Month Four Pregnancy Reflections

What I least expected with this pregnancy was: for it to be so easy so far. I've definitely had my complaints, but in the grand scheme of things I think I've been really lucky.

The best bit of advice I've received is: make sure to use the stretch mark cream on the underside of your belly, not just the big round part.

What made me realize that I was really pregnant was: my clothes not fitting.  Especially when I put on a t-shirt, then went to wash my face and was shocked as the cold counter touched my belly- there was a huge gap between my normally fairly long t-shirt and my pants!

This month's ultrasound was: sadly, nonexistent.  Though I will have one next month and will find out the sex! (As long as baby cooperates of course)

At my prenatal visit this month I discovered that: everything is going well.  The baby's heart rate was in the 130s.

When people touch my belly: I actually kind of enjoy it.  I thought I would be annoyed, but it really makes me feel like I'm actually pregnant and that other people are excited by the changes going on as well.  I may change my mind when random people start touching my belly, but as long as it's family and friends it's fine.

My hopes and fears: I keep thinking about how much things are going to change when we have a baby in the picture and am scared at the thought of not getting to sleep in anymore, not getting to go out to dinner at the drop of a hat, or not making weekend trips with friends once the baby is here.  I keep thinking of things I want to do, then thinking I may not get a chance to do them anymore.  My hope is that Jason and I will remember to take time for ourselves, and realize that, yes, life will change drastically, but we can still fit in the things we want to do.... maybe just in a different way than we had planned.

Not just dreaming of a white christmas

Jason and I are enjoying the wintery white north.  It's been snowing pretty much since we got here.  We had one day of icky rain, but otherwise it's been pretty, white, fluffy snow.... as pretty as it is though, I'm reminded more and more why I like living in the south.  Snow is miserable... it's cold, it's wet, and it's messy.  I remember loving it when I was little though... and I would love for our little ones to be able to play in the snow... go sledding, make snowmen, ice skate.... maybe just visiting my parents in Chicago every winter will cut it though! ;)

Our trip up to Wisconsin was fun.  We stayed in a time share resort for 5 days.  Jason got to do some snowboarding and the two of us played around in the water parks that were built into the resort... indoor water parks of course!  We also hit up one of the local Indian casinos where Jason won $80.  Woo hoo!  We lasted about 45 minutes at the casino though... can't really handle being in those places for long.

Now we're in Chicago visiting my parents and Laura.  We had a very nice Christmas yesterday, and it even started to snow again!  It's so nice to admire from inside....

The baby is now at 15 weeks and is about the size of a naval orange!  I've been enjoying clementines lately, it's hard to believe the baby is probably twice as big!  I'll be posting a new belly pic next week.  I find it interesting that my belly seems to grow and shrink day by day... I guess it won't be long until it's fairly permanent though (for a few months in any case).

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). 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.")

Northward Bound

I'm sitting in the airport waiting on our flight to Chicago so I thought I'd update on my appointment today. I had to do a one hour oral glucose test today. It's normally done at 26 weeks but because of my CF and already being prone to diabetes I had to have it done at 14 weeks then will have to do it again at 26 weeks. This was my third time taking the test already this year. It's normally quite horrible, and today was by no means an exception, BUT I usually get an orange-flavored drink that's warm (because they forgot to put it in the fridge). Today's was lemon-lime and feezing cold. That helped A LOT! I will find out the results in a few days.

Otherwise everything is fine. We heard the heartbeat again. It's always  a reassuring sound. And she found it quickly today too! The heartbeat was in the 130s she said.

Well, we are now getting ready to head out. We'll soon be in the snowy north! Jason is excited about hitting the slopes and I guess I'm excited about getting caught up on some reading even though I'll miss the skiing. The doc says it's a no-no. :( I might hit the bunny slope one day but I know I should take it easy.

If I don't get a chance to later, I wish everyone a Happy Holiday!!

Making lemonade!

Apparently I haven't had much to say this week.  It's been a crazy week at school so I haven't really had time to stop and think much!  I've been working with a group of fifth graders to create a "News Team".  They're going to do the morning announcements via live TV in the mornings.  I've been trying to get this together for a while, but I have to admit that I'm not really a "leader" kind of person.  I volunteered to take on this job, then was kind of like "crap... what did I get myself into?".  I'm great at helping out, giving ideas, making things for big projects, but I'm not great at getting a project off the ground... especially when there's nothing to go by.  This has never been done at our school and I had no idea where to start....

Long story short... what I meant to start a few weeks (umm... I mean months) ago, I put off to the last minute and was rushing to put together before Christmas break.  I'll give myself the excuse that preparing for the Christmas Program put this on delay.... but I could have gotten started before that. We really want to go live the very first day back from school, yikes! But we've been practicing our butts off and even managed to throw together a trial run yesterday.  I had a few of the teachers turn on their TVs and watch.  It went flawlessly and they were all impressed with the kids.  I still have a few things I need to work out over the break, but I think the kids will be ready and will do great.  I have them rotating between 5 jobs (there are only 5 kids on the team right now... just to make my life easier for now... and perfect since there are 5 days in a week).  They get to be the main anchor, the helping anchor, the weather man, or they get to run the camera, or the "tele-prompter" (the script is on Powerpoint and run through a TV for them to see... I'm pretty proud of that one if I do say so myself).  We've practiced each "day of the week" in their different positions and its so funny how they get so excited about each one.  I love watching them do the camera and stuff- they're actually really good! And they each add their own personality to each role... it will be fun to see how this develops over time.

So.... in any case, sorry for my absence.  I've been exhausted when I get home from school, and my thoughts have all been racing around in my head worrying that I wouldn't get this together in time.  I've had a horrible time sleeping in fact.... :P  BUT, I made through the week!  Not only did we get it done, but now I'm off for two weeks!  Woo hoo!  I'm sooooo ready for the break!

So, in today's news (haha... taking a cue from my News Team), our Floodling has now reached the length of a lemon.  I've been feeling good lately, no complaints.  I'm starting to really feel like my belly is growing though.  Most of the time it just feels like I ate too much and am slacking in trying to "suck it in"... especially when I catch a glimpse of my "gut" hanging over my pants.  I have to remind myself that I'm supposed to look like this right now, and that it's a good thing!  I have an appointment on Monday and I can't wait to hear the little heartbeat again.  I don't think we'll get to see our Floodling, but only a few weeks more and we'll not only get to see him or her, but find out if it is a him or her!  I still don't have the actual appointment yet, but it will be sometime in mid-January.

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Georgia Peach

According to some things I've read, I have now officially reached the end of the first trimester (some say week 12, some say week 13... though there are some still that say week 14).  Either way the risk of miscarriage drops drastically after week 12 because all of the  major development has already occurred. Miscarriage is often caused by chromosomal abnormalities that cause the fetus not to be able to develop properly.  So at this point the major development is complete and the risk of miscarriage drops. I'm relaxing a little, but it's not as if there aren't a million other things to worry about now. :P

Our baby is now about the size of a peach... supposedly.  Below it says our baby is the size of a medium shrimp though... more to support my theory that these fruits are picked based on length more than anything.  Either way almost 3 inches is pretty amazing.  I pulled out my ruler to see exactly what that looks like... wow! No wonder I have a tummy pooch!

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

The cat's out of the bag

I'm sure some of you (Laura....) have been waiting for the next "watch me grow" picture.  So here it is!

6 weeks:

8 weeks:

12 weeks:

I'm actually quite surprised!  I didn't feel like I'd done that much growing in the last month.  I was starting to think most of the "belly" in the 8 week photo was bloat.  But it seems to be a little bigger. I still think for people who don't know I just look fat right now... I hate going to the gym and feeling like people are like "Whoa! Look at that belly!  Good thing she's working out... maybe she should be doing a bit more than walking though!"

Can I also say as a side note that I think my skin is looking better and better?  That is such a relief after the horrible "bacterial infection" breakout I had going on for 3 or 4 months!!

I revealed our news today at school.  That was pretty much the last group of people to know.... not because I didn't want to tell, but because I didn't really know how (I really dislike the idea of "announcing").  I finally chose to tell someone I talk to a bit, and kind of let things go from there.  Sure enough by the end of the day most of the teachers were congratulating me in the hallway.  It is a relief to not have to try to hide my belly at work anymore though!  But a lot of the teachers were like "yeah, we figured... just didn't want to ask!"  Obviously I wasn't doing such a good job covering up! :P (P.S.  Thanks Mommy for the sweater! I meant to tell you it arrived! It's perfect, and will continue to be perfect while I'm out and just feeling "fat"!)

Visions of sugar plums danced in my head...

Wow, three months now! That means only 6 and half more to go...

Our Floodling is now about the size of a plum!

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be.

Reflections on life from a 90-year old

Less than 200 days to the due date now! Just thought I'd point that out! :)  It's funny to think I didn't even have this long to plan my wedding!

I got this in an e-mail today, and while it's probably the 15th time I've gotten it and read, it always make me think and smile.  So, even if you've read it before, take the time to read through it again....

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."