24 weeks, Babymoon, and Doc Appt

Everything is still going great with the baby and me! This past weekend was very exciting as I finally felt the first kicks! It was a weird feeling but amazing! It happened the first time at work on Friday; I could actually look down and see my belly jumping, WOW! John was able to feel the kicks on Saturday! The baby has continued to be active at times when I’m sitting or relaxing. Many people feel the baby at night but this baby seems to be pretty active mid-morning, maybe we could be on a good schedule already :)

I will be 24 weeks on Thursday, April 2nd. This week the baby weights in at just over a pound and measures about a foot long (picture an ear of corn). The baby is a pretty lean figure at this point but will begin filling out and pluming up soon. The brain is growing quickly now and taste buds are continuing to develop. The skin is still thin and translucent but that will start to change soon too.

John and I took a 4-night cruise this month as our Babymoon vacation or last getaway before the baby’s arrival! It was a great relaxing trip. We spent 2 full days at sea and 1 day in Cozumel, Mexico. In Mexico we took a catamaran sail boat trip with some snorkeling and beach time. We met a nice couple from Austin on the ship that was on the same sail trip; we also hung out with them the rest of the day in Cozumel! Here is a couple of pictures (and bump pictures) from our trip:

Today I went to the doctor. They did the routine urine, blood pressure, weight checks. I have gained 10 lbs to this point; doctor seemed to be ok with this. I met another doctor (the only male doctor) in the practice during this visit. He was super nice and I really enjoyed meeting him. He gave me some prescription samples for my acid reflux to try. He measured my belly and said the baby is measuring a little big at this point but he is not concerned. If it continues we will cross that path down the road. We also listened to the heartbeat and everything sounded great. All other tests up to this point were normal too. I will go back in 4 weeks to meet the final doctor in the practice and have my glucose screening test. This is a test to check for gestational diabetes.

Second Trimester Ultrasound and 20 weeks

On Monday we had our second trimester ultrasound and doctor's appointment.

Here is some new pictures of the baby:

In this one the baby is looking directly at the camera:

In this one you can see how developed the spine is, amazing!

During the ultrasound the baby was very active. It kept bouncing around and stretching like it had all the room in the world, I hope it doesn't get used to that :) The legs looked very long. When they measured the head it measured about 21 weeks, I was only just over 19 weeks at this appointment, so right now we have a big head.

This would have been the ultrasound they could have told us the sex, as you know we are waiting. The ultrasound tech got very quiet at the end but we could not see anything, she wouldn't tell us if she knew or not, I'm sure she did. We are still excited for the surprise!

The doctor's appointment portion was good too. We listened to the heart beat and it sounded great. Doctor said all my prior blood work and everything looked great. She did mention that I had a weight jump, but it was still ok. I had only gained 1 lb up to this point so it was expected. She didn't tell me how much and I didn't ask!

Our next appointment is in 4 weeks - March 31st. I will meet another doctor in the practice at this appointment, the only male doctor in the office.

On Thurs (3/5) I will be 20 weeks - half way there! I cannot believe how fast time has gone. The baby weights about 10 1/2 ounces now and is around 6 1/2 inches from head to heel (the size of a cantaloupe). The baby is swallowing more these days, which is a good practice for their digestive system. I have still been feeling great. I am having a bit of acid reflux, up to this point I have been able to keep it down with water but tonight I broke down an bought tums. The doctor recommended tums and said they are good b/c of the calcium.

The Nursery and Week 19

Over the past month John and I have been working on the nursery! We received gift cards for home depot for Christmas and decided to do something more than just paint! We did all the work ourselves:

John and I put up all the wainscoting and the chair rails ourselves. It wasn't as hard as we thought it would be and was a lot of fun!

There is a couple of missing pieces but we have had lots of requests for pictures so I wanted to post! We will be getting an armoire for the wall to the right of the crib. A glider will also be added. Once the baby is born and we know the sex we will put his/her name above the crib!

I will be 19 weeks on Thurs. The baby is developing more sensory areas this week. The baby may be able to hear our voice now. The baby weighs 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches (about the size of a large tomato). I have still been feeling great. I don't think I have felt the baby's movement yet, they say you may feel it anytime between 16 - 20 weeks. I may have felt something but not realized what it was :)

We have our second trimester ultrasound on Monday - March 2nd. Will post new baby pictures after the appointment!

OB Appointment (15 weeks and 5 days) and Week 16

We had another OB appointment today. Everything still looks great. I met another one of the doctor’s in the practice. There are a total of 4 that will be on the on-call rotation schedule so they like you to meet all of them before delivery. The doctor I met today was very nice! The plan for the appointment was to listen to the heartbeat using the Doppler device. We were unable to locate the heartbeat with the Doppler, but no worries! The next step was a quick ultrasound, as soon as she started we saw that my bladder was too full and that’s the reason the Doppler wasn’t working. I actually had to use the restroom before we continued; this was after I already gave a urine sample upon arrival! Once I was back with an empty bladder we could find the baby! Everything looked great and the heart was beating great. No pictures today. Finally they took one vial of blood for a MSAFP screening. This screening tests for certain fetal disorders.

She also let me know that all my blood results from the past appointments were normal including the 1st trimester screen!

4 weeks till my next appointment – March 2nd, which will be another ultrasound. We could find out the sex at this appointment but as most of you know we are not finding out the sex until birth!

I will hit Week 16 on Thursday. Here is a quick update on the baby’s growth as I will probably not update again so soon. In the next few weeks the baby will double in weight and add inches to its length. This week it will grow to the size of an avocado: 4 ½ inches long and 3 ½ ounces. The babies eyes have moved closer the front of his head and it’s ears are close to their final position. The babies heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day. AMAZING!

Week 15

Today starts week 15. This week the baby now measures 4 inches long and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). The baby can now move all of its joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still fused shut, it can sense light.

Last night and today I have come down with a rough cold. I left work early today to rest and pump in the fluids! Hopefully it will pass quickly!

My belly still has not "popped" Its defiantly growing because most of my pants have been come to tight to button. I have bought a couple pairs of maternity pants, but they don't fit right either. I guess I'm in the in between "fat" stage. I'm sure my belly will pop soon enough!

Next doctor appointment is on Tues (Feb 3rd). Will update after that appointment.

3rd Appointment - 1st Trimester Screening

I'm officially 13 weeks (as of Jan 15th). This is my final week of the first trimester! This week fingerprints have formed on our baby's fingertips, veins and organs are visible through the thin skin. The baby is 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce!

We had our first trimester screening on Friday. This screening consists of a detailed ultrasound and 5 drips of blood from my finger. The ultrasound measurements and blood work will detect the risk of Downs syndrome along with some others.

The ultrasound was great! This machine was a lot more high tech then the others we have had. At first my bladder was too full and the tech made me go empty it! Once we started again the baby was being stubborn! Kept facing away from the camera laying on its side. After a little work by the tech to wake up the baby, it came around! The little arms and legs were moving a lot! Near the end we could see the hand go up to the mouth like the baby was trying to suck it's thumb, it was amazing!! Here is the best picture we got:

The little dot in the top center is the hand and you can also see the little feet to the right. We also love how clear the profile of the face is!!!


I'm still feeling great and have had no problems. No crazy cravings yet either!


Our next appointment is Feb 3rd. Will update between then as we reach the different weeks! Thanks for reading!!

First/Second OB Appointments and Blogging Attempt

I have never had a blog before but I figured it would be a great way to keep in touch with all our family and friends through this new exciting journey. It will also be a great way for me to keep my pregnancy story documented!

As you all know John and I are expecting our first little bundle of Joy!! I took the home pregnancy test on Sunday November 23rd. I found out on Monday the 24th that I had finally passed all the sections of the CPA exam and was officially done! It was great timing as we kept saying we would try for a baby after I passed the exam!!!

Our first OB appointment was Tuesday December 9th. John came with me as we were not sure what tests were planned. I gave a urine sample which produced two more positive tests. My doctor then performed an internal ultrasound! How exciting! We got to see the little baby! The doctor measured the baby from butt to head and I was 7 weeks and 5 days. My due date is July 23, 2009. On the ultrasound we got to see the little heart beating away, it was truly amazing! Here is a picture of the little bean:

Our second OB appointment was today Tuesday January 6th. Today we first met with the nurse to chat about all the appointments during the pregnancy and which tests will be performed when. We met with the doctor for a few minutes. She was able to do an external ultrasound today! The baby is quite a mover! The baby's hands were waving and was bouncing all around! So neat! Finally I had blood drawn for the first set of tests. Here is an updated picture from today:

I will be 12 weeks on Thursday Jan 8th. According to my online research the baby is the size of a plum! I have been feeling great and hope it continues through the next months!

My next appointment is Friday January 16th. This appointment will be the official first trimester screening. They will do a detailed ultrasound. My doctor said that ultrasound machine is better then the ones in each of the rooms and we should get better pictures!! We can also bring a DVD to record it! Will update after my next appointment!