23 Weeks

Pregnancy Update July 30, 2012

How far along: 23 weeks.

Size of baby: 11.5 inches, 1.1 lb. - a "Large Mango" (which just so happens to be one of my favorite fruits!)

What developed this past week: Bryson is getting stronger and stronger and is quite active - others can even see him moving from the outside. His head is now more proportionate to his body and he is looking more like a newborn! Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and his hearing is becoming more acute, as the cochlea (inner ear mechanism that houses all components of hearing) is now fully formed! Baby can hear what I hear, but at muted levels because of all the muscle, tissue & fluid around him.

Weight Gain: 16.4 pounds.

Maternity clothes: Non-maternity shirts are getting to be too short in the front so they leave an unsightly gap between the top of my pants and the bottom of my shirt - bare belly stickin out! :) Luckily, I have found many good deals online for maternity clothes and don't think I'll be in want any time soon!

Gender: IT'S A BOY! "Bryson Nicholas"

Movement: I was very used to feeling movement in my lower abdomen, but now I am starting to feel kicks going on behind my belly button! So bizarre! My uterus is just above my belly button now and he's getting so big that I can simultaneously feel movement up high and down low! My foot-long baby! I want another sonogram to see what he looks like squished in there! And of course to get his measurements and see his sweet face!! I hear I can go to the local tech school to give the ultrasound techs practice...

Sleep: I took the mattress topper off this week, and there is good news and bad news. Good news is that my lower back doesn't ache much anymore! Bad news is... now my mid & upper back does! Can't win. I'm still working through different pillow options and positions. Hopefully something will help! If anyone has advice or tips... I'm all ears!

What I miss: I don't miss this, but I've noticed this week that I walk slowly all the time now. I used to be annoyed to take "forever" to get somewhere, the point was to be there. Getting stuck walking behind a slow person drove me crazy. Now I am the slow person! I practically waddle and don't mind one bit taking a long time to get somewhere. Baby is ALREADY slowing my life way down! haha Oh the things I never guessed would be affected...

Cravings: Nothing.

Best moment this week: Talking to my Mother-in-law about what Caleb was like and looked like as a baby. Amazingly, though he was born one month early, Caleb was 8lbs 15oz and was 23 inches long. That is as long as a "normal" 3 month old! Crazy! I didn't realize Caleb was contributing so much to Bryson's height! That even further explains the extra long femur bone at 18 weeks! On top of that, I found out that my uncle set the hospital record (for the time) at 24 inches long! As I told my family, I will gladly take a 9 lb baby as long as the weight is distributed over a tall frame, not a rolly-polly-Michelin-man! OUCH! :) (I know that sounds selfish, but a girl can dream! :))

What I am looking forward to: Getting the second dresser in tomorrow and setting up the nursery! Also, I'm finishing up a registry and trying to get guest lists together! So much to do, So little time! :) SO EXCITING THOUGH! Thank you, in advance, to everyone who is going to work so hard to make these showers SO fun and wonderful! Love you all!

22 Weeks

Pregnancy Update July 23, 2012

How far along: 22 weeks.

Size of baby: 11 inches, 1 lb. - a "Spaghetti Squash".  We've hit the one pound mark! Yay! He's getting so big!

What developed this past week: Bryson's senses are developing this week - taste buds are forming and nerve endings are developed enough for him to experience the sense of touch. He is starting to experiment with this tactile sense by grabbing on to the umbilical cord, touching his own face/body, etc.

Weight Gain: Still at 14 pounds.

Maternity clothes: All maternity pants, often maternity shirts. Had to buy a few pair of capris and shorts since it's been so hot lately. It's too hot to wear pants, and my athletic shorts with an elastic waist are starting to cut into me and be very uncomfortable/annoying.

Gender: IT'S A BOY! "Bryson Nicholas"

Movement: Bryson moves often throughout the day. I love it! Sometimes when I lay down at night, he has an "episode" of craziness for 5-10 minutes where it seems he just can't get comfortable. That, or he is trying to work out all his pent-up energy before bed :).  This week as I was lying down watching tv, I put the remote control across my belly, just under my belly button, and watched it get knocked around and bumped up and down a bunch of times. So fun to see him so active in there! I've had people tell me when they felt him kick how they think he's so strong. He must be growing leg muscles like his dad's!

Sleep: Trying to figure out the most comfortable way to sleep. Got out my snoogle, but so far haven't felt relief from the back pain & discomfort while sleeping. I think my problem is actually that the mattress is too soft with the memory foam mattress topper on it, so that may be coming off, as much as Caleb loves it :(. We'll see how it goes with the snoogle. Maybe I'll get one of those belly wedge pillows that I've heard a lot of good things about. Apparently everything is connected, so when my belly isn't supported, it pulls and affects my back. Who knew?! :)

What I miss: Looking forward to going to sleep. Now that I'm not super comfortable, I don't look forward to bedtime like I used to. And I wake up at least half a dozen times to change positions - that doesn't feel restful, even if I am getting enough hours of sleep.

Cravings: No cravings in particular.

Best moment this week: Going to my SILs house and having both her, Erica, and my friend Jessy feel Bryson kicking. Jessy gave him the cutest little jammies that match her daughter, Emma's jammies - future soulmates ;) She wrote the sweetest card and gave him the most touching book! Makes me tear up! Love them! After all the kids went to bed that night, I laid down on the living room floor next to Erica so she could experience one of Bryson's crazy times. She was astonished at how much he was moving and how strong he is! So fun to be able to share these experiences! Maybe sometime I can get it on video.

This week, I also had my monthly doctor appt. The great news was that the bloodwork they took last time to test for things like spinabifida came back normal! Yay! Praise God! So far, looks like Bryson will be one healthy little boy! His heart rate was in the 140's, and the doctor said they'll start measuring my belly at the next appt. My uterus has to be above my belly button for them to start measuring. Also at my next appt (at 26 weeks), they'll do the gestational diabetes test. I've not heard good things about the taste of that orange drink, but I think I can down it pretty quickly to just get it done! :)

What I am looking forward to: Getting the nursery set up! 2 of 3 pieces of furniture came in this week, so we're working on getting the nursery cleared out so we can set them up. I can't wait to get the bedding out so I can see how it looks all together - gotta make sure I still love it, since I've had it for so long and am now being tempted to buy blue (vs sage green)!

21 Weeks

Pregnancy Update July 16, 2012

How far along: 21 weeks.

Size of baby: 10.5 inches, 12.7 oz. - a "large banana" or "carrot". Baby grew 4 inches this week! Talk about a growth spurt! A couple oz were packed on too.

What developed this past week: This week,  the baby's digestive system has developed enough for Bryson to begin swallowing amniotic fluid and absorbing small amounts of sugar, thought most nutrients are still delivered through the placenta.

Weight Gain: 14 pounds.

Maternity clothes: All maternity pants, often maternity shirts.

Gender: IT'S A BOY! "Bryson Nicholas"

Movement: Lots of moving going on! Seems once he starts, he can't stop. :) MANY people have been able to feel him moving this past week - so fun! Sometimes I  lay down and pull my shirt up just to watch him bump and wiggle around. Crazy to see!

Sleep: Sleeping well for the most part still. But I've come to a new crossroad. I woke up the other night with a very sharp pain on my right side. I'm pretty sure it was my round ligament yelling at me for not putting a pillow under my belly while I was sleeping on my right side. Apparently, my belly is now big enough to need propped up so that it doesn't pull on my ligament for hours! The Snoogle body pillow has yet to be broken out, so maybe now is the time!

What I miss: Nothing this week!

Cravings: Nothing. Though cereal still always sounds good. Since I've only really mentioned eating Lucky Charms, let me be clear that I do eat other kinds - I especially like Strawberry Frosted Mini-Wheats too.

Best moment this week: Being on vacation with my family - lots of them got to feel Bryson's little body and his kicking! The wedding was fun too :)

What I am looking forward to: Dr. Appt 7/18. I think they'll start measuring my belly now! I'm interested to see how many weeks I'm measuring since EVERYONE tells me how small I am!

For kicks and giggles, I threw together this collage so I could see the body changes better.

It's crazy to think back to being 5 weeks pregnant and remembering that I always wanted to suck in (but my husband would yell at me) because I thought I looked fat! AND considering the fact that people constantly tell me I'm small or that they can't even tell I'm pregnant, I'm amazed at how big I am at 20 weeks! Big changes in 16 weeks of gestation!

20 Weeks!

Pregnancy Update July 9, 2012

 

How far along: 20 weeks! HALF WAY! 

Size of baby: 6.5 inches, 10.6 oz. - a "Small Cantaloupe" or, more reasonably, a "Banana". Baby only grew half an inch, but added 2 oz! Putting on some chub! :)

What developed this past week: This week, Bryson's skin is becoming covered in a waxy-like substance called vernix which protects his skin from becoming scratched or chapped.

He is also starting to produce meconium (lovely!), the result of digestion, which accumulates in his bowels and eventually passes during delivery or in his first diapers!

Weight Gain: 13 pounds.

Maternity clothes: All maternity pants, often maternity shirts.

Gender: IT'S A BOY! "Bryson Nicholas"

Movement: I feel the baby quite often throughout the day. He seems to do more moving all at once now vs. one or two sporadic movements here and there. This is making it easier for other people to feel him since I can tell them to put their hand on me after I feel a kick or two. Friday night, at 19w5d, 3 more people got to feel him doing calisthenics! My niece Emilie, who was THRILLED to be the 3rd person to feel him, and my SILs Erica & Laurie. Just have to be in the right place at the right time :). I'm hoping the right times will come along more often now so more people can share in the fun!

Sleep: This week I did not sleep well, but I think it had less to do with being pregnant than it did with getting up early every day and being very busy at work. The last few hours of sleep each morning were always restless, waking up often and turning over, wondering if the alarm is about to go off. Luckily, in the week coming up, I'll be on vacation and can make up for those restless nights!

What I miss: Not having spider veins and leg cramps! I guess I'm not getting around all pregnancy symptoms! lol

Cravings: Nothing.

Best moment this week: Telling all our friends the baby's gender! And having other people feel Bryson kicking.

What I am looking forward to: Vacation and my sister's wedding this week! My family getting to feel Bryson moving around while we're together all week.

Anything Like Me

This song has been special to me from the first time I heard it. It is Caleb to a "T". I love it!
There are so many parts of Caleb that I want our son to inherit or learn (very few - like wanting to skip class and not do his chores - that I hope our kid doesn't get!). Caleb is the most loyal, loving, thoughtful & funny man I have ever met. That is what I want for our son. I can't wait to meet him and watch him develop and learn and grow! Time will go too fast I'm sure...

I remember sayin' I don't care either way
Just as long as he or she is healthy, I'm okay
And then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen
And said, "You see that thing right there? Well, you know what that means"

I started wondering who he was going to be
And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me...

He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast
End up every summer wearin' something in a cast
He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass
In a window down the street

He's gonna get in trouble, oh, he's gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback
If he's anything like me
I can see him right now, knees all skinned up
With a magnifying glass tryin' to melt a Tonka truck
Won't he be a sight with his football helmet on?
That'll be his first love 'til his first love comes along
He'll get his heart broke by the time he's in his teens
And heaven help him if he's anything like me...

He'll probably stay out too late and drive his car too fast
Get a speeding ticket, he'll pay for mowing grass
He's gonna get caught skippin' class
And be grounded for a week
He's gonna get into trouble, we're gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback
If he's anything like me

He's gonna love me
And hate me along the way
The years are gonna fly by
And I already dread the day

He's gonna hug his mama, he's gonna shake my hand
He's gonna act like he can't wait to leave

But as he drives out he'll cry his eyes out
If he's anything like me
There's worst folks to be like, oh, he'll be alright
If he's anything like me

19 Weeks

Pregnancy Update July 2, 2012

 



How far along: 19 weeks.

Size of baby: 6 inches, 8.5 oz. - an "Heirloom Tomato".

What developed this past week: Many of the baby's senses are developing as specialized areas in the brain are being designated for smell, taste, hearing, vision & touch.

Also, millions of motor neurons are continuing to develop in the brain allowing more controlled and conscious movement.

Weight Gain: 10 pounds.

Maternity clothes: All maternity pants now - I've cleaned out my closet and replaced all my normal pants & jeans with maternity. I still fit into most of my normal shirts, as long as they are long enough to cover my belly and the attractive maternity panel in my pants, but I tend to wear maternity shirts because they are looser and longer.

Gender: IT'S A BOY!

Movement: Baby's movements are getting stronger and more frequent. Caleb was the first one to feel the baby from the outside on June 26th, @ 18w2d. We were laying in bed talking before going to sleep and I felt a few movements in a row. Usually I feel one or two kicks or rolls and by the time I put my hand on my belly, the baby has stopped moving. This time, he kept going. So I told Caleb and he shot his hand over to my belly and said, "WHOA! Is he kickboxing in there!? What is he doing?" :)  It lasted for at least 30 seconds, which felt like an eternity compared to how often I usually feel him! So cool! I was glad that Caleb go to be the first and only for a while, considering I, by default, get most of the firsts.

Sleep: Sleeping well. We put a memory foam mattress topper on our bed, and it seems to help my shoulders not hurt as much from sleeping on my sides. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't feel like it's supporting my back because it's not hard. BUT since I won't be sleeping on my back much longer anyway, it's more important that I'm comfortable on my sides. Oh, and Caleb loves it, so I guess I'm stuck with it ;).

What I miss: Nothing. I'm loving everything about being pregnant now. It's even more fun now because we know the gender and can shop and plan!

Cravings: Nothing.

Best moment this week: Too many to choose from! First and foremost, Caleb announcing the baby's name was the most special moment to me. We hadn't fully agreed to a middle name by the time the party started, and Caleb and I were torn between using a family name vs. using a name that we like just because it sounds good. When our family asked us the middle name, Caleb said, "His name is Bryson Nicholas, after Nichole's grandfather." I started crying. I was surprised at myself, I never thought that I'd cry when we announced, but it was so special to me to use my grandfather's name, and that Caleb would decide to use the name that I love over the name he'd always thought he wanted made it even sweeter. Secondly, having the gender reveal party with both of our families - everyone was very excited to hear it's a boy!! Both of my sisters couldn't make it to the party, but I got to tell them in person and they were thrilled! Thirdly, as I already mentioned, Caleb getting to feel Bryson kicking around!

What I am looking forward to: Telling the rest of our friends the gender and the name, and growing and feeling baby more often...

IT'S A...

As I said in the Gender & Anatomy Ultrasound post, Caleb and I had our Sonographer write down the baby's gender for us so that we could find out by ourselves if we're having a boy or girl. So we left the doctor's office full of excitement! Caleb couldn't wait to open the note and wanted to do it in their parking lot, while I wanted to go to a more special/private place and put it off just a few more minutes!

We decided to wait until after we stopped at my parents house (which was planned before the appt) so that Caleb could shower (since we didn't want to drive all the way back to our house) before dinner since he had come right from work (he instead helped dad move a desk and didn't need a shower). Before leaving, we showed my dad our sonograms and he lovingly looked at his grandson/granddaughter for at least 5 minutes. He even turned the pictures upside down to better inspect! :)

After 15-20 minutes with my dad, we couldn't wait any longer to know our big news, so we left and went down the road to a parking lot (where Caleb first told me he loved me! :)) to open the note alone in the truck. I told Caleb he had to open it because I couldn't make the decision to actually do it! lol It was such a crazy, life-changing moment, that I couldn't do it! So he asked me if I was ready, and I said, "Yes!.... No, wait!... Yes!... Ok go ahead!" haha I was so nervous to actually KNOW - it's in stone after that moment, ya know!? :) (obviously, it's always been in stone, but now we know the final answer!) It's like getting to the top of a hill on a roller coaster and pausing. Are you ready to fly down it? Yes, but no! :) 
Right before he opened it, we asked eachother what our guesses were... Caleb said girl, and I said boy. Then he opened it....

AND THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!!!

WE'RE HAVING A BABY BOY!!! We couldn't be happier!

I don't think either of us stopped smiling for hours! We were freaking out excited! We couldn't stop saying, "Can you believe we're having a boy?!", "Can you believe we know!?" etc...
Then we went to my favorite steak place, Firebirds, for dinner (had to get a filet mignon for celebration dinner!) where we discussed baby names and all other things baby. While we were eating, I looked at Caleb with a big smile on my face and said, "I am geeking out inside!!!"  Without missing a beat, he answered, "You're geeking out on the outside too!" lol He cracks me up!

We followed up dinner with some baby clothes shopping at Kohls. We both picked out a few things and were watching over our shoulders to make sure we didn't run into anyone we know!  There was one person there we knew so we thought about picking up a few outfits of each gender, but she never came over to the baby section, so our secret was safe!

Here's what we got:
Note: It was hard not to buy MORE! But with 30% off AND $20 in Kohls cash, we didn't look too closely at prices! You only buy your son's first outfits chosen especially for him ONCE! :)

Caleb has talked about (only half-jokingly) buying a backhoe for years, so he thought this was funny. And anything with the word "tough" on a baby boy is adorable!

If you know ANYTHING about my husband, you know he LOVES football...

Close up of one of the onesies! I know we already have the Father's Day gift outfit that says almost the same thing, but these are too cute to pass up for next summer!

A cute cuddly sleeper! Are you seeing a trend? :)

Close up of the sleeper.

I love this cute sweat suit. How cuddly baby boy will be! Even more fitting, the blue onesie has a giraffe mom and baby on it and says, "Mommy loves me". Oh so true! :)

We're still trying to wrap our minds around this news! Everyone is going to FREAK OUT when we tell them!!! There were only 3-4 people that we know that guessed that baby is a girl. EVERYONE else said boy! As much fun as it would have been to have 5 girl cousins within 2.5 years, it will be just as fun to have something different! Now I need to re-learn how to change a boy's diaper!... :)