15 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

The baby now measures about 4 inches long (crown to rump) and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple, or according to another book, the size of a softball). It is busy moving amniotic fluid through its nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in its lungs begin to develop. The legs are growing longer than its arms now and it can move all of its joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still fuse shut, the baby can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at my tummy the baby will likely move away from the beam. There is not much for the baby to taste but it is developing taste buds.

How is the Mommy doing....

Wow, this week has been busy! Monday started with a visit to a urologist to determine a course of treatment for a kidney stone that has developed and was found during my upper abdomen ultrasound. Pretty much I was told that we can't do anything until the baby comes. Once the baby comes we will treat it and remove it. In the meantime I just need to keep drinking extreme amounts of water. Also, please pray that the stone stays in the kidney and is not a bother until the baby comes and we can treat it properly. I then left for Kentucky on Wednesday for work and returned Saturday afternoon and got ready to attend a wedding. It has been a busy couple of days and although the trip to Kentucky went well, it is nice to be home with John and Titus. 

I have been having difficulty sleeping which is getting really old. I used to sleep on my stomach which is no longer an option and am having difficulty sleeping on my side. I never thought the addition of a tummy would be so uncomfortable. Please pray for me to be able to get more restful sleep. I have also been noticing that every night around six I start feeling stretching on my left side. I guess the baby likes to grow at night time! Other than the sleeping issue I am feeling great!

We have our next ultrasound on Monday, April 7 so I won't be updating until Monday night. This ultrasound is to check the babies development and measure how everything is growing as well as get the results of our first trimester blood work (testing for genetic disorders etc). Please pray for good news and that the sex of the baby can still be a surprise to us.

• Next doctors appointment: Tomorrow (March 31) for blood work and then next Monday (April 7) for our next ultrasound!
• Total Weight Gain: About 7 pounds 

How is the Daddy doing...

John is hanging in there....and glad that I am back from Kentucky (he realized how boring life is without me). Pray for guidance on our finances and upcoming decisions as John seeks God's will for us and our growing family.

14 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

Welcome to my second trimester!!

The baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee and possibly suck its thumb (which I believe it was already doing at the last ultrasound). Thanks to brain impulses, its facial muscles are getting a workout as its tiny features form one expression after another. Its kidneys are producing urine, which it releases into the amniotic fluid around it - a process it will keep up until birth. The baby can grasp too. The baby is stretching out, from head to bottom it measures 3 1/2 inches, about the size of a lemon and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. The body is growing faster than the head which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, the arms will have grown to a length that is in proportion to the rest of its body. The baby is starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering hair, called lanugo, all over its body. The baby's liver starts making bile this week and its spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though I can't feel the tiny punches and kicks yet, the little hands and feet are more flexible and active.

How is the Mommy doing...

This has been a wonderful week! I have had tons of energy and my appetite and have enjoyed being able to cook dinners again. I still get tired more easily but it is such a difference from a couple of weeks ago. John and I have been able to go on a couple of walks this week which Titus has enjoyed greatly. I had Friday off from work and also have Monday off so it has been a nice long relaxing weekend. Friday consisted of running some errands and starting to search for a bridesmaids dress for Megan's wedding in June. Well, it ended up being a pretty frustrating experience for many reasons. Please pray that I can find a dress soon! John and I had a wonderful day on Saturday, washing the cars and dog, relaxing lunch at a tea room, visiting the League City car show and then we went to Half Price books and were able to trade in some old books and get seven books for the baby. It was fun picking out books that we can read to the baby and even getting a bible story book! Then today we had a wonderful day celebrating with church and then an Easter lunch with John's mom! It was so nice to have her down and be able to cook and make my first Easter dinner and my first carrot cake! It was also so nice to celebrate our first Easter in our home! It is crazy to think that last year we were walking through a construction site! Praise God for a beautiful day and wonderful week! I will be traveling this week to Kentucky for work (Wednesday - Saturday) so please pray for safe travels.

• Next Doctor's Appointment: I actually have an appointment tomorrow (March 24) to follow up on possible kidney stone from my upper abdomen ultrasound a month or so ago. I truly believe that through prayers God has healed me but I still need to get it checked out. Then I have some blood work on March 31.
• Total Weight Gain: 4 pounds

How is the Daddy doing...

John is now looking for new house project since the garage is done and we have a working garage door opener! John has been able to have some quality time with the Lord this week and praise that our new bible study on Phillippians has really been speaking to him! He is also pretty excited about renting all of the guy blow stuff up movies and watching them since I will be gone!

13 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

Fingerprints have formed on the baby's tiny fingertips and it's veins and organs are clearly visible through it's still-thin skin and the it's body is starting to catch up with the head - which makes up just a third of the baby's body size now. The baby is almost three inches long, about the size of a medium shrimp, and weighs nearly an ounce.

How is the Mommy doing...

This is the last week of my first trimester!

Now that I am almost out of the first trimester, just as expected I am starting to feel back to my normal self! I have my appetite back, energy back and am feeling so much better. I still have some annoying headaches and hopefully those will go away soon. Since I am feeling better and the days are longer, I am planning on jogging/walking a little more which I am sure Titus will be thrilled about as he has sure missed our runs. The shoot in California went really well and I felt great while I was out there. I was even able to enjoy a steak dinner which would have been nearly impossible a couple of weeks ago. We are getting ready for Easter this weekend and I am excited about having Friday and Monday off. John's mom will be over here for Easter brunch so I am very excited about cooking! Everything is going really well and I am excited about entering my second trimester next week!

• Next Doctors Appointment: March 31 for some more blood work
• Total Weight Gain: 2.5 to 3 pounds

How is the daddy doing...

John is doing well and has been busy this past weekend doing stuff around the house (fertilizing, garage and other house errands) which has been such a blessing to have him just take care of everything. He is starting on installing the garage door opener which is going to be so nice. We will be starting to update the plants in the front, planting our tree and getting the yard pretty in the next couple of weeks which will be fun. 

12 Weeks

What is the baby doing....

From crown to rump, the baby is just over two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. The baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, it's toes curl, eye muscles clinch and it's mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if I prod my abdomen, the baby will squirm in response, although I will not be able to feel it. The intestines have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, and it will start to move into the abdominal cavity about now, and the baby's kidneys will begin excreting urine into it's bladder. Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly and the baby's brain synapses are forming furiously. The baby's face finally looks human and it's eyes have moved from the sides to the fron of it's head and the ears are right where they should be.

How is the Mommy doing....

I am overjoyed! We had our first ultrasound this morning and we have a healthy baby who is growing just like it should. It was so amazing to see the baby move and hear the heartbeat. I have been waiting for today and it was everything I was hoping for and more. Also, the initial test for Down Syndrome (Nuchal Translucency Screening) is negative and now we just have to wait for all the blood work to come in and we will have those results at our next ultrasound appointment on April 7. Before we went into our appointment John told me in the waiting room that he was curious to see how active the baby was, well, the baby pretty much was sleeping the whole time. Defiantly taking after me and the Hill family! It did move around a little also kicked but overall a pretty chill baby. The heartbeat measured at 152 BPM and the baby is approximately 3 inches long. After my ultrasound appointment I had my monthly appointment and everything is going great! I got to hear the heartbeat again at that appointment with the hand held doppler so it was a wonderful day!

Overall I am feeling better, still tired but getting more and more energy everyday. I have developed some pretty annoying headaches and am hoping those don't last too much longer. I am heading to California tonight for a TV shoot for work and will be coming back Wednesday. I am really excited about going to my first TV shoot! Pray for safe travels and energy.

On another note, today is Titus's third birthday!

Happy Birthday!

• Next Doctor's Appointment: March 31 for blood work as part of my first trimester screening and then April 7 for my next ultrasound (anatomical scan) and the results from the first trimester screening blood work
• Total Weight Gain: About 1.5-2 pounds

How is the Daddy doing...

John had a blast this morning at the ultrasound appointment and I think it is all finally settling in. He told me earlier in the week that it used to just be that I was sick and moody but now I have a little bump and he saw the baby it is real. He now asks him constantly to see my belly...it is pretty cute! This past weekend we had a great time organizing the garage, getting a work station, peg boards etc and finally took the time to get it organized. We got a garage door opener and will be putting that up in the next week or so. John's work is still crazy and will be for a little while so please pray over him.

Ultrasound Pictures....

12 Week Ultrasound Pictures

11 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

The baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Its hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under its gums, and some of its bones are beginning to harden. It is already busy kicking and stretching, and its tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as its body grows and becomes more developed and functional. The baby acrobatics won't be felt for another moth or two - nor will the hiccupping that may be happening now thats diaphragm is forming.

How is the Mommy doing...

Well, I am feeling better from the flu! Funny how when I was sick with the flu, I wasn't having any of my normal pregnancy symptoms, now that I am feeling better they are all back and in full swing (fatigue, sick to my stomach). I am feeling great during the morning and afternoon but I am still pretty tired and sick feeling in the evening. Only a couple more weeks until my second trimester and when I should be feeling more back to normal. I am going to try and start getting up earlier in the morning to walk/jog since I am feeling so good in the mornings. We have discussed more baby names this week and have two pretty strong contenders. This week I made my first purchase at a maternity store and bought a Tummy Sleeve. In case you don't know what that is, it looks like an elastic tube top but you put it around your stomach so you can leave your pants button undone and it covers that and helps hold your pants up. Since my work pants are way too tight around the waist it has been amazing and helps until I am big enough for actual maternity clothes. Not much else is going on, I am just waiting anxiously for the next appointment and our first ultrasound! I can't wait to finally see the baby!

• Next Doctors Appointment: Monday, March 10. We will be having our first ultrasound that morning as part of our first trimester screening for Down Syndrome and any other genetic disorders as well as some blood work. Then later that morning I will be having my regular monthly appointment.
• Total Weight Gain: About 1-1.5 pounds

How is the Daddy doing...

John is doing well and really trying to be helpful and serve me (my moodiness has not helped). He is learning to become a pretty decent cook and my meals have progressed from the first dinner he ever made me (chicken, plain noodles and corn). Work is still crazy and intense trying to finish up two unit rebuilds and so please pray for strength and patience.