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.