19 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

She 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 (I am pretty sure it will be blonde). This is a crucial time for sensory development. The baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch. She has an astonishing 6 million eggs in her ovaries which will dwindle down to fewer than two million by the time she is born.

How is the Mommy doing...

Well, this week started off with John and I going to an Astro's game on Monday courtesy of some free tickets i got from work. It was a nice change and even more exciting was that I got to feel the baby really kick me for the first time. I have been feeling flutters but Monday was the first real without a doubt baby kick. I guess she is an Astro's fan or she really liked the hot dog I ate! Since Monday, I have been feeling flutters, pings, and pressure more and more and can not wait until she is stronger and John can feel her.

The rest of the week was pretty calm. This weekend was pretty low key and consisted of some major house cleaning as well as another trip to buy some more maternity clothes. It appears that the clothes that I thought could last a couple more weeks have gotten pretty tight in a week so we went out and bought the rest of the essentials. I also made something for our little girl's room, it is a frame with a verse (Colossians 1:9-11) that I feel is very relevant and something that will be nice for her room. 

I love how there are so many resources available to explain what is going on with your body. This week, as mentioned in every book I have, I have been noticing some achiness in my lower abdomen which is round ligament pain and is caused by the stretching of the muscles and ligaments that supports my growing uterus. Even more crazy, I have been noticing that my hands and face are a little more red than normal which is actually caused by the increase in estrogen in my body. I am amazed daily at how much my body has been changing and adapting for this little life.

John and I will be heading to Austin this upcoming weekend (May 2-4) for a marriage conference hosted by Family Life Christian Ministries. We are very excited about going to Austin and about taking some time to focus on our marriage especiallly with the little one on the way. Pray for a great time away and renewal for John and I in our marriage. I am also really excited about visiting the University of Texas Co-op and purchasing football season attire for our little girl. I will post pictures of our purchases when we get back! I am so excited about having another Longhorn fan!

We have pretty much decided on our nursery bedding (see picture). I am so excited about starting to put her room together! Starting in a couple of weeks, John and I will start sorting through the closet and finding homes for things and getting ready to paint. We are still working on middle names for our choosen first name and are really, really close and once we have it decided we will let everyone know. Other things coming up are starting to compile a list of day cares around our house and deciding what we want to do. I am planning on going back to work but have been praying for guidence on how to handle that transition and what we should do for childcare for a month transition period. Please pray over our search and that the Lord shows us what we need to do and where is the best place for our little girl.

Finally, check out the links section to visit our registry. We actually registered a couple of weeks ago and have been doing some research etc to make sure we registered for what we want. It was tons of fun picking things out for her as well as overwhelming to see all the different brands available for just one item. I think we have a good start on what we need and I am sure in the next couple of months we will learn more what we need and what we really don't.

Finally, we celebrated on Thursday our first year in our house! It has been a great year of making a home together and we are excited about year two and adding a new resident!

• Total Weight Gain: 10 pounds
• Next Doctor's Appointment: May 9
• To Do This Week: Register at the hospital for birthing/baby care classes in June and start compiling a list of day cares to visit

How is the Daddy doing...

John is excited about going to Austin and the marriage conference. His main task coming up this week is planting a Live Oak in our backyard. We decided to buy a tree for Valentines Day for each other and finally three months later we are getting closer. Hopefully it will be planted before the baby comes! He had some good guy time this weekend with the guys from our small group and enjoyed learning a new card game called, "Killer Bunnies." 

At the Astro's Game

18 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

Head to bottom, she is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She is busy flexing her arms and legs. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she is born. Her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and are in place.

How is the Mommy doing...

Well, after a week battling the flu I am finally starting to feel better. I tried to fight it off early in the week by just resting and hydrating but by Wednesday, I called my doctor and found out that I was able to take some medicine which I took as little as possible and it helped fight this thing off. I am still a little stuffed up and 

have a cough so pray for continued healing and that our little girl hasn't been affected by this.

Since I was sick for most of this week, it has been a pretty quiet week around here. We did make it out to the Galleria yesterday and bought a bunch of maternity clothes. I never realized how much more comfortable a pair of maternity pants would be! We are pretty set for a little while and will probably make another trip in a couple of months. 

I have been narrowing down nursery decor and am getting close to making a decision. I will post pictures of what we go with when we finally decide. We will also be registering for classes at the hospital in a couple of weeks which will be exciting. Finally, we are still working on names and are pretty close to deciding on a first name but are still working on a middle name. 

• Total Weight Gain: 9 pounds
• Next Doctors Appointment: May 9 

How is the Daddy doing...

John has been amazing in serving me and praise the Lord that I have such a patient husband. It was so nice to not have to do anything this week besides rest and get better.

He has decided to do the marathon again next year and started out by running a couple times this week and then making it out on Saturday for a 7 mile run. We will be registering for next year's race, the Houston Marathon (John) and the Half Marathon (Che) in a couple of weeks. 

17 Weeks

What is the baby doing...

The baby weighs five ounces now (which she might be a little bigger since the last ultrasound she measured around five ounces) and she is around five inches long. She can move her joints and her skeleton - which was rubbery cartilage - is starting to harden to bone. Her sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, her lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

How is the Mommy doing...

This week has been a roller coaster week with finding out we were having a girl, starting to get sick and just being busy. I started feeling a little sick on Tuesday and it has been getting slowly worse, so please pray for a speedy recovery. Friday was my monthly doctor appointment and everything went well and the doctor is pleased with how both me and the baby are growing. She said that based on my ultrasound the baby is measuring a couple of days earlier but not enough to adjust my due date. On Saturday, John and I both went out and ran with a new running group in our area and participated in a 5k run. It felt great to be out running again and me and the baby finished the 5k doing a run walk combination (3 minutes running with a 1 minute walking). It worked out really well and will probably keep doing something similar until it gets too uncomfortable. Also on Saturday, we did some major yard work by pulling out some plants and replacing them, mulching, and planting some pretty flowers. It was nice to be outside on such a beautiful day and nice to finally personalize our front yard from the basic builder landscaping.

Please pray for us as we are starting to finalize baby names and although there is a strong contender for a first name we really have no idea on a middle name. Also, please pray for rest for me as I have been really tired physically, emotionally and spiritually. Praise that John and I have been married for 18 months today and that our marriage is strong and growing stronger!

• Next Doctor's Appointment: Friday, May 9 for my monthly appointment
• Total Weight Gain: 8 pounds

How is the Daddy doing...

John has been great at handling a pregnant wife and has really been taking great care of me and being patient with me and my needs. He has also been amazing in getting all of the yard work done so I could just sit and plant pretty flowers. Pray for rest for him as he is pretty tired as well.

16 Weeks

It's a Girl!

What is the baby doing...

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, she is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks she will go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. The lower limbs are much more developed now and the head is more erect than it has been. The eyes have moved towards the front of the head and the her ears are close to their final position too. Some of the more advanced body systems are working, including the circulatory system and urinary tract. The heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating the total blood volume through the body many times. The patterning of the scalp has begun, though the hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, the eyes are moving (slowly) and toenails are even started to grow.

How is the Mommy doing...

I am so excited that John and I decided to find out what the baby is and so excited about being a mom to a little girl. I am also pretty surprised as I was sure it was a boy. However we are both really excited and relieved to see that she is growing just like she is supposed to. The current weight is right on track at around 5 ounces (give or take) and the kidneys, stomach, bladder and heart are all working like they should be. Her heartbeat was 149 which is normal. All of my blood work came back normal which means no signs of a genetic disorder or Down Syndrome as far as they can tell. She was a little diva today, actually spitting something out, hiding her face and then dramatically putting her hand on her forehead at the end to show how hard she was working (I am not sure where this side comes from). Today was a great today and the best news of all is that we have a healthy baby!

I am feeling pretty good and have actually been able to sleep more the past couple nights due to the purchase of a wonderful pregnancy pillow. A pregnancy pillow is essentially a luxury body pillow with padding in all of the right places. I am still tossing a little bit but nothing like the past week. This past weekend my sister (Ashley) was in town attending several career fairs at local school districts and it was so nice to catch up with her! I also went to a friend's baby shower and loved seeing all of the cute baby gear and also seeing two cute babies who were attendance. We also bought a dresser for our bedroom which will allow me to kick some of John's clothes out of the closet leaving more room for me. Also, praise this week that work on my parents house has finally started! I am so excited that they will be 0.7 miles away!

Please pray for us as we now start working on a baby girl name. We have a pretty strong contender that John really likes but I am not 100% with yet. Also, continue to pray over us and some financial decisions that we are making in the next coming months to prepare for our little girl!

• Next Doctor's Appointment: Friday, April 11 for my monthly check up
• Total Weight Gain: Still 7 pounds (I think I was a little off last week)
  

How is the Daddy doing...

John is very excited about having another little princess in the house! Well, John was looking for a new project to take on and now he is in the process of fixing his computer. With multiple trips to Fry's for parts I think that we have everything we need to get it up and running. We will be tackling some yard work this upcoming week and the work that he has already done is looking really nice. Our lawn is coming in nice and green!

Ultrasound Pictures...

16 Week Ultrasound Pictures