Baby Avacado - 16 Weeks Pregnant

Eric and I have been working on names, however, we have not come to a complete decision yet. We want to have some ready for when we find out if it's a boy or girl. We can't wait!!!

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 avacado: 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.

The baby is around 17.5 cm in size and 160 g in weight. The baby has more space in the uterus to move now and will be moving around quite a lot. The baby can grasp with its hands, kick or even somersault by this time. The baby acquires reflex of suction and you can notice the baby stopping the swallowing action if a bitter solution is introduced into the amniotic fluid. The baby can even get hiccups in this stage. The baby reacts to visual stimulation and will use its hands to protect the eyes when violent external light falls on it. The baby develops fat under the skin to provide the baby with insulation. The baby and the placenta are of the same size now. The genitals are fully developed and a sonography might be able to tell you the sex of the baby. (We should know at our July 16th appointment!) The head and the neck are held straighter now and you might hear the thumps of the heartbeat with an external monitor. The baby has developed reflexes like sucking, blinking and swallowing. The regular movements of the chest show that the baby is now able to breathe underwater by inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid. The baby develops fingernails and the legs are longer than the arms now. The baby’s urinary and circulatory system begin functioning more efficiently and the baby pumps about 25 quarts of blood daily. By the 40th week it is expected to increase to 1900 quarts per day.

You will experience backaches (just a few so far, but not too too bad...most are when I first wake up in the morning) which are very common and you might feel more clumsy and prone to falling. Your skin will be stretching on the belly and breasts especially if you are gaining weight fast and this can lead to stretch marks on the skin. You can feel your uterus below your belly and must have gained about 5-10 pounds till now (I have gained 4 pounds as of this morning). This is a good time to start practicing sleeping on one side as sleeping on the back can place the uterus on the top of major blood vessels which can decrease the circulation to the baby. Using a pillow as a prop is also a good idea and can ease the strain on the stomach (I bought the ever-so-expensive funny-shaped maternity pillow on Sunday and it has worked MIRACLES!!! I bought the one that can be used as a nursing pillow, a baby pillow, and then a reading center for toddlers. I could not find the exact picture of the one I got to show all the different ways it is used, so the picture at the top is most similar. Eric loves to call the pillow "Mary Lee's Worm." The other night he put it in the shape of a six and then said, "This episode of Sesame Street was brought to you by the number six." HA HA! He must be ready to start watching those shows again!).

Baby Furniture - What do you think???

Well, Eric and I totally broke down today and bought all of the baby furniture (minus the glider...that will have to come at a later time). The bed goes from a crib to a toddler bed with rails, to a toddler bed, to a full size headboard and footboard. We figured the side table (or dresser...whatever you want to call it) can totally grow with the baby to a toddler to a teen. See the pictures? Let us know what you think...

Baby Orange - 15 Weeks

Your 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, softball, or orange. She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.") We should know the sex on Thursday, July 16th at 9:30 a.m!

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now (a little more or less is fine, too) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up for instance, (ugh, it is and I am MISERABLE!!!) you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result.

Baby Lemon - 14 Weeks

The 14th week of pregnancy is a time to relax as the body has now adjusted to the internal changes occurring in the body. You are more comfortable with your pregnancy as well as those around you have adapted to the expected changes. Your waist starts thickening as the uterus moves upwards and the bulge in your stomach starts showing. The baby is by now fully formed with all his essential organs in place and the placenta is also working efficiently. Your baby will continue growing rapidly bur unless you go in for an ultrasound scan you will not be physically aware of the changes. The greatest relief that you can feel at this stage is that the risk of a miscarriage has reduced considerably by this stage.

The body will start gaining weight slowly after this stage (as of this morning, I have still only gained 3 pounds) and the waistline will start expanding (I really feel like I am starting to show a little now, however, those who do not know me, are probably starting to wonder...what do you think after seeing these pictures????). The external development or changes will be as fast as the internal changes from this stage. As the baby grows in size so will the size of your stomach. Your uterus is beginning to swell week by week and you can follow its progress by locating the top of the uterus. The position of the top of the uterus will continue to gradually move up your abdomen, from beneath the pubic line to above your navel (according to my doctor, the baby is at your belly button at 18-20 weeks). Maternity clothes are probably necessary now (I can wear some of my tops, but the bottoms are a necessity now). One side effect of your uterine expansion could be achy or sharp pregnancy cramps on one or both sides of your abdomen — known as "round ligament pain" in the obstetrical business. (I have had some of this, but so far it has not been too bad...it just feels like I just worked out my lower abs and that they were stretched out pretty far.) At 14 weeks pregnant your tummy should start pouching a little bit now. Some women find this a welcome change.

I have my 14 week doctor appointment tomorrow (Tuesday) at 2:00 so I will update you guys if there is anything new there. UPDATE PER DOCTOR APPOINTMENT: I have still only gained 3 pounds and he said, "Whatever you are doing, keep doing and you should be on the right path to an easy weight loss after the baby comes." The heartbeat was 158 beats per minute. My uterus is the right size and in the right place. :) We will find out at 18 Weeks - July 16th - if it's a boy or girl during our next sonogram! YEA!!!

Other than that, the only new thing is that I found out Friday that I will be teaching kindergarten next year instead of first grade like planned. I am extremely excited because not only is it a great team to work on, but also, I think it will be fun and also get me ready for our little one on the way! Just in case you did not get to see the video of our sonogram (and you are actually interested in it), scroll to the bottom of the "Week 12 Sonogram." You will see a lot of still pictures and then below that, you should see the video. Until next week....

Baby Peach - Week 13

Can you believe I am now out of my first trimester??? I have 190 days to go (scary, but super exciting!). As of 6-8-09, our NT test from last week came back "normal" according to my doctor. :) What a relief! He said everything looks really really good. YEA!!!!

Here is what they say I should be thinking: "OK, fine, my skinny jeans aren't working anymore—and my "fat day" clothes don't even fit. I'm going shopping and I'm not coming back until I've got something I look fabulous in." Yep...pretty much right on the dot!

Your baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy ... and not so much at the age of 9. If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer! Other exciting developments include:Your baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. (Baby ribs! How cute is that?!) Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord. Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and you a lot of lost sleep).Who's that singing? Elton John? Could be your baby: His vocal cords and larynx are completed now.Your baby-to-be now weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter Butter, covered in chocolate. OK, it doesn't have to be covered in chocolate, but isn't everything better that way? Yummmmmyyyy! However, I do NOT want to eat my baby....chocolate and peanut butter is my thing! Mmmmm....

Belly Laughs

Okay, so I bought a new book. Eric and I went to dinner (thank you to the Bryants for my gift certificate for teaching all year) at Cheesecake Factory in Allen in the Water's Creek outdoor mall. It's beautiful there. After dinner, we walked around and decided to go to Borders to get some books to read for the summer. Eric bought a new John Grisham book...The Broker. I of course wanted another maternity book. So I bought "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy. It's great so far. Now you have to realize, this book is BLUNT, and when I say blunt, I mean it...but that's what I love about it. Let me warn you though...if you are not ready for bluntness and truth, don't read this one. If you are pregnant and looking for a great book to read, this is another great one. :) I am not done yet, but after only sitting down to read it once, I have already read half of it. The only reason why I did not read the entire thing is because I had those pregnancy hormones...you know, the ones that make you fall asleep ALL THE TIME! :)

12 Week Sonogram 6-2-09

We will should hear back the results of the NT screening soon. Here are sonogram pictures until then! We did get a video of the sonogram and I will try to upload it if I can. Today's heart beat was 166 bpm. She tried to tell if it was a boy or girl, however, everything still looked like a mass of tissue. She said if the tissue was pointing straight up like a birthday hat or 12 o'clock then it's a boy; if it is pointing to 3 o'clock, then it's a girl. It was pointing to 1 o'clock...therefore, it will be my 18 week sonogram that will tell us if it is a boy or girl! Thank you to everyone who has kept us in their prayers.