20 Weeks

Fruit pictures and baby details are courtesy of thebump.com

"Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe! Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch." -Thebump.com

Weekly Checklist:

How far along? 20 Weeks -- 1/2 way there!!

Total weight gain/loss: 9 lbs

Maternity Clothes: No change - still need maternity pants and just some longer shirts. Now that fall seems to be creeping around the corner, I'll probably start building up some warmer tops to wear.

Sleep: The pillow method seems to be working great! However, J doesn't like that me and my pillows seem to have take over the bed!

Food Cravings: Nothing out of the ordinary. But I'm definitely starting to feel like I'm eating more. I'm getting hungry very shortly after I've already eaten.

Labor Signs: none

What I miss: I am not a big alcohol drinker, but I can say I did miss it a little in the last couple of weeks. My oldest step-sister turned 21 last week and while I could buy her a shot, I couldn't join her. It's a tiny sacrafice though.

What I am looking forward to: J being able to feel the baby kick. Now that movement is becoming more and more noticeable to me, I want him to feel it as well. Oh yeah -- and seeing the baby again NEXT WEEK! Hopefully he/she will shows us the goods! :)

Weekly Wisdom: I've read that women bond with their babies differently and in different time-frames. For me, it was once I really started to feel the baby. Don't get me wrong, I've been excited since day 1 about this baby, however, in the last couple of weeks it's really hit me. I love the baby that is growing and moving around like crazy. It makes me happy everytime I feel movement because I know he/she is awake and moving around. Some women fall in love the minute the know they're pregnant, for me I fell in love now that the baby gives me constant reminders that he/she is there.

Milestones: Hitting the 1/2 way mark. Only 20(ish) more weeks to go!

Vacation!

Last week we went to Michigan with my Dad, Step-Mom and siblings. It was a lot of fun though I think we all wished the weather had been better. Below are some pics from our trip and a few of the growing baby-bump!

Here's us at the beach, apparently my shirt is getting too small. This day was very windy so everyone else took advantage of the huge waves in the lake. The waves were so strong they knocked J over when he wasn't looking.

Since it rained a lot and we couldn't get much beach-time, the next best thing was ice cream! There is a great ice cream place with all types of flavors and their portion sizes are big. J took a picture of me feeding the baby peanut butter fudge ice cream. Yum!

At the end of the trip every year we take family pictures by the Grand Haven sign. I wanted to make sure the baby knew he/she was in the picture this year, so I made J hold the baby too.

I wish the weather had been better since I think we had enough of games and reading by the end of the week. But it was a fun trip and nice to get away for a few days. Next year there will be one more person in the cottage probably taking up more space than the rest of us with all his/her baby stuff!!

19 Weeks

Fruit pictures and baby details are courtesy of thebump.com

Baby is the size of a Mango! "Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature." -Thebump.com

Weekly Checklist:
How far along? 19 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 7 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I've given up all non-maternity pants, except a pair of capris that sorta still fit. Plus I really like them. The next stage will be working my way into maternity shirts or at least shirts a little bigger. Some of my favorite ones I'm finding are a lot shorter once they work their way over my belly.
Sleep: I am now finally getting a little more energy. However, sleep is becoming more uncomfortable. For some pregnancy reason about my ligaments expanding, I wake up with hip and tailbone pain from sleeping on my side.
Food Cravings: Still no weird cravings. Probably the weirdest food I've eaten all week is a peanut butter & marshmello sandwich (fluffernutter). However, that was mostly because I didn't want to eat left-over pork chops and couldn't have a ham sandwich.
Labor Signs: none
What I miss: Being low maintenance. Usually I'm a go with the flow type of person who doesn't really need to do things my way. But when I can only eat certain foods and still have aversions to many of those, I become a little more demanding. Plus waiting on other people for things like meals, I get a bit crankier than I normally would. Being hungry takes on another meaning when you're "eating for two."
What I am looking forward to: Seeing the baby again. It's still over a week away, however, I'm just so excited to see how much he/she has grown.
Weekly Wisdom: Pillows are my friend. I'm learning to sleep more comfortably by cusioning my back and hips with pillows. This didn't work so well in the double-bed J & I were in last week, but worked pretty well in our queen.
Milestones: Nothing major this week, but I am feeling the baby more often now. It's not constant enough that I am worried when I don't feel him/her, but it's exciting to feel it more often. It's also becoming a stronger feeling where I no longer wonder if I've felt something but know that I have. I love it! Still no kicks can be felt outside my stomach, so J is feeling a bit left out, but it will happen soon enough.

18 Weeks

Fruit pictures and baby details are courtesy of thebump.com

Baby: "Baby's now the size of a sweet potato! Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements." -Thebump.com

Weekly Checklist:
How far along? 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 5 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Last weekend's shopping spree was a success. I got 3 pairs of pants, a pair of capris and a shirt for like $70. Gotta love Kohl's discounts!! So this week i've worn maternity pants everyday except one. It's very comfortable.
Sleep: I'm still very tired all the time, but I found out this week that it might not be the pregnancy. Since becoming pregnant, the Dr discovered that I my thyroid isn't producing enough hormones (hypothyroidism -- I think). This can cause tiredness. I've been on medicine for it, but apparently it wasn't strong enough and he increased my dosage. So I'm hoping that works and I get a few weeks of energy!
Food Cravings: Nothing big this week. I am starting to get back to liking healthier food again, which is good. I had a dream last night about eating an orange...maybe that means I need to increase my fruits
Labor Signs: none What I miss: Sleeping on my back
What I am looking forward to: Vacation!! We're headed to Michigan next week with my Dad, Step-Mom, Sister, 4 step-sisters & step-sister's boyfriend. Come to think of it, this year women will outnumber men on this trip 7-3. It's usually a fun time & very nice to relax. It's not quite baby-related but hey, the little one needs a vacation too! I'm even more excited that next year we'll be bringing him or her on the trip with us.
Weekly Wisdom: As a pregnant woman, I should not be allowed to go to the grocery store by myself. For instance, I stopped Monday night to pick up chocolate milk and bagels/cream cheese. As I walked through the store looking for these items, I became easily side tracked. Oatmeal creme pies? In the cart... Ice cream? Sure, then I won't go to Culver's this week! Chocolate Covered Cheesecake -- on a stick? Why not? At least I didn't forget the milk and bagels. :)
Milestones: Nothing noteworthy. Though I do feel like I'm starting to look like I have a small baby bump. Jason tells me it's definitely a bump, but when I'm in public I think people look at me and think "Pregnant or fat?" Oh well! It will come soon enough.

The Daycare Search

It's true, I'm not far enough along to know the sex of my baby, but I am already looking for childcare!

Our daycare search actually started when I was still in my first trimester. I had a meeting with HR around 8 weeks or so and was told that the waiting list for Kohl's daycare was long. How long could it possibly be, I'm not even giving birth until January, not to mention I won't need daycare until April 2010? No exaggerating on HR's part - I'm currently told that I won't be able to get in until September 2010.

This actually didn't surprise me as much as it does other people. Working for P&G I had heard similar stories. When you have a good corporate daycare, spots go quickly. So of course, we need to expand our horizons in case I really can't get into our company daycare next April. Thus began our daycare search.

Daycare #1: Only blocks away from our house there is a brand-new daycare center opening in late August. With a great location and a raving recommendation I received from another expecting mother, we decided to check it out.

What we loved:
1. Webcams! There is a webcam in each of the rooms and as parents we'll have access to peek in our baby throughout the day. There are of course security measures where only the parents who have children in that exact room have access to the website. Not only is this the next best thing to having the baby just downstairs in corporate daycare, but I believe it also holds the teachers even more accountable.
2. Teachers are highly certified. The head teachers have bachelors degrees and assistant teachers have associates.
3. Infant rooms are "shoes off" to keep as much dirt off the floor as possible for the crawlers.
4. A lot of great toys and learning activities in the other rooms.
5. Field trips: Once children are old enough to be bussed somewhere, they will do field trips outside the daycare. They also do in-house activities like bringing in a magician.
6. Future planning: Before/After school care. They will actually bus your children to and from the elementary school in our district.
7. The director of the site has 20+ years of experience and was very passionate about what they currently have in the center and additions she plans to make in the near future. It's privately-owned and seems to be run very well.
8. Putting down a $50 non-refundable deposit today means we're guaranteed a spot next April.

What's not so great:
1. It's more expensive than corporate daycare by ~$1,500 per year.
2. It's not 2 floors away from my desk.

Daycare #2: Two floors below and down the hall is site #1 our corporate daycare. Open door policy allows parents to stop by whenever they'd like.

What we loved:
1. Location. You can't get much closer than the building I work in!
2. The cribs are in a closed off area than the play area. It's all glass so the teachers can see what's going on, but it keeps a lot of the noise out.
3. There are in-house activities for the kids (when they're old enough) such as computer day etc.
4. I know they hire quality employees and most teachers appeared to have a bachelors degree.
5. Future planning: They have a summer camp for school age children that I've heard great things about.
6. Lots of toys, activities in the rooms and nice playground.
7. Cost is better than every other daycare I've researched. Plus it includes snacks & lunches.

What's not so great:
1. We were taken on a tour by the admin, who was great and very helpful, but didn't "sell" us like the director did at the other site.
2. Teachers seemed to be mostly younger, including two people we went to high school with that were younger than us. I know I'm not in high school anymore, but it's always hard to picture someone you thought of as an "underclassman" as now someone who can take care of my newborn baby.
3. Waiting list has us out until September 2010. While it's very likely we won't have to wait that long, we still need a back-up plan.

So as you can see, we're slightly torn between the two daycares. I loved the first one, but it was based solely on feeling. I'm not sure I can justify spending more money, when statistically they seem to have all the same benefits. And I am not sure how much I'd miss not being able to stop by the daycare during the day. But then again, let's be realistic, how often will I be able to stop by? I'll keep you posted on our decision & welcome any advice!

17 Weeks

Fruit pictures and baby details are courtesy of thebump.com

Baby: "Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints." -Thebump.com

Weekly Checklist:

How far along? 17 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 4 lbs

Maternity Clothes: are expensive! Oh wait, I'm also cheap. It's hard to spend money on something I'm only going to wear for 23 more weeks (or so). I know I can keep them for the next time I'm pregnant, so I'm trying to stick to basics. Hopefully there will be some good stuff at Kohl's this weekend. Right now I own a pair of jeans, a pair of black pants and a couple maternity shirts. Most of my shirts right now work fine but I am in definite need for more pants.

Sleep: I think my tiredness is getting better, but I am still not up to full energy levels. Not even close to that "2nd Trimester energy boost" I kept hearing about. I'm calling it a myth at this point...

Food Cravings: This week I took Spaghetti O's to work for lunch. While I have been known to eat this childish treat pre-pregnancy, I've definitely never taken it to work! But it was good and I have no problems eating like a 6 year-old. On that note...I must remember to pick up chocolate milk. :)

Labor Signs: none

What I miss: Starbucks.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out if this little one is a boy or girl!! I was secretly hoping that we'd get to schedule our next ultrasound before 20 weeks, but that didn't happen. Sept 1st is our appointment and I really hope he/she cooperates!!

Weekly Wisdom: Each day our baby grows healthy is a blessing. I've read too many stories this week online of women who have lost or might lose their baby in the 17-20 week timeframe. My heart goes out to these women and I thank god that this pregnancy has been as uneventful and healthy as it has.

Milestones: I might have felt the baby last night. It felt like a little tap inside my stomach and it happened twice in a row. Now of course at this point it could've been gas but since I didn't feel anything else the rest of the night, I think it might have been the baby! We'll see as time progresses.

*On a side note...our baby is off to his/her second concert in-utero tomorrow night. We're hoping to turn this one into a music lover! Hopefully he/she also appreciates the yummy (and very bad for you) State Fair food that I plan on indulging in!

Boy or Girl?

Let's have a little fun! Since I will not find out if we're having a boy or girl until Sept 1st (praying the baby cooperates) then I figure we'll do some guessing.

I took an online quiz that uses a bunch of old wives tales to predict the gender of your baby. Not scientific by any means, but fun to guess.

You have a 14% chance of having a boy. And you have a 85% chance of having a girl.

And Here's Why...
You are carrying the extra weight out front, so it's a boy.
The hair on your legs is not growing any faster during your preganacy, so it's a girl.
Girls are carried high. You are going to have a girl.
Your feet are not colder than they were before pregnancy. You are having a girl.
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread. You are having a girl.
Dad-to-be hasn't been gaining weight along with Mom-to-be, so it will be a girl.
The maternal grandmother doesn't have gray hair (dyed or natural), so a girl will be born.
You had morning sickness early in pregnancy, so you are expecting a girl.
You are not looking particularly good during pregnancy. Therefore, it must be a girl, because girls steal their mother's looks.
Your chest development has been quite dramatic during pregnancy. You should expect a girl.
Since the sum of the mother's age at conception and the number of the month of conception is an odd number, it will be a girl.
A needle on a thread held over you belly moves from side-to-side, so it will be a girl.
Your urine is a dull yellow color, so you will have a girl.
You are craving sweets, which means that it is a girl.
Your nose hasn't changed during pregnancy, which indicates a girl.
Your baby's heart rate is 140 or more beats per minute, so it's a girl.
You have no desire for orange juice, so it's a boy.
You are having headaches, so it's a boy.
Your belly looks like a watermelon, so it's a girl.
When asked to show your hand, you show them the palm of your hand, so it's a girl.
You use the body of a coffee mug, so it's a girl.

http://www.childbirth.org/cgi-bin/boyorgirl.pl

Dr Appointment: 16 Weeks

Today was our monthly doctor appointment. I will have monthly appointments until week 28 when they will start biweekly appointments. Today was pretty uneventful, but I always appreciate hearing that everything is going well. Here are the highlights:

They did the standard items: weight, blood pressure and pee in a cup. All were on track. Then the doctor came in to answer questions, listen for the heartbeat and feel my stomach to make sure my uterus is moving up and growing.

This was the second time we heard the heartbeat with the doppler. Last time, he spent some time moving it around to hear it. This time, the second he touched it to my stomach, I could hear the heartbeat. The baby is so much bigger now, it's really easy to find. That was very exciting. He said that everything felt right on track. Basically everything is going by the book!

Then I asked a million questions and here are the answers in case you're interested:
-Does he recommend the Swine Flu Vaccine? Without hesitation, yes. He said the minute they get some he wants everyone in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters to get it. I asked if there was risk to the baby and he said that the virus isn't live and shouldn't hurt it. I still want to make the decision for myself, but since he feels strongly about it, I'll probably be getting it. I've never had a flu shot before, so it will be a first.
-When can I find out the sex of the baby? 4 weeks, the same day as my next monthly appointment. I was sad it wouldn't be sooner, but need to learn to be patient.
-2nd Trimester tests? He recommended the AFP test which was completed today also. They test my blood for neural tube defects such as spina bifida.
-Should I adjust the way I sleep? Yes he recommended I stay off my back as much as possible. Since I've read conflicting opinions on this, I wanted his. He said I could prop my back up with a pillow or sleep on my side. The reason laying flat on my back isn't recommended is that my uterus is now large enough that it can put pressure on blood vessels that can lessen the blood flow to the baby. So I'll be paying a little more attention to that.
-Can I eat honey? J & I were doing the grocery list in the waiting room and he told me to ask if I could eat this. If you read a bottle, it says don't feed to a child under the age of 1, so we figured we should check. He said, just like cheeses, if it's pasteurized/processed then it is safe. Basically I should stay away from fresh honey at a farm.

As silly as it seems, I love my appointments even when they're short. I love hearing my baby's heartbeat and knowing that everything is progressing on schedule. Before you can actually feel the baby it's very easy to worry. So hopefully in the next 4 weeks I'll start feeling the little one more!