The Pregnancy

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The Turtle

 

So far, so good, in fact it's going swimmingly.  I'm not sure how many of the gory details I'll splash up here, but I will be putting some of the ultrasounds and some of my belly pics.  In fact, Here's one of my first tummy pictures taken on Christmas Eve 2004.  My big brother is trying to listen in.  I don't think he heard anything!

Mom and dad2B out for an evening of bowling.

 

Below: Mommy to be at....

                                                    about 6 months...                             7 months...                                     8 months....

            

YIKES!

Updates from the Planet Belly

Week # The official update from http://www.babycenter.com Jen's email commentary
16 Weeks Get ready for a growth spurt! In the next few weeks your baby will double her weight and add inches to her length. She's even growing toenails now. You're going through a bit of a growth spurt yourself. The top of your uterus is now about halfway between the top of your pubic bone and your navel. And the round ligaments that support your uterus are thickening and stretching as you grow. You're also probably looking and feeling a whole lot better as you adapt to pregnancy. Less nausea, fewer mood swings (thanks to stabilizing hormones), and "glowing" skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being.
Hi,
This is the site that I was talking about...weekly prenatal updates :)  I already forward this to mom and John but thought the rest of you may be wondering what the little one might be up to.  Pretty interesting.  4 months down and counting!
Jen
18 Weeks 
Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now.  Make it
count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients (fresh fruit
and veggies, yogurt, nuts) instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, 
pastries). You may soon begin to feel achiness around your lower abdomen; 
this comes from your ligaments stretching as your uterus grows. Your 
baby's active these days; kicking, reaching, and flexing his arms and legs. 
You may even begin to feel his movements. If not this week, then soon.
  
19 Weeks Think you're big now? You'll start growing even more rapidly in the weeks to come. This added weight may make it hard for you to keep up your regular pace without taking a catnap during the day. You may also be wondering about that darkened line running from the top of your belly button to the top of your pubic bone. It's called the linea nigra, or "dark line," and is caused by a temporary increase in melanin, the substance that colors your hair, skin, and eyes. This is an important time for your baby's sensory development, too. Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she can even hear you talk, so read out loud, talk to her, or sing a happy tune. FYI...week 19!
21 Weeks Your baby now weighs about 12 ounces, and you may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. Some babies are restless in the evening, for example, just as you're trying to fall asleep. Others get busy during the day. Hmmm...when we had the ultrasound last week, the baby was 15 oz...so I guess things must be going okay.  I feel the baby move a LOT lately, and there definitely are times when it's active and not active.  I love my new body pillow that John got me for Christmas but so does Jewel! 
 22 Weeks 
Your baby's beginning to look more like a newborn now, with more distinct
 lips, eyelids, and eyebrows. He's even developing tiny teeth buds beneath 
the gum line. Your stomach may become a hand magnet; people will touch
it without asking permission. It's okay to say no. And if people are telling you 
that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember
that all women grow, and show, at different rates. What's important is that 
you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's
development is on track.
  
24 Weeks At just over a pound and almost a foot long, your baby is long and lean. His brain is growing rapidly, and he's starting to fill the space in your uterus — which has now grown to the size of a soccer ball. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.
Hmmm...big as a soccer ball?  Some day sit feels that way, others it doesn't seem like I'm big enough-there.  Lord knows I'm big everywhere else!  I started a prenatal aqua class at the hospital fitness center over the weekend.  It's just once a week but I had a blast.  I do need to get a larger swimsuit before too long though!  The more baby has heard and felt nothing but me coughing violently for two weeks now-I think it's time to pull out the Mozart and have some soothing sounds :)  The clearing out of the guest room to make wau for baby has begun but there's so much to do yet.  John's worked very hard on the basement and that project seems to be gathering some speed.  We now have a crib and a stroller-both purchase being more exciting (at least for me) than I would have expected.  The time seems to be flying by now so I'm trying not to get too overwhelmed with it all.  We were given a bedding set too so that will definitely drive the nature of the baby's room, although I'm still undecided about color.  We have so much yellow and green in our house already that I'm trying to keep an open mind about it.  I have had a lot more people lately say they think I'm having a girl.  I think it's their way of saying, "God, girl, your ass is getting big!"  but I could be wrong :)
 
Hope everyone has a great week!
Jen
25 Weeks Your baby weighs about a pound and a half and is around 13 and a half inches long. She has more hair on her head, and if you could see it you'd know what color and texture it is. Your 'do may be fuller, too, thanks to pregnancy hormones. Some women notice more or darker body hair as well. It'll return to normal after you deliver. You're getting bigger by the minute, but that's no reason to stop exercising — just modify your routine as your body changes.
FYI
:) Jen
27 Weeks Your baby's growing steadily as she prepares for her grand entrance. This week she weighs almost 2 pounds and measures about 14.4 inches from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. She's acting more like a newborn now, opening and closing her eyes, sleeping and waking at regular intervals, and maybe sucking a finger. She may also be hiccupping, which you'll notice as little rhythmic sensations in your belly. You may start to get leg cramps, especially when you're lying in bed at night. Stretching your calf and flexing your foot should bring some relief. OK, I'm bummed out a little.  Went to the doc today and I have gained 6 pounds since last month's visit.  I know that's doesn't sound like much but I was only supposed to gain 4 and there's no way I'm meeting his 20-25 total that he gave me (bastard!).  I have scolded John for OBVIOUSLY shrinking my flannels in the dryer, and have vowed to give up all sweets for lent (great timing).  I finally broke down and bought a maternity swimming suit for my class so that I don't have to look like a sausage busting out of a blue casing-it wasn't pretty and since my old one was a 1-piece, my belly stretched my boob cups down UNDER my boobs.  And now that I finally have boobs (and needing to buy yet another size bigger bras-YES!) that was an issue!  But little T is moving a lot which is fun, and the nursery is cleared out ready to be decorated.  John's working hard on the basement and the rest of the house projects I have started.  He's been great, even through the hormonal tears after the doctor's visit :) 
29 Weeks Your baby's brain is developing billions of neurons (important for later learning) at an amazing rate — no wonder her head is getting bigger now! To meet her nutritional demands — which peak this trimester — you'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, and iron. Her bones, in particular, are soaking up lots of calcium now, so drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, like cheese or enriched orange juice). And get enough fiber in your diet to help prevent constipation, which can lead to hemorrhoids, a common occurrence in late pregnancy. Even if your belly button was an "innie" before, it may become an "outie" now. A little late getting this today for some reason...time to drink even MORE milk!!!!  (See, I NEED those milkshakes!)
30 Weeks Your baby opens and shuts his eyes, and researchers believe he can actually see now, though no one knows exactly how much he can make out. You may be feeling a little tired, a little clumsy, and a little anxious — but hopefully you're wonderfully excited too! If you haven't already, start thinking about what kind of pain medication — if any — you want to have during labor. All labor drugs have pros and cons, and it can take time to sort through them all. Call your hospital or birth center to see whether you can pre-register. Getting some of the paperwork done now will be a big help come delivery time. There is absolutely NO TRUTH to the nesting myth...doesn't everyone redo a basement, gut a bathroom, design a nursery AND re-arrange their master bedroom a couple months before a baby is born?!?!?!?!  My poor husband. 
32 Weeks It's getting awfully snug in there! Your baby weighs almost 4 pounds and is almost 17 inches long. You're gaining a pound a week now, and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next seven weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. A side effect of your growing belly may be low back pain and possibly some pain in your buttocks and thighs. Be sure to tell your caregiver if the pain is severe or you feel numbness or tingling in your legs.
Well, I feel like I'm growing by the minute so I guess this explains it!  We had an ultrasound last week on Tuesday evening-no pictures to bring home though :(  The baby was estimated to be around 3 and a half pounds and the head is down.  All was great :)  and I only gained 2 pounds on the scale!  Time for a shamrock shake I believe!  Ever since then the baby has had hiccups several times throughout the day which is quite an odd sensation.  I feel like I have a ticking clock inside me.  On Saturday we had our ALL DAY prepared childbirth class.  I'm not sure if we are "prepared" now but I for one am sick of birthing videos...way too graphic.  The tour of the maternity wing was sort of neat though and the rooms look nice enough.  For anyone wondering, we will NOT be having live video footage of the birthing event!  Sunday was a fun day-Amanda and Cathy came over and not only finished up painting the nursery but also painted the front bathroom for us!  Now things are really coming together.  We will be getting new windows for the nursery in the next couple of weeks and until then, we can concentrate on the bathroom and basement.  We're shooting to have it all done by the end of the month so we can rest in April :)  In the basement, about half of the drywall is up (not a lot of progress there because John's been busy upstairs lately helping me out with the bath and nursery. 
 
Hope everyone's having a great week-see you on Sunday at Lou's.
Jen
33 Weeks This week, your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds and is approximately 17.2 inches long. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her bones are hardening. Her skull, however, will stay soft until after birth, to make it easier to squeeze through the birth canal. You may be waddling a bit now, as your baby fills out even more of your belly. It may be harder to sleep comfortably, too. For relief, try sleeping in a recliner or propping yourself in a semi-upright position in bed. 33 weeks and counting!  I had a quick doctor appointment today and everything's still going well.  I go every two weeks now and next time they will start to hook me up for fetal monitoring.  The baby is quite active still, which has begun to cause heartburn and running to pee every hour or so.  But it's all wonderful and I can't believe it's almost the end (sniff).  Did I mention the hiccups several times per day?  Yep-still going on.  I've slowed down a lot this week and am awaiting that "nesting" energy to return- I need it to return!  It's hard to concentrate now, especially at work!  I have spring break next week though and should get plenty crossed off my list.  Not gaining a lot of weight (I think I only gained a pound over the last two weeks) so I'm thinking milk shakes are back on!
36 Weeks At the end of this week, you're going to reach an important pregnancy milestone: Your baby will be considered full term! That means you could give birth very soon. Put any unnecessary travel plans on hold now in case you go into labor early. Many airlines won't let pregnant women fly close to their due dates for this reason. It's also time to start wrapping up projects at work, get an infant car seat if you haven't already done so (you won't be allowed to leave the hospital without one), and put finishing touches on the nursery. Your baby — who now weighs about 6 pounds and is almost 19 inches long — will continue to gain about an ounce a day until he makes his debut.
only 4 weeks to go!  My belly is big and my ankles are bigger :(  My blood pressure appears to be fine still so the doc is not concerned about my ankles-although he doesn't have to worry about only having ONE pair of shoes to wear!  We started fetal monitoring last week at the doctor (I go every Tuesday now) and the baby was kicking up a storm-the nurse even heard one of the amplified thumps from out in the hall. 
 
just FYI-because I'm thinking about it now-the general plan is for John to call mom and his brother when we are heading to the hospital-providing it's not 3 in the morning.  Mom can pass the word along.  There's no use in coming to the hospital because the family waiting room is TINY and there's NOTHING to do.  I promise we will call as soon as a little person emerges.  John's cell number is 708-431-0882 so if you see that number-pick up!  We are allowed 2 visitors at a time and the new grandparents get first dibs!  Visitor hours are from 10-8.  Oh-we'll be at Good Samaritan if I haven't told you that already. 
 
Lou-can you give us Kael's address and phone number-I don't think I have it for an announcement.  When is Jessiy leaving for school?
 
Jeff-Abbey won't be quite old enough to visit in the hospital (you have to be 12 or older) so we'll have to arrange a time after we get home from the hospital...Robert and Shannon are just under as well which is a bummer.  We shouldn't be in more than a couple days though so we'll be sure to get a picture out right away too!  Will Scott be gone by then or still around?
 
Have a great week!
37 Weeks Only three weeks to go! Your pregnancy is now considered full-term and your baby probably weighs a little over 6 pounds and is a tad over 19 inches long. You may notice end-of-pregnancy changes soon — like an increase in vaginal discharge or more frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions (preludes to the real thing). Worried your water will break in public? This statistic may ease your fears: Spontaneous rupture of membranes before labor happens in only 15 percent of pregnancies. We made it to full-term!  God, how the past couple months have flown!  But things are moving along-we decided on a pediatrician and the bags are pretty much ready to go.  The car seat is ready to be installed just as soon as we are home long enough to read the directions, and the pack 'n play is set up in our bedroom (thanks to mom and Lou!) If you haven't heard, we took a little extra tour to the hospital on Sunday morning and spent about 4 hours hooked up to a monitor.  Just a minor test-run!  Everything is fine though-and the staff was very nice.  You just don't get a feel for the hospital on one of those general tours-I really wanted to try out the bed, the TV, the hospital food...have a dress rehearsal of sorts!  Hopefully we won't be back for a couple weeks :)  The baby is still very active and I think moving down slowly-it's slowing me down physically now.  The balloon ankles don't help either-very attractive! 
38 weeks Your due date is coming up soon, and your baby's just waiting for the right time to be born. His lungs and brain are developed enough for him to function now but will continue to mature right into childhood. Take it easy during the final week or so — this may be your last opportunity to relax! If you have other children and don't want them to attend your birth, make arrangements for their care ahead of time. And if you do want them to attend the birth at a birth center or hospital, find out if you need to make any special arrangements. We're getting close now and I'm feeling it!  I think the baby has moved down a little because I'm starting to feel more discomfort in my back and walking is a challenge at times.  The swelling in my ankles has gotten better with the cooler weather (thank goodness) and I'm otherwise feeling good.  But we're ready (I think!)- the bags are packed, the laundry is done, the fridge is full, and the car seat is installed.  But we're also in NO HURRY-I am supposed to still work this week!  I can't really even believe that we're almost there, that we'll have a child of our own in a matter of weeks.  We've prayed and waited and cried-and now it's almost here.  You really can't help but lay there at night thinking about how much of a miracle this is.
39 weeks Only 5 percent of babies are born on their expected due date, so yours could arrive any day now — or she could make you wait a bit. (She can't make you wait indefinitely though. If you don't go into labor on your own, you'll probably be induced one to two weeks after your due date.) In the meantime, carve out some time with your partner or other children. And record a "no, not yet" message on your answering machine for anxious relatives! Not much new to report today...still waiting.  I'm off from work now though so it makes getting rest and putting my feet up a while lot easier.  The baby is still very active and I am feeling pressure lower as well as feet still up in my ribcage- I think I have a stretcher inside of me!  We'll see what the doc has to say tomorrow when I go in for my appointment...I have to remember to ask him how he thinks the baby weighs.  But have patience-I think it will be several days before anything major starts to happen.
40+ weeks Welcome home! Right now, your new baby....

If you're still pregnant, join the club! Few women deliver on their due date, and many go a week or more past it. So rest up and don't worry — you'll soon shed that big belly and meet your baby.
What happened to week 40!!!!!!!
Just to make it worse that this child is now "late" I have to read about my "newborn", although this is not surprising...John reminded me that I'm never on time for anything!  I went to the doctor today-quite a day.  After being on the baby monitor for about ten minutes, a wasp decided to appear in my room and I had three nurses trying to swat at it while one threw a cover over me!  They finally moved me to a different room, hooked me up to the monitor again and I eventually heard a loud swat as the wasp was killed.  I thought maybe all the excitement would throw me into labor-no such luck...the baby went to sleep :)  The doctor did an internal exam (which although quite uncomfortable, it made me think about how much worse labor was going to be!) Anyway, I'm about 2.5 cm dilated.  Hopefully the exam will help move things along a little more and SOMETHING will start happening here.  Poor John never knows if he's going to work or not on any given day.  Me-I'm just running out of things to do since cleaning doesn't rank high on my list of favs right now.  I even have the labels ready for the birth announcements and have written as much as I can in the baby book.  We painted the utility side of the basement this weekend-there's always a household project going-which really makes a difference over there.  I'm reading the book Wicked but it's not exactly a page turner-I like it but I'm thinking the musical will be better than the book.  But it's all better than being at work or being worn out.  Maybe I'll go and get a manicure tomorrow! 
We'll keep you posted-if you don't get a call, I'm NOT in labor!