34 Week Update

Merry Christmas! It's hard to believe that I am now 34 weeks pregnant. And what's even harder to believe is that Peanut is expected to be here in about six weeks!

Peanut's nursery is just about ready. Doug and I are both off of work until January 5th, so we plan to finish the nursery during these next weeks. Other things we still have to do: install the carseats and get them inspected (research shows that 90% of carseats are installed incorrectly), sterilize all of the pacifiers and bottles, and pack the hospital bag.

We are thrilled to have found a doula who will be with us through childbirth. Danielle, who was also our childbirth instructor, will meet with us during the next couple weeks to discuss our expectations and wishes for birth. She will then be with us through labor and delivery and will assist with breastfeeding both at the hospital and once we come home. I am really excited to have this kind of support, as I hope it will help me achieve the birth experience I desire.

Here is a 34 week picture!

33 Week Update

We went to our childbirth class last weekend. We got a ton of great information and resources. The class confirmed for me that I really hope to have a natural, unmedicated birth. Doug and I agree that a woman's body is designed to give birth. When you start introducing medications and interventions, it interferes with the body's ability to do what it naturally does. We have decided to hire a doula for the birth, which I believe will help with natural means of pain management and will increase the likelihood of having the birth experience I want.

I went to my 33 week doctor's appointment yesterday. The baby is still head down and in birthing position. He/she was not too cooperative with having the doppler used to assess the heartrate. Every time the doctor would place the doppler on my belly, the baby would punch or kick it right off of my belly! By the time the doctor was able to get a reading, the heartrate was 147. Previously, the highest it has been is 134. Apparently the baby was very worked up!

I am still feeling good, although sleeping is getting more and more uncomfortable. I don't think I have any ab muscles left to speak of, so turning over is a chore.

Here is a link to a Monty Python video - this is how I don't want my labor to be!

32 Week Update

Peanut is growing quickly. He/she is about 16 inches long now and nearly four pounds. The doctor said we can expect Peanut to gain about a half pound a week throughout the rest of the pregnancy, which would result in an eight-pound baby. I was 7 pounds, 15 ounces, and Doug was 8 pounds, 1 ounce - so an eight-pound baby seems just about right based on our genes.

At my 31-week doctor's appointment, I found out that Peanut is head down and in position to come out. His/her feet are tucked up under my right rib. I'm lucky that Peanut doesn't kick too hard because bruised ribs would not feel good!

We go to our childbirth classes this weekend and hope to learn a lot of good information.

We went to get our Christmas tree last weekend. We went to a Christmas tree farm that we've been going to for several years now. We found a great tree. We can't wait until next Christmas when Peanut is here to celebrate with us!

Here is a 32 week belly pic!

28 Week Ultrasound Picture

It took us awhile to get this picture in digital format to post. We attempted to go to Target to scan it, but there was a woman in front of us in line who was taking the red-eye out of every eye in 50-some pictures. After waiting for 20 minutes, we gave up.

So, here it is - 28 week ultrasound picture!

29 Week Update

Last week, at 28 weeks, we went for another ultrasound to check on the baby's heart. The ultrasound tech has been unsuccessful in getting a picture of it the last two times, but this time was a success. Peanut's heart looks great! At 28 weeks, Peanut weighed two pounds, nine ounces, which is the 53rd percentile. Looks like Peanut is right on target - not too big, not too small. I also had to do my glucose test, which is a test for gestational diabetes. I was glad to find out that I passed, but my bloodwork did show that I am slightly anemic. I will have to take iron supplements for the remainder of the pregnancy.

It's amazing how fast my belly is growing now. And, unfortunately, I didn't get the good genes when it comes to stretch marks. (Thanks, Mom!) I put on the cocoa butter stretch mark prevention cream daily, but to no avail.

We have a couple of exciting weeks coming up. We will be traveling to Michigan for Thanksgiving, I have my 10-year high school reunion, we are getting professional maternity pictures done, and we're going to cut down our Christmas tree.

Here is an almost 29 week belly pic - it was taken at 28 weeks and 5 days.

27 Weeks - and Third Trimester

We've officially made it to the third trimester! It's exciting that Peanut will be here in about three months! However, Peanut is growing so fast, and it is getting to be uncomfortable. At the beginning of the third trimester, the baby starts to settle lower in the uterus towards the back to prepare to drop later in the trimester. This is very uncomfortable! I just keep reminding myself that it's all for a good reason.

Peanut is about two pounds now and a little over a foot long. It's amazing to think that he/she will gain another 4-6 pounds in the next three months.

Here is a picture from Election Day - Peanut's first trip to the polls at 26 weeks, 5 days.

99 Days to Go!

It's hard to believe that we have less than 100 days until Peanut's due date! We have received some wonderful gifts from family and friends. Uncle Zack and Dennis sent our jogging stroller and an umbrella stroller. I can't wait to use them! (I suggested trying them out on one of the cats, but Doug nixed that idea pretty quickly.) We also got a bouncer from Julie. Seeing
Peanut's room start to fill up with baby stuff is making this all seem so much more real.

We have started to read to Peanut each night before bed. We read the book "Daddy Hugs," which I got for Doug right after we found out that we were expecting. Research says that the baby will recognize a book after he or she is born if it was read a lot during pregnancy.

I am thrilled that Peanut has finally moved off of my bladder after being parked there for over a week. The pressure made just about everything uncomfortable. I guess having to go to the bathroom six times a night is good practice for getting up for nighttime feedings.

Here is a picture from 25 weeks and 5 days. My belly is definitely growing. I've noticed that I have to bend forward slightly to see my toes now!

24 Week Update

Last weekend, we cleaned out the room that was our office and began to get it ready for Peanut. Our nursery furniture was delivered on Saturday. Doug put the crib together on Monday night and the changing table together tonight. They look great! My mom is giving us the rocking chair she used for me and my sisters, which will be a wonderful addition to the nursery. We still need to get decorations for the room - things for the walls, a small area rug, curtains, etc.

We went for a follow-up ultrasound today since Peanut was not cooperative at the 20-week one. The tech was able to get the necessary measurements, but she was not able to get as good of a view of the heart as she wanted. She said as far as she could tell, everything looked great, but she wants me to come back in four weeks to see if she can get a better view of the heart. And the baby has gained some weight in four weeks - he/she now weighs one pound, eight ounces.

I also had my 24-week check-up today. I have gained a whopping seven pounds in four weeks! The doctor didn't seem concerned and said this was necessary "catch-up weight," as I had only gained several pounds before this month. Now that my foot is pretty well healed, I'm looking forward to exercising again and hopefully getting a better handle on the weight gain throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

Here is a belly pic at 24 weeks.

23 Week Update

I have really been slacking on updating the baby blog! The last few weeks have been busy. My broken foot is healing well, and I'm back in normal shoes (no boot, no crutches). Doug and I went to Atlanta last weekend for a conference I had for work. It was the baby's first time on a plane, and he/she was fairly active.

There are 119 days left until the due date, and I'm getting anxious to meet Peanut. I can't wait to hold him or her!

Mom and Dad Pemberton ordered our nursery furniture, and it's being delivered on Saturday. We have not cleaned out the nursery, which is currently our office. We hope to get that done soon so we can get the nursery set up and ready for Peanut's arrival.

Our good friend Sara is throwing us a baby shower in early November, and we're very excited! More details to follow.

Finally, we bought some clothes for Peanut - two fleece onesies, which will be great when our winter baby is born. It is kind of tricky to find gender-neutral baby clothes, but I'm sure Peanut won't need a lot of clothes to start.

Below you can check out the 23 week belly pic as well as the outfits we bought for Peanut.

20 Week Update

We were scheduled for our 20 week OB appointment and an offical ultrasound on Friday. The OB appointment ended up being canceled because the doctor had a patient go into labor. We were able to go to the ultrasound, but Peanut wasn't too cooperative. Peanut decided to roll up into a ball on the left side of my uterus and wasn't interested in changing position. The ultrasound tech tried to get him/her move by pushing on my belly, but Peanut was stubborn.

The tech wasn't able to get the measurements she needed, so we'll have to go back again in four weeks to try again. We did find out that as of Friday, Peanut weighed 12 ounces - right on target.

We are feeling a lot more kicks from Peanut. At first I could only feel them if I was lying down, but now I'm starting to feel them during the day as well. Fun!

Below are the 20 week ultrasound pictures and a belly pic from 20 weeks, 4 days.

Baby's Feet

Baby's Spine

Profile

Profile (Doesn't Peanut have a cute nose?)

20 weeks, 4 days

Mid-Week Update

I never got around to the 19-week update last week. Things have been very hectic. On Sunday, I fractured my left foot walking down our front steps. As I have been told, balance is off when you're pregnant. My balance was off when I was walking down the steps, and I tried to compensate by turning to keep from falling forward on my belly. In doing so, I broke my foot. The good news is that I didn't fall and my belly wasn't affected. The bad news is that a broken foot hurts like hell and the only thing I can take is Tylenol. I have an appointment with an orthopedist on Friday to find out how severe the damage is and how long I will need the walking cast and/or crutches.

One of my students told me that she has broken bones and has also had two babies. She said that breaking a bone is far more painful than giving birth. If she's right, I'll be in good shape!

We also have two baby-related appointments on Friday - the 20 week checkup with the OB and a 20 week "official" ultrasound. The ultrasound will be more in depth than the previous ones at our OB's office and will confirm that the baby is developing appropriately and on schedule. Look for pictures soon!

18 Week Update

Sorry we missed the 17 week update. The camera batteries died, and we finally replaced them to take a new belly pic.

Peanut is now about eight inches long (about as long as a dinner fork) and weighs about a half pound. He or she is about the size of a sweet potato.

We received the results of my blood tests, which test for things like Downs Syndrome and Spina Bifida. Everything came back normal, so we're happy to know that Peanut is healthy.

I've been able to feel more movement - still no kicks, just flutters. I'm hoping to feel more distinct movements soon, and Doug is really looking forward to being able to feel the baby from the outside.

We went to Babies r Us to create our registry last weekend. Whew - that is overwhelming! We are lucky to have friends with babies who have looked over our registry and tell us if we're missing anything important.

Here is an 18 week belly picture - I actually look pregnant now!

16 Week Update

Peanut is growing fast! He or she is about 6 inches long, about as large as an avocado, and weighs about as much as a C battery. We had an ultrasound on Friday. Peanut was moving all around. Peanut kept bringing his or her hands up to the face and kept crossing and uncrossing his or her legs. We even got a thumbs up from Peanut, but the doctor couldn't snap the picture fast enough. We learned some good news. At our 12-week ultrasound, the doctor noticed that my uterus was heart-shaped, which could increase the chances of needing a c-section. Well, in the last month, the baby has grown and pushed the center of the heart out of the way, so now my uterus is normal in shape. Yay! And I gained another pound, for a total gain of three pounds.

First is the 16 week belly picture. My belly is starting to get a little rounder.And here are the ultrasound pictures - you can see how Peanut's hands are up at the face.

15 Week Update

We hit a huge milestone this week! I am pretty sure I felt Peanut move for the first time. I have heard these early movements called flutters, but here's how I describe them. Think back to your childhood days. Whenever you saw a fountain, you asked your mom or dad for a penny to toss in the fountain. I feel like there is a little kid in my belly dropping pennies into the fountain, and when the penny hits the water, I feel the ripples it makes. I am not 100% sure that it's Peanut moving, but I do know it's a feeling I hadn't felt so far.

I've also been shopping for maternity pants for fall. Although I've only gained two or three pounds, none of my regular pants fit.

We checked out an in-home daycare provider this week. The woman has been doing daycare in her home for about 15 years. It is obvious that she knows what she is doing and puts a ton of time and energy into her work with the children. She only takes five children at a time, and she has tons of games, toys, crafts, puppets, etc. for them to do. We are meeting with a second provider this week, and then we will make our decision.

Here is a 15-week belly picture.

14 Week Update

We have been so busy with remodeling the kitchen that we completely skipped over the 13 week update. I am feeling much better now that I'm in the second trimester - no more nausea, and I can even make it through the day without a nap!

Some interesting facts about Peanut:
*Peanut is now about five inches in length.
*Peanut drinks about a pint of amniotic fluid a day. Then he/she urinates back into the amniotic fluid and then drinks it again. Hopefully Peanut will have a more refined palate when he/she is born!

Here are some 14-week belly shots!

12 Week Update

We had our 12-week doctor's appointment and got to see Peanut. Peanut was moving all around - lots of kicking. We also found out that I have a heart-shaped uterus. The doctor was not concerned but did warn us that it increases the possibility of Peanut not being able to turn and would thus be breech. If that happens, they will deliver Peanut via c-section. Let's keep our fingers crossed the Peanut keeps moving like he/she is now and does a little flip before it's time to come out.

This week, we also scheduled our "big" ultrasound. It will be done on a higher resolution ultrasound machine, so we should get a really good picture of Peanut. At that time, they will also be able to check for abnormalities. We'd also be able to find out Peanut's sex, but we've decided to be surprised at the birth. We have also signed up for childbirth class, which is held over a weekend in December.

I have been working on getting information about daycare. Although Peanut won't be going into daycare until August 2009, I have been told that infant slots are hard to find. It has been somewhat frustrating so far - of the nine daycares in our area, only two might have potential openings. The rest are booked through 2010! Apparently you need to get on a waiting list before you even conceive your child! Hopefully something will pan out.

Here is the 12-week belly pic!

200 Days!

Just 200 days to go! While that still seems like a long time, I think the time will go faster once the fall semester starts and I'm back at work full-time. Plus, there are lots of milestones to look forward to:
*Our friends' wedding at the end of August
*Our first anniversary on September 2nd
*Doug's birthday on October 12th
*Halloween
*Thanksgiving
*Due for new cell phone at the end of November
*Christmas
*My birthday on January 8th...
And then it's less than a month until Peanut gets here!

11 Week Update

A couple of exciting things to report this week...
*All day sickness is now just afternoon/evening sickness - and still no vomiting. (Whew!)
*Peanut is now the size of a lime.
*The bloat is pretty much gone, and the belly is real baby belly! My tummy has gotten firm in the last couple days.

Here are some pictures of my growing belly.

10 Week Update

Peanut is 10 weeks old! Mommy is thrilled to be getting close to the second trimester - just three more weeks. Here is a belly pic. The belly is looking a little smaller this week - it's either the pants, the bloat has gone down a bit, or both.

9 Week Update

Peanut turned nine weeks on July 3rd. Peanut is growing fast and is now about 1 1/3 inches long (about the length of a small paper clip) and weighs about 1/3 ounce (about the weight of two sheets of paper). Check out the 9-week belly pic!
The nausea is definitely starting to subside. Instead of being nauseated all day, I'm usually only dealing with it in the afternoon/evening. The fatigue is also starting to let up a bit, but a daily nap is still a necessity. I'm hoping that I will continue to feel better as we get closer to the second trimester.

First Ultrasound

Today was our first doctor's appointment. The doctor did an ultrasound, and we got to see a very fuzzy peanut. The heartbeat, however, was very clear - it's just beating away! The doctor said the baby is looking great and gave us the estimated due date of February 5th. Here's a picture...

OK, We Couldn't Wait!

Here is the first belly shot at 7 weeks, 3 days pregnant.

Belly Pics Coming Soon

I am noticing for the first time that my body is physically changing (except for the huge rack, which I noticed weeks ago!). No real baby bump yet - just a lot of bloat. And today I realized that my waist is pretty much gone. We'll start weekly pictures at the beginning of week 8, which is this upcoming Thursday. Stay tuned!

Seven Weeks

Today, Peanut is seven weeks. Here's a recap of Peanut's growth over the past week.

*Spots beneath Peanut's skin mark where his/her eyes will form.
*While Peanut's head has been bent forwards, it is beginning to straighten out, as well as the rest of the body. Peanut's head is almost as large as the rest of his/her body.
*Peanut's neural tube closed over his/her spinal canal, and the nervous system has begun to develop.
*There are 12 rows of cells forming across Peanut's body that will eventually become his/her ribs.
*Peanut has doubled in length since last week and is now 1/2 inch. Peanut weighs 1 milligram - about the weight of a small eyelash.
Update on Mom...

I have been feeling good, although I have been more tired than usual. The dizzy spells have subsided. I'm lucky to not have had any vomiting yet, but I have had a little nausea in the past few days. Apparently Peanut does not care for Papa John's pizza because I was sick last night after eating it. The first doctor's appointment is in less than a week, and we are so excited!

Six Weeks

Today, Peanut is six weeks. Here's a recap of what Peanut did this past week:

*Peanut's heart, although currently outside of its body, has begun beating. It beats about 85 times per minute. This is the first organ to function.
*Peanut's digestive system is forming in the its yolk sac. Because peanut is so small, some organs will develop in the yolk sac and will move to the body when there is room.
*Some of Peanut's face is forming - chin, cheeks, upper jaw, and ears.
*Peanut's arms and legs are forming.
*Peanut's liver, gallbladder, stomach, and lungs are beginning to develop.
*Peanut is about 1/4 inch long - about the size of a pea, which is 10,000 times bigger than he/she was at conception.

A girl?

Doug and I grabbed a late lunch at Pei Wei yesterday. When Doug opened his fortune cookie, he read his fortune and then flipped it over to see what Chinese word was on the back. Check it out!

Amazing!

Here is a picture of what a five-week old fetus looks like. Unbelievable!

Peanut's Progress

Tomorrow will be the beginning of week 5! My mom got me a day-by-day calendar that lets me know what's going on with the baby every day.

Week four's highlights:

*Peanut's cells are arranging into three separate layers. The outer layer will become the brain, nerves, and skin. The middle layer will become the deeper layers of the skin as well as the bones, muscles, heart, reproductive organs, and blood vessels. The inner layer will become the intestines, lungs, and urinary tract.

*Peanut's thyroid gland is forming.

*The amniotic sac is about the size of a grape.

*Peanut has doubled in size in the last nine days! Peanut is about 2 millimeters long.

*Peanut's brain and backbone are forming, and he/she also has a little tail.

Our first OB appointment is June 25th - three weeks from today. Can't wait!

Bon Appetit (or not)

I have only known that I've been pregnant for about a week. And with that comes a hiatus from the eating/drinking of some of my favorite foods and drinks.

Giving up alcohol hasn't been too difficult. The worst part is when I'm around others who are trying wine and commenting on the flavors. And before the BFP, we stocked up on some new wines that I couldn't wait to try. Of course those are now off the menu.

Giving up caffeine has been kind of tricky. I miss my morning cup of joe. My doctor says that I can have 200mg or fewer of caffeine a day, but there is also a slightly higher risk of miscarriage (especially in the first trimester) among moms-to-be who consume caffeine during pregnancy. I thought I could drink diet, caffeine-free soda, but I found out I can't have artificial sweeteners. I'd rather not pack on more pounds than necessary by drinking sugary drinks, so it looks like it'll be just water for me. I've been "spicing it up" with lemons and drinking with fun bendy straws.

You all probably know how much I love cheese and ice cream (not together). Most cheeses are safe to eat during pregnancy, but I have to be sure that they're pasteurized. Some of my favorites, like some goat cheeses and brie, are often made with raw milk and are off the menu for the next nine months. Soft-serve ice cream can carry listeria from being prepared in poorly sanitized machines.

The good news:
1) I do get 300 extra calories a day for the little peanut.
2) The Expectant Father, the book I bought for Doug, has a number of pregnancy-safe recipes that the authors suggest Doug prepare for me - banana chocolate pancakes, Mexican omelette, and tomato and basil salad.

BFP (Big Fat Positive)

The journey began when I stopped taking the pill in April. My doctor said that it might take several months for my body to adjust to not being on the pill and to ovulate, so we certainly weren't expecting to get pregnant our first month trying.

On Memorial Day, we were doing our weekly Target shopping trip. I knew that my period was due at the end of the week, so I decided to buy some pregnancy tests so I'd be ready in case my period didn't come. I told Doug to hide the tests from me because if I found them, I would want to test early. Doug did a BAD job hiding the tests - he hid them on the ironing board in the guest bedroom. By Monday night, I was itching to take a test. I was sure it would come up negative, especially since it was very early to be testing. According to the test packaging, testing that early would result in only about 20-30% accuracy. Doug told me that since I had three tests, I might as well take one.

So I peed on the stick and waited the obligatory two minutes. When I went back to check, I was shocked to see two lines, which indicates "pregnant." I showed Doug, and he said the second line was too faint to count. He suggested that maybe the test was trying to tell us it wasn't sure and to try again later. I reminded him that 1) this isn't a Magic 8 ball, and 2) a line is a line, no matter how light or dark it is.

We made a trip to the drug store to buy a digital test to take in the morning. As you can probably imagine, it was a mostly sleepless night for me. I couldn't wait to test in the morning and see if the digital test confirmed that we were pregnant. By 4:00 a.m. I couldn't wait anymore, and neither could my bladder. While Doug was still sleeping, I went into the bathroom and waited. My hands were shaking as I turned around to pick up the test. PREGNANT! I got back in bed and snuggled up to Doug to tell him we are going to be parents. YAY!