27 Weeks and the 4D Ultrasound

Today was a big day - 27 weeks, my 1 hour glucose screening, a rhogam shot, and our 4D ultrasound. For obvious reasons, the 4D ultrasound was the highlight of the day. AND the fact that I'm measuring right on schedule - I was afraid they were going to tell me I was the size of a humpback whale.

Baby Girl was rather uncooperative. Apparently she loves burying her face in her hands or in the wall of my uterus. She is also very low - her head is by my right hip bone so they had a hard time getting good shots of her face. We got to watch her for about 45 minutes while they tried to get her to move. My favorite was watching her little mouth and lips move. She even stuck her tongue out at one point. Below are a few of our favorite still photos and a short video clip.

The appetite finally seems to be subsiding a bit as evidenced by the fact I made it through the past 2 weeks including Christmas without gaining any weight. However, my days of bending over appear to be numbered. It is becoming more and more of a feat as is turning over at night. For the most part I am still feeling good and Baby Girl is staying very active. Here is what she is up to this week...

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements 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 they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

26 Weeks

Another week with not much new to report. We've been busy getting ready for Christmas. After Christmas we will be finishing up the last few things for the nursery - painting, curtains, wall decor, and lamps. Next Tuesday we are going for a 4D ultrasound so I should have some neat pictures and possibly a video clip to post. Here is what Baby Girl is up to this week:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English Hothead Cucumber) from head to heel.

25 Weeks

Another week has come and gone. Nothing new to report. Here is what Baby Girl is up to this week...

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Bump Watch

24w4d

6 Months!

6 months, wow! Four more months to go. If you are thinking wait, that's a total of 10 months check this out and you can call it what you want to call it..

http://www.pregnancy-calendars.net/tenmonthpregnancy.aspx

Either way, 16 weeks will be here quick! Not much new this week although Kyle is finally feeling Baby Girl regularly. She even kicked him in the head this week and no I didn't tell her to :) Her kicks are becoming stronger - you can actually see my belly jump if you watch closely. Here is what else she is up to this week.

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

** Note on the photo, at this stage they have quit doing the week by week photo so we are down to monthly fruits/veggies. The dimensions are representative of what she will be at the end of the month.

23 Weeks

Today was my 23 week appointment - everything looks good. My next appt. in 4 weeks is the dreaded glucose test. After that, I start going every 2 weeks instead of every 4 - hard to believe we are already to that milestone. I'm still feeling good although bending over isn't as easy these days as it used to be. I was pulling something out of the oven on Thanksgiving and Kyle asked me if I was ok. I said sure, why? Apparently he said I was huffing and puffing to which I replied, try bending over while carrying this around. She's moving more and more these days and particularly seems to be active in the middle of the night. Let's hope this isn't an indicator of her sleep patterns. Here is what she is up to this week...

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

22 Weeks

Yet another week has flown by! The bedding came and is in her crib. I'll wait to post pictures until we've painted and more of the details have come together. Baby Girl is moving around quite a bit these days and apparently my belly is past the point of looking like pudge and officially looks like a baby belly. Lots of comments this week from coworkers I don't see often and a few from strangers as well. It's definitely growing evidenced by the fact bending over isn't quite as easy as it used to be. Everything is still going well - I'm still feeling good and this Thanksgiving we are especially thankful for an easy and healthy pregnancy thus far. Here is what Baby Girl is up to this week...

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. Her eyes have formed, but her 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 her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

21 Weeks

Hard to believe we are now over half way there! This week we ordered Baby Girl's bedding and the rug for her nursery. We still need to paint the room and pick up a few more things like curtains, pictures, etc. I can't wait for the bedding to come in! My other thrilling purchase this week was her going home from the hospital/first pictures dress - it's her first hand smocked bishop dress and I picked up at the Christmas Show in Charlotte which closed 30 minutes after we got there much to my disappointment. I've been teasing Kyle that we need to knock out the side of our house to create walk in closets for Baby Girl and I. Other then shopping, here is what she is up to this week:

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

Sewing Projects

I had Veteran's Day off from work and it was the perfect day to dust off the sewing machine for a few projects - remnants of Hurricane Ida has graced us with pouring rain and gusty winds.

I used fabric scraps I had on hand, a brand new pack of burp cloths Mom had scored at Goodwill, and some you tube tutorials for an afternoon full of projects that cost me nothing. I was pretty pleased with the results and I'm itching to get to Joann's this afternoon to pick up some more supplies with my birthday gift card.

I had never tried applique before so my first one turned out okay but I adjusted by stitch settings and the 2nd one came out much better.

Half Way There!

It's hard to believe we are half way there - another 20 weeks to go and we get to meet our baby girl! We had a busy week filled with registering, meeting with a pediatrician, and maybe a little bit of shopping for some dresses and pink of course! All is well with the pregnancy - we've been blessed. Her movements are becoming more and more pronounced and easier to feel from the outside. Here is what she's up to this week:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a cantaloupe. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.) She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system.

19 Weeks

Almost half way - here is what Baby Girl is up to this week...

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 mango. 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.

It's a... GIRL!

This morning was our ultrasound - it was the first ultrasound where Kyle was able to see the baby - and the first for both of us where it actually looked like a baby! So neat. Our little one cooperated fully and we were thrilled to find out it's a girl! Kyle's reaction was something along the lines of "well I guess it's time to start saving more money, worrying about boyfriends, and designer jeans" but it's ok she already has him wrapped around her finger!

Here are a few pictures of our Little Girl...

The Bump

17 and 18 Weeks

We got back from our cruise last night. We had a wonderful time full of sunny weather, new friends, and we even won $500 playing Bingo! I also started feeling baby move this week. I wasn't sure at first but it became more and more regular throughout each day and especially during the loud shows (apparently baby likes to dance) and during the bumpy island rides. Kyle and I were both able to feel the baby from the outside for the first time last night right as we were about to take off for Raleigh. Lots of people describe it as feeling like a butterfly - I'm not sure how I would describe it but a butterfly this baby is not. One week from today until we find out if we are having a son or daughter! And if you are lucky I may just post a picture of "the bump". It definitely grew this week and not from the cruise food - I am very proud to say I managed not to gain a single pound. Must have been all the walking and stairs.

Here is what baby is up to:

18 Weeks

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

17 Weeks

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

Where We'll Be...

We have a busy weekend ahead full of wedding festivities for Kyle's cousin and then Sunday morning we take off bright and early (6AM) for our cruise. We should be on board by noon or so and I'm sure the first stop will be to curl up on a lounge chair by the pool. I don't think I've have been filled with such excitement and anticipation over a vacation since Disney World as a child.

Next time I post will be 18 weeks - almost halfway! Wow, this is going by fast.

16 Weeks

Another non-eventful week but on a more exciting front we leave this coming Sunday for our cruise! We'll be gone for 7 days and our ports are Aruba, Curacao, Dominica, and St. Thomas. This is the same ship we were on for our honeymoon on the exact same week but 2 years later. And 3 weeks from today is the big ultrasound! I should also be able to start feeling baby in the next few weeks. Here is what baby is up to this week:

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.

15 Weeks

Nothing new to report this week but we are moving right along! Here is what baby is up to this week...

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces. She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds.

In just a few weeks we should start to feel baby move and 4 weeks from today until we find out boy or girl!

14 Weeks

Not much to report this week. Everything is still going well. Kyle and I are counting down the days until we go on our cruise in celebration of our 2 year anniversary and what we deem as "the last hurrah". 20 more days! And only 35 more until we find out what it is. Make sure you vote. I'm finding it quite humorous and strange that everyone thinks its a girl (except for my in-laws that just don't think a girl in the family is ever going to happen). We'll see...

Here is what baby is up to this week.

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

A Peek at the Nursery

Since I was lucky enough to have all the furniture already courtesy of my sister, it was just too hard to resist setting everything up. Here are a few pics of Kyle putting the crib together and of the nursery so far. I am looking forward to Nov. 2nd so we can order the bedding!

Notice Little Man was supervising.

The chair in the left corner was my highchair when I was little. How special that everything was either my adorable nephews or mine!

Stella Luna... hmmm...

Seeing as how Kyle and I are currently trying to decide on names, I had to laugh when I just saw that Ellen Pompeo named her daughter Stella Luna. Wonder if she knows there is a childrens book about a bat named that?

13 Weeks

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Not much new this week - I did talk Kyle into putting the crib together this past weekend. Still feeling good all things considered. I've been lucky. I'm starting to feel some energy come back. Last week's big accomplishment was not gaining any weight!

11 & 12 Weeks

Lots to update! Last Tuesday I had another dr. appt. The dr. was unable to get a heartbeat with the doppler so they did another ultrasound. Apparently the reason they weren't able to get a heartbeat was because baby was moving too much! I didn't get any new pictures or really get to see much because they were just checking the heartbeat but it was reassuring nonetheless. Heartbeat was 177 bpm. November 2nd is the big day - boy or girl? Make sure you vote before then.

Nursery prep has begun. I have cleaned out what is to be the nursery in preparation for setting up the crib. Hopefully we will have everything set up and ready to order the bedding when we find out what we are having.

11 Weeks

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

12 Weeks

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 2 inches long and weighs half an ounce.

10 Weeks

Not much to report this week. In fact the 1st trimester is rather boring but I am thankful for it since it means no sickness. I'm looking forward to cleaning out and start getting the nursery ready in a few weeks. 8 more weeks and we will know how to decorate!

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.

9 Weeks

I finally feel like I'm progressing (after originally thinking I was 8 weeks and finding out I was only 5). I'm still feeling pretty good for the most part other then having no energy - but thankful that seems to be the worst of it.

Here is what baby is up to this week - Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape (or olive) — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

9 more weeks until we find out if its a boy or a girl!

Helpful Hints in Dealing with a Pregnant Woman

Rule #1 - Don't touch a pregnant woman's stuff (particulary if it involves food or drinks).

Apparently over the past week anything that is in the office refrigerator has become community property. Last week I poured a bowl of cereal, opened the refrigerator to get my milk out, and it was gone. Our receptionist who NEVER throws anything away had thrown it out thinking it was expired - it was not. While I was throwing my hissyfit - she goes "Ooohhh - it expired Aug 16th. I don't know what I was thinking." Literally - she will eat take out for 2 weeks after we have ordered it. Why expired milk (that wasn't really expired) was a sudden concern to her, I have no idea.

Flash forward to 10 minutes ago - I go to get a bottle of water out of the fridge.... it's gone. I stalked the office and found the culprit. He's visiting from our Charlotte office so I decided not to act psycho and say anything.

If this happens again, I'm liable to go postal and put a sign on the refrigerator to the effect of "if you didn't bring it in, don't touch it". Apparently in the meantime I am going to have to start writing my name on stuff in large letters.

There, I think I feel better now...

Baby's First Photo

Today was my second ultrasound and this time I got to see baby! My due date was moved to March 28 so I'm not quite as far along as we originally thought. Everything looks good though. I even got to hear the heartbeat - a strong 112 bpm. It's so surreal to be looking at ultrasound pics knowing that is our baby and that we will meet him or her in a little less than 8 months!

1st Dr. Appt.

Today was my 1st doctors appointment. I saw the prenatal nurse who asked me a bunch of questions, gave me a lot of paperwork, and took some blood for bloodwork. It was a bit overwhelming when she started talking about childbirth classes, picking a pediatrician by 30 weeks, preregistering for the hospital by a certain week (can't remember), etc.

We were able to schedule our first ultrasound for this Thursday at 9AM. This was an answered prayer - I was afraid I was going to have to wait a few weeks. I am so excited to be able to see the baby - I think that will make it a lot more real for both of us as well as ease our nerves. The tough part will be waiting the next 8-12 weeks to find out the gender.

Luckily, I am still feeling great. I don't have any of the stereotypical pregnancy symptoms that you hear about - just ones that you don't know about until you get pregnant.

I'll be sure to post ultrasound pictures after Thursday. Even though no one knows about the blog for now - I'm sure everyone will want to catch up after the big announcement!

My 1st post as a Mama!

Yesterday after 6... yes 6... pregnancy tests, I finally got a positive and took 1 more just for good measure. They were the fancy digital tests so there was no mistaking... PREGNANT. I didn't really think I was because I've felt great but I was 18 days late so nonetheless I kept taking them every few days. It still hasn't quite sunk in yet and I don't know that it will until we go to the doctor and see the ultrasound or hear the heartbeat. I hope to get an appt. scheduled for sometime this week. According to the online due date calculators, I am 6 weeks along which makes the baby's due date somewhere around March 9.

Kyle is in Vegas this weekend so he hasn't heard the official news yet. Needless to say I didn't want to send him a text, "BTW, you're going to be a dad" so I figured I would hold off. There was an "iffy" test before he left so it won't be a complete shock. He gets back tonight around midnight so I plan on snoozing on the couch so I wake up when he gets home. I have wrapped up an NCSU paci that my mom bought years ago to break the news to him.

As for now, no one else knows. The blog is hidden for the time being until the big announcement but I thought I would chronicle some of our early thoughts and adventures!