13 Weeks and just starting to show...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
13 Weeks
We are now in our second trimester. A third of the way already! Here is a little on how we're all doing:
Baby:
The baby is now about 3.5 inches long from head to toe and weighs a whooping 1.0-1.5 oz. Her body is now starting to grow faster than her head - playing catch-up of sorts. She is developing her sense of taste and smell now, and has formed 20 teeth just under the gums. I'm sure I'll be glad later on that those don't surface right away! ;-)
Mom:
I seem to be doing fine. I took the PE (Professional Engineering) Exam on Friday April 20th. That is a HUGE relief to have out of the way. Studying was stressing me out and I'm sure the baby does not need that. I'll find out in July if I passed or not. The first trimester symptoms are actually going away. It makes me a little nervous but then I look down and realize something must be going right! Saturday night I even saw 11:30 PM on the clock! (Ryan & Jill's Wedding Reception)
I am now having problems with my closet and dresser drawers, though... Somehow my clothes shrunk! J/K. I am not large enough for maternity clothes, yet a lot of my regular clothes are just a little too snug. So, I went shopping and am very glad the latest fashion includes empire waists, long shirts, and this "hippy" thing that allows for expansion! Next on the shopping list - a bella band. Abby told me about it and I welcome your opinions! Sounds like a great idea...
Dad:
The first trimester is over...or close to it. This means Sarah isn't as moody or ill, which is good for both of us. Her dislike of beer breath is also starting to wain, which is nice. :-)
Things are actually getting back to normal around the homestead. Sarah is done with her PE and my dreaded semi-annual trip to Kansas for a conference is over. I guess the trip wasn't all bad. No one there really cares about my research, but they are great contacts for future jobs. I collected a few business cards and plan on getting in touch with them this week to see where I could fit in to their respective companies. It's really hard to find a company in the Midwest that has the kind on research I'm interested in. Something will fall into place, it always does. We need to find a place somewhere close to the soon-to-be grandparents so Sarah and I can have a cheap babysitter. OK, that's enough for this week.
Baby:
The baby is now about 3.5 inches long from head to toe and weighs a whooping 1.0-1.5 oz. Her body is now starting to grow faster than her head - playing catch-up of sorts. She is developing her sense of taste and smell now, and has formed 20 teeth just under the gums. I'm sure I'll be glad later on that those don't surface right away! ;-)
Mom:
I seem to be doing fine. I took the PE (Professional Engineering) Exam on Friday April 20th. That is a HUGE relief to have out of the way. Studying was stressing me out and I'm sure the baby does not need that. I'll find out in July if I passed or not. The first trimester symptoms are actually going away. It makes me a little nervous but then I look down and realize something must be going right! Saturday night I even saw 11:30 PM on the clock! (Ryan & Jill's Wedding Reception)
I am now having problems with my closet and dresser drawers, though... Somehow my clothes shrunk! J/K. I am not large enough for maternity clothes, yet a lot of my regular clothes are just a little too snug. So, I went shopping and am very glad the latest fashion includes empire waists, long shirts, and this "hippy" thing that allows for expansion! Next on the shopping list - a bella band. Abby told me about it and I welcome your opinions! Sounds like a great idea...
Dad:
The first trimester is over...or close to it. This means Sarah isn't as moody or ill, which is good for both of us. Her dislike of beer breath is also starting to wain, which is nice. :-)
Things are actually getting back to normal around the homestead. Sarah is done with her PE and my dreaded semi-annual trip to Kansas for a conference is over. I guess the trip wasn't all bad. No one there really cares about my research, but they are great contacts for future jobs. I collected a few business cards and plan on getting in touch with them this week to see where I could fit in to their respective companies. It's really hard to find a company in the Midwest that has the kind on research I'm interested in. Something will fall into place, it always does. We need to find a place somewhere close to the soon-to-be grandparents so Sarah and I can have a cheap babysitter. OK, that's enough for this week.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
12 Weeks!
Well we made it - that milestone marking 12th week! Here is a little info on how the baby and parents are doing!
Baby:
He is about 2 1/2 inches long (about the size of a large lime). His fingers and toes have separated and nails have even started to grow. All organs and most "structures" have now formed and will continue to grow and develop over the next several months. External genitalia are already beginning to show, but detecting the difference on an ultrasound is still weeks away.
Mom:
I seem to be doing well. I still have that first trimester nausea and tiredness. I am starting to develop a distinct "pooch" which makes me smile! So far my "fat" pants are fitting well and only a few knowing people can even tell I have a "pooch". I'm still suffering from distraction and forgetfulness, but haven't been busted looking in the fridge at work for the paper I sent to the printer in over a month! No crazy cravings - just cheese, pickles, and Hardee's Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches. The only real aversions I have are chicken and beer. Chicken just doesn't taste right and even the texture makes me gag. Obviously I haven't tried the beer, but the smell makes my tummy churn... Poor Adam!
Dad:
I like her little belly, but have to deal with the hormones. That's about it for now.
Baby:
He is about 2 1/2 inches long (about the size of a large lime). His fingers and toes have separated and nails have even started to grow. All organs and most "structures" have now formed and will continue to grow and develop over the next several months. External genitalia are already beginning to show, but detecting the difference on an ultrasound is still weeks away.
Mom:
I seem to be doing well. I still have that first trimester nausea and tiredness. I am starting to develop a distinct "pooch" which makes me smile! So far my "fat" pants are fitting well and only a few knowing people can even tell I have a "pooch". I'm still suffering from distraction and forgetfulness, but haven't been busted looking in the fridge at work for the paper I sent to the printer in over a month! No crazy cravings - just cheese, pickles, and Hardee's Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches. The only real aversions I have are chicken and beer. Chicken just doesn't taste right and even the texture makes me gag. Obviously I haven't tried the beer, but the smell makes my tummy churn... Poor Adam!
Dad:
I like her little belly, but have to deal with the hormones. That's about it for now.
References
Here is a current list of the websites and books we've used as references for both the blog and our changing life! If you're looking for books for pregnant couples/friends we have found these all very useful. Books 2 and 4 are even entertaining!
Websites:
Books:
Websites:
Books:
- What to Expect When You're Expecting - 3rd Edition (ISBN-10:0-7611-2132-3)
- The Pregnancy Countdown Book (ISBN 1-59474-087-9) - Thanks Aunt Dana!!!
- Your Pregnancy Week by Week - 5th Edition (ISBN:13 978-1-55561-346-4)
- My Boys Can Swim! (ISBN 0-7615-2167-4) - This one is for the dad-to-be!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Grandpa A's Gift to Baby
Grandma & Grandpa A are working together on some very special gifts for the little one. The first gift is a cradle. It is still a work in progress, but rumor has it they are so excited about becoming grandparents, they haven't even cursed yet during construction! (I'm not sure I believe it, but that is the rumor!!!) Here is a sneak preview of what is yet to come.
We're very excited to see the finished product! So far so good, Grandpa...1st Doc Apt - 11 weeks
We went to our first prenatal appointment on Tuesday April 10, 2007. We had no idea what to expect, but were hoping to hear a heartbeat since all these books say it is possible by 11 weeks. The doctor and nurse were both great and very optimistic which was helpful. They asked a million questions, explained different testing options available throughout the pregnancy, and did a complete exam.
I have to share this story... one of the unpleasant things the doctor had to do was a complete breast exam. To anyone who has been pregnant, you understand. They are SENSITIVE! And it didn't mater who was touching them, it hurt... Adam was great and held my hand as I clenched my teeth trying to be "brave". Then he couldn't take it any longer and had to say it. He tells the doctor, "You know, if I did that, she'd punch me!" :) At least it made me laugh a little between the grunts!
So, at the end of the exam, the doctor looked for a heartbeat with a "Doppler". It took her a long time to find it because my uterus apparently is slightly tilted and hasn't moved forward yet. But, after what seemed like forever (and was really only a couple minutes), the static turned to a drum-like beat and the nurse said "166 beats/minute". What a wonderful sound and feeling!
I have to share this story... one of the unpleasant things the doctor had to do was a complete breast exam. To anyone who has been pregnant, you understand. They are SENSITIVE! And it didn't mater who was touching them, it hurt... Adam was great and held my hand as I clenched my teeth trying to be "brave". Then he couldn't take it any longer and had to say it. He tells the doctor, "You know, if I did that, she'd punch me!" :) At least it made me laugh a little between the grunts!
So, at the end of the exam, the doctor looked for a heartbeat with a "Doppler". It took her a long time to find it because my uterus apparently is slightly tilted and hasn't moved forward yet. But, after what seemed like forever (and was really only a couple minutes), the static turned to a drum-like beat and the nurse said "166 beats/minute". What a wonderful sound and feeling!
1st Ultrasound - 7 weeks
Adam & I had our first ultrasound on March 12, 2007. Our baby was 7 weeks old at the time and we were able to see his/her heartbeat! Seeing this brought tears to our eyes... A wonderful sign that things were progressing in the right direction.
The picture is a far cry from seeing the live heart-beat, but I'll try to explain what you are looking at. What you see here is my uterus. (Yeah, kinda gross, but deal with it!) The baby is the small grey mass on the left. To the right (sort of resembling a cheerio) is the yolk sac. The yolk sac provides the baby with food and nutrients until the placenta is fully developed and takes over sometime at the end of the first trimester.
Getting Started
Welcome to our Blog. We're still debating about the extent to use this blog, so let us know what you think! We basically have three goals for documenting this amazing process:
- Keep our family and friends updated on how our little one is developing and impacting our daily lives before he/she even enters our world.
- Record of the process for future reference/record in case he/she ever cares...
- Venting source for Sarah in an effort to minimize the venting on Adam!
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