Monday, December 7, 2009

SNOW!!!

We have snow!!! In 24 hours, we have received more than 2 feet of snow!!! Adam came to bed around 1a.m. and mentioned we had about a foot. It was wonderful to wake up this morning at 8a.m. to 18 inches or so!

Darren before I bundled him up

It's cold out there boy! Here's a kiss to keep you warm!

Darren after I bundled him up in a snow suit that was given to us by a friend (before he was born, so it's actually for a girl)

Daddy taking a break from shoveling

Family Snow Photo

King of the Snow Hill

Helped by Dad, of course!


It would be nice to get some more snow over night, but we'll have to see if that happens. Tomorrow it's expected to be sunny, with the low being 8 degrees and the high being 28 degrees.

Hope everyone is enjoying whatever weather they are having. I know this little family is!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Welcome to the world, little one!

On November 11, at 11:45 am our son, Darren Keaton Plain, was born! I realized I haven't posted an official blog about his birth, and thought it would be appropriate to do so before Thanksgiving since I am so incredibly thankful for our amazing boy!

On November 10, Adam and I checked into the hospital where I was scheduled to be induced. The first step was to have a medication called Cytotek placed on my cervix to help with dilation and effacement. We started the process at 9pm and finished it at about 6:30am (My mom was there until about 11pm, when we realized nothing exciting was going to happen that night. We sent her home to get some sleep so she'd be fresh when we got things going in the morning). After that, I was given a dose of Pitocin to start my contractions.

Waiting anxiously to get started with the Pitocin


After having a few small contractions, the nurse came in to monitor the baby. Turns out the little one REALLY did not like it when I had contractions and protested by bringing his heartbeat down to 50 bpm (normal baby heart rate is 120 to 160 bpm). The nurse took me off the Pitocin after 20 minutes and told me the baby was showing signs of stress and that we were going to hold off on inducing until after she had spoken with my doctor. We continued monitoring the baby's heart rate and found he also did not like me getting up to go to the bathroom. When I would lay down again and put the monitor back on, the nurses would come back into the room within seconds to monitor him. My mother-in-law, Sally, made it to the hospital shortly after I was taken off the Pitocin since we had asked her to be in the room with us when the baby was born. Well, things definitely changed from there!

The doctor came in a few hours later to talk with us about our options. Basically, the baby was showing all the signs of stress that a baby shows after mom has been in labor for 15 hours and being close to being born, not only a short time of very early labor. The doctor did not feel comfortable with us putting the baby through more stress from labor and then possibly have to have an emergency c-section, so we decided to go ahead with a scheduled c-section early in labor. I was scheduled to go into the OR at 11:15. At 11:10 the nurse came and got me ready to go.

Silly hat for surgery? Check!


I walked in to the OR where they started prepping me and I met the anesthesiologist. He put in my spinal block and then I laid back on the table and waited for my husband (They only let one person in the OR for the actual procedure. It was a no brainer on who it was going to be!) to come in as my body got more and more numb.

Adam prepping for the surgery



Adam and I nervously chatted while we waited for the baby to finally be out. The anesthesiologist told us we had about 10 minutes to baby time...and I swear, not 1 minute later we heard our baby crying and the doctor tell us "It's a boy!" We got the brief glimpse of our little man before they took him to clean him up. Then they brought him to us.

Hi Mommy!

Our first family photo

Close up of our little man


After Darren was cleaned up and we took pictures as a family, Adam took him to the nursery for his tests and I stayed to get stitched up and moved to the recovery room. Normally, new moms would stay in recovery by themselves until they can wiggle their toes (usually about an hour), but I asked if my mom could come in and stay with me while I was in there. It wasn't their normal policy, but they went and got my mom and we had a nice visit for about 10 minutes before Adam brought Darren in! Turns out, he kept putting his fists in his mouth while he was in the nursery, so the nurses said he needed to go be with mom for bonding and eating. He latched right on and I just stared at him and cried over our blessing. The four of us (Adam, my mom, Darren and I) got to hang out in the recovery room for about 45 minutes or so before I could wiggle my toes and go back to my room.

It's a boy!!! The nurses had a great time showing him off to the "grandparent paparazzi"

Daddy and Darren in the nursery





When we got back to our room, we had many visitors: Grandmommy Kathie and Grumpa Shawn, Grandma Sally and Grandpa Doug, Uncle Sam and Great Grammy. Everyone got to hold little Darren and took pictures with him. Mommy, Daddy and Darren got some rest after everyone left, and then our friends, Josh and Katrina (and of course, little Jack, who unfortunately wasn't allowed to come in the room) came to visit. Even though Jack weighed the same as Darren when he was born, Katrina couldn't believe he was ever that small!

We had a great first night just the three of us. Daddy changed all of the diapers because I couldn't get out of bed yet. It wasn't until very early Thursday morning (like around 1a.m.) before the nurse got me up to stretch, and I didn't get taken off the IV, foley catheter and leg compression machine (to prevent blood clots) until about 8a.m. It was very slow going, so I stayed in bed most of the time except to use the bathroom and stretch. Friday I was VERY ready to go home, and got my staples out before I could be released.

That's our hospital/birth story...before I get out of here to go feed the little one, here are a few more pictures of our little guy!

Darren in the recovery room with Mommy

Trying on the hat great grandma GeeGee made for him


The "going home" outfit...we ended up taking off the green mittens. They didn't stay on very well!

Not too sure about this whole car seat thing

Monday, November 9, 2009

Induction

Well, went to the doctor today and still only made very minimal progress as far as my cervix dropping and opening. Adam and I had gone over our options and weighed each one over the past week and decided to go for the induction this week.

So, tomorrow at 7pm we will check into the hospital where I will be set up on an IV and monitoring system. Then I will be given a tablet (not sure if it will be orally or another way) of a prostaglandin based drug to help soften my cervix and help with effacement and dilation. After four hours of monitoring, they will give me a second dose of the drug, which will be followed another four hours later by my first dose of pitocin, an oxytocin based drug that will take me pretty quickly into hard labor. We'll go from there! There is no telling how well my body will react to either drug, how long I will be on the pitocin, or if we will have to do a c-section or not.

I am so totally excited to know that by Wednesday I will be holding my little baby in my arms instead of wrapping my arms around my belly! But I have to admit, I am extremely nervous and anxious about the whole thing. Good thoughts tomorrow and Wednesday would be greatly appreciated by all!

The next time I update this will most likely be with pictures of the new addition to the family!!!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Due date has come...

...and gone!

I am now three days past my due date and am feeling VERY anxious and VERY ready to have this little one! I've been having some contractions and cramping, but nothing that stays consistent through the night. They are always consistent during the day when I'm awake, but when I lay down, not so much.

Not really sure what else to post today. Hopefully I'll have an update with happy news soon!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Baby's Room

Yay!!! The baby's room is 95% complete! We just have a shelf to hang over the changing table and then we're done. So, I thought I would post the pics of the room, including the custom piece of artwork that I made out of three gift bags from the baby shower and a few pieces of tissue paper.

The dresser and hutch in the baby's room.


A closer view of the hutch. The top of the hutch is lined with all of the different rubber duckies from my baby shower.


My favorite rubber ducky has to be the Cat Ducky.


That's a long line of duckies!


I just love this Ducky bank! A client of mine gave it to me. I love that it has a toy chicken next to it!


A sweet little plant I picked up from one of my favorite little stores in downtown Carson.


The baby's crib, complete with the artwork I created tonight.


A closer view of the artwork I created.


A peek into the crib.


Rubber Ducky pictures on the wall above the light switch.


The comfy chair to comfort little Boss. We have a glider in our room for those late night feedings!


I picked up this sweet little chair at a garage sale for $3!!! It matches the rest of the furniture perfectly!


We're at the end of only 5 days left before my due date. Yesterday was my official last day at work. I'm hoping that by being off and really being able to relax/go into nesting mode will help this baby move down into position so we can get the show on the road! I bought an exercise ball today. They are good for doubling as birthing balls, and if you sit on them and bounce gently, they are also supposed to help the baby move into position. I bounced for an hour today.

Adam's parents bought us a camcorder for our Baby Shower gift. We went and picked it out today. It's charging right now, but I'm looking forward to playing around with it tomorrow. We're also going to finish cleaning the rest of the house. Adam wants to take everything out of the garage tomorrow and organize everything. We also had some mice staying with us for awhile, so he's going to clean that mess up, too. While he does that, I'll be super cleaning the fridge and pantry. I'm going to take everything out of the fridge, wipe it all down from top to bottom and then only put back the good stuff. In the pantry, I want to take everything off the shelves and reorganize it so I can actually find what I want.

Today, October 31, is technically not Halloween for Carson City. Because Nevada was admitted into the Union on October 31, 1864, the state of Nevada, and more specifically, Carson City, celebrates Nevada Day instead. What does this mean for us as far as trick-or-treaters go? Well, Carson City had it's "official" trick-or-treating night yesterday. How did it go? Since we live in THE neighborhood for trick-or-treating, we had an amazing turn out! Between 6pm and 8pm, we had 234 kids show up! We went through four COSTCO sized bags of candy. We had to shut down at 8pm because we ran out of candy! Between 7:20 and 7:30 alone, we had 63 kids!!!! The best costumes of the night went to the KISS army and the Pacman accompanied by his Ghost friend from the video game. It was a great night and we had a great time passing out candy with our friends Josh and Katrina (who brought their 3 month old, Jack, who was dressed up as a dinosaur).

That's it for now. Hope everyone is having a great weekend and I'll keep you all updated about when Boss decides to make an appearance!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Dear Baby

Dear Baby,

I love you dearly and can't wait to meet you! Can you please help Mommy out by cooperating and dropping down the way you are supposed to? If not, the doctor may want to go in and get you, and Mommy really doesn't want us to meet that way. So, how about we work together on this one? You can take your time, but we need to make a little bit of progress before we see the doctor again next week.

Thanks Peanut! I love you very much!!!

Mommy

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Still not ready....

Quick update:

Well, the baby is still not ready to come out. I had my 38 week check up today and the baby still hasn't budged. The doctor said this is normal and not to worry. The good news...he doesn't want me to go further than 5 days after my due date, so no matter what, it's not going to be longer than 21 days from now!!! Yay!!!

I'll keep you updated on how things progress!

Monday, October 12, 2009

24 Days Left

I can't believe I am writing that I only have 24 days left!!! Seems like just yesterday that I first announced I was pregnant in early March! I packed our hospital bag over the weekend. I just have a few more things to add and then I'll be ready for when we need to go. Only other thing we really need to do for a trip home from the hospital is install the car seat.

Adam and I have been preparing the house. The baby's room is almost complete...we just need to move the books we took off the book shelf when we moved it out of the baby's crib and putting up some of the decorations we got from the baby shower. The furniture is all in place though. We do still need to put away all of the great loot we received from the baby shower on 10/3. I know I need to post pictures...I don't have them yet from mom since she's super busy with school and work and family. Should have them pretty soon though!

We did our first load of baby laundry yesterday. It's amazing how much clothing you can get into one load of laundry! I'm going to fold it all and put it away tonight. We have to do the blankets, towels and wash clothes next.

We've also put together the glider that my brother-in-law and sister-in-law got us for the shower. We cleaned up the bedroom this weekend so it would fit. It's going to be nice having the glider in our room for feeding and comforting the little one during the night.

I have someone coming to clean all of the carpets on Thursday. I'm sooooo excited about that! It's been awhile since we've had them done, and I've heard really good things about the company I've hired. Mom had someone come clean her house for her for the baby shower, and it only cost $75 for the whole house. I'm thinking that would be TOTALLY worth it!!!! It's like I keep getting things on my list done, and then we have company or life just happens and all my hard work is undone. It's very frustrating, so I think hiring someone to come take care of it for me will be nice.

That's really about it here. Adam and I have been working hard to get the house in order and get things taken care of at work for our time off. I feel like I just need to get through this week to finish scheduling all of my ads and then I'll be ready to have this little one arrive. I have my 37 week appointment on Wednesday, so I'll be able to update any progress that may have been made in the last two weeks then. At 37 weeks, the baby is considered full term, so it really could happen at any time from then to 4 or 5 weeks from then. Hopefully not 4 or 5 weeks long. Maybe two or three.

Hope everyone has a great week and I'll update again soon!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Baby Shower Tomorrow!

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO Excited!!!! I have a bunch of friends and family coming into town to help me celebrate and I just can't wait! Having the shower tomorrow sure puts it into perspective that I'm having this baby soon, which is surreal and highly anticipated at the same time!

That's all I have for right now...I'm just too excited to type any more. I'll post pictures from the shower probably on Sunday after all of our guests leave.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

34 Weeks

Hmmm.....It has been quite some time! Again...work has been insane. Just trying to get it all under control since I only have 6 WEEKS LEFT!!!! Yeah baby!!!! I'm so incredibly ready to 1. have this baby and 2. go on maternity leave.

Someone asked me today if I was having twins because my belly was so big. I wanted to punch her in the face. Instead I politely told her that I only have one baby in there. She replied, much to my annoyance, that it must be a really big baby. Again, I fought the urge to punch her.

The crazy thing is about this whole pregnancy is I really haven't gained any weight. I lost 6 lbs in my first trimester, gained 3 in my second, 4 in my third, then at my appointment two weeks ago was told I lost 3 lbs. So I'm technically still down 2 lbs from when I started. I keep saying the baby could eat off of what I had stored up for years, and kinda seems like the little one has been, which I'm totally okay with! I know my tummy is much bigger than it was when I first started this pregnancy...but seriously? She thought I was having TWINS???? Some people can be so cruel!

Enough of my ranting...Here's on to what baby is up to this week (info taken from this website):

Your baby continues to grow and develop inside of you. Measuring over 17 inches long, he now weighs over 5lbs! And from this week, until 2 weeks before birth, he will continue to gain about a half pound of weight every week. Unlike the first trimester, the weight between all babies in the third trimester is much more variable. Some babies weigh more and are taller, some babies weigh less and are shorter.

Also unlike the first trimester, by week 34 not much is changing. Your baby continues gaining weight through the development of subcutaneous fat and with that weight, is probably gaining strength in his movements. You may even be startled by a sudden jab to the ribs or be able to see a punch to your belly from the outside!

Mom
How are you feeling? Has your baby dropped yet? If you haven't heard the term before, it refers to the process in which your baby's head enters the birth canal to prepare for birth. For first time mothers, look for this to happen about three weeks before delivery. If this isn't your first time, your baby might not drop until the day before you deliver.

First time moms – when your baby does drop, it will be noticeable! There will be a change in your abdomen. Your baby is resting lower, which is great news for your lungs, but bad news for your bladder. You will be able to breathe easier, which might help you to get the bathroom quicker, since your little one is now sitting on your bladder!

That's what's new here. I'm anxiously awaiting my baby shower next Saturday, October 3. My mom is throwing it for me, and I'm really really excited!!! I hope you all have a good Friday and an excellent weekend!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Been awhile...

Sorry it's been a few weeks since my last post. Work has kept me pretty busy, a little busier than I really wanted. We've had multiple special sections to wrap up, with another deadline coming up this Friday for our Readers' Choice section that comes out at the end of the month, plus we have artwork due for the Bi-Annual Chamber of Commerce Directory that we put out, on top of our daily deadlines for the regular paper. This week I also have a conference call on Tuesday night for the Cal Aggie Alumni Marching Band Officer Council that I am on, a Chamber of Commerce breakfast and a Downtown Business Association Board meeting Wednesday morning, a Chamber mixer that night, Sam's football game on Thursday night, and a possible breastfeeding class on Saturday. I'm already exhausted!!!

I had my 32 week check up this last week. The baby's measurements were good and the heartbeat was at 140 bpm. The doctor was very happy with my results, and was even okay with the fact that I lost 3 lbs this last month. That puts me at a total of 4 lbs gained, and even then, I'm still down 2 lbs from where I started since I lost 6 lbs in the first trimester! The baby is still in the head up position, but Dr. Chacon said that he's not concerned. He said just because the baby is head up right now doesn't mean the baby will be head up in even an hour. I have my next check up on September 30 at 35 weeks. Dr. Chacon said it's not uncommon for babies to turn at 38 weeks and to not worry until we have to.

Saturday, Adam and I attended the local hospital's birthing class. It was....interesting. Right away I was a little put off by the teacher because here all of us pregnant women are and she starts talking about nutrition during pregnancy! One lady's due date was just a few days away!!! Didn't really feel the information was pertinent at that point. I did like that she wasn't over-the-top pro natural birth. In fact, when she had her three kids, she had wanted the epidural but didn't have time to get one. The information was pretty out dated for the most part and she did make us practice the breathing (which I refused to do the Hee Hee Hee Whoooo). For as much as Adam and I were wishing we had left at lunch, I did really like that she went over a lot of the different positions that you can use to help move that baby "down the pipes."

That's pretty much all I have in me for tonight's update. I will try to update again later this week, but you see what I'm up against, so don't be surprised if it just doesn't happen!!!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

30 weeks!

Well folks, 10 weeks left, which, as of tomorrow is only 70 days! To celebrate the fact that I am 3/4 of the way there, I have taken a new preggo pic of my big ol' baby belly!



Boy...that belly is WAY out there these days! The baby moves around a lot, and the movements are very strong. Last night as I was getting ready to sleep, the baby was rolling around, punching, kicking, etc. The baby has also gotten into the habit of what I think is sticking a foot up into my left ribs and causing severe cramping and a general feeling of being uncomfortable.

I am still waking up between 3 and 4am for a pit stop, and then can't fall back to sleep for at least an hour. Every other night, I'm up 3 or 4 more times for pit stops. Haven't had any baby dreams lately. In fact, I can't remember any of my dreams lately. Sleeping comfortably is a challenge. My pregnancy pillow definitely helps the situation, but I guess I shouldn't be looking for miracles! I think I'm getting enough sleep for the most part, some days are of course better than others.

The nesting has still been in full force, but during the week gets toned down quite a bit at home since a lot of my energy goes into work and getting my affairs in order for when I go on maternity leave. Adam and I will work on the kitchen at some point this week, but since he's in school and I'm going to Sam's first football game tomorrow night, and then we're having dinner with friends on Friday, it will have to wait until Saturday morning. Adam's old college roommates are coming up Saturday, so we'll be finishing up a few other cleaning items in the house as well.

I guess that's good for my update...now on to Boss's weekly update!

Your baby's height and weight haven't changed much in the past week, but the big news is your baby's brain gain. Until now, the surface of your baby's brain was smooth. Now, your fetus's brain is taking on those characteristic grooves and indentations. The reason for this change in appearance? Those wrinkles allow for an increased amount of brain tissue — a necessary change as your developing baby prepares for life outside your womb, and the street smarts he or she will need.

Another big change at 30 weeks pregnant: Your baby's bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells (before, tissue groups and then the spleen took care of producing the blood cells). This is an important step for your baby, because it means he or she is better able to thrive on his or her own once born (with a little TLC from you, of course).

So it's in with the new (brain cells, red blood cells) and out with the old (lanugo). Much of the 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 (so no need for that furry coat anymore). But you may see a few leftover strands of fur on your newborn's back and shoulders.

That's it from me tonight. I hope you all have a great rest of the week and an excellent weekend!!!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Where did my weekend go?

Wow! The last two days went by so fast!

We started the weekend off by having our good friends - Josh, Katrina, their sweet baby boy Jack, and of course their dog Stella - over for dinner on Friday night. It's always good times when they come over! The dogs play all night long, we have good food, good conversation, and I get to hold that sweet little boy!

Saturday morning Adam and I relaxed. He played his computer game and I read and watched movies. In the afternoon, we went to help my grandma Sharon move into her new house. She sold her house in Lodi and bought one in Minden, close to the high school Sam will go to in a year (Freshman stay at the middle school and don't move up to the High School until their Sophomore year). What a gorgeous house! If you followed the link, the pictures are from when the old owner lived there...I'll eventually update after she gets a little more unpacked. She has amazing views of the mountains from her living room, dining room and kitchen. It's on a nice quiet street, which is considerably different from her last house. I think she is going to be very happy here. There's lots of places for her to go paint, and she's already starting to make friends with her neighbors. Adam and my dad worked hard helping the movers move the heavy stuff out of the truck. Mom and I focused on getting the kitchen set up so Grammy can at least eat! We worked pretty hard, and ended up getting home around 8:30. I went and laid down at 9pm and slept until about 9:30 this morning!

Adam's parents were going to come over today so Adam and Doug could work on our backyard sprinkler system and then go golfing. Sally and I were going to hang out and discuss baby blankets and other baby stuff. Turned out it was raining this morning, and we heard it was supposed to rain through out the day, so we ended up postponing until another weekend. Adam and I were able to get through some of my huge house cleaning lists and finished the living room, dining room and entry way. We also started working on the kitchen. All three areas are de-cluttered and de-trashed, vacuumed, swept, mopped, windows cleaned, dusted and just look great! I'm so glad we got more done from my lists. I was starting to worry some since we hadn't really started on the lists, and we are only 74 days away from the baby getting here. Plus, Adam's old college roommates are coming up to visit us next weekend, so we really did need to get started on cleaning so we weren't doing a crappy job next weekend. I just hope we can maintain the rooms and not let them get back to the disaster zones they were. We've done a pretty good job on our bedroom that we cleaned last weekend, so I'm hopeful!

I hope everyone else has had a productive weekend. I think I'm ready to go take a relaxing shower and then head to bed for what I hope is a restful evening of sleep (especially since Sundays are usually pretty restless for me!). Have a great weekend everyone!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Kind of productive weekend

Well, we weren't as productive this weekend as I was hoping we would be, but we were still a little productive so I guess I should be a little bit thankful for that!

Yesterday morning, we both woke up pretty early and did some cleaning in the garage. We loaded up the truck with a load for the garbage dump...taking boxes, my old broken desk and other random stuff that has been taking up space in our house/garage. We also took about 7 large garbage bags of old clothing that we have been carting around for at least 4 years to Goodwill. We actually have an open space in our garage!!! Amazing!

After what I feel was a well deserved two hour nap, Adam and I packed up the car and met my mom, dad, little bro and his friend up in Tahoe at a beach called Sand Harbor (one of our favorite places) to celebrate my dad's birthday. It's technically this upcoming Wednesday, but we wanted to have more than just a dinner after work. We stayed for about six hours, enjoying a little bit of swimming, good food, games and a beautiful sunset! What a nice way to spend our Saturday afternoon!

This morning was not as productive as yesterday. Adam woke up pretty early, as usual, and being the wonderful husband he is, let me sleep in. After enjoying a very lazy Sunday morning, we decided it was time to get busy. We put together the baby's bassinet/play yard. It's pretty awesome! Here are some pictures of it assembled and in our room.






So, it is a play yard, but serves as a bassinet (with a vibration mode) as well as a changing table for late night diaper changes, which includes a soft light so you don't have to turn on an overhead light and wake the baby. This thing also plays music and has a sound machine with waves, rain and a few other ones to help calm the baby! What's even MORE amazing about this thing? They normally cost about $180+, and we got this bad boy for only $40 at a garage sale!!! The people only used it for about 4 months!

In order for me to want to put this in our room right now, we had to do some pretty hefty cleaning. Our room is always the last room we clean, so we had stuff EVERY WHERE! We started with stripping down the bed and putting everything on the bed so we could vacuum, throwing out the garbage and what not. We had tons of laundry that needed to be folded, however, the dogs have been sleeping on it, which means its all covered in hair and needs to be rewashed. We started on it around 2:30, and still have a ton to go! We will in no way finish that project tonight, so we'll have to work on it a little bit each day this week. I have to admit, it will be much easier to work on it load by load instead of the enormous mountain we have right now! Honestly, now that the laundry is off the floor, the room is pretty clean, so it will be easy to keep it up now.

After that, we tried to put together the baby swing a friend gave us. We quickly realized we were missing some key pieces, so I called my friend and turns out she still has them. She lives in San Diego, so we'll have to wait until she comes to visit in September before we can move forward with putting that together.

Then it was on to the kitchen. We unloaded and then reloaded the dishwasher, wiped down counters, and then discussed a new project. Our tupperware cabinet is extremely hard to keep organized, as is our pots and pans cabinet. So after taking some measurements, we went to Lowes and looked at organizing systems that slide out of the cabinets. Unfortunately, my pregnant mind spaced it and left the measurements at home. So we ended up getting a system for the pots and pans cabinet, and a temporary solution for the tupperware cabinet. We haven't installed them yet, so I'm not going to fill in the details just yet.

After Lowes, we did our grocery shopping for the week and got Papa Murphy's pizza. Now we are relaxing again, with laundry thrown in every time a new load finishes the cycle.

The weekend sure went fast...I wish I had a few more days to continue getting stuff done...I do this every weekend. I relax too much, it goes by too fast, and then I wish I had done more around the house. Oh well. The best part of the weekend besides dad's birthday? I read that I am now supposed to count the baby's kicks a couple of times during the day and started this last night. The baby is supposed to kick at least 10 times during a one hour period (when you are actually counting, not every hour). That little one kicked 40+ times in one hour!!!! I'm sure the chocolate milk I drank to get the little one excited helped things along...but good golly miss molly!!!! The baby continued it's kicking and punching this morning, and I stopped counting after 10 kicks/punches/rolling overs that happened in the first 5 minutes of paying attention. I love it when the baby moves around like that...really is the coolest feeling ever!

Hope you all had a great weekend and have an excellent upcoming week!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

28 weeks!

Well, tomorrow I hit 28 weeks and my third trimester! I just can't believe it! I know I say that pretty much every week, but every week I'm always amazed that I'm one week closer to my due date.

Today I had my 28 week appointment. I had to see one of the other doctors in the practice because my doctor is on vacation. We went over my Glucose test that I took a few weeks ago. Passed with "flying colors"! So glad! That has been one of my fears is getting gestational diabetes. I have gained 4 lbs this month, which puts my total at 7 pounds in 28 weeks. Not too bad! In fact, the doctor was very impressed that that was all I had gained. She also said that whatever I have been doing nutritionally and vitamin-wise was really working well and to keep it up. My blood pressure was great, iron levels really good, and all my other levels for whatever else they check for were also really good.

My measurements all came back normal for 28 weeks. The baby is weighing in this week at 2.5 lbs and about 16 inches long. I got to hear the heartbeat again! Baby is beating 145 beats a minute. During my last appointment, the little one was moving around a lot and the doctor had to chase the peanut around. Today, it's like the baby was taking a little nap. Didn't move once during the entire appointment! I will probably take a new preggo picture sometime this week to share.

Here's what www.whattoexpect.com says the baby is up to this week:
Are you dreaming about your baby? At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs.

By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to his or her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing.

The good news is that babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity — so you too can breathe a little easier now. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks.

Hope all is well with all of you and that you are having a great week!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Movement

Adam FINALLY got to feel the baby move yesterday!!! It started with us doing our morning ritual of snuggling, since that is one of the times the baby is active is when I'm waking up. He thought he felt the baby move, but was so unsure that he didn't really want to count it.

After that, we got up and went about our day. We went to Reno for Sushi (don't worry, I only had shrimp rolls!) and registered at Baby's R Us. I had a haircut scheduled for 4:30, and unfortunately it was only 1:30 by the time we were done registering, so we went to the Atlantis Casino and played Pai Gow Poker for a few hours. I'm glad we did...I got a Royal Flush on Fortune Bonus and won $150!!!! For the first time ever, we walked away from the tables up $200! We went to my hair appointment in very high spirits, and then had dinner at Chevy's.

I ate way too much chips and salsa, so when we got home, I laid on the couch to take some of the pressure off my tummy, and I could feel the baby gearing up for some big movements. I told Adam "you need to put your hand on my belly right now!" As soon as he did, that baby started kicking something fierce!!! Adam said he definitely felt that! Yay!!! I'm so glad he has finally felt the baby move! I think it puts a few things into perspective. So, lesson learned, the baby likes Chevy's! Can't say I blame the little one!

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! I know we are!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

13 weeks left!

Wow! Only 13 weeks left in my pregnancy! I think I've finally hit the panic of we only have a few months left and we still have soooooo much to do! We still have to finish up the baby's room....there is extraneous furniture in there that has to be moved out so we can finish setting up the baby furniture. We can't move that furniture until we move other furniture that is in the office, which we can't move until we clean out the garage!

There are baby clothes to wash and put away. There is a registry to finish creating. There is a baby shower guest list to put together. There is an ENTIRE house that needs an overhauled cleaning. There is gardening to do, both in the front and the back. There is a backyard wall to finish and a new fence to be built.

And that is not even my entire to-do list! This next weekend will actually start a little bit early for me since tomorrow I will work a 14 hour day. I'm working a half day on Friday and will use the afternoon to clean off my old desk (that is broken) in our office so we can take it apart to make room for the new desk we bought a few weeks ago. If I get through that project before Adam comes home to help me take apart my old desk and put together my new one, then I'll start unloading the bookcase in the baby's room so we can move it into the office, and maybe even move the bookcase itself off the wall where the changing table is going. I could also put all of the boxes of diapers away in the hallway closet...which could use a cleaning out anyway. All the sheets, extra blankets, etc could all use a bath.

Oh God...somebody stop me now!!! If I keep thinking about it, I'm not going to stop creating my list!!!

Since I am stopping myself from creating an impossible to do list (which I'm sure I will create at a later time...like 20 minutes from now), let's get on to Boss's weekly update:

Week 27 of Pregnancy: Baby's Sense of Taste and Sound

Most babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.

Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices. So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun at 27 weeks pregnant: If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.


Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he or she isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to.

Baby!!! I can't believe how big boss is getting! Although, I guess I can since I feel that little bugger moving around ALL THE TIME! The kicks are getting harder and more frequent...although poor Adam still hasn't felt the baby move yet. Soon though, I'm sure of it!

Hope you all are having a great week and a productive weekend! I know I will be!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Quick update

It's been a very long and busy week and I worked about 6 hours today, so this is just going to be a short update.

Baby is moving around a lot! Adam still hasn't been able to feel the lil' one moving yet. Every time he puts his hand on my belly, the baby stops moving. Poor Adam! He wants to feel the baby move so bad!

There's only 95 days left until my due date. I can't believe we're already in the double digits of time left! It's gone by fast...with the slow times mixed in, of course! I keep getting bigger and bigger, which I know is supposed to happen, but still feels a little insulting. It won't be forever, and I know that. I guess the good news is I continue to look more and more pregnant, and not just over weight.

We had dinner with my good friend Libby and her boyfriend, Mike, tonight. Mike's mom recently moved to Dayton (20 minutes east of us), and they are up here for the weekend visiting her. They stopped in Carson to see us for a few hours before continuing on to see her. It was really nice to see Libby! She and I lived together for our Senior year in college, and that was a total blast! One of the best roommates I've ever had, besides Adam!

Tomorrow, our friends Josh and Katrina, their new baby, Jack, and our other good friend, Edward, are coming over for a bbq. Jack has been feeling better after a week of being on a biliblanket (click here to go to Katrina's blog for more info). Last weekend when they came over, Jack just wasn't a happy camper, and they left right after dinner. Hopefully they will be able to stay a little longer and I can hold the little guy some more! He's just such a little cutie pie!

That's about all I have energy for tonight. I'll try to do another post either tomorrow or Monday...I've just been so dang busy, which results in being exhausted by the time I get home that I haven't had the energy to update this last week. Hope for the best and hope you have a great weekend!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Bleh

Welcome to 25 weeks pregnant.

I'm hot.

I'm uncomfortable.

I'm SUPER grumpy.

Nuff said.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

What's new with Baby Plain

Before I talk about our baby (which has been kicking up a storm tonight!), I just have to say that Josh and Katrina's baby is just so incredibly precious and beautiful! We went to visit again tonight now that things are a little more calm. Adam and I both got to hold him for at least 30 minutes each! He slept the entire time and made the cutest little cooing sounds while he did. Just precious. For more pictures of little Jack, see Katrina's Blog.

And now on to Baby Plain:

At nine inches and more than a pound and a half in weight, your baby is taller than two juice boxes stacked one on top of the other, and almost as heavy as four of those little boxes (an analogy you'll find particularly apropos in a few years, when those juice boxes start taking over your refrigerator, your pantry, your car.…).

Don't look now (as if you could), but your baby's skin is turning pinker. No, not because he or she's getting overheated (in fact, the amniotic fluid is perfectly climate controlled, keeping your baby at an always comfortable temperature), but because small blood vessels, called capillaries, are forming under the skin and filling with blood. Later this week, blood vessels will also develop in your baby's lungs, bringing them one step closer to full maturity — and one step closer to taking that first breath of fresh air. But at 25 weeks pregnant, those lungs are still very much works in progress. Though they are already beginning to develop surfactant, a substance that will help the lungs expand after the baby is born, the lungs are still too undeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide when he or she exhales.

The lungs aren't the only system that's gearing up for air intake. Your baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open this week. This actually allows your little one to begin taking practice breaths. (Of course since there's no air in there, your baby is really only "breathing" amniotic fluid, but it's the practice that counts, right?)

Hope you are all having a great week!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Jack David Welch

Two posts in one day! I know, I'm pretty impressed with myself, too!

Tonight, Adam and I went to meet our good friends', Josh and Katrina, baby! Talk about a little sweetheart! I proudly present Jack David Welch:



He was born today, July 21, at 5:39pm via c-section. He weighs 7.9lbs and is 20 inches long. And he smells just delicious!!!! Mom wasn't feeling too well while we were visiting, so we took a quick picture and promised to come back to visit tomorrow night after work. I'll try and get more pics then, but I just had to post this one!!!

Happy Tuesday night and I hope you have a great Wednesday! I know I'll be dreaming about babies all night long!

Preggo pics

Here are the pictures I took of Katrina and me last night after we ate dinner. These are the only pictures that Katrina and I have of the two of us pregnant together!


Belly to belly! I was hecka pushing my tummy out!


Happy mamas!

Katrina went into the hospital early this morning. They induced her and she was in pretty heavy labor for awhile before they decided to schedule her for a C-Section at 5pm today. At this moment, their baby should be born and she should be in recovery!!!!! Adam and I are going to go see her and the baby around 8pm...I'll post pictures when we get home. I'm so excited to meet their little baby! I still don't know what the baby's sex is! Adam and I are both betting it's a boy. Guess we'll find out soon!

Hope you are all having a happy Tuesday!

Monday, July 20, 2009

Holy Crap! She's having a Baby!

My good friend, Katrina (http://mrsjuicebox.blogspot.com/), is having her baby tomorrow! The doctor has decided it best to induce her a week before her due date, and in, hopefully, less than 24 hours, she should be holding her little one in her arms! I am planning to go by to see her and the little one tomorrow after work and should be able to take some pictures.

I'm so excited and happy for them. Katrina has been the one I go to when something is going on and I'm not sure if it's normal. And she will surely be the one I go to when I start freaking out about labor and delivery.

Katrina, her husband Josh, her sister Autumn, and their beautiful Husky Stella are all coming over for dinner tonight for their last "pre-baby" meal. Stella will be staying with us for the next few days while Katrina and Josh are in the hospital. She always has fun playing with our two rambunctious pups...sometimes into the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. But with Katrina's check-in time of 6:00am tomorrow, we figured it best for her to start her stay with us tonight...they will just have too much going on tomorrow morning! Plus...Katrina's parents are coming into town tonight so they can be with her tomorrow, which will be a pretty full house for them, and we are more than happy to help! (Especially since our pups will be staying with them when we have our baby)

That's all I have for now. I'm planning on taking some pics tonight of Katrina and I so I actually have some preggo pics of the two of us. It will be the last preggo pick during this pregnancy she will probably take! Have a great day all, and I'll update again soon!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

24 Weeks

It's been a little while since I posted something. Mainly because I have been a very busy girl!

Last weekend, mom and I went to visit my grandparents in Arizona. We had a very nice visit (you can read and see all about it at their blog: http://jerrysuzylifeonwheels.blogspot.com/2009/07/another-family-visit.html). It was a heck of a lot hotter there than either of us are used to!

This has also been a very busy work week, too. That's usually why I don't blog during the week...I get home from work and I am just DONE!

On to the good stuff!

Week 24 of Pregnancy: Fetal Hearing
Your baby weighs more than a pound and a half right now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about eight and a half inches (standard letter size!).

Wondering what (and who) your baby will look like? If you had a baby cam at 24 weeks pregnant, you'd almost be able to tell by now. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. What's still missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under baby's skin. Until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin is still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones, and blood vessels. Fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer. Babies at this stage of fetal development are gaining about six ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.

What's been playing on your little rocker's stereo system these days? All kinds of sounds can be heard by your baby in your womb: from air exhaling from your lungs (deep breath now), those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck.

I already know the baby knows when daddy is talking...Adam reads to the baby when we are getting ready to go to sleep, and the baby kicks like crazy! As soon as Adam stops reading, he baby stops kicking! I can't wait until Adam can actually feel the baby moving too. I think it will really help him bond with the little one.

Well, that's all I have in me for tonight. I hope you all have a great Friday and an even better weekend!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

A very fun weekend

We had a great time this weekend! I'll post pictures later this week, but just wanted to post an update that the weekend was a success! Katie was totally surprised and so excited to see everyone who drove up to surprise her for her 30th birthday.

Our 4th of July celebration was also a great success. BBQ was had and enjoyed by many.

Hope you all had a great weekend and a great Monday!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Friday...on Thursday?

Tomorrow is my Friday at work!!!! Yay! Since 4th of July falls on a Saturday this year, my work is giving us our paid holiday on Friday! So, I've been on early deadlines all week, which has been a little bit stressful, but you know...every day we're on deadline, so it's really not too much different than any other day! And today I set myself up to pretty much float through tomorrow as far as approving ads and turning in artwork. YAY!

The bummer of tomorrow...I still have to go to my Downtown Business Association meeting tomorrow night from 6-8:30pm (I'm on the board so I HAVE to be there) and I'm starting my work day at 6:45 a.m. because I'm helping my boss out by going to his networking meeting in the morning. I think I'll probably leave work around 2 or 3 tomorrow so I can have some time off before my night time meeting. Adam and I are in the middle of cleaning the house because we have about 10 people and 2 dogs coming to stay with us this weekend. My friend Katie is going to be in town and Monday happens to be her 30th birthday. Adam, I and our 8 friends from California and Katie's boyfriend, Dan, have planned a surprise party for her when she gets in Friday night! We're all super excited because she really has NO CLUE! She is really upset because she thinks no one is coming to see her this weekend! I LOVE IT! I should have pics on Monday.

And now for the weekly update on Boss:

Guess what? At 22 weeks pregnant, your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. How heavy is that? Hold a one-pound box of sugar in your hand the next time you're in the grocery story (and expect people to ask you why you're grinning from ear to ear). Is the box eight inches long? That's about the length your baby is too!

This week, your sweetie is making more sense of the world as he or she develops the sense of touch. In fact, your little one's grip is quite developed by now — and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, he or she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical cord (don't worry — it's tough enough to handle it). The sense of sight is also getting more developed. Your fetus can now perceive light and dark much better than before (even with those fused eyelids). But remember — unless you're shining a flashlight over your belly (which you can do, by the way), it'll be mostly dark for your baby inside that cozy womb of yours.

Moving up from the eyes, the eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. You'd be quite surprised, though, if you could see your little one up close and in color. Hair at this stage of fetal development has no pigment, so it's bright white.

I can't believe the baby is at the one pound mark already!!! CRAZY! Hope you all enjoyed and have a great 4th of July weekend!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Finally looking pregnant!

I know my baby belly has been growing slowly, but all of a sudden I LOOK pregnant! It's so crazy to me how one day I can sort of look normal, and then WHAM! Preggo! So you all can get a better idea, here's my first baby bump picture.




And now, onto what's new with the Boss this week!

Week 21 of Pregnancy: Baby's Taste Buds Develop

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. There's still a great deal of room in your womb — though your tenant will soon begin to feel cramped, so be prepared!

By 21 weeks pregnant, 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 he or she arrives in your arms. And keep this in mind: The taste of the amniotic fluid differs from day to day depending on what you've eaten (spicy enchilada one day, sweet carrots another). And that smorgasbord of tastes won't be lost on your baby. That's because your 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. Want your baby to eat his or her broccoli later? Eat yours now!

Your developing baby still has a great deal of room in your womb — though like anyone who lives in one space for a long time, this tenant will soon begin to feel cramped. Until those uterine walls start closing in, however, there's plenty of space for twisting, turning, and even an occasional somersault (so that's what you were feeling last night!).

With all that belly dancing going on, it's hard to believe your baby gets any sleep at all. But believe it or not, your fetus sleeps as much as a newborn, perhaps 12 to 14 hours per day! (Now if only you could get some sleep!)

So...with the little one already being at least 10 1/2 inches long, no wonder why I have a baby belly now!!!

That's that for this week! I hope you all have a great weekend...I know ours will be a good one!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Baby Pics

Here are a few of the pics we got during Friday's sonogram. In the first set (one blank, the other marked) the baby is rubbing it's eyes with it's hands, like we woke it up from a nap.

In the second set you can see the baby's face more clearly. Again, the second one is marked so you can see what is what.

We didn't get a lot of body shots, since we didn't want to know the sex.

Enjoy!




Half Way Mark

Holy moly Batman! I've reached the 20 week/half way point of my pregnancy!!!! I can't believe how fast it's gone by! We had our sonogram last Friday and it was so amazing. We actually got to SEE the baby and know what we were looking at this time! I'll post the pictures a little later after Adam finishes scanning them for me.

Now for the weekly update on the little one!

How your baby's growing:
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).

Your baby can also hear sounds. At 20 weeks, she can cover her ears with her hands if the sounds are too loud and she may even "jump" inside your womb if any sounds startle her.

She is also moving around a lot inside you. Remember, if this is your first pregnancy or if you have a larger frame, you may not yet feel those movements. If you haven’t felt anything yet, you should in the coming weeks. Many times, these first movements are described as a flutter, or may feel like bubbles or gas. If you can feel your baby moving and shifting inside of you this week, you may be becoming aware of her sleep cycles.



It's all so exciting! I have been feeling flutters over the past week or so, but without any regularity. I'm hoping that I will soon feel them regularly and really be able to become aware of the sleep cycles and everything else going on with the baby. I'll have sonogram pictures for you all soon! Until then, have a happy Thursday evening!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Company

I'm so excited!!! I just found out my good friend that lives in California is PREGNANT!!!! She's barely pregnant, only 4 weeks, but still pregnant! We had talked about how much fun it would be to be pregnant at the same time, and have our babies grow up to be close friends...I'm so excited it will actually happen!

It's funny because I am 15 weeks further along than Alyssa (my newly pregnant friend), and my friend Katrina is 15 weeks further along than I am! It's actually kind of eerily strange how that has happened...Katrina and I wanted to be pregnant during the same time too!

Yay!!! Good luck to Alyssa and welcome to the club, Baby!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Tomorrow is 19 weeks!

Here's what's going on with baby starting tomorrow!

Fetal Development This Week
Week 19 of Pregnancy: Vernix Develops
Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango and is now covered in a protective substance called vernix. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone.

Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango.

Your little action figure is able to choreograph Matrix-like moves at 19 weeks pregnant. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your baby more control over limb movements. Which explains all that kicking, stretching, and bodysurfing (or rather bellysurfing) you've possibly started feeling by now.

Something else going on this week: Your baby is getting a cheesy varnish. Say what? Yup — a protective substance called vernix caseosa (vernix is the Latin word for varnish; caseosa is cheese) now covers your baby's skin. It's greasy and white and is made up of lanugo (that downy hair), oil from your baby's glands, and dead skin cells. This waxy "cheese" may not sound too appetizing or attractive, but it's there for good reason: Vernix protects your baby's sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Without it, your baby would look very wrinkled at birth (sort of what you'd look like if you soaked in a bath for nine months). Some babies — especially those born early — will still be covered with vernix at the delivery, so you might get a look at your baby's first anti-wrinkle cream.


Friday I have my next ultrasound. I'll make sure to post pictures Friday night. Saturday I'm throwing a baby shower for my friend Katrina. She's 32 weeks along. I've got some fun games planned, a tasty dinner to make, and other surprises that I'm not going to mention since Katrina reads this blog! Should be fun!

Have a great end of the week everyone!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Missing Adam

Adam is on a business trip for the rest of this week. He just left today and I miss him already! He's in Salt Lake City for tonight and tomorrow, tomorrow night he flies to Denver and stays Thursday, Thursday night he flies to Dallas, and then comes home Friday night. Poor guy is going to be exhausted when he gets home!

I guess it's a good thing I got a big pregnancy pillow to snuggle with! By the way...best pillow EVER! I haven't slept as well as I have with this pillow since BEFORE I got pregnant! That's a long 17 weeks of no sleep.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2128727

Thursday, May 21, 2009

16 Weeks

Today marks 16 weeks in my pregnancy! Yay! Before I get into what's going on with baby this week, I thought I'd give an update on me first. My energy level has definitely gone back up!!! I've been waiting for that to happen for about...oh 14 weeks! ;-)I've also gotten a little bit of a baby bump...or rather, the bump I already had has gotten a bit more predominant.

On a different, quick, non-baby note, I was informed last night that I will be one of the people honored at the upcoming Carson Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner for my "above and beyond volunteerism" with the Chamber! How cool is that!?! My work is also excited about this and is planning to pay for me to attend. Hopefully, Adam will be able to skip his summer class for that night to attend the function with me.

And now on to baby!

How your baby's growing:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Listen up: Tiny bones in your fetus's ears are in place this week, making it likely that the baby can hear your voice when you're speaking (or singing in the shower)at 16 weeks pregnant. In fact, studies have found that babies who are sung to while they're in the womb recognize the same tune when it's sung to them after they are born (so choose your baby Muzak with that in mind…).

And baby's busily boning up in other ways. For one, the backbone (along with the back muscles) is stronger now — strong enough, in fact, to enable your baby to work on straightening his or her head and neck even more. Baby's crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is hovering around three ounces.

This little one's a looker — with a face that has both eyebrows and eyelashes — but a skinny looker since there's no baby fat yet. And here's the skinny on baby skin: It's practically translucent now, so if you took a peek inside your uterus, you'd be able to see your baby's blood vessels under that thin skin.

Pretty crazy! If I don't get back on here before the weekend, I hope you all have a great long weekend!!!

 
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