no freaking reason at all. I am laughing out loud at myself because it is just ridiculous that I am sitting here crying for no reason at all.

One more thing

So I get a voicemail yesterday, "Hi, this is so and so from Newport OBGYN. We wanted to talk to you about your test results - could you please give us a call?"

So, yeah - um panic much?

I call and they're all - "We found a little bacteria in your urine which might lead to a bladder infection so we just want to get rid of it - we're going to put you on an antibiotic (macrobid, my old friend) to clear it up...."

So my heart is pounding away, right, and I'm like, "O.K., is that all?"

And she says, "Yes,"

So I ask, "So everything else looks all right?"

"Yeah, everything looks fine, all your other tests are negative, Iron counts look good... looks good!"

Sigh. I am such a worrier. Is this real? Really real?

How I am feeling

The one major thing I notice is that if I eat what I would once consider a "normal" amount, like a Rubio's plate, or whatever, I feel really. really full and just yucky for a few hours - as if I have gorged myself at a Las Vegas Buffet, but worse.

Yesterday, I woke up with a sharp, painful sensation in my right nipple - almost like there was a needle in it. The boobs themselves don't hurt, but man, bump that nipple and I am in PAIN. I'm going to go to Walmart today to get a better fitting sports bra than the one I have - which I probably bought in high school.

Every once in a while I have days where I just fill blah - not quite nausea, but almost. I've been a little constipated, too.

The reason that I haven't blogged much about it, though, is that I really overall feel fine. I don't feel like i have much to report. I am feeling very fortunate in that so far, my pregnancy has been very kind! I sincerely hope it continues.

I am really excited for Friday, when I get to have my ultrasound - get my exact due date, and hear the heart beat. I am SO excited!