17 weeks!
27 May 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
Your baby’s skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she’s around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.
**Huh. Short update this week. Guess mostly the baby is just plumping up this week. **
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 161 days to go!
Weight Gain: +5 lbs (from pre-preg weight). Still hanging in there!
Symptoms: I’m tired. Sleepy tired. I am waking up tired and going to sleep exhausted. I hope this is temporary. Maybe my body is making up now for the easy first trimester.
Cravings/Aversions: I’m just hungry in general!
Sleep: Good. I can’t wait to get into bed at night.
I am loving: Food. And sleep.
I miss: Not much…
Movement: Still nothing. But I’m paying close attention. I hope it happens soon.
It’s a: I *still* think it’s a boy. About 1 week till we can find out, but I don’t think we will announce ahead of time what day we are going to go find out. Just so I can torment you all a little longer. 😉
Exercise: Too tired. I skipped going back to yoga this week because I was too afraid I would fall asleep during some of the more relaxing poses, but I did go to Pilates yesterday.
Diet: Not bad…before every meal, when I’m feeling hungry, my brain runs through this slideshow of every possible (and impossible) meal I could have. And it all sounds good.
Looking forward to: Portland next week! Finding out what this baby is! Getting a sprinkler system installed! It’s all so exciting!
Belly Shot:
At least one of the three was free.
24 May 2011 3 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: Domestic Bliss, Home Improvements, Me
So, it was my birthday last week. I have a tradition of refusing to work on my birthday, and this year it worked out great since my birthday landed on a Friday. Long weekend! I slept in a bit and met Kristi for a nice long lunch, and was delivered flowers from my very thoughtful husband.
Speaking of whom…he went out on a limb this year for my birthday present, and was hugely successful! (Though, when is he ever not, am I right?) Very early on in our relationship he gave me a jewelry box for Christmas and over the years, I have…outgrown it. A while back I had mentioned in passing that my jewelry collection was starting to unite and form its own government in there, and this was his solution to prevent total anarchy:
This is the best jewelry ‘armoire’ ever. Both of the sides open for necklace hanging and the top flips up with more space for rings and bracelets and earrings. And the drawers! Look at all of those! The storage possibilities are endless.
To say I love it would be an understatement, but it was not the only new thing that made it into our house recently. We knew that we needed some art for the living room wall above the couch. It was pretty bare and we wanted to consider the living room ‘done’ so we did some searching and found a piece we liked. We braved pouring rain and Friday night shopping crowds in order to bring this baby home:
It's technically called 'Autumn Elegance' but we refer to it as 'Red Trees'.
It’s about 5′ by 2.5′ (the picture makes it look deceptively small) and goes great in the room. Now we can check that room off the list. On to the next!
And last but not least, we inherited this really cool china cabinet from Scott’s great aunt after she passed away.
I know she would be so happy that we have it, and you would never guess how old it is, given that it looks like such a modern style. The glass is all original, though, and has that uneven look to it which just makes it that much cooler. Now that I have a display space for it, all I need to do is pull out the boxes with my grandmother’s china.
If you come to my house for Thanksgiving this year you can eat off of it and feel really special.
16w4d
16 weeks!
20 May 2011 5 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he’s about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren’t recognizable yet. He’s even started growing toenails. And there’s a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 168 days to go!
Weight Gain: +4 lbs (from pre-preg weight). It keeps going up and down.
Symptoms: Still peeing a lot..I’m anticipating that symptom should calm down soon as the baby moves higher off my bladder.
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing new!
Sleep: Good.
I am loving: Food.
I miss: Not much…
Movement: Not yet. But we’re closing in on when I should start to feel something…in the next few weeks!
It’s a: I *still* think it’s a boy. About 2 weeks till we can find out (if the baby cooperates.)
Exercise: I went to the prenatal yoga class this week and really liked it. I’ll be going back for sure.
Diet: Still OK. We’ve eaten out a lot lately. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 🙂
Looking forward to: The anatomy scan ultrasound in a couple weeks. And going to Portland to see Lisa, Josh and Ada! I can’t wait to get my mitts on her!
Belly Shot:
And so it begins….
16 May 2011 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: Domestic Bliss, Family Fun, Gearing Up!, pregnancy
We had another eventful few days this weekend, but thankfully no heavy lifting or excessive sweating was involved this time. We drove to Houston on Saturday for a belated Mother’s Day visit and lunch and had such a nice time! We got to chat a lot and catch up and Jim and Karen treated us to lunch at Pappadeaux which is always SO good. They put their salad bowls in the freezer ahead of time, and seriously, I love that! When the salad comes out totally chilled it just makes it for me. I told Scott that I just need someone to make me a chilled salad and I would eat one with dinner every single night. We compromised by buying a tub of mixed greens and some cherry tomatoes at the store for me to make it myself. I’m not sure it will be the same, but we’ll see how it goes.
On Sunday we got up late and headed into Austin to make use of a brunch Groupon that I had that was about to expire. Had we known that we would get to have some of the best biscuits and gravy ever, we certainly would have used that Groupon sooner. Anyway, before we left the restaurant, I suggested that maybe we could stop by the nearby baby store to see a stroller in person that I had been eyeballing online. hahaha. To my surprise he agreed! So we headed on over…it was only a few minutes away, so it totally made sense to do it while we were right there.
The store was crazy busy, and the stroller section was a little bit…jam packed, but we managed to see some stuff we liked. We checked out strollers and car seats and cribs, and I think we might have settled on a good crib choice.
We like the dark wood color and the price is right. And it’s one of those cribs that can convert into a toddler bed, daybed and then later to a full size bed. (Necessary conversion kits are sold separately….of course.) But I think it will look really nice up against the yellow walls, and finding the ‘just right’ crib bedding is going to be a fun hunt! No official decisions have been made yet, but we’ve gotten the ball rolling, and as Scott said, his indoctrination has begun.
15 weeks!
13 May 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She’s busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she’s likely to move away from the beam. There’s not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby’s a boy or a girl! (Don’t be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby’s sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby’s position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to “hide the goods.”)
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 175 days to go!
Weight Gain: +5 lbs (from pre-preg weight). The midwife said I’m right on track. That was nice to hear.
Symptoms: Nothing this week.
Cravings/Aversions: I still want fruit all the time. Cold fruit, preferably!
Sleep: Still good, although my legs keep going to sleep, too…I think I need to start using a pillow between my knees to help support my hips. Maybe that will make a difference.
I am loving: Uhhhh…fruit?
I miss: Not much…
Movement: Not yet.
It’s a: I *still* think it’s a boy. About 3 weeks till we can find out (if the baby cooperates.)
Exercise: Moving on! Next category?
Diet: OK…pretty regular. I’m mostly so tired and ‘done’ by the time I get home from work that we’ve been eating weird stuff, since I mostly don’t feel like cooking. Scott was eating leftover pizza last night, so I ate a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with almond milk, a sliced up tomato and a few salt and vinegar potato chips.
Looking forward to: The anatomy scan ultrasound in a few weeks. And also my birthday!
Belly Shot:
Huh. I look a little 'deer in the headlights' here.
Thursday Tidbits
12 May 2011 Comments Off on Thursday Tidbits
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy, Working Out
In bullet form:
– I researched online and found a prenatal yoga class (sort of nearby) that sounds good. It’s on Tuesday nights, and since there’s no good TV on that night, I thought I should give it a go. Wish me luck!
– My midwife appt on Tuesday was good. All the normal checks (urine, weight, etc) were good – my blood pressure was high, but that seemed to maybe be a result of too many salty Chuy’s chips on Sunday night, and it was totally back to normal (110/71) when I checked it at home that night, so I’m calling it a fluke. Scott went with me to this visit and we got to hear the heartbeat again…she had a much easier time finding it since my uterus is higher up now. And she could even tell when the baby was moving and flipping around by the way it sounded. Cool! I measured right on schedule for about 15 weeks, and she said that 18 weeks was really the best time to get an ultrasound to find out the baby’s sex. So, just a few more weeks!!
– It’s raining here today. I hardly know what to make of it, it’s been so long since we saw anything even resembling rain. I took a picture from the front porch of my office to prove it.
There's even thunder and lightning!
-My birthday is in only 8 days. I’ll be 33. OLD. I usually take my birthday off from work…I don’t think this year will be any different in that aspect. I’ve already got lunch plans with my friend Kristi for that day, who is so very generously letting me borrow her pregnancy body pillow. I can’t wait to try it out!
14w6d
Weekend Recap
09 May 2011 4 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, Domestic Bliss, Family Fun, Holidays!, Home Improvements
Well, this was a weekend chock full of interesting events. (Also, it is of note that Sunday hit a record high temperature of 98 degrees. This will be important later on.) Being that it was my first ‘honorary’ Mother’s Day, Scott surprised me with 4 (FOUR!) boxes of Bissinger’s chocolate treats. The man knows the way to my heart…and also that he gets to eat half of the goodies, since we always share them equally. He said they weren’t necessarily for Mother’s Day, but maybe a present just because he loves me. Awwww!
Saturday I went to the mall for a bit in the afternoon and thoroughly wore myself out. I am noticing that I’m having a little bit harder time breathing, and since I have been trained (hi mom!) to walk really fast and purposefully in the mall, I noticed that I had to force myself to walk slower so I could breathe a bit easier. I got home and parked myself on the porch with my Kindle to relax for a while. And good thing I relaxed then, because Sunday was not a day of rest.
We got up and pretty much headed straight to Home Depot. Not really my favorite way to start the day, but hey, *I* didn’t have to load 19 (80 lb) bags of concrete into the back of the truck, so who am I to complain? My job was to carry the metal bolts. Sunday was the day for pouring the concrete foundation for the long-awaited, much-anticipated greenhouse! To say the least, I worked hard. Scott, however, worked MUCH harder. Under the blazing sun (see above re: record high temperature) we mixed and poured concrete and Scott placed the anchor bolts, and got it done.
Wood forms before concrete installation.
Close up of concrete and anchors. (Those are the bolts I carried at Home Depot!)
But it was hard, hard work, and unfortunately we were out there right in the prime heat of the day. It was sweaty and filthy work, but nothing a couple of Flavor Ices couldn’t fix.
Right about the time we finished cleaning up and came inside, I spoke to Lisa on the phone, and she said that she was having contractions that were close together and feeling pretty steady and strong. yay! This is it! While Scott and I rewarded all of our hard work with dinner at Chuy’s, Lisa and Josh headed off to the birthing center to have that baby. I kept my phone by me all night, and at 4:45am, I got the text from Josh that said “it’s a girl!” Oh, such relief that everyone was OK, and baby Ada had arrived. (Coincidentally, my eyes popped open about 3:30am and I could not go back to sleep to save my life. 3:30am my time is 1:30 am Portland time, and little Miss Ada was born at 1:26am. My brain must have known that she had just entered the world! At least that’s what I’m telling myself.)
So now I’m an Aunt for the 5th time!! That’s a record that neither Ali or Lisa have. I win!
14w3d
14 weeks!
06 May 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, pregnancy
What’s going on this week:
This week’s big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he’ll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you’re having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.
In other news: Your baby’s stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — (about the size of a lemon) — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body’s growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that’s in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He’s starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby’s liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it’s doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can’t feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist’s hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.
My Update:
Due Date: November 4, 2011 – 182 days to go!
Weight Gain: +2.4 lbs (from pre-preg weight). One of my books says I will likely gain about 4 lbs total this month. We’ll see!
Symptoms: Not much this week…more twinges and pulls and feelings that I am attributing to things stretching out and growing.
Cravings/Aversions: None, really. Food is sounding better and better, and I am back to more normal portion sizes. I’m going to make an educated guess that this development will have some impact on the “weight gain” category from here on out.
Sleep: Good. No complaints in this department!
I am loving: That my belly is starting to get harder. And definitely more noticeable. And how the ladies in my Pilates class have started touching it and are fawning over it. 🙂
I miss: It seems that it’s every time we eat at Chuy’s that I notice that I really miss a good margarita.
Movement: Not yet.
It’s a: I *still* think it’s a boy. Only about 5 or 6 more weeks till we can find out! Ali and Mom…get your shopping shoes ready!
Exercise: Uhh…I’ve done a couple of workouts on the recumbent bike. And Pilates. Nothing else spectacular.
Diet: Better! We ate all the Easter candy, so that’s done with. Fruit is still sounding good all the time – especially fruit right out of the fridge so it’s nice and cold. I’ve eaten more pineapple in the last few weeks, than probably ever in my life.
(New category I just made up.) Looking forward to: My midwife appt. on Tuesday. I imagine it will be more of the same, (urine sample, talking and pushing around on my stomach) but I get to hear the heartbeat again, and that’s the mot exciting part!
Belly Shot:
14w
One trimester down, 2 more to go!
03 May 2011 2 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: 2nd trimester, Gearing Up!, pregnancy
So, I’m counting today (13w4d) as the official first day of my second trimester. (40 weeks divided by 3, etc…) It’s going pretty well, I must say! Not much change from the 1st trimester, really, but that’s a good thing, since I’ve had such an easy time with this pregnancy so far.
I’ve started doing some registry research and making a list of things I think we’ll want to register for. Mostly I’m waiting for Lisa to have the Bloob, so she can try out a lot of stuff that I know we are both interested in and give me her yay or nay votes on it all. I’m using her as my own personal Consumer Reports.
We’re lucky, though, in that the room we are planning to use for the baby’s room, is already painted a nice bright yellow, so check one thing off the list as ‘already done’. We’re overachievers! So, it only makes sense that the color scheme will be yellow, with some more gender-specific colors thrown in to pull it all together. So maybe some yellow with brown and blue? Or a little yellow with pink and green? Or yellow with grey and white? So many options! Thankfully we’ve still got plenty of time to narrow it down.
I did make a purchase last week that was just too good to pass up…I knew I wanted some form of baby carrier, and the Ergo has such good reviews online and everyone seems to love it. So when I saw that babysteals was offering it as the daily special for $57, I couldn’t resist! Normally the Ergo Sport carrier is $115, so, yeah…SCORE!
It’s such a cute baby blue color, I won’t mind carting around a boy or a girl in it, especially knowing I got such a deal. You can use this carrier from newborn to toddlerhood, and it works as a front, back and even hip carrier with some small adjustments. I’d like to try to put Madison in it for a test drive, but, you know, I don’t want to get cat hair all over it.
13w4d
