hi there!
We are at 16 weeks now and guess what? I look pregnant now. My belly is sticking out now more then ever. I used to look like I'd eaten too much mexican food but now I look like I've got a little bean growing in there! It's actually nice to go out wearing the loose tops and having that belly of mine stick out more. I can't describe the difference a week or two makes! I feel much more like myself these days. Like the fog of the first trimester has lifted and I'm full of my usual energy. We had a doctor's appointment on Saturday for another monthly check up and we got to hear the baby's heartbeat again. It was beating at 151 beats per minute.
I could barely hear it. Afterwards Jerry told me that he could hear it just fine so I think the speaker thing was facing him. Next time I'll know to ask for her to move the monitor closer to me. The doctor took me off the modified bed rest. I can do everything now that was restricted before. I'm excited to start exercising. Swimming, walking and pre-natal yoga classes are on the list. I'm going to go slow though. Not real interested in becoming an award winning athlete, just in moving around and helping my body stretch out and relax and get the kinks out.
The doctor also told us that we are going to see the specialist to does the more expansive ultrasound in about 2 weeks. That is when we find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I think we will be at 18 weeks. part of me wants to wait until week 20 when the baby is more developed. I've heard it can be helpful to wait a little longer for the baby to have the big growth spurt. SO I'm going to ask them this today when they call me about the appointment. But - either way - we will find out the sex of the baby when we do the ultrasound. I think it is going to help me to bond with the baby while it's still in there. We can pick the name our names out for that sex. And we can start talking to him or her in a different way. I more specific way. I sng to my cat all the time " the pretty girl song " I think it would be nice to sing a song like that to the baby - and if it's a girl or a boy I can get more specific.
We went to Niko's 1 year birthday party yesterday. Niko was born with a lot of illnesses. He has been sick for the entire year including a few trips to the ER from not being able to breathe. They took his tonsils out and after that surgery his lung collapsed. But at the party - I got to see Niko smiling for the very first time and bouncing up and down on his daddy's lap like a happy little baby. It was touching to see him. They found out that he is allergic to wheat, dairy, chicken, eggs, soy, and a bunch of other things that were not helping.
Andrew and Kirsten ( Niko's parents ) are SUPER excited about our pregnancy and can't WAIT to come over and drop off almost every item of baby furniture and baby stuff that they have. They don't need a lot of it anymore and they would rather give it to us then just give it to goodwill. At first we were telling them that we weren't ready for it. But we cleaned out the second bedroom, and I'm past the first trimester - so we are going to plan a day when we go over and take a look. I'm still a bit flipped out about bringing baby stuff into our house. It just seems surreal when I am not that far along in the pregnancy. But I guess it will help us get ready to start getting the room set up!
Also we had house guests this past weekend who came down from Portland. And guess what? She is pregnant too! She is 3 weeks behind me so we are both due in March. CRAZY! So it was really nice to have an old friend here ( I've known her since Minneapolis when we worked at the Guthrie together, and we both lived in portland too and we both worked with Miguel Ruiz too - so there is a lot of history there. Her husband is a fabulous guy and he and Jerry get along great. ) Ok anyhow - it was nice to lay around with an old friend and talk about being pregnant. We both have different ways of approaching it but it was nice to not feel at all like either of us was trying to tell the other one that their way is better. I've gotten that in the past with friends who have babies telling me how to do it in a very un supportive - very domineering way. That's never fun.
Sounds like she is going to do an at home birth with a midwife. I'm doing an in hospital birth with a OB/GYN and no midwife or doula. And our main goal is to have a healthy baby so we are on the same page with that!
I can't believe that the next time we see them we will be parents! All of us! Holy............!!!!!!
They were our first house guests. We had a blow up bed that worked ok - but we do need something better then that. But it was really nice to have them here and to show them our home, our neighborhood, our favorite places, and a slice of our life.
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here is what babycenter.com says about the baby's development this week:
How your baby's growing:
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.
How your life's changing:
The top of your uterus is about halfway between your pubic bone and your navel, and the round ligaments that support it are thickening and stretching as it grows. You're probably feeling a whole lot better as you settle into pregnancy, too. Less nausea, fewer mood swings, and "glowing" skin contribute to an overall sense of well-being.
Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, many don't feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (And if this is your first baby, don't be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll grow stronger and you'll be able to feel them much more frequently.
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