26 Weeks of Pregnancy

Another week of pregnancy done...still a few more to go. But I am at the end of my second trimester, so another milestone almost reached. The baby is kicking up a storm and has started really doing the River Dance practices that Liam did when he was in the womb. The other night the baby was doing barrel rolls in there, I swear. With all limbs flailing...at least it felt that way.

Here is the latest belly picture. Sorry it's so crappy, it was taken at night, with the iPhone, which doesn't do well in low-light situations. And for some reason I look shorter in this picture. Ugh.




Official 26-Week info:

Your Baby This Week
Your baby is getting chubby. She weighs about 32 ounces (1 kg) and measures more than 9 inches (23 cm) in length. You're continuing to grow, too, which is a sign that you're both healthy!
A pattern similar to life outside the womb is starting to develop. You may notice a distinct wake-sleep cycle, where periods of activity alternate with quiet times on a regular basis. Your baby's senses are coming into full bloom. She can't see yet, but she can hear, taste and feel, and her brainwave patterns are similar to those of a newborn. If your health care provider listens your baby's heartbeat now, he or she may notice a skipped beat, which is a condition known as an arrhythmia. Often this is normal and disappears as the heart matures. If it's still present when you are ready to deliver, a fetal heart rate monitor can detect any signs of distress.

Your Body This Week
Two thirds of your pregnancy is over, and you're really starting to feel the backaches, leg cramps and headaches more frequently as pressure within your pelvis builds. You'll continue to gain weight at the rate of about one pound (.45 kg) per week. As your baby grows, your uterus pushes up towards your ribs, which may feel sore. As uterine muscles stretch, you may occasionally feel a "stitch" in your side, similar to what happens when you run. But it won't be long now. Rest up, stay off your feet when you can, and get ready to be a mom!

34 Years....and 25 weeks

34 years ago today, at 9:04am, my mother entered into the world of motherhood as I entered into the world itself. It's been a crazy journey, but seems to have turned out well so far. So, Happy Birthday to myself. How will I celebrate it? Well, probably not all that much today. I am at work right now (saving up my vacation for maternity leave), and when I get home, I want to get some cleaning done that has been bothering me. But I will probably make time for some light exercising (time to get back into a routine), and also for a little bit of knitting, so that maybe I have some hope of finishing this cardigan this year. Heh.



I am also 25 weeks pregnant, so I'll supply the usual official baby info. Nothing new in terms of my personal updates on things.

Your Baby This Week
Wow! Your baby is almost 9 inches (23 cm) long-almost half his birth length! While his weight is still low at about 1.5 pounds (0.68 kilograms), he could survive if he decided to make an entrance into the world now!
Among the most prominent changes this week take place in the skin, which gradually becomes thicker and less transparent. It's still wrinkled, as if there is more than he needs, but your baby will literally "grow" into his skin as time passes. Your baby's heartbeat may be strong enough now that other people can hear it when pressing their ear to your belly!

Your Body This Week
Are you itching? Are there tiny bumps popping up all over that are driving you mad? Many women report all-over itching called Puppps that may begin as early as this week, and could last until you deliver. If the itching really causes you distress, talk to your health care provider about an anti-itch cream. In addition, increased blood flow to your lower body may result in hemorrhoids (dilated blood vessels in the rectum that can itch or burn). Constipation can exacerbate them, so speak to your caregiver about a stool softener. Heartburn and indigestion may also increase, making you feel uncomfortable. Try not to go hungry for too long because it can worsen the problem.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2011. I wish everyone a good year, filled with lots of promise and nice things. God knows most of us could use it.

Gingerbread Houses, thou art the invention of the Devil

Seriously. I am pretty sure that whoever thought up gingerbread house kits was dabbling in the evil side of things a bit. Having never made one before, they always sounded fun. Lots of edible things that you use to build something colorful and fun. Totally awesome, right?

*SIGH*

So, I had bought a kit to make with Liam, and I finally got around to having the time to sit with him and do it (yeah yeah, I know, it's after Christmas). It was a bit later than I wanted it to be, but I figured we wouldn't try to use up all the candy, so we should be able to do it quickly (ha haa haaaaa). I got the base set up, and pulled out the pieces of the kit, all the while Liam asking if he can eat the house yet. I open the candy bags and dump them into little bowls, warning him to not eat them just yet. I put the pieces of gingerbread to the side. I look for the tube of icing...and instead find only a bag of powdery sugar. A bag that tells me I have to mix up the icing. What?! I have to mix it up? I don't DO kitchen stuff. I have rarely used a mixer in my life. But here it is, telling me to use one, and that I have to get the icing the right consistency. A sure way to set me up for failure. I balk and complain about it for about 5 minutes, all the while Liam asking me repeatedly if he can eat the candy yet.

I finally suck it up and drag out the mixer and a bowl and proceed to mix up the icing. Well, I proceed to blanket the kitchen in a cloud of confectioners sugar, and little blobby balls of sugar/water mixture. It takes way more water than they say it should. Eventually it turns from powdery pearls into sludge that resembles toothpaste. Finally ready to assemble. I let Liam have one little piece of candy in celebration.

I proceed to spoon some of the icing into the decorator bag they provided, and then turn to the directions to see how to put the tip on it. The directions tell me to put the tip into the bag first, then cut a hole, THEN put the icing into the bag...um.....crap. I stand there for a minute, trying to breath deeply and calmly. And then proceed to stick the decorator tip down into the icing with my hands. I get halfway before it's just too much for me to bear. I abandon the tip and clean the sticky slather off my hands and find some pointy skewer-like object to jam the tip down the rest of the way. Then cut a hole in the tip of the decorator bag itself. It seems to work. But apparently you have to twist the top of the bag super tight...no, not even just super tight, but fold it over, then twist it again, then fold it a few more times, and then twisty-tie it shut, and then maybe tape it, before folding it one more time...because otherwise I don't see how you can prevent the sugary sticky mess of mortar from somehow making it's way out of the bag from the back end, all over your hands and shirt and tablecloth and chairs and floor and 3-year-old-son.

I manage to glue two walls onto the base, but they won't really stay upright, even when holding them together for the full 3 minutes they mention. So I use soup cans to kind of shore them up, and truck onwards with the rest of the walls. Liam is still asking about eating more candy, so I relent and let him have another piece. I then get ready to put the roof on, and wonder if it will hold. I check the directions. They tell me to wait at least an hour before trying to put the roof on. Gritting my teeth, I read on further in case there is anything else I should have read. I get to the part that says that after putting the roof on, I should wait 2-3 hours before attempting to decorate the house.
#$#^%!$*^#&^$!^$!

After my head finishes exploding and I call my mom to complain about the evil ways of gingerbread houses, I decide I don't really care what the darn instructions say. I glue the roof on (after struggling with getting the icing flowing again, preferably out the tip and not out the back end all over my hand). I use more cans to shore up the roof, sealing in two of the soup cans inside (will have to remember those later). I give it a few minutes to set, letting Liam eat a few more pieces of candy in celebration (and so there isn't as much to put on the darn house).

Finally, I let Liam get down to business. I pipe...hah, pipe...more like blop...okay...blop on icing here and there, and he presses candy into them. They slide pathetically downward. He starts to learn to hold them in place, first counting to three, and then upping the ante by going up to six, and then ten...and then just doing random numbers, ending with 20 most of the time. I think he made up a few numbers in there. Most of them stuck, but a few still refused to disobey gravity and pooled at the bottom of his walls. Still, at the end, he still had something that resembled a house. He wasn't hopped up on too much sugar (shhh, I can delude myself), and neither of us were stuck to the furniture (yet).

He had fun. I, on the other hand, will never touch a gingerbread house again.

24 Weeks

More people are starting to feel the baby move, as we had holiday get-togethers this past weekend. Even Liam finally felt the baby move and looked delighted. And I am noticing more than just the kicks, I am feeling the sliding movements, as well as something round jammed into my side at one point..probably a head.

Here is a baby picture as well as the official baby info:




Your Baby This Week
Your baby is getting heavier to carry, and you may feel the stress. At the same time, you may experience profound joy, knowing your little one is growing healthy and strong!
Your bundle of joy is looking more angelic every day, gaining weight (she's more than 16 ounces or .45 kg), growing longer (over 8 inches or 20 cm) and filling out! Your baby is also starting to produce white blood cells, which will help fight infection after she leaves your body and enters the world. You may be surprised to notice that your baby responds to the sound of your voice or even the touch of your hand on your tummy by quieting down or occasionally increasing activity as a way of communicating with you!

Your Body This Week
You weight gain is beginning to accelerate to about one pound (.45 kg) per week, so symptoms like lower back pain and swollen feet may increase. Periodically resting for 15 to 20 minutes can help. Beginning this week, your health care provider will start monitoring you for gestational diabetes (high blood sugar levels during pregnancy). If you are gaining a lot of weight, blood testing is imperative, as excessive weight gain is typically a symptom. Some women also report feeling some depression around this time. While feelings of sadness usually pass within a few weeks, talk to your caregiver if they don't.

Merry Christmas....and Christmas Heartaches

A very Merry Christmas to everyone out there, to all my friends and family, my loved ones. Of course, this being the time of year to be with the ones you love, it's especially hard this particular Christmas. Last Christmas I had all four grandparents, and a great grandmother. This Christmas I just have one grandmother. I lost three relatives in the span of 2 weeks, and the four just over a month later. And now, it's the holiday season, and I miss them more than ever. It seems surreal that they aren't here. Like a bad dream, like it really can't be like this...it's so unfair that they are not here with us. I want them back and it aches to know I can't have them back. All I can do is remember them, and bury myself in the love of those still around me.

Merry Christmas again, to those around me, and to those I have lost.

Slave to the Yarn

For the first time, I probably feel like Stephanie Pearl-McPhee does around Christmas. Too much knitting, not enough time to knit gifts. I usually don't even knit gifts for Christmas. Every now and then I have a neat idea and knit up something for someone. But this year, somehow I decided to do one gift for someone...and then another...and another....and since I made this decision back in October, it seemed completely doable to take on all the projects I planned to do. Most were pretty simple.
Well, don't know what happened, but here I am, less than 4 days before Christmas, knitting like a fiend every moment I get. I have dropped most of the projects I planned to do, and one of them is now being finished after Christmas. And I might have to wrap another still on the needles. But the rest I can't really do that with, and so I am insane, sacrificing sleep and a clean house and my sanity, in order to get it done in time. Will I make it? Check back in a few days...we'll see.

Still pregnant, 23 weeks

The baby has definite periods of kicking, mainly mid-morning, mid-afternoon, late evening, and when I am laying down at night. Pretty neat. And I can feel the baby sliding around more, too, not just kicking. I hope the baby will kick a good amount for people on Christmas Eve and Christmas, so that they can feel it. Still haven't had a chance to get Liam to feel the kicking, since he's never around when it's happening steadily.
I weighed myself....120 lbs! I am right where I need to be, which is good because I've always been about two or three pounds behind. I need to keep up with the weight gain, although I really to work on eating better. There is so much good stuff out there and I have been too busy to make sure I eat it. Shame on me.
I am also a full yard around, a little more actually. So growing pretty good. Even though it's very obvious that I am pregnant, I am still encountering coworkers (that I see on a relatively regular basis) that are surprised to find out I am pregnant. Do they think I look fat? Miss Moo Miller, the fatty mini-cow? *sigh*

Anyway, here is the official info from BabyFit for 23 weeks:

(Baby's Off to Dreamland)
Shh! Baby's sleeping! He or she can drift into deeper sleep, known as rapid eye movements (or REM), and baby can dream, too. Just what is baby dreaming about? Meeting you, of course! (Most likely, baby is dreaming about daily life inside the womb--playing with the umbilical cord or hearing your voice.)

(Your Baby This Week )
Your baby weighs about a pound (.45 kg) and is approximately 8 inches (20 cm) long. No more fruit comparisons--now he looks like a perfect, little doll!
Although his skin is still wrinkled, it's starting to plump out as he continues to gain weight and develop more fat. He looks more and more like a "real" baby now, but sometimes the fine hair covering your baby's body grows a little dark around this time.

(Your Body This Week)
As the weight of your uterus once again shifts to rest on your bladder, you may have more problems holding urine. But be aware that a "gush" of liquid or constant leaking could mean that you are losing amniotic fluid, and you should call your doctor right away. You may also experience some emotional mood swings--unexpected highs and lows and maybe even some tears or fears. Emotional swings are linked to normal hormone activity and should pass as your pregnancy progresses. If not, mention it to your doctor.

Happy Birthday, Dawn

Just wanted to wish my sister-in-law a Happy Birthday.

(yes, I haven't remembered to do that on here for anyone else except my husband since I started this blog...so...happy birthday Mom, Dad, Dave, Jackie, Sandy, Rachel, Grandmom, Danamarie, and Cole).

22 Weeks or 5 Months

Today I am 22 weeks pregnant. Or 5 months pregnant, for those that prefer to go by months. I feel pretty much the same as last week. A lot more kicking from the baby, which Matt can feel, but no one else really has since the baby doesn't kick all the time. Mainly when I lay down at night, a lot in the morning, and throughout the day at random times. I still haven't gotten a chance to get Liam to feel the kicking.
I am having more soreness again, I guess from ligament stretching. Ugh. And it's hard to move around and to sit down and get back up. I am having more shortness of breath, and definitely periods of heaviness in my heart, which I remember as precursors to me passing out. Hopefully I won't experience that this time around. *sigh*

Here is the belly picture from this week. I PROMISE that as soon as Christmas is past, I will create a page that shows all the belly pictures together for comparison. As well as updating a lot of other areas of my website that are behind. I just have some gifts to finish knitting for Christmas, so I have no spare time.




Official info:
You and baby are both eager to meet each other! Your baby is kicking up a storm, and you feel like you're getting bigger every day.
Your baby weighs more than 12 ounces (.35 kg) and is more than 7 inches (18 cm) long! Baby's eyelids and eyebrows have developed and her muscles are growing stronger--something you can feel by the strength of the movement in your tummy! Your baby is probably moving more regularly now-not just once in a while! After birth, she'll recognize the songs you sing or play for her now, resulting in a soothing effect.

Although your tummy is growing, you should still feel comfortable and energetic enough to bend over easily and move around. Your sex drive may be increasing, and if your health care provider says it's OK, this can be a great chance for intimate bonding with your partner. If you are feeling exceptionally tired, make certain to get a blood test for anemia, which is common during pregnancy.

21 Weeks

The weeks keep ticking by. Not much has changed since my last post, at least in terms of how I feel, etc. Still tired more than I want to be. The baby has phases of rest, and of energetic kicking (though I know this will get even stronger). I know at this point that others would definitely be able to feel the baby kicking, it's just a matter of timing things right and catching the baby when he/she actually is kicking.

Official info:
Your baby weighs more than 10 ounces (.28 kg) and is slightly longer than 7 inches (17 cm), which is about the size of a large banana--but what a personality! The rapid growth phase has slowed, but organs and other body systems continue to mature. The swallowing reflex is in full swing and your baby will begin to "drink" amniotic fluid, which helps his digestive system to develop.
Your baby's oil glands are also starting to produce a waxy substance known as the vernix caseosa, which soothes and protects his skin in the amniotic fluid. And the buds for permanent teeth are forming! There's no smile yet, but that'll happen sooner than you think!

You're gaining weight and your pregnancy is showing, so stand tall and be proud. You're going to be a Mom! As your uterus enlarges, the outermost abdominal muscles pull away from the center of your stomach, resulting in a condition known as diastasis recti. You may see this as a "separation" down the middle of your tummy. It's completely normal and usually resolves after birth, but take care not to do any excessive abdominal workouts, particularly crunches. (After the baby is born, check out the exercise demonstrations to help correct separated stomach muscles. You may also develop more swelling in your feet and legs, which you can relieve by elevating your feet. If you do not experience relief, or if portions of your legs are hot and red, talk to your doctor. You may have a small blockage in a blood vessel.

Halfway there! 20 weeks!

Today I am 20 weeks pregnant! I have 20 more weeks to go (more or less). I am officially halfway there.
Since I just recently posted about how I am feeling, I'll just leave you with a belly picture and the baby info:


Congratulations--you're almost halfway there! Celebrate by talking to your baby; she can hear you now. Weighing in at about 9 ounces (.25 kg) and measuring over 6 inches (15 cm) long, your baby is aware of all kinds of sounds, from the beating of your heart and growling of your tummy, to songs on the radio and the buzzing of your alarm clock. If you feel a "bounce" in your tummy when you hear a loud noise, it's because your baby hears it, too! This is the start of your baby's active phase. You'll feel every twist, turn, and wiggle. You may also hear your baby's heartbeat through a stethoscope, and it's probably faster than you expect--120 to 160 beats per minute.

If your doctor hasn't already measured your tummy, now is the time. Although the size of every uterus (and every baby) is different, most women measure around 8 inches (20 cm), from the top of the pubic area to top of the uterus. You will continue to grow about half an inch (almost 15 mm) per week for a while. If your measurement is much larger, it could mean your pregnancy is farther along than expected-or that you are carrying twins! If it's much smaller, it may indicate your baby is not growing as expected, or that your pregnancy is at an earlier stage. Either way, most women will have an ultrasound at this time to determine how their pregnancy is going and to find out the sex of the baby.

Happy Thanksgiving

From all of my family, to all of yours!

Congratulations, it's a....envelope!

So, we had our halfway ultrasound today. It took almost an hour, but we got to see the various parts of our growing baby. It was very cute to see the curled up hands, and to see the baby moving his/her arms around. Everything looks good with the baby, right on track for where I am at in the pregnancy (19 weeks 2 days).
As for the gender, well...that's been written down on an envelope and sealed and put safely somewhere in our house. We are still holding firm about being surprised when we finally give birth. So neither of us are looking at that piece of paper until after we come home from the hospital with the new baby.

I gotta tell you, though...having that envelope in the house, right there, makes it VERY tempting. *sigh*

Anyway, here is one of the ultrasound images. The baby is facing up, with his/her head to the right. The bulge on the left is the belly, and the light little dashes above that are the hands/fingers.

19 Weeks

I am now 19 weeks along. Almost to the halfway point.
My belly keeps growing (well, duh), though I am not putting on the weight as fast as I should be. I need to eat more. And sleep more. (and exercise and de-stress and take more time for myself, etc.) The baby is kicking around a lot more in there. Not quite enough for anyone to really be able to feel it well. But soon, I hope. Matt thought he might have felt it a few nights ago. But the baby tends to settle down when Matt puts his hand on my belly...maybe the warmth emanating from him? Heh.

In two more days (on Wednesday), we have our ultrasound appointment. This is the one where they take time looking at the baby, measuring things, etc. And yes, this is the appointment where we could find out of the gender if the baby cooperated and we were interested in finding out. But this time we are going to wait and be surprised. Matt would kind of like to know, but I really want to be surprised this time...waiting until I give birth to find out whether it's a girl or boy. I didn't wait the first time for various reasons, and this time those reasons aren't there, so I see no reason not to wait. We aren't big on girl or boy themes, more into neutrals, and we have lots of clothes and items from Liam, so there is no need to ask for anything from people. If anyone really wants to get us gender-specific clothing/items (pink and frilly, etc), they are welcome to...they should just include a gift receipt with it (or be okay with us re gifting it down the line) in case it turns out to be the opposite. I don't mind this, and I don't mind picking out two names. I think it will be far more exciting to hear the news as a part of that wonderful moment, for us anyway. Hopefully everyone will respect that (I am surprised at how many people are surprised and have their own opinion on how we should run our pregnancy).
We WILL post whatever good ultrasound pictures we are given. So check back soon after, okay?!


Here is this week's official pregnancy info for 19 weeks:

Baby starts growing again, and you can feel it, with backaches and even some heartburn!
Six inches (15 cm) in length and weighing more than 7 ounces (.20 kg), your baby is still tiny. But remember, by the time you deliver, baby's weight will increase by about 15 times what it is now! Your baby's skin has begun to develop a creamy, protective coating called vernix, but on a sophisticated ultrasound, you will clearly see the network of developing blood vessels showing through baby's thin skin.

Heartburn, backache, constipation, leg cramps, swelling of your feet and ankles--these are just some of the discomforts you may experience as baby grows. Dizziness is also common, often due to a drop in blood pressure, so be extra careful when rising from a bed or chair. You may also notice tiny bright red bumps, known as spider nevi, appearing on your body. Not to worry, they are just dilated blood vessels and will also be gone shortly after your deliver. Sometime during your second or third trimester, you may also develop melasma (also known as "pregnancy mask"). These brown spots of hyper-pigmentation (usually across cheeks and bridge of the nose) are related to raging hormones but are exacerbated by the sun. Most often it fades after delivery.

The Joy of Fire Trucks

I know...the joy of fire trucks? What is she talking about? Do fire trucks actually bring you joy? Do they bring me joy? Actually, yes they do.
...Why?

Because Liam loves them.

I never thought that seeing a fire truck on the road would make my heart happier and bring a smile to my lips and even make me exclaim "Ooo look! A fire truck!" to no one at all while driving somewhere. But suddenly, now it does. Because my son loves them so much, and gets so excited when he sees one...heck, when he even just hears one. They bring him such delight. And I love that delight in him so much, that it brings me joy, too. So, yes...seeing a fire truck on the road, as I did today coming home from my yoga class, brings me surprising joy.

18 Weeks

I am now 18 weeks pregnant. Only 22 more to go. I am almost to the halfway point. I definitely have a lot more energy, but still big periods of exhaustion. I am feeling the baby moving a lot more, though not quite as much as at the beginning of last week. He or she is taking it easy, this week, I think. Matt and I need to sit down and start thinking about names a bit more seriously...so far we each just been jotting down ideas as they come to us.

Here is both the belly picture and the info update:



18 WEEKS
You're gaining weight and your baby is too, weighing over 5 ounces (.14 kg), and measuring more than 5 inches (13 cm) in length. What an adorable pair you are! Baby's rapid growth period is beginning to slow down, but his or her facial features are starting to form. Your baby can now yawn, frown, smile, and make other facial expressions. Taste buds have developed, and your baby can sense bitter from sweet, and swallowing reflexes are now present. He or she may even start getting the hiccups! Because baby's eyes are still developing, they're very sensitive. If a light is shined onto your belly, your baby might flinch and try to cover his or her face.

Now that your uterus is about the size of a cantaloupe, you may begin to experience backaches. A shift in your center of gravity (upward and outward), along with increased hormone production, can cause some joints to loosen. As a result, you're more prone to twisting your ankles or wrists, so take care when exercising. Your heart is working about 50% harder now, so don't be surprised if you feel a bit out of breath.

Little Stirrings of Life

I am a bit late posting but I was away from a computer for the last four days.
On Saturday I was at yoga class, enjoying the various poses and reconnecting with myself after a stressful week at work. Karin asked us to do Legs Up The Wall at one point. As I lay there on my back, I felt it. This little light bump in my lower abdomen. Not a little flicker or bubble that I am not quite sure about. This I was sure about.
I felt the baby kick.
It was amazing. For the first time i was sure I was feeling the baby moving. And so strongly. It was very touching. And special.

These last few days I have been at a spa retreat with my mother. While there I have felt the baby kicking more and more. And last light, after a middle-of-the-night bathroom trip, the baby really went into a kicking spree. It was so wonderful to feel so much of the baby. Sort of a special time, in the middle of the night when no one else was awake or around. Just my quiet time to connect with the baby. And I finally really feel the baby.

I cant wait until the baby kicks strongly enough that Liam can feel it.


Some Details:
Even though I have felt little flutters and bubbles that were probably the baby kicking, I first felt the baby kicking for sure at 16 weeks, 5 days. I am currently 17 weeks and 2 days. Here is the baby info update for "17 weeks":

If you hold out the palm of your hand, your baby could sit in the center! Weighing in at over 3 ounces (.08 kg), your baby is growing a little more every day.
This week, your baby begins to develop fat cells (also known as adipose tissue). As your baby grows, these fat cells are essential to maintaining heat production and body temperature. Right now, water makes up most of your baby's body, but by the end of your pregnancy, more than three-quarters of his or her birth weight will be fat.

Your uterus is really growing. Its shape is changing from round to more oval and it is starting to fill your pelvis. At the top, your uterus will begin pressing against your abdomen, and you'll feel this pressure more when standing up than lying down. You may also feel some pelvic pain, caused by a stretching of the round ligaments that run between the top of your uterus and the wall of your pelvis. You may have pain on one or both of your sides, but it's normal and nothing to worry about. If, however, this pain is severe-and especially if you experience vaginal bleeding or water loss-call your doctor right away. Most often you will be fine, but it's important to let your health care provider make that determination.

100 Days

The baby is now 100 days old (inside). How do I know this? Well, I have a Pregnancy Journal that Matt reads to me every night...just like he did when I was pregnant for Liam. It's awesome to know what is going on daily with the growing life inside me, and it's wonderful to have something like this to share with Matt. I look forward to him reading it every night. But wait...I have something awesome that I have to share about this.

Some of you might know that Matt is currently in Austin, TX, for a mini-vacation, for a geek-out festival thingy called W00tstock. It didn't occur to me until after he had left the house that he would not be around to read to me for three nights in a row. I pondered about what to do...wait for three nights and make him read four entries all in one night? Read them without him? I decided to just wait for him to get back, because I loved hearing him read them.

As I started to get ready for bed, I texted Matt to tell him goodnight. He sent me a file via text and told me to open it when I was getting into bed. I finished getting ready for bed, figuring it was some video of him doing something in Texas. I opened up the file, and it was a sound file of him...reading that night's baby journal entry. He had pre-recorded it a few days earlier, so that I would still have that moment with him in the evening. In fact, he had pre-recorded all three nights that he was going to be gone. *melt* I was surprised...and so filled with love for him. With all the crazy stuff going on with redoing the family room and getting ready for a Halloween Party, he had remembered that it meant a lot to me to hear him read those entries, and that he wouldn't be around to read them...and he took action on it.
Yesterday his journal reading said it was Day 100. *happy sigh*

Catching up, 14 and 16 weeks

Yes, I know, I am really behind on my posting. I just wanted to throw up a quick belly picture that was taken shortly after week 14, and give the update for this current week (week 16). And yes, I should really be posting a belly picture for this week as well, but didn't get a chance to have Matt take one before he left (where is he? That's for another post). Sorry, things have been hectic.

Week 16 update: As this week begins your baby has fingernails, and the hair on his or her head is starting to grow. Although baby's brain is still tiny, it is beginning to send signals to muscles that allow arms and legs to begin moving. The motion, called "quickening" can be slight or more robust, but don't be alarmed if you don't feel it this week--you will soon enough.

(I am feeling more flicker bubbles that might be the baby moving around. Can't tell for sure yet.)

So, here is my belly picture at 14 weeks.



After I get the next one posted, I will try to also have a page that shows all the belly pix together for comparison, like I had for last pregnancy.