To laugh or cry that is the question ... apparently

Jax seems to have some issues figuring out whether he wants to laugh or cry. Maybe this is a normal new baby thing and I just missed it with Jaida but I do find it kind of amusing. Jax rarely cries and usually it takes something like a needle poke or me sitting on his hand (a story for another day) or something similar for him to really cry. Something is going on in his brain right now and whenever he gets giddy and starts to giggle he nearly cries. It is like his brain can't quite sort out what is going on ... pretty funny.

Three Months Old and as cute as ever

Jax is a few days over three months old. He is such a joy!

He had his first little head/chest cold a week or so ago thanks to his sister. He handled it like a champ ... no crying or sleepless nights. Last week he went to the pediatrician for his IPV and DPaT vaccines. He weighed 13 pounds 7 ounces and was a little over 24 inches long. He didn't get fussy or anything from the vaccines so that was good.

Jax is such a great baby. He sleeps really well both for naps and at night. He rarely fusses and is generally a joy to be around. On Thursday (9/28) he giggled out loud for the first time and it was the sweetest sound ever. He is also very good at grabbing objects and getting them to his mouth ... namely my hands or his blankie.

Yesterday Jax spent his first day with Nancy as I returned to work part-time. He did great. He only drank 3 ounces of breastmilk for her but then spent the evening nursing so all is well.

Stinky Boy

How can such a little guy smell SO bad? Jax now only poops once every three to five days and let's just say the gas on day 2-3 is very unpleasant. It doesn't seem to phase Jax but the smell is enough to clear a room. Oh ... and Jax apparently thinks farting is hillarious. He is SUCH a boy! He will let a big one rip and then get the biggest smile on his face ... it must feel great. :) By the time he finally gets around to pooping the sheer volume is just stunning. I tend to make sure I have no plans to go anywhere on those days since he can fill a diaper + some several times in a day ... a real mess.

TWO months old

Can you believe the boy is 2 months old already?!? We can't. Jax is doing great. He is a happy little guy that eats, sleeps and poops well. What else is there to life at this age? :)

Jax had his 2 month well baby check today. He is doing really great. He weighed 12 pounds 3 ounces and was just about 24 inches tall. He has grown 5 inches in two months which is amazing. He is going to be a tall dude. He looks quite tall ... pretty string beanish actually. He is by no means a light weight but doesn't look that heavy because he is so long. The little guy has lovely brownish/red hair and slate gray eyes that seem to toggle between blue, green and gray depending on what he is wearing that day. The pediatrician was impressed with how strong Jax is ... he holds his big noggin up nice and steady and also loves to stand and will do so for long periods if we hold him up.

We are going to fully vaccinate Jax but are doing it on a delayed schedule. He had two needles today ... one with a combination HiB/Hep B and the other with the PCV vaccine. He goes back in a month for the IPV and DPT vaccines. He was a little achey and fussy after the injections but nothing too bad.

Jax is just such a great little guy and so mellow. He still co-sleeps with us and we all sleep well. Some nights he will nurse and others he does not but generally he never wakes at night because we are right there with him so I guess there is no need really. He also naps well during the day.

Breastfeeding is still going great and Jax really seems to enjoy it but also has himself on a pretty good eating routine already which is nice. I can already tell he is a baby that is going to be just like Jaida in his love of routines. I make plenty of milk and have a nice stash in the freezer for when I return to work.

Generally life is great!

Goat Boy

We call Jax our little Goat Boy. Mostly because he sounds just like a little goat when he is getting fussy. He makes this cute little baaa'ing sound as his nose gets all scrunched up. It is really cute. We took The kids along with Jaida's friend Jordyn to the Montgomery county fair. As we were walking through the agricultural area we passed the goat barn. The baby goats were making all these noises and Jax got this look on his face like he was being called home. We were fairly amused. :)

One month Pediatrician Appointment

Jax continues to grow at warp speed. At todays appointment he weighed 10 pounds 9 ounces (75th %). Not sure about his length as they did not measure him. We will try to do this later today just for the record. Jax has the same sensitive bumm as his sister did early on. He has an allergy to all the commercial hiney wipes which make his bottom quite red and angry. So I made my homemade wipes and added a little comfrey oil to the mix. His bottom healed right up and continues to be a happy shade of pink. He also has a slight case of prickly heat on his face from being in skin contact with one of us so much of the time. The pediatrician said a small amount of hydrocortisone cream will make the rash go away ... so we will try that.


Jax is smiling more and more ... most of the time his big smiles come as he is gazing at us and drifting towards sleep. He is also starting to vocalize more and more. Lots of little happy cooing sounds coming from him now. The pediatrician was amazed at how much head control he has already ... a very strong little neck on the boy.


Anyhow, everything continues to go really well.

Nicknames

Jaxon is a boy of many nicknames. Beyond the obvious one of Jax he is also called Mr. Man Baby, Mr. Poopy Pants, Squawkmeister B, Bubba Boy and Little Buddy by his dad and me. Jaida fondly refers to him as Jaxie or Mr. Baby if that is your real name. :) The poor kid!

Jax continues to be the easiest baby on the planet. He seems to be in the middle of his evening fussy period which supposedly peaks around 6 weeks. It is almost comical ... he has such a hard time crying that he just gets this pained expression on his face as if to say "please don't make me cry" and fusses a little bit. Generally, during this period he will only be soothed by mama ... but at least he is soothable. He continues to sleep through the night. Last week was a little rough as he was going through his 3 week growth spurt and was nursing constantly. I am reasonably sure we stayed connected all night for 3 nights in a row as he was nursing every 30 minutes - hour all night. Luckily, we both slept through it ... he grunted and latched and we both went back to sleep. :) Happily, Jax will also sleep anywhere which allows me a lot more freedom for the time being.

Four Weeks Old

How can that be? Is it possible that time feels like it is passing by even faster this time than it did with Jaida? I can't believe the boy is already a month old!

Jaxon continues to be extremely mellow. Really quite the little sweetheart. He loves to cuddle ... especially with his mama but he gives dad and sister some cuddle time every day also. He finally has adjusted to cold wipes on his hiney and doesn't poop or pee every single time I open his diaper which makes diaper changes much more pleasant for all involved. He also seems much more okay with having a little naked baby time and seems to now be enjoying baths much more since starting to bath with Jaida. Today Jaxon enjoyed his first bottle of EBM. He acted like he has been taking a bottle forever which will give me a little break every now and again plus make sure he can eat when I return to work.

I am really wondering how we ended up with a child with light brown/red hair and blue/green eyes. It is freaking me out a bit. It will be interesting to see how he changes over the coming months.

Here are a few current pictures of the boy ...




Also, here is Jax's birth announcement for those that are not receiving it by snail mail.

http://www.purplestork.com/proofs/17658-jaxon-a.jpg

Three weeks old today

and a mini milestone for Jax. We have noticed over the last few days that Jax's eyes are really starting to track well and focus. When he is looking at us it is really obvious he is looking at us and not just scanning the room. Anyhow, Jax was lounging in his rocking chair which has a toy bar with a couple of colored padded geometric shapes hanging from it. He was focusing on one of the shapes on the end and concentrating so hard and making lots of little grunting sounds. He then picked up his right arm and made a big swipe and made contact with the shape. He did it about 4 more times while sitting in his chair. It was so cute to see him working so hard at this. Jax has also started smiling ... although only at his mama. These were genuine open mouthed grins where I could see he was going to smile by looking at his eyes first not the fleeting sleepy gassy grins from the first few days. He has smiled several times and always in response to me talking and cooing at him. He is going to have the sweetest smile.

Jax's eyes are also starting to change color ... although it is not clear what color they are going to be. His eyes will most definitely be more like mine in color where Jaida's are more like Joe's (super dark chocolate brown). Jax looks like he will have brown eyes but with some green and amber flecks like his mama's. Also, his hair is quite light in color ... sort of a light brown with a lot of red. It is also going to be curly. The long part on the top of his head is already starting to pouf up and has a bit of wave to it. So cute!!

Jaxon's Two week Pediatrician Appointment

I took Jax to his pediatrician appointment. He was pronounced in excellent health and a beautiful baby. The pediatrician commented on how long his arms and legs are and how big his hands and feet are. She said he is definitely going to be a big guy. His stats are 9 pounds 2 ounces and 21.5 inches long. He is tracking right along where Jaida was at this point ... she was 9 pounds 4 ounces and 22 inches at her 2 week appointment. He had blood drawn for his second PKU test and was not amused even slightly. The boy can definitely scream when he wants to.

Poop R' Us

Jaxon is 2 weeks old today. He is doing really well and already is changing so much. He has definitely held onto the newborn infant look much longer than Jaida did. I think because Jaida had so much hair she always looked older than she was. Jax still looks very much like a newborn. Right now Jax pretty much nurses, sleeps and poops a lot and that is pretty much it. He hardly ever cries (usually involves a diaper change when he is sleepy or a bath again when he is sleepy). He is very mellow and sleeps easily anywhere but especially loves to sleep in his mama's arms. He is generally sleeping through the night ... goes down at 11 p.m. and sleeps straight through to 5 a.m. or so and nurses and then back to sleep after minor grunting for another few hours. He is a very civilized baby with a very lucky mama. :)

Diaper changes have become a major source of entertainment around here. My reflexes are not quick enough for boy diaper changing which leads to much pee and poop being sprayed everywhere. Jaida thinks this is amazingly disgusting and absolutely hillarious all at the same time. Everytime I need to change Jax it means I go through three clean diapers in the process and usually end up with either pee or poop on myself. The boy is some kind of freaky poop making machine.

Jaxon's Birth Story

On June 26 I started feeling what I thought were contractions although they were not painful at all. I really just felt a tightening across my lower abdomen that was slightly annoying. At Joe's urging I started timing them and realized they were coming at 3 minutes apart for about 30 -45 seconds. This persisted for the next 3 days with the only change being the length of the contractions (stretched out to 45 to 60 seconds). I really felt like all the contractions were just my body preparing itself but after a couple of days I really started to doubt myself. Everyone was telling me that I was going to go into labor any minute but I just didn't feel like labor was eminent. I woke up on Thursday June 29th feeling well rested after getting about 10 hours of sleep. It was the best I slept in ages. I just had a feeling that morning that labor was going to happen soon but I wasn't going to sit around and wait for it to happen. I took the day off work and met up with a friend for a haircut and then we all headed to the pool for the day. That afternoon Jaida and I came home from the pool and took a short nap and then this insane nesting urge set in. Joe and I buzzed around and cleaned the house up, did a couple of loads of laundry and made dinner. Around 5:00 p.m. I called my doula (Mary), birth assistant (Gwen) and sister (Noa) to update them and let them know that nothing (other than the usual contractions) was going on. Around 7:00 p.m. Jaida wanted me to come out onto the porch to see something. I stood up and made it half way to the front door when I heard a pop and then felt a small gush. There was no mistaking it ... my membranes had ruptured. I went into the bathroom and sure enough clear amniotic fluid and bloody show. I then called everyone back (including the midwife, Regina) and let everyone know they should head to our house ASAP. Mostly because everyone except Gwen was coming from Virginia and it was rush hour.

Gwen was the first to arrive and she immediately started setting up the master bedroom for the birth. She started pulling out all of our birth supplies as well as her own. She started the crock pot with the cloths for perinneal compresses. She warmed up all the baby blankets and baby hats using a heating pad. Joe and I continued folding laundry, sending out some emails and then ate dinner. We told Jaida what was happening and she ran around the house yelling my brother is coming soon. She was so excited. Next to arrive was Regina and my sister. Regina sort of interviewed me to find out exactly where I was at. Since I wasn't having painful contractions yet she returned some phone calls and wrote out some notes. Mary was the last to arrive and by then the contractions were getting to the point where they were slightly more uncomfortable. As I was talking I noticed that I would easily lose my train of thought during a contraction.

About 10:00 p.m. we decided Jaida needed to get some sleep in case it was a long labor. I went into her room with her and tried to lay on her little bed with her to get her to sleep. At that point the contractions really started to increase in intensity and I was quite uncomfortable. At 10:30
p.m. I went into our bedroom and rested on my right side. At 11:00 p.m. I got up and sat on the birth ball while sort of leaning forward onto Joe's lap. Mary the doula spent the next several hours rubbing my back and applying counter-pressure during the contractions. At this point I started having hot flashes and then I would suddenly get cold and was feeling a bit shaky and nauseous. Around midnight I was sitting on the birth ball and was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. I got up and went to the bathroom and then stood while Joe supported my weight. Around 12:30 a.m. I suddenly felt VERY nauseous and ended up vomiting. This scared me a little bit as I started having flash backs to my labor with Jaida when I was so nauseous and dehydrated from all the vomiting. Regina assurred me that this was a very different labor and vomiting is very normal and just my body clearing itself out. At this point I could feel the baby shifting postiions and he suddenly felt very heavy and I felt a lot of pressure.

At 1:00 a.m. I clearly think I was going through transition as I remember thinking there was no way I could do this any longer and that the baby was never going to come out. Joe, Mary and Gwen were all giving me tons of support. I remember my cat Percy laying on the corner of the bed. She has HUGE owl eyes and I remember just simply staring into her eyes as I was trying to get through each contraction since they were doubling up on each other. It really gave me something outside of myself to focus on. I got up and went into the bathroom to pee and while sitting on the toilet I suddenly became totally convinced baby boy was going to be born while I was sitting on the toilet. I suddenly felt tons of pressure and a strong urge to bear down. Joe told Regina that I was wanting to push and she brought some chux pads into the bathroom and put them on the bath mat just in case. I made it back into the bedroom and Regina suggested I lay on the bed on my right side. As soon as my body hit the bed I felt my body bear down and the rest of the amiotic fluid came gushing out. Regina warned me that the fluid was padding the baby and now that it was gone I was going to really feel a strong urge to push and a lot of pressure since the water was holding the baby back from really moving down into the birth canal. No more than she got the words out of her mouth I felt the most uncontrollable urge to push. It was incredible. The contractions were there but they didn't hurt any longer and the pushing felt so good and productive. I felt like I could push so hard I would rip in half. Regina reminded me that I needed to make small controlled pushes to help avoid a nasty tear like I had with Jaida. So I tried my hardest to make several small very controlled pushes through each contraction. I think it was possibly the hardest thing I have ever done seeing as how I wanted to just push hard and get it over with. Regina applied warm compresses to perineum to help it stretch and also did a massage with olive oil to help as his head was coming out.

At 1:58 a.m. Jaxon was born and it was the most amazing feeling in the world. Regina told me exactly what I was feeling as he came out. Head crowning (the burning gave this away), his forehead, brow bone, nose, chin, neck, first shoulder, second shoulder and then body. I felt everything. As soon as Jax was most of the way out our doula woke Noa and Jaida and asked them to come in. Jaxon latched on and started nursing about ten minutes later and then when the umbilical cord stopped pulsing and turned white/gray in color the midwife clamped it and Joe and Jaida cut it. We all laid on the bed staring at this new little human being in awe. Jaida was totally amazed at all of it. A few minutes later out came the placenta. We all inspected it and then Regina repaired a minor tear for me. No sponge bath for Jaxon ... he was covered in vernix (looked like a coating of felt) and we just vigorously rubbed it into his skin and that is where it stayed for the first three days of his life. We did not give him the Vitamin K injection and also did not put the antibiotic ointment in his eyes. It was so amazing seeing this little person just gazing at everyone in the room and knowing that his vision wasn't clouded (any more than normal) by the ointment. At 3:00 a.m. Joe brought me a sandwich, fruit and some OJ with an iron supplement in it. At 4:00 a.m. after the midwife, et al. finished their reports, cleaned up the room, started a load of laundry and checked on me they headed out and left our little family on its own. Simply perfect.

Jaxon had apgars of 8 and 9 ... he scored perfectly except on color ... it took him a bit to completely pink up. I have a feeling this is because the room was so cold ... I was a bit hot during labor. He weighed 8 pounds even 19 inches long and was born exactly a week before his edd. The birth experience was exactly like I imagined it should be. We had the lights dimmed and nice Native American flute music playing softly. Everyone stayed mostly silent but when talking happened it was in very hushed tones. Jaxon's birth was amazingly peaceful and I think it has carried over into every aspect of his early life. He is the most mellow and relaxed little guy. He rarely gets upset and peacefully nurses for prolonged periods of time. Just simply perfect in every way.

One Week Old

Jaxon is one week old today. Well, technically at 1:58 this morning.

He is doing wonderfully. He is a very sleepy baby but does have nice periods of quiet alert time where he just sits back and takes it all in. He looks all around and is especially drawn to his sister's voice. He sleeps in th emorning and usually has a short period of awake time right around lunch time and then eventually falls back to sleep and stays that way most of the afternoon. He has quite a bit of awake time in the evening while he cluster feeds. He usually falls back to sleep around 8:30 or so. I force a dream-feed on him around 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. and then he sleeps until 4:45 or so. He then has a quick feed and I pump what is remaining and he goes back to sleep until 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. We have only heard him cry a handful of times ... once right after birth, a couple of times during diaper changes and during his only 2 sponge baths. Jax really is the sweetest little guy. He is so relaxed which often makes me wonder if he actually has a central nervous system. :) He has very relaxed arms, legs and hands and rarely displays the falling/startle reflex. So different from Jaida. He sleeps in the bed with Joe and I and we are enjoying every single minute of it. He is such a snuggle bug.

He had his first pediatrician appointment on Monday morning. He was pronounced perfect but then again we already knew that. He doesn't have any jaundice or other strange newborn issues. His umbilical stump was looking a bit funky ... not infected just a little funky. So the pediatrician painted it with silver nitrate to help speed along the drying process and asked us to put alcohol on it at every diaper change. It fell off Wednesday night and I found it in our bed Thursday morning. I don't think it was quite dry yet though as his actual belly button is still a tad bit oozy but hopefully it will dry up soon. Otherwise he is doing wonderfully. At birth we declined the Vitamin K injection and also declined the eye goop. We also decided not to circumcize. So he is a 100% organic baby boy. ;) At the pediatrician we also are delaying all vaccinations for at least several months. So short of taking a tiny bit of blood out of his body for a metabolic screening nothing has been put into his little body. We delayed the vax's with Jaida also and she was still fully vaxed by her 2nd birthday so it is completely doable and just seems to make sense to us to let him get some meat on his bones before we start pumping him full of stuff. My milk came in on Monday morning and I can tell he is definitely already heavier. At his pediatrician appointment he was 7 pounds 14 ounces so he only lost 2 ounces of his birth weight which is amazing since babies can lose up to 10% of their birthweight in the first week.

We are all falling madly in love with little Jax. He is such a joy to be around already. Did I mention that he smells so good? His natural smell is so sweet. Who knew I missed having a tiny baby around so much.

More pictures

The DUDE has arrived!

Jaxon Lamela Rhea "Jax" was born at home at 1:58 a.m. after a six and a half hour labor. My membranes ruptured at 7:00 p.m. and active labor started about 10 p.m. It was a relatively easy labor and delivery. I will write out the birth story in a few days.

For now his stats are:
Birthday: June 30, 2006
Weight: 8 pounds even
Length: 19 inches

And now for the good stuff ... pictures

A few seconds after birth
Me bonding with the kiddos
Jaxon breastfeeding while we all rest
Jaxon getting weighed with the fish scale
A snuggly Jax

Let's get this party started

39 weeks 1 day (LMP) 37 weeks 1 day (gestational)

I had an amazing nights sleep last night. First time in months I didn't wake up multiple times to pee. I woke up in a good mood and feeling well rested. I had another full day of the same contractions but today I didn't sit around wondering what is going to happen. I decided not to go to work today and instead called a friend. Jaida and I packed up and went to my friend's house. Marybeth cut my hair and then took about 6 inches off of Jaida's hair also. After we visited a while Jaida decided she wanted to stay and play with Caleb so I went home for a couple of hours to eat lunch and rest. I went back and we all went to the pool for the afternoon.

When I got home I went into insane nesting mode. Laundry became a very urgent matter for some reason. We tidied up the house, cleaned Jaida's room, moved some supplies, ate a good dinner and got Jaida all bathed and ready for be early. I was sitting on the sofa and stood to go see something Jaida wanted me to look at. I made it half way to the front door when I heard a pop and felt a small gush of water. We called the midwife (Regina), birth assistant (Gwen), doula (Mary) and made sure my sister was on her way to help with Jaida and be here for the birth.

So now I sit here waiting for womething to happen. I am still doing laundry and chatting with everyone and waiting for contractions to pick up in intensity.

I will keep you updated.

This will be my last belly picture. It was taken right after my membranes ruptured. If you look closely you can see the baby's feet sticking out of my side right at the edge of my shirt.

More contractions and other general funkiness

39 weeks 0 days (LMP) 37 weeks 0 days (gestational)

Working on day 2 of 3 minute apart contractions. Fun stuff! I even have them when I am sleeping but like I said not painful at all. Went to work today and I think I might have frightened a few people. :) After going to a retirement luncheon I wasn't feeling too well ... combination of contractions and eating too much likely. Called my midwife and she met us at the house to check me out. Blood pressure was good and low and I dilated another cm and was slightly more effaced (~4 cm and 65% effaced). She did say she could stretch my cervix another cm or 2 ... YIKES! She thinks I am likely losing my mucous plug also. It is sort of coming out slowly and in chunks ... more information than anyone wants I am sure. Anyhow, told to rest up. She thinks when I go I am likely going to go pretty quickly.

Lots of contractions

38 weeks 6 days (LMP) 36 weeks 6 days (gestational)

Well I am officially having contractions. They are three minutes apart and last about 45 seconds but they don't hurt in the slightest. They are just causing my belly to tighten down below my belly button. Hopefully, they are at least causing me to progress a bit. I wonder how long I could go on like this? Then again maybe I don't want to know the answer to that question. :)

Feeling HUGE and ready

38 week 4 days (LMP) 36 weeks 4 days (gestational)

A picture is worth a thousand words ...

Baby Shower

38 weeks 0 days (LMP) 36 weeks 0 days (gestational)

weight: 131 pounds
waist: 38 inches

At this time, your baby weighs about 6.8 pounds (3.1 kg). Crown-to-rump length hasn't changed much; it's still about 14 inches (35 cm). Total length is 21 inches (47 cm).

I had my 38 week midwife appointment yesterday and all was perfect ... low blood pressure, no swelling, GBS test was negative, found out I don't need prophylaxic antibiotics for prolapsed mitral valve in my heart, and fundus was measuring at 38 ... so just perfect in other words.

The sweet ladies at work threw a baby shower for me this week. The boy received many blue outfits, soft blankets, stuffed toys, album, frame, toys and misc other supplies. Everyone was extremely generous and we appreciate it all SO much. Jaida and I had fun going through all the clothes and washing them and hanging them up.

Generally, I feel pretty great for a hugely pregnant woman. I am pretty comfortable except the occassional shooting nerve pain down my leg. I have a fair amount of energy and am sleeping relatively well (in between bathroom trips).

We have everything we need for the boy and the house is all set-up for the addition of a newborn. I have all my birth supplies together and in the master bedroom. Our birth assistant did her home visit this week and gave us some pointers and checked everything out. We also met with our doula a couple of weeks ago and really liked her. She is very laid back and will be a welcome addition to our birth team.

My 38 week belly picture ...

From Visembryo:

Grasp becomes firmer.

ABDOMEN
Body is round and plump due to new fat storage keeping the body temperature at about 32 F above maternal temperature. Fetus turns toward light sources in what is known as the orienting response. Intestines accumulate a considerable amount of meconium which is usually eliminated shortly after birth. If birth is delayed, the fecal material will appear in the amniotic fluid.

LIMBS
Space limitation continues to restrict fetal movement. Limbs are bent and drawn close to body. Bones are flexible and ossification, hardening, progresses. At birth, the tibia, long bone, of the leg is usually completely ossified into bone.

Good news

37 week 0 days (LMP) 35 week 0 days (gestational)

Your baby weighs almost 6.5 pounds (2.95 kg). Crown-to-rump length is 14 inches (35 cm). Its total length is 21 inches.

I had my Group B Strep test today. While the midwife was doing that she decided to do my one and only internal exam also. She said I was slightly dilated, baby was vertex and at 0 - +1 station, cervix was extremely soft and spongy and beginning to efface and most importantly already moved to the anteriour position. The anteriour part is great news as she said that is usually the last thing to happen before labor and more importantly allows the baby to enter the birth canal at the right angle. Hopefully, this will alleviate some of the issues I had with Jaida's labor. Other great news is that I can now officially deliver the boy at home if all works out. The midwives only do deliveries from 37 - 42 weeks.

All good news. The boy is going to be here fairly soon.

Boring update

36 weeks 0 days (LMP) 34 weeks 0 days (gestational)

weight: 128 pounds
waist: 37.5 inches

By this week, your baby weighs about 6 pounds (2.75 kg). Its crown-to-rump length is over 13.5 inches (34 cm), and total length is 20.7 inches (46 cm).

Not much going on really. The boy is still moving around like crazy. I am a tad uncomfortable but nothing too bad. I am getting a little tired of people asking me if I am still pregnant. I have one week left to make it through to ensure I am at least eligible for a homebirth.


Here is my 36 week belly picture ...

From Visembryo:

Placenta is now one-sixth of fetal weight.

HEAD
Gums appear ridged and may look like teeth. Head may now position (head-down) into pelvis before labor.

ABDOMEN
Gastrointestinal system is very immature and will stay that way until three or fourth years after birth. Fetus stores about 15% of weight in fat to keep temperature of body warm. Fetus receives and eliminates nutrition through umbilical cord.

LIMBS
Limbs begin to dimple at elbows and knees and creases form around wrists and neck.

SKIN
Skin appears light pink because of blood vessels close to its surface.

Walking and sitting

34 weeks 0 days (LMP) 32 weeks 0 days (gestational)

Your baby weighs almost 5 pounds (2.28 kg) by this week. Its crown-to-rump length is about 12.8 inches (32 cm). Total length is 19.8 inches (44 cm).

I am not sure if I have ever been so tired, sore and cranky in my entire life. I have been in training all this week. Not such a bad thing usually but this training is in a specific computer language which is pretty darn boring and puts me to sleep. It is a full 8 hour day when I am used to working only 5 hours. Plus it involves a lot of walking since I have been taking the metro into the city and walking several blocks to and from the station and training center. My bladder and pelvic floor muscles may never be the same. Add to that a long day of sitting in one place and well the results aren't terribly pretty. Plus I was the only female in the class and a very pregnant one at that. Every time I moved someone was looking at me like I was going to explode at any moment. Happily, the management gave me my own personal key to the restroom ... that simplified matters a bit.

Anyhow, doing well .... just tired, sore and a little bit cranky. I had my midwife appointment and I have gained 8 pounds in the last month. The little guy is packing on some fat now.

My 34 week belly picture ... fresh off the beach :)

From Visembryo:

Fetus rests on uterus - no longer floating.

HEAD
Eyes open during alert times and close during sleep. Eye color is usually blue, regardless of the permanent color as pigmentation is not fully developed. Final formation of eye pigmentation requires exposure to light and usually happens a few weeks after birth.

ABDOMEN
Fetus begins to develop its own immune system.

LIMBS
Fingernails reach over finger tips and fetus can scratch itself.

SKIN
White fat builds up underneath skin, making fetus appear lighter in color.

If one more person ....

32 weeks 0 days (LMP) 30 weeks 0 days (gestational)

By this week, your baby weighs almost 4 pounds (1.8 kg). Crown-to-rump length is over 11.6 inches (29 cm), and total length is 18.9 inches (42 cm).

asks me when my due date is then sneaks a peak at my belly and groans and wishes me luck I might have to cry. The beginning of July really does seem a long way off and I am getting huge. Not body huge just belly huge. I had no idea a baby could get this out front. I look like I have a projectile belly. The worst part is I am constantly banging it into everything. If the boy doesn't end up with brain damage of some sort it will be a miracle. It doesn't help that the boy still spends a lot of time in a transverse breech position which just really hurts me. It makes it hard to walk without getting pretty bad sciatic nerve pain and sitting is nearly impossible. His head literally sticks out and forms a bulge in my side ... I have no idea how he can find this position even remotely comfortable because I know I don't. From pictures it looks like I am now looking as big as I did with Jaida at 36 weeks or so and the little dude actually feels heavy. This does not bode well for the next 8 weeks or so since I tend to do all my growing at the end of the pregnancy.

My 32 weeks belly picture ...

From Visembryo:

Body growth slows down.

HEAD
Rapid brain growth continues and head size increases as the growing brain pushes the skull outward creating more surface convolutions. This quick growth increases the number of interconnections between individual nerve cells. The iris is colored and the pupil reflexes responding to light. Head hair grows thicker.

LIMBS
Toenails are fully formed. Because of the lack of space in the uterus, the legs are drawn up in what is known as the fetal position.

Woohoo!!!! 30 Weeks Pregnant

30 weeks 0 days (LMP) 28 weeks 0 days (gestational)

At this point in your pregnancy, your baby weighs about 3 pounds (1.35 kg). Its crown-to-rump length is a little over 10.8 inches (27 cm), and total length is 17 inches (38 cm).

The average weight gain during pregnancy is 25 to 35 pounds. About half of this weight is concentrated in the growth of the uterus, the baby and the placenta, and in the volume of amniotic fluid. This growth is mostly in the front of your abdomen and in your pelvis, where it is noticeable to you. You may experience increasing discomfort in your pelvis and abdomen as pregnancy progresses. At this point, you should be gaining about a pound a week.

I am not sure why this feels like such a milestone but it really does. I guess maybe thinking about there only being 10 weeks left in the pregnancy really helps. I am FINALLY starting to feel bonded to this baby. It happened much later this time around than it did with Jaida (I think?). Not sure why though. I guess up until now I was kind of going through the motions of pregnancy but I have Jaida that I needed to care for. I guess it just took the focus off the pregnancy a bit. The boy definitely is developing his own personality though. He definitely does not enjoy tight spaces and seems to spend a good portion of his day looking for a way out. :) He stretches his arms and legs frequently throughout the day. He also does not appear to sleep ... this is a tad worrisome. He doesn't like anything (even my hand) pressing against my belly ... he will immediately rearrange himeself to try to kick it off .... feisty little bugger.

I had my 30 week appointment with the midwives yesterday ... uneventful as always. I gained some weight but not too much or too little. I think I am around 122 pounds now. Really not much to say other than that. We are making great strides in getting all the preps made for the homebirth. Every now and again I feel the tiniest amount of apprehension regarding giving birth at home but then my wonderful midwives remind me that it is completely doable ... even if he is a really big baby. Joe also reminds me how well I did during Jaida's labor and how much more relaxing it will be at home. It all really helps.

My 30 week belly picture ...

From Visembryo:

Brain Surface Convolution

HEAD
Fetal brain's surface appears wrinkled. These convolutions provide more surface area and maximize brain cells. Rhythmic breathing and body temperature are now controlled by the brain.

Lanugo hair has disappeared almost completely, except on back and shoulders. Head hair is present.

LIMBS

Production of red blood cells is entirely taken over by the bone marrow.

SKIN
Skin begins to smoothen as fat deposits accumulate underneath. The fat insulates and is an energy source.

Midwife Appointment

28 weeks 0 days (LMP) 26 weeks 0 days (gestational)

Your baby weighs about 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg). Crown-to-rump length is close to 10 inches (25 cm). Total length is 15.75 inches (35 cm).

Until this time, the surface of the baby's developing brain has appeared smooth. At around 28 weeks of pregnancy, the brain forms characteristic grooves and indentations on the surface. The amount of brain tissue also increases.

Your baby's eyebrows and eyelashes may be present. Hair on the baby's head is growing longer. The baby's body is becoming plumper and rounder. It's beginning to fill out a little because of increased fat underneath the skin. Before this time, the baby had a thin appearance.

Your baby now weighs about 2.4 pounds (1,100 grams). This is an amazing growth compared to just 11 weeks ago, when it weighed only about 3.5 ounces (100 g) at 17 weeks of pregnancy. Your baby has increased its weight more than 10 times in 11 weeks! In the last 4 weeks, from the 24 th weeks of your pregnancy to this week, its weight has doubled. Your baby is growing rapidly!

We have closely followed the baby's weight gain in this book. The placenta is also growing at a rapid rate. At 10 weeks' gestation, the placenta weighed about 0.7 ounce (20 g). Ten weeks later, at 20 weeks' gestation, it weighs almost6 ounces (170 g). In another 10 weeks, the placenta will have increased 10 15 ounces (430 g). At full term, 40 weeks, it can weigh almost 1.5 pounds (650 g)!

This is such an exciting time. Mostly because the baby is really starting to look like a baby. Also, because his movements are so much bigger and stronger at this point. He is quite the gymnist, apparently. Also, very exciting because we are at the point of viability. If the boy was born now he would stand a good chance of survival with a hospital stay which is a wonderful feeling.

I had my GTT (glucose tolerance test) to screeen for Gestational Diabetes today as well as a blood draw for a CBC yesterday. Today the results are back and I do not have GD which is wonderful ... not that I thought the results would show anything else. The midwife did say that my iron levels are in the normal range but on the low side of normal. I did some research and decided to start taking an iron supplement. I have really been feeling sluggish lately and think this might be part of the reason. I am going to take a liquid supplement called Floradix that is suppose to be very easy on the system. Let's hope!

Here is my 28 week belly picture:

From Visembryo:

Week 28 ... Brain Surface Convolution

HEAD
Fetal brain's surface appears wrinkled. These convolutions provide more surface area and maximize brain cells. Rhythmic breathing and body temperature are now controlled by the brain.

Lanugo hair has disappeared almost completely, except on back and shoulders. Head hair is present.

LIMBS

Production of red blood cells is entirely taken over by the bone marrow.

SKIN
Skin begins to smoothen as fat deposits accumulate underneath. The fat insulates and is an energy source.

We are home

26 weeks 0 days (LMP) 24 weeks 0 days (gestational)

weight: 118 pounds
waist: 34 inches

Your baby now weighs almost 2 pounds (910 g). By this week, its crown-to-rump length is around 9.2 inches (23 cm). Your baby is beginning to put on weight.

The measurement of your uterus is about 2.5 inches (6 cm) above your belly button or nearly 10.5 inches (26 cm) from your pubic symphysis. During this second half of pregnancy, you will grow about 0.4 inch (1 cm) each week. If you have been following a nutritious, balanced meal plan, your total weight gain is probably between 16 and 22 pounds.

We are back from California. We had a great trip. We visitied with lots of family. We also spent a few days roaming through Disneyland, SeaWorld, and the LA Arboretum. It was fun but exhausting ... I am really beginning to feel this pregnancy. I had a few minor contractions while we were away but nothing to really worry over. I am VERY glad to be home.

My 26 week belly pic ...

From Visembryo ...

Brain wave patterns resemble those of a full term baby at birth.

HEAD

Forebrain enlarges to cover all other developed brain structures, while still maintaining its hemisphere divisions. Eyes are partially open and eyelashes present. Sucking and swallowing improves.

THORAX

Lungs are capable of breathing air.

ABDOMEN

Fetal body is two to three percent body fat.

PELVIS

Testes of male fetuses are completely descended.

A small update from California

24 weeks 0 days (LMP) 22 weeks 0 days (gestational)

weight: 115 pounds
waist: 33 inches

By this week, your baby weighs about 1.2 pounds (540 g). Its crown-to-rump length is about 8.4 inches (21 cm).

Your baby is filling out. Its face and body look more like that of an infant at the time of birth. Although it weighs a little over a pound at this point, it is still tiny.

We had a frightening time leading up to going away. Yesterday morning as I was driving into work I was in a pretty bad car accident. A young driver pulled out in front of a school bus , the school bus rear-ended him and sent him spinning across three lanes of traffic. He then hit me nearly head-on but instead scraped all the way down the driver's side of the van. Luckily, Jaida was not in the car with me and the dude is pretty well padded still. Anyhow, the accident left me feeling rattled and unsure of everything. When the paramedics arrived I actually felt okay albeit a tad shaken. All of my airbags deployed so luckily I was very cushioned from the initial impact. Joe came from work and took me home. Later that morning I called my midwife and she demanded that I go to the ER to be checked out since we had plans to travel the next day. So off to the ER we go. After about 4-5 hours in the ER they send me up to L & D for monitoring and some testing. I go up to L & D and they strap me to the monitors and sure enough I was contracting pretty regularly. So I ended up with about 4 bags of IV fluids as they tried to stop the contractions. Eventually, they loaded me in a chair and took me for an ultrasound. The little dude was no worse for the wear ... he was bopping all around. The placenta was still well attached, there were no bleeds and my cervix was still long and closed. So after a quick check by the OB on call, some more fluids, a blood test for something or the other, and a meal I was released. The OB gave me the reluctant okay to travel as long as I promised to take it really easy for a couple of days, drink a lot and go to the ER if I have any problems. So now we are safely in CA. I plan on resting tomorrow and then going from there. Happily, our insurance company is great and are handling everything while we are away. Hopefully, this will still be a good trip.

Getting ready for travel

23 weeks 0 days (LMP) 21 weeks 0 days

Your baby now weighs about 1 pound (455 g), and its crown-to-rump length is about 8 inches (20 cm). The baby is about the size of a small doll.

Your baby is continuing to grow. Its body is getting plumper, but its skin is still wrinkled because it will gain even more weight. Lanugo hair on the body occasionally turns darker at this time. The baby's face and body begin to assume more of the appearance of an infant at birth.

The baby's pancreas is developing. This organ is important in hormone production, particularly insulin production; insulin is necessary for the body to break down and to use sugar. When the fetus is exposed to high blood-sugar levels, the fetal pancreas responds by increasing the blood-insulin level. Insulin has been identified in a fetal pancreas as early as 9 weeks of pregnancy. Insulin in fetal blood has been detected as early as 12 weeks of pregnancy.

We leave for California a week from today. The trip promises to leave me feeling exhausted. We have much planned. I will update when we return.

BIG Movements

22 weeks 0 days (LMP) 20 weeks 0 days (Gestational)

weight: 113 pounds
waist: 32.5 inches

Your baby now weighs about 12.25 ounces (350 g), and its crown-to-rump length is about 7.6 inches (19 cm).

Your baby continues to grow; its body is getting larger everyday. The baby's eyelids and even the eyebrows are developed. Fingernails are also visible.

This little dude doesn't move constantly like Jaida did at this point but when he does it feels like he is trying to climb out of my body. Total monkey craziness. It is strange for the baby to already be distorting my belly with his movements.

Things are going well. The heartburn is still completely out of control but with lots of Tums I can at least function. Otherwise no real complaints.

Joe and I (well mostly me) are on a mission to get Jaida's new room painted and ready for her so we can get the nursery set up. I am feeling a strong need for organization right now and the room project is sort of a dominoe effect ... one thing needs to happen so everything else can be finished. We just need more time. I bought baby boy a new crib bedding set. It is a nice pastel moon and stars set and will go well with the existing pale yellow walls. I also bought a cute litte stars and moon mobile for the crib and a nightlight sort of lamo that is a yellow cresent moon with a blue star ... very soft lighting and sweet. All I really need/want now to complete the baby's room is a nice rug and some letters to spell out his name on the wall above his crib.

Jaida's new room will be a bit fancier but I will let her decorate it as much as she wants. I also bought baby boy a nice little miracle blanket just in case he (unlike his sister) will tolerate swaddling and back sleeping. http://www.miracleblanket.com/

I will post some new 22 week belly shots this afternoon.

From Visembryo:

Week 20 Post Fertilization...

Fetus may suck on thumb.

HEAD

Extremely rapid brain growth (which lasts until five years after birth) begins.

Eyebrows and scalp hair become more visible and fetus blinks more often. Lanugo covers body completely, although concentrated around head, neck and face.

THORAX

Heart beat grows stronger.

PELVIS

Testes of male fetuses begin descending from the pelvis into the scrotum.

LIMBS

Legs approach final length and proportion relative to body. Arms and legs move with more force, as muscles strengthen. Skeleton hardens. Hand strength improves.

Heartburn

21 weeks 0 days (LMP) 19 weeks 0 days (Gestational)

weight:
waist:

Your baby is getting larger in this first week of the second half of your pregnancy. It now weighs about 10.5 ounces (300 g), and its crown-to-rump length is about 7.2 inches (18 cm). It is about the size of a large banana.

The rapid growth rate of your baby has slowed. However, the baby continues to grow and develop. Different organ systems within the baby are maturing.

The baby begins to swallow amniotic fluid during the 21 st week. Babies have been observed via ultrasound swallowing amniotic fluid. Why does a baby in the womb swallow? Researchers believe swallowing amniotic fluid may help growth and development of the fetal digestive system. It may condition the digestive system to function after birth. Studies have determined how much fluid a fetus swallows and passes through its digestive system. Evidence indicates babies at full term may swallow large amounts of amniotic fluid, as much as 17 ounces (500 mL) in a 24-hour period. Amniotic fluid swallowed by the baby contributes a small amount to its caloric needs. Researchers believe it may contribute essential nutrients to the developing baby. After swallowing amniotic fluid, the fetus absorbs much of the water in it and passes unabsorbed matter as far as the large bowel.

Well, it was a good run I suppose. I was sort of enjoying eating what I wanted without worry of becoming a fire-breathing dragon but those days are over. The heartburn has kicked into full gear. Even water gives me heartburn. I love TUMS.

Did I mention that due to the baby's size at the ultrasound my edd is now 6/29/2006. Happily the midwives are sticking with July 6, 2006 as the edd since picking the early one could make it seem like I am late if I actually make it to the edd based on ovulation and put my chances of a homebirth at risk. Oh ... have I mentioned we are planning a homebirth? Probably not. Anyhow, more about that later.

Here is some info from my pregnancy calendar for the last week or so. Baby's blood cells take over for liver in producing blood. The gall bladder becomes functional, producing bile which is needed for digestion. Baby's milk teeth begin to form under gums. Baby's body hair, including eyebrows and lashes begin to grow. Small hairs called lanugo covers baby's body and face. Most of it falls out before birth. Right now your baby's skin is translucent. If you could see your baby, you would also be able to see his/her bones and organs, too! Baby weighs 12.70 ounces or 360 grams. Baby is 10.51 inches or 26.7 cm long. At this point baby is measured crown to heel instead of crown to rump.

Uneventful midwife appointment

20 weeks 6 days (LMP) 18 weeks 6 days (Gestational)

I had a midwife appointment today. We discussed my diet worksheet and the fact that I need to eat more veggies ... like I didn't know that already. Unfortunately my babies like Burger King and they don't sell a lot of veggies. :) We also discussed my ultrasound results and she agreed that the little dude looks absolutely perfect. I go back in about 6 weeks or so and they will give me the orange drink and directions to do my GTT at 27 weeks or so. Otherwise, blood pressure was healthy low which was great news, belly measured perfectly, and weight gain was good. I think I have gained a total of 12-14 pounds (according to their scale) since the beginning.

I am feeling really great in so many ways. I feel healthy (although big), happy, even-tempered and just all around wonderful ... rather sickening isn't it? I have been fairly active and this promises to keep up with warmer weather approaching. I am doing pre-natal yoga which is keeping me limber and feeling pretty centered and focused which I like. Joe and I are making HUGE strides towards getting a lot of stuff done which has been nagging at me. Joe is well on his way to getting the closet built in the 4th bedroom which will become the guest room and will allow Jaida to move into the nicer big girl room and free up the nursery for the dude. I decided on a theme for the nursery and have ordered his bedding ... very serene and sweet in a boyish sort of way. Jaida decided her room must be purple and have frogs in it so we are going to work with those two criteria and see what we can come up with. I went through all of the baby clothes we have and pulled out the clothes that can be used for a little boy which equalled three huge rubbermaid tubs full. We actually need to buy very little early on. We will likely pick up a few cute blue sleepers and a couple overtly boy outfits and call it done for now. We actually did a thorough inventory of all our baby gear and we actually need to buy very little. I already picked up replacement nipples for the bottles which we won't need until the baby is a month old or so. I also picked up a baby lounger pillow sort of thing which I wish we had with Jaida. I also would like to get a couple of new slings. I think these will be super useful with it being summer and Jaida being the active little girl that I need to keep up with. I will still use my Maya but I need a lighter weight version for summer. I also bought a new very utilitarian diaper bag that will be good for two kids ... not that I ever used a diaper bag with Jaida so hopefully this won't just collect dust.

Here are a couple of belly pictures taken at 20 weeks ...

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

20 Weeks 0 Days (LMP) 18 Weeks 0 Days (Gestational)

weight: 111/112 pounds
waist: 31 inches

Are what little boys are made of. AND we are going to know all about that since we are having a little boy! Fun stuff! I simply can't believe I am technically half way through the pregnancy already. Craziness!

Anyhow, sorry for the delay. I have been fighting off a bit of a virus since Sunday and not feeling very well. We had our ultrasound appointment on Monday and had the BEST ultrasound tech. She spent about an hour looking at the baby. The baby was so active and being quite the clown and she said she couldn't get enough of watching it. We had a BLAST! Jaida loved seeing the baby and was even able to make out eyes, nose, legs and arms without any help from us. The tech sent us home with a bunch (many more than we got with Jaida) excellent ultrasound pictures. The baby is absolutely adorable.

The baby is tremendously healthy. The tech said everything was text-book perfect. Brain had two hemispheres, cerebellum measured perfectly, palette and lip were in tact, heart had four beautiful chambers that were all working perfectly, two kidneys that looked perfect, skin completely enclosing the perfect little spine, super long legs ... she said this baby is going to be a runner for sure. The stomache was on the inside along with the intestines. The placenta was big and beautiful (her words) and perfectly placed and the cord had all three vessles. The baby is measuring perfectly although a bit big. She said at this point the baby should weigh 6-7 ounces but according to u/s it is weighing in at a whopping 14 ounces (nearly a pound!) and is measuring a little over a week ahead. Seems as if I am growing another moose of a baby. From the 3D ultrasound pictures of the baby the face resembles both Joe and Jaida which is so cool to already be able to see the resemblance.

We left the gender question up to Jaida since Joe and I couldn't agree. We asked her if she wanted to know who was inside and she said yes. The baby (unlike Jaida) was happy to oblige. The baby was super active and putting on quite a show ... we got some adorable pictures of the baby sucking on the umbilical cord, kicking its legs, sticking its tongue out, pulling on its lips, sucking on its fingers, and waving its little fists around above its head like it was doing some crazy sort of dance. We even witnessed the little bugger yanking on HIS PENIS!!!!!!!! The penial fascination starts pretty darn early.

So, we are having a little boy. It feels so strange to say that. When Joe and I got all excited Jaida just looked at us like we are idiots and we should have just listened to her the entire time. It is a bit freaky how she has been sure of the boyness of the baby from the get go. We are so excited. It is going to be fun to have one of each. We feel like we have the perfect family for us.

Anyhow, we are simply over the moon happy! We are very excited but in a calm very happy to know the final make-up of our family sort of way. I have to say it is perfect. Jaida will be a good girl influence on a little boy and make sure he grows up understanding women.

Here are some ultrasound pictures.

Hands near his face


Looking at mouth, upper lip and nostrils


3D u/s of face, hands and umbilical cord in right hand


Long legs in runners pose (tush at the top)


Boy bits and pieces with a hand going for them


His face tilted downwards. He is sucking on the umbilical cord.


Profile while playing with umbilical cord


Sticking his tongue out

I have nothing

19 Weeks 2 Days (LMP) 17 Weeks 2 Days (gestational)

weight: 111 pounds
waist: 30.5 inches

Crown-to-rump length of the growing fetus is 5.2 to 6 inches (13 to 15cm) by this week. Your baby weighs about 7 ounces (200 g). It's incredible to think your baby will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and delivery.

I have nothing of real substance to say that is. It has been a week. Not a bad week ... just a week of trying to get by really. We had a shipping fiasco for a work deployment ... which left me feeling ragged and extremely stressed. That is over now though ... thankfully. Jasper dog has also been under the weather and barely able to walk which has been a bit stressful as he is quite the big dog. It is his age that makes the situation stressful ... trying to figure out what to do with him is not an easy thing at all. Jaida has had several appointments that we have been running to this week. In the midst of all of this Joe has been out of town on a deployment since Monday. He is due back tomorrow which is just in the nick of time. So with all of that there has not been much time to either focus on or think about this pregnancy. This was probably good as the big 20 week ultrasound is on Monday (2/13/06). Can you imagine the sheer amount of obsessing I could have been doing had I not been so preoccupied with life?

Anyhow, everything is great. Baby is moving lots which means it is still alive. The belly is getting bigger which means not only is it still alive it is actually growing which is a good thing. My appetite has evened out a bit which is good otherwise I figured I would weigh 250 pounds by the end of this pregnancy. :) I am now fully in maternity clothes and I actually look pregnant ... in a cute small sort of way rather than just fat in a not-so-cute frumpy sort of way. Yay!

We are hoping for a healthy baby and good report at our ultrasound on Monday morning. Joe kind of wants to know the gender and I kind of don't want to know. So we are not sure what we are going to do about this. I think we might just say nothing. If the tech blurts out the gender then we will find out but if nothing is said we won't ask. That seems like it might work ... we will just leave it up to chance. Now if the tech specifically says she knows and asks if we want to know we are most definitely screwed because she is going to get two very different answers. :) You know I will be updating on Monday afternoon either way.

Joe felt the baby move

18 weeks 1 day (LMP) 16 weeks 1 day (gestational)

As I said in an earlier post I have been feeling solid movement from the outside for a couple of weeks now. However, it was always hard to predict where the next kick would be so Joe had a hard time feeling the baby. Well, last night I was sitting on the sofa and the baby was kicking and rolling down low where the uterus is more stretched out so it was really easy to feel. Joe put his hand on and within a minute or so he got two good little kicks or pokes and could feel the baby changing position as it rolled around. Pretty neat. It will be neat when Jaida can feel it clearly.

I finally filled out my eating log for the midwives. I think a good portion of their clients are vegetarians so they worry a lot about their patients getting enough protein. Not a problem for me though as I CRAVE protein these days. They like to see an average of 60-80 grams a day. I average about 100 grams a day. Now fiber .... that is a whole different story but that is what fiber pills are for. :)

Now I just need to figure out a way to get this little bugger off my bladder. It is amazing that something that only weighs 5 ounces or so can cause my bladder so much discomfort. Oh well ...

Ravenous hunger

18 Weeks 0 Days (LMP) 16 Weeks 0 Days (Gestational)

weight: 110 pounds
waist: 30 inches

The crown-to-rump length of your baby is 5 to 5.6 inches (125 to 1400 mm). Weight of the baby is about 5.25 ounces.

Your baby is continuing to grow and develop, but now the rapid growth rate slows done a little.

I am so hungry it is insane. I figured out that there was only 15 minutes out of a five hour period today at work where I wasn't eating something. I am eating constantly and in large quantities. At least I have gotten back to mostly healthy foods (minus the box of lemon cookies I consumed after lunch).

The baby is still sitting REALLY low. So low in fact that my bladder and pubic bone just ache. I just feel like the baby is going to fall right out of me. Not a good feeling at all.

Here is my 18 week belly picture. Jaida wants to show everyone the baby in her big fat belly also. And yes I know Jaida looks remarkably like a ragamuffin with the wild hair and all but keeping her hair out of her face is nearly impossible these days.

From Visembryo:

A dramatic growth period for the fetus.

HEAD

Fetus has phases of sleep and waking and may prefer a favorite sleep position. Temporary hair called lanugo appears on the head. Lanugo may fall out in the second week after birth, allowing fine scalp hair to grow. Eyebrows begin to form.

PELVIS

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.

SKIN

Brown fat (colored by capillary growth) coats neck, chest and crotch areas around the lymphatic system. The vernix (consisting of dead skin, lanugo cells, and oil from glands) is now clearly formed and visible covering the skin.

PLACENTA

Placenta is fully formed and grows in diameter though not in thickness.

Big movements

17 Weeks 0 Days (LMP) 15 Weeks 0 Days (gestational)

weight: 110 pounds
waist: 30 inches

The crown-to-rump length of your baby is 4.4 to 4.8 inches (110 to 120 mm). Fetal weight has doubled in 2 weeks and is 3.5 ounces (100 g). By this week, your baby is about the size of your hand spread wide open.

Fat begins to form this week and the weeks to follow. Also called adipose tissue, fat is important to the body's heat production and metabolism.

At 17 weeks of development, water makes up about 3 ounces (89 g) and fat 0.018 ounce (0.5 g) of your baby's body. In a baby at term, fat makes up about 5.25 pounds (2.4 kg) of the total average weight of 7.7 pounds (3.5 kg).

Really not much to report. I feel pretty darn good considering I am growing pretty fast. I started pre-natal yoga last weekend and am really enjoying it. Jaida and I also do yoga from DVD's in the evening at home while Joe works out. She loves it and it makes it much more fun for me ... although I am a tad jealous of her downward-facing dog. :)

The baby is making some HUGE movements these days. I can feel very definite flips and rolls and every now and again a little something poking out. Pretty fun! I can feel the baby very clearly from the outside although it moves quickly so it has been hard for Joe to feel the baby yet. Soon though, I am sure of it.

Midwife Appointment

16 weeks 0 days (lmp) 14 weeks 0 days (gestational)

The crown-to-rump length of your baby by this week is 4.3 to 4.6 inches and the weight is about 2.8 ounces.There is also about 7.5 ounces of amniotic fluid around the baby.

Fine lanugo hair covers your baby's head. The umbilical cord is attached to the abdomen; this attachment has moved lower on the body of the fetus.

Fingernails are well formed. The legs are longer than the arms. Arms and legs are moving and can now easily be felt.

I had my 16 week midwife appointment yesterday. Pretty uneventful really. My blood pressure was low (80 something over 40 something) as always. I gained 2-3 pounds in the last month. She could feel my uterus and said it was the size it should be. We heard the baby's heartbeat (in the 140's). All is good. I go back for another appointment in 5 weeks or so. I scheduled my 20 week anatomical ultrasound for February 13, 2006. We are looking forward to that.

I am suffering such food guilt right now. Mostly because I have no nausea any longer and therefore no real excuse to not eat healthy yet I am not eating all that healthy. The baby just won't let me. :) After inhaling two Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a couple of handfuls of fritos for dinner last night I decided enough is enough. I went out and bought a HUGE tub of fresh fruit already cut up and I am going to eat the entire thing in the next couple of days. I guess at this point I just need to make myself do it ... no excuses. I also planned a very healthy dinner menu for the next two weeks now I just need to get off my butt in the evening and cook the stuff. I am always so tired after work that is just hard to get motivated.

My pregnancy calendar says the baby weighs 3.53 ounces or 100 grams. Baby is 4.57 inches or 11.6 cm long. The rest of baby's face begins to form. The tail has disappeared and the head makes up about half of baby's size. The baby's ears and eyes have moved to their final positions look more "normal" by now.

From Visembryo:

Week 16 Post Fertilization...

Growth continues, but no new structures form after this point.

HEAD

Eyes are at final destination and face forward rather than to the sides and reflexes, such as blinking, develop. Ears move to final position and stand out from head.

ABDOMEN

Meconium begins to accumulate in the bowels. Meconium is the product of cell loss, digestive secretion and swallowed amniotic fluid.

LIMBS

Fingertips and toes develop the unique swirls and creases of fingerprints and toe prints.

NERVOUS

The nerves are being coated with a fatty substance system (myelin) to speed nerve cell transmission and insulate them for uninterrupted impulses.

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 fetus. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the fetus.

Excessive Hunger

15 weeks 2 days (lmp) 13 weeks 2 days (gestational)

I spend much of each day daydreaming about my next meal. I just want food and lots of it. With Jaida I sort grazed all day on small meals. This time around it is different ... very very different. I want large quantities of food all at once and then I don't really want to eat again for quite a while. I am also CRAVING milk products. Normally I am not a big consumer of dairy products (other than cheese) but lately I just want milk ... cereal with milk, chai tea lattes, ice cream, lots of cheese and yogurt drinks. Also, with Jaida I really wanted salty foods and had no need for sweets. This time bring on the sugar ... the more the merrier. I am going to gain SO much weight! I need to fill out a 2 week eating diary for my midwife and I am honestly embarrassed to do so. I keep putting it off in hopes that my diet will suddenly become healthier. I have high hopes for this but baby is not cooperating with me.

We think baby had a HUGE growth spurt over the last few days. It spent much of that time burrowed down into my pelvis to the point of causing me much discomfort and difficulty peeing. Now suddenly all the kicks are up much higher ... just below my ribs and my lower abdomen feels very heavy. Also, we can put the doppler probe just about anywhere on my belly and find the heartbeat which is quite convienent.

Our cat Isis has taken up her standard pregnancy position which is to sleep draped over the top of my belly. She did this with Jaida and she is doing it again now. I swear as much as this cat adores Jaida I think this is some weird maternal cat bonding thing. She lays on my belly and purrs like crazy and baby just kicks up a storm from the inside. A uterus cozy of sorts. :)

I imagine my next update will be after my midwife appointment on Tuesday.

15 Weeks Pregnant

15 weeks 0 days (lmp) 13 weeks 0 days (gestational)

weight: 106 pounds
waist: 28.5 inches

The fetal crown-to-rump length by this week of pregnancy is 4.1 to 4.5 inches (93 to 103 mm). Your baby is about the size of a softball and weighs about 1.75 ounces (50 g).

Your baby's rapid growth continues. Its skin is thin. At this point in its development, you can see blood vessels through the skin. Fine hair called lanugo hair covers the baby's body.

By this time, your baby may be sucking its thumb. This has been seen with ultrasound examination. Eyes continue to move to the front of the face but are still widely separated.

Ears continue to develop externally and they now look more like normal ears. In fact, your baby looks more human with each passing day.

Bones that already formed are getting harder and retaining calcium (ossifying) rapidly. If an X-ray were performed at this time, the baby's skeleton would be visible.

The baby has finally raised up out of my pelvis a little bit. I am feeling movement much higher the last couple of days. People are starting to notice that I am pregnant ... kind of ... mostly they notice but are afraid to ask for fear that I am just getting fat. :) I just get the "are you pregnant" look a lot.

I am starting to think about the stuff I need to get for this baby. We are pretty okay for the most part. We still have everything that was Jaida's so we really just need to get a few little replacement items. Shouldn't be too bad really.

A couple of 15 week belly pictures ...