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.