24 Weeks (6 months) pregnant today!

I am officially 6 months pregnant today!  I can't believe how fast this is going.  I haven't even prepared anything at home yet for her arrival.  It's time we get on it!

Mommy Update:
I still feel great. No changes there. I do have some ligament pain, but that is expected as the baby is growing and my tummy is expanding. I actually took a two hour nap on Sunday! I just thought I would lie down and rest my eyes for 10-15 minutes, but I guess I needed more rest since it turned into 2 hours.

We had a routine checkup on Saturday morning.  Everything looked good. My blood pressure is good and baby girl's heartrate was at about 145 and strong. We were able to ask the doctor several questions that we had concerning the birth and such...so we were glad to get those answered.  Also, we scheduled a tour of the birthing center at the hospital so we'll be doing that in a couple of weeks.

I weighed in again today, as usual.  Last week I lost weight...but this week was a big growth spurt! I am up 5 pounds from last week! So that is a total weight gain of 12.6 pounds so far for the pregnancy. 

Baby Update: 
This past week I have felt so much movement! Daddy was able to feel her as well.  Also, she gave Grandma Nancy a special treat while we were having lunch the other day.  Grandma was able to feel her kick as well..and of course, there were tears of joy from grandma.

Although very little hair color can be seen at this stage, she does have some hair growth on the top of her head.  She is approximately 12 inches long, about the size of an ear of corn!  Also, sections of the lungs are expanding and she is starting to produce lung surfactant which helps to keep the lungs from collapsing after birth. 

Her skin undergoes "keratinization" this week. Keratin is a very strong protein that makes up your outer layer of skin. It actually transforms the outer layer of skin into a protective layer of dead cells that are eventually shed. During keratinization, new skin cells, which are produced in the deepest part of the skin, gradually move toward the surface of the skin as it matures. After these skin cells become part of the outer protective layer of skin, they are gradually shed.

Lanugo hair - soft, downy hairs that cover your baby's body - are trapping "vernix" onto the surface of the skin. "Vernix" is a white, waxy substance that you often see on newborn babies' skin. This protects your baby's skin from all the water that surrounds it in utero and from the waste products in the amniotic fluid.

Picture time! So I thought I would gather all the pictures I've taken so far and put them into one picture.  So here is a picture of my belly from week to week (I know, I am missing some weeks...but this is all I have).  Enjoy!

23 Weeks - Baby Girl is growing!

Today I am 23 weeks pregnant! I am approaching the 6 month mark (next week).  I can't believe how fast time is going.  I am trying to slow down and enjoy every little detail about this pregnancy since it is flying by!

Mommy Update:  I still feel great! I thank God that I have had such an awesome pregnancy so far...no sickness or nausea...no complications....everything is just perfect. Thank you Lord!   Now that school is over I have had more time to relax. I am reading more books (I am on my 3rd book already!) and just enjoying my time at home after work and on the weekend.  We have been eating more healthy as well. Now that I don't have school I am able to cook dinner every night instead of just eating PB&J's on the way to school!  So because of that, I think that is why I lost weight this week.  I lost 1.4lbs instead of gaining weight.  However, my belly is still protruding (as it should), I think I am losing fat instead! At least I hope!  So, now I am up 7.6lbs from pre-pregnancy weight. 

On the right is a belly shot...Major got in the picture as well so I decided to keep him in the pic and not crop him out! ha ha!

 Baby Update:  She is moving around like crazy now. It feels like she is doing somersaults inside my tummy and sometimes it feels like she is playing the drums! ha ha! According to the websites I look at, she is just over 11 inches long and weighs over a pound. She has a sense of movement so she can feel when I am moving around.  Her blood vessels in her lungs are developing and her taste buds have formed.  Lastly, she is able to hear more sounds.  Loud noises (like Major barking, the vacuum, or the horn on the train) are becoming familiar and probably won't faze her after she is born. (That will be a blessing!)  Daddy has felt her kick a few times...but it seems that as soon as he places his hand on my stomach, then she stops moving. I figure she knows it is daddy and calms down when she feels his loving touch.  At least, that is what I tell him!

I think that is all for this week.  God bless and thank you so much for all your prayers.  Take care!

22 Weeks (5 1/2 months) -- Baby is the size of a spaghetti squash!

Today marks 22 weeks of being pregnant.  I am still feeling really good and things are going very well. I feel more rested now since I am out of school (graduation is this Friday!) and am able to get to bed earlier.  She is moving so much now! Last night while we were watching Monday Night Football I was feeling her kick so I started watching my stomach to see if I could see it move and I did! I saw (and felt) two solid kicks and saw my belly move. Ha! It was amazing!

Mommy Update:  This last week I have been so thankful that I have felt more movement. It is the best feeling ever to know that she's in there growing and making herself comfortable.  Also, I have started doing exercises (squatting, butterflies, pelvic tilts) as my homework for our class we are taking for natural birth (The Bradley Method).  So I'm glad that I am beginning my preparations for labor now and getting my body ready.  I weighed in today and gained one pound so I am up 9 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. In the class we are in, they gave us a "diet" to try where we eat more protein and calcium so I am giving that a try as well. At least, I am tracking what I eat so I can see where I am.  So overall, I feel good physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Baby Update:  This week the baby measures about 11 inches, about the size of a spaghetti squash.  According to the website, she weighs about 1 pound! Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct. She also is developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums.  Her eyes have formed, but her irises still lack pigment.  Her brain is growing and starting to develop more complex neurological connections.  And lastly, her pancreas (which is essential for the production of some important hormones) is developing steadily.

We are still trying to figure out a name for our little girl.  I know that when we find it, it will be perfect for her.  We aren't sure if we want to share the name once we figure it out or not...so we'll see. It will be very difficult for me to keep it secret, so I will need to convince Jesús to just let it out! ha ha!





Here is the latest picture of me. I am really showing now but at least I haven't had any strangers come up and touch my belly yet! 

God bless and thank you so much for all your prayers.  Take care!

The Bradley Method

Tonight we start our weekly classes for The Bradley Method. They teach about natural child birth. Some of the things we will learn are nutrition and exercise, relaxation for an easier birth, husbands as coaches, and birth plans.  I am very excited to start these classes...yet it makes me nervous too since that means we are getting closer and closer to having our daughter!

Everyone who asks me whether or not I am going to get an epidural are shocked when I say that "no, I don't want to use medication".  Then they tell me that it is the worst pain I will ever go through and that I will wish I had gotten the epidural. People, I know that it will be the worst pain I've experienced...but I think I can do it and am determined to do it so long as it's safe for me and my baby.  It's not that I think I am a better woman for wanting to have a natural child birth...I just want what is best for my daughter and for me.

So, needless to say, I am excited to learn about the relaxation techniques and different positioning that will help me through labor.  Also, I am happy that Jesús will learn how to be a good coach and be prepared for the pain that I will experience and help me through it....

21 Weeks today -- Our daughter is the size of a carrot!

Today I am 21 weeks pregnant.  I am still feeling really good and things are going very well.  I am feeling her move more and more every day...probably because she is getting bigger. I forgot to mention that during the ultrasound they said she weighed 13 ounces...which is bigger than I expected! Since all the websites said that she should have been around 9-10 ounces! Ha ha!  Some cool news is that daddy was able to feel her kick last Sunday night!  He was so happy to be able to feel her.  Hopefully there will be more of that soon!

Mommy Update:  So this last week I have been feeling overwhelmingly grateful to God.  Now that I know I am having a little girl, a daughter, this pregnancy seems more real.  Also, knowing she is healthy makes me even more grateful.  God is so good and has shown us so much favor. I am overwhelmed with His love for me. I weighed in today and lost a little so I am still up about 8 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. I asked my doctor at our last appointment if this was ok and he said all was good.  As long as I am eating (which I am) and not starving myself then my body is doing what it should. So, I feel better about that. It's funny how much my stomach has grown though, even though I've only put on 8 pounds.  But, I'm ok with that!

Baby Update:  This week the baby measures about 10 1/2 inches, about the size of a carrot.  According to the website, she weighs about 3/4's a pound...however, based on her weight during the ultrasound, she is 80% of a pound...so she's ahead of schedule! Her eyebrows and eye lids are present now.  To stay warm she is developing body fat. Also, she hiccups often as a means to practice breathing and swallows amniotic fluid in order to practice eating.

Among other news, we went to Babies R Us and registered. That was a fun time!  We are going to go with a lavender and butterflies theme for her nursery.  There are so many cool things available for babies now so we had a great time shopping around. 

God bless and thank you so much for all your prayers.  Take care!

Daddy felt baby kick today!

Tonight I noticed that when our baby girl kicked that I was able to feel it from the outside.  So I told Jesùs.  We were watching TV on the couch and I just had him put his hand where I felt her kick.  Of course, after 15 minutes or so she didn't kick. So I repositioned myself and put his hand on the opposite side of my belly and about 5 minutes later he felt her kick!  He was so happy! Hopefully in the next couple weeks it will become more regular and he'll be able to feel her movements more.  So exciting!!!