23 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 23 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I'll figure it out at our appt on Thursday. Eek. :)
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not too shabby this week.
Best moment this week: Today was the 1st day that I was able to feel Xander will standing up, which was kind of cool. Until now, I only felt him when I was sitting or standing down.
Movement: Yep. And still love it except when he kicks my bladder. Not fun.
Food cravings: Fruit
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 14+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it. It's odd looking though.
What I miss: Small boobs.
What I am looking forward to: Still the doc appt on Thursday. We also have our 1st pediatrician interview on Wed afternoon.
Weekly Wisdom: Respect.
Milestone: Obviously feeling my baby daily...now I just can't wait for Mike to be able to feel him!

23 Weeks...

"Your baby's got a while to go before his lungs will be ready for air and is practicing his "breathing" on the amniotic fluid—sucking it in and out of his lungs. Other highlights this week:

Fat production is in overdrive at this point (for the baby, not you! Well, OK, maybe for the baby and you). Your baby will basically double in weight over the next four weeks! You'll be happy to know the same won't apply to you.

Your Mini is starting to look more like a newborn as his skin becomes less see-through. His body is looking more proportional now, although his head is still kinda big compared to his cute little body.

Your baby is about 11½ inches long and weighs 1 pound, or about the length and weight of a Harry Potter book."

*3D Pregnancy

22 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 22 weeks, 3 days
Total weight gain/loss: 22lb as of last Saturday...yikes.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not too shabby this week.
Best moment this week: I think my weeks are now a bit off, but from last week...getting his nursery set up. Today...we finished registering and managed to get everything except our cloth diapers on the Babies R Us registry. The diapers are at www.jilliansdrawers.com and I can't wait to start buying them. :)
Movement: So much...I feel him several times per day now and I love it. Laying in bed right now I was about to fall asleep but he had other plans...so now we're internet surfing. :)
Food cravings: Fruit and tomatoes
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Hopefully not for another 15+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it. It's odd looking though.
What I miss: Small boobs.
What I am looking forward to: Our doc appt next Thursday and the fetal echo (details in another post) on July 10th...to calm my stress.
Weekly Wisdom: Try not to worry until you know there is something to worry about. And prayer is very powerful.
Milestone: Obviously feeling my baby daily...now I just can't wait for Mike to be able to feel him!

22 Weeks (and 3 days)...

"Your Mini's hands have grown bigger and stronger and the nerve endings in her fingers have developed her sense of touch. She's in there testing out her newfound abilities by touching her face and grabbing the umbilical cord. Other cool developments:

You're already raising a little Einstein. Your baby's brain is developing at a clip this week and will continue to do so until she's five years old (so load up on the Omega 3)!

Baby's hair is now a short, bright white crop (Billy Idol, eat your heart out!). No matter what color it will end up—red, blonde, black—all babies' hair lacks pigment at this point.

Your baby has started growing taste buds and may be able to detect strong flavors in the amniotic fluid. If you could see inside, you might catch her sticking out her tongue for a taste and then grimacing, a sign that perhaps you should chill on the chili powder.

Your baby now weighs almost a pound and measures almost 11 inches from her head to her heel, which is how the Stretch Armstrong in your uterus will be measured from here on out. Up 'til now your baby's legs were curled tight up against her torso, so she was measured from her head to her bottom (or crown to rump) and not head to toe. This week your mini is about as long as a package of Oreos and as heavy as a large bag of tortilla chips. Who's hungry?"

*3D Pregnancy

Xander's Nursery

Well, after a hectic, cluttered 2 weeks, the contractors are ALMOST done with the house and are done with Xander's room. The timing was a bit of a disaster because his furniture came early and was delivered on Thursday. Despite knowing for 1 week the deadline of Wed. night, the guys didn't finish the room until Friday. So while they were able to set up the crib in the middle of the room, we had to "store" his dresser and the glider in our room until yesterday. Mike and I spent yesterday moving things into the room and organizing the items we already have...I think I'm loving it. ;)

Some pics:
from the door

glider and ottoman and Mr. Elephant

Crocodile nightstand with lamp and some books

from the far side of the room next to the glider

Mr. Hippo on the crib

Bench and canvas bins from Lamds End that's missing the cushion...going to have a cover made for the cushion in the striped bedding fabric

glider again

closet system with new bi-fold doors...closet system from Container Store

view from the glider of the changing table/dresser and the hamper


Elephant hamper from Home Decorators Collection

Changing Table and closet

Next is to narrow down our ideas for the walls. We did already order one canvas picture and a rug...so stay tuned for more updates. :)

Army Ball

So I mentioned that last weekend we went to the Army Ball. It was a lot of fun, and a nice reunion for Mike and two of the guys he worked with in Afghanistan. The only unfortunate part of the whole event was that none of my formals fit me any more, and I had to go out and buy a new dress. Oh well! Mike looked pretty snazzy in his white uniform and all his medals. :)

Some pics:




20 Weeks, 5 days (let's call this my 21 week Belly Pic!) :)

21 Weeks

Wow. 21 weeks! As many of you know, today was our anatomy ultrasound. Normally, this is the "big" one where you find out the gender; however, since we already knew about our little boy I just asked the woman to tell me if it turned out to be a girl. ;) Thankfully, after sometime, Xander revealed himself and proved himself to be all boy. Good. Things looks good (accding to the tech) but we need the doc's sign off on Saturday at our next appt. So I'll keep you all informed. But it was awesome to take such a close look at his brain and heart, etc.

A pic for you:

So, who does he look like?

This week:

"Chances are good you're feeling someone performing a round-off back handspring in your uterus by now. Is there any other feeling this cool? Other highlights this week:

By now your baby looks like a mini-version of what she'll look like when she's born. All her facial features are formed and hair is growing on her head. She's even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck her thumb or yawn. Aww ...

Baby's heartbeat is getting stronger and can be heard using a good old-fashioned stethoscope. [XANDER'S WAS 148BPM THIS MORNING] Ask for a listen at your next prenatal visit! By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. This may not sound that exciting, but it's good news.

The amniotic fluid that has been cushioning your little bean now serves another purpose: Your baby uses it to "practice" chowing down. [WE SAW SOME IN HIS BELLY AND BLADDER -- ALL FUNCTIONING] Yes, it sounds gross (as many aspects of pregnancy do), but it's an important step for your baby toward being able to chow down in the real world. Your baby has been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that she's absorbing small amounts of sugars from it. And let's face it, being able to effectively digest sugar is important at every stage of life.

Your baby now weighs between 10 and 11 ounces [XANDER IS WEIGHING IN AT 15OZ] and is approximately 7 inches long—the size of a delicious, cold, frothy bottle of root beer. Float anyone?"

*3D Pregnancy

20 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 20 weeks, 5 days
Total weight gain/loss: Who knows...I'll measure on Tuesday.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. I am so excited to have bought a pair of maternity jeans that I can wear with flats. And I am now a proud owner of a maternity formal that I wore to the Army Ball on Saturday night. I was hoping to wear an old formal of mine with an empire waist, but alas...size D boobs do not fit into a size 2 dress. Good to know. ;)
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Not too shabby this week.
Best moment this week: Feeling Xander kick at the Army Ball. Also, I had to make a trip to the doc on Thursday morning because I'd been feeling a lot of pressure and light cramping from Tues - Thurs of this past week. The midwives decided it was a good idea to have me come in to rule out a bladder or vaginal infection and to check my cervix. Well, perhaps TMI, but everyone should be happy to know that my midwife compared my cervix to an elephant trunk -- long and narrow -- apparently that's a good thing. Um, and Oscar started obedience classes on Saturday which I feel is a huge milestone and qualifies as a "best moment" too. ;)
Movement: Yay for our little patriotic babe.
Food cravings: Finally starting to crave healthy stuff again...fruit, anyone?
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Thankfully, my cramping and pressure do not appear to be signs of pre-term labor since my cervix looked good. So hopefully not for another 17+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Can still just see the back of it.
What I miss: This weekend I missed alcohol for the first (or maybe 2nd) time. I came very close to having a glass of wine at the Army Ball but I didn't want any strangers to judge me.
What I am looking forward to: We have our anatomy U/S on Tuesday. Hoping to see a healthy little boy with all his parts in the right place.
Weekly Wisdom: You can't be in control of all things all the time.
Milestone: Obviously feeling my baby.

1/2 Way Done! 20 Weeks...

I don't want anyone to think that my tardiness in completing this post at all reflects how I felt about hitting our 1/2 way point in this pregnancy. Because I was (and am) ECSTATIC! :) I can't believe we will meet Xander in just about 20 weeks. Amazing! It seems both so quick and so long from now. I still try to imagine what it is going to be like when Mike and I have a little one. I can only imagine it is going to be terribly exciting and fun and exhausting all at the same time. And so much love...I already love this little guy more than I thought possible and I imagine that it will only increase once I get to hold him in my arms and kiss him. I wonder what he's going to look like and who he's going to be...I have so much hope for him already. And I can't wait to see Mike as a dad. I think he is going to be an amazing father, and I feel completely blessed to be able to have this child with him and start our family.

This week was so busy both because of my new job and the stuff going on around the house in preparation for Xander. Our contractor started on Tuesday and the house has been in shambles ever since. He says he'll be done by Wed of this week coming up. I'm not convinced, but I suppose it's possible. He already has Xander's room painted and just needs to put the molding and window frames back up, put in the closet organizer and replace all of the doors with the 6-panel doors we'll be using throughout the entire house. I hope he finishes by Wed because Xander's furniture is in (early!) and they're supposed to deliver it on Thursday. I can't wait!

I'm going to talk about the Army Ball in a separate post, but I have to mention it here because I want everyone to know that I absolutely felt our little boy kicking (or marching) last night and it made me giggle (literally). I don't know if it was the big slice of chocolate cake and a resulting sugar high or if it was the loud medley of American-themed music being sung and played on the loud speakers, but Xander definitely made his presence known. Mike thinks he is just already a very patriotic little guy who was loving the music. Perhaps. ;) I just thought it was wonderful that I finally am 100% certain that it was Xander I could feel moving in my belly and not just gas. ha ha!

So what else is/was supposedly going on in my belly over the last week? Well...

"Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.

If your baby is a boy, the testes have begun descending from the pelvis into the scrotum. If it's a girl, her uterus is completely formed and the rest of her "parts" are in development. (Is that TMI?)

From this point forward, your baby will put most of her energy into gaining weight and, not coincidentally, so will you! Right now your baby weighs approximately 10½ ounces and is about 6½ inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking)."

*3D Pregnancy

19 Weeks 5 Days

So I failed to take a timely belly pic again, but I finally got Mike to take one this afternoon after church and brunch. Yes, I look very tired. We had a long weekend! Friday we had some friends over for chili. I worked Friday (week 1 down and quite successful), so Mike took charge and had everything cooked and set up prior to me even getting home. He did a great job! Saturday I walked 4 miles with Mel and Kate, did 4 hours worth of yard work and then went to a friend's birthday BBQ at 2:30. By the time we got home at 8pm I was EXHAUSTED. Today was a walk to St Elmos (local coffee house) with Mike and OScar, church and then brunch with some friends. After taking this pick, I promptly took a 2 hour nap. Aahh...relief.

Anyway, hopefully I'll be better about belly pics now that I seem to actually be getting a belly. :)

xoxo
V

19 Week Fun Facts

How far along? 19 weeks. 1 day
Total weight gain/loss: +14 as of this morning.
Maternity clothes? Exclusively. BTW - loving my new maternity work clothes that I bought for my job. So comfy!
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Still dealing with a bit of insomnia, but thankfully that's it. I'm waking up early but at least I'm sleeping (without getting up to use the restroom) through the night. And Oscar is a good sleeper. I don't even hear him during the night.
Best moment this week: NBR (not baby related) -- new job.
Movement: I'm back to not having any idea if I'm feeling something or not. Can't wait til it's definite movement.
Food cravings: Milkshakes. I discovered that the Artfully Chocolate near our house makes the most delicious milkshakes in the whole world. All kinds of flavors, and I'm currently addicted to the milk chocolate with hazelnut, whipped cream and colored sprinkles. Yum!
Gender: Absolutely a BOY!
Labor Signs: Um, nope. And hopefully not for another 18+ weeks!
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but I can see the back of it...does that make sense. I've always had a very deep belly button but now I can see the back of it in the mirror. Sort of odd.
What I miss: I'm back to missing being skinny. Walking around DC on Monday and seeing all the cute summer outfits/dresses was a reminder that I'm not a size 0 and I also don't look pregnant to strangers. I just look bigger, and I'm not 100% happy about it.
What I am looking forward to: Finally having the conversation about Xander with Mendi (my new managing partner)tomorrow. I know I should have already had the convo, but time has not been right until now.
Weekly Wisdom: Thinks will work out if you just pray about it and let things happen as they are supposed to.
Milestone: I'm still amazed that Xander can hear us now.

OMG! I skipped Week 18. Whoops...Week 19

This week your baby starts bulking up and packing on the grossly named "brown fat" he'll need to keep warm when he gets evicted from his comfortable uterine home. Other highlights this week:

Vernix, a milky white coating that protects your baby's skin, appears all over your baby's body to keep his skin from getting pickled in the amniotic fluid. Think of it as if your baby has been dipped in yogurt, like those delicious but fake-healthy yogurt-covered raisins and pretzels. Ooh, we feel another craving comin' on. ... Under the vernix, a fuzzy layer of hair called lanugo now covers baby's body. Don't worry, your Mini won't look like Cousin It when he's born. Most of the fuzz will fall off before baby makes his grand entrance.

Good news: Your baby's kidneys are fully functioning and producing urine this week. Bad news: That means there will be lots of diapers in your future. But so far you're safe—at the moment the pee just passes into the amniotic fluid.

He or she now weighs about 8½ ounces and measures 6 inches, as long as a turkey sub from Subway on warm, delicious Italian Herbs and Cheese bread (or Honey Oat bread, or Oregano bread or ...)

*3D Pregnancy

Well, since I skipped Week 18, I'll give the update here because some big things happened in the last week...
Your baby's ears are now facing forward and are completely formed so she can actually hear you talking now. You don't need to abandon your potty mouth just yet, but you might want to start thinking about it! Other highlights this week:

This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork you'll have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of your baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing.

Your baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. Her sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.

Your baby now weighs between 5 and 7 ounces and is about 5½ inches long—about the size of a pickle from the corner deli. (You're familiar with pickles, right? Your regular accompaniment to a big bowl of ice cream?)

*3D Pregnancy

Did you read it? Xander can hear us! Other books I've read have said at week 19, but either way (since I skipped a week), he can hear. I've caught myself talking to him a lot lately as I wander around the house. I'm going to buy a lullaby cd this week. I've read that if you play the cd while baby is in the womb that there is a visible calming effect on the baby once they're out of the womb when you play the same cd. I'm going to do my own little experiment. :)

Time is flying...

Where do the days go? The last couple of weeks seem to have just disappeared. It's both refreshing and very odd. We got Oscar 1.5 weeks ago, Mike was awarded the Bronze Star last Friday, we had another doc appt the same day and I started a new job on Monday. Busy, busy.

So this will be an update on all of those things...

Oscar is doing so much better. He's still addicted to Mike in a possibly unhealthy way, but he's getting better. He is now staying outside when home alone, and it seems to be working for him (Yes, yes...he has shelter, plenty of shade and water. We also have a doggie door that will be installed once he's a bit better so that he can have access to the den and the backyard). That being said, it could be working because there aren't any more screens for him to take out in an attempt to get back in. All window screens and the big sliding screen door were casualties of Oscar's first week at our home. Oh well! He had his first comprehensive exam at the vet yesterday, and he did very well with all the poking and prodding. He disliked the ear cleaning more than the temp taking or blood draw. Odd dog. But so cute.

Mike was awarded the Bronze Star last Friday at the Pentagon. It was a nice ceremony, and I am very proudof him. Our DC family and many of Mike's SPA and Navy/Army colleagues were able to attend. Pics below:







Xander is doing very well. Heartbeat was in the 150s when we went on Friday and the midwife said he seemed to be growing at the right pace (based on my uterus position). Um, okay. I was told to "make sure [I] eat"...ha ha. I assured her I have no problems eating right now. But apparently I only gained 1 pound in the last 4 weeks, so she was a bit worried. Let's just ignore the fact that I've gained more than average over the whole pregnancy. :p

My new job started on Monday. I don't have to go back until Thurs and Fri this week, so I've had the last 2 days off. Nice to have the break in the middle of the week. My first day was uneventful...just a bunch of training. I really like all of my colleagues though, so I'm excited about the job. Fingers crossed for a good conversation about Xander tomorrow.

xoxo
V