Week 23

We hit 23 weeks yesterday. Babycenter went a little backwards in the fruit section, likening this week to a mango. They did this to represent the likely baby weight (1 pound), but since our little guy was over 13 ounces three weeks ago, we're pretty sure he's heavier than that. So we'll skip the picture this week and list other things that are going on:

Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

In terms of how I'm feeling, I'm getting bigger and having more and more trouble sleeping. The extra weight on my hips and shoulders means extra tossing and turning to try to counteract the charlie horses. I've also been snoring more, and I woke myself up twice last night alone with a long snort. Poor Dan!

I feel our little man more and more each day, and there are days that I'm not sure he sleeps at all. Dan has been feeling him more lately too, so it's fun to share what I'm going through with the guy who got me here! Last night we were watching TV and he actually kicked my arm off of my stomach. Apparently he doesn't like that his space is getting more cramped and I clearly wasn't helping.

Another big change is my appetite. I can eat much more these days and I'm hungry a lot. I ate two full Thanksgiving dinners on Thursday (thanks Mom!) and I probably could have eaten a third a few hours later. I'm glad that I have an appetite back especially if it's going to our little boy to help him get bigger and stronger and ready to meet us in four months.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to a lot of eating today. So is our little boy!

Growing!

Now that I've started popping out a bit, it seems like I'm getting noticeably bigger almost daily. Dan asked this morning if I was really 20 months pregnant!

Speaking of growing, we finished planting our flower beds on Saturday. We planted over 500 tulip and daffodil bulbs in our front planters, so hopefully they'll bloom right around the time we're bringing our baby home!

We also found a bookshelf this weekend and it's almost full already. Our nursery rug came but it's a little smaller than we had pictured. Oh well. It's not like he'll be running around his room for a while and it brings some color and warmth to the room for now. We also did some arts and crafts this weekend to decorate the nursery walls. We bought a tropical fish calendar and framed the big pictures with ocean-related words. They turned out really well (especially for a couple of math people!) and all that's left to do is hang them. Things are really coming together, which is good because the holidays coming up will make the next month fly. At least I hope so. March still seems like too far away!

I Swallowed a Squash

Here is a picture from this morning, at 22 weeks, 1 day pregnant. I'm posing in the nursery in front of the crib (duh!) and Dan is the photographer extraordinaire.

I think I've been in denial about gaining weight in places other than my stomach, but whatever. I will have plenty of time to get in shape next Spring and Summer after our son gets here!

In other news, Dan and I went to Costco yesterday for dishwasher detergent and paper towels, but took a small detour through the book section. We usually meander through to see what's out, but we hit the mother lode yesterday!! Costco is selling all kinds of Baby Einstein and Dr. Seuss books so we stocked up. We've been looking for a book shelf for the baby's room and haven't had much luck, but now we're extra determined. The first things Dan bought for our baby were books so we had a nice little collection started, but we definitely added to our stash yesterday. We are planning to start story time soon since our little guy can hear us. Even though he can't understand the words or see the pictures, it will help him get used to our voices. And if he's as active outside as he is inside, it will be good to start a bedtime routine as soon as possible!

Week 22

It's funny how the weekly countdown has become less and less of a necessity for me since we had our ultrasound and know that we have a son coming. I still like counting the weeks and reading about our progress, but every day isn't so long and painful anymore. :)

Tomorrow is 22 weeks. According to babycenter.com:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

In case you're not sure what a spaghetti squash looks like, here's a picture (also from babycenter.com):

Holy meatballs, Batman! That's a big squash! And I definitely think there's one of those (or bigger) in me right now. I've been feeling myself stretch out to make more room for our little guy, and Dan commented this morning that I grew overnight. I also seem to have gained 5 pounds in the last 2 days!!

We took some pictures of my growing body last night, so I'll post them this weekend so you can see what a person looks like with a spaghetti squash in her. I can't believe there are still 4 months to go. I'm not sure how it's possible to get any bigger, but I'm getting ready to find out.

Dan and I went to two Huskies basketball games this week and have confirmed that our son can hear. His favorite part of the game is when the band plays, especially with lots of drums. He goes crazy when we walk by the percussion section to leave. And his favorite song could definitely be "Celebration" by the time he gets here!

A Different Benchmark

Today is Dan's and my first anniversary. We were on Kauai a year ago (still sleeping at this time) getting ready for our sunset wedding on the beach. That was a great day and a great trip.

This morning, we're in freezing Seattle and at work. Not exactly the most romantic of ways to celebrate, but we've had a great year and we're looking forward to many more. Our growing son will factor into our future happiness, but for now I'm happy to be married to my best friend and the best husband ever.

21 Weeks

Yesterday we hit 21 weeks. Our baby boy is about as long as a carrot (10.5 inches) and must weigh around 14 or 15 ounces. His brain is developing quickly, and he's accumulating fat under his skin. Dan was reading that the baby tests out his new taste buds around now, by drinking amniotic fluid and grimacing if he doesn't like what he tastes!

He's definitely an active little boy. He was kicking so much tonight that not only did Dan feel him repeatedly, but we both watched my stomach jump! It's definitely weird to not only feel him but see his kicks from the outside.

One of the ladies in our pregnancy class and I went consignment shopping yesterday. Shopping is very fun when you know who you're shopping for!

Another bonus: only 17 more weeks until I get to start maternity leave!

Ultrasound #2

Our ultrasound yesterday went really well. He was sleeping with his arm up and hand over his face. We got to watch him breathe, and he was practicing swallowing a lot. It was so great to see his little mouth open and close. We also got a really good shot of him elbowing me, so now I know what he's doing when I feel him there! The tech got good nose shots of him, so at least he cooperated this time.

Dan has been able to feel him kick twice in the past couple of nights, so that's been fun. He's such a strong little fella, and he's only going to get stronger in the next 19 weeks.

Our Squirmy Little Guy

We got a call last night from the radiology department. Everything looks really good, but they didn't quite get the right nose or profile shot on Monday because our little guy was moving so much. So shucks! We *have* to go back today to look at him again. :D

More Ultrasound Details

We were so excited to share our pictures yesterday, that I didn't post any other details about the ultrasound. Here goes!

We checked in at the radiology desk yesterday around 8:40. Our appointment was for 9:00 AM, but it was around 9:15 before we were called back. It was a crazy wait. It was like right before you open your Christmas presents, and you're so excited but not quite ready for the anticipation to be over. But we were so excited!

The first shot we got when the tech put the probe down was of his 4-chambered heart pumping away. You can see the individual chambers and the muscles working to pump his blood. Then we spent some time on his head, measuring the size of his skull and the brain formation. His head is measuring about a week ahead in terms of size, so hopefully that means he takes after his parents with his big brain!

After about 20 minutes of head measurements, we got the toilet shot! I have been researching them online and seeing other women post on my birth boards, but I had no idea that's what we were looking at until she pointed out the outstretched legs...and there was a penis between them! I was floored and so excited. We're having a son! His femurs were measuring right on schedule, and it was so incredible to see the little bones formed so perfectly.

The tech measured everything, from heart activity, to renal size, to diaphragm movement...it was the coolest 2 hours ever! We got some good profile shots, and he was active the entire time. He never stopped wiggling or kicking or punching. At one point he threw his whole arm back behind his head, and was just chillin' there like the cool little dude he is.

Dan's favorite part of the whole experience was watching his heart beating so perfectly. Mine was probably seeing how active he is, and when he kicked back at the probe that was trying to see his little feet. It seemed like almost every picture the tech had lined up would be ruined at the last second by our shy baby boy. By the end of the session, he had his bent legs pulled up against his chest, so it's good we got the toilet shot early, or we may not have found out. Before that though, he was folded in half for a while, and you could see his hands and feet all in the same shot.

We took a small video at the end of our appointment, but it's too big to email or post here. We're going to work on editing it down to be small enough to share, but in the mean time, we'll just have to come door to door and show you all our amazing little man!

The results of our ultrasound are that he is measuring a day or two ahead of schedule in terms of his body parts, and weighs 13 ounces. He didn't stop moving all day yesterday, and it doesn't seem like today is going to be any different.

We're having a boy!!!

It's a...

Here are photos from today's ultrasound!!

Here are two profile shots. The first has a little hand by the face.






























Here are pictures of a little foot, and the baby's face:






























And now the shot you've been waiting for!!

















IT'S A BOY!!

Can't Wait Until Tomorrow!

Tomorrow's the big ultrasound day, and I can't wait! I've never wanted a Monday to come so much. :) We ran errands yesterday, went grocery shopping this morning, and cleaned the house this afternoon. I even mopped! We're a little restless waiting to see our little peanut tomorrow, but it will come soon enough.

Halfway There!

Tomorrow we hit the 20 week mark, meaning we're halfway to our due date! Babycenter.com says:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

3dpregnancy.com says:

Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.

I like to read about the sleep patterns, because I've noticed Baby definitely has one. I haven't noticed any movement at night while I sleep, but that may only be because it's not big enough to wake me up yet. It is amazing that there is a half-formed person in me!

Our ultrasound is at 9:00 on Monday morning, and we can't wait! We're hoping to get lots of pictures and maybe some video, so we'll post all that here when we get it.

Nothing New

Hello. I know I haven't been posting much lately, but that's only because things aren't really changing much. Our baby still seems to be strong and healthy, kicking and punching and hiccuping a lot every day. It must be growing a lot too, because I'm still exhausted all the time!

Baby is going to its first Huskies Basketball game tonight, so I'm excited to see if all the noise starts the dance party in my tummy again!

Reminder: if you haven't entered the baby pool, do so soon! We have our ultrasound Monday morning so we'll be locking down the pool Sunday night. Unless you all don't want to know the gender? :)

Hiccups!

Our baby had hiccups multiple times last night. Once for probably 30 minutes right around dinner time, and again for a while just as I was falling asleep. It took me a while to realize that it was hiccups instead of light kicks, but then I noticed it was only one at a time and at pretty constant intervals. Rubbing my stomach and walking around didn't seem to help. I know that I don't like to get hiccups, but I hope the baby doesn't mind too much!

Belly Button Update: It's almost gone. It doesn't show signs of popping out but it's super shallow. 20 and a half weeks to see what it's going to do...

Numero 19

Woohoo! We've hit 19 - one week away from the halfway point. The baby is around 6 inches long, from head to bottom, and weighs around 8 ounces. Babycenter says it's around the size of an heirloom tomato (photo courtesy of babycenter.com); another site likens the size to a six-inch sandwich from Subway. The feet are around an inch long each. No wonder I can feel the kicks more and more!

Speaking of tomatoes, I've started wanting fruit and vegetables more and more as time goes on. But I wouldn't go so far as to say that I'm craving them. Food in general still doesn't excite me though. Dan's heading to the grocery store tonight without me, because I would "just get in the way." I can't come up with ideas of what would sound good, and I don't really want anything in particular. I kind of have to settle on what to eat with every meal, and that's no fun at all. Oh well. I'm sure I'll get my full appetite back some day!