Week 21--Changes and Developments

Welcome to week 21! From this point on, most of what is happening involves the baby getting longer and heavier. The only things really going on are:

• The continued maturation of body parts, tissues, and organs
• The heart grows stronger and the legs reach their relative proportions
• Vernix caseosa -- a protective skin covering -- is still being produced by your baby's oil glands
• The brown fat that the baby started producing back in the 4th month of pregnancy is now beginning to build up in places like the chest, crotch, and neck; this will help maintain body temperature
• Buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form.

As you can see, it's pretty uneventful, but VERY necessary. Other than that, the baby is pretty much just a wrinkled, wiggly little thing right now. On the home front, we hung up the wallpaper border in the baby's room and I think it looks great! We're still picking up little odds and ends as we see them, but I'm not sure we'll ever be completely ready for our baby. Hopefully!!!

Quick Ultrasound Update

I just wanted to let you all know that I got a call from the Dr. this morning and everything on the ultrasound looks great, as expected. So woohoo! I was excited and thought I would share. We have a healthy little baby girl.

Special Thanks to a special set of grandparents.

Last weekend Seth's dad and his wife Barb came up to Lincoln to take us shopping for baby stuff! I was super excited to finally be making some strides in the baby gear. They ended up getting us a GREAT swing that can be used as a baby seat and a toddler rocker as well as a car seat that can be used for a LONG time. We had a really good time hanging out with them, but I don't know that they understood how grateful we truly are for them. So David and Barb, this is especially for you! Thank you so much for all the love and support you have shown us through the last couple months. You have gone above and beyond our expectations, and have skyrocketed past our highest hopes of what grandparents should be. We didn't expect anything from you except your love for our child, and yet you were determined to help us get items that are SUPER important when it comes to our baby. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the great gifts, but most of all, thank you for being amazing during this entire experience. You have made this pregnancy even greater than either Seth or I could have even imagined it. We really don't know how to show you how much we appreciate everything you have said and done, so this is simply a small way that we can show a fraction of our appreciation. I know you will both be amazing grandparents to our little one. She will be lucky to have you in her life. Thank you again!

Week 20--Developments and Changes

Half way done. That's right, you heard it here first!! Today marks the official mid-way mark of this baby's development, and possibly the count down toward the end! We just had the ultrasound yesterday, so we know the weight is about 14 ounces! The length is about equal to a soda can. Not to mention, that baby can MOVE! There are still a few things that are happening this week though:

• Hair on the head may start to grow (that is if our baby isn't going to be a cue-ball!)
  
• A protective, waxy skin covering is forming to protect the baby's skin from the amniotic fluid
• Delicate eyebrows are forming
• The baby's uterus is starting to form. That's right, uterus in my uterus. Weird huh?
  
• Her skin is also thickening and developing layers, including the dermis, epidermis, and subcutaneous layer
• Nail growth begins.

So that's where we are. Have a great week!

Ultrasound--What will baby be?!?!

This morning Seth and I went to the hospital for our 2nd ultrasound. Nothing says "I love my baby" like spending 45 minutes with a full bladder and someone pushing and prodding on your gut! Anyway, we got to see the baby's brain, heart, stomach, bladder, feet, hands, and even it's little "gender." From as far as we can tell there is no "doodle" so that makes the baby-to-come a GIRL! That's right folks. We will have a little girl in a few short months. We still have to hear back from the actual radiologist to make sure everything is "normal" but from as far as we can tell she looks perfect! We even got to see her nose and lips. She was definitely a naughty little girl this morning though (takes after her daddy already!!). Every time the ultrasound tech would try to get a picture lined up for something, the baby would move away or even put her hands up to hide whatever we were trying to look at. There was even one point where she rolled over, crossed her arms in front of her face, and balled up her knees so all we could see were knees and elbows. While it was pretty freaking adorable, it made it difficult on the tech to get all the pictures she needed to get. After 45 minutes of poking and prodding she finally managed to get her to uncross her legs long enough to sneak a peak in there (although a rather quick one) to show us the lack of doodle. So there you have it folks...there is a little tiny uterus in my uterus. There's a thought for ya! Have a great day.

Ultrasound Pics

Here is the baby. The head is on the left, with the spine up along the top running toward the baby's little butt.

Here is the baby's face. She's beautiful already. Also, notice, NO HORNS! Booyah to all those that predicted horns!!

Another face picture. I love my little baby.

Each time we tried to get close the baby would try to push away. These are the feet pushing back.

This is the "gender" of the picture. There is no "doodle" sticking out, so they tell us that means that our little one is a GIRL.

October Dr. Appointment

We went to the Dr. again this morning, and it went quickly and very uneventfully. I still haven't put on any weight, but at least it stayed the same this month instead of dropping (not that I can complain about losing weight!). My blood pressure was normal. We listened to the baby's heart beat again which was strong and healthy sounding. Like I said, it was very routine and pretty damn uneventful. Monday we have our ultrasound. That will be much more exciting hopefully. I'm super excited to see the baby is healthy in there.

Week 19 -- Developments and Changes

Welcome to another exciting week in "As your Baby Grows." What will happen this week?? Will the baby grow to enormous proportions, or develop herculean muscles?? You'll have to tune in to find out. Oh wait, this isn't a soap opera. What am I doing?? Anyway, here's the real news:

This week the baby is 6-7 inches long and weighs about 7-10 ounces. Baby is now able to make intentional movements, such as thumb sucking. The other developments occurring this week:

• The baby is developing millions of motor neurons, which are nerves that connect the muscles to the brain
• Parts of the leg have now grown in proportion to the rest of the body
• The skin is developing but is still transparent, appearing red because blood vessels are visible through it
• A creamy, white, protective coating called vernix begins to develop, which protects your baby's skin from its aquatic environment and helps prevent delicate skin from becoming chapped or scratched
• The placenta continues to grow and nourish the baby.

Tomorrow we also have another checkup so I'll update you on how that went tomorrow. So there you have it folks. Another exciting week of "As your baby grows!" Join is next week as we hit the halfway point of this exciting adventure!!

Week 18--Changes and Developments

Welcome to another week in the marvelous development cycle! This week the baby has grown significantly and measures between 5.5 to 6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces!
Chalk that up to one more step in becoming a real baby (instead of those tiny creepy doll ones). The baby can now also yawn, stretch, and make facial expressions, not to mention that he/she is starting to make poop already and storing it in the colon! Are we all excited yet?? Here are a few other changes to expect this week:

• the skeleton can be clearly outlined in the ultrasound of the fetus
• Ears stand out from the head
• Lanugo (soft, fine hair) covers the entire body
• Pads (the fatty, soft parts) are forming on the fingertips and toes
• The eyes are looking forward rather than out the sides of the head
• If the baby is a boy, his prostate gland is beginning to develop
• The baby's bones begin to harden
  
• The baby's taste buds are beginning to develop, allowing him/her to distinguish sweet from bitter

The part I am most excited about: baby is hearing fairly well during week 18, because the bones in the inner ear and the nerve endings from the brain will have developed. This means that the baby will hear sounds like my heartbeat and blood moving through the umbilical cord! I am so excited to not feel crazy while talking to myself anymore.

So there you have it. Those are the changes for week 18. Have a great week.

Week 17--Changes and Developments

Sorry this is a day late this week. I stayed home from work yesterday and completely spaced it off. I know, I suck. Anyway, this week should be pretty mellow, even though I start classes again tomorrow, but not too much is happening with the baby either:

• White fatty material, called myelin, begins to enclose the nerve fibers of the spinal cord.
• Lanugo (a soft, fine hair) covers the baby's shoulders, back, and temples (so it looks more like a monkey).
• Your baby's lungs are beginning to "breathe" the amniotic fluid (although the placenta will still supply the necessary oxygen until he/she is born).
• The circulatory and urinary systems are working.
• The reflexes are quickly developing. These reflexes will allow the baby to swallow, suck, and blink.

The only things I'm really excited about are the potential for feeling movements, and the baby's hearing should be developed enough in the next week or two to actually hear the world around him, so I won't just be crazy if I talk to my stomach anymore! Woohoo