Because of popular demand....the belly!

Week 21 & 22 Photo, I'm getting there!

A holiday greeting

Week 22, She is getting bigger!

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 7.6 inches and your growing baby weighs about 12.25 ounces now! The organ systems in your baby's body are becoming specialized for their particular functions. Your baby's senses are developing daily. The fetus now has a full complement of neurons in the brain and is learning about her body and surroundings through touch. Touch is one of the first senses to mature and your baby may stroke its face or feel her arms and legs. Your baby now shows an extremely rapid brain growth (which lasts until five years after birth). The ovaries of female fetuses contain primitive egg cells, all of the eggs a woman will have for her entire life. The uterus of female fetuses is also fully formed.

So I will try to get an updated picture to post in the next day or two. I think last week the baby really pooped out a bit. It seemed like it happened in one day, Greg came home from work and commented that something had changed that day. Maybe the banana sized girl was just too big to stay within my frame and I popped out! She has also started moving like crazy. I usually feel her throughout the day, just gently moving around. Although I have already felt a couple of movements that have startled me. By the time I get to Greg she has calmed down and there is nothing that he can feel yet.
We flew to Saint Louis for a few days and while I was in the airport a woman casually asked me when I was due, which I was thrilled to answer. I was just excited to think that I am looking pregnant and not just chubby. We had tons of fun in Saint Louis visiting family and friends. We got lots of baby gifts which was lots of fun. I will have to take some pics and share her growing and stylish wardrobe with everyone. We also found out that Greg's sister Shani and her husband Jamie Wahl are expecting their first baby, and only 6 weeks after us!! We are so excited Baby Girl O will have a cousin so close in age!
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a happy and safe New Year too!

Week 21, She's as long as a banana!

Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby. Your baby will be getting much larger during the second half of your pregnancy. Your baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is 7.2 inches and she weighs approximately 10.5 ounces. Your growing baby is about the size of a large banana. Your baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and your baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After your baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. Your baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itself for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. Your baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on your baby's tongue this week also.

Last week I had a Doctors appointment and everything went well. No new ultrasounds to share yet. I heard the heartbeat again and it sounded good. The midwife that I met with had a hard time finding the heartbeat because our baby girl kept moving around, she laughed and commented that she was being a little stinker since she wouldn't stay still! Seems like she is giving us little clues about her personality already....I'm thinking she'll either be a little stubborn or just an active baby always on the go (maybe like her cousin Beau?). They also measured the baby and said that her growth is perfect for her age, and they told me that I have gained the perfect amount of weight too. My belly is really showing now, we'll post pictures tonight...

Week 20, Half way there, just 20 more to go!!

This week marks the half way point of the pregnancy (Already? This seems hard to believe!). Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows. Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird. (Haven't noticed any patterns yet, but I usually do heal her moving around late at night!)

I have a Doctor's appointment this week to meet my new Doctor, and am very excited. The practice has a 3D Ultrasound machine so I'm hoping they will let me peak at the baby in 3D! Of course it they do you will all hear about it!

Week 19, the Bump

Week 17 and Week 19... (looks like I got smaller, but I promise I didn't!)

Week 19, She's big, healthy, and cute!

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.2 to 6 inches this week (We think She is a little bigger than that). Your baby weighs approximately 7 ounces (The ultrasound showed she weighed 9.1 ounces, a little bigger than average!) and will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and birth! One of the most amazing aspects of your baby's growth and development is that of the fetal brain (Her brain was one of the first things we saw at the ultrasound...we saw a section through her skull, with a view of both halves of the brian...amazing). Your baby's brain is one of the first organs to appear. Your baby's oversized head shows the brain's importance in her development. Because the nerves that connect the muscles to the brain have grown into place, your baby's movements are consciously directed. Your baby's ears stand out from the sides of the head and the buds for your baby's permanent teeth appear. Your baby's arms and legs have reached their relative proportions and her feet are approximately one inch long (This was one of the last things we saw, two feet, ten toes, wiggling and moving around!).

Click the images to enlarge

Wednesday's news...

We found out Wednesday before leaving town that we're having a Girl! The ultrasound showed that she is a very healthy girl, weighing 9.1 ounces! During the ultrasound we saw not only all of her healthy little organs but we saw her moving around, opening and closing her mouth, she opened her eyes, and even stuck her tongue out at us!

Greg and I were both pretty emotional seeming our little one for the first time. Even though my belly has been getting bigger and we have known there was a baby in there, it feels like we just got the news that we're going to be parents for the first time!

Thanks for all of the exciting emails, phone calls, texts etc. It has been fun to share the news and hear from everyone.