Wednesday, September 30, 2009

18 weeks 4 days ultrasound

Say hello to our little...



boy!!! :)



From the front, looking at his face and little belly.


From the side, he has his legs pulled up in front of him.


His little feet. (So adorable!!)


Scary pic of his eyeball. I think he has Dave's eyes, hehe.


A picture from the front again, showing his heartbeat (~148 bpm).


And the moment we were all waiting for...looking at his rump and legs from the bottom, with his little goods floating in between. :)

 Everything checked out healthy.  All his organs were in place, he was a good size.  The technician said he might be a little above average, with a head-to-butt length of around 6 inches.

So there's our baby for you. :)

Friday, September 25, 2009

17 weeks 6 days picture

Here are some pictures of my ever-expanding belly:


17 weeks 5 days



7 weeks 2 days


8 weeks 3 days, 10 weeks 3 days


13 weeks 1 day, 17 weeks 5 days
(Told ya I haven't grown much since I popped back at 13 weeks.
Maybe an inch.)


Growing bellies are fun!!!
17 weeks 6 days

Thursday, September 24, 2009

17 weeks 5 days

Last night Besido and I took a long trip to Walmart to get miscellaneous stuff needed for the new house and paint supplies for my parents. We walked up and down pretty much every aisle to get all the items on the list. About halfway through the trip, I started getting crazy bubble feelings in my lower abdomen.  Like a lot of them.  So either I was having crazy digestive issues, or Besido was doing somersaults.  I'm thinking maybe it was a combination of both.  At least some it was definitely Besido, because those weren't the typical digestive feelings I experience.  They even made me giggle a little. Apparently Besido really liked the chicken and cheese quesadilla I made for dinner.  I'll have to eat one before my ultrasound next Wednesday.  (Ok, not really.  That doesn't sound very appetizing for breakfast.)

I honestly don't understand how more movement isn't perceptible to me (or any pregnant woman at this stage). The average length of a fetus Besido's age is 5 1/2 inches head-to-rump. I mean, common, that's HUGE.  Add a couple inches of legs and arms on there, that's one big wriggly non-perceivable baby.  Our bodies are such impressive things.

Below is a picture of a live 18-week fetus. Blow the picture up so the length from crown to rump is 5 1/2 inches, and there you have Besido. :)



Tuesday, September 22, 2009

17 weeks 3 days

I just read this article.  This is one thing I won't be looking forward to after the baby comes, not one bit...

After the Baby: Secrets to Thicker, Healthier Hair 

As it is, I already have to get my hair permed to thicken it...  :(

Monday, September 21, 2009

17 weeks 2 days

Well it's been an eventful past week.  I got a killer cold virus that scared the crapoly out of me (because I almost passed out) and had me calling my OB and rushing to the (regular non-OB) doc.  I just wanted to make sure that the sickness wouldn't hurt Besido.  I apparently had really low blood pressure (like 105/53) among a myriad of flu symptoms.  The doc did a flu test, and thankfully it came back negative (which means probably no risk for Besido).  (By the way, have you ever had a flu test?  They shove a super long q-tip-looking thing through your nostril all the way to your brain.  Quite traumatic.)  Then the doc sent me home with a prescription for rest, fluids, food, Tylenol, and saline spray.  The rest and saline spray were probably my favorites, as they were the only two that really seemed to make a difference.

But that was last week and this past weekend.  Today I'm feeling better, and anxiously awaiting the next time I feel Besido moving.  (It would just be reassuring right now.)  I didn't really notice any movement since I've been sick, but I'm assuming that's because my mind's been a bit focused elsewhere (moving into our new house, in-laws in town, Dave's ultimate sectionals, Jessica's bridal shower, church, etc.).  Hopefully I'll feel another kick soon. :)

In the meantime, here are a few tidbits I read today about this week:
  • The baby will make purposeful movements now. You may notice that every time your midwife tries to use the Doppler to listen to the heartbeat, the baby 'runs' away from it. This is because the sound waves used by the devise are audible in the uterus. One study measured the decibel level as being the same as a helicopter hovering over your house. (Wow, I would try to run away, too.)

  • The taste buds are developed enough now for the baby to distinguish sweet and bitter. If a bitter substance is injected into the amniotic fluid she will grimace and stop swallowing. (How cute.)

  • My, it's warm in here. The average temperature within the amniotic fluid is 99.6 degrees F.  (Holy camoly.  My baby is living in a hot tub.)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

16 weeks 3 days

I had my 16-week appointment today, and it went well. :)

The doc said my uterus was measuring right in line with what would be expected for this time...it was about 16 cm long.  (Supposedly the number of centimeters should approximately match up with the number of weeks pregnant you are.)  I got to hear Besido's heartbeat, and it was just beating away.  The doc said it sounded very good, and she said she thinks Besido is a girl.  I asked why, and she said because the heartbeat is faster, between 160 and 170.  I had read online that some people claim that girls have faster heartbeats, but I was surprised to have the doc suggest the same.  In any case, I was just very happy to hear a healthy heartbeat and hear that Besido is growing well. :)

The doc asked if I still wanted to opt out of the screening procedures for abnormalities such as down syndrome, and I said yes.  There is no way that Dave and I would be willing to abort the baby, no matter the results, so I didn't see the point of getting the tests done.  But then I asked if any of the findings could be fixed.  She said the only thing would be that if I showed positive for spina bifida, then they would do a planned c-section and be prepared to do surgery on the baby immediately after birth.  Well, I definitely preferred that over not being prepared.  I asked how they would do the screening and if it would cost me any money, and she said they would just do a blood test and that insurance would cover it.  So I decided to have them do that screening, only.  I'm really not concerned, I assume Besido is fine, but if it was free and safer for Besido, I thought it'd be best.  So I let them stick me and take some blood.

The other exciting news was that the doc said I could come back in two weeks for my ultrasound instead of waiting for my next appointment in four weeks.  I was pretty psyched.  That means we can find out Besido's gender in just two weeks!!  (That is, of course, as long as he/she doesn't sit with his/her legs crossed the whole time.)  So mark your calendars for September 30th...it'll be a big day. :)

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Update to this post:

About 5 minutes ago, just about 30 minutes after I wrote this initial post, I felt the baby move!!!  I was in Kristin's office talking to her and her boss, Jessica, and all of a sudden I felt this little bump-bump across my lower belly.  I looked down and sure enough, it was right where my uterus would be.  I completely interrupted their conversation and was like, "Oh my gosh!! I think I just felt the baby move!!!!!!!"  I described it to Jessica, and she was like, "Yup, that's it."  I was soooo psyched.  It was the coolest experience ever!!

Way to kick, Besido. :)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

15 weeks 5 days

As of today, when I lay down on my back with my bladder full, I can easily feel my growing uterus, and the top of my uterus hits my belly button.  (This is pretty crazy if you think about it.  When my bladder's full, my uterus takes up nearly every other inch inside my abdomen up to my belly button.  Wow.)

So this got me to to thinking...is my baby super big or something?  Because I've read that the top of your uterus isn't supposed to reach your belly button until you're 20 weeks along.  (I'm almost 16.)  Hmmm.  Then I thought, well, I can't feel my uterus at all when my bladder is empty, so I wonder if the bladder affects the height of the uterus.

I didn't think I'd be able to find any information on this online, but it was surprisingly easy to look up.  And, as it turns out, having a full bladder can increase the height measurement of a pregnant woman's uterus up to 4.6cm (based on a study of 200 non-obese Black women between 16 and 42 weeks gestation - check it out here).  Well, 4.6cm is quite a difference.  So now I'm wondering...is this 20-week-belly-button estimate assuming measurement with the bladder full or with the bladder empty?  I'm sure hoping it's with the bladder empty...otherwise my baby is either a) a giant or b) not one but two.  (Although b) doesn't seem to be an option since I've already had an ultrasound and there was only one peanut in there.)

Below is a picture of what supposedly my insides look like at 16 weeks (which is in 2 days).  Although...I don't know if this pic is completely accurate because that baby seems a bit big for 16 weeks.  (Does that baby look like 4 to 5 inches head-to-butt to you??  It looks more like 6 to 7 inches to me.  Of course the last time I tried to estimate 4.5 inches I guessed about an inch or more too short.  So obviously my inch-estimating skills aren't the greatest.)  And that white thing below the uterus is supposed to be the bladder.  How would that affect uterus height?  I guess if it was full, it might push the uterus up more.


This whole pregnancy thing is very interesting indeed.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

15 weeks 4 days

Today I discovered that I am not a freak!!!

Haha, no, but really. I found a forum where a bunch of women around my time period in their pregnancies said they were all showing. I was super psyched. And several said that they were thin and/or physically fit before pregnancy. So showing early does NOT necessarily mean I was not in good shape when I got pregnant (which many websites have suggested, leading me to quite a bit of frustration).

If you're interested in reading, you can check it out here:

Showing at 15 weeks

On another note, in case you're interested, I have not gained any more inches in my belly over the last couple of weeks. Since my last picture I posted two weeks ago, I've wavered between looking like that and looking less pregnant. However, this morning in the shower, my skin on my upper abdomen felt very tight, and my bump looks very round and perky today...so more growing may be taking place as I write. :)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

15 weeks 3 days

Here's the latest on Besido's development from WhatToExpect.com:

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Week 16 of Pregnancy

Listen up: Tiny bones in your fetus's ears are in place this week, making it likely that the baby can hear your voice when you're speaking (or singing in the shower). In fact, studies have found that babies who are sung to while they're in the womb recognize the same tune when it's sung to them after they are born (so choose your baby Muzak with that in mind…).

And baby's busily boning up in other ways. For one, the backbone (along with the back muscles) is stronger now — strong enough, in fact, to enable your baby to work on straightening his or her head and neck even more. Baby's crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is hovering around three ounces.
This little one's a looker — with a face that has both eyebrows and eyelashes — but a skinny looker since there's no baby fat yet. And here's the skinny on baby skin: It's practically translucent now, so if you took a peek inside your uterus, you'd be able to see your baby's blood vessels under that thin skin.
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Thursday, September 3, 2009

14 weeks 5 days

A month or so ago my mom got excited and bought a bunch of new baby outfits for Besido. Now you may be wondering...do we know Besido's gender, or did my mom just buy gender-neutral clothing? Oh, neither. She bought outfits in both genders, so Besido would have a few outfits no matter what. :) Haha she's funny.

So here they are (she sent me pictures; I haven't seen them in person yet):





Pretty cute, huh? I like the girl's one with cherries the best. :) Although those little boy's overalls with the matching hat are pretty adorable, too!
Thanks, Mom!


On another note, this week marks the end of my ability to go running. I'm pretty sad about this, and I figure the pups are going to be, too, since I always take them with me. Over the past month or so, I've been mostly doing the elliptical machine at the apartment gym because it's been far too hot to run outside. This past week cooled down, so I thought it'd be nice to take the dogs for a jog. However, when I went for my usual mile-and-a-half stroll around the area, things felt a bit different from normal. I felt like I was dragging 50 lb weights on each of my ankles. My legs started burning halfway through...usually they barely burn at all. My body seemed to be moving at the pace of about .2 mph. And within an hour after the run, I had aches and pains in my knees, my hips, my back, and my leg muscles. I was like, well, guess that's the end of that. Goodbye running until next spring (at the earliest). :(

So...elliptical it will be from now on. Now I'm on the search for an elliptical to buy off of Craigslist, because I won't have the apartment gym to use once we move to our house in two weeks. So if you're aware of a good elliptical for under $200, let me know. :)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

14 weeks 4 days

A few excerpts from some random sites:

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At 15 weeks, the bones in your baby's ear that are responsible for hearing are developing, and her taste buds are sprouting, too. From now on, she'll get a flavour of whatever you eat via the amniotic fluid. One study showed that unborn babies swallow more amniotic fluid if it tastes sweet, and less if it's bitter – pass the biscuits!
This week sees a period of rapid growth, with your baby starting to lay down fat under her skin. She's also gaining more control of her movements; scans at this stage have shown babies playing with the umbilical cord, snuggling up to the wall of the uterus, apparently for comfort, and even fighting with their twin. Your baby will probably get regular bouts of hiccups from now on, which help her lungs prepare for breathing.
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When will you "show"? You are at a very in-between stage right now. You may not yet look pregnant to the world -- or you may have already popped out. There is a great variation in the time your pregnancy becomes visible. This usually occurs between 14 and 20 weeks.

- From 15 Weeks Pregnant: Pregnancy Week-by-Week Guide

This site suggests that your uterus can fall forward more easily depending on the ligaments in your abdomen. My new theory is that I must have very stretchy abdominal ligaments.

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This link: http://www.yourdevelopingbaby.com/sampleChapters/7.htm has some AWESOME videos of babies moving in the womb. There's even a 15-week baby doing "aerobics", so you can get a glimpse of what Besido might look like about now. I got really excited when I saw these. :)

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

14 weeks 3 days

So according to the pregnancy emails I receive, Besido could now be up to 4 1/2 inches long. (That's 4 1/2 inches CRL, or crown-to-rump, or head-to-butt. In other words, it doesn't include the legs.) I read this at work and held up my fingers and guesstimated about how long that would be. I was somewhat impressed.

Then I went home and picked up a measuring tape so see how long 4 1/2 inches really was. I about dropped the tape. 4 1/2 inches was HUGE!!!! Seriously, go get a ruler and check it out. You'll be shocked. (To all you pregnant ladies that are months ahead of me, just let me be amazed for the time-being. I realize Besido will get much much bigger.) But seriously...I held up the measuring tape to Dave and was like, "LOOK AT THAT!!!" and he was like, "I KNOW, that's why I'm saying I'm surprised you're not even bigger!" And I'm like, "How in the world does that thing FIT in there?!?!"

Then all of a sudden the realization hit me that this little creature (yes I realize it's my child, who I no doubt already love, but regardless...) is squirming around inside of me, and it kind of gave me the heebie-jeebies. I mean, seriously. It's WEIRD. The thought of bacteria or viruses being inside of me has been known to make me squirm, so the thought of a mini-human is a bit over-the-top. How in the world did God come up with this idea??

Below is a picture of Besido's suppposed relative size compared to my body. (All pregnancies advance at different rates, so he/she could be smaller. I don't know, though, the way my belly is sticking out, I think this may be about accurate...)



Crazy, huh? The picture is from WhatToExpect.com's Week 15 page. Check it out. :)