Don't worry, be happy!

We had our last monthly ultrasound today!  This was our last peek at Floodling before we get to meet him in person!  It's kind of weird to think that this person growing inside of me that we've been "spying" on is so close to being here!  I truly can't wait to meet him!

Things seem to be perfectly fine in there.  Wait... you mean, I had no need to worry?  Gee, what a concept! :P  As usual, my worries yesterday were unfounded.  They said Floodling is growing just fine.  In fact he weighs approximately 7 lbs now!  (Technically they estimated 6 lbs. 15 oz.).  Of course, estimates can be very off (up to a pound in either direction) but my assumption is that if the measurements each month have been following a fairly steady path, as they have, that they're probably somewhat accurate.

I didn't get any pictures once again.  His head is right down in my pelvis (where it should be) and turned towards my back (also as it should be!) making it hard to get a good view...unless you want a picture of his butt as my friend Stacey suggested.  As I've said before, that's okay by me if it means no breech baby and no back labor!  The technician did comment on the size of his head though, yikes!  Unfortunately "Daddy" has quite a big noggin himself... in fitted baseball hats he wears next to the largest size you can get!  But Mother Nature knows what she is doing and knows "Mommy" ain't a big gal so I'm trusting things will fit just fine.

Since I have no ultrasound pic, here's another fun pic!

One size fits all?

As I've been working on getting the nursery ready I've found that the most difficult thing has been sizing clothes!  Baby clothes seem to be worse than women's jeans!  One size can range anywhere from tiny to huge!  Here are some examples:

Both of these onesies are labeled "0-3 months"

In this case the onesie on top (same as the one above) is of course "0-3 months" but the one on the bottom is labeled "Newborn" (technically a "smaller" size)

Here, the pants on the left are "6 months" and the pants on the right are "0-3 months"

How are you supposed to organize anything?  I fear putting something in the "wrong category"... not because I'm obsessive like that (or maybe I should say not just because I'm obsessive like that) but because if I put something kind of small with bigger sizes then it may end up being too small by the time I get to that stack...

You'd think it would be easy enough to determine a basic "newborn" "0-3 month" and "3-6 month" then compare everything else to the "standard" but you run into issues like this:

Both are labeled "3-6 months" but one is long and thin, the other short and wide.... 

What do you do what that??  Do I organize by length or width??  If I put the wide one with the smaller sizes (because of it's length) then it ends up being wide and stupid looking, right? But if I put it with the bigger sizes then it may be too short....

All I do know for sure is that Floodling has plenty of clothes to get him through the first three months and beyond!

 

 His drawers are already packed full!!

And just a side note.... can you believe this?  First time through the wash and there's already a "lonesome" sock!

 UPDATE: I found the missing sock!  It turned up THREE loads later in the washer with a load of black and red clothes!  Floodling now has one pink sock (unless I can "shout it out").

Massage from the inside?

I wish you could feel my belly right now!  Floodling is sliding around in there and making my tummy look all kinds of funky!  While getting my pedicure the other day it hit me!  I know what he feels like now, he feels like a massage chair!  The kind with the balls that roll around.  Except it feels like that inside my stomach (maybe not as comfy and relaxing though....).  He isn't much for the short, sharp "kicks" these days; he seems to be all about dragging his elbow or foot from one end of my belly to the other.  It is one of the strangest sensations!

We got to see our little one again this week!  I always look forward to sneaking a peak at what he's up to and how much he's grown.  And grown he has!  His estimated weight is 3 lbs. 11 oz.  Definitely on the big side for being at week 30 (as you'll see below).  In fact my due date was apparently still wrong in their computer... they had me at 30 weeks 5 days when I was in fact 29 weeks 6 days (they were almost a week ahead!).  I didn't realize this until I left.  At the appointment I asked how he was measuring for his "age" and they said "he's slightly on the big side" and that was with them thinking I was a week farther along!  I'm getting a little nervous about how big he's going to get...

I'm also getting nervous about how big I'M going to get!  I've had a lot of comments lately about just how big I am.  I have to laugh because I've read about how pregnant women don't like to be told they're big, and I've also read that pregnant women don't like to be told their small.  Because of this my friend Stacey always tells me "you look 30 weeks pregnant" (or however many weeks I am) in response to my comments of how huge I'm getting.  I didn't think I really cared either way, but I guess the comments are starting to get to me now.  One person told me "wow, you're so big already! Do you think you'll end up on bed rest??".  Not very comforting... Though one lady at work told me "you're already7 months? You're not going to get very big!".  I guess it's all perspective.

I did tell Jason though that I'm going to have a complex after the baby is born and I no longer have a cute tummy (no matter how large it gets).  I've been told so many times "you look so great!" and "you're so cute pregnant!" or even "I want to look like you when I'm pregnant!". After the baby is born and I no longer have people telling me how cute I am I fear I'm just going to feel fat and ugly!  I guess people will be staring at the baby though and telling me how cute he is, and that will more than make up for it I'm sure! :)

30 weeks... can you believe we've made it this far? 10 weeks to go!  It feels like a lifetime away, and yet it feels like there's not nearly enough time to be ready!

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Bring on the third trimester!

According to most sources I am now officially in the third trimester!  Woo hoo!  BUT that means we only have 3 months left to prepare!  Yikes!

Thankfully I've taken the first few steps and finally started my registry.  Unfortunately it is not yet complete though as after 2.5 hours and having only made it through about half the store I was too exhausted to continue.

Some notes I want to share about my registry:

1. I do not expect gifts from anyone.  The registry is as much for me to prepare and be able to purchase items piece by piece as it is for people who would like to buy gifts.  I often feel like making a registry is a way of begging people to buy you things, but I think it's just nice to have everything you need written in one place, especially since it would be impossible to afford it all at once.
2. I did not put any clothing on the registry.  First off, we do have quite a bit of nice stuff from Andrea and Jason's dad and Donna.  But I also know that people LOVE buying clothes anyway, so I'm not going to tell them what they should buy.  If you would like to purchase clothes for Floodling, feel free to pick something you think is cute.
3. I do plan to breastfeed.  I may have a post about this topic later, though I'm not looking for as much input as I have with past issues (childbirth, diapers, etc.).  I am pretty convinced this is the way I want to go.  I did not register for supplies for breastfeeding though as I don't foresee people wanting to pick up nursing pads and nipple creams and such for me.... I also do not know what I'm going to want in the way of a pump and all of that.
4. Even though I plan to breastfeed I did register for bottles and supplies.  I will be going back to work so I will have to pump and therefore have bottles for feeding.
5. I registered for my stroller and car seat at Wal-Mart because both were a lot cheaper there... Babies R Us does sell the same items though and depending on if there is a good sale going on they may be cheaper at Babies R Us.... I am not a huge fan of Wal-Mart overall, but sometimes you just can't beat their prices...
6. My registry is not yet complete.  I realize I do not have any receiving blankets yet.... a play pen.... and plenty of other things.  A girl can only do so much in one day, especially a preggo one!
7. I did register for things like sippy cups for later on.... I figure the more prepared we are now, the easier it makes it later!
8. If you are choosing to purchase a gift for us, when it comes to the small things I'm really not excessively picky about brand, style, etc. (pacifiers, bibs, towels, for example).  You do not necessarily have to find the exact item on the registry.  If it makes you feel more comfortable, that's fine, but overall I have a feeling that everything and anything will be useful!
9. Again, if you are purchasing a gift, the registries have our shipping information so if you choose to purchase online, items can be shipped directly to us.

All that being said, you can view my Babies R Us registry here and my Wal-Mart registry here.

As I said, we are now officially into the third trimester at 27 weeks.  Floodling is growing bigger and stronger by the day!  I'm enjoying feeling his antics in my belly and was allowed to rest a little knowing that apparently he's so squiggly now because he still has a little space to do acrobatics.  When he's bigger, however, the space will be tighter and he won't be quite as mobile.  I've been concered about what he's going to do to my insides when he does get even bigger and stronger so that news was somewhat comforting.

This week, your baby weighs almost 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. With more brain tissue developing, your 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. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

I'm late! (No, not that kind of late... well, actually....)

I am actually a day late posting!  Sorry if you've been waiting on me. I've posted my Saturday posts late in the day before but never a whole day late... there is a first time for everything though and I have a feeling that once Floodling arrives I will have a whole new meaning to the word "late"!

I was actually out of town without a computer on Friday and Saturday.  I attended a FLAG conference (Foreign Langauge Association of Georgia).  It was actually very fun and informative!  I have a TON of new stuff to bring back to my classroom, and not just ideas!  I did a "make and take" seminar on Friday morning and actually made some games and things to use.  This was one of the first conferences I've been to where I didn't feel like it was a complete waste of time.  I usually sit in the seminars falling asleep because they're boring or it's something I already know.  Especially now that I teach elementary school I have a hard time finding sessions that apply to me (I don't teach grammar, I can't really use computers or internet.. and overall my kids are just not teenagers!). Elementary school language teachers are few and far between so most conferences are geared towards middle and high school.  But there were a TON of seminars for elementary teachers this time.  And every one of them had us either up and moving, or singing, or coloring, or doing something fun!  Besides the awkwardness of having to share a hotel room with a complete stranger I had a really good time.

I left the conference a bit early on Saturday so I could get home and actually visit with my mom!  That was a nice surprise.  My dad was driving down to Birmingham, Alabama for a motorcycle track weekend and my mom decided to go with him and just drive out to Atlanta to visit me.  She got here yesterday afternoon and we just sat and talked the afternoon away, went to Longhorn's for dinner (yay steak!) and chatted some more.  She stayed the night and left this morning... thus the reason my blog post is late.  It was so nice to see her, even if it was just for an evening.  And she got to feel Floodling wiggle for the first time!  Actually she felt lots of wiggles!

Speaking of... Floodling is obviously getting bigger these days!  I can feel him more and more and his movements are getting a LOT stronger.  I can actually feel him "shifting" now.... not just the little kicks and pokes, but I can feel my whole belly kind of shift as it feels like he slides around inside.  It's still not painful, but I can only imagine if he's moving this much now what it's going to be like later on and he has even less space!

In fact, Floodling definitely is bigger these days.  I had my monthly high risk OB appointment on Thursday.  He's a whopping 2 lbs. 6 oz. or so now!  He's still "above" the curve (somewhere in the 60th or 70th percentile... I don't remember exactly).  Turns out last time when he was "right on target" it was because they had my due date in the computer off by a whole week!  They had it as 6-11-10 instead of 6-17-10... someone read the 7 of my actual due date as a 1.  While it's not a huge deal (I know it's highly unlikely he'll actually be on time) it does make a difference when it comes to measurements, and that's the whole purpose of these appointments!  I actually caught it because I noticed that my last ultrasound pics said 22 wks 6 days but it should have been 22 wks 0 days, so I asked about it and the tech went to check on it.  She came back and asked where I got the date 6-17-10 and I said "my OB/GYN" so she left again and came back and was like "oops...".  Kind of scary!  The doctor apologized several times... I know they don't like to be caught in mistakes like that.

Floodling is about the length of an English cucumber at 26 weeks, but instead of a fruit/vegetable picture, or a drawing of a baby inside the womb, how about a picture of what he actually looks like?

Isn't that a cool picture??  That's the front view, by the way.  Can you see it?  It took me a second, but once you see it it's really cool! (Kind of like a "Magic Eye" picture)  I think it's much better than this front view at 18 weeks...

You can really see the shape of his chin though in both the pics!  So cute!!  My friend Stacey says it's my chin... I wonder if he'll have a dimple in his chin like Mommy too!  I think that's much cuter on boys than girls...  (And he is definitely still a boy.... once again he was flaunting it, the tech laughed.... I'm a little worried!)

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

P.S  I uploaded 2 other ultrasound pics on my "Ultrasound Photos" page (in the right-hand bar or you can click here).
P.P.S Don't forget to vote on my poll also in the right-hand bar!  Do you think Floodling will arrive early, late, or right on time??

Saying "thank you"!!!

Feeling a little unloved right now... only my mom commented on my previous post?  I really want to know your opinions and your own experiences...
 
My plans for today include hitting up Babies 'R Us, Target, Jo Ann Fabrics, and Borders all in attempt to sort out many of the millions of questions racing through my mind and to try and nail down some of the things we need and want.  I don't think I'm quite ready to start my registry... today is kind of a "research" day.  I think the "nesting" instinct is beginning to kick in though... it started with my freak out last weekend that lead to the deep cleaning of my dining room.  I know it seems unrelated, but basically the room that will be Floodling's is a storage room right now, so we were wondering where we were going to put all the stuff, especially considering our dining room was overflowing with more junk that we had no idea where to store!  So I cleaned the dining room, Jason brought down the futon from his game room and replaced it with the bed from the guest room (to be Floodling's room), and now we more or less have an empty room ready for baby!  Phew....

Actually, the baby room is definitely not empty.  It is already starting to fill up with baby stuff thanks to wonderful in-laws!  (I dislike using the word "in-laws" though... it seems too impersonal, but I don't really have a better term).  Jason's sister Andrea had a baby boy (Noah!) last June so she sent some awesome bags of clothes!  I had a great time sorting through what was there!  It's actually quite perfect considering Floodling *should* be needing the same sizes of clothes during the same seasons!  Also, Jason's dad and step-mom Donna hit up a consignment sale and bought us a TON of goodies, including some more adorable clothing, a Leap Frog bouncy seat, a little "tent" to take him outdoors, a bath seat, and a Diaper Genie (woo hoo!) WITH refills!!  I believe there was more that I am just not remembering off the top of my head.  They also bought some cute little shirts and sweatshirts at Kohl's yesterday, and I LOVE this little brown fleece sweater that says "Hot Dog" and has a little weiner dog on it.  Too cute!  We are so appreciative of all the wonderful things we've already gotten from people!!  It has been daunting realizing how expensive things might get.

We also have two friends who have a number of the "big ticket" items left over from having their baby girl 3 years ago.  It's all in GREAT condition, and a very neutral theme (animals).  They've offered to let us use whatever we need (play pen, high chair, stroller, infant car seat), which is awesome!  Our debate right now though is if we'd rather have our own things since we're planning on having more than one in the future...  but it's nice to have a back up for now knowing that all of this adds up FAST!

I have a new "fruit" picture again!  He is an eggplant this week!  I read that baby is about 13.5 inches long right now, so I got out my ruler at school (only 12 inches of course) and am shocked!  How can that be inside my belly?  Of course I know that Floodling is curled up, it's not like I have a 13.5 inch stick in my belly, but still... it's really starting to dawn on me just how big I'm going to get!

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

LOL!

Week 24! That's "technically" month 6, though I say technically because we all know that every month (except for the one that we're currently in) is longer than 4 weeks.  Various books, websites, etc. all proclaim that month 6 starts at various different weeks, but I've more or less been going with the 4 weeks per month thing.  Of course that means I can expect my pregnancy to be about 10 months long as the "average" pregnancy is 40 weeks, but you know....

Floodling has still been very active this week, though still not as much as he was on Wednesday!  I'm still curious what he was up to!  Maybe I'll find out at my next ultrasound that he managed to change positions (since he was upside down at the last one).  My best friend Stacey did finally get to feel him though!  She made me laugh so hard... she's been trying desperately for quite a while to feel him moving, even before I could really feel him well.  And a few times she's had her hand on my belly and I've felt him and asked "did you feel that!?" and she hasn't.  She started to say she thought her hand was broken.  Well, Floodling started wiggling after dinner the other night (we go out to dinner every Thursday for trivia!) so I put her hand on my belly and just kind of pressed it there.  And FINALLY he gave a good kick where her hand was!  She shouted and had many people in the restaurant looking at her!  That made me laugh so she could no longer feel him but she did have the joy of experiencing the weirdness of my belly button! (My belly button gets hard and pokes out when I cough or laugh... it's very odd).

On that note, I've been thinking I want to laugh more these days.  Have you seen videos of laughing babies?  Not just giggly babies, but babies that have a good ol' hearty laugh?  I think it is sooooo adorable, and I want a happy laughing baby like that.  I've started wondering if those babies come from moms who laugh a lot.  They say you should talk to your baby, and even sing and read books, so laughing would have to be a good sound for them to hear, right?  I also wonder if if babies would like the sensations of the rocking and shaking too.  And not only that, but doesn't laughing release endorphins? Do you think baby gets a little kick of that too?  I've been wondering this for a while... along with wondering if he gets a kick of adrenaline if I get scared, or feels any of my other emotions.  So many emotions seems to be tied into chemicals that are released in our bodies.  What are your thoughts? Does Floodling feel my emotions?



and...


How can you not laugh and smile when you watch those??

I've started thinking since I don't have weekly fruit pics anymore for size and growth that I'd like to put up a pic of what baby looks like in the womb at this point.  I'm having a hard time finding something to my satisfaction, but this will work.  On a side note I discovered it was me that was mistaken last week, not the website.  I commented that the website claimed baby was the size of a mango but they had a picture of a corn cob for that week.  Turns out I grabbed the wrong pic, the corn cob should have been for this week!  Oops!

 

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Keep an eye out this week for my monthly belly photo!  I also may be posting some thoughts on some books I'm reading these days...

Feeling good!

Posting a little late today, sorry!  I decided to get up and get going this morning rather than laying in bed as I usually do, but it's during my lazy laying in bed time that I usually post my Saturday weekly updates.

It's been a long week since our Tahoe trip brought us back home at nearly midnight on Monday night, putting me to bed around 1 before getting up at 5am (yes, I get up at 5... I have to be at school by 7:15, it's a 40 minute drive to get there, and I have to do meds, etc. before leaving).  Starting off a week that way generally leads to a very long week.  And it certainly did!

So, I am thankful to have a restful weekend this weekend.  I say I got "up and going" this morning, but I neglected to mention that I didn't wake up until 9 and would have slept even longer if it hadn't been for the lovely Charlie Horse I got in my calf.... ugh... hoping that's not going to become a frequent thing as I've had a couple in the last week or so and I keep reading that at this point they become fairly common in pregnancy.  I think it was from not drinking enough water (for me it tends to be from dehydration).  I slept so solidly last night that I didn't wake up once.  I usually wake up thirsty as a camel several times throughout the night, but I didn't wake up at all so I didn't drink a drop!  Thankfully that means I didn't wake up to go to the bathroom, but it apparently also left me somewhat dehydrated.

Even with being as tired as I've been this week, I'm thankful to say I have been feeling a lot better overall.  The achiness in my sides and belly has seemed to go away.  My back has been hurting, but not as frequently as it had been.  I'm really thankful for this as I had been starting to wonder why people say the second trimester is the most comfortable.  I kept thinking "if this is the best it gets, how bad is it going to be later!?".  Hoping the last month of the second trimester will continue this way... :)

I had fun shopping today with my gal pals in Athens.  My friend Lisa is getting married in September.  She's very busy finishing up in vet school so she's trying to pace herself in wedding planning and is trying to get things done as she can.  She ordered her dress a few months ago and it arrived this week, so she went for a fitting and for Sarah and I to try bridesmaids dresses.  Obviously I couldn't really try anything on right now, which makes me sad!  I love trying on dresses!  I will also have to order the dress by May, which means it will be a guessing game as far as sizing.  I'm hoping I will have dropped my weight by September (that gives me about 3 months), but I guess we'll see! They recommended buying a size larger than I normally wear (pre-pregnancy) that way it can be altered smaller if necessary but I won't screw myself over by having a dress that doesn't fit at all if I don't loose the weight.

For whatever reason, the site that I get my weekly development blurbs from (babycenter.com) says that at 23 weeks our baby is the size of a large mango, but the picture for 23 weeks from the same site is a corn cob... strange.  I was using two different sites before for my pic and development update as I liked the pics from another site better (thebump.com) because I liked how it showed the week number, and approximate weight and length, but that site only had a brief development blurb.  Anyways.... since I can no longer use the weekly photos from thebump.com as there are no weekly photos anymore, this is what I've got! :)

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

I've been saying it for a while now, I'm glad that the baby gets used to sounds now.  I was scared for a while that my frequent coughing would constantly wake him up or scare him.  I'm glad to know that he should be used to it by the time he gets here!  Maybe he'll also be used to our loud cats! They are worse than our dog!

Travelin' baby!

We're here in Tahoe!  Woohoo!  Floodling is going to be well traveled before he even arrives!  He's already been to Milwaukee WI, Chicago IL, San Francisco CA and now Tahoe NV!  Actually, he's even traveled to the beach in Jekyll Island GA.  Maybe he'll catch my travel bug!

Yesterday was a miserably long day!  The flight out to SF was 5 hours long.  We picked up Laura (yay!), got to see her place in the city, did a wee bit of sight seeing (Lombard St., Golden Gate Bridge), had some In N Out for lunch, then hopped in the car for another 4 hour journey.  It should have been much shorter than that but we hit pocket after pocket of traffic.  I was in soooo much pain by the time we got to our resort.  My back just can't handle being in cramped positions like that and not being able to stretch my legs out.  I find it funny that I am much more comfortable as long as I am up and walking around as opposed to sitting, it seems sort of backwards to me....  for that reason though it's a good thing I'm a teacher and don't have an office job!

I think Floodling wishes as much as I do that I could be on the slopes today!  He's been wiggling all over the place... "Mom! Let's get moving! Let's DO something!"  I've been hoping Laura would have a chance to feel him, but it's so hard.  He seems to stop moving whenever there's a hand (even my own) on my belly.  Not to mention it's hard for others to distinguish the movements from my pulse and breathing... it's kind of like "I think I felt something!" and I'm like "no... I don't think so....".  Jason has yet to feel him move too!  He's a shy guy I guess.

I do LOVE skiing and am really wishing I could be out there too!  Jason is snowboarding at Heavenly, which is one of the biggest ski resorts here in Tahoe.  He said the slopes were actually quite clear today.  We thought it would be busy with holiday travelers.  He said some of the runs take 10 to 15 minutes to get down!  Besides Mt. Baker in Washington, most of the resorts we do are in NC or VA and while they're nice, they're definitely not the Rockies!  As much as I'm wishing I could be out there too, I know why I'm not and that makes it a little easier.  Next winter though... I think someone will be getting Floodling for a few days while we take a ski trip that I can actually ski!! Any volunteers? ;)

Floodling is now the size of a papaya.  The website I've been using only gives weekly sizes up to 21 weeks.  From 22 onwards it's monthly.  I may be searching for my own pics from here on out... I guess we'll see.  Right now the papaya is for the rest of month 5- weeks 22 to 24.

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

The "little" things

I'm starting to notice the "little" things that are changing right now as my body is growing... and wondering how things will be as my girth continues to expand! For example, when I wash my face before bed I lean over the sink to splash my face with water. It's already getting hard on my back and I feel exhausted by the time my face is clean! What am I going to do when my stomach is even heavier? I've also found myself getting "in the way".... another example: I like to stand half way in my classroom door so I can watch students in the hall at the same time as students getting seated in my room. Well, I'm beginning to block the doorway now!

I saw a commercial where a man tapes a watermelon to his midsection and goes through every day activities with his large belly to see what life must be like for his pregnant wife. Among other things he knocks over a blender, gets his belly stuck under a trash can lid, and spits his toothpaste out on his belly. Will this be me??

For your viewing pleasure:



As big as my belly is getting, little Flooding is only the size of a banana (or carrot) right now. How does that happen after being a cantaloupe?? Again, think "length" not "area" in this case I believe.

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now!

Another quiet week

I usually do try to update more than once a week, but I guess this was another quiet week with not much to say.  Jason was out of town on business and I don't like being alone... I tend to hole myself up and do nothing, so I guess that's my excuse. :P

Nothing exciting has been going on this week. School has been rough... I am wondering how I am going to keep up the energy!  On top of that I am finding it hard to get in the right attitude.  A lot of the kids I teach are going through a lot of stuff at home, and I try to understand that when dealing with them, but this week I've just felt like yelling and screaming at them.  And it's not even been behavior related... I've been getting so frustrated with.... well... their stupidity!!  I know... I know... their kids, but they just don't think before they speak!  I guess it's hormones getting in the way, because I am usually more patient than this, but seriously.... when I ask what day of the week it is, and we agree it's "miercoles" then I ask what tomorrow is... why would you say "miercoles"!?  I know we're speaking in another language, but we do this EVERY week!!! Sigh....

I got two nice large bags of clothes upon Jason's return from his trip from his sister Andrea who just had a baby boy last summer.  It's been a ton of fun going through the cute clothes! (Thanks Andrea, btw).  Now I'm really starting to think about needing to get things ready.  I've sort of done some searches online for ideas.... but really haven't done anything.  I still have a good bit of time, but I'm starting to worry... but what else is new? ;)

I did have an interesting dream the other night.... speaking of worrying.... I dreamt that I gave birth to a Cabbage Patch doll!  How weird is that?  And to make it weirder, I was told in my dream (as I was packing the doll in the car seat to bring home from the hospital) that "it sometimes happens, but the real baby is still on the way".  What a weird dream!!  Wondering what it means...

So we're at 20 weeks now!!  That's half-way!!  It feels good and bad at the same time... half of me is happy thinking we're that much closer to meeting our little one! But half of me is thinking "I have all this to do all over again, and it's only going to get worse from here?"  The past 20 weeks have not seemed short, and I doubt it's going to feel any shorter as the school year gets closer to the end.  And I know that I've had it really easy... but I've already started having back pain and aches down the sides of my belly, I can only imagine it's going to get a lot worse!  It also makes me feel, as mentioned above, that I really need to start thinking about getting things ready!

At 20 weeks our Floodling is the size of a cantaloupe!! Next week will be the last week with a weekly size update!  After week 21 we only get a monthly fruit! How sad!

 

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.)  And while your baby is definitely getting bigger, there's still plenty of growing room in there, which allows him to twist and turn (and allows you to feel his acrobatics!).

Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

I'm back!

Sorry for the quiet week... I've been feeling pretty miserable all week.  I apparently came down with some sort of "flu" over the weekend (even though I had my flu shot, blah).  I have been completely and utterly exhausted all week, and I've had a horrible cough (that's made the exhaustion even worse.... nothing saps your energy and makes you hurt worse than the inability to stop coughing!).  I really should have taken a day or two off of school (to be honest, I'm not completely sure how I made it through the week).  But sub plans are so frustrating to put together, and now with the news team and being the only one that knows what's going on there it's even harder to be out.

I did see my OB for my regular monthly appointment in the midst of this, and she didn't seem too concerned.  The biggest concern with getting sick is getting a fever (not good for baby to get too hot in there), but thankfully I didn't have one.  It still probably would have been a good idea for me to get some rest, but that's what I'm enjoying doing now!

The monthly appointment went well.  I'm always surprised how quick and simple it is.  They basically check the heartbeat, then ask if I'm having any issues or questions, and that's it.  I did ask if our baby being slightly "overweight" right now meant anything for later on, and of course she responded with the typical disdain of doctors dealing with people who get too much information off the internet or from books.... she basically said that no, it doesn't mean anything right now, but I really do hate how doctors can be like that.  Yes, the internet is out there and putting tons of information in the hands of people who don't know how to use it properly, but that's why I'm asking questions... to find out what is useful information, and what isn't.  I'm not freaking out and being a hypochondriac about everything, I'm just curious!  I really hate being laughed at by doctors... doesn't make you feel at ease to question anything else that is on your mind....I had some other silly questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't feel like asking after that. (Where exactly do my organs go? And what about my abs?  All this coughing usually hurts my abs, but it's just hurting my ribs now, so where are my abs? How far apart can the baby's movements be? Can he "float" from side to side in my uterus or is he just that long that I can feel things high on the right then low on the left?)

Jason is going to be out of town this next week, which I am not excited about.  I always hate being home alone, and I'm not always in the best emotional state these days, so I'm afraid it's going to make it that much worse.  Maybe you'll be hearing from me more this week...

Our baby is now the size of a mango (or heirloom tomato according to the description below).  I'm not quite at the point where I'm comfortable talking to my belly and reading aloud and what not as suggested below, but I am thankful that in being an elementary school teacher I already do a lot of that (and singing too!) very loudly and constantly throughout the day, so baby is probably hearing all sorts of fun things! :P I'm even trying to keep my tone more friendly when dealing with "problem" students.

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Almost forgot!

With all the excitement of getting to see our little one, finding out we're having a boy, and feeling the first real movements, I almost forgot that today is Saturday and time for the weekly growth update!!  This week he is about the size of a sweet potato.  The technician told us he weighs about 9 oz right now (as you can see below he's a little above the average for 18 weeks, and the scan was done at 18 weeks 0 days! Hoping this doesn't mean he's going to be a large baby... Jason did weigh over 9 lbs. when he was born, he says). I have no idea how they can tell how much he weighs... I assume it's estimated based on measurements of head, tummy, etc.  (She did a lot of measuring during the scan).  She didn't tell us how long he is though!

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a boy (which we are!), his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. (Which he definitely didn't!)

Not a fruit this week!!

So, Georgia finally got some snow yesterday and I got to have a day off!  Woo hoo! Yes, it wasn't even an inch of snow, but we know that #1) Georgians can't even drive in rain, and #2) there really is no equipment to make it safe to drive in snow (ie. no snow plows, no salting trucks, etc.)  So yes, even with under an inch of snow, we had the day off due to icy road conditions.

The day off was incredibly welcome after my busy and stressful week!  My News Team did a great job in their Wednesday morning debut!  However, cords got mixed up sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning (who would touch those!?!?) and we could NOT get live feed in time for Thursday morning.  We had to run to the front office at the last minute to do announcements over the intercom... not a fun way to start out the morning (stressing and running around before 8:00 is not my choice of wake-up call).  Then I spent every spare minute I had the rest of the day Thursday playing with the cords until my fingers hurt from screwing and unscrewing cable wires!  I did manage to fix it though, ALL BY MYSELF!  Who knew I was so tech savvy??

So, with all that, the snow day was welcome... a day for me to chill out and again focus on taking care of myself!

Our baby is growing lots these days and is now the size of an onion!  I'm trying to figure out if I'm feeling movements now!  I think I keep feeling little flutterings and nudges, but I can't feel anything from the outside when I put a hand on my belly.  The sensations are so light it's easy to make myself think I just imagined it.... and on top of that it's not like things haven't been gurgly in that area these days... but I think by now I know what gas feels like as opposed to something else. I've read that people usually start feeling movement between weeks 14 and 22... but that first time moms are more likely not to feel anything until closer to week 20 (or at least not to recognize what they're feeling).  I've also read that "skinny minnie" moms tend to feel movements earlier than larger moms because the extra "padding" can kind of mute the sensations... and though I am by no means going to claim that I am fat, my pudge tends to accumulate on my tummy so I'd be kind of surprised to be feeling things so early.

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, her sweat glands are starting to develop, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

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The Name Game

4 months! Hard to believe!

For whatever reason this week I seem to have freaked about trying to find a name.  Jason and I have two good ones we like so far (one for a girl, and one for a boy), but I don't want to have a name entirely picked out... I'd like to have a few that we like to pick from when the baby is born, especially since we'll know the gender ahead of time (I want some element of surprise).  Let me tell you.... being a teacher (especially a teacher that teaches and remembers the names of 500 kids) and trying to find good baby names is incredibly difficult!!  When going through lists of names I nix about every other one because "I teach/taught a ____ and he/she is too ______".  Don't get me wrong, it's not like I dislike every student I teach... but they all have their own personalities and have all left their own impressions in my mind.

On top of that I find going through baby name lists difficult and painful! Again, about every other names leaves me like "what are people thinking!?!" I mean "Barnabas"... at least it's not "Apple" or something, but come on... I guess I like fairly common names, but I don't want a name that's so common it's a top 10 name... I don't want my child to have to be "Jason F" or "Amanda F" their whole life because there's always another person with their name.  (Yes, Jason was the #1 name for pretty much all of the 80s so he always had several Jasons in his class, and even at work). 

So, in search of more "common" names I have turned to Facebook friend lists instead of baby name lists... and yes, you're own Facebook friend list may not be safe!  It seems to be a good way to find long lists (though, thankfully, not 100,000+ long lists) of fairly normal names, AND it gives me a good idea of the overly common names (Laura, for example, is friends with 9 Davids and 1 Dave... how did you manage that by the way??).

In any case I think we're still pretty much at square one.  I did find a cool website though that I'll eventually post a link to where I can list all the names we're thinking of and people can vote on their favorites.  Of course, it will come down to what Jason and I prefer, but I'd love to see how certain names sit with other people.

So, week 16 now!  That means I will be posting a belly pic later this week!  For now you get to see what part of the fruit salad our Floodling is now, and read about what he or she is up to in my belly!

An avocado is longer than a naval orange I'm assuming, because in my mind it's certainly not  bigger...

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 and their tiny bones are forming meaning the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows and eyelashes are forming, and 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.

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.")

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.

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.

Sigh.... I miss margaritas ;)

It seems like a pretty big jump to go from a prune to a lime...I think this might be closer to a key lime.  I also kind of think that most of the sizes are based more on length than anything because I know at one point it jumps from a mango to a banana.... but nevertheless I love to imagine a little lime in there.  And besides, a lime is so much cuter than a prune, isn't it?

Again, excuse the use of gender-specific terms ("she" in today's post).  It's frustrating to go through and change them all, and this site goes back and forth each week, so at least it's fair.

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.