Don't squash my squash - Baby BOY Week 22

Good Morning - another chilly day for us all. Nathan is off on an overnight road trip from Illinois to Wisconsin. It started off even chillier than normal as the heat was not working in the truck. About a half hour ago a guy from worked called to see how things were going. Nathan said, "Good! Except I'm freezing!" Apparently there is a lever under the hood where you can turn the heat off - yup - someone had already done that for the summer. Once Nathan found that out he stopped and turned it back on and is enjoying a nice warm trip to IL.

Baby and Mom are doing well. Yesterday I was sitting at my desk laughing because it felt like he was doing a TaeBo workout in there! It was like ARM, LEG, LEG, ARM, ARM, ARM, LEG....... I was cracking up. I hadn't even eaten any sugar! He seems to be more active in the mornings/early afternoons than at night. Nathan says he certainly doesn't take after his father who is the anti-morning person! :-) Must be like his Mom then! Nathan and I need to get to a baby store and look at bedding for the nursery and get the whole registering process going.

The house is coming together nicely. Just some more painting and base boards to do and then we should be about ready to move in! There are other little things to do, but we'll get to those after we move in. All that nasty wallpaper is down (THANKS MOM!!-better her than me...) :-) and the main level is almost done being painted! (Thanks Dad!) So we are well on our way! The grass was mowed for the first time last night too! I can't wait to get in and start arranging things and unpacking and nesting as they call it.

That is about it from the land outside my uterus.... as for INSIDE here you go....

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches (the length of a speghetti squash) and almost 1 pound. (He was 12oz at 20 weeks and 1 day so chances are his is over a pound now!) His skin will continue to appear wrinkled until he gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his head and body is now visible. His lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath his gum line. His eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. (Any guesses on eye color? The majority of both sides have blue, but we have some browns and greens in the mix too. I'm guessing blue when he comes out!) Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and his pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

That is about it!

My little carrot - Baby Week 21 (and a belly shot!!)

WEEK 16

WEEK 21 - not a huge difference I think

Not much to report.... No we have not picked a name yet... haven't really talked about it. With the excitment of working on the house we have been distracted - luckily we still have a lot of time (that I'm sure will fly by!) And I promise - as soon as we pick one we will let everyone know. I have been feeling good - working on the house is tiring and Nathan may disagree, but I am really trying to not work too hard. I tend to get scolded for doing too much. Luckily most "Lindsey" projects are done at the house and I will be remanded back to packing girl at the apartment. Totally fine with me. I'll just periodically check in and see how things are going with painting and such. I know Nathan is having a great time working on projects too - he couldn't wait to get in there Saturday morning and get to it!

OH and I can't forget to mention my random "cankles" that form in the afternoon/evening. Got to love swelling feet and ankles! I am drinking more water than before and I feel like I was swimming in it before and I'm kepeing my feet up at work. Having a desk job doesn't really help the cankles.

Here is the baby update:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound (at the ultrasound last Thursday the baby weighed 12 oz so he is probably a little bigger than that) and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. (YUP!) He's oblivious to your schedule, though, so don't be surprised if he starts working out just when you're settling down for the night. This hasn't been happening as much, baby is relatively quiet - so far - when we go to sleep at night.

Feeling the baby move....

So the baby has been moving around a lot more lately. I wanted to try and put into words what it feels like. I think I finally figured it out.

It is like when you are really nervous and have butterlies in your tummy and your stomach is turning so much that you almost feel sick to your stomach, but in a good way. Right now that is what the baby feels like in my belly. We'll see what it starts to feel like next. That is my best explanation as of right now.

:-)

First Weekend at the house!

Wow am I tired... I overdid it this weekend working at the house. Stupid me for thinking I could still do the things I could before being pregnant. While technically I can still do them - I just can't do them as fast as before. We did get a lot done.

Friday night Nathan and I went picked up a pizza, rented a movie and then went over to the house and had a carpet picnic and watched the movie on my laptop. It was fun, but laying on the floor for two hours was not the greatest thing in the world.

Saturday morning we met my parents for breakfast and them mom and I went to that mom-to-mom sale. I swear we were there at 9:45 (started at 9:30) and it was like a zoo! SOOO many women - apparently you need to get there early if you want to get the good stuff! I got a little reversable spring jacket and shoes and a baby carrier thingy (one of those that is like a backpack, but the baby sits in front.) - all of that for $6. Mom bought me a baby blanket too - it is SO soft. I liked it. That was about it. THen we went and met the boys at the house. My parents really liked it. It was the first time they had been inside. We got a lot of work done. Dad and Nathan are going to paint the garage first (REALLY needs it) plus it will give dad a chance to show Nathan all his little tricks and tips for painting. (My grandpa owned a painting company my dad worked for growing up so he is a VERY good painter!) We are going to re-do the baseboards so we pulled those off too. Mom took downt he wallpaper border in the kitchen and I took down all the outlet covers and such. We did a few other little things, but mostly it was getting organized and going to buy the things we need. We met Kyle, Sarah and Tommy for dinner and then brought them back to see the house. THey really liked it too.

Sunday Nathan and I went over by ourselves and I took down the rest of the wallpaper in the kitchen - kicked my butt! I was so tired and took tons of breaks. Nathan did some stuff outside that was on the inspectors list of things to do, he took down doors, sanded the garage and did some re-mudding where it needed. We did a few other little things and went shopping again - bought paint and priced out other things we still need to buy. Good times.

We'll go back over tonight to do a few small things - won't be there for long. Mom and Dad are coming over tomorrow to work and then we'll take a couple days off before going back this weekend. I think we will start painting so I may stay home and pack while they paint - we'll see.

IT'S A BOY!!

Well - today was interesting. Went to my first appt by myself. It was just my OB check up and they check my weight, BP and the baby's heartbeat. My blood pressure was good at 120/80 and I'm still three pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight so that is good too. Then the doctor started using the doppler to look for the heartbeat and couldn't find it. Scared the crap out of me and I was trying to be as calm as I could. Then we went in to do an ultrasound. Thanksfully as soon as we saw the baby I could see the heartbeat - even before the doctor saw it. SO I felt better, but it still shook me up because that is a fear I have. So that was that.

Then we had the BIG ultrasound at 5:00 - the tech was taking all the anatomy pictures and such and all was going well. Then she moved to checking for gender. The baby wouldn't spread its legs. So she tells me to go to the bathroom and we'll see if an empty bladder will help. Guess what... NOPE! She was so sweet and patient. She told me to try laying on my side and then she would come back and try again. At this point the baby was sitting cross legged and doing yoga as the tech said. Guess what.... NO GO AGAIN!! I was starting to get a little upset about it. She said she was just going to start the ultrasound with another patient and told me to do jumping jacks... anything that I thougth could help, but this was my last try.

Well - the baby was still sitting cross legged, but had flipped from front to back. or visa versa... can't remember. She was trying and talking to the baby and everything. My mom (and Nathan's mom) was there and had brought a pink bear and a blue bear. The tech said, "pick up your bears... you can take the pink one back!!" The baby finally opened up just long enough and she caught a look at HIS peeps!

IT'S A BOY!!!!

I can't believe it!

Nathan is really excited as is everyone else in the family. We all met for dinner afterwards and everyone was so sweet.

But this little bun in my oven is a sweet little boy!! I am so happy and so excited, but it feels so surreal to know that we are having a boy.

Alright - we are going to watch the ultrasound video now! It is VHS so I wont' be able to upload it.

A quick addition - we watched the ultrasoun picture and paused it during the "money shot" of our little boy showing his boy bits! I took a picture of the TV screen - worked out perfect!

Gonna Throw Up

HOLY CRAP - I am so anxious and neverous and excited and emotional and utterly crazed!

7 more hours.... I pray so hard that the afternoon goes by quickly. I have a lot to do today at work since the past two days I have spent working on house stuff. So I need to make my to-do list and start crossing things off as I get them done. That always makes me feel better.

OH MY GOODNESS! I'm going to find out if I'm having a little boy or girl today! THAT IS NUTS!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay - crazed moment has passed - I'm sure another one will come within minutes!

HALF WAY DONE!!!!!!! Baby Week 20

Time sure does fly!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited Nathan and I are about tomorrow's ultrasound. We truly have no clue and both keep changing our minds as to if we are having a boy or a girl. Seems whatever one of us thinks the other thinks the opposite. I always thought I would favor one gender over another based on little girl fantasies, but truly I could care less! I am just so overjoyed that this baby is doing so well! Tomorrow at 3:20 I have my OB check up - check the hearbeat for the baby and my vitals and such. They are pretty simple appts. Then the BIG one at 5:00. Hopefully Baby cooperates this time. We will be having much discussion about it leading up to the appt. :-)

I am feeling really good - just the sciatica pain, but Nathan helps me get up off the couch or wherever so that helps as it is when it hurts the worst for me. But all in all - LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

Here is the baby update:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel - the length of a banana. (Can you believe the baby is pretty much half as long as it will be when we deliever?!? That is amazing to me. Clearly it needs to fatten up some, but that happens later!) (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.) (Yummy!)

Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery). (That is such an utterly lovely thought.... *gag*! I think Daddy will need to change that first diaper. I know my Daddy had to change my first diaper... I think it is a rite of passage.... at least that is what I'm telling myself.)

Oh and the mommy update I get says that the top of my uterus is at my belly button. Looks like baby wolfe is still well protected by my pooch (Bertha)... I think the roundness that is above my belly button are my insides moving up. Such a wonderful though, huh?

Two Pregnant Gals!

Here is Sarah and I this afternoon. She is due May 10th.

Enjoy!

Another Lindsey belly picture

This isn't the traditional pictures we have been taking ever four weeks. But rather just a snapshot from last weekend at the lake. You can see all of me in all my pregnant glory!!

I CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT THURSDAYS!!! Any guesses on if it is a boy or a girl??

Check out the picture - my baby is a pretzel! Baby-Week 19

Life is good here in pregnancy land - almost half way done!!! Time sure does fly. I have been feeling pretty good - feeling the baby move more, but it will probably still be a while before we feel it on the outside. We find out a week from tomorrow if we are having a boy or a girl! Pretty exciting! Nothing else to really report!

Here is the baby update:

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. If your baby is a girl, she already has 6 million eggs in her ovaries. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. He may be able to hear you as you talk. Research shows that he's learning to distinguish your voice from others, and he'll soon show a preference for it. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.

My baby - the human pretzel!!

Check out this freaky little face picture!!

A lovely weekend!

We had a great weekend - went to Chicago-land area to see Nathan's brother in a play. He was the lead in "God's Favorite" - a play based on the book of Job in the Old Testament. And if you know Job it was kind of funny because the play was a comedy. Obviously the storyline wasn't funny, but the characters were. Stephen did a good job.

We had planned on going to Chicago the next morning to just run around and have fun. But when the alarm went off we were kind of both..... meh..... about going. It has been a while since we have had good quality cuddle time just to relax and have a lazy morning in bed. So we went down to the lobby to get some breakfast and went back and had breakfast in bed. We relaxed and watched tv til we had to get ready to check out. We decided to pass on Chicago and went to South Haven instead. South Haven is on the west side of Michigan right on the water. It was great. The weather was beautiful. 66 degrees and barely a cloud in the sky. We had a great lunch and walked around the beach and down the pier by the lighthouse. Here are some pictures...

Nathan's dreams... and others....

Nathan has been dreaming a lot this week about the baby. Well twice - that is a lot for Nathan who doesn't usually remember any dreams. The first one we had a little girl, her name was Amber (gag) and she had golden blonde hair with red in it. Nathan said she was adorable. Last night he drempt that we were in the delivery room and I had just delievered the baby and they put the baby on my chest. They hadn't even cleaned it up yet and we were just staring at this amazing child. He doesn't remember if it was a boy or a girl.

I've had a few dreams about the baby.... it was a couple weeks ago and it was always a boy. Mostly I dream about the delivery and going to the hospital and them telling me that I was not in labor - all while I'm having contractions and my water broke while I was standing there yelling at them to get me a doctor - it was lovely. :-)

Nathan's mom and sister have drempt that the baby is a girl with Nathan's eyes and really dark hair.

We'll see who ends up being right! 13 more days until we find out the sex of the baby!!

I CAN'T WAIT!!

Plus - the baby has been kicking me a lot more lately. It is fun, but truthfully it kind of hurts sometimes! hehe

For whom the bell (pepper) tolls... Baby Week 18

Well just two more weeks (from tomorrow) and we'll know if this baby is a boy or a girl! I know we are really looking forward to finding out. Then we can start thinking about names again! I am feeling great - normal aches and pains that are pregnancy, but generally speaking I feel really good. NO problems what so ever with the Crohn's. I've had tummy pains, but they are not related at all... went to see my tummy doctor and got a total clean bill of health! I know Nathan is getting anxious and excited as we reach the half way point soon - time flies when you are having fun - that is for sure. We are looking forward to picking out things for the nursery and putting our home together to start our family. Everything is falling perfectly into place - just as we hoped, planned and prayed for.

Here is the baby update:

Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.