Week 20

WE'RE HALF WAY BABY!!!

We had two Doc apt's last week and they both went very well. One was with Dr. J ~ just a check-in really ~ we talked about a few options at birth time, I asked her a few questions about things that I am too embarrassed to put into digital print. But she assured me in every way that I needed to be assured. The only really disappointing thing that I learned was that there's about a 50/50 shot that she will be present at the end-game (she only works 3 days a week). I knew that was a possibility, but still, it would be nice to go through the whole sha-bang with her. I have only gained 7 lbs so far. She said, "Feel free to keep eating."  :)  Everything else checked out good, blood pressure, your movement, mental health, pee test, etc.

The other appointment was with Dr. Bob ~ This one was a biggie ~ they call it the 2nd Trimester Screening ~ it took a little over an hour and they took every measurement of your body you can imagine: arms, legs, figers, toes, eyes, spine, heart, lungs, kidneys, brain......I could go on and on. Everything measured out super-duper. So far ~ you are a genetic stud muffin. Here are a few pics from that visit:

Your right arm.

Your right leg - This is one of my favorites :)

Your feets.

Profile shot - your Dad says you have my nose.

Here are a few pics from this week of other cool people in your family:

Cousin Henry taking paragliding lessons  in Chugach State Park in Anchorage, AK.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/05/27/2889820/best-of-may-2013.html#storylink=cpy

Aunt Bonnie at the Gold Nugget Triathlon finish line (Anchorage, AK). She is such a stud.

Uncle Micah, your Pops and your Grandpa Joe after a successful day of fishing (Memorial Day, Owyhee Reservoir)

Here are some updates about YOU:

WEEK 20

Woohoo! Halfway point! Do a victory lap around the block! Ha, no, you do what you want, you’ve earned it, honey. Between constipation, heartburn, snoring, headaches, dizziness, leg cramps, nausea, constant peeing, extra spit and sore boobs, you’ve had a long haul.
 
The good new is that your baby is weighing in at about ten ounces and measuring six and a half inches which is the length of an American dollar and the weight of 50 quarters (I did that math by myself so double check that stat). Your baby would be worth around $17,000 if it was gold. Aw hell yeah, but you’re worth way more than that, money baby!
 
You also may have noticed that money baby likes to eat. Hunger is pretty common right now because your baby is doing some serious growing. If you’re finding that heartburn and indigestion is a problem, break your meals down and eat more often but in smaller portions (easy for me to say when money baby is demanding a whole chocolate cake in one sitting).
 

Your baby is about the length of a banana:

The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on.  Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron for pregnant women. Poultry (especially the dark meat) also contains iron. Some common non-meat sources of iron include legumes, soy-based products, spinach, prune juice, raisins, and iron-fortified cereals.

 Love you Baby, Me

Week 19

Oh ~ You are Rockin' and Rollin now Baby!!

I have been feeling you wiggle around almost everyday this past week, a few times a day. Then the last two or three days ~ it seems like you are moving all day! And the coolest, craziest, strangest, most awesome thing happened last night ~ I felt you move from THE OUTSIDE of my belly. I put my hand on my lower belly when you were boppin' around and sure enough you rolled right under my hand. It was CrAZy! Your Pops is fishing this weekend (I'm really happy - he deserves a little trip) - but I can-not-wait for him to get home and feel you too!

He went to a place called Duck Valley Indian Reservation. There are three small reservoirs there ~ no motors allowed. It is a really neat place ~ very serene ~ some of the best bird watching I have ever experienced.  Lots of birds are migrating through the area and they like to make a little pit stop at these  bodies of water, so you can see birds that are not normally around. It was a BOYS trip this time around though ~ Your Dad, your Grandpa Joe, Steve and Josh Tyree. I'm sure they had a great time - and I hope they caught lots of fish.  :)

Some other fun things that happened this week: We picked out a birthing class to take...your dad thinks we've got this 'in the bag' and we don't need to take a class ~ but I kind of freaked out and said tough luck! He came around though ~ once he realized how important it really was AND since so many of our friends said it was a good idea. 

On Friday I met up with my best-girl Katie and we went to a Community Education class (we like to do this a lot) and learned how to blow glass! It was REALLY HOT inside the studio ~ but it was a very cool experience. We made these beautiful glass ornaments. They had to keep them overnight to cool down from like 1000 degrees (no joke) to room temperature. I'm lucky to have a friend like her - and trust me - she is SO PUMPED to meet you! Here are few pics I took during the lesson:

We have two Doc apt's this coming week. This post from the Pregnant Chicken talks about that upcoming visit ~ and clearly we already know you are a GIRL ~ but I think the post is interesting anyways:

 

WEEK 19

You may have already had your mid-pregnancy ultrasound (often called a Level II Ultrasound, Fetal Anatomy Survey or a Fetal Anomaly Screen) because you generally have it between 18 - 22 weeks.

They are checking out the size of your baby, the development of your baby’s stomach, urinary tract, kidneys, spine and brain. They will also measure the baby’s heart rate and look for defects in the ventricles and other heart anomalies.

The size and placement of your placenta is also on tap to make sure your placenta isn’t blocking your cervix (called placenta previa) although, even if this does turn up, 90% - 95% of the cases resolve themselves before you deliver so don’t panic. It just means it’s blocking the exit and it can get a little complicated if it doesn’t smarten up and move.

This is also the scan that may be able to tell you if you’re having a girl or a boy if the weeble cooperates. Some technicians won’t tell you but will note it in your file if your doctor wants to spill the beans. Others will blurt it out so let them know if you’re keeping it a surprise. Personally, I think there are benefits to both:

Pros of Finding Out:

• Finding out the gender of your baby is always a surprise whether it’s at 20 weeks or when you deliver
• Gender neutral stuff can get tiresome if you really want to go nuts
• You have just eliminated 50% of the naming arguments
• You can start grooving on the hand-me-down hoarding
• It sometimes feels nice to say “he” or “she” instead of “he or she” (make sense?)
• I was convinced I was having a boy and couldn’t picture having a girl so I wanted time to wrap my head around it that if that was going to be the case. I don’t think I would have reacted weird if they had shouted “it’s a girl” when I delivered, but I would have felt like a complete douche if I’d even hesitated for a second at her awesomeness.

Pros of Not Finding Out:

• Ultrasounds have been wrong.
• It will drive people nuts and that shit is fun.
• It gives you something to keep guessing about. I wonder if it’s a boy because I’m craving lemons. I wonder if I’m having a girl because of how everyone’s been kind enough to tell me how tired I look?
• It puts off the gender stereotyping for a while
• Gender neutral stuff is gorgeous and you can use it for subsequent babies
• It’s the ultimate reveal after going through labour, after all, movies NEVER find out.

 

How your baby's growing:

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

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

 

You're awesome baby ~ Love, me

Happy Mother's Day - TO MEEEEEEE!!!!

Today we went out to Sawtooth Winery for a big wine tasting event. We were lucky enough to have been invited to go with the whole Tyree clan. They reserved a tent, so we had a nice place to sit and visit and nibble on all sorts of lovely snacks that Allison and I made. Honestly, I did taste a couple wines. It was really nice because all they give you is a sip or two ~ so after tasting about three ~ I had had my fill of risky behavior :) The weather was HOT, freakishly hot for early May, so after a few hours I reached my maximum heat capacity and we rolled home to spend the evening relaxing. Your Dad gave me a Mother's Day card too ~ which truly was the highlight of my day.

How we fight (usually laughing).

How we love (always laughing).

WEEK 18

“Arrrgh, son-of-a-bitch leg cramp!” is something you may have uttered recently. Most likely it was when you were in bed after finally getting to sleep once your heartburn subsided and your nose cleared.

No one knows what causes them - The possible culprits are compressed blood vessels or just the pressure of carrying around more weight. Either way they are painful and wrench you out of a glorious sleep like an air horn. Quickest trick to relieve them is to flex your foot upwards and straighten your leg like you’re going to touch your shin with your big toe.

As for your baby, they are yawning and hiccupping now. Awwww. Don’t the leg cramps seem less awful now? No, you’re right they’re still terrible.

Your baby is moving around quite a bit now and you can see all its blood vessels through its transparent skin. So cool.

How your baby's growing:

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

How your life's changing:

Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Make it count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, candy, and other sweets). Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow.
Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during this trimester your blood pressure will probably be lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy. From now on, when you do lie down, it's best to lie on your side — or at least partly tilted to one side. (When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein, leading to decreased blood return to your heart.) Try placing a pillow behind you or under your hip or upper leg for comfort.




Love you baby, me

So, without further delay........YOU'RE A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Your Dad came with me to an appointment with Dr. Bobroski (the fancy baby picture doctor) and the technician asked us if we wanted to know 'the sex' and of course we said YES! Then she said, "Well it's confirmed - you're having a girl!" I burst into tears (of joy of course) and your Dad teared up a little too. We are absolutely thrilled to have a healthy growing baby - boy or girl - but just hearing the news was very emotional. The idea of YOU as an additional into our lives is becoming more and more real.

Now comes the BIG job of picking a name for you......it's THE question everyone is asking me these days. We have a list of a few names, but your dad and I take this task very seriously. We will need to to mull things over for sometime.....

We had dinner with our good friends Micah and Kara on Friday night ~ they are having a bebe too ~ it is really fun to have a friend to be pregnant with. They are wonderful, funny, happy people who will raise a super kid and I know you and their baby will be great friends one day.

Ok ~ Here is some other AMAZING NEWS - I am pretty sure I felt you FLIP over for the first time today. I was laying on my back on the floor doing some stretches and I felt this very very weird sensation in my lower belly......it startled me so much that I wasn't sure at first what it was, but I'm pretty certain it was not gas ;) 'They' say I should start feeling you move around now, so chances are pretty good it was you. Awesome.

Last shot of the old counter top......

RIIIIIPPPP!

AND ~ We now have our new granite counter tops. They are FANTASTIC. New sink too - which I imagine we will give you many baths in when you are itty bitty. Ha! Here are some pics:

Bye Bye old counter. We will not miss you.

New pretty granite ~ and new AMAZING sink! Yea!!!

The Island.

The guest bath was a bonus (new sink and back splash too)

And finally the laundry room counter was a double bonus. Score!

OK OK ~ That's boring ~ But hey, it been a big week in our world! Here is some more interesting info about you baby girl:

WEEK 17

Way to pork up, kid! No, not you, your baby, well, if you’re like me, then you too (high five). Your baby is about 5 inches long (from head to rump – I have no idea why they don’t count legs. Legs count in my book but whatev) and weighs about 5oz. So it’s the length and weight of an iPhone. Your awesome little minion is also starting to suck and swallow and is moving joints in preparation for doing the running man at weddings. Yes!

You are probably showing now.

If you are like me you laughed at that because you started showing when the pee stick showed two lines, or you wondered what the hell I am talking about because you’re wearing the same pants you did a year ago. Both are normal so don’t panic and ignore anyone that comments on your size. I have no idea why people feel compelled to point out a woman’s weight gain (or lack there of) while they are gestating a person when, at any other point in her life it would be considered rude. Keep in mind that very few of these people have much reference for how big you should or shouldn’t be so try to chalk it up to making conversation and go about your business.

Also work on your ninja moves because people are going to start touching you too. It doesn’t bother some women, but to others it’s like reaching out to stroke their tongue – awkward and gross. When my friend was pregnant and someone would touch her belly, she would just gently reach over and touch theirs in the same way. It was hysterical and stopped people dead in their tracks.

As with commenting on your weight, I don’t think people are trying to be rude, I think they’re just locked in baby mode and forget that the baby container is an actual person.

How your baby's growing:

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

How your life's changing:

Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, many don't feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll grow stronger and you'll be able to feel them much more frequently.


Love you little lady :) - me