Rambling Thoughts

Ever wonder what rattles around in a pregnant woman’s brain during the day?

Here is a sample of my miscellaneous thoughts, just to satisfy your curiosity.

*We’re hungry.

*Ouch. Why is Squirt rolling around so much?

*Did we already schedule a tour of Labor & Delivery? We should do that.

*I can’t wait to go on maternity leave because my boss is getting on my last darned nerve.

*What should we take to the potluck party on New Year’s Eve?

*Should we donate our cord blood?

*What was I working on today?

*Is it too early for lunch?

*Ouch. Why is Squirt rolling around so much?

*Only 58 days until Squirt arrives. I can’t wait to meet this baby, but I am so terrified at the same time! How will I know what to do? I’ll miss being pregnant. I’ll miss sleeping.

*I should do some work. What do I feel like doing? I’m so glad it’s Friday.

*My reminder to practice relaxation just popped up on my computer screen. What was I thinking? Relaxing is just not something that I do.

*Potty time.

*My boss just came in and told me that I can leave early since it’s a holiday weekend. Hurray!

*I just told Chris that I’m leaving work early, so now I have to stop at the grocery store and pick up Erica from her friend’s house before we go to church for church cleaning tonight. Oh, poop!

Happy New Year!

Thirty One Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Counting to 10
Many health care providers recommend that their patients monitor their baby's movements once they're well into the third trimester. Here's the drill: At roughly the same time each day (if possible, the time when your baby is most active), lie down and keep track of how long it takes to feel 10 kicks, rolls, or flutters—any type of movement. Ideally, this should be less than an hour. Many women find it takes only a few minutes, depending on the time of day. If an hour passes without any movement, eat a light snack, lie back down, and try again. If you still don't feel anything, call your health care provider.

Slow down
"It's pretty crowded in here." Don't worry, however, if your baby seems less active as the weeks progress. In fact, less-frequent movement now means she's right on track (assuming you are counting 10 movements in an hour each day). Her movements are simply becoming less erratic and more organized; also, there's not as much room in your uterus as there was just a few weeks ago.

Measuring up
Your baby is about 11.2 inches long from crown to rump (17 inches stretched out) and weighs about 3.3 pounds. She's been in the fetal position, with her legs tucked, for a few weeks now. She still has lots of growing to do—she won't get much taller, but she'll put on another 2 pounds this month. In nine more weeks, she'll be ready to greet you!

What Mommy is Doing:

Out of breath
You may have begun to feel breathless a few months ago; now you're probably having a tougher time getting enough air. That's because your ever-expanding uterus is pushing your diaphragm into your lungs. If you're carrying low, consider yourself lucky—women who carry high have an even harder time breathing. If you find yourself huffing and puffing, slow down and take a few deep breaths (as deep as you can). Toward the end of your pregnancy (around week 37 or 38), you may get a break as your baby drops down into your pelvis, easing up on your diaphragm and lungs.

Dawn’s Notes:

There are plenty of opinions regarding whether I am carrying high or low, but no consensus. I tend to think that I am carrying low because I have not had much trouble breathing at all!

Overall, I’m still feeling great, but I’ve noticed a few small discomforts as Squirt continues to grow.

My back hurts when I sleep, which makes it difficult to roll over or get out of bed for a potty break. It’s also difficult to get undressed in the morning to take a shower. Once I’m up and about, the pain and stiffness melt away.

I still can’t complain!

Movie Star

It's official: Squirt will be a movie star!

Chris bought me a digital camcorder for Christmas this year.

I'll be able to make home movies of all the kids and send DVDs to our out-of-town relatives.

This will be a great excuse for me to stalk our baby with a camera.

I'm excited and I know that the grandparents will be happy, too. My Dad is in Florida and is very disappointed that he'll only be able to visit a couple of times a year. Chris' Dad lives in Austria, so he only visits about once a decade. This will be a great opportunity for him to "get to know" all of the kids.

I am so excited!

I can't wait to start filming!

The Last Christmas

Without our baby!

Christmas is always an exciting time of year, but it is especially exciting this holiday season as we anxiously await the arrival of God’s most precious gift to us.

This is what baby is missing this year:

Tropical Weather
We’ve had snow this season, but not for the past two weeks. It is actually so warm here that it’s difficult to decide which coat to wear. We’ve been enjoying warm days with temperatures in the mid-50s during the day. The weather has been fantastic compared to normal winter days in Cleveland, but we are all disappointed that it won’t be snowing on Christmas Day this year. We are hoping this is a sign of a mild winter to come, which would reduce the likelihood that we will go into labor during a snowstorm.

Church Celebration
The Sunday School is presenting a program for the Christmas Eve morning service this year. Mommy is helping by narrating part of the nativity story. Specifically, I was volunteered to tell the kids about the journey to Bethlehem. The other Sunday school teachers thought I would be the best person to demonstrate the penguin-waddle walk that Mary most likely used to cross the desert.

Deck the Halls
Our Christmas tree is looking better this year, since we finally got rid of the pink ribbons and replaced it with red ribbon. The pink ribbon was a tradition started by Kayla and Erica and they were very sad to see it go. The tree was designed to resemble the tree from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Christmas. Dad and I were very happy with the change. Finally!

Also, Squirt’s first gift to Daddy this year is a Snow Man ornament that reads “Most Loved Daddy.”

Tradition!
We’ve started talking about new traditions that we would like to start for Squirt’s first Christmas next year. Starting in 2007, Santa will visit on Christmas Eve. We will celebrate the next day with the Austrian tradition of receiving gifts from the Christkinde, or Christ Child, on Christmas Day. We will bake cupcakes instead of cookies in celebration of Christ’s birthday. We’ll read the story of the first Chrismas. We’ll have a nativity set, but baby Jesus won’t arrive until Christmas morning.

It’s exciting to dream about Christmas seasons to come, but we are very thankful for this Christmas season that we have spent anticipating the arrival of God’s greatest gift!

Thirty Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Making headway
Your baby's brain continues its amazing development. Up until now, its surface has been smooth. This week, the brain begins to take on its distinctly wrinkled appearance. These wrinkles are called convolutions, and they allow the brain to hold more brain cells.

As some things develop, others disappear, like lanugo, the ultrafine hair that covered your baby's body. He may still have patches of it on his back and shoulders, however.

A Shared Meal
Eating well is tremendously important in the third trimester because your baby is taking nutrients directly from you to build up his internal stores and to gain weight. The calcium from the milk you drink goes directly to building his bones, and the iron in your prenatal vitamins and iron-rich foods boosts his iron supply, which will last until he's 6 to 9 months old. Protein is also crucial in these last few months, because it supports healthy cell growth throughout your baby's body.

Measuring up
Your baby weighs about 3 pounds this week and is a little more than 10.8 inches from crown to rump. His total length, including his legs, is about 17 inches.

Dawn's Notes:

Squirt is such a good little baby! I'm incredibly comfortable, despite my size. I haven't suffered from many of the common complaints of pregnancy, for which I am truly grateful. I'm still sleeping well, I'm not any more tired than I would have been about this time a year ago, and I'm still running around like nothing has changed.

I am starting to become increasingly excited with every passing day. Sometimes, I can't imagine that our baby will be with us so soon, and other times, I don't think I can possibly wait any longer!

Baby Moon

We had our 30 week prenatal appointment yesterday.

The doctor said that Squirt is already head down!

She showed me where baby’s head, butt and back are situated. Now I know what parts are poking me when Squirt rolls around in there and I can spank that little butt! Can’t wait to see it!

Squirt has been mooning me all this time.

Chris and I are both predicting an early birth. Hopefully, our baby is just as anxious to meet us as we are to meet him!

Only a couple more weeks!

Twenty Nine Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Temperature control
"How does it stay so warm in here?" This week marks an important milestone in your baby's brain development: The brain has matured to the point where it can help regulate body temperature. Of course, your little one isn't ready to do it all on her own yet; she still needs the warmth of your body to keep her toasty until birth. She also continues to develop nerve cells in her brain. By the time she's born, she'll have hundreds of billions of them. That seems like a lot, but she needs to stock up, since she won't produce any more after birth.

Puttin' on padding
Your baby is looking more like a full-term baby, too. She's plumping up nicely; the surface of her skin is smoother and paler because of the fat she's starting to gain. This fat will be an important factor in her ability to keep warm. Your baby also has eyelashes; she may be batting them at you right now!

Measuring up
Despite the increase in fat, your little one is still pretty thin—only about 2 to 3 percent of her 2.7 pounds is made up of fat. Crown to rump, she measures 10.4 inches, but if you stretched her out, she'd be more than 16 inches long.

Going for the Glow
The baby will move toward a soft light shown through the mom’s abdominal wall. He’ll startle when he hears loud sounds but turn toward soft ones.

What Mom is Doing:

Weighty matters
You're in the home stretch now—11 more weeks to go! Your baby will be putting on most of his weight over the next three months, and so will you. You can probably expect to add about 11 pounds in the last trimester, about a pound a week.

Third-trimester complaint
Are you waking up suddenly with cramps in your calves? Leg cramps are a common complaint during pregnancy, though not every woman gets them. Experts aren't sure exactly what causes them; some say it's the added weight on your legs, while others think the pain may signal a calcium or potassium shortage. They may also be the result of the pressure of your uterus on the nerves running to the legs.

Dawn’s Notes:

Time is flying by so fast!

Slow down, baby!

Cloud Nine

We found a daycare center that we love!

Chris and I toured a couple daycare centers yesterday, and the first visit was the best.

Naturally, I was a little depressed when I was hit with the realization that someday we will take our baby to a daycare center and LEAVE. It was an agonizing revelation, but I am comforted in knowing that our baby will be comfortable and safe.

The center we have chosen is everything that I could have asked for. It is close to home via the freeway. The center is on the campus of a catholic seminary and is next door to a catholic elementary school. The campus is easily accessible from a main road, but still feels secluded and peaceful. There is plenty of open space for playing outdoors, and the daycare center uses a courtyard as a playground. There are no fences because the courtyard is surrounded by buildings on all sides. No dangerous parking lots and no strangers wandering in.

The center is opening a new, larger infant room on the second floor in January. Every baby has their own crib and eating space and the play area has new equipment. The room is filled with windows to let in the sunlight and provides a beautiful, peaceful view of the campus and the courtyard.

Chris and I are making plans to go back and meet the director and the morning infant teacher sometime soon. Gotta get Squirt on the waiting list!

We also visited another center last night, but that place was so depressing that I wanted to cry! I won’t even share the details here, because it’s too upsetting to me to even imagine leaving our little Squirt there.

Anyway, I’m relieved to know that we have a safe place for Squirt to go.

We’re almost ready for baby!

Question of the Day

What are you going to miss most about pregnancy?

*Never being alone

*Talking to myself without looking like an idiot

*Having someone kick me everytime I get worked up over something that is not important in the grand scheme of life. I'm sure the baby has no clue that he/she is reminding me of my priorities, but I like the subtle reminders throughout the day.

*Being able to eat and drink where ever I want, regardless of what the signs on the door say.

*Skipping to the front of the line in the restroom and at the grocery store.

*Having an excuse to sit down and relax.

*Being appreciated for everything that I can accomplish, regardless of my condition.

*Having an excuse for being forgetful.

*Looking great and being fat at the same time!

*Chris rubbing my tummy in the middle of the night.

*Always knowing where my baby is.

*Sleeping while my baby is awake.

There are so many more...I just love being pregnant!

Mommy's Baby Belly at 29 Weeks

It's been too long since I've taken baby belly photos, so this is an update.

Chris wasn't home last night and I'm notorious for my impatience, so I took these pictures myself. I had lots of great poses, but most of them were blurry and I was too tired to try it again.

These are better than nothing!

Getting Ready

Being the anal, uber-organized individual that I am, I have been in a panic recently about the items on our baby to-do list that remain unaddressed, and here we are just eleven short weeks until our due date.

I am feeling a sense of relief today as Chris and I move a little bit closer toward being ready for this baby.

We learned last night that our childbirth instructor will most likely be available to attend our birth as a doula. Hurray!

I called a couple of daycare centers today and learned that our top two picks do still have openings for an infant in early spring, which is a huge relief. I called a couple of months ago, but I was worried that someone else might have beaten us onto the waiting list. Chris and I plan to visit the centers today and tomorrow after work, and I’m really hoping that we will find a place near home that we love. It’s hard to imagine any place that I really want to leave our baby, so this might be more of a challenge than it needs to be.

I’m also on the brink of scheduling the last of the baby preparation classes. We still need to attend Breastfeeding Basics, Infant CPR, and Baby Care Basics. I’m waiting on one hospital to mail us a schedule of classes because their website is useless.

Lastly, my body is still doing what it needs to do to get ready, too. Imagine my shock and surprise yesterday morning when I realized that my breasts were leaking for the first time. OH MY GOD! I know I shouldn’t be surprised because I’ve read that it is completely normal, but I couldn’t help but panic. They’ve never done that before!

Even if I don’t know what I’m doing, it’s comforting to know that my body does!

Surrender

I’ve met my match.

Baby Gear triumphs.

I had some spare time last night, which is a luxury in my world, so I thought I would be productive and spend a few moments preparing for the imminent arrival of Squirt.

I’ve been told that this child will need space to sit, lie, swing, and be transported. Hence, we have a plethora of bouncy seats, infant swings, strollers, and car seats. Being the thrifty mama that I am, I have been collecting these items over the past couple years in the anticipation that we would one day have a tiny baby butt that would need all of this gear. I also get a thrill out of buying a $200 travel system for $15 at a garage sale.

Although the bargain is out of this world, I now realize that I need to clean all of this infant gear before it can touch our precious angel. After all, it has been sitting in storage collecting dust for ages. It must be sanitized!

So, my plan was to gather all the baby gear in the basement. I would remove the covers, launder them, wipe down all the plastic pieces, and reassemble the gear like new.

There were a few obstacles that I didn’t anticipate:

*The baby gear was in storage. I had to move all of our luggage, seasonal clothing, baby gates, toddler car seats, income tax files, and Halloween decorations to unbury the baby gear. Then, I had to move all of that stuff back.

*The baby gear was in storage on the second floor. Our basement is under the house. Down one flight of stairs, over one tortoise gate, around the tight corner by the kitchen stove and side door, past the landing where the entire family stores their shoes, and down one more flight of stairs.

*My belly is the size of a watermelon and the travel system weighs more than me.
Hauling myself up and down the stairs alone is an Olympic event. Adding baby equipment to that equation is a recipe for disaster.

That was only the beginning. Once I hauled all that crap down to the basement, I encountered even more obstacles:

*The cover on the car seat slips off easily…except for the harness straps that are threaded through it. How do you get the harness straps off? I didn’t realize that I would need a screwdriver…

*The cover on the bouncy seat should slip right off…but it doesn’t. The bouncy seat evidently folds, but I didn’t know it because the hinges were hidden by the seat cover.

*The baby swing was a piece of cake. This piece of equipment is by far my favorite. The seat cover was easily removed. This is a sign that Squirt will either have no interest in the swing or will never, ever puke or poop while using it. The clean-up would just be too easy.

*The travel system. I saved this item for last. The entire contraption is such a maze of snaps and screws and screws and screws that I have no clue how I got all of the pieces off or how they fit back together. It took me no less than an hour to remove all of the covers and pouches and baskets and canopies. Now I understand why my neighbor sold it for $15 at her garage sale rather than just taking a few moments to clean it.

The seat covers are now in the dryer, sparkling clean and fresh.

All I need to do now is put them back on…

Twenty Eight Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Loud and clear
Your little one's sight isn't the only sense that's working. His brain wave patterns indicate that he's responding to sounds in the environment. What's he able to pick up? The sound of your voice, the growl of your stomach when you're hungry, even noises outside your body. His brain waves are also starting to show differences during sleep. These sleep cycles will become clearer and more distinct as he gets closer to his due date.

Breathe easy
This is a vital stage in your baby's lung development. Blood vessels are forming throughout both lungs. When he takes his first breath of air, his lungs will absorb the oxygen, then send it into these vessels, which will circulate the oxygenated blood throughout his body. Your little one is also just starting to manufacture a substance, called a surfactant, which keeps the air sacs in his lungs from sticking together. The surfactant will allow him to breathe properly after birth. The bronchial tubes are also maturing, dividing into smaller and smaller branches.

Measuring up
Your baby is gaining weight rapidly now—he may weigh about 2.3 pounds. Crown to rump, he measures 10 inches, but if you were to stretch him out he might be around 15 inches long.

Mommy’s Commentary:

Pregnancy still isn’t as hard as I thought it would be, even after all these weeks! I hope caring for a newborn will also be easier than I expect. I’m terrified at the thought of being solely responsible for a little person, but I can’t wait to see Squirt. I feel confident knowing that Chris will be there to help and support both of us. I can’t wait to meet our baby!

A new pregnancy development that just started last night: My ribs ache. Chris says the cartilage in my ribs is expanding to make more room for Squirt.

Hey, Baby, don’t forget to leave some room for Mom! I was here first!

Twenty Seven Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

Just looking
"What are all those lights and shadows?"
After being fused shut for more than four months, your baby's eyelids can open again. This, combined with the facts that the visual part of her brain is active and most eye structures are complete, means your little one can see the world around her, limited though it may be. She can't make out objects yet, but she sees light and shadows.

Rock-a-bye baby
By paying attention to her movements inside you, you can get a good idea of how your baby spends her days...and nights. Just like babies in their mothers' arms, your little one gets lulled to sleep by rocking. Your daily activities may not feel like rocking to you, but the amniotic fluid provides such a cushion that all your baby feels is gentle swaying. So she's likely to sleep more during the day. It may be a different story at night, once you lie down to get some rest. Suddenly, she's awake and ready to party!

Measuring up
Your little one will gain about 1 pound over the next month. This week, she's up to 13 inches, crown to rump, and weighs about 2 pounds. Though she's growing quickly, her brain and lungs are still immature. Luckily, she's got 13 more weeks to get ready for the outside world.

Mommy’s Commentary:

Although sometimes I really wish Squirt would settle down and stop hurting me, the best part of being pregnant is feeling my baby move inside me. Those soft little tickles of early pregnancy have now become belly rattling kicks and punches! I’m amazed that Squirt is so strong and I love to watch my belly jump around.

Work It, Mama!

Chris finally called me onto the carpet last night.

When am I going to start exercising?

YIKES!

We’ve been taking Bradley Method classes and an important preparation for natural childbirth is exercise. Labor and birth requires flexibility, strength and endurance.

Of course, that sounds logical.

And I really do have good intentions.

But I also have three huge obstacles:

1. lack of time

2. pregnancy-induced exhaustion

3. pregnancy brain

The lack of time just proves that my priorities are wrong. A good mother would be focused on the arrival of her new baby.

Strike one for me.

The pregnancy-induced exhaustion is entirely my fault. First of all, I would have more energy if I would simply make time to exercise. Is this a Catch-22? I could also make more time to sleep if I would simply turn off the TV at night rather than propping my eyelids open with toothpicks just to find out who the killer is on CSI.

Strike two for me.

The pregnancy brain makes me forget that I need to exercise. I know it’s hormonal and I need to take control. No problem. I have a love of charts and checklists. Chris fondly refers to me as an anal, uber-organized planner. I assure you that these traits do not offend him when his dinner arrives on the table or he has clean underwear in his dresser drawer.

One point for me.

So, now that Chris has fulfilled his obligation as my Bradley coach and I am drowning in guilt, I have committed to start exercising as I should.

Wish me luck!

The Epidural Obsession

Now that I am really huge, my belly solicits unwanted advice at every turn.

The hot topic recently has been the Epidural.

Every woman I meet will tell me that I will need one.

Don’t even think of passing up the opportunity to get pain medication.

Request it, scream for it, beg for it.

Women don’t get medals for natural childbirth.

You get the same baby in the end.

Why suffer if you don’t need to?

How strange our society is that religion and politics are taboo subjects, but intimate moments of your life, like childbirth, are regarded as subjects that should be discussed and debated in public forums.

The epidural debate is the hottest topic among the ladies in my office lately.

The 23 year old never-been-kissed-virgin assures me that the epidural is the only way to go. Her mom told her so. She also assures me that my husband must owe me big time because I’m letting him use my uterus free-of-charge. I suppose I could tell her that I wanted this baby as much, if not more, than he did, but what’s the harm in letting her feel sorry for me?

The old-enough-to-be-my-mother in the cubicle next door emphasizes that almost NOBODY goes natural anymore. Why feel pain if you don’t have to? Also, childbirth classes are a waste of time because the baby is coming whether you are prepared are not. Don’t worry, the doctors know what to do.

The sweet-as-pie fundraiser mom has had three children. She had two natural births and one epidural. She assumed that she had suffered enough with the first two births and at her age, she deserved a break. Sounds logical…except she went on to say that the epidural made her vomit for the duration of her labor. Sounds like fun to me.

So, the ladies in my office are trying so very hard to help me by influencing my decisions with their fierce debates. It must be incredibly frustrating to them that I am unwilling to share my birth plan with them. They are dying to know my intentions. And I’m not sharing.

P.S. we’re NOT getting the epidural.

Twenty Six Weeks

Practice breaths
This week, your baby's nostrils are starting to open up, which gives him the chance to practice breathing using his muscles and lungs. There's no air to take in, of course, so instead he "inhales" and "exhales" amniotic fluid. By the time he's born, he'll be a pro.

What a sucker!
Your baby is also flexing some of his feeding muscles— his lips and mouth. His sucking reflex is so strong that if his hand floats by his face, he'll suck on his thumb or fingers. Ultrasounds often show babies in utero sucking their thumbs. In fact, some babies are born with sucking blisters on their fingers, thumbs, lips, or hands. Sucking is just one of the 70-plus reflexes your baby will have when he's born.

Up for grabs
"Grasping something—like my umbilical cord—is my newest trick." Grasping is another of those many reflexes. If you hold out your finger to a newborn, you'll be amazed by the strength of his clutch. Your baby is practicing his killer grip right now. His favorite pull toy is his umbilical cord, which he likes to yank and tug. Don't worry; the cord is up to the challenge.

Measuring up
Your baby is about 13 inches long and weighs around 1.75 pounds.

Squirt's Nursery

Squirt's Crib

Squirt's Dresser

Squirt's Library

The Squirt Show

Erica’s favorite new hobby is feeling Squirt kick my belly.

She felt it for the first time last week. It must have been an amazing experience for her because her face lit up like a Christmas Tree.

Last night, Erica and I were lying on my bed studying her spelling words. She took a break to let Squirt kick her. Squirt obliged a couple of times and she was very excited.

I started to tell Erica that Chris had SEEN Squirt kick me just the day before. We were lying in bed and my belly bounced. I didn’t get to see it, but Daddy did.

Just as I was telling her the story, Squirt kicked me again and we both SAW it!

The show continued as Squirt kicked me several more times.

We all have a new hobby now.

Twenty Five Weeks

What Baby is Doing:

In the round
"My body fills out a little every day." Your baby measures 12 to 13 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds. Her skin is still thin, wrinkled, and pale, but she gets a bit plumper every day, thanks to the fat and muscle she's continually adding. Right now tiny blood vessels called capillaries are starting to develop below your little one's skin, and these will give it a pink hue. And she's still swallowing amniotic fluid. Too bad it doesn't come in different flavors!

Brain gain
The brain's cortex is developing into layers. Most of the action is still controlled by other brain areas that developed much earlier. The human cerebral cortex is the most elaborate brain structure in all the animal kingdom, giving us the ability to think, plan, and feel in complex ways.

What Mom is Doing:

Soccer mom
Does it seem as if your organs are starting to get squished? No wonder—your uterus is now about the size of a soccer ball. It measures from your pubic bone upward to a point that's halfway between your belly button and your sternum (the bone where your ribs come together), about 25 centimeters in diameter.

Diabetes check
It's time for your glucose screening test, a procedure that's performed between 24 and 28 weeks. This test looks for signs of gestational diabetes, a high-blood-sugar condition that usually goes away after birth. It affects 2 to 5 percent of pregnant women. If earlier tests detected sugar in your urine, or if you have a history of this problem, you may have been checked for gestational diabetes already.

The glucose screen is a simple test. First, you drink a sugary solution. A short time later, your provider or a lab technician draws your blood and tests its sugar level. If your blood sugar is too high, a more lengthy blood glucose test is performed to determine whether you have gestational diabetes. Treatment involves a special diet and, in a few cases, medication.

You go, girl
The need to urinate constantly may be one of pregnancy's most annoying challenges. As soon as you come back from the bathroom and get settled, you have to go again! As inconvenient as it may be sometimes, be sure that you empty your bladder as soon as you feel the need. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common during pregnancy, and they may be caused or aggravated by not urinating promptly or completely.

Dawn's Notes:

Ditto. My belly is huge because I am hosting Squirt's own personal disco party in there.

I tinkle all the time. I wonder if my boss realizes how much she pays me every day to pee?

We get to take our glucose test sometime in the next two weeks. Yummy.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary

Chris and I went to Niagara Falls last weekend to celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary on November 13.

Some highlights that are appropriate for this blog:

(there are some things that no one else needs to know about)

*The drive that usually takes 3 hours took 4 hours on the way there and 4 ½ hours on the way home. Not to say that Squirt is to blame, but I’ve never needed to make so many rest stops on a roadtrip before…I’ll let you draw your own conclusion about why it took so long.

*Squirt is our lucky charm. We went to the casino and won enough money on nickel slots that our vacation was completely free. I have NEVER won money at the casino before. We still need to check the lottery tickets that we bought with Squirt while we were in Canada…

*We stayed in a beautiful hotel room in a great location and enjoyed a spectacular view, but it was surprisingly cheap. We were very scared when we saw the hotel lobby, parking garage, and elevator, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that our room had been remodeled only two years ago and everything was spotlessly clean. The hotel was right next to the Skylon Tower and across the street from the new casino, and the parking was free! We’ll be returning to that hotel with the kids sometime, so Squirt will actually be able to see it someday!

*Squirt does not like Chinese food or Indian food. Great learning experience for me.

*We visited the Niagara Parks greenhouse again, just like we did for our honeymoon, and we spent at least two hours there taking pictures.

*There was a holiday light display in the Niagara Parks.

*I was incredibly happy just to be alone with Chris and the weekend was over too quickly.

Twenty Four Weeks

Energizer baby
Jumping and diving, rolling and kicking—your little one is having a great time training for the Baby Olympics. Just as you settle in for a good night's sleep, he starts his workout. Does it seem as if he's moving more than ever? He is: Babies are most active between 24 and 28 weeks. After that, there won't be enough room for him to perform the acrobatics he's so adept at now.

Thin skinned
If your baby could look down at his chest, he'd get his first anatomy lesson. Because his skin is still thin and transparent, it's possible to see the blood vessels, bones, and organs beneath it. His skin will continue to thicken as the months pass, until it's opaque like yours.

Eye spy
Even though your baby's eyes are still fused shut, all the parts of his eyes are present, including the retina, which completes its development over the next month. The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have any pigmentation. Your little one's eye color will fill in over the next few months, though their final shade won't be settled until after he's born.

Measuring up
Your little gymnast weighs up to 1.3 pounds this week and measures 10 to 11 inches.

Dawn’s Notes:
We went to the hospital this week because I had a dizzy spell that lasted several hours. (Later learned that it was caused by insufficient salt in my diet)

The nurse connected us to a fetal monitor, and Squirt didn’t like it at all! Chris and I had fun listening to him kick the monitor all night long. He must not have liked it, because he was very persistent and his kicking was not random. Just one more good reason not to wear the monitor during labor!

Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared

I’m so excited about our Bradley Method classes, that I’m finally finding time to write in my blog again!

Chris and I attended our first Bradley class last night. We originally signed-up for a 12-week series of classes that was scheduled to start on November 1. We weren’t so thrilled that the only class available before our due date is 30 miles away from home, but we were thrilled to find a class that started AND ended before our due date. Imagine my devastation when we received a call from our instructor last week telling us that the class series was cancelled! Evidently, 4 of the 5 couples decided not to take the class at the last minute. AGH!!! The agony! I was so discouraged and wondered if we could ever achieve an un-medicated birth without this training and preparation. I was feeling very blue.

Our instructor realized that she was our only option, so she offered to let us join her other class that is currently in session. We’ve already missed 5 of the 12 classes, but we figured it was better than nothing. Our instructor also offered to meet with us alone to review what we missed in the previous classes. I was relieved to learn that we’ve mostly missed Nutrition, Exercise, and Relaxation. I’m really anxious to review the relaxation techniques (can you tell that I need it?), but I think the nutrition and exercise will be a piece of cake. I’m so relieved that we were able to find a class!

After attending our first class, it even seems that Chris might be convinced that we could do this. I know he only agreed to take the classes because he would do ANYTHING to make me happy, but now he seems to be more supportive of the idea and seems to better understand my motivations. It means the world to me to have his genuine support, so I am overjoyed. I feel like I could do ANYTHING as long as I had his encouragement.

We’ve also decided to hire a doula to help us both through labor. I think this will take some pressure off of Chris by giving someone else the responsibility to be an advocate for us at the hospital. I want him to be free to cope with and enjoy the emotional aspects of labor and delivery, and let someone else worry about arguing with the doctors and nurses.

I feel so much more confident about our ability to labor and birth that I’m actually excited and can’t wait to meet our baby!

Name Game

Since we won’t learn the baby’s gender until birth, we have been calling the kid “Baby” all these months. I found it hard to connect with the baby without having a name for him/her, so we began the hunt for a suitable nickname.

I liked Pumpkin.

Chris thought that was a sissy name.

I liked Monkey.

Erica loves monkeys, so she wanted that nickname for herself.

Kayla liked Peanut, but that was her nickname as a baby, so we considered that name as already taken.

I suggested Sugar Dumpling just to aggravate Chris, but it was too long to say repeatedly.

Erica finally suggested the name that stuck:

SQUIRT

The baby has been named after the baby turtle in Finding Nemo.

Twenty Three Weeks

Story time
"My favorite sound is my mother's voice when she sings or talks to me." Now that bones in her ears have hardened, your baby can hear you and prefers your voice to any other sound. Give her a daily treat by reading, talking, or singing to her. If you feel silly reading to your belly, remember that the more your baby hears your voice, the more familiar it will be to her when she's born.

Super sac
The amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby is the perfect place for her to grow into a healthy newborn. The salty fluid keeps her warm, protects her from infections, and is buoyant enough for her to exercise her developing body. Right now the amniotic sac contains about a pint of fluid, which is refreshed every three to four hours.

Measuring up
Your baby looks like a tiny, thin newborn. She now weighs close to 1 pound and measures 9 to 10 inches, about the length of a Barbie doll.

Twenty Two Weeks

Mommy started a new job during Week 22, so this update is a little late.
This is what baby was doing while Mommy was busy working:

Brow know-how
As if concentrating on a tricky math problem, your clever baby can furrow his brow. And now he's actually getting eyebrows to do it with! These fine hairs, like the hair on his scalp, don't contain any pigment yet—they're pure white. His eyelids are completely developed too, though they're fused shut until about 28 weeks.

Womb workout
"Waving my arms and legs is fun!" Jumping jacks may be your baby's favorite activity these days. Now that his arms and legs have reached their final proportions (but not their final size), he's exercising them vigorously—kicking, flexing, and clasping his hands. Speaking of his hands, fingernails now completely cover his fingertips, just as yours do. And they keep growing. In fact, you may need to trim your baby's nails right after he's born so he doesn't scratch himself.

Prepare for padding
Even though your baby measures more than 9.5 inches now, he still doesn't weigh much—about 13 ounces. At this point, he has only 1 percent body fat. But from here on out, he'll be adding layers of fat, which will help him to produce and retain body heat. Your little one's fat is a lot like the kind you're putting on during pregnancy. It's called brown fat and is readily turned into energy to keep both of you on an even keel.

What Has Mom Been Doing?

Welcome respite
Despite the occasional aches and pains, this stage of pregnancy is fun! Your belly has grown enough for you to really "feel" pregnant, and the rest of the world knows it too. But you're not so big yet that you have trouble getting out of a chair or tying your shoes. Your morning sickness has probably ended, and your appetite's back, perhaps with a vengeance. Enjoy this time.

Dawn’s Notes:
We’ve only gained 13 pounds so far.
Hurray!

Twenty One Weeks

Heart throb
"What's that noise—the one that sounds like galloping horses?" Your baby's heartbeat gets stronger and louder every day. Up until a few weeks ago, your doctor needed a special device called a Doppler to hear it. Now all that's needed is a stethoscope.

If you want to hear your baby's heartbeat at home, buy a simple stethoscope at the drugstore. (Dad, siblings, and grandparents may enjoy the chance to listen, too.) Your little one's beat can be difficult to distinguish from your own. Listen for the faster rhythm—a baby's heartbeat is 120 to 160 beats per minute, about twice as fast as your own. Many women think it sounds like galloping horses.

Snooze news
Your baby is already starting to sleep and wake in subtle cycles. Ultrasounds show that unborn babies may even settle into a favorite sleeping position. Yours might tuck her chin into her chest, clasp her hands under her chin, or tilt her head back.

Measuring up
Your baby weighs between 10 and 13 ounces and is around 9 inches long, the length and weight of a banana.

Dawn's Notes:
Chris can feel the baby kick now, and I can't wait to let everyone try the stethoscope!

Kick Me!

Chris felt the baby move last night!!

We were sitting on the couch watching our favorite TV show, Lost, and I felt the baby kicking HARD. I told Chris that I was curious to know if anyone else could feel how much stronger the kicks were becoming or if it was just me? He put his hand on my belly for a couple of minutes, and then the babe starting tapping out Morse code on my belly button. Chris could feel it!

I don't know if it's fair to imply that I'm more excited about this new development than Chris is, but it is honestly exhilarating to be sharing this experience with someone (besides the baby). Sometimes I feel like a little island, isolated by the knowledge that no one around me quite understands what I'm feeling as well as I do.

I've been saddened by the realization that Chris will never know what it feels like to have our little baby that we made living inside him. It's almost like I'm being selfish in keeping that feeling all to myself. I wish he could feel what I feel, but I'm glad that he can at least share this experience with me in this way.

It's also an indescribable feeling to feel my husband's hand outside of my belly and my baby's hand on the inside of my belly. I feel like I am the connecting force between them, and it's a very spiritual experience.

Mommy's Baby Belly at 20 Weeks

Twenty Weeks

Making sense
Your baby is truly starting to experience the world around him, limited though it may be. His brain has been working overtime developing the nerve centers dedicated to his senses, and they're coming alive. He's more responsive to the changes in the world around him: your activity, sounds in the environment, and even the taste of the amniotic fluid.

Pick up a hiccup
You've probably felt your baby rolling, diving, and kicking inside your belly. Now you might also feel a rhythmic jerking. No, he's not tapping out a tune; he's hiccupping. Most babies get the hiccups in utero, possibly due to an immature diaphragm having spasms. There's nothing you can do to stop the hiccups, but there's no need to—they won't harm your baby now or after he's born.

Sprouting a top
After establishing a scalp hair pattern several weeks ago, your baby is moving to the next step: growing hair. And this isn't lanugo; it's the real deal. But don't get visions of a lustrous mane just yet. Most of this hair will start to fall out two weeks after birth. Don't worry—your little one will gradually grow permanent hair, which will probably be lighter in color than the hair he has at birth.

Elsewhere in your baby's head, the bones of the inner ear are now fully formed, and the nose is beginning to develop into its recognizable shape.

Measuring up
Your baby weighs about 7.5 to 9 ounces and measures approximately 8.5 inches. You could cup the little guy in the palm of your hand.

What’s Happening to Mom:

Hump week
Congratulations—you're halfway through your pregnancy! You've come a long way in four and a half months. Your uterus has grown to three times its original height. When your health care provider measures it, he or she probably will find that the top is now even with your belly button. From here on out, your uterus will grow approximately one centimeter each week until you deliver.

Dawn’s Notes:
I can’t believe we’re halfway there already! It doesn’t feel like I’ve been pregnant very long, and I can’t imagine our baby actually living with us. It’s all happening so fast!!

Ultrasound on Friday, Oct 6

We had our second ultrasound on Friday, October 6.

Kayla and Erica joined us and got to meet the baby for the first time!

Erica thought the equipment was very cool and she was very interested in the ultrasound technician's job.

Kayla thought it was too gross to watch the heartbeat on the ultrasound screen and she closed her eyes!

The baby was wide awake and the ultrasound technician struggled to get some good pictures because the babe was moving around so much! We saw the baby kicking, swinging it's arms, and sucking it's thumb!

Nineteen Weeks

Second skin
"What's this creamy stuff all over my body?"
Around this time, the skin starts to produce a creamy substance called vernix caseosa, which is made of oils secreted by the skin, dead cells, and lanugo, the fine hair that covers the body. This waxy coating protects your little one's skin from the effects of floating in amniotic fluid. Most of the vernix will disappear before birth, unless your baby arrives early. Preterm babies are often born still covered with a lot of vernix. Even full-term infants will have a bit of vernix in the creases of their skin.

Measuring up
Your little one measures about 7 inches and weighs anywhere from 6.5 to 8 ounces. There's a definite upswing on the fetal growth chart now, so expect some big gains in the coming weeks.

Extra eggs
You probably don't know the gender yet, but if you're carrying a girl, the reproductive system is already well established. The vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place, and the ovaries contain more than 6 million primitive egg cells. When your baby is born, that number will have shrunk to about 1 million, which is all the eggs she'll ever have. Isn't it fascinating to know that the egg that became your baby is as old as you are, that it was just waiting to be released while you were growing up?

You've got male
If you're having a boy, things are also moving along. The male reproductive system is nearly fully developed. Testicles have formed and have been secreting testosterone since about week 10 of your pregnancy. The external genitalia, which became male in the first trimester, are continuing to grow: A scrotal sac is usually evident by now.

Let's Mambo, Mama
Is this little one practicing some Latin dance moves? The fetus's activity now occurs in clusters, separate "dance numbers" alternating with twilight sleep periods.

Dawn’s Notes:
I’m feeling blessed that I’m not experiencing many of the pregnancy discomforts that are normal for this stage of pregnancy.

I do have occasional back pain when I try to get out of bed in the morning, especially if I was very active the day before.

I’m starting to notice new stretch marks as my belly continues to grow, but they are very light and white in color. No angry red stretch marks for me (YET).

I do feel like the baby is doing the Mambo in there! The baby is rolling around right this very moment. Instead of the popcorn popping feeling that I originally had, it is now a marbles rolling around in my stomach feeling. The baby is either becoming more active, or I am just feeling his movements more as he gets bigger.

The doctor says that the baby can hear now, so he can start getting to know our family and decide whether or not he wants to come out.

What's Up, Doc?

We had our monthly OB appointment yesterday.
I’ve been feeling the baby move for about two weeks, but I’m very anxious for Chris to share this sensation with me, too.

He can’t feel the baby moving yet, but he did hear the baby kick me yesterday when the doc was listening to the heartbeat! Feisty little jumping bean in there!

This pregnancy is progressing normally so far, which is always a huge relief to hear. I just love to go to these appointments to listen to the heartbeat and get out of work early!

We had a quad screen yesterday to test for Down’s Syndrome, Neural Tube Defects, and Trisomy 18. We almost decided to skip the test with the assumption that a positive result would mean we could terminate the pregnancy, which we would never do. After talking to the doctor, we learned that a positive result would affect the baby’s care immediately after birth. So, as much as I hate these tests that leave us in suspense for weeks awaiting the results, we both realized that it would be best for the baby that we are prepared for anything that could be wrong.

Luckily, I am in a pregnancy-induced euphoria where I can’t possibly imagine anything being wrong with our baby or anything going wrong during delivery. There must be a magic pregnancy hormone that I have that keeps me from worrying, because that is definitely not one of my normal personality traits.

We also talked to the doctor about considering birth without pain medication. I’m reluctant to get an epidural simply because I hate the feeling of being incapacitated and I think I would handle labor better if I could move around and help the process. I would rather be an active participant than a passive bystander.

Chris is surprisingly supportive of the idea, which is just one more thing that I love about him. Of course, the natural childbirth class is 12 weeks long, compared to the Lamaze childbirth class, which is only 6 weeks. Might as well give up our normal lives now…

Eighteen Weeks

One of a kind
This week, your little one is developing one of the characteristics that will make her unique: fingerprints. Pads of fat accumulating on the fingertips and toes will turn into distinguishing swirling lines.

Prepping the plumbing
"What happens when this stuff goes down into my stomach?" The large intestine has been tacked down to the back of the abdominal wall, and many digestive glands are forming. This developing digestive system has been going through its paces for several weeks already: The fetus is swallowing amniotic fluid, which then makes its way through the stomach and intestines. Now, that fluid combines with dead cells and secretions in the intestines to form meconium. Meconium is the black, tarry substance that will eventually make up your baby's first messy diaper.

Measuring up
The fetus weighs up to 7 ounces and is about 6.5 to 7 inches, top to bottom.

What’s Happening to Mom:

Help for the lightheaded
Do you feel dizzy sometimes? It's no wonder: Your heart is working 40 to 50 percent harder than it did before you were pregnant. This industry, combined with the pressure of your growing uterus on blood vessels, can occasionally leave you feeling faint, particularly when you get up quickly. Be sure to rest frequently. Lie down on your left side for a few minutes several times a day to increase your circulation. Low blood sugar can also lead to wooziness. Eating a piece of fruit is a great way to keep you on your feet and stave off the munchies.

Mini moves
Are those gas bubbles or tiny feet kicking against your belly? Most women first feel the fetus's movements between 16 and 20 weeks. Because your little one is still so small, what you feel probably won't be a forceful kick but a gentle fluttering, as if you've got a case of the butterflies.

Dawn’s Notes:
I feel the baby move everyday now! It’s seems like he/she is most active in the morning, between the hours of 7:00am and noon.

Knock, Knock. Is Anybody Home?

I think I felt the baby move today!

It’s the strangest feeling, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s actually the baby or just a little muscle twitch.

It feels like someone is tapping on my belly, but from the inside.

I’ve heard it described as a butterfly in your stomach or marbles rolling around. If I am actually feeling the baby moving, it feels like ticking or tapping from inside my stomach.

It’s a very weak sensation, and I probably wouldn’t even notice it at all if I was busy. I’ve had this feeling a couple of times in the last week or so, but I wasn’t sure if it was the baby or just more round ligament pain.

It’s such a unique sensation, now I understand why it is so difficult to put into words.

I’ll let you know if this is it!

Seventeen Weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

How your life's changing:
With more weight up high and out in front of your body, you may feel a bit off-balance as you walk around. Store away your high heels and wear low-heeled shoes to reduce your risk of taking a tumble. You're likely to feel protective of your tummy, and that's good. Trauma to your abdomen could be harmful to your baby and dangerous to you, so be sure to buckle up when you're driving. Keep the lap portion of the seat belt under your belly and very snug across your hips for maximum protection.

Dawn’s Notes:
I love maternity clothes!

Cravings

I’m proud to say that my cravings have not included any strange combinations of foods, but some of the foods I can’t live without lately are:

Nacho cheese, melted gooey cheese!

Ramen Noodles

Stuffing
(cornbread flavor is the best!)

Look at Me! 16 Weeks

Sixteen Weeks

How your baby's growing
At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.

How your life's changing
Have people been telling you how good you look? The "glow of pregnancy" is real, thanks to increased blood flow to the skin. You may be enjoying yourself more, too, now that your hormones have stabilized and nausea has eased up. You're also probably less anxious about something happening to your baby (the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically after the 14th week) which likely adds to your overall sense of well-being.

Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, most don't until about 18 weeks or more. If this is your first baby, don't be too anxious — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so. The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll start to feel unmistakably like kicks.

Dawn’s Notes

When did I get so FAT?????

Hot Mama

I look like crap.

My hair is now brown. I have sacrificed the identity that the entire world has known since my adolescence. I am plain Jane. No longer the red-head that could easily be picked out of a line-up.

I suppose it was my choice, but how much choice did I have? The effects of hair color on an unborn fetus are unknown, but scientific studies have proven that the chemicals are absorbed through the mother’s scalp. UGH! What kind of mother would I be if I exposed my baby to unnecessary chemicals every 2-3 weeks just for the sake of vanity?

I suppose I didn’t have to go brown. I could have gone for the red hair with dark brown roots a mile long look. But I do have some pride.

As if the hair is not bad enough, I am destined to spend the next several weeks living in elastic pants.

And the flat shoes I ordered have arrived.

So I am plain, fat, and short.

Every girl’s nightmare….

But ironically, my dream come true.

Fifteen Weeks

How your baby's growing:

At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but his taste buds are beginning to form. And if you have an ultrasound, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or girl! (Don't be disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down the gender depends somewhat on how clear the picture is and the position of your baby during the ultrasound; he may be curled or turned in such a way as to keep you in suspense.)

How your life's changing:

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now. If it's a little more or less, don't worry too much. Every woman gains weight at a different rate.

While you're well into the swing of being pregnant, you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up, for example, you can probably chalk it up to your pregnancy. That's because increased estrogen can cause swelling in the mucous membranes and possibly the production of more mucus. Your blood volume is increasing, too, which causes your blood vessels to expand, including those in your nose. (You may get occasional nosebleeds as a result.) And because pregnancy alters your immune system and makes you more susceptible to certain infections, it might just be that you have a cold or allergies. In any case, make sure you stay away from irritants, like cigarette smoke, aerosols, and alcohol. To soothe your nostrils, use a humidifier or vaporizer at night, and drink plenty of fluids. You can also try over-the-counter saline drops or a buffered saline nasal spray. (If you're truly miserable, ask your doctor or midwife if it's okay to take decongestant medication.)

Dawn’s Notes:

It doesn’t seem like much is going on lately, so it’s easy to forget at times that life has changed.

I’m still waiting to look pregnant, because right now I only feel fat. I can feel my abdomen getting firmer near my pelvic bone, which is very exciting!

Waiting

It’s been a long time since I’ve recorded my thoughts, so it’s about time for an update.

Obesity as a way of life
I’m feeling a little awkward as I’ve only gained five pounds so far, but it’s all in my waist. My jeans are too tight and my work pants finally fit just right. I have maternity clothes, but they’re still a little huge right now. I’ve finally reached the stage where only people that know me understand that I’m pregnant, and the rest of the world (which is a lot of people) assume that I’m just fat. The baby’s godmother, Laura, has nicknamed me “Chubby” and Chris is calling me “Fluffy Butt.”

I finally understand why women complain about the weight gain. Yes, it’s natural and healthy, but we are taught all our lives to watch our weight and admire thin women. Abandoning those societal values is more difficult than I thought it would be.

Dreaming
I spend a lot of time daydreaming about what our baby will be like. I imagine a little curly-haired boy running along after Chris at the annual Labor Day Air Show. Or, I imagine a fair-haired girl with long braids insisting that Daddy carry her everywhere they go. I imagine Chris and baby spending hours in the garage building the best playhouse ever. I imagine Kayla snuggling with the baby or Erica playing peek-a-boo.

Secrets
I have finally acknowledged that I must tell my mother that I’m pregnant. I’m really dreading the conversation, but as a new mother, I simply can’t imagine how painful it must be to be so detached from your child’s life. I don’t know if we can repair our relationship, but I at least need a clear conscience. I need to do this.

I’m looking forward to telling my co-workers this week. It’s amazing that I’ve been able to keep the secret this long! As I continue to get fatter and fatter, this pregnancy will be harder and harder to conceal. I might as well tell them since most of them will only be excited for me. Except for my nemesis, and nobody really cares how she feels anyway.

Obsessions
I’ve been researching children’s books online. I’m obsessed with having a brilliant baby and I’m convinced that a childhood filled with reading and deprived of television exposure will lead us to the nirvana I seek.

I want to buy something. Anything. I’ve updated our baby registry in an effort to curb the urge to spend. I’m trying…

Fourteen Weeks

How your baby's growing:

Head to bottom, your baby's 3 1/2 inches long — about the length of a lemon — and weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. Her body's growing faster than her head, which now sits upon a more well-defined neck. By the end of this week, her arms will have lengthened and will be in proportion to the rest of her body. (Her legs still have some growing to do, though.) She's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair all over her body (called lanugo). Her liver starts secreting bile this week, a sign that it's already functioning properly, and her spleen starts contributing to the production of red blood cells. She's also producing and discharging urine into the amniotic fluid, a normal process that she'll keep up until birth.

You still can't feel your baby's movements, but her hands and feet (which are now half an inch long) are more flexible and active. Thanks to brain impulses, her little facial muscles are getting a workout as she squints, frowns, and grimaces. She can grasp now, too, and she may be able to suck her thumb.

How your life's changing:

As early discomforts (nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness) begin to fade, you may start to regain some energy and feel more comfortable with how your body's changing. (Although the top of your uterus is only a bit above your pelvic bone, that growth may be enough to push your tummy out a bit.) Starting to show is an exciting pregnancy milestone and it will likely give you and your partner the visible evidence of a baby that you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but you can also breathe a little sigh of relief knowing that with the start of this trimester your risk of miscarriage has dropped significantly. Now try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.

Dawn's Notes:

I can't wait for my tummy to pop out!

Did I Really Say That??

I feel like I am out of control.

I cry.

I rage.

I cry.

I bite Chris’ head off for no apparent reason.

I am irritated.

I cry.

I just don’t like all these feelings that seem to be out of my control.

Yes, I can be sad or angry on a normal day. But pregnancy seems to amplify those emotions to the point that I can’t make myself not cry or I can’t keep myself from sounding irritated. When I get angry, it seems like it takes me forever to get over it.

I’m driving Chris crazy, but I don’t know how to stop it.

Thirteen Weeks

How your baby's growing:

Your belly may soon be big enough to announce to the world that you're expecting, but your baby is still tiny. In fact, he's only about 3 inches long crown to rump — roughly the size of a jumbo shrimp — and weighs just about an ounce. Despite the small proportions, there's a fully formed baby inside your womb now. Much more proportional than it was a few weeks ago, his head is now only about a third the size of his body. His tiny, unique fingerprints are already in place. His kidneys and urinary tract are functional, and he's starting to urinate out the amniotic fluid he's been swallowing. As you start your second trimester, most of your baby's critical development will be completed, and your odds of miscarriage will drop considerably.

How your life's changing:

Time to celebrate! This is the last week of your first trimester. Next week you'll be in your second trimester. That's great news for two reasons: One, your risk of miscarriage drops dramatically, and two, many women see early pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness, subside.

Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the nutrient-rich fluid that feeds your baby for the first few days after birth, before your milk starts to flow. Many couples also notice a distinct libido lift in the second trimester as nausea abates and energy returns.

Dawn’s Notes:

I think the second trimester is going to be great! I can eat again, and other than being tired too often, I almost feel normal.

I can’t wait to see my belly grow! I’m really looking forward to wearing maternity clothes and feeling the baby move for the first time.

All A Dream?

13 weeks!

This is heaven!

All the annoying symptoms of the first trimester have vanished.

Not quite without a trace, but there are times that I actually forget that I’m pregnant.

This almost seems a little unfair that now, when I am finally able to explain to folks why I am sick and they could potentially pity me, I am no longer sick.

Not that I’m complaining…

So far, my weight gain is still fluctuating from week to week, but I should start packing on the pounds any day now.

I’m actually looking forward to watching my belly grow, because I need some kind of constant reminder that I am not alone.

First Ultrasound

We had our first ultrasound on Friday, August 18.

I wasn’t prepared for the intensity of emotion upon seeing our baby for the very first time. I knew it would be a special day, and it certainly was.

The first pictures were breathtaking. We could see the profile of our baby, and he was waving his arm and sucking his thumb!

Chris grabbed my hand and tears starting spilling down my cheeks.

I’ve seen so many ultrasound pictures that have rarely resembled a human being, that I was amazed and awestruck by this experience.

After the initial ultrasound, a doctor came in to perform a more thorough ultrasound to confirm that the baby’s heart is developing properly. Our OB recommended us for an early ultrasound (12 weeks rather than the standard 16 weeks) because Chris’ brother was born with a congenital heart defect.

The doctor performed another ultrasound and the pictures were even more astounding. Since the doctor performed the ultrasound internally, we were able to see the baby in amazing detail.

We saw his spine, nasal cavity, and tooth buds. The most amazing moment was when we were actually able to SEE our baby’s heart beating.

It was also amusing to see the baby swing his fist and arch his back in response to the doctor’s prodding.

The baby is developing normally and I am left with a memory of our child that I will never forget.

On a humorous note, the doctor told us that he could determine the gender of the baby if we would like to know. I groaned in agony and explained that I would love to know, but Chris would like to be surprised. Since I could never keep a secret from him, we will both be surprised at the birth.

The doctor chuckled and told us that he wouldn't disclose the gender of the baby, but he would tell us that "the baby will strongly resemble one of the parents." He also told us that "this baby will most certainly be born naked, so we will know the gender immediately following the birth."

Chris eventually said that he would like to know the gender, but at that point I insisted that we wait because I didn't want him to forego his surprise just for my benefit. I also explained later that I had read a story of a woman that had six ultrasounds and she had been told the wrong gender five times! I'd rather be surprised...

I can’t wait to touch him!

Twelve Weeks

Baby Ticker

Week Twelve

How your baby's growing: Your baby's hit the 2-inch mark (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. Her face is beginning to look more human. Her eyes, which started out on the sides of her head, have moved closer together on her face, and her ears are near their final positions on the sides of her head. Your baby's intestines, which have grown so rapidly that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into her abdominal cavity about now. Her kidneys are secreting urine into her bladder. Her nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly, and synapses (neurological pathways in the brain) are forming. Your baby may have acquired more reflexes by now, including sucking, and she'll even squirm if you prod your abdomen, though you still won't be able to feel her movement for several weeks.

How your life's changing: Your uterus is rising above your pelvic bones, and your practitioner can now feel the top of it (the fundus) low in your abdomen. Though you probably won't need maternity clothes for several more weeks yet, you've no doubt noticed that your waist is thickening and that you're more comfortable in looser, less restrictive clothing.

Dawn’s Notes:

I’m a little worried that I’ve lost the few pounds that I’ve gained recently. Although I’ve read that it is normal to gain 2-6 pounds during the first trimester, I’ve also read that it is not uncommon for some women to experience no weight gain.

Since the morning sickness is starting to subside and I am now hungry all day long, I don’t think an inability to gain weight will be an issue for much longer.