The Big Reveal...

trust your instincts...

We're having a BOY!

We were so nervous driving to the appointment this morning for whatever reason. As soon as she put the wand to my belly- boom! He just spread his legs like noone was looking. Girls are going to have to watch out for this one. There's no mistaking that it's a little guy- he kept showing us the goods throughout the ultrasound! We ended up getting tons of good footage and have already watched our DVD that we got once! There was one concern: there is a cyst in his brain. They said that's really normal, and it's potentially the area of his brain that his developing today. Just to be sure, though, we'll be getting a follow-up ultrasound about 24 weeks. I won't complain about another one! We'll definitely be hoping that it's nothing, but my Dr. and the technician were not really concerned about it at all. He's measuring ahead- 11/17/09 and is a wopping 3/4 lb! His heartbeat is a strong 158. He was a bit sleepy and caused her some problems measuring his spine, but she got it. It was so awesome to see him looking like an actual baby! Besides the one cyst, everything looks great!

To make matters even more exciting, J and I BOTH felt the baby kick/punch us last night when it was doing it's nightly dance. He was so excited to actually experience something with the baby- he had a huge smile on his face.

We're spending the day celebrating our future son and revealing it all to the grandparents through cake and the DVD tonight! Maybe J will let me buy a cute little polo when we go out to lunch...

19 weeks!

(sorry for the little bit of bra action, lol)

Only one more week until we're officially halfway! Of course, we could be halfway right now, but only the baby knows that! I'm starting to feel the little thing moving around a lot more, and it likes responding to pokes and prods from its daddy. Jony is not-so-patiently waiting for when he can feel the movements himself. He was able to get the nursery painted this weekend, so we're almost ready to go pick up our nursery furniture! He still wants to re-caulk and paint the trim and the built-in dresser. It's coming along, though! The big thing that we've been waiting for, however, is our big ultrasound tomorrow morning to find out whether we're having a little boy or girl! We're so excited and cannot wait to just know! Today is the last day to vote on what you think we're having! Our ultrasound is at 9:45 tomorrow morning, so I'll probably have the big reveal posted tomorrow afternoon! YAY!

My Baby

This is the week most women get that ever-important gender-revealing ultrasound. If your baby isn't shy, the genitals can be clearly seen at this point. Will the baby pee standing up or sitting down? Well, that depends on how you potty train—but if you're interested, you could leave the appointment knowing if you're carrying a boy or a girl. Other highlights this week:

Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.

If your baby is a boy, the testes have begun descending from the pelvis into the scrotum. If it's a girl, her uterus is completely formed and the rest of her "parts" are in development. (Is that TMI?)

From this point forward, your baby will put most of her energy into gaining weight and, not coincidentally, so will you! Right now your baby weighs approximately 10½ ounces and is about 6½ inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking).

The Gender Game

With only a few days left until the big u/s, I find that thinking about whether it's a boy or a girl has consumed my thoughs. Even my dream last night had the baby switching genders throughout it. So, I've decided to group the old wives' tales as an easy way to look back this coming Tuesday and compare. Feel free to use them to help determine your vote!

Boy (purely because it's first, alphabetically):

• no morning sickness in early pregnancy
• I've been told I'm carrying low, but that's still kind of hard to assess, I think
• my leg hairs are growing faster (annoying!)
• Daddy is gaining weight with me (much to his dismay)
• pregnancy agrees with me, looks-wise. While I still have the occasional pimple, it's much better than it used to be
• my urine is bright yellow

Girl:

• I'm a moody pregnant woman
• my age at conception (22) and the month (March-3) I conceived is an odd number

What about gender predicters?

• Justmommies= BOY
• The Bump's Chinese Gender chart= BOY
• Labor of Love= GIRL
• Babyman= BOY
• Tvoy Baby= GIRL
• Shettles= BOY
• ring test= BOY

We'll see how it plays out!

18 weeks!

How far along? 18 weeks. It's freaking insane to me.
Total weight gain/loss: I don't have an official number, but my scale at home shows me consistently gaining (slowly, but it's the right direction)
How much does Baby weigh?: 8 1/2 ounces
Maternity clothes? I have a pair of capris that I've added to my yoga pants wardrobe, along with some cute new maternity dresses (that will also work post-baby. Score!)
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: It's actually been pretty good lately. We'll see how long that lasts.
Best moment this week: Baby H moving at the wedding we went to last Saturday. Yes, again! Baby H loves weddings!
Movement: yup! It's getting to be more and more. I love it.
Food cravings: Nothing, really. I'm beginning to worry I won't have any fun pregnancy cravings to share.
Gender: Ever since we got the date for the big U/S, I've doubted myself. I'm starting to feel confident in my boy guess again, though.
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? Innie
What I miss: normal amounts of energy
What I am looking forward to: getting the nursery painted this weekend and our big u/s!
Milestones: starting to wear maternity clothes and cleaning out the nursery!

My Baby

This week your baby starts bulking up and packing on the grossly named "brown fat" he'll need to keep warm when he gets evicted from his comfortable uterine home. Other highlights this week:

Vernix, a milky white coating that protects your baby's skin, appears all over your baby's body to keep his skin from getting pickled in the amniotic fluid. Think of it as if your baby has been dipped in yogurt, like those delicious but fake-healthy yogurt-covered raisins and pretzels. Ooh, we feel another craving comin' on. ... Under the vernix, a fuzzy layer of hair called lanugo now covers baby's body. Don't worry, your Mini won't look like Cousin It when he's born. Most of the fuzz will fall off before baby makes his grand entrance.

Good news: Your baby's kidneys are fully functioning and producing urine this week. Bad news: That means there will be lots of diapers in your future. But so far you're safe—at the moment the pee just passes into the amniotic fluid.

He or she now weighs about 8½ ounces and measures 6 inches, as long as a turkey sub from Subway on warm, delicious Italian Herbs and Cheese bread (or Honey Oat bread, or Oregano bread or ...)

A New Era

I bought my first pair of maternity pants today. They're actually capris, but go ahead and look at the weather in Houston and tell me that I need pants... They're still a bit big on me, but they're pretty comfy, and I'm excited that I can wear denim bottoms again. J was getting aggravated with me wearing yoga pants everywhere (I'm fine with it, for the most part). I was hoping to buy some more cotton/stretch-type dresses, but, apparently, those are not cool right now. I was pretty upset about that. Buying pants is always a stressful situation for me, and I, for one, was trying to avoid having to search long and hard for pants that actually fit me in the waist, butt, AND length. It's basically impossible. I'll have to hit up more stores in search for these elusive dresses. I did find these capris and a stretchy skirt at Old Navy, though, so it wasn't a complete loss. I was bummed to find out that they're not going to carry Maternity at my ON starting in July. Lame. I'm thinking that online shopping may be the way to go for the rest of this pregnancy. The one thought that kept going through my head while searching through the Maternity sections of Old Navy and Target: do these designers really think that I'm going to wear that just because I'm pregnant? Just because my belly's bigger doesn't mean that I'm giving up my sense of style.

17 weeks!

How far along? 17 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I was up 2 lb last Monday at my appointment. Maybe it's more now!
How much does Baby weigh?: 5 ounces
Maternity clothes? Belly bands aren't comfy anymore, but I've been managing with yoga pants and skirts/dresses that I already had
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Not fabulous, but it's not horribl
Best moment this week: Baby H moving at the wedding we went to last Saturday.
Movement: yup! It's not consistent in any way, but I feel the little thing every once in awhile!
Food cravings: mashed potatoes. Love.
Gender: Ever since we got the date for the big U/S, I've doubted myself.
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? Innie, but it's slowly inching its way towards being flat
What I miss: throwing on a pair of jeans
What I am looking forward to: another wedding this weekend and, of course, our big u/s!
Milestones: really feeling that movement

My Baby

Your baby's ears are now facing forward and are completely formed so she can actually hear you talking now. You don't need to abandon your potty mouth just yet, but you might want to start thinking about it! Other highlights this week:

This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork you'll have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of your baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing.

Your baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. Her sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.

Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long—about the size of a pickle from the corner deli. (You're familiar with pickles, right? Your regular accompaniment to a big bowl of ice cream?)

16 weeks- appointment update

I had my follow-up appointment this morning after the whole fainting incident that occurred last week. My blood pressure was still really low but not quite as low as it was last week. Again, that's not unexpected. I've always had low blood pressure. However, since I've been feeling better since starting the 2 hour food regiment, it's assumed that it was definitely my blood sugar bottoming out. I learned all about how HCG can affect the pancreas. I'll be tested for gestational diabetes at 28 weeks- joy. Ready for some big news? I gained 2 pounds! My doctor was so proud of me, as is J. We got to hear the precious little heartbeat again, as well. There were some wierd sounds at first when he put the doppler on my belly which freaked me out. Then- the heartbeat. My Dr. looked at me with a big smile and said that those wierd movements were the baby moving and that we have a very active little baby! I think I'll be smiling for weeks now just thinking about that, which should bring us right to our ultrasound!

With all the exciting stuff out of the way, I had the joy of getting a pap smear. Hopefully, I don't hear from them. Since it was just inflammation the last time it came back abnormal, I'm hoping that it's all clear this time. I don't want to go through all of that again (after delivery, of course). I also had a massive amount of my blood removed for the AFP and Cystic Fibrosis testing. I don't want to get any calls about those, either.

Make sure to vote what you think our little active baby is!

My Baby

Speaking of packing on the pounds, that what it's all about for baby this week. He's adding fat stores that will keep him warm and cozy after he's born. Your baby's weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks. Good to know you're not the only one tipping the scale. Also this week:

Your baby is hard at work honing his sucking and swallowing reflexes—all the better for eating that 2 AM (and 5 AM, and 8 AM ...) meal in a few months! The finger- and toenails are beginning to grow from their nail beds, which would explain why he'll need them trimmed almost as soon as he's born!

Your baby weighs nearly 5 ounces and is a little over 5 inches long—about the size of a baked potato (load on the butter and sour cream, please).

The Makings of a Nursery

We bought our crib! (well, my parents did- it's their thing for their grandchildren) I'm so excited about it! We went to the store knowing that we wanted a Munire and that it was between either Deco or Urban. We tended to lean slightly towards Urban, but we wanted to look at them in person before making any decisions. We loved the Urban. We were talking about color when one of the employees came up and asked if we wanted to look at a "manufacturer's error." He'd heard us talking about liking the espresso but that it was a bit darker than perfection for us. Well, the "error" was that Munire had made a big shipment that was just a tad lighter than regular espresso (they dubbed it espresso light). It was PERFECT! Not only that, but it was at a reduced price because it's an error! We were able to get a bundle package for hundreds less than normal for a color that we like SO much better. Awesome. The craziest part is that they already have it in stock. All except the conversion kit. We're going to leave it there until that comes in, and they'll we'll head over to pick it all up! It's time to get that room painted now...

We're now the proud owners of the Munire Urban crib, combo/hutch, and nightstand in Espresso Light! YAY!

Disco Baby?

I'm pretty sure that I've started feeling this little thing! I thought it may be so a few days ago, but I was confirmed last night. I felt wierd little flutters and just expected some gas to follow. Nothing. Pretty exciting! We're certain that our baby does the disco in there, so it's exciting that I may be feeling some of it's moves. I love it. It is certainly my child, as it was all occuring late at night. I can't wait until J will be able to feel it, as well. I know that's a few weeks away, though. 

As far as girl names go, we may be getting close. J stated last night that my favorite name has really been growing on him! Woo-hoo! I'd love being able to go into our Big Ultrasound on the 30th with both of the names finalized so that we can leave the doctors office knowing who our little disco baby is! 

Is it June 30th yet??? 

15 weeks- Appointment update

I can't believe that I'm already 15 weeks! It's pure insanity. We had an appointment this morning that ended up being pretty boring. I was thinking, for some reason, that we were getting an ultrasound. No such luck. Bummer. We did get to hear the heartbeat, though, and that's a wonderful sound after no doctor's visits for 6 weeks! It seemed like it took forever to find it- I was so nervous! In reality, it only took a second after he put the wand thingy down. Bad news: I haven't gained any weight and I have hypotension due to low blood pressure. I also probably have a UTI. Woo-hoo! I got a diagnosis confirmation of the hypotension when I passed out when we were making our next appointment. If there's a place to do it, I guess... My doctor was not a fan and put me on a plan where I must eat every 2 hours with protein in every meal. That will hopefully help with the weight gain, as well. I was supposed to get my AFP blood test today, but we obviously postponed that. We'll be heading back next week for that and to discuss what's going on/see if I do in fact have a UTI. I fear I'm moving towards high-risk. :( My blood pressure was 80/40, which apparently is super low. I need to do some research on that. 

In good news, though, we planned our BIG ultrasound- June 30th!! I've extended the voting poll on the right to show that date. I'm so thrilled. We'll be getting a DVD to document it all, too! When we were asked if we wanted to do the anatomy scan, I don't think I'd ever heard J respond "yes" so quickly! The countdown is officially on!

My Baby

Your baby is already mugging for the camera as she practices all sorts of facial expressions, such as squinting, yawning and grimacing, which will come in handy when you introduce her to pureed spinach. Check out what else is happening in utero:

You're just getting comfortable with being a new mom, but you're actually on the road to being a grandma. If your baby is a girl, her uterus is fully developed and the ovaries already hold primitive egg cells. Did that just make you feel a thousand years old, or what?

Your baby's skin is still translucent and wrinkly, not unlike an old man's, but more fat will soon accumulate under the dermas to plump her out. If you could peer inside right now, you'd be able to see all of her veins under her skin. And speaking of veins, your baby's heart now pumps about 25 quarts of blood per day, and she hasn't even seen Orlando Bloom yet! Also, her eyes are now locked and loaded at their final destination, facing forward rather than to the sides. (Whew!)

This is the week women get an amniocentesis, if their doc recommends it. In addition to supplying doctors with a boatload of info about the baby's health, amnios are also more than 99 percent accurate in determining what version of baby you'll be having. So if you want to know and you're getting an amnio, now's a great time to find out for sure.

Your baby weighs about 3 ounces this week and measures between 4 and 5 inches, about the length of your mascara.