Week 27

Hello all :)

I can't believe I'm already in the LAST WEEK of my second trimester! It's crazy to think that there are only 13 weeks left until Ryder is here! I need to get my booty in gear and get some stuff done! Thankfully, I was able to get the rest of Ryder's soon-to-be room cleared out and we just need to decide if we want to leave the carpet in there or put down other flooring. Any thoughts? Then we can start painting and decorating! I ordered our crib today, so we will be getting that in next week. I'm excited!

As far as Ryder's developments go this week, he weighs somewhere around 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. I think he is mostly a day sleeper and likes to wake up and play in the mornings and at night. He's super wiggly then :)

With more brain tissue developing, our baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. I can likely chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements I may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. I hadn't really thought about it, but there are times when he has twitched several times in a row. Maybe it was the hiccups! I will have to pay better attention to that now. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so I can't wait to just relax and enjoy the tickle :)

Earlier this week I had my glucose test for gestational diabetes. I had to drink a small cup of what I can imagine hummingbird fluid would taste like. It was 'fruit punch' flavored and had 75 grams of sugar in that tiny cup! I was so desperate for water about five minutes after I drank the gunk haha. Anyway, they make you drink the stuff and then take your blood a while later to test your sugar levels and how your body reacted to the sugar. I haven't gotten my results back yet, but I assume I'm good to go.

I feel like Ryder has really grown a lot this past week. I've been pretty comfortable for the most part, until I feel our little man stretch out and I can tell he's taking full advantage of all of the space he's allotted inside my tummy. He's been pushing on my lungs a lot and using my ribs like marimbas :) I'm really glad that I have a pregnancy body pillow to sleep with at night or I think I would be having a really hard time getting comfortable at night. If anyone would like a recommendation, I have the Boppy Total Body Support pillow. It's awesome :)

Here is what Ryder may look like this week:



And here I am:

Weeks 18 and 19

Hello all :) I have been really busy and just plain pooped the past couple of weeks, so I've been kind of behind on my posting, but I finally have some time to catch up!

As of the 18th week (April 1), Tiddle was about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighed almost 7 ounces. At that time, he/she was busy flexing its arms and legs — movements that I'm pretty sure I've started to notice more and more. I have felt little flutters here and there, but I'm not totally sure if that's the baby moving or not. His/her blood vessels are visible through thin skin, and the ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from its head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around the nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he/she's born. If we're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If we're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from us during an ultrasound. I sure hope the little one isn't shy when we go in for our ultrasound!

Our appointment to see the doctor and find out what we are having is THIS TUESDAY! I am soooo excited I can hardly stand it :) In a couple of days, Tiddle will have a real name hehe. The first appointment (when we will have our ultrasound) is going to be at 7:45 am in Arlington at the hospital where I'll be delivering, then it's over to the Mansfield office for a follow up with my doctor at 1:15 pm. They said that we can bring a DVD and they'll put the whole sono on it for us, I can't wait!

As of yesterday, I was 19 weeks along and can tell I've grown significantly since last week. If you look at the difference in my belly pics from last week to this week (below), you can definitely tell. About this time, our baby's sensory development is exploding! His/Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he/she may be able to hear my voice now, so I might turn into one of those crazy pregnant ladies you see talking to her belly :) Tiddle now weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His/Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of the body now. The kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on the scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on its skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

In the past week I've also realized that I'm hungry WAY more often than I normally have been. I still haven't had any weird cravings I guess, other than when I had to leave work yesterday to go satisfy my need for a lunchable! haha. And for all of you moms out there, gotta love that round ligament pain. There are ligaments that stretch to support the growing weight of the uterus, and they sometimes cause shooting pain in my stomach when I move really sharply. The other day I was lying in bed and Russell made me laugh at something, which made my stomach instantly hurt due to the jabbing pain, which caused a loud "OUCH!" from me, which made me laugh harder, which confused Russell, which made me laugh EVEN harder! It was definitely funny, but I was glad when I finally quit laughing and hurting haha. So here are my pics for this week. The first two are what the baby is looking like over the past couple of weeks (you can tell it's getting cramped in there):

Week 18:

Week 19: And here are my latest belly pics. Starting to really grow now!

16 weeks, 3 days

Hello faithful followers :)

This past Friday I hit the 4 month mark. Only 5 more to go! I'm pleased to announce that we finally have our appointment set to find out if Tiddle is a boy or a girl! I've got the sonogram at 7:45 am on April 12 in Arlington, then it's over to Mansfield at 1:15 pm for an appointment with my OB. Can't wait!

Here is the latest as of week 16:

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

I was looking at the image below (what the baby looks like right about now) and it's crazy to think that is's a teenie tiny little human being with all of the working parts! And it's inside of my body right now! So unbelievable and amazing :) Hold your hand out flat and (depending on your hand's size) imagine a little bitty human laying in it. It's kind of a lot to take in! And here is one of me getting pudgy :)

15 Weeks

It's amazing to believe that I'm just a few short weeks shy of being half-way through my pregnancy! It is really flying by fast now that I'm feeling better. As of today, I'm 15 weeks 3 days and it feels great to be a couple weeks into my second trimester! Last Friday and Saturday I switched to a different sample of prenatal vitamin that I got from the doctor, and they caused some pretty crazy dreams. I know that around this time, dreams are a normal side-effect of pregnancy, but it was only on the nights that I took the new vitamin that I experienced some pretty violent dreams. I switched back to my normal (but crazy expensive) vitamin Sunday night and voila! No more crazy dreams!

I had a doctor appointment back on the 8th and everything was great :). We got to hear Tiddle's heart beating away in the 140s where it should be. He/she didn't want to cooperate tho and kept running away from the heartbeat monitor. Once the nurse got him/her to calm down we got to hear the little thump for an exciting few seconds. I really want to go get one of those heart rate monitors so that I can listen in whenever I want! Our next appointment with the doctor isn't for about a month, and shortly after we will have our gender-identification ultrasound! Eeee! I can't wait!

Here's where we are at with the developments of week 15:

Our growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). He/She's busy moving amniotic fluid through its nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop. Legs are growing longer than the arms now, and it can move all of its joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still fused shut, our little bean can sense light. If I were to shine a flashlight at my tummy, for instance, it's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for Tiddle to taste at this point, but he/she is forming taste buds. Finally, if we were to have our ultrasound this week, we may be able to find out whether Tiddle is a boy or a girl. Although I'm super anxious/excited to find out, I'm glad we will be waiting just a little longer to give it a little more development time to make sure we get the sex right. Hopefully he or she isn't modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods" :)

Here's a picture of what the baby might look like at around this time:

And here's what I look like at around this time (super flattering outfit, I know):

14 weeks

I know I'm behind, but here is what you would have heard from me a couple weeks ago if I were on top of things :)

Week 14's big developments: Our baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his/her thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, facial muscles are getting a workout as its tiny features form one expression after another. Its kidneys are producing urine, which he/she releases into the amniotic fluid around itself — a process it'll keep up until birth (As Amanda pointed out to me, "Your baby is peeing in you!" haha. Indeed). It can grasp, too, and if we were to have an ultrasound now, we may even catch Tiddle sucking its thumb. Our next sono won't be for a while tho.

In other news, the little one is stretching out. At week 14 from head to bottom, it measured 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighed 1 1/2 ounces. Tiddle's body is growing faster than its head (no more alien baby!), which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of the 14th week, arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of the body. (The legs still have some lengthening to do.) It's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over its body. Our baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though I can't feel any tiny punches and kicks yet, our little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Only about a week until I am allowed to get that wonderful massage Russell got me for my birthday, can't wait!!

13 weeks 3 days

Hello again :)

Yet another week has passed and it's like baby fever all around me! I'm so happy for all of my friends who have delivered their little ones in the past couple of days. Congrats to Jen and Zach for delivering miss Quinn Taylor this weekend and to Ashley and Bo for delivering baby Madison Grace just this morning! I can't wait to go visit them both!

In my own personal developments, I'm now just over 13 weeks and feeling better. Today is kind of an exception to that, but overall I think I'm on the upside of all of the sicky stuff. I've still been really tired most days, but I'm thankful for my progress. In the past week, fingerprints have formed on our baby's tiny fingertips, veins and organs are still visible thru its still-thin skin and its body length is starting to catch up to its head - which makes up just about a third of his/her body size now. If we are having a girl, she now has just over 2 millions eggs in her ovaries! Who would have thought that 25 years ago when I was just a few weeks along growing inside my mom that my little one was already inside of me waiting for the day to start turning into a litte person! Absolutely crazy! Who can say there is no God for all of the incredible things He's created? Tiddle is about 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

My belly looks and feels like it's grown a bit over just the past couple of days. I'll try to get some more consistent belly pics going over the coming weeks and post them. I'm thankful to all of the support and advice I'm receiving from everyone, so keep it coming! I love hearing all of your personal stories and learning all kinds of little tricks and helpful tidbits of different products to try out and different remedies that have worked for you.

My next doctor's appointment is on March 8 and we'll get to hear our little heart beat again, can't wait!

Weeks 11 and 12

Hello again :)

I have been pretty busy the last couple of weeks and haven't had time to do my weekly update, so I'll have to catch up on this one.

At just over a week ago, at the 11 week mark and a day before my 25th birthday, our baby (which was just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig) is now almost fully formed. Its hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under the gums, and some of its bones are beginning to harden. Apparently he/she's already busy kicking and stretching, and its tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. I wish I had a way to watch! These movements will become more frequent as it continues to grow and becomes more developed and functional. I likely won't feel our baby's acrobatics for another month or two - although a friend of mine said she felt hers move at just 15 weeks for the first time - nor will I notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that the little diaphragm is forming. Can't you just picture the tiniest hiccups? So cute to think about!

This past Friday was 12 weeks and lots more has already happened. The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Our baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, its toes will curl, its eye muscles will clench, and its mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, they say if I prod my abdomen, little Tiddle will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it. Intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into the abdominal cavity about now, and kidneys will begin excreting urine into its bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in the brain, synapses are forming furiously. Our little one's face looks unquestionably human: Its eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and two teenie ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, Tiddle is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Over the past couple of weeks I've started feeling slightly better. I haven't been constantly sick or queasy, so I think the days of 'morning sickness' are about over. Thank goodness! But, I think this baby is bound and determined to keep me on my toes. My OB and nurses have told me to make sure that I get my flu shot, but that I had to wait until after the 12-week mark. Baby is already teaching mommy to be ready for the unexpected, when Russell and I both came down with the flu a whole three days before I was eligible for my shot. Needless to say, this past weekend was full of fluids, rest and lots of snotty kleenex :)

Russell has been a complete blessing to me through all of this. He continues to show me that I can depend on him for anything. He takes such good care of me and I couldn't have asked for a better person to share all of this with.

Until next time...

10 Weeks

What's up y'all!

Today I'm 10 weeks along and it's been quite the week! I don't think we've ever had this many "snow" days in a row in Texas. Not any that I can remember anyway. It's only been about a week since my last post, but there's a lot that's changed so far with our little one. Though it's a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, our baby has now completed the most critical portion of its development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in the body rapidly grow and mature.

He/she is swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. I can't wait until I will be able to feel it! Vital organs — including kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout the pregnancy.

Little bitty tiny nails are forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin. In other developments: Its limbs can bend now. His/her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over its heart, and its feet may be long enough to meet in front of its body. The outline of his/her spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord. Our baby's forehead temporarily bulges with its developing brain and sits very high on its head, which measures half the length of his body (with it being Russell's baby, it could be even bigger than that! Haha!). From crown to rump, he/she's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, the tiny thing will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

I can definitely tell that I'm growing. My jeans won't even zip anymore. Probably can't get away with wearing normal jeans and a belly band for much longer. Still seems weird to me that I'm getting bigger in the belly and haven't gained (I've lost actually) weight. Last week and this week were definitely brutal in regards to morning (all-day) sickness. I even graced the presence of I-20 with my stomach contents one morning this week :)

My sister, Heather, and I decided that calling the baby "it" is sounding weird so she came up with calling it "Tiddle" for now hehe. That's all for now; more to come!

9 weeks, 3 days

Hey guys :) Here's the latest on what's going on with our little bean:

Our new resident is nearly an inch long - about the size of a grape - and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. It's starting to look more and more human; essential body parts are accounted for, thought they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Our baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers this week and the valves start to form - as do its tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Our little one's organs, muscles and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. His/her eyes are fully formed, but the eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. It has tiny earlobes, and its mouth, nose and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that our baby's basic physiology is in place, it's poised for rapid weight gain.

It's really exciting to think about all of that and picture what the little thing looks like :) I'm definitely right on track with all of the symptoms still. I've been getting sick more and more and the fun moods swings are there too :) Thankfully Russell has guy friends at work to talk to who have all been through this before and have assured him that my craziness is normal hehe. He's so sweet and I'm so lucky to have him to go through this with.

My next appointment is on Tuesday, February 8, so I'll have more to report then!

Round 2!

Hi everyone! I'm super excited to post again on my blog! You know what that means...Russell and I are going to have another baby!

We actually found out on Christmas eve that I was pregnant, but wanted to keep it to ourselves and our parents until things made it a little further along this go-round. So far so good though! I've had four doctor appointments, two of which were just blood work, and two sonograms. Everything looks really good now; my blood pregnancy levels and hormones are all increasing like they should, and we got to see our little baby for the first time this past Thursday!

It was so cool to be able to look up at the monitor and see that little blob growing inside of me and to see its tiny heart beating away. The nurse was able to put this little computer tool thing around the heart and it started playing the heart beat so we could hear it. It was beating at about 140 bpm, so crazy to see and hear!

My mom was there with us too, and the nurse printed us out some pictures of the baby saying "Hi Mom", "Hi Dad" and "Hi Grandma" hehe :) I've posted some pictures below of what we've got so far.

As of my appointment on Thursday the 20th, my due date is between August 27th and September 2. That puts me at a little over 8 weeks now, and I'm feeling all of the symptoms that go along with it this time. I haven't really had a day where I've felt top-notch in about 3 weeks, but that's okay. I'm just thankful to be experiencing it all this time.

Stay tuned for more!

First Appointment

Today is our first doctor's appointment. We will be going in to do some blood work and a few other tests I think in order to determine how far along I am. I can't wait!

Exciting News!

Russell and I found out last night at about 7:15 pm that we were expecting! We decided to take a pregnancy test, but really didn't think that it would be positive. When it was time to go in and check out the results, we were both suprised to see that plus sign. Just in case it was a fluke, I took another one of a different brand, and we played the waiting game again. After waiting a couple of minutes, we went back to check and there they were. Those two pink lines! Russell gave me a huge hug and we both just kind of stared at each other in disbelief and happiness.

I made an appointment today and we will be going to our first doctor visit on Thursday the 11th. The nurse gave me an estimated due date of about October 30, but that could change as I get some tests and ultrasounds done. We are both so excited, and I've been antsy all day long. I just want to tell all of our family and friends, but we are going to wait a couple of days.

Russell sent me a link to www.babycenter.com where I found out what all our little baby has accomplished so far in the development process. It's pretty crazy. So far, hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs, although they look more like paddles at this point. Technically, it is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of its tailbone. Also, the baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long. Eyelid folds partially covering its peepers are developing, which already have some color, as well as the tip of its nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of its brain are growing, and its liver is churning out red blood cells until the bone marrow forms and takes over this role. The little guy/girl also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in its growing intestines is bulging into the umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from its tiny body.

It's kind of crazy to me to comprehend that there is a little bitty life growing inside of me, but I am so excited to learn more and more every week about what is growing next and what our little one is going to look like. I'll do my best to keep everyone updated on our progress and post as many pictures as I can. Love y'all!