How Time Flies

My little baby girl is now nine weeks old. Time is both flying by and seeming to stand still at the same time. She still seems so tiny, but is getting bigger every time I look at her. I often go back and look at her pictures from when she was brand new, and I can not believe the difference in size. However, when I see other babies around the same age I can not believe how small she still is.

Kaylee is now hitting the fun age where she is cooing, giggling and grinning. She has so many fun expressions. She has learned the sounds of her daddy's camera and turns her head towards the camera every time she hears it. It is so funny.

We took our first trip with her over Thanksgiving to meet the rest of my side of the family. Of course she was the star of the show. The trip to Arizona was a little rough, but once there, she was fine and liked to interact with everyone. Luckily, the trip back was a little easier on us.

Kaylee had her two month well visit on the eighth. The hardest part was the shots . . . and getting her naked. She now weighs 10.4 pounds and is 23 inches long, putting her in the 25th percentile for her weight and 75th percentile for her height. The doctor was very impressed by her strength when Kaylee practically crawled off the table. She commented that she wasn't used to examining two month old babies while they are sitting up! So, all in all, a good appointment.

I know I don't update this blog as often as I should, since Kaylee still doesn't like to be put down and needs my constant attention. But there are worse things in life. I love being with my little baby girl. I will try to update more often, though.

Welcome to the World, Kaylee!!

Okay, okay! Yes, I am finally writing a blog entry. It's about time, right?

Life has been busy with a newborn and yet I feel like I never get anything done. And ya know what? I am okay with that. Life is absolutely wonderful as a new mom. I think I am truly, truly lucky and blessed to have Kaylee in my life. She is a wonderful baby. So far she is not fussy. She rarely cries and, when she does, she is easy to calm. She even amazingly sleeps through the night already! I am not talking a few hours here and there. I am talking a good seven hours! (And yes, I know I shouldn't expect this all the time.)

We are breastfeeding and it is going well, too. She is a champion eater! I kind of expected it to be a lot harder. So far I have no complaints. She had lost a lot of weight in her first few days of life. She went from 6 lbs., 6 oz. at birth to a mere 5 lbs., 8 oz. three days later.

Kaylee had her first appointment with her doctor on Thursday, October 2, because of her weight, jaundice, and because she had a slight fever before leaving the hospital on Wednesday. She had another follow-up on Tuesday to re-check all of that, and all the news is good. She is gaining weight—up to 6 lbs., 4 oz. now—and her jaundice is going away. Kaylee has another follow-up on the 14th to make sure she is still gaining weight like she should be.

I will be thankful when all of these weekly appointments are over. Luckily, Kaylee seems to love car rides, making the long trips to the clinic not so terrible. She is just the most content baby ever! If you can't already tell, I am just so in love with my new baby girl!

Kaylee Bria's Birth Stats:

Born September 30 at 2:36 AM (a mere 2 hours and 36 minutes after her due date). Weighing in at 6 lbs., 6 oz., and measuring 18.9 inches long.

Here is a link to some photos of her. I will try to keep them updated as well.

http://picasaweb.google.com/CJGrau/KayleeBria

39 Weeks - My Last Week

Well, this is it. My last week being pregnant. As you have probably guessed, I have a ton of different emotions running through me right now. I'm excited to meet my baby girl—this little girl who has been constantly kicking me in the side and ribs, this little girl who has been baking inside me for the last nine months. I'm excited to see who she is and what she looks like. I'm nervous, since she seems to be stubborn and I think she is going to make the doctors come in and get her. I am not nervous about the actual labor, yet. I am looking forward to eating again, and not pricking my finger four times a day due to gestational diabetes. I'm looking forward to not having something like five medical appointments in one week. And I'm looking forward to having my body back to somewhat normal conditions.

So here is just a little update on my appointments over the last few days. I had a repeat ultrasound with the perinatologist in fetal genetics to check on Kaylee's growth and possible heart problem. Nothing but good news there. Kaylee is fine and has actually put on quite a bit of weight in the nine days between ultrasounds. She weighed 5 lbs, 6 oz at the first one and this time she weighed just about 6 whole pounds. So by birth she should be about 6.5 lbs or thereabouts. My OB appointment went well. I am finally progressing and have dilated more since my last appointment. So yay for that news. However, if Kaylee decides to stay put they will be going in after her. My induction is scheduled for Monday, September 29. Yikes! Now time is running out and getting closer and closer to the day we will be meeting Little Miss Kaylee Bria. The non-stress tests are still going well, too. Fluid is still good, her heart rate is still reacting as it should. I think I might actually miss hearing her little heart beat twice a week. Along with the little glimpse into her water filled world. She always does something interesting or funny. This last time she was moving her little fingers up and down, tapping them, almost as if she were plotting something. Hmm.

Update on Kaylee —

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The average baby weighs about 7.25 lbs and is about 20 to 21 inches long. But as I have mentioned before, we already know Kaylee is a lil' munchkin, weighing about 6.5 lbs by now.

Weight and height have probably increased only a little from last week. But her brain is still developing rapidly, with changes we will be able to recognize firsthand as her skill-packed bag of tricks expands almost daily.

Whether I give birth tomorrow or next week, it's pretty much all the same for our Kaylee, who is now truly R-E-A-D-Y to face the big, bright world outside of my womb. Her skin has now finally changed from pink to white, because a thicker fat layer has been deposited over the blood vessels. All her organs have put on the finishing touches. She is already in the birthing position and basically just "hanging out" waiting for that elusive moment when all systems synchronize in my body to trigger the labor process.

And did you know that tear ducts don't function until about a month after birth? So even though she will cry directly after birth, there wont be any tears shed.

Week 38 - Still No Baby

I have apparently made our little Kaylee bug too comfortable. She does not want to come out! She is exhibiting all the signs that she is ready, and I am certainly ready. As is everyone else, who are impatiently waiting for her debut into the world.

The non-stress tests are still going well. Fluid is still good, she's still practicing her breathing, and her heart beat is good. Her movement has slowed down a smidgen. In fact the nurse made me drink some cold water at the last one, because Kaylee had fallen asleep during the test. The ultrasounds have been fun, though. I get new things pointed out to me all the time. The last two times I found out that she has a lot of hair and that she likes to make faces, and doesn't like those hiccups any more than I do!

I had an appointment with my doctor today and she checked me to see if I was progressing. Unfortunately these contractions are doing nothing for me. She reported to me that I am exactly the same as I was two weeks ago. Yes, that's right, no change in two weeks. *sigh* So the doctor put me in the books at the hospital for the induction. She said she is scheduling it for Monday, September 29 at 7:00 AM. So, if this stubborn child of mine does not decide on her own to come before then, her birthday will probably be September 30.

Come on out Kaylee!!!

Update on Kaylee —

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There really isn't a lot to report on Kaylee this week, so let's do a quick recount of where we are. All internal organ systems are fully matured and pretty much ready for the outside world. She has a meconium stockpile building up, lots of healthy baby fat, a rapidly developing brain (that will continue to mature until Junior is a teenager, at which point she'll know it all—or at least she'll think she does), and she has more or less reached official baby status. All she needs to do is "head out" and say hello to the rest of the world, and especially her ready-to-pop momma.

Most babies have just about reached the average birth weight (somewhere between 6 to 8 pounds is average depending on whether they're a boy or girl). But again we know she's on the smaller side. Some of my antibodies have crossed the placental barrier to give Kaylee her immune system a boost to get her started until hers is fully functioning.

She could be born any day now. Really!

37 Weeks - FULL TERM!

Woohoo! After months and months of waiting I have finally reached full term! Kaylee can safely arrive at any time now! And I know most of us are impatiently awaiting her arrival. It's just a matter of weeks—or days. Who knows?

Last week, I had my second non-stress test (NST) on Thursday and it went well. Kaylee is still head down, and low. The fluid around her looks good and the technician showed me her face. She was making fish faces at us—too cute! Her ribcage was moving again, which is a great sign. It means she's practicing breathing. Her heartbeat was perfect. I was still having steady contractions. I hope the contractions were doing something, besides being annoying. I had my regular OB appointment on Friday. My doctor checked Kaylee and me, and I was happy with the news. The contractions are indeed working. She reported to me that I am effaced and Kaylee's head is at +2 station. No wonder I was feeling so much pressure! Unfortunately I was only 1/2 cm dilated. I still need to get to 10 cm—eventually.

This week is going to be hectic. I have five different appointments scheduled. I had an NST on Monday. Everything still looked good. Fluid levels are good, Her heartbeat responds to her movements, which is what the doctors are looking for. I'm still having contractions that are graphed by the machine. Hopefully they are doing something for me. I have another NST scheduled for Thursday, along with an appointment with my obstetrician.

Today I had my appointment with a perinatologist after another ultrasound. Mostly good news to report here. The only "iffy" news is he saw what might be fluid around her heart—or an ultrasound blip. He wants me to return for a follow up appointment in 10 days (if I am still pregnant) to check again. Also, Kaylee is measuring very small for her age. We were told that her size and weight put her at the typical measurement for only 34 weeks—a tiny 5 lbs 6 oz. However, her growth curve is normal. That is, the rate at which she has gained size and weight from the ultrasounds at 19 weeks, 31 weeks, and now at 37 weeks is normal—she's always measured small.

Well, we are finally ready for her arrival. The bags are packed and ready to go. The car seats are now installed in both vehicles. Her nursery is ready for her. All we have to do now is wait.

Update on Kaylee —

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Babies at this point are around 6.5 lbs and about 21 inches long. Although, after today we know little Kaylee is only around 5.6 lbs, and probably not that long either.

Changes in her height and weight have leveled off, with only a few ounces of fat added this week and from now on.

As far as internal organs go, they are now developed enough to function in the outside world, although the oh-so-important immune system is still developing and will continue to do so after birth. With a large boost of antibodies provided by breast milk when nursing begins. Fighting infection and staying healthy should be well within her physical capacity when our little fighter is born.

So what's keeping our little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Kaylee is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling, sucking on her thumb, blinking, and pivoting from side to side—one day I feel her tushy on my left side, another day it has swung around to my right side. All of these are skills needed for her next gig—starring as everyone's favorite newest little family member!

36 Weeks - The Craziness Begins!

This week marks the beginning of many, many, many doctor, specialist, and non-stress test appointments. I have my regular OB appointments once a week now. The NSTs are now twice a week. Next week we meet with the perinatologist (a high-risk baby doctor), and Kaylee gets a really high-tech ultrasound to make sure she is growing okay.

I had my first NST on Monday. It was interesting. I had two different sensors strapped to my belly. One measures Kaylee's heartbeat, and I was instructed to press a button every time I felt her move or kick. We were looking for her heart rate to go up any time she moved. Which it did, perfectly. The other sensor tracked my uterine activity. Anytime I had a contraction it would be charted on a strip of paper. I was having contractions every two to three minutes, but they were pretty mild. Then I was taken to another room where the nurse performed an ultrasound to measure fluid levels around the baby and where the placenta is located. Everything looked good and I have another NST scheduled for Thursday.

As some of you could tell by my most recent belly pictures, Kaylee has dropped. It's a good thing though. This means she is getting ready to come out and meet us all fairly soon. However, her head being that low is making life interesting for me. It's harder to walk, stand, sit, move—basically to do anything comfortably anymore. I just keep telling myself that this is a good thing!

Update on Kaylee —

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She now weighs almost six pounds and her length probably has not changed much since last week, since most of the changes are in putting on those cute baby pounds! In general growth will experience a slowdown now, so she will be able to fit through the narrow passageway to the outside and also so she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

Most of the bones (soft skull aside) in her little body are now completely hardened, providing a solid structure from which she can now make her grand debut into the world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are structurally ready for a secure launch. In physical fitness news: her muscle tone has also improved over these past few weeks, and we'll definitely be impressed by her steel-like ulnar grasp (a newborn reflex that occurs when a finger is laid in their palm).

She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath.

By now, many of her systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms—and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and her immune system has matured enough to protect her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. One notable example: digestion—which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why is that? Inside her little gestational cocoon, she has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system—though developed—hasn't been operational. So she will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

35 Weeks

So it hit me on Sunday night that I hit full term in a mere two weeks! Little miss Kaylee Bria could be here in as little as TWO weeks! But in as many as five. Ahhh! Very exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. I am so much looking forward to meeting my little girl. But at the same time I think I am going to miss my bump and all the little movements. I know she will be very much loved and spoiled by all of those impatiently awaiting her arrival.

Chris and I had our baby party over the weekend. I really want to sincerely thank all of you who came. It was so nice to see you all and we appreciate all of you who wanted to come and celebrate with us.

On Sunday, Chris and I went on a baby shopping spree at Babies 'R Us to get the rest of the stuff we still needed before Kaylee's arrival. Wow, babies are expensive. But it was fun picking out all the stuff again and knowing all the stuff would soon be in full use!

I spent Monday washing everything and putting Kaylee's nursery together. That was fun, but a lot of work, since I am now finding the little things that I used to do so easily a little harder and more taxing. I run out of energy so much more easily now. But her nursery is almost completely done! Here are some pictures of the mostly finished product:

http://picasaweb.google.com/CJGrau/Nursery

Thursday evening, Chris and I have a childbirth basics class. That should be interesting. I have experienced a live birth, as I was present when my best friend gave birth to her beautiful baby boy. So I won't be completely in the dark as to what happens during the birth process. Hopefully both Chris and I will learn a lot of new and interesting things that will help us on the big day.

Oh! Some of you asked me to set up a poll on the blog so we can all guess what color hair Kaylee will pop out with. So by popular demand, the poll is up and open! Have fun guessing!

Update on Kaylee —

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While we will know more about Kaylee's weight and measurements after my next ultrasound, the average baby at 35 weeks weighs in at about 5 1/2 pounds and stretches out to around 20 1/4 inches as they approaches full term.

Fat accumulations plumps up the arms and legs this week. These layers of fat will help her regulate her body temperature. It also provides those cute little dimples on her elbows and knees! Most of her growth over the next couple weeks or so before we meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (Kaylee's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Back in the middle of the pregnancy, Kaylee's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term).

Also continuing to grow at an amazing pace is Kaylee's brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain—the skull—remains soft. Her kidneys are completely developed, and the liver is beginning to process waste. Stem cells in the bone marrow continue to produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets to maintain a healthy immune system, but there is not really any development remaining for arms, legs, brain or organs. From this point on she will simply continue to grow in size as she readies for her big debut.

She is also experiencing active and quiet wakefulness where she continues to explore the environment around her and her hearing is now fully developed.

Week 34

Another week is upon us. It is going to be an interesting one. I had my usual bi-weekly doctors appointment today (Monday), Thursday Chris and I have our infant CPR class, and Saturday is the baby shower. Should be fun, though. I am looking forward to it.

Today's appointment went well. Kaylee is growing, her heartbeat was nice and strong and she continues to be a busy little bee with her constant moving around, despite her lack of space. My vitals were all good, blood sugars are still awesome. But I have again lost weight, making my total pregnancy weight gain at only nine pounds total, at 34 weeks. According to the pregnancy weight charts, since I started out in normal weight range, I should gain between 25 and 30 pounds. That's just not going to happen. My doctor talked to me about what the induction would entail, should I make it to 40 weeks. It did not sound pleasant, so I would like to avoid that. She told me she would like me to go into labor around 38 weeks, if I can. So that's only about 4 more weeks! Yikes!

My next appointment will be at 36 weeks, then I start seeing my doctor once a week. I also start the non-stress tests twice a week at 36 weeks. My next ultrasound is at 37 weeks to check Kaylee's growth. I believe that is all for the appointment updates.

My contractions on Sunday were interesting. I could literally tell the time by the contractions. The human body is amazing. I was getting them every half hour on the exact hour and half hour. Chris and I were walking back to the car from beach and I said, "Oh it must be 8:30." Chris pulls out his phone to look at the time and says, "Wow, yeah it's exactly 8:30!" It was funny.

Update on Kaylee —

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At 34 weeks the average baby weighs between 5.2 and 5.6 pounds and is around 19.8 inches long (about the size of a medicine ball). Her fat layers, which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born, are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever.

Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. Kaylee is no longer floating around. She now rests right on the uterus, head down. She has learned to blink, and can also see more clearly when there is a bright light on mommy's tummy, and probably has the outlines of all of mom's organs memorized!

Kaylee's lanugo hair is now starting to disappear. She now acts completely like a newborn, with her eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping. She also may be settling into more of a routine for sleeping and awake times.

Her gums now have ridges, which may look like teeth. Her fingernails now reach the end of her fingertips and may even curl over the tip, making a manicure one of the first things mommy will need to do shortly after birth, so she doesn't scratch her own face.

Less than 50 days to go!

Not much to report on me this week. Just trying to get stuff done, but of course the more pregnant I get and the hotter the weather, the less I feel like moving around and getting stuff done! Oh, the irony!

We finally got a crib! Chris put it together on Saturday after we picked it up. I must say, it looks really nice. I am very happy with it, so far. Chris also hung some shelves in the nursery. Kaylee's room is coming together quite nicely. It still has a long way to go, but it will be finished eventually.

I also started putting stuff together for my hospital bag. It's almost time to pack it up!

My blood sugar levels are still good and Kaylee is still moving around. A LOT. Which is good and bad as the movements are starting to get painful at times. Poor thing is running out of room and apparently the only place for her feet to go is into my ribs! The level of amniotic fluid has reached its maximum, making it likely that I have more baby than fluid now. That's one reason why I am probably feeling lots of nudges and pushes—there's less liquid to cushion the blows!

Update on Kaylee —

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By now most babies measure about 19.4 inches and weigh around 5 pounds! And by this stage in fetal development, Kaylee could grow another full inch more this week alone—especially if she has been on the shorter side. Weight gain can range from a third more growth to a full doubling before the big debut.

Kaylee's head size has increased 3/8 of an inch due to rapid brain growth, and the bones in her skull remain soft and pliable for the journey of birth. While the rest of her bones are all beginning to harden.

The uterine walls are becoming thinner, allowing more light to penetrate the womb, helping her to differentiate between day and night (now, if only that continued on after birth!).

Kaylee has reached an important milestone about now: The development of her own immune system that (along with antibodies from me) will be able to provide protection from mild infections.

If she were born now, she would be considered "pre-term" rather than premature. This distinction is based on fetal maturity, particularly the maturity of the fetal lungs. A pre-term baby, unlike a premature baby, is likely to have well-developed lungs and is less likely to need intensive care.

Week 32

This has been a busy week for us, which is why I am not updating with the 32 week entry until today!

Tuesday, we had an appointment for Kaylee's 32 week fetal growth scan to see how she was growing. Fetal growth is a major concern in women with gestational diabetes. Often, the baby's
rib cage and shoulders will grow too fast and large, making delivery a dangerous thing. The baby's head would deliver fine, but then the shoulders would get stuck. This is called Shoulder Dystocia.

So they wanted to make sure Kaylee wasn't getting too big too fast. She certainly is not. We found out she is a little thing! Only weighing in at a whopping 3 lbs, 17 oz. Putting her in the 19th percentile compared to other babies her age. At 36 weeks we will have another, more in-depth, fetal growth scan to check her size again closer to delivery. Along with the twice weekly non-stress tests.

Wednesday, I had my regular two week check up. My doctor is still shocked at my blood sugar levels being so low. In fact, she thought my glucose meter was broken, so she had her nurse come in and check my level. Still low! My blood pressure was good, Kaylee's heart rate was 136 beats per minute, so that's good as well. My weight, however, was not so good. I lost another two pounds this visit. I was scolded for it again, but honestly how do they expect me to gain weight when I am on a high protein, low carbohydrate—no sugar—diet? Anywho, I am supposed to up my fat intake, apparently.

I have also been having Braxton Hicks contractions pretty regularly. One or two per hour, right on schedule. My doctor says that is good news, it means my body is getting ready for "D"-day. She hopes I go into labor on my own before I reach my due date, otherwise she will need to induce labor.

Thursday, I kicked the cleaning into high gear (nesting perhaps?). I realized that it is already a full week into August and I need to have most, if not all, of the stuff I need to get done, done. I will be staying at my very generous in-laws' house for the month of September, since I will be having up to three appointments per week at that point, and for when I go into labor. Their house is much closer to the hospital, my doctor's office, and the outpatient clinic where I have the ultrasounds and the non-stress tests.

Update on Kaylee —

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At 32 weeks, the average baby weighs 4.4 lbs and is around 18.9 inches long!

By now Kaylee should be gaining about a 1/2 pound per week! In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next seven weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

As a preparation for breastfeeding, Kaylee has learned to root for the breast. She will turn her head if touched on the cheek and open her mouth if the bottom lip is tickled. By this time she can also suck and swallow in a coordinated way.

Thanks to their recently matured lungs and a remarkably strong immune system, over 90% of babies born in their 32nd week survive premature births. So it's pretty much a done deal. Even if our little monkey's planning on heading out early, her survival odds are in everyone's favor. Time to celebrate! No, no; we have to wait until after the birth to crack open the champagne. I am talking baby-showers and alcohol-free punch! Woohoo!

And in the latest womb reports, our amazing Kaylee has now developed sensitivity to temperature! This means I would probably get a swift kick if I put a hot pad on my ginormous belly.

31 Weeks

It has been an uneventful week for me so far. Which is a good thing.

I had an appointment with my doctor on Friday. It went well. My blood sugars are still low and stable, which is great news. My doctor wants to check on Kaylee's growth sooner than 36 weeks, so she is sending me for a Fetal Growth Scan at 32 weeks. Oh, and a funny thing happened at the appointment. Every appointment, my doctor measures the fundal height and listens to Kaylee's heart beat with the Doppler microphone. While she was listening, Kaylee gave a great big kick and literally kicked the Doppler microphone away and off my belly! She was quite shocked and we all had a giggle over it.

Chris and I went to the Padres game on Monday night. It was fun. I think little Kaylee enjoys the games as much as we do. She always moves around so much. Or maybe it's the opposite. Perhaps it's too loud for her? At one point, Chris had his hand on my belly as Kaylee was moving and bumping around, and she gave him a nice big kick! It's obvious we have quite a strong little future black belt growing here.

I have been feeling Braxton Hicks contractions more often and stronger, but I am told this is normal. It's just my body preparing for the real thing in a few short weeks. The third trimester is really hitting me hard now with all the aches and pains. I am really looking forward to this pregnancy ending and finally meeting our little Kaylee Bria.

Here is an update on Kaylee -

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She is around 17 inches long and weighs in at just about four pounds—about the size of a soccer ball. Although the rate of physical growth is slowing, she is beginning to gain weight in fat deposits and muscle. In fact, she will begin to grow in weight at about a half pound per week.

Her lungs are the only major organ left to complete development. Although we may be anxious to meet our little one, these last few weeks are vital. With each day, she increases her ability to breathe on her own.

The layers of fat are changing the hue of her skin from red to a rosy pink. Calcium, phosphorus, and iron are being stored and her bones are hardening.

She can now perceive information from all five senses. Sure, she can't smell anything right now, but that's only because she is still submerged in amniotic fluid and needs to breath air to get a whiff of anything. Although, my scent will be one of the very first she breathes in—a scent that will quickly become her very favorite.

So what is Kaylee doing all day? Making faces, hiccuping, swallowing, breathing, pedaling with little hands and feet along my uterine wall, and even sucking her thumb. In fact, some babies suck their thumbs so vigorously while in the womb that they're born with a callus on their thumb!

Another Milestone

Nothing really new to report. So far my Gestational Diabetes is under control just by giving up sugars and counting carbs so that's good news. I am also still checking my blood sugar levels 4 times a day. I am getting used to it fairly quickly and easily.

The Diabetes Specialist called me this morning to tell me my blood sugar levels are perfect and its hard to believe I even have GD according to the blood sugar numbers. Also my diet is perfect and since I have GD this the best kind to have...easily controlled.

She also said she would like to have the next Ultrasound, Non Stress Test, and consultation with a Neonatal Specialist scheduled for Sept 5th..no later as that puts me in the 36th week and we would need some answers by then.

I have an appointment with my regular OB Doctor tomorrow. If I am measuring ahead or behind they might want to schedule the ultrasound sooner.

Update on Kaylee -
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Kaylee now weighs around 3 pounds 3 oz and is nearly 16 inches long already!

It's in with the new (brain cells, red blood cells) and out with the old (lanugo). Much of the early lanugo — the soft, downy hair covering your baby's body — is beginning to disappear now because both fat and the brain are regulating your baby's body temperature. Her blood is now being produced from the stem cells in its bone marrow. Brain cells continue to grow at a very fast pace as well.

She is now sleeping most of the time and has periods of REM sleep. You may even notice a pattern of when she likes to sleep and when she likes to play.

Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face.

Her toenails are also entering their final growth stage. Only 9 weeks to go!

What a Week!

It has been quite a long and frustrating week for me. Luckily, it is slowly getting better and easier.

After last Thursday's three hour glucose tolerance test, I had to wait for the results. I wasn't expecting to receive the results until Monday, but I got a call on Friday from my doctor. The news was not the greatest. I do indeed have gestational diabetes.

My doctor wanted to see me as soon as possible and for me to start testing my blood glucose levels at home with a glucose monitor. She told me that she sent a request to my pharmacy and to go get it, because she needed to know my blood glucose levels by my next appointment. Well, needless to say when I went to go pick it up, the pharmacy told me they needed her to call them back and give them a specific brand before they could fill the request. Well, unfortunately to say this turned into a HUGE fiasco with the doctor, the pharmacy and the insurance company.

I had a follow up appointment on Tuesday with my doctor, and she ended up giving me a glucose meter they had in the office. The issues finally got solved, but not before I had a complete breakdown from frustration, from dealing with the doctor, pharmacy and insurance company not all being on the same page and being yanked around by all of them.

On Wednesday I went to a class for diabetes during pregnancy and met with a nutritionist. The class was very informative and I feel better about the whole thing now. Now that I am more informed about what I should be eating and what I should be avoiding, I feel like I can do this. I can deal with this. I just need to take it one day at a time. It is going to be hard giving up my favorites like ice cream and even fruit at certain times; however, it's not forever.

Since my doctor now considers this pregnancy high risk, Kaylee and I will be more closely monitored. I was told to expect to have a LOT more appointments from now on. I am already seeing this. I was supposed to see my doctor every two weeks for regular OB appointments, but looking at my calender, I have had four appointments just in the last two weeks. And this will continue. I have another appointment next week. So at this point I am seeing the doctor at LEAST once a week. Starting at 36 weeks I will have appointments twice a week for ultrasounds and non stress tests, to make sure Kaylee is not growing too fast. If she is, then I may have to be scheduled to have an induction or a cesarean section early. But we will cross that path when we get to it.

Update on Kaylee -

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Kaylee is around 15 1/2 inches long and weighs about 2.75 to 3 pounds already!

Her brain can now control body temperature and primitive rhythmic breathing (although her lungs are not yet fully developed). Also, her brain is continuing to grow billions of neurons, ready to make new connections with everything she sees, feels, touches, or hears. She is becoming increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell and is already developing her preferences and dislikes for particular tastes and odors. She may be a picky eater before she even comes out of the womb!

Our little girl has arduously managed to accumulate enough baby fat to account for nearly 3.5% of her overall body weight. Yeah, compared to we adults, it’s not a lot, but when they’re little like that, it's certainly a healthy (and warming) accomplishment in its way.

At this stage a baby's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the uterine wall.

Her wrinkled skin is smoothing out as more fat is deposited under the skin surface. This fat, called white fat, is different from the earlier brown fat that she accumulated. Brown fat is necessary for body temperature regulation while white fat (the fat mom has) actually serves as an energy source. Which explains why your Energizer baby feels so, well, energized!

Space in Kaylee's living quarters is now at a premium, so I'll be feeling jabs and pokes from elbows and knees mostly. But those kicks will be more vigorous than before (and also less erratic) because she is stronger and excitedly responding to all sorts of stimuli—movement, sounds, light, and that candy bar I ate half an hour ago (if I were allowed to eat such things).

Week 28: Ups and Downs

I had a regularly scheduled appointment with my doctor on Monday, along with the one hour glucose tolerance screen, which was not too bad. They had me drink something called Glucola - a sweet, orange-flavored, soda-like drink. I was instructed to down it in five minutes or less, and to keep it down - and yes, it is carbonated. They note the exact time the the drink is finished, and then do a blood draw in exactly one hour. The drink really wasn't as bad as I was told it was. Don't get me wrong, it was by no means pleasant! But it wasn't horrible, either.

My doctor also ordered a complete blood count to check for anemia, since red heads have a tendency to be more anemic than others. I mentioned to her that I was having Braxton Hicks contractions more often and that they were lasting longer, so she did an exam to make sure my cervix was holding up and I wasn't dilating just yet. Blood pressure was good. Temperature was good. Kaylee is once again measuring a little ahead. I was scolded for not gaining enough weight for now... *shrug*.

Unfortunately, Wednesday morning I got a call from my doctor, saying I failed the one hour test, and I have to come in and do the 3 hour test! This was scheduled for Thursday morning. I was seriously dreading this. I had to fast this time around. Get a baseline blood draw, drink a twice-as-sweet Glucola syrup in the same five minutes or less. Then comes the fun part... a blood draw every hour thereafter for three hours and having to sit in the waiting room for those long three hours without eating anything. I now feel like Swiss cheese! Whew - five blood draws, all in one week! Oh the things one does for the love of their child. Hopefully, I pass this time! I will have another routine ultrasound at 34 weeks. So, in late August we get to see our little Kaylee bug again!! Yay!

Update on our ever-growing Kaylee -

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She is now around 15 inches long and weighs in at about 2.5 to 2.75 pounds (1100 - 1250 g). Kaylee's brain continues to develop and is now forming the folds and grooves of a fully developed brain. The amount of tissue within the brain also continues to increase in large amounts. Brain waves show rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which means she may be dreaming.

Her muscle tone is improving. Just preparation for the Olympics that feels like it is taking place in the womb! And she is now using all of her senses. She can see, taste, recognize touch and the sound of our voices!

Our baby is picking up body fat and filling out. She is able to partially control her own body temperature now. During the last trimester, our baby will receive antibodies from me through the placenta that will provide immunity from many diseases.

The Third Trimester

Wow!! So I hit the third trimester this week! I can't even believe how fast it's going. Kaylee will be here before we know it! We have just 12 short weeks before her estimated date of arrival! AHHH!!!

So Chris and I went to the Labor and Delivery tour last Wednesday night. It went well... got a lot of good information. I was thrilled to hear that UCSD offers ANY woman laboring at the Hillcrest a Doula... free of charge! I was seriously contemplating seeing how much a Doula would cost us. I have heard wonderful things about them and apparently it's proven that women who labor with a Doula are more likely to have a shorter labor, and less likely to need medical interventions. So that's news I was happy to hear. Anyway, being at the tour and seeing where Kaylee will be coming into this world... made it all so much more real.

One not-so-fun thing happened though. We were going through the tour, looking at one of the rooms and all of a sudden I felt really weak and dizzy. Great, just what I need. A scene in front of all these other people. It turned out it wasn't too bad. I just needed to sit down for a few moments and drink some ice water. Also, turns out I was coming down with a really bad cold so that didn't help. The cold is almost gone now. Let me just tell you though, being sick, while it's hot and you're pregnant... not being able to take much of anything... is not fun. Luckily I am slowly getting better and it hasn't seemed to affect Kaylee at all.

I also had a regularly scheduled prenatal appointment last week. I had the glucose tolerance test scheduled then, but since I wasn't feeling well I will be getting that done at my 28 week appointment instead. Everything looked good with Kaylee and myself. The doctor says Kaylee is head down, so that's good news too! I start going to the appointments every two weeks now. Yikes!

Anyway... sorry to bore you all with those details... on to Kaylee's update -

She is getting bigger as always! Now weighing around 2.3 to 2.5 pounds (1100 G) and 14.5 inches long! Her size is comparable to... a Sock Monkey! hehe

If she were to come into this world now, Kaylee would have an 85% chance of surviving!

Thumb-sucking is calming to the baby and strengthens her cheek and jaw muscles. And get this... she is already practicing for her entrance into the world and is able to cry already! She can also feel pain and respond to it in the same way as a full term baby can!

The neurons in her brain are making new connections every day, and her brain will be like a sponge in the next few years, absorbing more and more information. The more she is exposed to, the more her brain will grow and thirst for more knowledge. Exposure to different shapes, colors, and textures during the first few months of infant-hood will really sharpen her senses.

Less than 100 days!

I am down into the double digits now! Only 97 days until Kaylee's estimated day of arrival! 13 weeks to go . . . wow. Kaylee Bria will be here before we know it!!

This week is a busy week for us. Wednesday, Chris and I go down to the UCSD Hillcrest Hospital for the Labor and Delivery Tour. And Thursday, we have the usual prenatal doctor appointment. Along with the 1 hour glucose tolerance test. Not looking forward to that part, but you gotta do what you gotta do right? Hopefully I pass this one so I don't have to go in and do the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. After this appointment we start the appointments every 2 weeks.

Luckily today isn't as hot as it has been the last few days. I think having the air conditioner and the fan on has caused me to have a tickle in my throat. Too much dry air. Hopefully it goes away soon.

Update on Kaylee -

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Our little Kaylee bug is growing as always! She is now around 14 inches long and weighs around 2 whole pounds now!!

This week she reaches another big milestone. Her eyelids that have been previously sealed shut for the last few months, are now OPEN! She can now open and close her eyes and see what's going on around, even though there isn't much to see right now.

She also recently acquired the ability to say “yes” and “no” . . . in rudimentary sign language as she can now move her head back and forth. This is also the time where her head hair is starting to grow a lot more! A cute little cowlick or two may be springing into position right now, getting ready for years of cute-but-stubborn bed-head.

14 weeks to go...

Yup, I am slacking. I was supposed to update on Monday. I should have known that wasn't going to happen! Well, as the title says, I have 14 weeks to go. Time is short (or really long, depending on who you ask)--just 14 weeks left before I can go back to being a single-resident human. :-D

On the bright side, I only have 14 weeks to go (give or take a week or so in either direction). Which is good, 'cause I am starting to get really uncomfortable no matter what position I am in. Sleeping is a thing of the past. Since I am not allowed to sleep on my back or belly (which is uncomfy anyway), I am supposed to sleep on my sides only. But I find myself tossing from side to side every half hour or so. My hips really start to hurt at about that point and my belly is getting so big it's pulling on my lower back. And no wonder...I read today my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball! Yeah yeah yeah...typical pregnancy complaints.

Actually, I shouldn't really complain. So far I think I have had a fairly easy pregnancy. I am lucky in that sense for sure. I am getting closer to meeting this little girl and she is worth all the pains and discomforts I am feeling now.

Update on Kaylee --

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Kaylee weighs just under 2 pounds (850g) and is 13.62 inches in length. She is steadily gaining her cute baby fat. And her skin is starting to turn a cute shade of pink already. She's also growing more hair--and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Her tiny respiratory system is getting stronger with each passing day and her swallowing reflexes are developing more as well. The nerves around her mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be very valuable! Another big development this week is an exciting one! Kaylee's nostrils begin to open! There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!

This week baby should be scootching slowly out of the old breech position and start rotating into a better position for the big exit on her birthday. Her head and feet are slowly rotating so that the head is pointed down towards the birth canal.

24 Weeks

Woohoo!! Well, we start off with some good news . . . Kaylee has a freshly painted room of her own! Chris and I finally finished painting over the weekend! It turned out really nice. We are waiting two weeks for the paint to cure before we start hanging the blinds back up and the shelves that will be in her room as well. So we are finally making some progress. Here is the link to updated pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/CJGrau/Nursery.

The bad news is . . . the third time is not the charm. Kaylee has a room but unfortunately she doesn't have any place to sleep! Chris and I headed down to Babies 'R Us once again in search of a crib. We looked around . . . found one we both liked. Inspected it . . . talked about it. Grabbed the little sheet to take over to the desk . . . sat down and told them we want this crib!! . . . Only to be told once again . . . "Sorry . . . we can't order this crib for you." So yes we have been there three times . . . found three different cribs we liked only to be shot down every single time. As Chris says, "It's like they don't even want to sell us a crib!" So once again BACK to square one.

Oh, and I updated all my tickers for my "new" due date of Sept 29th. I will probably try to start updating this blog on Mondays from now on since its the beginning of a new week and it correlates with the new dates. But we shall see if I keep up on it hehe. And I added a baby poll where you can guess Kaylee's arrival date, her weight, height, time of arrival and so on . . . have fun!

Here is the update on Kaylee -

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Kaylee now weighs about 1.5 lbs and is getting bigger everyday . . . almost a foot long now at 11.81 inches long. (size compared to 1/2 gal milk) By the end of this week, she will be weighing around 2 lbs and 13.5 inches long. Our cutie-patootie may even be a little more plump, but isn't anywhere near her full baby-fatted cute-self. Most of the "filling out" is coming up in that long awaited third trimester. Woo-hoo!

This is another big week for our magical growing baby! Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) lung walls: secreting "surfactant." What's that? Well, surfactant is sort of what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat whose main purpose is to assist Kaylee's little lungs during inflation (as in, filling with air, not getting more expensive). Just in case you're curious, our little submerged baby is still breathing in amniotic fluid, preparing and rehearsing the lungs an oxygen-filled life outside the womb. And 4) the center of her bones are beginning to harden.

By now the doctor should be able to hear her strong heartbeat, using a stethoscope or Doppler ultrasound device. If daddy were to put his ear right on the belly in the right position, he might even be able to hear it unaided if there is no background noise.

She now sleeps and wakes in a more regular pattern. You may notice that she is particularly active when mommy is trying to rest. She is also developing her preference between being right- or left-handed as well!

23 Weeks

This is not going to be a long blog this time around. I don't have much to report this week.

I FINALLY got around to looking at the classes UCSD has to offer and the tour schedule for the birthing facilities yesterday. At my last OB appointment my doctor asked if I has scheduled a tour yet and that I should do it very soon as they tend to fill up months in advance.

Now the tour is not exactly essential to the birthing process but I figure it would go smoother if Chris and I actually knew where we were going and what needed to be done. Also gives me a chance to see what is available to me and to ask any questions I might have. I figured I could also get a copy of the registration papers so I can fill those out in advance so Chris and I don't have to do it while I am in labor.

Needless to say when I called they weren't exactly booked up months in advance. Chris and I take the tour on June 25th.

I also ended up registering and signing Chris and myself up for a couple of classes while I was at it. I signed us up for an infant CPR class. It has been a while since I took any classes and thought a refresher might do me some good. I don't think Chris has had any sort of infant health classes so it's good for both of us to know and be prepared if, God forbid, something happens. That class isn't until August 21st so they were slightly more booked up than the tour.

The other class I signed up for was a one-time birth class. I was at the birth of Juliet's (my best friend) baby and was there to experience the whole thing with her. So I know basically what to expect for labor and delivery. Chris, however, does not know what to expect really. He told me the other day he thinks his job is to stand on the side and stay out of the way of the professionals and cut the cord when the time comes . . .

I told him I am going to need him to do a little more than that if I am going to try to do this birth drug free. I think he will be a wonderful support coach for me though. But I still think the class will be good for both of us. It's just the basics but neither one of us have done this before so it couldn't hurt. That class isn't until August as well but I feel better knowing I have that out of the way and can be more prepared when the time comes.

An Update on Kaylee -

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She is officially over the one pound mark!! Weighing in at a whopping 1.10 lbs (501g) and 11.38 inches long. About the size of a loaf of bread.

Her skin pigment is now forming and is very pink in color. She is now proportioned like a newborn except it is a thinner version of a newborn baby since her baby fat has not developed much yet. Her face and body now look more like a full-term baby. And pretty much looks close to how she will look at birth!

She may alternate between having very active and very calm periods. Her movements are becoming more restricted now as she fills up the uterus more. Cartwheels and somersaults inside the amniotic sac are no longer possible, but she can still hold the umbilical cord and touch and feel what is around her. Though she is already living in tight quarters, she will soon have even less room to move around.

Good news though!! Her lungs are in major growth mode this week, with blood vessels expanding and preparing to help her breathe after she's born. But here's why this lung development is so fabulous: If she were to arrive early her odds of surviving are significantly better now that her lungs are up and running. Of course, these and other important organs still have a long way to go to become fully developed, but most experts count weeks 23 and 24 as important, reassuring milestones when it comes to long-term healthy outcomes from pre-term labor. If born now, she would have a 20% chance of survival, with the odds going up with each passing day.

Making progress!

Okay well first thing is first! A little introduction is in order. Chris and I finally settled in on a name for Baby G! We are pleased to announce:
Kaylee Bria Grau!
Her name definitely suits her..Kaylee means Spunky and Bria is Irish for Strong. She is both very strong and spunky even in the womb as you have been reading.

Chris and and I also made some progress on Kaylee's nursery.
We got the walls primed and plan on getting paint on the walls next weekend.
Now if only we can find a crib and the rest of the stuff:-/
I posted some pictures on my picasa gallery if you want to check them out there.
http://picasaweb.google.com/CJGrau/Nursery.
I will be adding to them as we progress further.

We also went to the beach on Sunday evening to take pictures of the sunset and
get a walk in. It was such nice weather and the sunset was lovely.
Kaylee seems to be calmed by the sound of the ocean.
I included a picture that Chris took..It came out so nice.

22 Weeks

Okay so Chris and I are slowly...sloooowwwwlllyyy beginning to work on the nursery. I think we have a theme for sure now. Its going to be Ocean. I was supposed to prime the walls this week and we bought the paint over the weekend (it was on sale at Home Depot). Unfortunately things keep creeping up and getting in the way. So I am hoping to get the show on the road next week finally.

Chris and I went shopping for a crib over the holiday weekend as well. Only to be disappointed.
We had gone out the weekend before and found a crib we both liked but before buying it we wanted to do some research to make sure this little one was going to be safe. The good news is the cribs reviews were great!! Unfortunately when we went back to buy it ALL of that particular brand of cribs were removed from the floor. I asked the sales clerk what the deal was, only to find out that brand wasn't exactly recalled but they were doing some kind of testing on the cribs and they were not allowed to be sold until testing was done *sigh*
So we went to pick out another crib. We searched the show room floor for a while and went back and forth on a couple different cribs. Settled on one we both like only to be told it could not be ordered because the warehouse was low on that crib *blank stares* uhh okay. I later found out that it was an in store purchase only and couldn't be ordered online. Back to square one I guess.

This little one has been incredibly active and on most days she actually has her own little schedule. I can already tell she is going to be just like her Daddy. She keeps me up late at night moving and bumping around and wakes up early to do the same. She is on Chris's schedule..late to bed, early to rise. Although I read somewhere they sleep like 16 hours a day. I am not convinced of this yet. Oh and she doesn't like bells! First there was the Padres Rally Bell that startled her. Over the weekend we were driving somewhere and listening to the radio and there was another loud gong...poor thing was startled again.

I had my usual once a month pre natal appointment today. I have one more monthly appointment and then they start with the every two week appointments! YIKES! This pregnancy is going sooooo fast! The Doctor wants to schedule the gestational diabetes test for the next appointment - bleh! really not looking forward to that and I thought it was further off but nope:-/ *gulp* Chris says he would happily drink the sugary substance if he had to hehe..if only that were the case. The Doctor once again mentioned that the ultrasound results came back with flying colors and our little peanut looks perfect! She also said I am the perfect pregnant woman (her words not mine)..although I will take them! hehe. Oh and my due date is back to Sept 29th so we shall see what happens. Its not that far off from Oct 2nd so I wont change any of my tickers or anything for now.

Update on Baby G -
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Baby G is now 10.95 inches and almost a full 1 pound already(430 g)! The size of a spaghetti squash.
Fingernails have grown to the end of the finger tips. And her muscles are getting stronger every week. Eyelids and eyebrows are fully developed now.

She can now easily hear your conversations more clearly than before!. When you talk, read, or sing, expect her to hear you. And since she responds to sound, rhythm and melody, when you sing and talk to her now, those same sounds will soothe her after she is born.

She now has her own sense of balance and her acrobats are pretty constant. This little explorers balance also promotes physical dexterity, which has her actively feeling out her surroundings where skin, body parts, and the resident umbilical cord are the big sensory experiences.

This week, your baby’s brain is rapidly developing, as the neurons are firing away, making new connections. The brain will expand until she reaches the age of five!

The sense of sight is also getting more developed. She can now perceive light and dark much better than before (even with those fused eyelids).

21 Weeks Down, 19 Weeks To Go

Time is going by too fast. I have tried three different samples so far of paint on the wall of the room that is going to be the nursery. We will probably try a couple more before Chris and I narrow it down to a color we like for sure. Once the room is re-painted I will feel better and can start preparing the room for Baby G's arrival.

Baby G is definitely getting bigger and stronger all the time, and showing just that! I was laying in bed the other night reading a book when I felt a rather large THUMP! I put the book down and pulled my shirt up to look at my ever-expanding tummy just in time to SEE another THUMP!

This little lump I was seeing was like something out of some sci-fi movie. Something moving, living, breathing (sorta) right under my skin. It was very bizarre and at the same time incredibly cool. To know my little one is getting bigger and more real . . . I can actually see with my own eyes that there is in fact something living and growing inside me.

I just laid there watching these movements roll from one side of my belly to the opposite side and lower . . . then back up. I think she was doing somersaults or something along those lines. These movements went on for a good 4 or 5 minutes. I was mesmerized.

Since the other night I have been feeling the kicks and movements on a regular daily (but mostly nightly) basis. They get stronger with every passing day. I find myself staring at my belly with any of the slightest movement in hopes to catch a glimpse of my little one moving around again. It still surprises me every time it happens . . . but I love it. I am enjoying it now while it's still "smaller" movements. In a few weeks/months I hear these kicks end up unpleasantly in the ribs or other random organs — Ouch!

I also get a little giggle when I realize Baby G has the hiccups! It has happened twice now and they don't last long but it always makes me laugh a little.

Update on Baby G —

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At week 21 Baby is stretched out enough to start measuring crown to heel instead of crown to rump so measurements from now on are crown to heel. Baby G is now 10.51 inches long. 12.7 oz (360g). The size of a large Papaya.

Her senses are developing, especially her sense of touch. She can feel her face and stroke her arms and legs. Baby's skin is now less transparent and more opaque. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) is also starting to take place in Baby G's sleep pattern, which is crucial for any healthy baby's sleep pattern and general development. Our sweet one is still a little lean, mean, growing machine! But the beginnings of what is commonly called "brown fat" is just starting to fill in to help her retain some body heat, which is crucial as she is not yet capable of regulating her own body temperature.

By now, your baby swallows at least several ounces of amniotic fluid each day — not only for hydration and nutrition, but also to practice swallowing and digesting — skills your baby will need as soon as she arrives on this earth. And keep this in mind: the taste of the amniotic fluid differs from day to day depending on what mommy has eaten that day. That smorgasbord of tastes won't be lost on the baby. That's because our little one has very developed taste buds already. In fact, researchers have noted that babies who were exposed to certain tastes in utero via the amniotic fluid were more eager to eat foods with that same taste after birth.

Let's hope mommy is eating her veggies!

Hitting the Down Slope - Wheeeeeee!

Well as of today I am beginning the down slope of this pregnancy. So far I have been climbing and climbing to the half way mark of the hill. Counting up to 20 weeks. Now I will be counting down. Not much time left as these last 20 weeks have seemed to fly by very quickly. Yikes!

It has been an exciting week. We got to see just how big this little one is getting, found out she is a she. No more saying "It," "She or He," or "S/He." Nope, we now know for sure she is a she. We also found out she takes after her daddy and likes to kick it karate-style.

She is also very laid back. When the ultrasound tech first put the wand on my belly, there she was . . . just kickin' back, relaxing . . . you almost expect to find her with one hand behind her head and one heel resting on her opposite knee . . . just shootin' the breeze. Although the tech said once she tried to get a good measurement of the heart she was throwing herself a little party in there (finally got it--152 bpm).

Her kicks are definitely getting stronger. Yesterday evening I was able to feel her kick from the outside for the first time. Later on I felt another strong one . . . put my hand to see if I could feel it and sure enough I did! Chris put his hand on my belly and with a little more coaxing from him was able to feel it too for the first time!!!

Oh yes! I almost forgot to mention that during the ultrasound I experienced my first Braxton Hicks contraction and felt a few more as we were walking to the car as we were leaving the hospital. And one or a two since then. It is an odd feeling, kind of neat actually . . . luckily not yet uncomfortable as I have read they can be.

Update on Baby G -

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Baby G weighs about 10.5 ounces (300g) and measures about 7.2 inches (18cm) from crown to rump. The size of a cantaloupe. She still moves about freely in amniotic fluid. Your baby may also start to respond to external sounds, such as the music you are listening to or mommy or daddy's voice. She could hear it before, but now she may respond with a kick or a jab.

Your baby has developed some red blood cells already. The white blood cells that your baby needs to fight infections are being manufactured as we speak. Her digestive system is sufficiently advanced to absorb water and sugar from the amniotic fluid that she swallows as well. Her skin is getting thicker and there are now 4 layers and more hair continues to grow on upper lip and eyebrows. Baby G's heart is stronger now too. Find a quiet place, lay flat on your back. Locate your own heartbeat by finding your pulse. Next lay your hand on your belly. You may be able to distinguish the two heartbeats! Limbs have now reached their relative proportion. No more alien-like baby!! Her tiny pink lips are more defined now too.

Baby G is now officially 50% baked!

The Results are In...

I hope you all had your chance to get your vote in to guess if Chris and I are having a boy or girl!

We went in for the 20 week fetal anatomy scan this morning. Baby cooperated just fine. At first the baby was just chilling out . . . kickin' back . . . which was good. Made it easy for the technician to make her measurements of all the different parts.

As she was measuring the femur bones from underneath I got a quick look at three little white lines. I quickly asked, "OH! Is that a girl?!" The tech, being cautious, said, "Well I don't know. I don't see any boy parts, but we will see." A few minutes go by and and she says, "Hmmm yup. You are right . . . It's a girl! You see those three white lines?" I DID!! I saw! I was right!

We are having a GIRL!!

Everything else looks good and baby looks healthy! YAY!!

A name and updated pictures to come.

Growing a Mini Black Belt

Well here I am at 19 weeks (in the 20th week of pregnancy HALFWAY through according to the tickers at the bottom). I had been feeling little movements for a couple weeks now . . . but these last couple of days this little one's kicks are becoming harder. Baby G is getting stronger and growing . . . and growing and growing. Making it hard for me to breathe and eat. But the little kicks are her/his way of letting momma know he/she is alive and kickin'! Literally! I Actually enjoy the little jabs . . . besides the growing belly it makes the pregnancy seem so much more real.

No more big meals for me . . . my stomach has been pushed up by Baby G . . . making it VERY uncomfortable to have a lot of food in my stomach because it makes my ribs expand. Ouch!
Yes, pregnancy is getting more and more uncomfortable . . . but I KNOW it's worth it in the end!

I am also convinced my body really does have a calendar built in hehe. At EXACTLY 6 weeks pregnant morning sickness kicked in. Then it seemed like exactly 16 weeks I started feeling the little movements and kicks . . . 19 weeks marked the incredibly full feeling when eating and being uncomfortable in general. Weird. How does it know? hehe

I am starting to get excited to see Baby G on Monday. It has been a while since we last saw him or her and I can't even imagine the difference in size from 8 weeks to 20. At 8 weeks s/he was only a little more than half an inch big! I am trying not to get my hopes too high as far as finding out if Baby G is a boy or girl, in case he or she is shy and makes it difficult for us to see. But I am looking forward to seeing how big s/he has gotten.

Anyway here is the update on Baby G -

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Baby G now weighs about 9 ounces (260g) and measures about 6.5 inches from crown to rump. About the size of a large mango. Baby will increase its weight by more than 15 times between now and delivery.

The baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Baby G has the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. S/He has a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods. Features of your baby's heart should be visible during an ultrasound. Skin is thickening and scalp hair is getting longer and thicker as well. Baby is getting stronger and bigger every day.

Just for fun

If you haven't already taken a guess on whether Chris and I are having a girl or a boy, you only have a week left!! I have the BIG ultrasound scheduled for May 12th!

So for fun I have gotten together all the Old Wives Tales, Gender Prediction Test, and Chinese Lunar Calendar results and all the others random test so you can take a stab at taking a guess! This should be fun.

Starting with the Old Wives Tales -

String and wedding band test:
Results: Girl
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Carrying High or Low:
Boy
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Heart Rate:
Girl
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Cravings:
Girl
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Key test:
Boy
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Gender Prediction sites -

JustMommies.com:
Girl

Babygenderprediction.com:
Girl

Select-baby-gender.com
Girl
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Chinese Lunar Calendar
Girl

So There you have it. Not a real mixture of results, since most of them favored the girl result but it was fun non the less. Go ahead and take a guess in our Boy or Girl Poll!
Now all we need is this baby to cooperate and hopefully not be shy about flashing the ultrasound tech! Wish us luck!! Thank you!!

18 Weeks

I had my prenatal appointment on Wednesday, April 30. All went well. Both Baby G and I are doing well...both healthy. Yay! Baby G's heart rate was at 150 BPM...it has been fairly consistent since the beginning...back at 8 weeks it was 156 BPM. All my stats (blood pressure, temperature, pulse, weight) are all normal to low, which is good.

I had my appointment with my new doctor. I am VERY happy to say that this doctor and I are both on the same page. She has the same views, thoughts and opinions on labor and delivery as I. She agrees with what I want on both testing and birthing. Things are finally looking up and my fears have been eased a bit.

I have been feeling Baby G moving a lot more this week. Feels funny, but so much fun! I can't wait until Chris is able to feel the baby move. On Sunday, Jackie and I were at the Padres baseball game and, in the 9th inning, the Friar rang the rally bell. Well, Baby G was very startled by this bell and jumped at the noise. Biggest movement by far I have felt. WHOA! It was funny. Poor Baby G! hehe

Update on Baby G -

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Baby G measures about 6 inches (13-15cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces (200g). About the size of a soda can. The buds for the permanent teeth are forming behind those that have already developed for the first teeth. Baby's nervous system and brain development continue at a spectacular pace. By this week, your baby's motor neurons, which connect muscle to the brain, have grown into place so that your baby can consciously direct her movements. Millions of neurons inside your baby's brain are growing and forming connections and the nerves in her body are being covered in a fatty substance called Myelin. Your baby's ears are now placed on the sides of her head and her limbs are now in proportion. Your baby's tiny foot is just one inch long, but is in perfect proportion to the rest of her leg. Your baby can hear your voice and recognize it. Also there are now two distinct skin layers—the epidermis and dermis. Currently, their skin is covered in a waxy like substance called Vernix that protects the skin from bruising, abrasions as well as chapping cause by swimming around in fluid for 40 weeks.

17 Weeks

Another uneventful week. Not much to talk about. The cravings has been hitting me...first pizza, then those big beautiful soft pretzels mmmmm. Now I want a doughnut! *rolls eyes* Why can't pregnancy cravings ever be healthy? To combat these cravings I have started doing prenatal yoga and I am still walking the dogs every day. Of course if I keep giving into these cravings...the walking and yoga wont be enough hehe.

On Wednesday I will be having my regularly scheduled prenatal appointment with my doctor. I am looking forward to meeting with this new doctor. I have met her once so far. Seemed nice. But, more importantly, I get to schedule the BIG ultrasound! Yay! Hopefully the baby will cooperate during the ultrasound so we get to see the goods! Oh, I have been feeling the baby moving some this week!! Very exciting.

I have been thinking lately how quickly this pregnancy is going. It is almost half way over...and I have done...nothing! Absolutely nothing to prepare for this baby yet. I should probably get started and jump on the ball now, huh? As many women have told me...when I get further along I wont want to do much.

Oh! The baby got its second card in the mail yesterday! Thanks Nancy! It was so sweet and thoughtful of you to send one. :-D Glad you enjoy the blog hehe.

Update on Baby G -

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I am sure you will all be blown away to know that...Baby G is EVEN bigger than it was last week, not to mention getting cuter, and smarter with every passing day! Hehe. As you’ve come to expect, there’s no shortage of growth and development this week: Baby G weighs a whopping 5.25 ounces (150g) and now measures 5 to 5.6 inches from crown to rump. The size of a Beanie Baby. S/He has been practicing breathing by gulping amniotic fluid into its lungs. This helps the lungs' development so they will function at birth. Baby will continue to look more and more like a human as she gets bigger and develops more. The umbilical cord is growing thicker and stronger and continues to rush blood and nutrients to your growing baby. If baby is male the prostate begins to develop this week. Not to much going on this week...just more growing!

Week 16

Not much to report on me for now. The week was pretty uneventful. I only had one thing happen that really just made my blood boil. We had discussed whether or not to do any genetic testing, which Chris and I had told the doctor several times we didn't want to have any testing done.

So at my last appointment, on April 1st, the doctor was looking at my chart and she says, "I see you haven't had a TB test." No, I haven't. So she says, "Okay, I am going to order that..." She continues looking at my chart and says, "Why do I feel like your blood work has holes in it?" Which wouldn't have been the first time that was messed up. My first appointment, I was supposed to get a full work up called a prenatal blood panel. Apparently they didn't get everything they were supposed to and I have had to go back several times for multiple blood draws because of their mistakes.

Anyway my doctor tells me she is going to order another blood test. She leaves and the nurse comes in to give me the TB test and tells me to go wait in the waiting room until the lab calls me back. I go get my blood drawn, and Chris and I leave the office.

Come Saturday afternoon I check the mail and I get a letter from the California Department of Health. I open it and, lo and behold, I find that my doctor had ordered a genetic test!!! Without my permission!! Not only that, but for the second time she did not have my due date correct and the test was useless because it was not ordered during the right time frame of this pregnancy!! I was LIVID! How am I supposed to trust this doctor with my life and my baby's life? Needless to say I called the office as soon as I could and demanded to be switched to a new doctor. I did not want to see this one anymore. The staff was very sweet and understanding and got me switched to a new doctor without any problems. Arg! *sigh*

Anyway here is Baby G's update —

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Baby G is now about 5 in. and weighs about 3.5 oz (100 g). The size of a rubber ducky! The baby's circulatory system will be fully functioning this week. Baby can grasp, kick and even somersault and stick its feet in the mouth! Movement can be felt easily starting this week. Mommy and Daddy better watch what they say … as the ossicles (the bones that pass sound to the inner ear) have hardened and the portion of the brain that receives signals from the brain is under development. Your baby is getting used to the sound of your heartbeat and blood passing through the umbilical cord, but may be startled by loud noises. Your baby is aware of some things in the outside world, including sounds and light. If you let the sun shine on your belly, your baby may be able to perceive a warm red glow. From now on, baby may start to get the hiccups every once in a while, triggered by the involuntary movements of his diaphragm. Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing baby with insulation for the coming months. The ears and eyes have now moved to their final positions and are fully formed.

15 Weeks

I really can't believe I have been pregnant for 15 weeks now. In another 5 weeks this pregnancy will be half over!! Wow!

Another uneventful week has gone by, which is a good thing. I have been feeling more pregnant lately, though. More aches and pains and general discomfort, but nothing really bad. Sleeping has become interesting . . . when I can actually sleep, hehe. They tell you that you are not allowed to sleep on your back or stomach, and I am a stomach sleeper so I had to re-adjust my sleeping habits . . . not an easy task. And oh man, don't get me started on the dreams! Pregnancy dreams are crazy . . . I will leave it at that.

I bought a nice rice pillow type thing that you put in the microwave, and smells like lavender and chamomile, and wraps around your neck and shoulders, and that is pure heaven to me. Very relaxing. You can also put it in the freezer on warm days and cool yourself down pretty nicely . . . I haven't had to use that feature yet.

Oh, I did take a tumble today down the sidewalk . . . I feel so graceful! Picture a hippo ballerina! :-D hehe. I was walking the dogs and it was windy. The doggy bag got away from me in the wind . . . and that happened to scare the dogs, which in turn made them freak out and run in different directions pulling me down . . . yeah I scraped my knee. :-/ But other than feeling like a klutz and feeling a little jarred I am okay.

Anyway enough about me . . .

Update on Baby G -

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Baby G now weighs about 2.8 oz (80g) and is about 4.5 inches! Wow getting big! The size of a large onion. Fine hair called lanugo covers the baby which will disappear by time baby is born. Baby's bones now have enough calcium deposits to show on an X-ray. If the baby is female, her ovaries will be in place in her pelvis and more than five million ova (some of which may be fertilized to become your own grandchildren in another generation!) have formed. Although eyelids are still fused shut, baby can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, it is likely to move away from the beam.

One heck of a week...

Wow, it has been a heck of a week! As you read last week, we took a trip up to Washington and Oregon. Originally it was a trip planned to celebrate Chris's grandmother's 80th birthday. The party was set for Saturday. Unfortunately it turned into more of a sad occasion as Monday morning we found out Chris's other grandmother had passed and her funeral was set for Friday afternoon.

The funeral was tasteful and classy, just like Chris's Grandma Jo was. After the funeral the family got together and had a meal in honor of her. We spent a last few minutes with Chris's Grandpa Jack and headed out on the road to hit Washington . . . a three hour drive to our destination.

About two hours into the drive I start feeling a little iffy and ask Chris to pull over ASAP. Needless to say, we had to stop for about an hour total . . . I had lost it . . . lost it all! Still a whole hour away from our destination. We finally hit the road again and made it to our destination with only one more incident. A bed never looked so good in my life! (Just want to add a quick thank you to Chris, Jen and Brian for putting up with me for all of that—yuck!)

Anyway I am feeling much better now and the birthday party the next day was a lot of fun! The Grau clan can be very interesting and fun to be around. The ride back home from the party was interesting, to say the least! (No I didn't get sick again.) We hit a freak snow storm on our way home . . . with only a rental car, which had no tire chains, snow tires or four-wheel drive. Chris drove very carefully and slowly back to Grandma's house. We passed several cars that had slid off the road, and the 40 minute drive took a bit longer than usual, but we made it back safely and without any further incidents.

We left to come home on Sunday afternoon. With only a slight delay in our flight, we landed back in San Diego round 7 PM on Sunday night.

Onto another subject. I had a pre-natal appointment on Tuesday and Chris and I got to hear Baby G's heart beat for the first time!!! Oh what a beautiful sound it was! I was measuring right on schedule so Baby G is developing right on target!

Update on Baby G
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Your baby measures about 3.7 to 4.1 inches (about 9.3 to 10.3cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 1.75 ounces (50g). And is the size of a large lemon. Your baby's bones still consist of soft cartilage but they are now beginning to harden and the development of the bones and the marrow continues. Her ears are developing into a more recognizable shape and any hair already on the head and brows will become thicker. If her hair will be dark, the follicles will start to generate pigment to color her hair. Your baby is moving more now and is becoming increasingly flexible. She can bend her arms at the elbows and wrists and she can make tiny fists with her hands. Her skin is thin and translucent and all her blood vessels can be seen through it. Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, facial muscles are getting a workout as her tiny features form one expression after another. She can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch her sucking her thumb.

Updating early

Well I will be traveling to Washington and Oregon this week through the weekend and won't be bringing my computer with me so I figured I would do a quick update early for those of you read this and want your weekly update. There is not a whole lot to report this week..which is good news in my eyes. I have my next prenatal appointment scheduled for this coming Tuesday (April 1st). I am really hoping to actually get to hear Baby G's heartbeat for the first time at this appt. *fingers crossed*. There is one thing that has really caught me off guard about this pregnancy... and it has nothing to do with me. I find that more and more men are asking me about my pregnancy. I guess now that more and more men are getting involved with their wives pregnancies they actually know what they are talking about and are genuinely interested in MY pregnancy hehe. I even find Chris's colleagues who have children of their own are giving us advice on what baby gear to buy or just general baby/pregnancy stuff. I find this amusing really.
Okay well that is enough rambling of my own..how about an update on the ever growing Baby G.

Update on Baby G -
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Last week I had said that baby G was now the size of a peach...I was wrong and corrected that.
THIS week Baby G is now the size of a peach. Baby has put on weight too and now weighs 1 ounce (28.3 grams). Evening out with the placenta which also weighs 1 ounce. The baby's intestines are migrating from the umbilical cord into his or her abdomen. The villi are also forming in the intestines, these help in peristaltic movements and digestion. The pancreas of our little one is even secreting insulin! Baby's heart pumps about 25 quarts per day gradually increasing to 300 quarts a day by delivery.

(PS Didnt have time to take a picture of the belly so that will be soon to come)

I Made it!!!!

Woohooo I made it to the second trimester!! Baby G is 1/3 of the way baked.
I was foolishly hoping that by some miracle of miracles my body would know exactly when I hit 12 weeks so the morning sickness would stop. The morning sickness hit me the day I marked 6 weeks so I figured it would know when I marked 12...needless to say there was no miracle. It is supposed to let up in the 2 nd trimester and to be honest I haven't had it as bad as some of my friend's so I shouldn't complain really. I should celebrate the fact that I reached a very important mile stone in this pregnancy! Yesterday for the first time someone I did not know commented on me being pregnant and ask when I was due. So this means I actually look pregnant now! Wow time is flying by! Only 6 more short months until Baby G gets his or her eviction notice! :-) Okay well what is Baby G up to at this time you might ask? Let me tell you...
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Update on Baby G -

Your baby is about the size of a large chicken egg and is growing rapidly. He now weighs between 8 and 14 grams! The baby's legs are longer than his arms and his skin is red and transparent. His arms are long enough to reach his mouth and he may begin to place his thumb in his mouth. His sucking reflex, however, is not yet developed. All major components of the body are formed and now must grow and mature. From now on, your baby's development will consist primarily of organ maturity and growth and body refinement. Your baby develops reflexes and the skin is very sensitive.The brain is fully formed, and the baby can feel pain. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers. Unique fingerprints are now located on the tips of your baby’s fingers.

week 11

Yay just ONE more week in the first trimester! this time is just flying by right now. I am still not sleeping very well at night and feeling exhausted all day long. Last night I woke up with really bad back pain, which I hear is normal and right on time. Apparently the body starts producing something called relaxin that allows the hips to widen to make room for baby G. And that causes the pain in the back.
I had to give up on wearing my normal jeans cause they were just getting to tight and uncomfortable to wear. I broke down and bought some maternity jeans because I needed to
be comfortable and needed something to wear besides pajama pants all day hehe.
well thats the update on me...now for the update on baby G.

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The baby at 11 weeks
Your baby continues to grow and is now approximately the size of a large lime! The weight of the fetus is approximately 8 grams at this point. The growth of your baby is phenomenal now and your baby's length will double in the next three weeks.
Your baby's fingernails appear this week! External genitalia are beginning to show distinguishing features and the development of male or female will be complete in three weeks.Your baby's fingers and toes have separated and are getting longer. Your baby can open and close its mouth. You can now hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler Ultrasound device! Your baby continues to grow rapidly and has doubled in size in the last three weeks alone. The face is beginning to look more human, and all body structures are present with a few refinements still in progress. All vital organs are formed and, for the most part, function normally. From now on, they will grow in size and efficiency.

10 weeks

Woohoo! finally reached the double digits! This baby is 25% cooked :-) 2 more weeks in the first trimester and I can relax a little more. I think I am starting to show really early in this pregnancy. I am following my mothers foot steps. she also started showing early. I think it is due to my short torso. There just isn't any room for anything in there and with a growing baby..just pushes everything up and out! According to my Dr I have not gained any weight..in fact she told me I lost a pound since my first appt. I am sure I will gain it back and then some very soon!

Anyway not much to report here so I will give you a baby development update for week 10.

At this point of your pregnancy, the crown-to-rump length of your developing baby is 1.75 to 2.4 inches. It is now easier to tell how much the baby weighs since he is beginning to put on some weight. Your baby weighs approximately 5 grams and is the size of a small plum! The baby has grown an incredible amount during these past few weeks. This week is somewhat of a landmark for your developing baby. By now, your baby's complete body plan is laid down. Your baby will continue to develop and grow for the remainder of the pregnancy. The fingers and toes have separated and the tail has disappeared now. Your baby has taste and tooth buds at this point, which will continue to develop. The brain will continue to grow at an amazing rate and nearly a quarter of a million new neurons are produced every minute! The embryonic heart is completely developed. External genitalia are not apparent until next week, but a Male's testes will already be producing testosterone.

The waiting game...

So as instructed I made plans today to go get my blood re-drawn for the prenatal panel that my Dr's office had lost. I drive all the way down there, park in the parking garage and yes pay to park.
I go upstairs and sign in and tell the receptionist why I am there. I sit down...and a watch all the patients in the waiting room come and go..the next batch of patients come and go..and the next batch after that come and go. I have no concept of time as I had left my cell phone in the car..but I figure by now it has been some time...finally the nurse apparently gets tired of seeing me sit there for that long and finally asks me why I am still here. I tell her I am waiting for the lab tech so I can get my prenatal panel re-drawn. She says okay let me go check for you. I wait again...eventually she and the lab tech come out and tell me to come back. So I sit down in the lab area and the waiting game starts again. Then about ten minutes later the lab tech informs me they lost my paper work and the Dr had to resubmit my lab order (you have GOT to be kidding me!) So then I have wait again for the order to go through and have them printed up. The lab tech also informs me that the reason I was waiting so long is that the Dr thought I was there to get my blood drawn and the lab tech thought I was there to see the Dr....no one actually checked with the receptionist. By this time I found out I had been waiting in the waiting room for an HOUR...then got to wait in the lab for another 10 minutes. So the paper work finally comes through and she says tells me it looks like my blood type was never even ordered in the first panel which is odd since its routine panel for every pregnant woman. *sigh*
She finally gets the Ok to poke me and that she does...several times in fact. She made this big deal about how great my veins were and I had many to choose from. Then she can't even get one! so a couple pokes later and I am finally out of there! luckily the guy at the toll booth recognized me since I had been there so often lately and he was nice enough not to charge me the whole thing and only made me pay $2.25. *sigh* it has been a long day.