Thursday, April 30, 2009

Week 22


Well, it looks like I won't be posting any fun food pictures for the next couple of weeks. This papaya is listed for Weeks 22 - 24.

In exciting news, I think I have finally started feeling our baby move! At least once a day, mostly around 7 or 8 PM, I feel what I can only describe as little flicks on my insides. Because it's been happening so regularly, I really think it's our Little Girl saying hello. Nothing else too momentous happened this week.

This coming weekend Damian is making his First Communion. Harry and I are also planning to make a trip to Babies R Us to hopefully buy a crib. We saw one we both really like, and we were given a 15% off coupon to use. Fingers crossed that it is still in stock.

As for what's happening to our Little Miracle this week, she is hanging on to every word we say. Studies show that she finds gentle music and my voice most soothing. Tiny nipples are starting to sprout, and her little face is fully formed. She is also starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Help Us Decide

After hours and hours of research and deliberation, Harry and I have narrowed down our top three choices of names for our Baby Girl. We'd like to hear what you think. Choose your favorite name in the poll on the right side of this page. Vote now or forever hold your peace!

It's A Girl!

At long last, I finally know that we are having a precious jewel of a daughter! Here is how Harry revealed the news to me....


Thursday, April 23, 2009

Week 21


I cannot believe that we are more than half-way through this pregnancy! In approximately 19 weeks, we will be holding our Little Miracle in our arms. I still can’t fully wrap my head around that fact yet. Our life as we know it will be changing dramatically very soon.

I’m still not sure if I’ve felt the baby move yet. Last night, after eating ice cream, I felt what could have been tiny kicks. But as Harry said, “it could also be the ice cream.” I may have felt them again this morning as I was lying in bed, but it’s hard to be sure. I guess I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to be feeling. I’m hoping that sometime soon I can start to recognize movement without a doubt.

This is what our Little One is up to this week: He/she gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work. Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, I am supposed to think about what I want my future child to eat as I prepare my own meals. As I look at the bag of Fruit Loops on my desk and recall all the ice cream and Easter candy I have been eating lately, I have a feeling our baby will be a sugar addict, too.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Just For Fun

Because work has been extremely hectic this week and I needed a 5-minute mental health break, I followed a link on The Bump that said, "Madame Zaritska Predicts Your Birth Experience." (Don't worry, it was completely free and strictly for fun.) Madame Zaritska, using her "mystical powers," has the following prediction for me:

The day you deliver, outside will be light. Your baby will arrive in the early evening. After a labor lasting approximately 13 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 11 ounces, and will be 18 inches long. This child will have dark gray eyes and some red hair.

I find it odd that red hair has come up again. As far as I know, no one on either side of our families have red hair, so most likely that prediction is wrong. As for the boy, I will see if Madame Zaritska was right in three more days!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Week 20



Here we are at Week 20! I cannot believe that we are half-way through this pregnancy already! I truly cannot fathom where the time has gone. It's starting to get a little overwhelming. I feel like we haven't done anything yet. We still need to pick out a name, decide on nursery decor, and register for childbirth classes, just to name a few. Then again, we still have approximately 20 weeks (5 months) to go....plenty of time to get everything done.

Ultrasound Pictures

Without further ado, here is the newest member of our family....

This first picture is my favorite. It looks like the baby is sucking his/her thumb! I realized that the pictures might not be too clear, so I took the liberty of labeling the body parts to help you better see.


This picture is almost the same as the first, except the baby is resting his/her hand on his/her cheek.

I originally thought this picture looked a little scary! But now I think it's adorable! Here is a picture of our baby's face.


The next two pictures are very similiar. Both are profiles, one with the mouth open and one with the mouth closed. (The difference is easier to see in person!)


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Our Ultrasound

Today was our Big Ultrasound, and it went well. Our ultrasound tech was Carol. The first thing she did was comment that my bladder wasn’t full enough, but luckily she could still get the pictures she needed. From what she could see, everything looks good. She didn't say how big the baby was measuring, but the heartbeat registered at 163 bpm.

Carol had a hard time finding the baby’s kidneys, but when I rolled over onto my side, she could finally get the picture she was aiming for. At one point when she was trying to get the kidneys, she said "he is being stubborn." I don't know if that was a slip, or if she calls all gender-neutral babies "he." Guess I will find out in 10 days!

Apparently, Carol showed Harry what the gender was and typed it on the screen for him. The screen wasn't facing me at that point, so I had no idea that it was going on. He told me after the appointment that she had done so.

We got 6 pictures to take home, mostly of the profile. I am hoping to scan them tomorrow so I can post them on here. This time you won’t have to play “Where’s Waldo”; you can clearly see our Little Miracle!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Week 19...A Little Late!


Since we were away last week, I wasn't able to update. We had a great time in Vegas, and our brief vacation was over WAY too quickly. It was SO nice being able to get away and not have to worry about work for a few days. We didn't win any money, but we had a lot of fun.

This week, I had my first baby dreams. In the first one, our baby was a girl. She came out of the womb being able to talk, and she told me that she wanted to be named Hazel. In the second, our baby was a boy. He was really round and fat and had big blue eyes.

Tomorrow is our Big Ultrasound! I am so excited that we will be seeing our baby together! I'm looking forward to watching him/her move, especially because I haven't yet felt anything. I'm also hopeful that we will be told that the baby is growing properly, and everything looks good. With any luck, they will give us a picture to take home, and I will be able to share our Little One with all of you!

What's happening in Week 19? This week is when doctors begin measuring fetal growth from head to toe, no longer “crown to rump.” Little hairs cover the whole body now, trapping cheese-like vernix caseosa to the surface to the skin. This week is also when the baby starts on an appetizing diet of amniotic fluid, which he/she is now capable of swallowing, digesting, and passing as far as his/her tiny “large” intestine. Fortunately for me, this nice little lump of baby-poop won’t be coming out while he/she is still in the womb. Some time shortly after he/she is born, this fun lump commonly known as “meconium” to the science world, will come out black and sticky. I understand that I will be grateful that this only happens once!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Vegas, Here We Come!

Harry and I are embarking on our second vacation with our Little One in tow. The first was a long weekend in Ocean City in February. This time, we are heading for Las Vegas. At 6:00 tomorrow morning, our plane will take off and head for the West. While I am estatic for the adventure and to get away from work for a few days, I must admit that I am disappointed that the weather is not going to be as warm as I imagined. (I was hoping for temps in the 80's.) We will be home Saturday night, and participating in our annual Easter ritual on Sunday.

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy Holy Week. I will update again when we get home. (Hopefully with a few extra dollars in our pockets!!)

Monday, April 6, 2009

Old Wives Tales

There are many old wives tales about the gender prediction of a baby. Just for fun, I decided to take 20 of those, and analyze whether our Little Miracle will be wearing pink or blue when he/she is born.

1. The hair on my legs is growing at the same pace as before I got pregnant, so it’s a girl.
2. I prefer to sleep on my left side, so it’s a boy.
3. My feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy, so it’s a girl.
4. I don’t like the heel of a loaf of bread, so it’s a girl.
5. I did not have extreme nausea in my pregnancy, so it’s a boy.
6. My chest development during pregnancy has not been dramatic, so it’s a boy.
7. My urine is a dull yellow color, so it’s a girl.
8. I am craving sweets, so it’s a girl.
9. My nose has not spread during pregnancy, so it’s a girl.
10. The baby’s heart rate is above 140 beats per minute, so it’s a girl.
11. My hands are dry, so it’s a boy.
12. My skin has broken out, so it’s a girl.
13. I would pick a single key up by its round end, so it’s a boy.
14. Since my age and year of conception are odd and even respectively, it’s a boy.
15. Harry was less stressed than me at the time of conception, so it’s a boy.
16. I would show someone my hands palms up, so it’s a girl.
17. I pick up a mug by its body, so it’s a girl.
18. My mom’s hair is not gray, so it’s a girl.
19. Harry has not put on weight during the pregnancy, so it’s a boy.
20. I like the taste of orange juice, so it’s a girl.


It looks like there is a 60% chance our Little One is a girl, and 40% that he is a boy. (But if you look at the Silberzahn chain of gender command, the odds go up much higher in favor of a girl!)

Appointment Update

This morning I had my monthly appointment with the OB. For the most part, it went well. I gained three pounds since my last visit, putting me up to four pounds gained so far. My doctor did not seem too concerned about my weight, but encouraged me to be more active, as I should only be gaining 15 - 25 pounds total during this pregnancy since I started out overweight, and I still have a long way to go.

The baby's heart rate is still going strong in the 150's. My belly is measuring a little big, but Kristen told me I shouldn't be worried. She said that either means the baby is big or I am further along than I originally thought. I am confident when my last cycle was, so it has to be the former. I'm still hoping for a seven pound or less baby, though!

All of my blood work came back negative, which is great news. My blood pressure also looks good. The only concern my doctor had was I am a bit dehydrated. Even though I try to drink 32 oz of water a day, it apparently is not enough. The recommended intake is double that, and she wants me working on that.

Of course, the most exciting part was getting my referral for the Big Ultrasound! Harry and I will be going next Wednesday, the 15th to see our Little One!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Week 18

Another week has come and gone. On Monday, Harry and I went to Ryland’s Design Center in Ellicott City and picked out the options on our house. Everything is going to look so good when it’s finally complete! Of course, the hardest part will be waiting. We still have no idea when construction will begin.

Nothing too eventful has been going on with the pregnancy this week. I still don’t have a belly, I still can’t feel any movement, and I have been feeling relatively great. My only complaint is the fact that I get up at least three times a night to go to the bathroom. But even then, I manage to fall back asleep fairly quickly.

As for our Little One, he/she has become amazingly mobile
this week, passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. Too bad I can’t feel any of that yet!

My next doctor’s appointment is on Monday. I’m hoping we discuss when the Big Ultrasound will be scheduled. If we can have it done before my birthday, we are going to ask the ultrasound tech to write the gender on a piece of paper and seal it in an envelope. Harry will open it when he is alone. He will know the sex, but I won’t. Then he will creatively reveal to me on my Big 3-0 whether we are having a boy or a girl. No matter what, it will be a great birthday present!

Just for fun, I went to makemebabies.com to see what our Little Miracle might look like:




Harry’s response was, “That is an interesting looking kid.” I’d just like to know where the red hair came from!