23 Weeks and Christmas

How the baby's growing: "Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb."

We had a GREAT Christmas! I can't believe it's already come and gone.  It's even harder to believe that next Christmas I'll be a mother. WEIRD!  It was a lot of fun hosting everyone at my house.  I can't wait to do it again! Below are a few pictures from the festivities :)

 

21 Weeks

Sorry I didn't post last week! Things have been so busy at church and with getting ready for Christmas.  My parents, Trent (my brother), and my grandmother are all coming to our house for Christmas.  Matt will preach on Christmas Eve, so everyone is coming to us! I'm still working on the menu, but I'm not feeling stressed out.  My family is very laid back, and I know they'll be happy to just roll with the punches.  I'll take some pictures of our Christmas decorations soon.  ALSO! Our new slipcovers came in. I'll be sure to post pictures of those, too. We're so excited that our house is coming together.

So, I'm over halfway through my pregnancy! I can't believe it.  I'm feeling pretty good these days. I am still dealing with exhaustion, but I'm able to eat most foods and have even been able to work out. I'm so thankful that the sickness has subsided.  We still don't have any names, furniture or bedding, but I'm trusting that we'll get all of this done in due time.  It's unbelievable how expensive baby stuff is...anyone want to sponsor us? :)

Here is the ultrasound picture from last week! I love her little nose :)

19 Weeks

What's Happening This Week: The baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

We have another doctor's appointment next Thursday, December 10. We should be getting another sonogram, too! I love how many times we've been able to see her. It's pretty great.

While in Destin mom and I bought some SUPER cute outfits for the little one! I'll have to take pictures and post them up here!

18 Weeks

What's Happening This Week: Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. Her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place.

My growing uterus has started shifting my center of gravity (belly forward, bottom out), hormones are causing my ligaments to relax and joints to loosen. The result? Back pain and soreness. BUT, I have been feeling her move :) So that's been an added bonus! I can't believe she's actually in there...so weird.
 
I think I'm FINALLY getting my appetite back! Since last night I've been SO hungry. I just read online that an increase in appetite starts this week.  I'm thankful for this...food has looked gross to me since August. I'm glad it's starting to look delicious just in time for Thanksgiving!

We're headed to Florida tonight to see my family for the first time in a LONG time! Matt hasn't seen Trent, my brother, since last Christmas! Can't wait to be home :) Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

First Presents :)

Last weekend I went to Dallas for a wedding shower and on my way home I stopped by Ashley's house.  Ashley was my sorority big sis and a dear friend who has the sweetest little girl, Addy :) Alana and Deana met me there! (Also sorority family members...Deana is my 'twin' and Alana is my little sister!)  Alana bought a sweet SMU onesie for our little girl and Ashley made the bow that's in my hair for her! She's very crafty.  Ashley also bought our little one a super soft blankie! THANKS GIRLS! I love you :)

17 Weeks

The baby has grown from 3.5 oz to 5.9 oz this week-and let me tell you, I've felt a change in my hormone levels! I've been pretty sick with terrible headaches. I just keep reminding myself that it's all worth it!  I may feel terrible at times, but the baby is very healthy! :)

What's Happening This Week:  Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5.9 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

I read somewhere that her fingerprints form this week, too! Pretty amazing :)

yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're SO excited! I can hardly wait to start buying everything that's pink and ruffled! I could hardly believe it when our ultrasound technician told us it was girl...I'm too excited to have a daughter :)

16 Weeks

What's Happening This Week: 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.

Tomorrow we go to the doctor at 9:30 am for our ultrasound which will (HOPEFULLY) determine the sex of Baby Stone! Stay tuned :)

Dallas

I spent this past weekend in Dallas with my girlfriends for SMU's homecoming.  We had a great time catching up with old friends, and a few a were pretty surprised to learn that I was pregnant! Below is a picture of me with my friend, Reasha, on the boulevard.  I thought it was time to post a belly picture :) Tomorrow I'm 16 weeks, so be sure to check back for an update!

15 Weeks

Every week is getting better, but I'm still feeling the effects of many hormonal changes :) This week I've started getting terrible migraines. After speaking with a few other mothers in my life, I've learned this is perfectly normal. Not fun, but normal. Speaking of those mothers, I feel so blessed to have such wonderful young mothers in my prayer group and from the church who are offering up lots of support, prayers and advice! (and maternity clothes!) I know they'll be an even bigger help once baby stone arrives. I'm so thankful to have them in my life.


This weekend I'm going to Dallas for SMU's Homecoming and for a girls weekend! I'm getting excited about seeing old friends and showing off my new baby bump :) Kelcey and I are going to do some maternity clothes shopping while I'm there.  Although, I've received boxes of clothes from the young mothers at our church. I'm (joyfully) overwhelmed by the generosity of these women!


What's Happening This Week: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

We aren't having an ultrasound this week, but next week we're going in on Thursday, November 12 (Matt's birthday), to try and determine the sex! Any guesses????

Week 14, first blog!

So after much urging from Kelcey, I'm starting a blog about my pregnancy/baby/life. Today marks the first day of my 2nd trimester. Thank you, Jesus. The 1st was tough to say the least. Morning sickness is a lie, I had all day sickness. But, as all of the mothers in my life kept reminding me, the sickness means TONS of hormones- which usually means a very healthy baby. So despite the horror that was the 1st trimester, all of the sickness was strangely reassuring. We had a sonogram at 12 weeks, and our baby is a wiggle worm! I can't tell you how bizarre it was to see that there was an actual human inside of me...a human that loves to move his/her arms and legs! I was SHOCKED to see that our baby actually looks like...well, a baby! I didn't see that coming. At my last appointment "pebble" (that's what we're calling the baby so we don't have to call him/her 'it'...get it? A pebble is a baby stone-I know, dorky)  looked like a bean. All of this is amazing.

I suscribe to weekly emails from babycenter.com that give me updates on my baby's weekly growth. I received this today: This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.


No wonder I'm so tired. Building a baby is hard work.