Where did the last two weeks go?!? Its hard to imagine that I'm more than half way done with this pregnancy at this point. It seems like yesterday I was so excited about hitting the 20 week mark. The weeks are really starting to fly by. I'm told this stops at about 30 weeks, and the last 10 are a killer. Something to look forward to. :) Colt and I were in the car yesterday and a thought occurred to me. I have 18 weeks left until I hit the 40 week mark! When I think about it in terms of weeks, it doesn't seem like a lot, but when I remember that I have Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years still to get through, it starts to feel far away again. Anyway, we're getting excited!
Recently, the baby has decided that he's ready to let everyone in on our little secret. For the longest time, he would kick and kick at me, but as soon as someone would try to feel it, he would stay very still and hide. Colt had felt some small movements, and my mom felt a little nudge about a week or two ago, but definitely not on a consistent basis. This week, he has been practicing his Billy Blanks video, Tae Bo: In Utero. On Sunday night we met my grandparents at Village Inn for some dessert, and to celebrate my Grandpa Sal's birthday. As we were leaving, Grandma Dee asked if she could feel my belly and he decided she was "kick worthy"! Later that night, we went to my parents house to hang out for a little while before going home, and my dad, sister and mom got to feel him! Check, check, check. Now we need to get Brian Jr., Sharon and Buddy in on this action. Also, he seems to be nocturnal! This is great news, as Colt and I have been called vampires by more than one family member in reference to our sleep schedules. Typically we go to sleep between 3am and 5am, and wake up around 11am or 12pm. The baby seems to like our rock star lifestyle. He kicks hardest between the hours of 10pm and 5am. Its pretty cool, because you can see my belly move when he kicks now. Colt says it looks like a muscle spasm.
We got our first educational baby gift last Sunday night! Grandpa Sal & Grandma Dee bought the baby the, "Your Baby Can Read" program. If you've never seen the commercials for this product, I suggest you look it up on YouTube. Its AMAZING! When you open the box, you see a series of books, flashcards, and videos. Basically the idea is, you work with your baby each day using the books, flashcards and videos, teaching them different words. Even if they aren't old enough to speak, many times they come to an understanding of a word, even if they can't use it yet. On some of the YouTube videos, parents were working with their babies (some of whom looked like they were just starting to sit up on their own), and they would show them the word "nose", and the baby would point to their nose. So cool! I can't wait to start using it. He'll be the smartest whipper snapper in his class. :)
Did I mention in my last post that I had finished registering? I can't remember. Well, I did. I'm still debating whether or not to add a few items to the list though. I feel like I should mention something about the elusive Target Baby Registry bag. Its not a myth! I don't think I mentioned this, but I registered for my Target registry online. I knew that with our wedding registry, we got a bag of goodies with coupons, registering tips, and a checklist of the things we needed. I also knew they offered the same kind of thing for a baby registry, and more than anything else, I really wanted the list of what to register for. When I went to the counter to pick up the freebie bag at my local Target they explained that they were out of them. She said they go pretty fast after they arrive in store. A few days later I went to another Target in my area, and they said the same thing. They got about 200 bags in stock, and they were gone within a few hours! On my third try at yet another Target, they told me the same thing! I was getting curious. What could be in this bag? I was picturing a treasure trove of baby related splendors. Well I finally got one, after having to call another Target in my area, and have them put one on hold. Ridiculous! The worst part was, there wasn't even anything really outstanding inside! There were a few diaper samples, but I already knew what brand I wanted to go with. One cool thing was a gift card for $20 off Shutterfly birth announcements. I guess it was worth it for that.
Colt and I went to the beach yesterday (21 weeks, 6 days). Its kind of fun to watch people wondering if you're pregnant or just fat. I've gotten in the habit of touching my belly whenever I get one of these funny looks, as a kind of friendly clue.
Other than that, I have been busy with editing wedding pictures from the Dickey/Murphy wedding, as well as editing family pictures from my Ohio trip. I've been a busy girl. Colt and I are going to Vero Beach starting Sunday after church, and we'll be gone through Thursday afternoon. We are really looking forward to the vacation. My parents have a time share there, and they always have a great time when they go. When we get back, we're going to get serious about working on the nursery. I have some potential paint colors picked out, but we have to finalize a selection, as well as prime the bedroom! Ugh! I hate painting. On the bright side, I'm not supposed to paint since I'm pregnant! I'll probably make dinner (order pizza) for the painters. :)
My next ultrasound is on October 12th, so watch for more pictures! Thanks for reading!!!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
OH-IO
Week 19 started off with a fun new activity for the baby. On Thursday (September 3rd) we put headphones on my belly, and Colt controlled a mini-concert on his IPOD. Colt played some Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and James Brown, and he was moving around a little bit, but no karate kicks. Then Colt put on some Elvis...he went CRAZY! He was kicking so hard, first low on my right side, then really close to my belly button on my left side! We've determined that his favorite song is, "Return to Sender" by Elvis Presley. Not my personal favorite, but to each his own. He also really likes Johnny Cash, (his namesake), and of course, his dear ol' dad, Colt Clark.
We also continued the registration process in week 19. This became way more fun after the "research" was done. I think I've gone with Graco for every "big" purchase. We registered for a Graco pack-n-play, travel system, changing table, and convertible car seat. They seem to have consistently good ratings online, as well as good reviews through word of mouth. Sweet Colt has gone with me for every registering trip! The last time we were at Target, I was looking at pacifiers, and he tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a plastic duck head wearing a fireman's outfit. It fits over the bathtub faucet so that the baby won't hit his head on the metal when taking a bath. Colt loved it, and it was the only thing HE wanted to register for, which of course, I thought was the sweetest thing ever. So rest assured, our baby's head will be well protected during bath time! Another exciting piece of registration news this week was a surprise delivery to our front door. I was reviewing my registry online last week, at which point I had only registered for the travel system, and discovered to my amazement that it had already been purchased. This was shocking because the shower invitations haven't even been sent out yet! I started secretly investigating all of my grandmothers because it was a pretty expensive gift. At about noon our doorbell rang, and there was a large Graco box sitting on my doorstep. IT WAS THE TRAVEL SYSTEM! The return address...my cousin Jason! We were floored! First of all, it was a very expensive gift, especially for a guy that wouldn't have been invited to the "all female invitee" baby shower to buy! Not to mention the fact that he had been gone for several days on his way to Iraq again. When I got ahold of him, he was in Kuwait, waiting to go to Iraq. It was so sweet of him to buy that gift for us. I will always think of him as I stroll around town with the baby. :) Of course, I wanted to open the box and assemble my new gift (or the baby's new gift...whatever) immediately. Colt wanted me to wait until his band practice was over. As he was leaving to go swim laps at his parents' house, I asked him if I could open the box. I don't think he had very much faith in me to be able to assemble it all by myself, but sure enough, it was assembled by the time he got home. He was pleasantly surprised. A few days later, my Aunt Penny was in town, and wanted to buy us our second registry gift, so she didn't have to ship it down for the shower. THE PACK-N-PLAY! Its the same collection as the travel system, Graco's "Hamilton". Once again, I assembled that when Colt was working out. Both Colt and I agreed, its so surreal seeing these things in his room, knowing that, Lord willing, he'll be physically laying in them one day. Anyway, at this point, we have all of the "big" things registered for, mostly at Babies-R-Us (some stuff at Target), and will continue to add a few more things to the lists.
This week (week 20), marked our first doctor's office ultrasound. My mom has been at all of our ultrasounds because they are done in her office, by her friend Jennifer, so we invited Sharon (Colt's mom) to come to this one, since it was in Tampa, and closer to her area. We were both really happy she could come! The ultrasound tech, Kitty, really took a lot of time with us. She measured all of his parts, and checked all of his organs to make sure everything was working correctly. She sure knew how to make a new mother feel good. She referred to his brain as "perfect", his kidneys were "looking wonderful", and his four-chambered heart was "perfect" as well. :) We told her that we found out at 14 weeks that it was a boy, and it was confirmed at 18 weeks, but we wanted to make sure she concurred. As soon as we got a good shot between his legs, she said, "Oh yes, most definitely (she giggled). I'm certain that's a little boy." Then she began to measure his legs, arms, head, belly etc. Apparently little man has got a bit of a gut. He was measuring at about 20 weeks, 5 days (I was 20 weeks, 1 day at the time) everywhere, but in the belly he was measuring at 21 weeks, 5 days. I asked her if that meant he was going to be a big baby, as we had heard that before from our regular ultrasound tech. She said usually she doesn't comment on a baby's potential size at 20 weeks, but in this case, "If he is measuring a week and a half ahead of schedule at 20 weeks, he is going to be a pretty big baby most likely." This is good news to me, as I LOVE a chubby baby! Ask me how I feel about this after actually having to "birth" him. We'll see! :) Another interesting note was that he loves to move his fingers and toes around. He seemed to be stretching them, or wiggling them throughout the whole ultrasound. The tech said she normally doesn't get that clear of a picture of fingers and toes because they're so thin and small, but she said she could see his very clearly, and that he was really doing well with moving them around. She said that this is a good sign because its an indication of good fetal tone (still don't really know what that means, but it sounds positive). She asked if we wanted to do a little bit of the 3D ultrasound FOR FREE! I think name dropping that my cousin Lauren was a labor and delivery nurse at UCH (where all of the doctors in my office work) was a good idea! :) We tried to get a good picture of his face, but he insisted on resting his arms on his head, like a celebrity hiding from the paparazzi. We got a few sneak previews of his face, but nothing super clear. Also, the 3D images are time lapsed, so his head looks a little bit distorted. It would be like if someone took a picture of you walking, and the picture took a while to capture, and you continued walking, there would be a streak across the photo from where you had started walking and where you ended up. I hope that makes sense. Anyway, that's why his head seems deformed in some of the pictures, but she assured me that he's "beautiful" (yes, she actually said that...so sweet...I love Kitty!). I also got a flu shot at this doctor's appointment...just in case. So that's the report...I have a healthy, fat little baby growing inside my belly, who is kicking harder and harder each day.
We went to Ohio this weekend for a family reunion of sorts. It was so nice to see the family. We had a great time enjoying fall weather (mid 70s during the day, 50s at night). We got to spend some time at my Uncle Kevin and Aunt Katie's home in Delaware, OH and they have the coolest house. Its a century home, that boasts a garden with raspberries, cherry tomatoes, etc., a fire pit, and a beautiful view of a river. Katie made our dessert that night with the raspberries from her garden. I wish I had the patience for a garden. I wish I knew how to cook cool stuff. Haha! I also got to meet my new cousin Reese, Uncle Todd and Aunt Jillian's new baby. Its funny for me to write Uncle and Aunt before all of their names because I don't call them Uncle or Aunt. This is mainly because Scott & Crystal, my dad's younger brother and his wife are still in their early 3os, Kevin and Katie, my dad's second younger brother is 30ish (Katie is 28 I think), and Todd and Jillian, my dad's youngest brother and his wife, are 27ish (Colt's age). Haha! I always felt like we grew up together, even though they are several years older than I, and they lived in Ohio. Anyway, I was really excited to meet baby Reese. She is only 6 months older than our baby, so it will be fun to watch them together as they get older. My other little cousins, Jackson, "little" Jillian, and Joshie (Scott and Crystal's kids) are always fun to be around too. It was a whirlwind trip, leaving for Ohio on Friday, and coming back Sunday morning, but it was a fun weekend getaway. Coincidentally, one of the OB's in my doctor's office, Dr. Jennifer Sanchez, was sitting right in front of me on the flight on the way back to Tampa from Ohio! Small world.
I better go now, I think this post is insanely long. I am now at 20 weeks, 5 days, so week 21 is creeping up on me. I love how fast time is flying! I have started to get a little bit of a backache this week, and I've been feeling unusually bloated, so its back to the gym I go! I got my first two pairs of maternity jeans at Old Navy about two weeks ago (week 17 or 18), and they are not only stylish, but comfortable, not to mention 50% off for some reason. You can't beat two pairs of maternity jeans for $12.50 each! As I type, the baby is kicking me pretty hard...it must be time for lunch. Thanks for reading!
We also continued the registration process in week 19. This became way more fun after the "research" was done. I think I've gone with Graco for every "big" purchase. We registered for a Graco pack-n-play, travel system, changing table, and convertible car seat. They seem to have consistently good ratings online, as well as good reviews through word of mouth. Sweet Colt has gone with me for every registering trip! The last time we were at Target, I was looking at pacifiers, and he tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a plastic duck head wearing a fireman's outfit. It fits over the bathtub faucet so that the baby won't hit his head on the metal when taking a bath. Colt loved it, and it was the only thing HE wanted to register for, which of course, I thought was the sweetest thing ever. So rest assured, our baby's head will be well protected during bath time! Another exciting piece of registration news this week was a surprise delivery to our front door. I was reviewing my registry online last week, at which point I had only registered for the travel system, and discovered to my amazement that it had already been purchased. This was shocking because the shower invitations haven't even been sent out yet! I started secretly investigating all of my grandmothers because it was a pretty expensive gift. At about noon our doorbell rang, and there was a large Graco box sitting on my doorstep. IT WAS THE TRAVEL SYSTEM! The return address...my cousin Jason! We were floored! First of all, it was a very expensive gift, especially for a guy that wouldn't have been invited to the "all female invitee" baby shower to buy! Not to mention the fact that he had been gone for several days on his way to Iraq again. When I got ahold of him, he was in Kuwait, waiting to go to Iraq. It was so sweet of him to buy that gift for us. I will always think of him as I stroll around town with the baby. :) Of course, I wanted to open the box and assemble my new gift (or the baby's new gift...whatever) immediately. Colt wanted me to wait until his band practice was over. As he was leaving to go swim laps at his parents' house, I asked him if I could open the box. I don't think he had very much faith in me to be able to assemble it all by myself, but sure enough, it was assembled by the time he got home. He was pleasantly surprised. A few days later, my Aunt Penny was in town, and wanted to buy us our second registry gift, so she didn't have to ship it down for the shower. THE PACK-N-PLAY! Its the same collection as the travel system, Graco's "Hamilton". Once again, I assembled that when Colt was working out. Both Colt and I agreed, its so surreal seeing these things in his room, knowing that, Lord willing, he'll be physically laying in them one day. Anyway, at this point, we have all of the "big" things registered for, mostly at Babies-R-Us (some stuff at Target), and will continue to add a few more things to the lists.
This week (week 20), marked our first doctor's office ultrasound. My mom has been at all of our ultrasounds because they are done in her office, by her friend Jennifer, so we invited Sharon (Colt's mom) to come to this one, since it was in Tampa, and closer to her area. We were both really happy she could come! The ultrasound tech, Kitty, really took a lot of time with us. She measured all of his parts, and checked all of his organs to make sure everything was working correctly. She sure knew how to make a new mother feel good. She referred to his brain as "perfect", his kidneys were "looking wonderful", and his four-chambered heart was "perfect" as well. :) We told her that we found out at 14 weeks that it was a boy, and it was confirmed at 18 weeks, but we wanted to make sure she concurred. As soon as we got a good shot between his legs, she said, "Oh yes, most definitely (she giggled)
We went to Ohio this weekend for a family reunion of sorts. It was so nice to see the family. We had a great time enjoying fall weather (mid 70s during the day, 50s at night). We got to spend some time at my Uncle Kevin and Aunt Katie's home in Delaware, OH and they have the coolest house. Its a century home, that boasts a garden with raspberries, cherry tomatoes, etc., a fire pit, and a beautiful view of a river. Katie made our dessert that night with the raspberries from her garden. I wish I had the patience for a garden. I wish I knew how to cook cool stuff. Haha! I also got to meet my new cousin Reese, Uncle Todd and Aunt Jillian's new baby. Its funny for me to write Uncle and Aunt before all of their names because I don't call them Uncle or Aunt. This is mainly because Scott & Crystal, my dad's younger brother and his wife are still in their early 3os, Kevin and Katie, my dad's second younger brother is 30ish (Katie is 28 I think), and Todd and Jillian, my dad's youngest brother and his wife, are 27ish (Colt's age). Haha! I always felt like we grew up together, even though they are several years older than I, and they lived in Ohio. Anyway, I was really excited to meet baby Reese. She is only 6 months older than our baby, so it will be fun to watch them together as they get older. My other little cousins, Jackson, "little" Jillian, and Joshie (Scott and Crystal's kids) are always fun to be around too. It was a whirlwind trip, leaving for Ohio on Friday, and coming back Sunday morning, but it was a fun weekend getaway. Coincidentally, one of the OB's in my doctor's office, Dr. Jennifer Sanchez, was sitting right in front of me on the flight on the way back to Tampa from Ohio! Small world.
I better go now, I think this post is insanely long. I am now at 20 weeks, 5 days, so week 21 is creeping up on me. I love how fast time is flying! I have started to get a little bit of a backache this week, and I've been feeling unusually bloated, so its back to the gym I go! I got my first two pairs of maternity jeans at Old Navy about two weeks ago (week 17 or 18), and they are not only stylish, but comfortable, not to mention 50% off for some reason. You can't beat two pairs of maternity jeans for $12.50 each! As I type, the baby is kicking me pretty hard...it must be time for lunch. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Registration Frustration
Well lets see...nothing really "new" to report. We didn't have any ultrasounds or doctor appointments this week, so no new baby news to report. I think he's just having fun, squished up inside me. I think I've felt him kick a few times this week, but I'm looking forward to him getting bigger, and feeling him more often. Stupid "anterior placenta"! As I'm writing this, I'm daydreaming of a large frozen lemonade...wish I had one...YUM!!! Ok, back to the point.
My Grandma Jan is in town this week staying at my parents house, dog sitting while Mama and Daddy roam the western half of this great country. I would say she was babysitting too, but when the "children" are almost 18 and 21, its not really baby, or child sitting at that point. We always enjoy when she comes to town though! She's also a great resource of knowledge for me, as she has had 4 boys! I would love to have a girl someday, but I also think its great to see a child, with a sibling(s) of the same gender. I really can't see myself having any preference whatsoever, for the gender of the next child, which is a good thing because I'd be thrilled to have a girl (something new and different) or a boy (same sex sibling). Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself though...I should take this one child at a time. :) Sometimes I feel bad for my brother, as the only male child in my family, but when I think about how much Emilee and I adore him, maybe its not such a bad position to be in. Grandma Jan brought a big bag of baby boy clothes down with her from a really cute children's consignment shop in Ohio. I got some really cute khaki dress pants, blue jeans, an adidas outfit, and a bunch of cute onesies, and pajamas! I just love baby clothes!
Another new venture this week has been the beginning of the registration process...both FUN and STRESSFUL! Fun, for the obvious reasons, but stressful because of all the research that goes into choosing the right model of stroller, highchair, pack-n-play, carseat etc. etc. etc. I'm also trying to take into consideration price range. I don't want to register for something that's cheap and junky, but I also don't want to register for something that costs a million dollars. I'm trying to keep it very middle of the road price wise, with good online ratings. I never thought that I would be the kind of person that worried about ratings, and safety stuff, but I guess its a different ball game when its your own kid. I have to say though, I still think there are some people that go WAY overboard when it comes to safety. I've read and heard so many things about "what not to do", and what can be harmful to the baby that it can make your head spin! Sorry, but I don't plan on bubble wrapping my kid to get him safely to the grocery store. This opinion is subject to change after I hold him for the first time. :) Anyway, as of now, I have successfully registered for a pack-n-play, and a travel system. Colt and I went to Babies-R-Us the other day to make sure they looked the same in the store as they did online, and they did. It was really cool watching him push the travel system around the store. We talked about it later, and he said the same thing about me. Its so weird to think that there will be a child, a live, human child that looks like us, living in our house and riding in that stroller in 4 months. I guess watching him push the stroller brought it into reality. He will be such a great father.
Well that's it for now. I started my 19th week today. I go to the doctor's office next week for a full anatomy ultrasound, as well as my "half-way" appointment. Prayers are always welcome! :) Thanks for reading!
My Grandma Jan is in town this week staying at my parents house, dog sitting while Mama and Daddy roam the western half of this great country. I would say she was babysitting too, but when the "children" are almost 18 and 21, its not really baby, or child sitting at that point. We always enjoy when she comes to town though! She's also a great resource of knowledge for me, as she has had 4 boys! I would love to have a girl someday, but I also think its great to see a child, with a sibling(s) of the same gender. I really can't see myself having any preference whatsoever, for the gender of the next child, which is a good thing because I'd be thrilled to have a girl (something new and different) or a boy (same sex sibling). Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself though...I should take this one child at a time. :) Sometimes I feel bad for my brother, as the only male child in my family, but when I think about how much Emilee and I adore him, maybe its not such a bad position to be in. Grandma Jan brought a big bag of baby boy clothes down with her from a really cute children's consignment shop in Ohio. I got some really cute khaki dress pants, blue jeans, an adidas outfit, and a bunch of cute onesies, and pajamas! I just love baby clothes!
Another new venture this week has been the beginning of the registration process...both FUN and STRESSFUL! Fun, for the obvious reasons, but stressful because of all the research that goes into choosing the right model of stroller, highchair, pack-n-play, carseat etc. etc. etc. I'm also trying to take into consideration price range. I don't want to register for something that's cheap and junky, but I also don't want to register for something that costs a million dollars. I'm trying to keep it very middle of the road price wise, with good online ratings. I never thought that I would be the kind of person that worried about ratings, and safety stuff, but I guess its a different ball game when its your own kid. I have to say though, I still think there are some people that go WAY overboard when it comes to safety. I've read and heard so many things about "what not to do", and what can be harmful to the baby that it can make your head spin! Sorry, but I don't plan on bubble wrapping my kid to get him safely to the grocery store. This opinion is subject to change after I hold him for the first time. :) Anyway, as of now, I have successfully registered for a pack-n-play, and a travel system. Colt and I went to Babies-R-Us the other day to make sure they looked the same in the store as they did online, and they did. It was really cool watching him push the travel system around the store. We talked about it later, and he said the same thing about me. Its so weird to think that there will be a child, a live, human child that looks like us, living in our house and riding in that stroller in 4 months. I guess watching him push the stroller brought it into reality. He will be such a great father.
Well that's it for now. I started my 19th week today. I go to the doctor's office next week for a full anatomy ultrasound, as well as my "half-way" appointment. Prayers are always welcome! :) Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
18 Week Ultrasound
I know, I know...two posts in one week...I'M ON FIRE!
Today we went for our 18 week ultrasound with my mom's ultrasound tech friend. She has been so sweet, and has let us come just about every 4 weeks to see the baby. She always gives us SO many pictures, and really takes time to show us all of his parts (external and internal) to make sure everything looks good. I can't tell you what a relief it was in the first trimester to be able to see the baby so often. The first trimester is stressful for any mother, especially a first time mother, but to be able to see the baby so often really reassured us that everything was progressing as it should.
SO, anyway, we got there and I hopped up on the table, excited to see what the baby looked like. She put the goo on by belly, and found him right away with no problem. His head is just to the right of my belly button, which means that right now he is breech. She said this is completely normal, and that he will probably change positions several times before January. She also said that my placenta is on top, which means it may be harder for me to feel the baby kick. This completely made sense to me, as I have felt the baby kick or move before, but not as frequently as my friends around the same week as me have. Most of my friends that are in the 18th week are feeling the baby move frequently now. I have felt a little "nudge" that I was sure was the baby (and not something else) a few times, but not on an hourly basis or anything like that. She said as the baby grows his kicks will get stronger and I'll be able to feel them all the time. That's definitely something I'm looking forward too! The baby was being very modest when we tried to look between his little legs to "confirm his manhood", as my friend Megan so cleverly quipped the other day. Anyway, the ultrasound tech (whom I shall now refer to as Jennifer, since that is her name) said we would look at other things while we wait for him to relax his little legs. She checked his brain, heart and stomach and said everything looked good, and was measuring right on target. She said he was about 5 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, which is perfect! Finally we came back to his legs...he still wouldn't open them! She wiggled her little probe across my belly, and tried to get him to uncross his legs, and finally it worked. Its DEFINITELY a BOY!!! She is 100% sure. She has a special heat sensor on the machine to detect the umbilical cord and she said it was definitely "boy parts". Colt and I are so ecstatic! Towards the end, we tried to get a good profile shot of his face, but we were unsuccessful. He looks like a demon because you can't see the eyeballs/eyelids on a standard 3D ultrasound. We got to see him open and close his mouth and stick his tongue out at us. Jennifer said he must like to stick his hands in his mouth because he kept trying to do that throughout the ultrasound. We started talking about how we probably woke up him because he's so lazy, and he began to shake his fist at us! Obviously these are all coincidences, but I like to think he has a big personality already! :) All in all, it was a great ultrasound today! Its always nice to be able to see the progress of our baby.
My next OB appointment is in two weeks. That will be my DOCTORS appointment, but I will be getting my 20 week ultrasound at the office when I'm there. This is not Jennifer, but my OB office's ultrasound tech. They will measure all of his parts and make sure he's doing well, but I'm confident after today's appointment with Jennifer. I asked about the frequency of the ultrasounds that I'm getting and my doctor's office said its completely fine to have so many ultrasounds because there are some women who have had troubled pregnancies that have to get ultrasounds every week, and it does no damage to the baby. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I will post pictures below! :)
Today we went for our 18 week ultrasound with my mom's ultrasound tech friend. She has been so sweet, and has let us come just about every 4 weeks to see the baby. She always gives us SO many pictures, and really takes time to show us all of his parts (external and internal) to make sure everything looks good. I can't tell you what a relief it was in the first trimester to be able to see the baby so often. The first trimester is stressful for any mother, especially a first time mother, but to be able to see the baby so often really reassured us that everything was progressing as it should.
SO, anyway, we got there and I hopped up on the table, excited to see what the baby looked like. She put the goo on by belly, and found him right away with no problem. His head is just to the right of my belly button, which means that right now he is breech. She said this is completely normal, and that he will probably change positions several times before January. She also said that my placenta is on top, which means it may be harder for me to feel the baby kick. This completely made sense to me, as I have felt the baby kick or move before, but not as frequently as my friends around the same week as me have. Most of my friends that are in the 18th week are feeling the baby move frequently now. I have felt a little "nudge" that I was sure was the baby (and not something else) a few times, but not on an hourly basis or anything like that. She said as the baby grows his kicks will get stronger and I'll be able to feel them all the time. That's definitely something I'm looking forward too! The baby was being very modest when we tried to look between his little legs to "confirm his manhood", as my friend Megan so cleverly quipped the other day. Anyway, the ultrasound tech (whom I shall now refer to as Jennifer, since that is her name) said we would look at other things while we wait for him to relax his little legs. She checked his brain, heart and stomach and said everything looked good, and was measuring right on target. She said he was about 5 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, which is perfect! Finally we came back to his legs...he still wouldn't open them! She wiggled her little probe across my belly, and tried to get him to uncross his legs, and finally it worked. Its DEFINITELY a BOY!!! She is 100% sure. She has a special heat sensor on the machine to detect the umbilical cord and she said it was definitely "boy parts". Colt and I are so ecstatic! Towards the end, we tried to get a good profile shot of his face, but we were unsuccessful. He looks like a demon because you can't see the eyeballs/eyelids on a standard 3D ultrasound. We got to see him open and close his mouth and stick his tongue out at us. Jennifer said he must like to stick his hands in his mouth because he kept trying to do that throughout the ultrasound. We started talking about how we probably woke up him because he's so lazy, and he began to shake his fist at us! Obviously these are all coincidences, but I like to think he has a big personality already! :) All in all, it was a great ultrasound today! Its always nice to be able to see the progress of our baby.
My next OB appointment is in two weeks. That will be my DOCTORS appointment, but I will be getting my 20 week ultrasound at the office when I'm there. This is not Jennifer, but my OB office's ultrasound tech. They will measure all of his parts and make sure he's doing well, but I'm confident after today's appointment with Jennifer. I asked about the frequency of the ultrasounds that I'm getting and my doctor's office said its completely fine to have so many ultrasounds because there are some women who have had troubled pregnancies that have to get ultrasounds every week, and it does no damage to the baby. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I will post pictures below! :)
Monday, August 24, 2009
My 16-17th Week, My Colt & My Dog
Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in posts! Week 16 was lovely! Colt took me to the beach last Monday. Going to the beach as a pregnant gal is definitely different than going pre-pregnancy. I got a cute bathing suit, that was actually a "normal" suit, but it kind if looked like a maternity bathing suit. I got a brown tankini top that covered my belly, but it was a looser fit so it looked kind of like a maternity top. The bottoms were brown with cream polka dots. We'll see how much longer that fits me! :) My belly is growing by the day it seems like. We were sitting on our blanket at the beach, and Colt said, "I wonder how many people don't realize you're pregnant and just think you have a gut." I can always count on him to say exactly what I'm thinking. I'm actually very thankful for a husband that's so honest. I asked him the other day if I looked like I had gained weight. I think I've gained about 9 lbs. so far (now I'm almost 18 weeks) which is right on Target for what they say I should have gained. I know that question is impossible for a man to answer without feeling uncomfortable. He said, "I'm not answering that because its a cardinal rule of manhood to never answer that question." I told him I didn't care, that I knew that I had, I just wanted to see where he thought it looked like I had gained the most weight. He said, "Well just in your arms...and in your face, and that's it. And in your belly, but there is a baby in there so that's why...and that's it." I started laughing so hard. He said, "What? What did I say?" I said, "Just in your arms and face and that's it. And in your belly, and that's it. Annnnnd in your legs and butt, but that's it.... maybe in your hands and feet, but that's it." We both had a good laugh at that. I'm very appreciative for an honest husband, that makes me feel beautiful , even when I feel my worst!
By the way, I want to give props to all of you mom's out there who are strapping your kids in carseats on a daily basis, in Florida, in the middle of August. I walked from my garage, out to my car in the driveway the other day, and was sweating before I even opened the car door. I can't imagine having to strap a squirmy toddler into their seat before turning on that AC. I guess I'll figure out how you do that soon enough! :)
Now for the mushy stuff...
I've been meaning to write this for a long time, but I keep avoiding it because I want to express my thoughts clearly, and I haven't felt like I had enough time (or patience) to. I think I need to give a "shout-out" of sorts, to Colt and all of the husbands of pregnant ladies out there. When a couple plans to have a baby (assuming its planned), its a 50/50 decision. Both the husband and wife decide when a good time would be to start "trying", decide what goals, or responsibilities they need to take care of before pregnancy, etc. When the woman finally does become pregnant, I think sometimes it can switch gears from a team effort, to a one WOMAN show. Everyone wants to know how she's feeling, how she's doing, is she sick, is she showing, what's she craving etc. etc. etc. All of these questions are fun for women to answer because this is new and uncharted territory for us (and who doesn't like talking about themselves :) ). Once I got over the constant nausea, and I started to think about things other than how I could keep my dinner down, I started thinking about Colt. How would it feel to have a wife/husband who was throwing up 3, 4, or sometimes 7 times a day! I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. It doesn't matter if you have kids. If you're married, and your spouse has ever been sick, you know it stinks for not only your spouse, but for you too! From the beginning of our marriage, Colt and I have always been, not only husband and wife, but pals. Even if we had never hit it off romantically, we would have still been best friends. Just like when you're a child, and your next door neighbor/best friend, was sick, you knew it was going to be a boring day of playing inside by yourself. From about 7 weeks, up to week 12, I was sick as a dog everyday. This meant not having an appetite for anything, so when something sounded tolerable, we HAD to eat that. This also meant falling asleep on the couch almost every night very early, due to exhaustion from work, and pregnancy. During this time, it was very difficult for me to do almost anything since I was working 10 hour days and was very sleep deprived. Colt completely picked up the slack. He did all of the cleaning, all of the laundry, the occasional grocery shopping trip, and A LOT of listening to me complain! Its true that you learn more and more about your spouse as you meet every new stage of life together. In our two years of marriage, we really haven't had any life changing milestones. I don't want to say that I have LEARNED so many great things about Colt in these last 17 weeks, because I always knew he was a good man, and a great partner, but I've been continually reassured of his unique character. He has been nothing but caring, considerate, selfless, and more than anything, he shows me love, everyday. Throughout this pregnancy, I've been reminded time and time again, what a rare friendship, and relationship I have with Colt. I never expected marriage to be this fun and truly easy. If there's one thing I want our baby to know that I'm thankful for, besides my relationship with God, and the family that has brought me to know and love Him, its my relationship, and marriage to Colt.
I hope you all know, the purpose of this post is by no means to boast about my life, or relationship, but to express my true feelings, as I'm feeling them, to our baby, my husband, and friends who know my motivation behind this blog. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! I should have more to update you with after our ultrasound this week!!!
P.S. Colt and I babysat for Sawyer Murphy (Peter and Lauren's new baby) tonight for a little while, and Moe was and SO JEALOUS and desperate for attention! He'll need to get over that quick! We still love him though.
By the way, I want to give props to all of you mom's out there who are strapping your kids in carseats on a daily basis, in Florida, in the middle of August. I walked from my garage, out to my car in the driveway the other day, and was sweating before I even opened the car door. I can't imagine having to strap a squirmy toddler into their seat before turning on that AC. I guess I'll figure out how you do that soon enough! :)
Now for the mushy stuff...
I've been meaning to write this for a long time, but I keep avoiding it because I want to express my thoughts clearly, and I haven't felt like I had enough time (or patience) to. I think I need to give a "shout-out" of sorts, to Colt and all of the husbands of pregnant ladies out there. When a couple plans to have a baby (assuming its planned), its a 50/50 decision. Both the husband and wife decide when a good time would be to start "trying", decide what goals, or responsibilities they need to take care of before pregnancy, etc. When the woman finally does become pregnant, I think sometimes it can switch gears from a team effort, to a one WOMAN show. Everyone wants to know how she's feeling, how she's doing, is she sick, is she showing, what's she craving etc. etc. etc. All of these questions are fun for women to answer because this is new and uncharted territory for us (and who doesn't like talking about themselves :) ). Once I got over the constant nausea, and I started to think about things other than how I could keep my dinner down, I started thinking about Colt. How would it feel to have a wife/husband who was throwing up 3, 4, or sometimes 7 times a day! I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. It doesn't matter if you have kids. If you're married, and your spouse has ever been sick, you know it stinks for not only your spouse, but for you too! From the beginning of our marriage, Colt and I have always been, not only husband and wife, but pals. Even if we had never hit it off romantically, we would have still been best friends. Just like when you're a child, and your next door neighbor/best friend, was sick, you knew it was going to be a boring day of playing inside by yourself. From about 7 weeks, up to week 12, I was sick as a dog everyday. This meant not having an appetite for anything, so when something sounded tolerable, we HAD to eat that. This also meant falling asleep on the couch almost every night very early, due to exhaustion from work, and pregnancy. During this time, it was very difficult for me to do almost anything since I was working 10 hour days and was very sleep deprived. Colt completely picked up the slack. He did all of the cleaning, all of the laundry, the occasional grocery shopping trip, and A LOT of listening to me complain! Its true that you learn more and more about your spouse as you meet every new stage of life together. In our two years of marriage, we really haven't had any life changing milestones. I don't want to say that I have LEARNED so many great things about Colt in these last 17 weeks, because I always knew he was a good man, and a great partner, but I've been continually reassured of his unique character. He has been nothing but caring, considerate, selfless, and more than anything, he shows me love, everyday. Throughout this pregnancy, I've been reminded time and time again, what a rare friendship, and relationship I have with Colt. I never expected marriage to be this fun and truly easy. If there's one thing I want our baby to know that I'm thankful for, besides my relationship with God, and the family that has brought me to know and love Him, its my relationship, and marriage to Colt.
I hope you all know, the purpose of this post is by no means to boast about my life, or relationship, but to express my true feelings, as I'm feeling them, to our baby, my husband, and friends who know my motivation behind this blog. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone! I should have more to update you with after our ultrasound this week!!!
P.S. Colt and I babysat for Sawyer Murphy (Peter and Lauren's new baby) tonight for a little while, and Moe was and SO JEALOUS and desperate for attention! He'll need to get over that quick! We still love him though.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Gettin' my kicks!
I just wanted to write a quick update post...SO I think I may have felt my first little kick tonight!!! I have been anxiously waiting to feel something for a long time. I know they say that you can usually start feeling the baby between 16 and 20 weeks, but that wasn't stopping me from laying very still every night just to be sure. Tonight at 10:30pm (at 15 weeks, 6 days & 22 hours-haha!) we were riding in the car to get a slurpee, and I felt a little knudge in my uterus. At first I thought it was just a fluke, even though it was very apparent I felt something. I said to Colt, "I'm not sure but I think I just felt a kick!" I waited a few seconds to see if I could feel anything else, and a few seconds later, it happened again...and then again, in the same spot. The only conclusion I can come to is that it was a kick, seeing as how I have nothing to compare it to. If it turns out I'm wrong, I'll let you know. Haha! The best part, is that the Frank Sinatra song, "Time After Time" was on the radio. Anyone that knows me, knows I have loved Frank Sinatra since I was little. I told Colt, the baby must like him too! :)
A few more cravings for fun...Tonight, I just had to have a Coke slurpee! We went to two different 7/11's, after the first store's machine squirted my clothes and arms with melted slurpee juice! It brought back many memories of 9th grade, when I would get one everyday after school. I've only had instant Kraft Mac and Cheese once in my life, but the night before last, I was craving some like nobody's business! We had to make a quick run to CVS. Poor, Colt. He's the best husband, and always gets me what I'm hungry for. Last night I was craving tomatoes, and for the past two days, I have made myself a delicious salad with swiss cheese and minced garlic. Delicious! I have a current obsession with real minced garlic cloves (not the "pre-minced" garlic you can buy in the jar). Anyway, thats all I can think of right now. Thursday (the 13th) is my next doctor's appointment! I will update again soon! Thanks for reading!!!
A few more cravings for fun...Tonight, I just had to have a Coke slurpee! We went to two different 7/11's, after the first store's machine squirted my clothes and arms with melted slurpee juice! It brought back many memories of 9th grade, when I would get one everyday after school. I've only had instant Kraft Mac and Cheese once in my life, but the night before last, I was craving some like nobody's business! We had to make a quick run to CVS. Poor, Colt. He's the best husband, and always gets me what I'm hungry for. Last night I was craving tomatoes, and for the past two days, I have made myself a delicious salad with swiss cheese and minced garlic. Delicious! I have a current obsession with real minced garlic cloves (not the "pre-minced" garlic you can buy in the jar). Anyway, thats all I can think of right now. Thursday (the 13th) is my next doctor's appointment! I will update again soon! Thanks for reading!!!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
A Spending Spree and a Baby Bump
Well week 14 was pretty uneventful, if you don't count finding out he is a he (which was week 13 and 6 days). Like I said, the ultrasound tech said she's almost 100% sure its a boy, but we'll be positive at my next ultrasound which is at the end of the month. I promised myself that I wouldn't buy anything yet, until we're 100% sure, but I caved tonight at Marshalls. They had the cutest pajamas that said "Bedtime Buckaroo"! They had little horseshoes and cowboy hats on them, and it came with a little stuffed horse/blanket for the baby to sleep with (check out the bottom of the footie pants!). Too cute to pass up for the price! I also got a little church outfit that came with a hat which resembled one that Colt has. I will try to upload pictures below.
-I don't know why they're so blurry and not lining up, but whatever.
-I don't know why they're so blurry and not lining up, but whatever.
In other news, I think I may have found some bedding that I like. I have never liked the "baby" looking decor. I prefer sophisticated nurseries, that look like just another room in your house, plus a crib etc. Well, I found the perfect bedding to go with that motif, and I was so excited about finding accessories to go with the room I was imagining. I showed my mom and sister, and to my dismay, we discovered Target had discontinued it!!! I was so upset. I had been checking the Babies-R-Us and Target websites religiously for weeks to see if they had anything that remotely interested me, to no avail. I picked up the search again today, and stumbled across some really cute bedding! Its a little more "babyish" then I usually prefer, but I'm going to accessorize "sophisticatedly" (is that a word)? I will post pictures of the nursery when its completed. No previews! :)
Last week (week 14) is also the first time I noticed a "real" baby bump starting to form. Its still small, but definitely there! I've also felt a sensation that feels something like the baby is rolling around, not kicking, but just doing somersaults in there. I can't wait to feel him really kick me! This week (beginning of 15), I've really noticed the bump start taking shape. I was telling my cousins (who have had two babies each) the other day, I never realized how body conscious I would be when I got pregnant. I always just though that when you get pregnant, you get the baby belly fairly soon, and the fact that you're pregnant is easily recognizable from early on. This may be true for some lucky ladies, but not for me! I haven't gained very much weight at all, but when you've gained a few pounds, and you're still not "looking pregnant" it can make a girl very self conscious. Before I got pregnant, if I gained a few pounds, I would just exercise extra hard or try to eat a little healthier. When you're pregnant, you're not supposed to lose the weight you gain. Its a hard habit to break! Now that I'm starting to look pregnant, I'm totally digging my new body! Lets hope the enthusiasm continues! :) Another obstacle I've had to overcome was comparing myself to what other girls looked like at whatever week I was on. There are a million websites that show you pictures of what different girls look like at different weeks in their pregnancy. I found myself thinking, "Am I gaining weight faster than them? Am I getting a pregnancy bump earlier (or later) than they are?" I have always been a thin person, and I never really had to work on it. I could pretty much eat what I wanted, and the scale would vary between a few pounds, but never go past a certain number. Pregnancy is uncharted territory for me (obviously). This week, when I saw my little belly start to "pop", I finally felt like, "Ok, this is the way I look...I may have a baby bump earlier than some women, and later than others, but this is when it decided to arrive!" Pregnancy is so different for everyone, thats the beauty of it! Its definitly nice feeling more pregnant, and less chubby, although I'm told that every woman feels chubby until they see that little pregnancy bump. Anyway, so far week 15 has been great! I'll keep you posted, and thanks for reading!
Last week (week 14) is also the first time I noticed a "real" baby bump starting to form. Its still small, but definitely there! I've also felt a sensation that feels something like the baby is rolling around, not kicking, but just doing somersaults in there. I can't wait to feel him really kick me! This week (beginning of 15), I've really noticed the bump start taking shape. I was telling my cousins (who have had two babies each) the other day, I never realized how body conscious I would be when I got pregnant. I always just though that when you get pregnant, you get the baby belly fairly soon, and the fact that you're pregnant is easily recognizable from early on. This may be true for some lucky ladies, but not for me! I haven't gained very much weight at all, but when you've gained a few pounds, and you're still not "looking pregnant" it can make a girl very self conscious. Before I got pregnant, if I gained a few pounds, I would just exercise extra hard or try to eat a little healthier. When you're pregnant, you're not supposed to lose the weight you gain. Its a hard habit to break! Now that I'm starting to look pregnant, I'm totally digging my new body! Lets hope the enthusiasm continues! :) Another obstacle I've had to overcome was comparing myself to what other girls looked like at whatever week I was on. There are a million websites that show you pictures of what different girls look like at different weeks in their pregnancy. I found myself thinking, "Am I gaining weight faster than them? Am I getting a pregnancy bump earlier (or later) than they are?" I have always been a thin person, and I never really had to work on it. I could pretty much eat what I wanted, and the scale would vary between a few pounds, but never go past a certain number. Pregnancy is uncharted territory for me (obviously). This week, when I saw my little belly start to "pop", I finally felt like, "Ok, this is the way I look...I may have a baby bump earlier than some women, and later than others, but this is when it decided to arrive!" Pregnancy is so different for everyone, thats the beauty of it! Its definitly nice feeling more pregnant, and less chubby, although I'm told that every woman feels chubby until they see that little pregnancy bump. Anyway, so far week 15 has been great! I'll keep you posted, and thanks for reading!
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