Overall, I had a pretty good weekend. It started out nicely on Friday. I've been really stressed at work and Friday after lunch I received a nice surpise from my Mom. It made me get a little teary eyed, but it's always nice to know your loved.
Saturday I got up early and went to the office. I worked from 8 to 12:45 p.m. I then came home to wait on the furniture delivery. They didn't come until almost 3:00 p.m., and it took them a while to set up the crib. It made me happy we paid for delivery & setup. They left around 4:00 p.m. and Eric and I left for some shopping. First we went to Lowes to get blinds for the window, L-brackets for curtain hanging, and a board Samara needed to staple the curtain fabric to. Then we went to Burlington Coat Factory to see if we could get the glider. Unfortunately, they were out of stock, but they had a truck coming in Monday (today) and told us to call back to see if one came in and have them hold it for us. They wouldn't let us put it on hold Saturday, but...whatever. Then we went over to Babies R Us. We picked up the mattress for the crib, a mattress pad, and the dust ruffle. Unfortunatly, the bumpers were out of stock. All the out-of-stock situation made Eric a little grumpy, but we survived. Then we decided to call April and Martin and see if they wanted to meet us at Outback for dinner. They did and then after dinner they came back to our place to play some cards. In between dinner and cards, Eric and I hung up the blinds and put the sheets and mattress in the crib. It really looks like a nursery now (pictures at the end).
Sunday, I decided not to go back to the office, so we went to church instead. Saturday night, I had this dream about making a baby quilt/blanket. Since we didn't decide to go with the sets in the baby stores, our bedding doesn't come with a baby quilt. I had such a clear vision of this blanket that as soon as I woke up Sunday morning I drew it out and took measurements of the crib and came up with dimensions. I also drew up the design to cover the plastic pieces on the mobile. Anyway, I'm going to try it, so after church we went to Joann's and I bought all the needed supplies. Then we came home and took a nap. Sunday afternoon Will and Samara called and we went over to their place for dinner and visiting. Samara and I (well, pretty much just Samara) finished up the curtains and I got to bring them home. After we got home, we did hang them and now the nursery really looks real.
Today the glider did come in, so Eric picked it up and we put it upstairs. The only thing missing now (besides baby) is the changing table due to arrive Sept. 10, the bumpers for the crib, and the blanket, mobile cover, and possibly pillows that I'm making.
Here are the pictures.
This is a view of the curtains.
This is the crib and glider.
Another view of the crib where you can see the side table we have by the glider.
The dresser.
I'm very happy. I know I promised belly pics, but you may have to wait until tomorrow. I'm going to go work on my quilt some more. Did I mention I've never really sewed anything? This is very interesting. I promise to post pictures on my progress or the final project.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Sunday, August 29, 2004
24 Weeks, 1 Day - The Twenty-Fifth Week
My Symptoms
It's been a good week as far as the baby goes. I'm trying to do this one tonight. Tomorrow evening I'll update on all the nursery developments and such. I'm also planning on a new belly pic and measurements, so be sure to check back then. Anyway, this week I've been feeling much more baby movement. There's been several times I've felt her as soon as I wake up, or even if I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I am considering buying one of those pregnancy girdle things, for a little more support. I'm not in any kind of pain, but I do notice alot of pressure, pulling, and just feel heavy when I stand up after being sitting or laying down for a while. I'm assuming that will only get worse. My back aches a little too. Nothing serious, but again, in another 3 months, that may be different. Here's what the experts say should be happening this week.
The Baby
Your baby now weighs about 1.5 pounds, and crown-to-rump length is about 8.8 inches. These are average lengths and weights and vary from one baby to another and from one pregnancy to another. It may be hard to believe, but if your baby were delivered at this time, it would have a chance of surviving. Some of the greatest advances in medicine have been in the care of the premature baby. No one wants to deliver a baby this early, but with new treatment methods, such as ventilators, monitors, and medications, a baby does have a chance of living.
Your amazing fetus is almost 12 inches long and weighs around 700 grams. His skin is translucent and wrinkled, and he can hear your stomach when it gurgles and your voice when you sing.
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.
Baby weighs 1 pound 9 ounces (709 grams). The bones are continuing their ossification process, meaning that they are becoming harder.
The Mom
The measurement from the pubic symphysis to the top of your uterus is about 10 inches (25 cm). At this point, your uterus is about the size of a soccer ball. The top of the uterus is about halfway between your bellybutton and the lower part of your sternum. As your uterus has grown and filled your pelvis, your abdominal skin and muscles have stretched. Itchiness is a fairly natural consequence. Lotions are ok to use to help reduce itching. Try not to scratch andn irritate your skin -- that can make it worse!
I hope you’re doing your Kegal exercises! Kegals strengthen the pelvic floor and tone the vaginal and perineal area. To do a Kegal, tighten the muscles around the vagina and anus and hold for 8-10 seconds. Confused? Practice stopping a stream of urine when you’re on the toilet. These are exercises you DON’T have to get to the gym for! Try doing Kegals in the car at every red light.
Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but the hair you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. You may also notice darker or thicker body hair. It will return to normal in the weeks after you give birth. You probably can't move around as gracefully as before. It's fine to continue to exercise, but use your common sense: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired, and stop if you feel any pain or when you begin to feel at all fatigued, dizzy, or short of breath. Don't lie on your back too long or do any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods. When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, your practitioner may take a second tube of blood at the same time to check for anemia. Although your blood volume increases dramatically during pregnancy, the total amount of your red blood cells becomes diluted — a problem sometimes called physiologic anemia that's common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. If your blood tests show that you have anemia, your caregiver will likely recommend that you take a supplement.
At this point in pregnancy you probably still feel really good! Soon you will begin to see your practitioner more often. When this happens, many women begin to get the feeling that they are "running out of time." Fixing the baby's room or deciding where to let the baby sleep is one of the thing you need to work out your feelings about now. Although, let me tell you from experience that you should reserve the right to change your mind once the baby gets here!
Many people spend the first few months with the baby either in their bed or next to their bed in a cradle or bassinet. This allows for easy access to night feedings and changings, and many parents report feeling more secure about their baby. Other parents have a nursery and use a monitor to allow their baby to waken them for night feedings, etc. Some parents feel that they need more privacy or believe that the baby should learn to sleep alone from the beginning.
Look at all of your options before making up your mind. And again, be flexible. You may find life with baby very different from what you had imagined. The choice is yours and it is personal, so don't let others make you feel guilty for your choices.
It's been a good week as far as the baby goes. I'm trying to do this one tonight. Tomorrow evening I'll update on all the nursery developments and such. I'm also planning on a new belly pic and measurements, so be sure to check back then. Anyway, this week I've been feeling much more baby movement. There's been several times I've felt her as soon as I wake up, or even if I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I am considering buying one of those pregnancy girdle things, for a little more support. I'm not in any kind of pain, but I do notice alot of pressure, pulling, and just feel heavy when I stand up after being sitting or laying down for a while. I'm assuming that will only get worse. My back aches a little too. Nothing serious, but again, in another 3 months, that may be different. Here's what the experts say should be happening this week.
The Baby
Your baby now weighs about 1.5 pounds, and crown-to-rump length is about 8.8 inches. These are average lengths and weights and vary from one baby to another and from one pregnancy to another. It may be hard to believe, but if your baby were delivered at this time, it would have a chance of surviving. Some of the greatest advances in medicine have been in the care of the premature baby. No one wants to deliver a baby this early, but with new treatment methods, such as ventilators, monitors, and medications, a baby does have a chance of living.
Your amazing fetus is almost 12 inches long and weighs around 700 grams. His skin is translucent and wrinkled, and he can hear your stomach when it gurgles and your voice when you sing.
Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — doesn't sound like much, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.
Baby weighs 1 pound 9 ounces (709 grams). The bones are continuing their ossification process, meaning that they are becoming harder.
The Mom
The measurement from the pubic symphysis to the top of your uterus is about 10 inches (25 cm). At this point, your uterus is about the size of a soccer ball. The top of the uterus is about halfway between your bellybutton and the lower part of your sternum. As your uterus has grown and filled your pelvis, your abdominal skin and muscles have stretched. Itchiness is a fairly natural consequence. Lotions are ok to use to help reduce itching. Try not to scratch andn irritate your skin -- that can make it worse!
I hope you’re doing your Kegal exercises! Kegals strengthen the pelvic floor and tone the vaginal and perineal area. To do a Kegal, tighten the muscles around the vagina and anus and hold for 8-10 seconds. Confused? Practice stopping a stream of urine when you’re on the toilet. These are exercises you DON’T have to get to the gym for! Try doing Kegals in the car at every red light.
Your baby's not the only one with more hair — your locks may look more full and lustrous than ever. It's not that you're growing more hair, but the hair you'd normally shed is sticking around longer than usual. You may also notice darker or thicker body hair. It will return to normal in the weeks after you give birth. You probably can't move around as gracefully as before. It's fine to continue to exercise, but use your common sense: Don't work out when you're feeling overly tired, and stop if you feel any pain or when you begin to feel at all fatigued, dizzy, or short of breath. Don't lie on your back too long or do any exercise where you're apt to lose your balance. Be sure to drink plenty of water, and make time for both warm-up and cool-down periods. When you have your glucose-screening test at 24 to 28 weeks, your practitioner may take a second tube of blood at the same time to check for anemia. Although your blood volume increases dramatically during pregnancy, the total amount of your red blood cells becomes diluted — a problem sometimes called physiologic anemia that's common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. If your blood tests show that you have anemia, your caregiver will likely recommend that you take a supplement.
At this point in pregnancy you probably still feel really good! Soon you will begin to see your practitioner more often. When this happens, many women begin to get the feeling that they are "running out of time." Fixing the baby's room or deciding where to let the baby sleep is one of the thing you need to work out your feelings about now. Although, let me tell you from experience that you should reserve the right to change your mind once the baby gets here!
Many people spend the first few months with the baby either in their bed or next to their bed in a cradle or bassinet. This allows for easy access to night feedings and changings, and many parents report feeling more secure about their baby. Other parents have a nursery and use a monitor to allow their baby to waken them for night feedings, etc. Some parents feel that they need more privacy or believe that the baby should learn to sleep alone from the beginning.
Look at all of your options before making up your mind. And again, be flexible. You may find life with baby very different from what you had imagined. The choice is yours and it is personal, so don't let others make you feel guilty for your choices.
My Husband & Dad's
I know you probably gets bits and pieces of this by reading my blog, but I just wanted to put it in writing how blessed I am to have a man like Eric. I talk to other people, so I know all men aren't this way. I love him. Of course that's to be expected, but it seems like I find myself falling more in love with him constantly. I loved him the day we got married, but the way and depth of that love today is so much more. As he put it, "With time you become more like one." I am especially touched watching him change into the man who is going to be the father of my children. Sometimes it's easy for me to get wrapped up in "pregnancy" and believe that this whole process is all about me. Then he does little things to remind me that it's about us. He sincerely cares and wants to be involved in the process. He told me today that sometimes he feels bad that he isn't more involved. It's the little things I see him do. The day he was in the baby's closet taking out and looking at all her clothes. The way he helped me decide where to put all the furniture. Seeing him with the paint roller of purple paint in his hand. How upset he got about me taking cold medicine and possibly hurting the baby. How he gets riled up when I run up the stairs or poke my belly. How he aks how his daughter is doing. Besides the baby, there are the other things. On Saturday, he cut a few roses from our rosebush outside, stripped off all the thorns, pruned back some of the leaves and left them in a vase on the table for me. He always remembers to offer a kiss and I love you before he leaves for work. He's just amazing. I can't imagine not being with him.
I am looking forward to the day when my heart overflows a little more when I see him hold his daughter for the first time. I'm guessing there will be tears and I'll see this man I love totally committing himself to this tiny person. I'm hoping he'll be alot like my Dad. Eric was pointing out this morning, that he thinks my Dad would go to the ends of the earth for me. I agreed. I love that I've never questioned that. My Dad has always been there for me. I don't know that I always appreciated it at the time, but if I ever needed (or really wanted) anything he would do it for me. I can see that in Eric and I'm glad. He's going to make an excellent father.
I am looking forward to the day when my heart overflows a little more when I see him hold his daughter for the first time. I'm guessing there will be tears and I'll see this man I love totally committing himself to this tiny person. I'm hoping he'll be alot like my Dad. Eric was pointing out this morning, that he thinks my Dad would go to the ends of the earth for me. I agreed. I love that I've never questioned that. My Dad has always been there for me. I don't know that I always appreciated it at the time, but if I ever needed (or really wanted) anything he would do it for me. I can see that in Eric and I'm glad. He's going to make an excellent father.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Appointment Update Plus Miscellaneousl Life Comments
Appointmen
First of all, I had another appointment today. It was pretty uneventful, but I still should post about it. We didn't expect anything exciting to happen, so this was the first one I went to by myself. I got there about 15 minutes early. Why do I still do that? At 2:00 (my appt. time) I headed back to leave my sample. Another 15 - 20 minutes went by and then they called me back. They weighed me and I had gained 8 pounds since my last appointment. That seems like a lot to me, but my total weight gain is just 14 pounds, and no one else seemed to think it was unreasonable, so I guess we'll just go with that. The nurse took my blood pressure and pulse and didn't share either number with me. Just after 2:30 p.m. Dr. D came in. She asked how I was feeling. I mentioned my cold. She asked if the baby was moving alot. I said yes. She had my lay on the table and got out the tape measure. They measure from your pubic symphysis to the top of your uterus. I'm not sure exactly how to find either of those points. She didn't tell me what the number was. We listened to the heartbeat. I hadn't heard it in a month, so that was nice. She said it sounded good. I asked her about this weird pressure/pain I have after I stand up after sitting or laying down. As suspected, it's normal and the weight of my growing uterus and baby are just stretching my round ligaments that support my uterus. It isn't a crampy sensation, just a weird stretching/pulling, so I'm guessing it'll get more noticable the larger I get. I asked her if I was in the normal range as far as size. She said yes. I said, "I'm just feel huge." She pointed out that some people have more room in the torso area then others, so I probably just feel/look bigger because I'm not that tall. She also gave me the sugar drink to take home. I'm supposed to chug it 1 hour before my next appointment and they'll take blood to test for gestational diabetes next time. For this time, that's about it.
Miscellaneous - Work
I think I'm more stressed right now about work than I ever have been. I just feel like there is so much to do! I like being busy, but right now I'm working within a time frame and that adds pressure. We have an internal audit of our files on September 8 and 9th. We have "Professional Standards" for those files that include timing that things have to be completed, etc. Many of my accounts are not in great shape. There is a variety of reasons for this. One is that my prior boss was not really that great at keeping on top of those types of things. There are only so many times I could suggest that we work on some of these items, then once they were late...well, they were already late and we had lots of work to do! The other reason is that a few of my accounts are new to me and I wasn't involved when the process began, so I may have other peoples mistakes to fix. The fact that this audit is looming plus the fact that I barely have enough time in the day to get my regular work done, causes me stress. Add to that the fact that I have a CPCU exam on 9/13 and I'm only on page 250 of 800 in my book. Anyway, I've been working alot. I stayed at work until 6:30 p.m. three days this week already. I also plan to put in 4 hours or so on Saturday and probably the same amount of time on Sunday this week. Next week will be me last chance to get everything done for the audit, so I'm forseeing many long days next week too. Again, I don't mind being busy, but what's really bothering me is that I am now thinking about work at home. I don't like that. I like to come home and forget about work until it's time to go back. Instead I catch myself making mental lists of things to get done tomorrow or even dreaming about work. I certainly hope that I feel better after this audit.
Miscellaneous - Baby
I feel like things are coming together at home. Our crib and dresser are in and will be delivered on Saturday afternoon (thus why I'm only working 4 rather than 8 hours Saturday). My Mom gave me money last weekend for the glider, so I'm hoping we can go buy it on Saturday afternoon or at least order it if they don't have them in stock. I also told Eric that I'll want to get the mattress and he suggested the bedding, so we may be doing some shopping at Babies R Us. I just want it to really look like a nursery. Last night I ordered a changing table online from Target.com. It was only $100 after tax and shipping and it should be here September 10th. I'll be 6 months pregnant by then. That is so hard to believe. I am also going to go get the rest of the supplies for the curtains this weekend. I still need to buy a board that Samara can attach the yellow curtains too and I need a tension rod for the sheers and some L-brackets to hang it all up. Sounds like a busy weekend.
Miscellaneous - Friends
I miss them. All of them. I usually e-mail Danialle and Erica several times a week at work, but I've just been too swamped (see above). I think they've been busy too, because I haven't got many e-mails either. I feel bad, but I know we'll catch back up sooner or later. I miss Samara too. We need to plan a get together just for fun. I've seen her new house put together, but Eric hasn't and we've both been busy too. Now school is starting, so I'm guessing that her work is getting a bit more busy too. It's her first year teaching, so she can't exactly coast yet. My friend Kelly at work is still hanging around. I'm expecting her to go into labor at any minute. She isn't due until the 10th, but started dialating 3 weeks ago. Tuesday she was at 3cm, so I was sure she wouldn't last this long. They are inducing her on the 3rd if she makes it that long. I don't think she'll be back Monday.
Well, that's about it. I'm thinking a hot bath and early to bed sounds good tonight. Eric is already asleep on the couch. He got my cold, so he needs the rest. Poor baby. Speaking of baby, I may spend some time on the couch letting Grace kick me too. Good night!
First of all, I had another appointment today. It was pretty uneventful, but I still should post about it. We didn't expect anything exciting to happen, so this was the first one I went to by myself. I got there about 15 minutes early. Why do I still do that? At 2:00 (my appt. time) I headed back to leave my sample. Another 15 - 20 minutes went by and then they called me back. They weighed me and I had gained 8 pounds since my last appointment. That seems like a lot to me, but my total weight gain is just 14 pounds, and no one else seemed to think it was unreasonable, so I guess we'll just go with that. The nurse took my blood pressure and pulse and didn't share either number with me. Just after 2:30 p.m. Dr. D came in. She asked how I was feeling. I mentioned my cold. She asked if the baby was moving alot. I said yes. She had my lay on the table and got out the tape measure. They measure from your pubic symphysis to the top of your uterus. I'm not sure exactly how to find either of those points. She didn't tell me what the number was. We listened to the heartbeat. I hadn't heard it in a month, so that was nice. She said it sounded good. I asked her about this weird pressure/pain I have after I stand up after sitting or laying down. As suspected, it's normal and the weight of my growing uterus and baby are just stretching my round ligaments that support my uterus. It isn't a crampy sensation, just a weird stretching/pulling, so I'm guessing it'll get more noticable the larger I get. I asked her if I was in the normal range as far as size. She said yes. I said, "I'm just feel huge." She pointed out that some people have more room in the torso area then others, so I probably just feel/look bigger because I'm not that tall. She also gave me the sugar drink to take home. I'm supposed to chug it 1 hour before my next appointment and they'll take blood to test for gestational diabetes next time. For this time, that's about it.
Miscellaneous - Work
I think I'm more stressed right now about work than I ever have been. I just feel like there is so much to do! I like being busy, but right now I'm working within a time frame and that adds pressure. We have an internal audit of our files on September 8 and 9th. We have "Professional Standards" for those files that include timing that things have to be completed, etc. Many of my accounts are not in great shape. There is a variety of reasons for this. One is that my prior boss was not really that great at keeping on top of those types of things. There are only so many times I could suggest that we work on some of these items, then once they were late...well, they were already late and we had lots of work to do! The other reason is that a few of my accounts are new to me and I wasn't involved when the process began, so I may have other peoples mistakes to fix. The fact that this audit is looming plus the fact that I barely have enough time in the day to get my regular work done, causes me stress. Add to that the fact that I have a CPCU exam on 9/13 and I'm only on page 250 of 800 in my book. Anyway, I've been working alot. I stayed at work until 6:30 p.m. three days this week already. I also plan to put in 4 hours or so on Saturday and probably the same amount of time on Sunday this week. Next week will be me last chance to get everything done for the audit, so I'm forseeing many long days next week too. Again, I don't mind being busy, but what's really bothering me is that I am now thinking about work at home. I don't like that. I like to come home and forget about work until it's time to go back. Instead I catch myself making mental lists of things to get done tomorrow or even dreaming about work. I certainly hope that I feel better after this audit.
Miscellaneous - Baby
I feel like things are coming together at home. Our crib and dresser are in and will be delivered on Saturday afternoon (thus why I'm only working 4 rather than 8 hours Saturday). My Mom gave me money last weekend for the glider, so I'm hoping we can go buy it on Saturday afternoon or at least order it if they don't have them in stock. I also told Eric that I'll want to get the mattress and he suggested the bedding, so we may be doing some shopping at Babies R Us. I just want it to really look like a nursery. Last night I ordered a changing table online from Target.com. It was only $100 after tax and shipping and it should be here September 10th. I'll be 6 months pregnant by then. That is so hard to believe. I am also going to go get the rest of the supplies for the curtains this weekend. I still need to buy a board that Samara can attach the yellow curtains too and I need a tension rod for the sheers and some L-brackets to hang it all up. Sounds like a busy weekend.
Miscellaneous - Friends
I miss them. All of them. I usually e-mail Danialle and Erica several times a week at work, but I've just been too swamped (see above). I think they've been busy too, because I haven't got many e-mails either. I feel bad, but I know we'll catch back up sooner or later. I miss Samara too. We need to plan a get together just for fun. I've seen her new house put together, but Eric hasn't and we've both been busy too. Now school is starting, so I'm guessing that her work is getting a bit more busy too. It's her first year teaching, so she can't exactly coast yet. My friend Kelly at work is still hanging around. I'm expecting her to go into labor at any minute. She isn't due until the 10th, but started dialating 3 weeks ago. Tuesday she was at 3cm, so I was sure she wouldn't last this long. They are inducing her on the 3rd if she makes it that long. I don't think she'll be back Monday.
Well, that's about it. I'm thinking a hot bath and early to bed sounds good tonight. Eric is already asleep on the couch. He got my cold, so he needs the rest. Poor baby. Speaking of baby, I may spend some time on the couch letting Grace kick me too. Good night!
Monday, August 23, 2004
Twenty-Three Weeks, 2 Days - The 24th Week
My Symptoms
I have a doctor's appointment this week, so I'll have to update about that. I'm still feeling good except that this past week I was hit with a nasty cold. I had a sour throat two days last week, followed by a headache for two days. All the cold symptoms (runny nose, stopped up nose, sinus pressure, watery eyes) showed up Saturday. I've actually felt a bit better today with only 2 doses of Sudafed, so I think that's a step in the right direction. I usually am not sick too long, so I hope this passes quickly. I was a little concerned about Grace yesterday. She was very quiet. I didn't feel her move during church, which she usually does. I think the music wakes her up and then I am sitting for an hour or so and can really pay attention to movement. She also wasn't moving during the drive home in the car. Thankfully, I felt her a bit after we got home and I was resting on the couch, not a lot, but enough to know she was still in there and ok! Today, on the other hand, she's made up for it. I've felt her all day long. I noticed while I was working all morning, and when I was at lunch, and then in this meeting after lunch, then while I was working in the afternoon, then in the car, then while I ate dinner, then while I've been on the computer (you get the point?). I wonder if my cold plus the medicine made yesterday a "down" day? Either way, I know she's still ok. We had a message from the furniture store on the phone tonight. I'll call tomorrow, but I'm guessing the crib and dresser are here! Yeah! I'll be excited to see when we can get it delivered. We may go and order our glider this weekend too. Mom gave me the money for it over the weekend. Soon the nursery will really look like a nursery complete with furniture! So exciting! As to things mentioned below. I'm still an innie and no stretch markes that I've seen yet. Ok here's the rest of the update.
The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs about 1.2 pounds. Its crown-to-rump length is about 8.4 inches. Your baby is filling out. Its face and body look more like that af an infant at the time of birth. Although it weighs a little over 1 pound ath this point, it is still tiny.
Rapid eye movements are beginning! The eyes open and shut frequently, and his eyebrows and eyelashes are present. This eleven-inch wonder is moving a great deal these days. Take a bath and watch your belly roll!
Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are forming. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
Your baby is almost completely formed, and is beginning to deposit brown fat on his or her body. The purpose of the brown fat is to retain body heat. Newborns are notoriously bad at regulating body temperature at first. This is particularly a problem for a baby born early.
Babies born at this point have some chances of survival with very special care. They will be in the Intensive Care Unit, probably for many weeks. Usually we say that you can expect them to stay in the NICU until their due date. A major problem with premature babies is lung development. If preterm labor is detected early enough a steroid shot, called Betamethasone, can sometimes be given to enhance lung development. S/he weighs in at 1 lb 5 ounces (595 grams) and 30 cms or 11.8 inches total length!
The Mom
Your uterus is now 1.5 to 2 inches above the bellybutton. It measures almost 10 inches above the pubic symphysis.
You may begin getting stretch marks and forming a linea negra (the dark line between your belly button and pubic bone). The linea negra will disappear and the stretch marks will eventually fade... wear them proudly -- they’re your badges of honor!
The top of your uterus is now an inch or so above your belly button, which means it's about the size of a soccer ball. With the skin on your abdomen and breasts stretching, you may feel a little itchy now and then. If your skin is dry, keeping it well moisturized may help. Also, your eyes may be sensitive to light and feel gritty and dry. This is a perfectly normal pregnancy symptom known as dry-eye. To ease your discomfort, use an artificial tears solution to add moisture.Most women will have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between 24 and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a high-blood-sugar condition during pregnancy. Untreated, high blood sugar increases your risk for having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow overly fat, especially in his upper body. It also increases your baby's risk for complications like low blood sugar at birth. A positive result on your GCT test doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you should have the more involved glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out.It's also a good idea to be aware of the signs of preterm labor. Contact your caregiver immediately if you notice an increase in vaginal discharge that is watery, mucus-like, or pink or blood-tinged; any vaginal bleeding or spotting; abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping or more than four contractions in an hour; an increase in pelvic pressure; or low back pain that you haven't had before.
Your fundus (top of the uterus) reaches just above your navel! You are now aware of your baby's movements and may even be able to tell the sleep/wake cycles of your little one.
I have a doctor's appointment this week, so I'll have to update about that. I'm still feeling good except that this past week I was hit with a nasty cold. I had a sour throat two days last week, followed by a headache for two days. All the cold symptoms (runny nose, stopped up nose, sinus pressure, watery eyes) showed up Saturday. I've actually felt a bit better today with only 2 doses of Sudafed, so I think that's a step in the right direction. I usually am not sick too long, so I hope this passes quickly. I was a little concerned about Grace yesterday. She was very quiet. I didn't feel her move during church, which she usually does. I think the music wakes her up and then I am sitting for an hour or so and can really pay attention to movement. She also wasn't moving during the drive home in the car. Thankfully, I felt her a bit after we got home and I was resting on the couch, not a lot, but enough to know she was still in there and ok! Today, on the other hand, she's made up for it. I've felt her all day long. I noticed while I was working all morning, and when I was at lunch, and then in this meeting after lunch, then while I was working in the afternoon, then in the car, then while I ate dinner, then while I've been on the computer (you get the point?). I wonder if my cold plus the medicine made yesterday a "down" day? Either way, I know she's still ok. We had a message from the furniture store on the phone tonight. I'll call tomorrow, but I'm guessing the crib and dresser are here! Yeah! I'll be excited to see when we can get it delivered. We may go and order our glider this weekend too. Mom gave me the money for it over the weekend. Soon the nursery will really look like a nursery complete with furniture! So exciting! As to things mentioned below. I'm still an innie and no stretch markes that I've seen yet. Ok here's the rest of the update.
The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs about 1.2 pounds. Its crown-to-rump length is about 8.4 inches. Your baby is filling out. Its face and body look more like that af an infant at the time of birth. Although it weighs a little over 1 pound ath this point, it is still tiny.
Rapid eye movements are beginning! The eyes open and shut frequently, and his eyebrows and eyelashes are present. This eleven-inch wonder is moving a great deal these days. Take a bath and watch your belly roll!
Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are forming. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
Your baby is almost completely formed, and is beginning to deposit brown fat on his or her body. The purpose of the brown fat is to retain body heat. Newborns are notoriously bad at regulating body temperature at first. This is particularly a problem for a baby born early.
Babies born at this point have some chances of survival with very special care. They will be in the Intensive Care Unit, probably for many weeks. Usually we say that you can expect them to stay in the NICU until their due date. A major problem with premature babies is lung development. If preterm labor is detected early enough a steroid shot, called Betamethasone, can sometimes be given to enhance lung development. S/he weighs in at 1 lb 5 ounces (595 grams) and 30 cms or 11.8 inches total length!
The Mom
Your uterus is now 1.5 to 2 inches above the bellybutton. It measures almost 10 inches above the pubic symphysis.
You may begin getting stretch marks and forming a linea negra (the dark line between your belly button and pubic bone). The linea negra will disappear and the stretch marks will eventually fade... wear them proudly -- they’re your badges of honor!
The top of your uterus is now an inch or so above your belly button, which means it's about the size of a soccer ball. With the skin on your abdomen and breasts stretching, you may feel a little itchy now and then. If your skin is dry, keeping it well moisturized may help. Also, your eyes may be sensitive to light and feel gritty and dry. This is a perfectly normal pregnancy symptom known as dry-eye. To ease your discomfort, use an artificial tears solution to add moisture.Most women will have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between 24 and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a high-blood-sugar condition during pregnancy. Untreated, high blood sugar increases your risk for having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow overly fat, especially in his upper body. It also increases your baby's risk for complications like low blood sugar at birth. A positive result on your GCT test doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you should have the more involved glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out.It's also a good idea to be aware of the signs of preterm labor. Contact your caregiver immediately if you notice an increase in vaginal discharge that is watery, mucus-like, or pink or blood-tinged; any vaginal bleeding or spotting; abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping or more than four contractions in an hour; an increase in pelvic pressure; or low back pain that you haven't had before.
Your fundus (top of the uterus) reaches just above your navel! You are now aware of your baby's movements and may even be able to tell the sleep/wake cycles of your little one.
Weekend Update
I had a very nice weekend visiting family.
Things started off a little rocky on Thursday. The plan was to come home from work, do the laundry, pack, and see who got evicted on Big Brother. I did start out doing the laundry, but just as Big Brother was getting started, Zeus had a seizure. It was so scary. He was eating and then I looked over at him and he was holding this one leg up weird. I went to see if he had hurt himself and he fell down and couldn't stand up. He wasn't really shaking or twitching, but he couldn't use his legs and he looked very scared. You could see it in his eyes. He tried to run into the other room, but kept falling over and looked like a baby horse that had just been born trying to walk. We grabbed a sheet on the refrigerator that had the map to the Emergency Vet and jumped in the car. He seemed to recover in the car and by the time we got to the vet, he was his normal self. We had them check him out and do some bloodwork. Two hours and $170 later the diagnosis was that sometimes dogs have seizures and unless he has several in a short period of time, or one lasts longer than 5 minutes, there isn't much they will do. When we got home I did one more load of laundry and decided that the packing just wasn't getting done that night.
Friday, I decided to take summer hours because I still had work to do at home. I came home around 1:30 p.m., took a nap, finished the laundry, and packed. We headed out around 6:00 p.m. when Eric got home. There was a lot of traffic, but we made it to Grandma's at a little after 9:00 Central time. Mom, Dad, and Jeremy were already there, so we just visited. Mom and Dad gave up the bed in the guest room for their pregnant daughter, so we slept in there with Zeus. I think being cooped up in the car all evening made him not very tired, so I had a horrible night's sleep.
Saturday, I got up with a full blown cold. It was starting last week, but by Saturday I was really miserable. Mom, Grandma, and I went to Lafayette for some shopping. We went to JoAnn Fabrics, Michael's, Target, and Toy's R Us. Mom really wanted to buy Grace an outfit, so we weren't leaving until she found one. Target didn't have much, so we stopped by Toy's R Us and found some really cute dresses. Grace now owns something pink! We also got lunch at Steak N' Shake. That was an early craving, but I haven't had it in a month or so. It was still very yummy. After we got back to the house, I took a little nap. The cold was kicking my butt! I picked up some Sudafed after talking to the pharmacist at Target, but I was still pretty miserable. One of my cousins' stopped by to chat and then the guys showed up with pizza. We ate and watched the Olympics. Satruday night was much better sleeping. Playing with the other dogs must have worn Zeus out, and I was all drugged up, so I slept ok.
Sunday, I got up fairly early and visited with Mom. Then we got ready for church and went to a church where a lot of the people from my old church go now. It was good to get to see everyone again. After church we had lunch with one of the couples and my parents. We ended up leaving town around 3:45 p.m. We made good time on the way home and made it here before 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening was spent on the couch trying to feel a little better.
It was so nice to see everyone without the added pressure of a big family gathering. There wasn't anything that had to be done and we really got to visit. I think my Mom is really excited about this first grandchild. I know we wish we could spend more time together, but we just keep promising to do better at calling and I'm going to have to get better at the pictures. The only thing I was disappointed in was that she didn't get to feel the baby kick. Grace just wasn't very cooperative. She was kicking Saturday night, but just not in the right places at the right time. I think she's feet down right now because I feel a whole lot way down low that you couldn't really feel from the outside. Stay tuned for my weekly update next.
Things started off a little rocky on Thursday. The plan was to come home from work, do the laundry, pack, and see who got evicted on Big Brother. I did start out doing the laundry, but just as Big Brother was getting started, Zeus had a seizure. It was so scary. He was eating and then I looked over at him and he was holding this one leg up weird. I went to see if he had hurt himself and he fell down and couldn't stand up. He wasn't really shaking or twitching, but he couldn't use his legs and he looked very scared. You could see it in his eyes. He tried to run into the other room, but kept falling over and looked like a baby horse that had just been born trying to walk. We grabbed a sheet on the refrigerator that had the map to the Emergency Vet and jumped in the car. He seemed to recover in the car and by the time we got to the vet, he was his normal self. We had them check him out and do some bloodwork. Two hours and $170 later the diagnosis was that sometimes dogs have seizures and unless he has several in a short period of time, or one lasts longer than 5 minutes, there isn't much they will do. When we got home I did one more load of laundry and decided that the packing just wasn't getting done that night.
Friday, I decided to take summer hours because I still had work to do at home. I came home around 1:30 p.m., took a nap, finished the laundry, and packed. We headed out around 6:00 p.m. when Eric got home. There was a lot of traffic, but we made it to Grandma's at a little after 9:00 Central time. Mom, Dad, and Jeremy were already there, so we just visited. Mom and Dad gave up the bed in the guest room for their pregnant daughter, so we slept in there with Zeus. I think being cooped up in the car all evening made him not very tired, so I had a horrible night's sleep.
Saturday, I got up with a full blown cold. It was starting last week, but by Saturday I was really miserable. Mom, Grandma, and I went to Lafayette for some shopping. We went to JoAnn Fabrics, Michael's, Target, and Toy's R Us. Mom really wanted to buy Grace an outfit, so we weren't leaving until she found one. Target didn't have much, so we stopped by Toy's R Us and found some really cute dresses. Grace now owns something pink! We also got lunch at Steak N' Shake. That was an early craving, but I haven't had it in a month or so. It was still very yummy. After we got back to the house, I took a little nap. The cold was kicking my butt! I picked up some Sudafed after talking to the pharmacist at Target, but I was still pretty miserable. One of my cousins' stopped by to chat and then the guys showed up with pizza. We ate and watched the Olympics. Satruday night was much better sleeping. Playing with the other dogs must have worn Zeus out, and I was all drugged up, so I slept ok.
Sunday, I got up fairly early and visited with Mom. Then we got ready for church and went to a church where a lot of the people from my old church go now. It was good to get to see everyone again. After church we had lunch with one of the couples and my parents. We ended up leaving town around 3:45 p.m. We made good time on the way home and made it here before 7:30 p.m. Sunday evening was spent on the couch trying to feel a little better.
It was so nice to see everyone without the added pressure of a big family gathering. There wasn't anything that had to be done and we really got to visit. I think my Mom is really excited about this first grandchild. I know we wish we could spend more time together, but we just keep promising to do better at calling and I'm going to have to get better at the pictures. The only thing I was disappointed in was that she didn't get to feel the baby kick. Grace just wasn't very cooperative. She was kicking Saturday night, but just not in the right places at the right time. I think she's feet down right now because I feel a whole lot way down low that you couldn't really feel from the outside. Stay tuned for my weekly update next.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
The Nursery
As promised, I've been working hard in the nursery. We now have the painting done, except for a few touch ups. Eric needs to touch up the purple where he pulled the tape off. I need to wash the walls to remove the rest of the crayon I used to draw the ducks.
Once that's done, I'm going to do a really good vacuum job and then steam the carpets while there isn't any furniture in there. The furniture should arrive next week. Samara's been working on my curtains and they are almost done (I still have to get her the board to use for the cornice and she may have to come help me hang them. I'm guessing once the crib arrives, we'll want to go buy the baby mattress and bedding, so it looks real. My mobile arrived yesterday (so cute!). It's coming together! I'll post more pictures after the furniture and curtains are in.
Here's the tour. This is a picture of one wall (standing in the doorway).
Here is a close-up of the duckies. Please, no one comment on them not being perfect. I was going for the I did it at home look.
Last, but not least. A quick shot of the closet and the cute little baby clothes already hanging there waiting.
That's the tour. I'll do more when the other stuff gets here.
Once that's done, I'm going to do a really good vacuum job and then steam the carpets while there isn't any furniture in there. The furniture should arrive next week. Samara's been working on my curtains and they are almost done (I still have to get her the board to use for the cornice and she may have to come help me hang them. I'm guessing once the crib arrives, we'll want to go buy the baby mattress and bedding, so it looks real. My mobile arrived yesterday (so cute!). It's coming together! I'll post more pictures after the furniture and curtains are in.
Here's the tour. This is a picture of one wall (standing in the doorway).
Here is a close-up of the duckies. Please, no one comment on them not being perfect. I was going for the I did it at home look.
Last, but not least. A quick shot of the closet and the cute little baby clothes already hanging there waiting.
That's the tour. I'll do more when the other stuff gets here.
22 weeks, 3 days - The 23rd Week
My Symptoms
I'm a little slow this week. I've been busy! I can't really think of any "new" symptoms. I was super tired last week, but I think it was the VBS. I've been sleeping ok, although last night I had several wake ups. Grace has been very active. I love that I can really feel her now. I wish I had time at work to just stop and enjoy, but I usually just have to work through the movements. I've been able to see several more kicks, although Eric hasn't felt any more (he hasn't been trying that hard). Now when I'm home in the evenings, as soon as I settle down and pay attention there is a lot to feel. I don't think I'll get tired of it. I think I've been gaining weight too. We'll see how bad the scale at the doctor's office is next week. I think I'm up to a total of about 14 pounds now. I think this is a big growth time for the baby though, so I'm not that concerned. I'm over half way and the "normal" weight gain is 25 to 35 pounds, so I'm still on track. Here's what the book and Internet say is happening this week.
The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs almost 1 pound! It's crown-to-rump length is 8 inches. Your baby is about the size of a small doll. Your baby is continuing to grow. Its body is getting plumper, but its skin is still wrinkled because it will gain even more weight. The baby's face and body begin to assume more of the appearance of an infant at birth.
The fetus weighs about 500 grams. If it is born at less than 500 grams, it might survive with disabilities. If it is born weighing over 500 grams, it may be able to survive and thrive. Much of this is dependent upon the newly deposited fat in her body, which would help to insulate her. A baby born this small would need weeks of care and hospitalization.
Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.
The baby's finger nails are almost fully formed and the lanugo darkens. Your baby continues to grow in preparation for the journey of birth. He or she is totally unaffected by the Braxton Hicks, or practice, contractions. Meconium, the baby's first stool, is developing. Baby weighs 1 pound 2 ounces (510 grams).
The Mom
Your uterus extends about 1.5 inches above your bellybutton or about 9.2 inches from the pubic symphysis. The changes in your abdomen or progressing slowly, but you definately have a round appearance now. Your total weight gain shoudl be between 12 and 15 pounds. At this point, friends may comment on your size. They may say you must be carrying twins because you're so large. Or they may say you're too small for how far along you think you are. Your doctor will measure you at every visit after this point. He or she is watching for changes in your weight gain and in the size of your uterus. As your baby gets larger, the placenta gets larger. The amount of amniotic fluid also increases.
You're feeling like a human jungle gym! It’s a rockin’ and rollin’ in there! Since there’s still room to move, that little guy or gal is using it all! Somewhere around now, you may have an internal exam to check your cervix for risk of preterm labor.
If you dealt with headaches in your first trimester, they might be subsiding now. (Many women have headaches in early pregnancy, thanks to pregnancy hormones, changes in circulation, and/or sinus congestion.)You may notice some mild swelling sometime during your pregnancy, especially in your ankles and feet. It's called edema, and it happens because changes in your blood chemistry cause fluid to shift into your tissue and because your enlarging uterus puts pressure on the veins returning blood from the lower half of your body, slowing circulation in your legs. Edema is often worse at the end of the day and in the summer. Your body will eliminate the extra fluid after you have your baby (which is why you may urinate often and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery). In the meantime, put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, avoid sitting still for long periods, exercise regularly to increase circulation, and wear support stockings (put them on first thing in the morning). You may be tempted to skimp on liquids, but you need to drink plenty of water, because keeping hydrated actually helps prevent swelling. If you notice severe or sudden swelling in your hands and face, be sure to call your midwife or doctor because it may be a sign of a serious condition called preeclampsia.
During your appointments your practitioner may palpate your abdomen. This process is a way of feeling the position of the baby. A tape measure will also be used to measure your fundal height. This is the top of your uterus and is a good indicator of the continued growth of your baby. Some people will worry if they measure a bit "too big" or "too small." However, it is completely normal to have slight variations at this point. Be sure to ask your practitioner if you are worried. Stop by and check out our Belly Gallery to see other bellies! You may actually feel Braxton Hicks contraction, or you might just happen to notice with your hand a slight tensing of your abdomen. This is just your uterine muscle preparing for birth. The uterus actually contracts at all phases of a woman's life, however, we rarely notice this unless our uterus is full!
I'm a little slow this week. I've been busy! I can't really think of any "new" symptoms. I was super tired last week, but I think it was the VBS. I've been sleeping ok, although last night I had several wake ups. Grace has been very active. I love that I can really feel her now. I wish I had time at work to just stop and enjoy, but I usually just have to work through the movements. I've been able to see several more kicks, although Eric hasn't felt any more (he hasn't been trying that hard). Now when I'm home in the evenings, as soon as I settle down and pay attention there is a lot to feel. I don't think I'll get tired of it. I think I've been gaining weight too. We'll see how bad the scale at the doctor's office is next week. I think I'm up to a total of about 14 pounds now. I think this is a big growth time for the baby though, so I'm not that concerned. I'm over half way and the "normal" weight gain is 25 to 35 pounds, so I'm still on track. Here's what the book and Internet say is happening this week.
The Baby
By this week, your baby weighs almost 1 pound! It's crown-to-rump length is 8 inches. Your baby is about the size of a small doll. Your baby is continuing to grow. Its body is getting plumper, but its skin is still wrinkled because it will gain even more weight. The baby's face and body begin to assume more of the appearance of an infant at birth.
The fetus weighs about 500 grams. If it is born at less than 500 grams, it might survive with disabilities. If it is born weighing over 500 grams, it may be able to survive and thrive. Much of this is dependent upon the newly deposited fat in her body, which would help to insulate her. A baby born this small would need weeks of care and hospitalization.
Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.
The baby's finger nails are almost fully formed and the lanugo darkens. Your baby continues to grow in preparation for the journey of birth. He or she is totally unaffected by the Braxton Hicks, or practice, contractions. Meconium, the baby's first stool, is developing. Baby weighs 1 pound 2 ounces (510 grams).
The Mom
Your uterus extends about 1.5 inches above your bellybutton or about 9.2 inches from the pubic symphysis. The changes in your abdomen or progressing slowly, but you definately have a round appearance now. Your total weight gain shoudl be between 12 and 15 pounds. At this point, friends may comment on your size. They may say you must be carrying twins because you're so large. Or they may say you're too small for how far along you think you are. Your doctor will measure you at every visit after this point. He or she is watching for changes in your weight gain and in the size of your uterus. As your baby gets larger, the placenta gets larger. The amount of amniotic fluid also increases.
You're feeling like a human jungle gym! It’s a rockin’ and rollin’ in there! Since there’s still room to move, that little guy or gal is using it all! Somewhere around now, you may have an internal exam to check your cervix for risk of preterm labor.
If you dealt with headaches in your first trimester, they might be subsiding now. (Many women have headaches in early pregnancy, thanks to pregnancy hormones, changes in circulation, and/or sinus congestion.)You may notice some mild swelling sometime during your pregnancy, especially in your ankles and feet. It's called edema, and it happens because changes in your blood chemistry cause fluid to shift into your tissue and because your enlarging uterus puts pressure on the veins returning blood from the lower half of your body, slowing circulation in your legs. Edema is often worse at the end of the day and in the summer. Your body will eliminate the extra fluid after you have your baby (which is why you may urinate often and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery). In the meantime, put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, avoid sitting still for long periods, exercise regularly to increase circulation, and wear support stockings (put them on first thing in the morning). You may be tempted to skimp on liquids, but you need to drink plenty of water, because keeping hydrated actually helps prevent swelling. If you notice severe or sudden swelling in your hands and face, be sure to call your midwife or doctor because it may be a sign of a serious condition called preeclampsia.
During your appointments your practitioner may palpate your abdomen. This process is a way of feeling the position of the baby. A tape measure will also be used to measure your fundal height. This is the top of your uterus and is a good indicator of the continued growth of your baby. Some people will worry if they measure a bit "too big" or "too small." However, it is completely normal to have slight variations at this point. Be sure to ask your practitioner if you are worried. Stop by and check out our Belly Gallery to see other bellies! You may actually feel Braxton Hicks contraction, or you might just happen to notice with your hand a slight tensing of your abdomen. This is just your uterine muscle preparing for birth. The uterus actually contracts at all phases of a woman's life, however, we rarely notice this unless our uterus is full!
Monday, August 16, 2004
Weekend Update
I’ve been a bad blogger, but wanted to try to get a weekend update in. Tonight I’ll try to do my weekly development update too.
This week was completely crazy and busy. From Sunday through Thursday I did Vacation Bible School at church every night from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. Two nights I was with the 1st and 2nd grade class and the other three nights I had a 2 year old in the nursery to watch. It wore me out!
Friday night was the closing program for VBS at 7:00 p.m.. Eric decided not to go with me, but it was still fun. The kids all got on stage and sang their songs, and then they had ice cream Sunday’s. My neighbor April was there, and we decided to call our husbands and have them meet us at El Vaquero’s for dinner after the program. We had lots of yummy Mexican and then went home. April had used the DVR to record the Olympic Opening Ceremony, so I went over there and watched it with her. I headed to bed sometime around midnight or 1:00 a.m.
Saturday morning I slept in a bit, but got up around 10:30 a.m. I then went to Lowe’s to buy paint and supplies to get started on the nursery. When I got home, Eric was still sleeping so I woke him up to get started on the day. He went to work for a bit and I taped the nursery. After he got home, I decided I wanted a nap, so I napped while he mowed the yard. After mowing, he had Martin come help him move the dresser and bed from the guest bedroom to the garage for our upcoming garage sale (date to be determined). Then he started painting. I did a bit of cleaning while he was painting, and by 9:30 p.m. we were both finished and watched some Olympics on TV. By the way, Eric did an awesome job painting. I was so proud of him, although I felt bad that I didn’t help.
Sunday we went to church. When I got home, I ran to the grocery store and Eric went to buy a new video game and pick up some BW3’s for lunch. After eating, I got to work on the ducks in the nursery. I used my stencil I made, plus the laser level (awesome) and a crayon to draw all the ducks on the wall. There ended up being 50 of them. Then at about 3:00 p.m. my friend Kelly from work came over. She brought her Pug dog Dewey and he and Zeus when crazy for about 2 hours. We just chatted and let the dogs play and then she left just before 5:00 p.m. Then it was back to work. I ended up doing 2 coats of yellow paint on the ducks with a 45 minute break in between. I still have to do the beaks and eyes, but they are very cute. Not quite perfect, but good enough for me. I didn’t take pictures yet, because they aren’t done, but expect pictures this week. Around 9:30 p.m. I decided to give it up for the night and tried to watch some more Olympics. My eyes kept closing though, and around 10:30 I gave up and went to bed.
To do this week, finish ducks and take pictures. I’ll be out of town (seeing my parents!) this weekend, so I will be excited to have that done before I go. One more thing, Eric is being so cute about seeing my parents. He was totally fine with the trip and then realized that his Fantasy Football draft is the same weekend. He told me he wanted to do the football thing back in May, but I didn’t have the draft on the calendar. If you don’t do the draft, you can’t play, so this was a dilemma. I didn’t want to tell him he couldn’t do it or had to come with me, but he doesn’t want to be “that husband.” You know, the one who always blows off the wife’s family things. Because of his work schedule and things, I do tend to see my parents by myself a lot and especially with the baby on the way, he doesn’t want to seem uninterested. I on the other hand, don’t want him to be a grouch and resenting giving up his football thing while hanging out this weekend. He made his decision though and decided to use the money he would have paid to get into the fantasy league to buy a new video game and now he will spend the weekend with me and visiting my parents. He also promised not be grouchy while there. We’ll see how that one goes.
This week was completely crazy and busy. From Sunday through Thursday I did Vacation Bible School at church every night from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. Two nights I was with the 1st and 2nd grade class and the other three nights I had a 2 year old in the nursery to watch. It wore me out!
Friday night was the closing program for VBS at 7:00 p.m.. Eric decided not to go with me, but it was still fun. The kids all got on stage and sang their songs, and then they had ice cream Sunday’s. My neighbor April was there, and we decided to call our husbands and have them meet us at El Vaquero’s for dinner after the program. We had lots of yummy Mexican and then went home. April had used the DVR to record the Olympic Opening Ceremony, so I went over there and watched it with her. I headed to bed sometime around midnight or 1:00 a.m.
Saturday morning I slept in a bit, but got up around 10:30 a.m. I then went to Lowe’s to buy paint and supplies to get started on the nursery. When I got home, Eric was still sleeping so I woke him up to get started on the day. He went to work for a bit and I taped the nursery. After he got home, I decided I wanted a nap, so I napped while he mowed the yard. After mowing, he had Martin come help him move the dresser and bed from the guest bedroom to the garage for our upcoming garage sale (date to be determined). Then he started painting. I did a bit of cleaning while he was painting, and by 9:30 p.m. we were both finished and watched some Olympics on TV. By the way, Eric did an awesome job painting. I was so proud of him, although I felt bad that I didn’t help.
Sunday we went to church. When I got home, I ran to the grocery store and Eric went to buy a new video game and pick up some BW3’s for lunch. After eating, I got to work on the ducks in the nursery. I used my stencil I made, plus the laser level (awesome) and a crayon to draw all the ducks on the wall. There ended up being 50 of them. Then at about 3:00 p.m. my friend Kelly from work came over. She brought her Pug dog Dewey and he and Zeus when crazy for about 2 hours. We just chatted and let the dogs play and then she left just before 5:00 p.m. Then it was back to work. I ended up doing 2 coats of yellow paint on the ducks with a 45 minute break in between. I still have to do the beaks and eyes, but they are very cute. Not quite perfect, but good enough for me. I didn’t take pictures yet, because they aren’t done, but expect pictures this week. Around 9:30 p.m. I decided to give it up for the night and tried to watch some more Olympics. My eyes kept closing though, and around 10:30 I gave up and went to bed.
To do this week, finish ducks and take pictures. I’ll be out of town (seeing my parents!) this weekend, so I will be excited to have that done before I go. One more thing, Eric is being so cute about seeing my parents. He was totally fine with the trip and then realized that his Fantasy Football draft is the same weekend. He told me he wanted to do the football thing back in May, but I didn’t have the draft on the calendar. If you don’t do the draft, you can’t play, so this was a dilemma. I didn’t want to tell him he couldn’t do it or had to come with me, but he doesn’t want to be “that husband.” You know, the one who always blows off the wife’s family things. Because of his work schedule and things, I do tend to see my parents by myself a lot and especially with the baby on the way, he doesn’t want to seem uninterested. I on the other hand, don’t want him to be a grouch and resenting giving up his football thing while hanging out this weekend. He made his decision though and decided to use the money he would have paid to get into the fantasy league to buy a new video game and now he will spend the weekend with me and visiting my parents. He also promised not be grouchy while there. We’ll see how that one goes.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Kids Say the Darndest Things & Kicks
I have two stories to share from last night.
Kids Say the Darndest Things
I have been helping with Vacation Bible School in the evenings this week. I have been doing the nursery, but last night my one child didn’t come, so I helped out with the 1st and 2nd grade class. There was a boy who was quite a handful. At one point the kids were lined up to get drinks at the water fountain and Bobby got ready to flick the girl in front of him in the rear. I said, “No, Bobby.” That turned his attention to me and he aimed his “flicker” at my belly. At this point another little girl asked me, “Do you have a baby in there?” I said, “Yes, I do.” Then she said, “Bobby, don’t! You could hurt the baby. If you hurt it and it doesn’t make it, then it will have to go to COSI.” I then said, “COSI?” She then said, “That’s where they have the babies in the jars.” For those of you that don't know, COSI is a children's museum here in town that has various exhibits. One of those exhibits has jars with fetuses in various stages of development. She must have went to visit at some point and asked her parents where they got the babies. I’m guessing the answer was that they were babies that didn’t make it, thus, babies that don’t make it go to COSI. It was a little morbid, but also funny.
Kicks
After I got home from VBS last night, I got a bowl of ice cream and settled down on the couch to watch Big Brother. Maybe it was the sugar, but Grace was really active. I was feeling tons of kicks (kind of like right now, come to think of it). I lifted my shirt, stared at my belly, and watched to see if I could see another kick. After a while, I did see one, although it wasn’t as obvious as the one I saw on Saturday. Then I told Eric that I was getting lots of kicks and asked if he wanted to come over and see if he could see or feel one. He came over and put his hand on my belly where I was getting lots of kicks. Very quickly we were rewarded. I got a really big kick and just as I was about to tell Eric that I felt a big one, he said, “I felt it!” It was so exciting. I think I was more excited then he was, but I was just so glad to get to share it with him. Now I’m sure he’ll get tired of me making him feel her move. The other good thing is that now that I know we can feel it from outside, I may get to let my Mom feel next weekend. I didn’t know I was going to get to see her before October, but then this trip popped up. I really hope we have a cooperative baby and she can feel a kick or two. Another milestone. First kick felt by Dad, 21 weeks 4 days.
Kids Say the Darndest Things
I have been helping with Vacation Bible School in the evenings this week. I have been doing the nursery, but last night my one child didn’t come, so I helped out with the 1st and 2nd grade class. There was a boy who was quite a handful. At one point the kids were lined up to get drinks at the water fountain and Bobby got ready to flick the girl in front of him in the rear. I said, “No, Bobby.” That turned his attention to me and he aimed his “flicker” at my belly. At this point another little girl asked me, “Do you have a baby in there?” I said, “Yes, I do.” Then she said, “Bobby, don’t! You could hurt the baby. If you hurt it and it doesn’t make it, then it will have to go to COSI.” I then said, “COSI?” She then said, “That’s where they have the babies in the jars.” For those of you that don't know, COSI is a children's museum here in town that has various exhibits. One of those exhibits has jars with fetuses in various stages of development. She must have went to visit at some point and asked her parents where they got the babies. I’m guessing the answer was that they were babies that didn’t make it, thus, babies that don’t make it go to COSI. It was a little morbid, but also funny.
Kicks
After I got home from VBS last night, I got a bowl of ice cream and settled down on the couch to watch Big Brother. Maybe it was the sugar, but Grace was really active. I was feeling tons of kicks (kind of like right now, come to think of it). I lifted my shirt, stared at my belly, and watched to see if I could see another kick. After a while, I did see one, although it wasn’t as obvious as the one I saw on Saturday. Then I told Eric that I was getting lots of kicks and asked if he wanted to come over and see if he could see or feel one. He came over and put his hand on my belly where I was getting lots of kicks. Very quickly we were rewarded. I got a really big kick and just as I was about to tell Eric that I felt a big one, he said, “I felt it!” It was so exciting. I think I was more excited then he was, but I was just so glad to get to share it with him. Now I’m sure he’ll get tired of me making him feel her move. The other good thing is that now that I know we can feel it from outside, I may get to let my Mom feel next weekend. I didn’t know I was going to get to see her before October, but then this trip popped up. I really hope we have a cooperative baby and she can feel a kick or two. Another milestone. First kick felt by Dad, 21 weeks 4 days.
Sunday, August 08, 2004
21 weeks, 1 day - The 22nd Week
My Symptoms
I'm definately enjoying the second trimester. I really feel great. I haven't even had any heartburn issues this week. I did get a headache that wouldn't quit and stayed home on Thursday, but other than that, I really feel good. I really feel (and look) pregnant now, and it's fun to have strangers make comments. I even got a carry-out at the grocery store and I didn't have to ask. Grace has been kicking up a storm. I now know I feel her several times a day, usually in the mid-morning if I'm sitting at my desk and not running around, late afternoon right before I leave to go home, and then now at night while we're just hanging out. I think Eric is getting anxious to feel her too. He keeps rubbing my belly and just likes to touch it. I haven't been sure I've felt it from outside yet, so I don't know if he can. It's just hard to know sometimes when I have my hand on my belly if I am really feeling it with my hand or if I am imagining it, since I felt it from the inside. Soon it will be obvious. Last night I actually saw a kick though. It was a big one, and I really saw the side of my belly move. I probably could have felt that one, but I wasn't touching it. I also was getting lots of little fluttery kicks up by my belly button while we were singing at church today. I kept staring at my belly though, and didn't see any of those. Speaking of belly button, I'm thinking it may be possible that mine will pop out before birth. I've always had a really deep innie, and thought there was no way it would come out. Now, it's still definately an innie, but I can tell it's much shallower (as in I can see the bottom) and I've still got to get a whole lot bigger. I guess we'll just wait and see.
The Baby
Your baby now weighs about 12.25 ounces. Crown-to-rump length at this time is about 7.6 inches. Your baby continues to grow; its body is getting larger every day. Your baby's eyelids and even the eyebrows are developed. Fingernails are also visible.
You’ve got a one pounder in there! Depending upon your particular fetus and pregnancy, it is probably around 10 1/2 inches tall from head to teeny, tiny toes.
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.
The baby is getting bigger and continuing to practice for extrauterine life. This week your baby has developed eyebrows! S/he weighs about 15 ounces (425 grams) and is 27.5 cms or 10.8 inches total length!
The Mom
Your uterus is now about 0.8 inch above your belly button or almost 9 inches (22 cm) from the pubic symphysis. You may feel "comfortably pregnant." Your enlarging abdomen is not too large and doesn't get in your way much. You're still able to bend over and to sit comfortably. Walking shouldn't be an effort. Morning sickness has probably passed, and you're feeling pretty good. It's kind of fun being pregnant now!
Keep up your healthy pregnancy diet. That means lots of calcium, green leafy vegetables, and protein. Watch your intake of fat and sugar. Pretend you’re in training for a marathon. (You are!)
You may start to notice stretch marks on your skin as your abdomen expands to accommodate your growing baby. Some pregnant women never get stretch marks, but at least half do. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color), and they become more apparent as pregnancy progresses. They can appear not only on your tummy, but also on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. Lotions won't prevent or eliminate them, but they help with any itching. Also, you may no longer be an "innie" — your navel is flat and may soon pop out. It will revert to its usual shape after birth.Another interesting skin quirk you may notice during pregnancy is something called vascular spiders. These are little areas of raised, reddish skin, with tiny branches. Commonly found on the face, neck, upper chest, and arms, they're caused by the higher levels of estrogen in pregnancy, and they usually disappear after delivery.
You are still feeling pretty good and active in this second trimester. If you are still having aches and pains or feel like you are slowing down you may want to look into some different remedies.
Sex is something that many pregnant couples don't really discuss at length. However, sexuality can change a lot during pregnancy. Usually in the first trimester you are nauseated, your breasts are sore, or you are just too tired. Finding alternate ways of expressing your sexuality without intercourse is appropriate. In the second trimester libido is usually increased. With the increase blood flow and secretions in the vagina and clitoris, some women become orgasmic or multi-orgasmic for the first time. You do not have to worry about getting pregnant, so this may be the first time in your lives where you weren't trying to get pregnant or trying to prevent a pregnancy. There is no way that you are going to harm the baby during intercourse, although this is a common fear. The baby is well surrounded by the amniotic sac and blissfully unaware of your actions. Unless you have been told by your practitioner that you should abstain from sex, it is a very healthy activity to engage in while pregnant. As you head into the third trimester creativity can be key. New positions will most likely take place, but studies have shown that there are very few reasons that you can't have sex up until the birth! Your practitioner will let you know if you should abstain from intercourse.
I'm definately enjoying the second trimester. I really feel great. I haven't even had any heartburn issues this week. I did get a headache that wouldn't quit and stayed home on Thursday, but other than that, I really feel good. I really feel (and look) pregnant now, and it's fun to have strangers make comments. I even got a carry-out at the grocery store and I didn't have to ask. Grace has been kicking up a storm. I now know I feel her several times a day, usually in the mid-morning if I'm sitting at my desk and not running around, late afternoon right before I leave to go home, and then now at night while we're just hanging out. I think Eric is getting anxious to feel her too. He keeps rubbing my belly and just likes to touch it. I haven't been sure I've felt it from outside yet, so I don't know if he can. It's just hard to know sometimes when I have my hand on my belly if I am really feeling it with my hand or if I am imagining it, since I felt it from the inside. Soon it will be obvious. Last night I actually saw a kick though. It was a big one, and I really saw the side of my belly move. I probably could have felt that one, but I wasn't touching it. I also was getting lots of little fluttery kicks up by my belly button while we were singing at church today. I kept staring at my belly though, and didn't see any of those. Speaking of belly button, I'm thinking it may be possible that mine will pop out before birth. I've always had a really deep innie, and thought there was no way it would come out. Now, it's still definately an innie, but I can tell it's much shallower (as in I can see the bottom) and I've still got to get a whole lot bigger. I guess we'll just wait and see.
The Baby
Your baby now weighs about 12.25 ounces. Crown-to-rump length at this time is about 7.6 inches. Your baby continues to grow; its body is getting larger every day. Your baby's eyelids and even the eyebrows are developed. Fingernails are also visible.
You’ve got a one pounder in there! Depending upon your particular fetus and pregnancy, it is probably around 10 1/2 inches tall from head to teeny, tiny toes.
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.
The baby is getting bigger and continuing to practice for extrauterine life. This week your baby has developed eyebrows! S/he weighs about 15 ounces (425 grams) and is 27.5 cms or 10.8 inches total length!
The Mom
Your uterus is now about 0.8 inch above your belly button or almost 9 inches (22 cm) from the pubic symphysis. You may feel "comfortably pregnant." Your enlarging abdomen is not too large and doesn't get in your way much. You're still able to bend over and to sit comfortably. Walking shouldn't be an effort. Morning sickness has probably passed, and you're feeling pretty good. It's kind of fun being pregnant now!
Keep up your healthy pregnancy diet. That means lots of calcium, green leafy vegetables, and protein. Watch your intake of fat and sugar. Pretend you’re in training for a marathon. (You are!)
You may start to notice stretch marks on your skin as your abdomen expands to accommodate your growing baby. Some pregnant women never get stretch marks, but at least half do. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color), and they become more apparent as pregnancy progresses. They can appear not only on your tummy, but also on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. Lotions won't prevent or eliminate them, but they help with any itching. Also, you may no longer be an "innie" — your navel is flat and may soon pop out. It will revert to its usual shape after birth.Another interesting skin quirk you may notice during pregnancy is something called vascular spiders. These are little areas of raised, reddish skin, with tiny branches. Commonly found on the face, neck, upper chest, and arms, they're caused by the higher levels of estrogen in pregnancy, and they usually disappear after delivery.
You are still feeling pretty good and active in this second trimester. If you are still having aches and pains or feel like you are slowing down you may want to look into some different remedies.
Sex is something that many pregnant couples don't really discuss at length. However, sexuality can change a lot during pregnancy. Usually in the first trimester you are nauseated, your breasts are sore, or you are just too tired. Finding alternate ways of expressing your sexuality without intercourse is appropriate. In the second trimester libido is usually increased. With the increase blood flow and secretions in the vagina and clitoris, some women become orgasmic or multi-orgasmic for the first time. You do not have to worry about getting pregnant, so this may be the first time in your lives where you weren't trying to get pregnant or trying to prevent a pregnancy. There is no way that you are going to harm the baby during intercourse, although this is a common fear. The baby is well surrounded by the amniotic sac and blissfully unaware of your actions. Unless you have been told by your practitioner that you should abstain from sex, it is a very healthy activity to engage in while pregnant. As you head into the third trimester creativity can be key. New positions will most likely take place, but studies have shown that there are very few reasons that you can't have sex up until the birth! Your practitioner will let you know if you should abstain from intercourse.
Saturday, August 07, 2004
Registering and other Baby Tasks
I thought I should maybe give an update on what baby related tasks I've completed. Things are starting to get more real and I think it's sinking in that in about 4 months, I'll have a new baby at home! There's a lot to do to prepare. We kind of waited on a lot of it until we knew what we were having, but now it seems like we're in full swing. Here's what we've done.
1. Ordered crib and dresser - We did this at the beginning of July, but it should be arriving soon. I can't wait!
2. Purchased fabric for curtains - Samara is making curtains for Grace's room, so last weekend she and I picked out the fabric. She has it now and is planning on getting them made maybe this weekend. I'll post pictures when they are done.
3. Picked out paint colors - We haven't actually bought paint yet, but we have decided on a color. I'll probably do picks after painting.
4. Cleaned out Room - We still have to get the bed and dresser out of the room, but everything else has been cleared out. I even have baby outfits hanging in the closet.
5. Officially registered for Daycare - We dropped off the check to reserve our spot for February this week.
6. Picked out a Glider - My Mom and Dad have already told us they want to buy us this, so today we officially confirmed which one we want. It is so nice, and should match the wood of our furniture. Today we had to just check and make sure the ottoman was included (it is!). They are going to give us the cash and let us go pick it up, since it would be too difficult to transport at showers, etc. I tried to find it online, to link to, but it's not there.
7. Registered - We did this today. It was so fun, but overwhelming. I kind of felt bad scanning so many items, but we do need all the stuff. We spent about 3 hours at Babies R Us. All of our big items are there, but also lots of mid and lower priced items too. Probably my favorite (and most expensive) is the Travel System (Stroller & Carseat Combo). It's so nice. Then we had lunch and went to Target. We were such pros that it only took us about 20 minutes there. Target has mostly lower priced items. We may have to go in and update again. For example, I didn't register for any wipes. I'm sure there are other items we missed. Also, we didn't really register for any outfits. We picked lots of onsies and sleepers, but figure people will buy us the cute clothes, right? Both registries should be available online. I would link, but I don't want to put our last name on here. If you know me, you can figure out how to look it up. The cool thing about Babies R Us, is that even if people don't have one near them, they can look items up online and then either purchase and have shipped to us or they can call the store near us and purchase over the phone and then the store will call us and tell us we have a gift to pick up. That way the buyer doesn't have to pay for shipping. That seemed cool to us.
8. Bought a lamp - After registering at Target, we were looking around for more grown-up items and in the furniture section happened to find a duck lamp! It was the rice paper kind, but only $10, so of course we had to buy it. I didn't get a bulb though, so it doesn't work yet, but it will be very cute.
I think that's about it, but we're on our way. Now I'm excited for showers and to start actually bringing some of this stuff home! I know we'll probably get some of it ourselves. For example, once the crib and dresser arrive and we have the painting done, I'm sure I'll want to get some of the bedding and crib mattress that we registered for. I don't want to wait for the shower for the nursery to start looking like a nursery! Don't worry, there's still plenty more for other people to buy us.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I received a mysterious package earlier this week. It came in the mail in a padded envelope with a return address of James Schmidt in Sarasota, FL. It was a book called "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy (old host of MTV's Singled Out). It's a pregnancy book and actually very good, but I don't know where it came from. It reminded me of how something arrives that you buy on E-Bay, but I didn't buy it. There was no note or anything either. I'm sure someone must have bought it for me, but no one mentioned it to me. If you bought this book and had it shipped to me, thank you, but please leave a comment or call and let me know! Thanks!
Ok, that's about it for now. I'll update tomorrow with my weekly update including how I'm feeling. Remind me to talk about my belly button...
1. Ordered crib and dresser - We did this at the beginning of July, but it should be arriving soon. I can't wait!
2. Purchased fabric for curtains - Samara is making curtains for Grace's room, so last weekend she and I picked out the fabric. She has it now and is planning on getting them made maybe this weekend. I'll post pictures when they are done.
3. Picked out paint colors - We haven't actually bought paint yet, but we have decided on a color. I'll probably do picks after painting.
4. Cleaned out Room - We still have to get the bed and dresser out of the room, but everything else has been cleared out. I even have baby outfits hanging in the closet.
5. Officially registered for Daycare - We dropped off the check to reserve our spot for February this week.
6. Picked out a Glider - My Mom and Dad have already told us they want to buy us this, so today we officially confirmed which one we want. It is so nice, and should match the wood of our furniture. Today we had to just check and make sure the ottoman was included (it is!). They are going to give us the cash and let us go pick it up, since it would be too difficult to transport at showers, etc. I tried to find it online, to link to, but it's not there.
7. Registered - We did this today. It was so fun, but overwhelming. I kind of felt bad scanning so many items, but we do need all the stuff. We spent about 3 hours at Babies R Us. All of our big items are there, but also lots of mid and lower priced items too. Probably my favorite (and most expensive) is the Travel System (Stroller & Carseat Combo). It's so nice. Then we had lunch and went to Target. We were such pros that it only took us about 20 minutes there. Target has mostly lower priced items. We may have to go in and update again. For example, I didn't register for any wipes. I'm sure there are other items we missed. Also, we didn't really register for any outfits. We picked lots of onsies and sleepers, but figure people will buy us the cute clothes, right? Both registries should be available online. I would link, but I don't want to put our last name on here. If you know me, you can figure out how to look it up. The cool thing about Babies R Us, is that even if people don't have one near them, they can look items up online and then either purchase and have shipped to us or they can call the store near us and purchase over the phone and then the store will call us and tell us we have a gift to pick up. That way the buyer doesn't have to pay for shipping. That seemed cool to us.
8. Bought a lamp - After registering at Target, we were looking around for more grown-up items and in the furniture section happened to find a duck lamp! It was the rice paper kind, but only $10, so of course we had to buy it. I didn't get a bulb though, so it doesn't work yet, but it will be very cute.
I think that's about it, but we're on our way. Now I'm excited for showers and to start actually bringing some of this stuff home! I know we'll probably get some of it ourselves. For example, once the crib and dresser arrive and we have the painting done, I'm sure I'll want to get some of the bedding and crib mattress that we registered for. I don't want to wait for the shower for the nursery to start looking like a nursery! Don't worry, there's still plenty more for other people to buy us.
Oh yeah, one more thing. I received a mysterious package earlier this week. It came in the mail in a padded envelope with a return address of James Schmidt in Sarasota, FL. It was a book called "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy (old host of MTV's Singled Out). It's a pregnancy book and actually very good, but I don't know where it came from. It reminded me of how something arrives that you buy on E-Bay, but I didn't buy it. There was no note or anything either. I'm sure someone must have bought it for me, but no one mentioned it to me. If you bought this book and had it shipped to me, thank you, but please leave a comment or call and let me know! Thanks!
Ok, that's about it for now. I'll update tomorrow with my weekly update including how I'm feeling. Remind me to talk about my belly button...
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Measurements and Belly Shot 20weeks, 2 days
The measurements are from 20 weeks, 2 days. The belly shot is 20 weeks, 3 days. I'm going to try to do this more often now that I'm getting bigger. The last measurement is from 16 weeks, 5 days.
Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)
Weight - 150.5 (B), 153.0 (L), 158.5 (C) = +8 pound
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 11 1/2 (L), 11 1/2 (C) = -.5
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 38 1/4 (L), 38 1/4 (C) = +2 3/4 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 31 1/2 (L), 32 (C) = +2 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 36 (L), 37 1/4 (C) = +4 3/4 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 39 1/4 (L), 39 1/4 (C) = +1 1/4
Thigh - 23 (B), 22 1/2 (L), 22 1/4 (C) = - 3/4 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 13 3/4 (L), 14 (C) = No Change
Also, a new belly shot.
Before = (B) Last = (L) Current =(C)
Weight - 150.5 (B), 153.0 (L), 158.5 (C) = +8 pound
Bicep - 11 3/4 (B), 11 1/2 (L), 11 1/2 (C) = -.5
Chest - 35 1/2 (B), 38 1/4 (L), 38 1/4 (C) = +2 3/4 inches
Waist (at smallest point) - 30 (B), 31 1/2 (L), 32 (C) = +2 inches
Waist (at belly button) - 32 1/2 (B), 36 (L), 37 1/4 (C) = +4 3/4 inches
Hips - 38 (B), 39 1/4 (L), 39 1/4 (C) = +1 1/4
Thigh - 23 (B), 22 1/2 (L), 22 1/4 (C) = - 3/4 inch
Calf - 14 (B), 13 3/4 (L), 14 (C) = No Change
Also, a new belly shot.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Love
I love my baby. There's nothing more wonderful than feeling these little rolls and kicks inside me and knowing that she's alive and growing and all mine. I'm anxious for the time when Eric can feel her too, but it's kind of nice having it all to myself right now. My favorite is when I'm sitting at my desk at work and all the sudden I get this nudge, like she's saying, "Hey, Mom, don't work too hard. Don't forget about me!" Then I go get a snack.
Tonight I felt this weird feeling and then pressure on the lower end of my belly. It was like she was stretching or something. Then I touched the spot where I felt the pressure and it was really hard. I wonder if it was a little head or back or butt pushed up against my belly. It won't be long before those kicks can be felt from the outside. Ok, off to bed.
Tonight I felt this weird feeling and then pressure on the lower end of my belly. It was like she was stretching or something. Then I touched the spot where I felt the pressure and it was really hard. I wonder if it was a little head or back or butt pushed up against my belly. It won't be long before those kicks can be felt from the outside. Ok, off to bed.
Sunday, August 01, 2004
20 Weeks, 1 Day - The Twenty-first Week
My Symptoms & Rambling Thoughts
I feel good. Except for the occasional headache or bout of heartburn, I feel very...normal. I am thinking this pregnancy thing isn't so hard...ask me again in three months. I am amazed at the amount of movement I've been feeling over the last week. It was like once I was sure I felt her, she moves all the time. I love it. It's still move vague rumbly feelings than distinct kicks, but I get some of those too. Now I just can't wait until they get a little stronger and Eric can feel them too. I'm also more adjusted to the fact that we're having a girl now. I don't know why, but for some reason a daughter seems like so much more of a responsibility to me. I don't know why. Maybe because I am a woman and rather than just nurture and provide for a child, I have to be an example of what she should be. I'm not sure I'm up to that. I know I always looked at my Mom as a shining example of what it meant to be a good woman, wife, and mother. I hope my daughter can see me that way. I guess maybe this is why my Mom spent so much time praying and talking to God. I'm going to need some serious help. One more tidbit before I get into developmental stuff. Today at church we sang Amazing Grace. One portion of the verse really touched me, even though I know that I am not taking it as it was written, bear with me.
"Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved.
How precious then, that grace appeared,
the hour I first believed."
Thinking about my pregnancy and experience. I just pointed out how becoming a mother has added some fears to my experience. But, knowing that I will have my Grace is such an amazing source of joy. The best part is the end. I got pregnant when I decided to let God take back control of my life. "How precious then that Grace (my child) appeared, the hour I first believed (gave it back to God)." Maybe it's hormones, but it brought a tear to my eye.
One more thing, I love it when Eric asks me how his daughter is doing. Doesn't daughter seem so much more "real" than "baby?"
The Baby
Your baby is getting larger in this first week of the second half of pregnancy. It now weighs about 10.5 ounces, and it's crown-to-rump length is about 7.2 inches. It is about the size of a large banana.
It’s about 14 ounces and a hiccupping fool! Yep, hiccups are those little jerky motions you may feel -- it’s her little lungs practicing the important task of breathing.
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth.
Your baby can still move all over in the amniotic fluid. Towards the end of this trimester the baby will begin to settle, usually in a head down position (Although some babies do not turn head down until late in the last trimester.). About 3-4% of babies will remain in a breech position. Your baby weighs just under a pound (13 ounces or 369 grams).
The Mom
You can feel your uterus about half an inch above your bellybutton. At the doctor's office, your uterus measures almost 8.5 inches from the pubic symphysis. Your weight gain should be between 10 and 15 pounds. By this week, your waistline is definately gone. Your friends and relatives - and strangers, too - can tell you're pregnant. It would be hard to hide your condition.
You’re probably finally showing. As you begin to get bigger and bigger, you may wonder about the safety of traveling while pregnant. Here are a few tips:
- I f you’re traveling by car, take a break every hour to keep your circulation up!
- Always use your seat belt. Buckled low on your lap, it should cause no discomfort and may save lives -- the lives of both you and your baby.
- Travel in the final month ONLY if you are prepared to have your baby on the road. In any case, check it out with your caregiver first.
- Airplane air is very dry. Keep yourself hydrated by dosing yourself with water and juice throughout the flight (no alcohol, but that should go without saying!).
- Many airlines require a doctor’s note if you are traveling in the third trimester. Call the airline to determine the policy, and call your doctor to find out the recommendations BEFORE you buy those non-refundable, non-changeable tickets.
You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual aches and pains associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. Relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester will bring some mild discomfort from carrying a baby who is nearly full-term.That's not to say you don't have some minor glitches to deal with now. Increased oil production may have given you a mild case of acne, for example. If that's the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap and water twice a day, but don't take any oral acne medications — or even use any topical acne products — without checking with your practitioner first.You're also prone to varicose veins now (especially if your mom has them). That's because pregnancy puts added pressure on the veins in your legs. (Your blood volume is increased and your uterus puts pressure on the inferior vena cava, the large vein that returns blood from the lower half of your body to your heart.) As if that's not enough, an increase in the hormone progesterone causes the walls of your blood vessels to relax, so as your baby and uterus grow, the veins can become more and more prominent. Varicose veins tend to worsen with each pregnancy, and while they're most likely to show up in your legs, they can also appear on your vulva.If your legs ache, put maternity support hose on first thing in the morning. Increasing your circulation with a brisk walk each day can also help, as can elevating your legs and sleeping on your left side with your feet propped up with a pillow.
Everyone is probably telling you what sex your baby is using different myths! Some people find this fun, other find it annoying. Using things like how you carry, the Chinese Gender Chart, or other myths are fun, but not always accurate. Have you decided whether you want to find out the gender of your baby? There are many things to consider before doing so, and still your baby may not cooperate.
I feel good. Except for the occasional headache or bout of heartburn, I feel very...normal. I am thinking this pregnancy thing isn't so hard...ask me again in three months. I am amazed at the amount of movement I've been feeling over the last week. It was like once I was sure I felt her, she moves all the time. I love it. It's still move vague rumbly feelings than distinct kicks, but I get some of those too. Now I just can't wait until they get a little stronger and Eric can feel them too. I'm also more adjusted to the fact that we're having a girl now. I don't know why, but for some reason a daughter seems like so much more of a responsibility to me. I don't know why. Maybe because I am a woman and rather than just nurture and provide for a child, I have to be an example of what she should be. I'm not sure I'm up to that. I know I always looked at my Mom as a shining example of what it meant to be a good woman, wife, and mother. I hope my daughter can see me that way. I guess maybe this is why my Mom spent so much time praying and talking to God. I'm going to need some serious help. One more tidbit before I get into developmental stuff. Today at church we sang Amazing Grace. One portion of the verse really touched me, even though I know that I am not taking it as it was written, bear with me.
"Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved.
How precious then, that grace appeared,
the hour I first believed."
Thinking about my pregnancy and experience. I just pointed out how becoming a mother has added some fears to my experience. But, knowing that I will have my Grace is such an amazing source of joy. The best part is the end. I got pregnant when I decided to let God take back control of my life. "How precious then that Grace (my child) appeared, the hour I first believed (gave it back to God)." Maybe it's hormones, but it brought a tear to my eye.
One more thing, I love it when Eric asks me how his daughter is doing. Doesn't daughter seem so much more "real" than "baby?"
The Baby
Your baby is getting larger in this first week of the second half of pregnancy. It now weighs about 10.5 ounces, and it's crown-to-rump length is about 7.2 inches. It is about the size of a large banana.
It’s about 14 ounces and a hiccupping fool! Yep, hiccups are those little jerky motions you may feel -- it’s her little lungs practicing the important task of breathing.
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth.
Your baby can still move all over in the amniotic fluid. Towards the end of this trimester the baby will begin to settle, usually in a head down position (Although some babies do not turn head down until late in the last trimester.). About 3-4% of babies will remain in a breech position. Your baby weighs just under a pound (13 ounces or 369 grams).
The Mom
You can feel your uterus about half an inch above your bellybutton. At the doctor's office, your uterus measures almost 8.5 inches from the pubic symphysis. Your weight gain should be between 10 and 15 pounds. By this week, your waistline is definately gone. Your friends and relatives - and strangers, too - can tell you're pregnant. It would be hard to hide your condition.
You’re probably finally showing. As you begin to get bigger and bigger, you may wonder about the safety of traveling while pregnant. Here are a few tips:
- I f you’re traveling by car, take a break every hour to keep your circulation up!
- Always use your seat belt. Buckled low on your lap, it should cause no discomfort and may save lives -- the lives of both you and your baby.
- Travel in the final month ONLY if you are prepared to have your baby on the road. In any case, check it out with your caregiver first.
- Airplane air is very dry. Keep yourself hydrated by dosing yourself with water and juice throughout the flight (no alcohol, but that should go without saying!).
- Many airlines require a doctor’s note if you are traveling in the third trimester. Call the airline to determine the policy, and call your doctor to find out the recommendations BEFORE you buy those non-refundable, non-changeable tickets.
You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual aches and pains associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. Relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester will bring some mild discomfort from carrying a baby who is nearly full-term.That's not to say you don't have some minor glitches to deal with now. Increased oil production may have given you a mild case of acne, for example. If that's the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap and water twice a day, but don't take any oral acne medications — or even use any topical acne products — without checking with your practitioner first.You're also prone to varicose veins now (especially if your mom has them). That's because pregnancy puts added pressure on the veins in your legs. (Your blood volume is increased and your uterus puts pressure on the inferior vena cava, the large vein that returns blood from the lower half of your body to your heart.) As if that's not enough, an increase in the hormone progesterone causes the walls of your blood vessels to relax, so as your baby and uterus grow, the veins can become more and more prominent. Varicose veins tend to worsen with each pregnancy, and while they're most likely to show up in your legs, they can also appear on your vulva.If your legs ache, put maternity support hose on first thing in the morning. Increasing your circulation with a brisk walk each day can also help, as can elevating your legs and sleeping on your left side with your feet propped up with a pillow.
Everyone is probably telling you what sex your baby is using different myths! Some people find this fun, other find it annoying. Using things like how you carry, the Chinese Gender Chart, or other myths are fun, but not always accurate. Have you decided whether you want to find out the gender of your baby? There are many things to consider before doing so, and still your baby may not cooperate.
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