Week 16 Size Update

From babycenter.com

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Once again... Squee!!! Our baby is getting bigger and bigger and in only 168 days (give or take a few) we will have new life in our home. For those of you that don't see me very often, I am starting to look pregnant, and I'm wearing some maternity clothes. I went shopping with my best friend last week and we got a few things that are working well. If the baby doubles in size this week, does that mean I will get quite a bit bigger this week?

In my 40 week devotional this week, it was talking about how some women just don't feel like themselves all the time. Like if you are usually a slow to anger woman, you can randomly become short tempered. I kinda felt that this past week. A couple of days I would just snap at coworkers and family for no good reason, And I've also been very lazy this past couple days. Its just weird cause I'm so excited for this baby, but getting there is making me lazy and irritable. (Hopefully temporary) One of the verses in the devotional was Philippians 4:8, which happens to be the verse I consider "mine". I used to have a shirt with it on in.

"Whatever is good, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever 

is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, 

let your mind dwell on these things"

Reading and writing it out again makes me remember why I loved that verse so much. It's a great commitment to only think about those things, but when one does, it brings a peace of mind that only God can give. 

So even though I'm going through a rough patch in this pregnancy (and I'm sure there will be more), if I try to keep my mind on the wonderful things going on in my life, God will help me get through the rough times. 

I ask for prayer this week for any of you that pray. Prayer for me to control my anger, and keep me focused on the good things in my life. And prayer for my health, I got a cold this past weekend and I'm still recovering. 

Thanks for reading and God Bless!

Week 15 Size Update

Here is the week 15 size update from babycenter.com

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

Even though we have the option of finding out the gender, Alex and I decided a long time ago that we want to be surprised in the delivery room, and not any earlier. Some people think we are nuts for not finding out the gender, but I don't care. It's one of the last true surprises left in life and I don't want to open my gift early.

I got my 2 devotional books this past weekend, and they are really good! One is titled "40 Weeks, Devotional Guide to Pregnancy". It's a week by week study that gives information about the baby, a short devotional to think about for the week and then some prayer ideas for the week. That one I'm going to be reading on 'baby update days' and I'll mention anything I think is really meaningful or helpful to me here.
The other is called "Nine Months and Counting". Instead of a weekly or daily thing, it's a 'read whenever you want to' devotional with bible verses, quotes from moms and lists of things to do to get ready for baby.

That's about it for this week I think. Thanks for reading and God Bless you!

A lesson discovered

This isn't really a baby update but it is something I learned in church this week about being a faithful-to-God-future-mother.

In church this Sunday, we sang the song  "Your Love Never Fails". One of the lines in the song is "You make all things work together for my good"
When I first read the words, my thoughts were "If God wants my life to be good, why am I having financial issues and things keep breaking at home?" Then I really thought about it. It does not necessarily mean our lives will be all "good times". It means God knows what is best for me and my family, and even if we must suffer for a time, overall it is for the good that God has in store for us. Maybe our financial troubles are God showing me that if I have faith in Him, He will supply all my needs. Or maybe stuff breaking at home is God telling me I really don't need all the stuff I think I "need".

Now and forever, I want to rely on my Lord for my needs and the needs of my child. Even when things are hard and I can't see why they are happening to me, God has a plan for the good things and the suffering. He will never give me any more then I can handle if I trust in Him.

Week 14 Update

I am officially in my second semester!!!! As always, the update from babycenter.com:

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

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Well most of you saw my post about my ultrasound a few days ago, that was the biggest update of the week so far. I don't have another appointment until June so for the next couple weeks it'll be pretty boring. :P

I did buy 2 devotionals for during pregnancy and they should arrive by the end of the week. I hope to start those soon and post the things that God is speaking to me here.

Well here are a few of the mother-to-be gifts I received this past week!

These ones are from my sister-in-law, Cassie. She LOVES giraffes!

These are from my mom. I love the one that says "Daddy Loves me"

My mother in law also gave me a gift. But my camera died so here is the link to what she bought me.

This one was not a gift this past week, It was given by my mom a short time after we found out we were pregnant. It is actually something I wore when I was a baby. Hopefully it'll fit our baby. 

Well I think that is about it for this week. Thanks to everyone for the "Happy mother-to-be" wishes and loves!

First Ultrasound

Yesterday we had our first ultrasound!!!

It was so cool to see our little baby squirming around inside me, and being very stubborn and not letting the doctor take it's picture.

Under normal circumstances, we would not have had the ultrasound until 20 weeks, but due to the fact that I have a brother with Trisomy 21 (aka Down syndrome), Alex wanted to get the genetic screen test done. Basically, the doctor started the ultrasound, and then waited until the baby was in the right position to measure a certain gap near the spine, and also checked the nasal bone. Then they take some blood, and in a week or two, we'll know the probability of our child having a genetic abnormality. Weather or not our baby has trisomy 21 or not will not change our plans for our child, it'll just give us some head up if he/she does.

OK, now back to squealing about the ultrasound!!!! Becky brought me to the appointment again cause Alex couldn't get it off work on such short notice. We saw it's little feet, and hands. And we saw it's little beating heart and I think we saw it's bladder too! Becky says it has my nose. (Silly Becky, you can't even tell from the pictures!!) I think one of the most fun parts was watching him/her move around while we were watching it.

If you notice in the picture, it says 14w1d. I am not actually 14 weeks, I'm still considered 13, but apparently, we are having a big baby! The doctor said she won't be surprised if I deliver early. I am a little nervous about how big our baby will get. My mother-in-law was telling me that her doctor once said that the weight usually averages our between the 2 parents birth weights. I was 7lb 9oz, and Alex was 9lb. Oh joy, I'm gonna have a 8.5 lb baby!!

Well, that is all until next Tuesday, or something else fun happens!

Week 13 update

Here is the week 13 update from babycenter.com
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Our baby is getting so big!! Pretty soon I'll have a baby belly to show off! 

Yesterday I had a doctor appointment. It was just a regular check up to check my weight, ask how I was feeling, and that sort of stuff. My doctor was wonderful! I hope I get to keep her. She gave me lots of good information and let me ask all the questions I wanted without feeling like I was being rushed. Then came the really fun part. 

My best friend had given me a ride to the appointment since Alex had to work. And of course I let her come into the room with me. So when the doctor asked if we wanted to hear the heartbeat again, we both were squealing just a little bit. When the doctor found the heartbeat this month, it was loud and strong. I got little goosebumps just now writing about it! I have life in my belly. It's really there!! I was giggling with joy so much that the doctor kept loosing the right spot and had to keep finding it again. Silly me. Anyway, it was a lot of fun to have my best friend there, I know she enjoyed herself and I'm glad she was there to share in my excitement with me. 

I have some more gifts pictures to post, so here they are!

These are from Alex's parents. I absolutely LOVE the little booties!!!

This is from Alex's moms parents. The must know now much I like to organize!

We also received a crocheted blanket from Alex's grandma Hunt, who is now with God. But my pictures of it are being annoying so I'll take another one later. 

Well I think that is it for today. Next week we will have the first 2nd trimester update!!!

Week 12 update

Only 2 more weeks until I'm officially in my second trimester!!! I am so excited! Here is our baby update for week 12 from babycenter.com

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Well this week has been the easiest so far since I started feeling sick. But heartburn is kicking in full throttle. I think I'm going back to my old self again. Although, I am still pretty tired after work, more so then I used to be pre-baby.

We are still trying to figure out colors and ideas for the nursery, but neutral colors are hard. Alex and I thought about doing some kind of a theme, but we're not sure what. Winnie the Pooh? Pixar? Mario? or just cute animals? So much to choose from!! I think I'll just go to Home Depot and grab some color swatches. Play around with them and figure something out. 

If anyone has any ideas for Bible studies for expecting moms or parents, please let me know. I'm still wanting something that gets me into my Bible more, but also has to do with being a new parent. Something Alex and I can do together is even better. 

I've been window shopping for maternity clothes already.... Some of them are really cute!!! I was also looking for maternity sewing patterns, but those are in really short supply. But I won't give up!

Maybe sometime today we are going to start baby bump pictures, but I might not start until 2nd trimester. 

That's it for today I guess. I have another doctor appointment next Monday, so if it is interesting, I'll post something on Monday, but otherwise, I'll just post it with Tuesday's weekly update. God Bless everyone in the coming week!