Twenty Four Weeks

I'm a day behind, so officially today I'm 24 weeks and 1 day pregnant. Yesterday was a mess, and I just couldn't find the time to update my blog. I've got a lot of craziness going on in my head, all of which I am going to blame solely on hormones. (This is one of the lovely advantages to being pregnant. You can be completely and utterly unreasonable and just defer it to hormones.) I'm stressing to the max about the nursery. I want it to be perfect. No, I mean really perfect. For those out there that know absolutely nothing about me at all, I'm a little anal, so this coupled with the fact that I'm extremely hormonal has sent my once controllable tendencies into a place out of reach. I have literally looked at what seems like thousands of crib bedding sets. If it's out there, I've seen it. I hit a bump in the road when I settled on one, sent the link to Rob and he simply replied, "Yeah, I don't like that." WHOA. My head started to spin when I read those words, and I had to talk myself down from the ledge. "Okay, deep breaths. This is not suppose to be happening. Does he have any idea how many horrible butterfly and ladybug prints I've weeded through to find this perfect set!? Does he realize all the thoughts running through my head about gliders and paint colors!? And does he know that the glider has to match the crib, but it also has to match the colors in the bedding and OH MY GOD, it's impossible, I can't do it, MAKE IT STOP." Breathe in, breathe out. After I got through that little tragedy, I went about searching AGAIN for more bedding. Each time I would find something, Rob would respond casually, "Eh, not really feeling that either." At this point, I had a bit of an overreaction and said something along the lines of "FINE. Our kid will just come out with no name, beige walls, and a bare crib to sleep in, because we can't agree on anything!" to which he replied, "Uh, why don't you just get whatever bedding you like that will make you stop being a crazy person and will prevent your head from exploding." (Reason #1937 why I love my husband) So, I now have bedding picked out. And Rob actually likes it. And my head didn't explode. I am still am a bit of a crazy person though. All I have to do now is locate a cheap, white glider that I can re-upholster to my liking. I looked around and haven't found one, but I'm not going to let it freak me out. Yet.

And here is what's going on with The Girl With No Name Who Is Going To Have The Most Perfect Nursery In The Land Whether It Kills Her Mommy Or Not.

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

She's the size of an ear of corn this week. Will would really like this. The kid loves him some corn on the cob. He'll scarf down an entire cob and ask for another. He's an excellent shucker too.



Happy Wednesday,
L

Twenty Three Weeks

Today starts week 23, which (according to all of the books and gurus) begins the 6th month of pregnancy. I'm not sure where these people studied Math, but I'm going with it. Anything that puts me closer to the finish line is A-OK with me, buddy.

I had my check up today, and it was my first appointment with the new midwife practice I switched to. I had that excited nervousness like I was going on a first date or something. I have only seen my other OBGYN for the last 12 years, so while I knew this is what I wanted, I still had some butterflies over it. Well, let me just tell you, my visit today reaffirmed for me that the decision I made to switch is the best possible one for myself and this pregnancy. I LOVE this practice. The midwife I met with was so friendly and attentive to everything I wanted to discuss. I didn't feel like I was being rushed out of the office because there were 10 other pregnant women waiting for their turn. She measured my stomach, which was at a perfect 23 centimeters and right on track for me being 23 weeks along. She listened to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler and measured the pitter-patter to be about 150 beats per minute. She talked to me at length about why I switched to their practice, my wishes to VBAC and what I want out of this delivery. She didn't once use the terms "dead mommy" or "dead baby" which, believe it or not, was a victory in my eyes. She made me feel normal, and encouraged my wishes for a natural, unmedicated childbirth. (Thank you!) I didn't feel as though I had to defend or explain my reasons for wanting to birth naturally to her, and believe me, I have felt like that a lot lately. She just understood and supported everything that is important to me, and didn't make me feel like I was some sort of crazy person for (GASP!) not wanting an epidural. I couldn't be happier and I truly feel like the midwives at the practice are going to do everything in their power to help me achieve the birth I want.

On to the juicy details about the baby. (No, we still don't have a name. Grrrr!) She is the size of a large mango this week, and I can definitely tell she's packing on the weight in there, because I'm feeling a lot more movement. Good times!

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

Cheers,
L

Blindsided

We found out just a little over two weeks ago that we are having a girl. Here is the aftermath of that news...so far.


Things could get ugly around here. I may need an intervention before she even arrives.

L

Twenty Two Weeks

Week 22 has arrived and it brought a little friend that I was hoping I would never have to meet again. His name is heartburn. And I know it's a "he" because no woman would exact this suffering onto another woman at such a vulnerable time. I have heartburn on occasion when I'm not carrying a person around inside me, but something about being pregnant makes it about 79 times worse than normal. I had it so badly a few nights ago, I was searching the internet for home remedies and subsequently scouring my cabinet for vinegar, because that is suppose to be the magic cure all. FYI for anyone who has never been pregnant, Tums, Rolaids, all that "normal" heartburn medicine you can take, it no longer gives you ONE IOTA of relief. It's one of the cruel jokes that pregnancy plays on you. It falls under the same category of having to pee so bad, you sprint to the bathroom, only to have three tiny little drips come out. But, I digress, I had no vinegar, so I decided on another home remedy, an apple. It actually helped for about 10 minutes, at which point, I developed heartburn from eating it too fast. Bringing life into this world really is a beautiful thing.

But enough about me, on to the stats about the baby. She is the size of a spaghetti squash this week. Is there a difference between regular squash and spaghetti squash? I apparently am not very knowledgeable on all the different variations of squash. You'd think after watching six seasons of Top Chef, I'd know these things.

And here is the email for week 22. My gal is really growing up in there.

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


Happy trails...
L

Twenty One Weeks

I'm over the hump. 21 weeks means that more of this pregnancy is behind me than ahead of me. It's exciting and scary-as-all-get-out simultaneously. We are starting the process of crib shopping and getting the nursery ready, and since Will is ready for this step anyway, we decided now would be a grand time to move him from his crib to an official big boy bed. His crib is a lifetime crib, so it conveniently converts to a full sized bed. Babies R Us informed me that the railings are ready to be picked up, so this weekend, my BABY will no longer be sleeping in a crib. Or in the room right next to ours. Can I get a moment of silence, please?? The thought of this invokes so much emotion and panic in me, that I can't even describe it. I mean, he's going to be 5 more steps away from where he usually is, and in a bed that could swallow him whole! Every time I think about it, I want to cry. And I start sweating. And my throat closes up a bit. I hope the transition is easier for him than it is for me. I may end up camping outside his bedroom on a little palette that first night. I'll keep you updated as to how far the crazy takes me on this one.

As far as my other baby goes, she is the length of a carrot this week according to the pregnancy folks. I can tell she's getting bigger and bigger, because there are times she kicks me in the bladder so hard, it's a struggle to keep a little pee from seeping out. (Disclaimer: If you came to this blog to read a filtered and censored depiction of my pregnancy, I suggest you get out of here before I actually make it to labor and delivery, because at this point any and all modesty I once possessed is pretty much out the window. Thank you for your time.)

And here's the email for week 21.

How Your Baby is Growing:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like 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. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

And just for kicks, here is a 21 week belly pic. I still don't fall into that "definitely pregnant" category. Just the other day at the gym, after going 30 minutes on the elliptical, this workout-crazy 7oish year old man who always goes about an hour on the machine (not even exaggerating), challenges me as I'm stepping off, "You're not giving up already are you? I've still got 10 minutes to go!" I wanted to respond with, "Well, my uterus is the size of a cantaloupe at this point, so I think, considering the circumstances, I'm doing pretty good, thankyouverymuch." Instead, I took a deep breath and said, "Well, I'm about 5 & 1/2 months pregnant, so 30 minutes is about as much as I can handle right now." Everyone on the machines, collectively turned their heads and said things like, "REALLY?" and "I would have never guessed" at the same time. One of these days, I'll start looking pregnant. I'm waiting patiently...


L

Twenty Weeks

Well, the halfway point is here. I am 20 weeks along, which means that I have 20 weeks to go. It seems like a long time in theory, but I'm sure it will fly by so fast, we won't know what hit us.

To say that this last week has been the most exciting week of the pregnancy, is putting it lightly. Finding out that we are having a girl makes the pregnancy seem much more real. If we could just agree upon a name (ie: when hell freezes over), I could start calling her something more than "the baby." We are having a real struggle over the name. One of my friends predicted that this baby would be a girl simply because we already had the perfect name picked out for a boy, and can't agree on anything for a girl. I fear she will come out at the hospital and we'll have to look at her and say, "Hey, you!" Maybe when we see her, we'll know. I've heard people say that before, but does it really work that way? With Will, he was Will the day we found out he was a boy. He was never anything other than Will, and when I laid eyes on him, it suited him perfectly. Honestly, I'm hoping our new baby comes out and introduces herself. That would really take the pressure off.

Here's the email for week 20 from the gurus. They refer to the baby as "he" this week, but from here on out, I know better.

How Your Baby is Growing:
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).



And, she is the length of a banana this week. I don't know if they mean a regular banana or these crazy, huge, steroid taking bananas I've been buying at the grocery store lately. They are pretty incredible. I had to choose some of the "smaller" bananas, because I thought I wouldn't be able to eat it all in one setting. Freaky!


L