So we went in on Tuesday July 24th expecting to have the glucose (gestational diabetes) test and a Rh neg shot (I'm O- and Adam is B+) but found out we were 2 weeks too early. Apparently the schedulers mis-read 6 week return and scheduled a 4 week return. (Oh well, it is only valuable sick leave that could have been used for maternity leave!) :) I honestly don't 100% understand, but the Rh Neg shot only lasts 12 weeks so if they give it too early, it has to be given again before the baby is born... I've been told if she is positive, I'll need another shot after her birth. I bet by then I just say - Okay, whatever!
But they did their normal thing - measured my tummy which was 26 cm, asked us questions, and listened to her heartbeat which was between 140 and 150 beats per minute. They would have given us a more accurate count except she wouldn't hold still long enough for the machine to count! Oh yeah, and she kicked the nurse which was pretty funny!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
26 Weeks
Baby:
She is now approximately 14 inches long and weighs just under 2 pounds. She has developed all 5 senses and is starting to have distinct sleeping and waking cycles. Her lungs are developed enough to breath in practice breaths of amniotic fluid and her eyelids are now open and she can blink.
Mom:
Well, we're still growing... She is really a mover and is starting to get into positions that dictate how I lay in bed. I can only imagine what the next 3 months have in store for me! :) I realized last night after Heather asked if I could see my feet when standing straight up, that I couldn't! Putting on my shoes is more difficult as is shaving my legs... (Sorry Adam!) Bending over is no longer "easy" so my monkey toes are coming in very handy! (No pun intended, but funny...)
I'm still very fortunate that I feel good. No swelling, no headaches, only minor backaches and random "growing" pains. But I am noticing over the past two weeks that I am getting more tired again. I'm not sure if it is the frequent night-time bathroom trips or just my body saying "slow down".
I have to tell one short story about last week... I was having an emotional day. No reason! We were going through mail (not a minor task when it has been delayed for several weeks/months) and was getting frustrated. I was getting cranky and didn't want to go for my walk b/c there was too much to do. I needed the small garbage can b/c the large one wouldn't fit - duh! The different piles had to go specifically where I said - no, recycling goes over here. (Seriously!) Adam took this entire evening in stride, never once got angry at me, and even got me out for a walk before dark w/out making me feel fat. (You know, "why do I need to walk, am I getting fat?") Anyway, I wanted to publicly give him credit for calming me down, talking it out, and getting me to laugh at myself w/out taking it all personally. This newly acquired skill will come in handy when your little girl reaches teenage years, hon!
Dad:
Is it a boy or a girl? Sarah and I keep on having a feeling the baby is going to be a boy. In fact, we have both dreamt that we are going to have a boy. I’m about 95% sure we are going to have a girl, mostly due to the ultrasound at that stage being about 95% accurate. We will be overjoyed with either type of rug-rat, so I guess it really doesn’t matter.
We have narrowed down our girl names to about 2 or 3 and now have to do the same with boy names. It’s tough (and fun) to try and think of ways a name might get our kid picked-on. For instance, we don’t want to have our child’s name start with a “B” because the initials would be BO. One of the guys in my lab suggested the name Patrick Oliver…you know where that one’s going. I now leave it up to you, the viewing audience, to come up with other fun names that could lead to trouble and post them in the comments section.
She is now approximately 14 inches long and weighs just under 2 pounds. She has developed all 5 senses and is starting to have distinct sleeping and waking cycles. Her lungs are developed enough to breath in practice breaths of amniotic fluid and her eyelids are now open and she can blink.
Mom:
Well, we're still growing... She is really a mover and is starting to get into positions that dictate how I lay in bed. I can only imagine what the next 3 months have in store for me! :) I realized last night after Heather asked if I could see my feet when standing straight up, that I couldn't! Putting on my shoes is more difficult as is shaving my legs... (Sorry Adam!) Bending over is no longer "easy" so my monkey toes are coming in very handy! (No pun intended, but funny...)
I'm still very fortunate that I feel good. No swelling, no headaches, only minor backaches and random "growing" pains. But I am noticing over the past two weeks that I am getting more tired again. I'm not sure if it is the frequent night-time bathroom trips or just my body saying "slow down".
I have to tell one short story about last week... I was having an emotional day. No reason! We were going through mail (not a minor task when it has been delayed for several weeks/months) and was getting frustrated. I was getting cranky and didn't want to go for my walk b/c there was too much to do. I needed the small garbage can b/c the large one wouldn't fit - duh! The different piles had to go specifically where I said - no, recycling goes over here. (Seriously!) Adam took this entire evening in stride, never once got angry at me, and even got me out for a walk before dark w/out making me feel fat. (You know, "why do I need to walk, am I getting fat?") Anyway, I wanted to publicly give him credit for calming me down, talking it out, and getting me to laugh at myself w/out taking it all personally. This newly acquired skill will come in handy when your little girl reaches teenage years, hon!
Dad:
Is it a boy or a girl? Sarah and I keep on having a feeling the baby is going to be a boy. In fact, we have both dreamt that we are going to have a boy. I’m about 95% sure we are going to have a girl, mostly due to the ultrasound at that stage being about 95% accurate. We will be overjoyed with either type of rug-rat, so I guess it really doesn’t matter.
We have narrowed down our girl names to about 2 or 3 and now have to do the same with boy names. It’s tough (and fun) to try and think of ways a name might get our kid picked-on. For instance, we don’t want to have our child’s name start with a “B” because the initials would be BO. One of the guys in my lab suggested the name Patrick Oliver…you know where that one’s going. I now leave it up to you, the viewing audience, to come up with other fun names that could lead to trouble and post them in the comments section.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
25 Weeks
Baby:
Our baby girl is now just over a foot long and weights roughly 1.5 pounds. As one book put it, she appears to be wearing a wrinkled raincoat that will shortly be filled out! Each week, she gains strength and prepares for entering this crazy "bright" world. Her eyelids have been fused shut, but will be opening any day now allowing her to open and shut her eyes. She now has established a hair color which may or may not change after birth. We'll give you all three guesses on what color it will be...
Mom:
I am still feeling good and enjoying the pregnancy very much. She is moving much more regularly and causing my tummy to protrude more with every passing day. I'm continuing to remove items from the wardrobe that I've grown out of and slowing fitting into the ones I bought on clearance that were too big a month or two ago! I'm still fighting the sugar craving rather unsuccessfully and that dang scatter-brained symptom is being very persistent.
We still have a lot of stuff to do before we're "ready" for our new addition, but I feel much better knowing we're on a waiting list for a great daycare here in town. (Walking distance from my work and a short bus ride from Adam's lab.) They don't expect we'll be able to get in until February, which is later than we were hoping for, but I expect we can find something short-term when the time comes.
This past weekend, I ventured back home and had my 10 year class reunion. It was a nice trip and I enjoyed visiting with both my parents and old classmates/friends. My only complaint was the heat on Saturday. We were outside at a Memorial Softball Tournement from 9 AM - 3 PM on a day when the high was in the low 90's. Needless to say I was very thankful for any shade I could get. And after going through about a gallon of water, I was thankful for any restroom I could find... Sometimes your standards just have to drop!
Dad:
To decorate or not to decorate, that is the question. Sarah and I were at her parents' place this weekend and picked up the cradle Grandpa A. made for the baby. We found a nice place for it in one of our spare bedrooms (after moving a ton of junk).
Now we need to figure out what else we are going to do to the room and how much effort we want to put in. It stinks not knowing what you will be doing or where you will be living in 3-4 months. Sarah is being a real trooper and has given in to the fact that we really don't know what lies ahead. We know I will be done with school, but where will we be? Will I find a job right away, will I do a short postdoc and wait for a great job to open up, will we be moving with a very pregnant Sarah or with a screaming child, etc? For being a planner, I know this has been very tough for her. She really wants to start building a "nest" for the baby. Soon we will have our first house and she can "nest" like crazy.
To decorate or not to decorate, that is the question. Sarah and I were at her parents' place this weekend and picked up the cradle Grandpa A. made for the baby. We found a nice place for it in one of our spare bedrooms (after moving a ton of junk).
Now we need to figure out what else we are going to do to the room and how much effort we want to put in. It stinks not knowing what you will be doing or where you will be living in 3-4 months. Sarah is being a real trooper and has given in to the fact that we really don't know what lies ahead. We know I will be done with school, but where will we be? Will I find a job right away, will I do a short postdoc and wait for a great job to open up, will we be moving with a very pregnant Sarah or with a screaming child, etc? For being a planner, I know this has been very tough for her. She really wants to start building a "nest" for the baby. Soon we will have our first house and she can "nest" like crazy. Tuesday, July 10, 2007
24 Weeks
Baby:
She's now around a foot long, and weights roughly 1 pound, 3 ounces. She is currently enjoying swimming around in the amniotic fluid filled uterus which is now roughly the size of a soccer-ball. She is gaining a since of equilibrium and can now tell if she is upside down or otherwise. In the upcoming weeks, her main goal is to add blood vessels to her lungs. This will prepare her for getting oxygen to her blood down the road. Her lungs are also busy adding "branches" to the "tree". And you thought you had a busy schedule! ;-)
Mom:
Things seem to be progressing. Not a lot of changes to report. She is certainly moving a lot more during the day. I believe I felt her hick-up for the first time this afternoon at work. It didn't last long, but it was kind of fun! Very rhythmic and short just under my belly-button. Speaking of, it is still an "innie" but my thumb pretty much fits inside it so it has certainly stretched! I'm curious if it will pop out one of these days...
We were up North this past weekend for Adam's 10-year reunion and while there attended Jackie & Dave's baby shower. I have to tell you - we have a lot of stuff to do yet. There are so many choices and "things" to learn about! Heck, bottle types alone could drive a mother/father insane! Guess it is the "kick" we needed to start the Consumer Report account and get busy researching... Feel free to leave your 2 cents in the comment section!
Dad:
Speaking of the comment section, LEAVE ONE! Or at least sign the
Guestbook. We like to see who reads our blog.
As Sarah said, I had my 10 year reunion this past weekend. Lots of fun and lots of kids. At one point, one of my old classmates had me hang onto her little one while she chased her other 2 kids down. I held onto the kid for about 1.6 seconds before handing him off to Sarah. I don't know why, but I'm still afraid I'll break other people's kids. I don't think I'll be that way with our little girl. As the saying goes, "You break it, You buy it." Pretty sure our girl is bought and paid for (at least until the hospital bills get here).
She's now around a foot long, and weights roughly 1 pound, 3 ounces. She is currently enjoying swimming around in the amniotic fluid filled uterus which is now roughly the size of a soccer-ball. She is gaining a since of equilibrium and can now tell if she is upside down or otherwise. In the upcoming weeks, her main goal is to add blood vessels to her lungs. This will prepare her for getting oxygen to her blood down the road. Her lungs are also busy adding "branches" to the "tree". And you thought you had a busy schedule! ;-)
Mom:
Things seem to be progressing. Not a lot of changes to report. She is certainly moving a lot more during the day. I believe I felt her hick-up for the first time this afternoon at work. It didn't last long, but it was kind of fun! Very rhythmic and short just under my belly-button. Speaking of, it is still an "innie" but my thumb pretty much fits inside it so it has certainly stretched! I'm curious if it will pop out one of these days...
We were up North this past weekend for Adam's 10-year reunion and while there attended Jackie & Dave's baby shower. I have to tell you - we have a lot of stuff to do yet. There are so many choices and "things" to learn about! Heck, bottle types alone could drive a mother/father insane! Guess it is the "kick" we needed to start the Consumer Report account and get busy researching... Feel free to leave your 2 cents in the comment section!
Dad:
Speaking of the comment section, LEAVE ONE! Or at least sign the
Guestbook. We like to see who reads our blog.
As Sarah said, I had my 10 year reunion this past weekend. Lots of fun and lots of kids. At one point, one of my old classmates had me hang onto her little one while she chased her other 2 kids down. I held onto the kid for about 1.6 seconds before handing him off to Sarah. I don't know why, but I'm still afraid I'll break other people's kids. I don't think I'll be that way with our little girl. As the saying goes, "You break it, You buy it." Pretty sure our girl is bought and paid for (at least until the hospital bills get here).
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
23 Weeks
Baby:
Believe it or not, she is due in less than 4 months! She is learning her parents' voices and is still doing flips. Her body is roughly 12 inches long and she now weighs just over a pound. This officially puts us past the fruit analogy and allows us to say she is the size of a small doll! She is complete with fingernails and toenails and is slowly accumulating fat tissue between her skin and muscles as her organs grow and develop. On a random note, she may develop hiccups. Yep - just like you or I could get and in some cases mom may be able to feel these episodes.
Mom:
Well at least I know where 1 pound came from - now what about the other 14 pounds?!?! :) I am happily gaining weight but suppose I should limit the chocolate-intake to some degree. The biggest change in the last week or two is that I can feel our little girl move on a regular basis. Almost every day she surprises me at work or in the car or someplace random. Every night she rewards both Adam and I by putting on a show before bedtime. I'm afraid she is already confused about that - bedtime means sleep, not wake up! ;-)
It has been a very eventful past week for us. I feel as if I've been on an emotional roller-coaster, heightened by my friend/enemy Mr. Hormone. (Seriously, it has to be male or it would make more sense - right ladies?) But the week ended well with the good news that I passed my PE (Professional Engineering) Exam. This is a huge relief because I was struggling with the idea of having to take it again in the future with a crying baby to contend with.
We celebrated our 4th Anniversary and my passing the exam on Saturday night when we went out to eat and to a movie. Not sure how many "date" nights we'll have in a few months so figured we should really take advantage of it. We ate at Red Lobster and saw Knocked Up - how fitting, huh? Our baby is not allowed to watch it for many years to come, but we both enjoyed the movie and recommend it!
Dad:
It is great being able to feel the baby move. As Billy Madison would say....(click here to listen). Everything in my life is going pretty good. I've been working long hours trying to get done with school ASAP. I've also found time to play on a couple softball teams. Besides that, I try to stay around home and hang out with Sarah as much as possible, because in about 4 months things are going to get a lot more hectic.
Sarah is really starting to show now, to the point where people know she's pregnant and not just gaining weight. It's a good thing, but also a bad thing. It's good because now Sarah doesn't have to worry about what people are thinking, but it's bad because EVERYONE asks how she's feeling or wants to tell us about a pregnancy/baby story. It's alright when friends and family ask, but waitresses, store clerks, gas station attendants, you name it!?! I don't care that our 21 year old Red Lobster waitress already has the names picked out for her kids, yet doesn't have a boyfriend. I don't want to know that the Hardee's cashier had 4 boys and Sarah "must be having a boy because she is carrying it so low". I don't want to hear stories from the Slumberland saleslady about how "all the weight goes to your hips" and how she wishes she "would have gotten that LazyBoy glider/recliner" when she had her children. At least no strangers have rubbed her belly yet.
Believe it or not, she is due in less than 4 months! She is learning her parents' voices and is still doing flips. Her body is roughly 12 inches long and she now weighs just over a pound. This officially puts us past the fruit analogy and allows us to say she is the size of a small doll! She is complete with fingernails and toenails and is slowly accumulating fat tissue between her skin and muscles as her organs grow and develop. On a random note, she may develop hiccups. Yep - just like you or I could get and in some cases mom may be able to feel these episodes.
Mom:
Well at least I know where 1 pound came from - now what about the other 14 pounds?!?! :) I am happily gaining weight but suppose I should limit the chocolate-intake to some degree. The biggest change in the last week or two is that I can feel our little girl move on a regular basis. Almost every day she surprises me at work or in the car or someplace random. Every night she rewards both Adam and I by putting on a show before bedtime. I'm afraid she is already confused about that - bedtime means sleep, not wake up! ;-)
It has been a very eventful past week for us. I feel as if I've been on an emotional roller-coaster, heightened by my friend/enemy Mr. Hormone. (Seriously, it has to be male or it would make more sense - right ladies?) But the week ended well with the good news that I passed my PE (Professional Engineering) Exam. This is a huge relief because I was struggling with the idea of having to take it again in the future with a crying baby to contend with.
We celebrated our 4th Anniversary and my passing the exam on Saturday night when we went out to eat and to a movie. Not sure how many "date" nights we'll have in a few months so figured we should really take advantage of it. We ate at Red Lobster and saw Knocked Up - how fitting, huh? Our baby is not allowed to watch it for many years to come, but we both enjoyed the movie and recommend it!
Dad:
It is great being able to feel the baby move. As Billy Madison would say....(click here to listen). Everything in my life is going pretty good. I've been working long hours trying to get done with school ASAP. I've also found time to play on a couple softball teams. Besides that, I try to stay around home and hang out with Sarah as much as possible, because in about 4 months things are going to get a lot more hectic.
Sarah is really starting to show now, to the point where people know she's pregnant and not just gaining weight. It's a good thing, but also a bad thing. It's good because now Sarah doesn't have to worry about what people are thinking, but it's bad because EVERYONE asks how she's feeling or wants to tell us about a pregnancy/baby story. It's alright when friends and family ask, but waitresses, store clerks, gas station attendants, you name it!?! I don't care that our 21 year old Red Lobster waitress already has the names picked out for her kids, yet doesn't have a boyfriend. I don't want to know that the Hardee's cashier had 4 boys and Sarah "must be having a boy because she is carrying it so low". I don't want to hear stories from the Slumberland saleslady about how "all the weight goes to your hips" and how she wishes she "would have gotten that LazyBoy glider/recliner" when she had her children. At least no strangers have rubbed her belly yet.
3rd Doc Apt - 22 Weeks
We had our 3rd prenatal appointment at 4:00 on Tuesday June 26th. Or should I say 4:40 since that is when they decided to call our name... Anyway, it was worth the wait since we were able to hear her heartbeat again - about 144 beats per minute. Something that amazed me was the nurse felt my stomach and knew exactly where to look for the heartbeat! Maybe she just got lucky but she sure made it look like a skill... And I tell you what, our little girl is a mover. Every time they try to hear the heartbeat she moves and the nurse has to chase after her! That still amazes me...
They also measured my tummy. Apparently every visit from here on they measure from the pelvic bone to the top of the uterus and if all is well it should roughly measure the number of weeks plus or minus 2 centimeters. At 22 weeks, I measured 23 cm.
I also inquired about some cramping I had on Monday. They were strange episodes - 3 to be exact. I'd get bad cramps for a few minutes then they would subside and I'd just feel sore/crampy for a couple hours. They were not like anything I recognized from the past and fortunately I haven't felt anything like that since. I increased my liquid intake like the nurse suggested and have concluded I shouldn't limit my water intake on road trips to try and get one town/rest-stop further... If it frustrates Adam, he doesn't let on; instead he simply smiles or laughs at me. What a guy!
They also measured my tummy. Apparently every visit from here on they measure from the pelvic bone to the top of the uterus and if all is well it should roughly measure the number of weeks plus or minus 2 centimeters. At 22 weeks, I measured 23 cm.
I also inquired about some cramping I had on Monday. They were strange episodes - 3 to be exact. I'd get bad cramps for a few minutes then they would subside and I'd just feel sore/crampy for a couple hours. They were not like anything I recognized from the past and fortunately I haven't felt anything like that since. I increased my liquid intake like the nurse suggested and have concluded I shouldn't limit my water intake on road trips to try and get one town/rest-stop further... If it frustrates Adam, he doesn't let on; instead he simply smiles or laughs at me. What a guy!
22 Weeks
Again, life got busy and we didn't post this week. In summary, baby is continuing to grow as is mom. Dad is continuing to be supportive and seems to enjoy watching both of us grow. The day when our lives change drastically is slowly approaching... Or should I say quickly?!?!
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