Week 22 and 23

What a busy 2 weeks!   Tis the season for concerts-after my own at Stan State, I ran the two winter concerts at my school last Wednesday and Thursday, and then ran a booth for the music department at the GKE Winter Wonderland.   Baby girl was not happy with all that running around.   In the past, when I tried to wear anything but flat shoes at a concert I knew I could expect sore feet after the 2 hours or so of running around before, during, and after a concert.   This time I wore my comfiest flats and my preggo feet swelled so much I had to go barefoot afterwards and on the way home :(.

We also had Beauty and the Beast rehearsals this week that (thank God) our choreographer Heather was running/leading: 

   During this crazy week we also found out my car was pretty much a "walking dead" situation and spent most of Saturday looking and buying :) a new car.   I finally got to see most of my side of the family on Sunday.  All great, but the constant go, go, go, left me incredibly tired.   

This week was just a blur of trying to catch up on everything that I didn't have time for during last week's blur and THANK GOD tomorrow is our last day before winter break.   

Last week was week 22 (can you believe it's already this far along!), and I'm starting to feel VERY round and she's definitely made her presence known.  I am definitely feeling little thumps and squirming around in there :)  
Here is my belly shot from 22 weeks:

During our last anatomy scan they couldn't get a good picture of her spine because she was moving around so much, so we got to go again last Saturday (before our car adventure) for our 2nd anatomy scan.   We got to see her cute little face, yawning away and rubbing her eyes.   Josh was able to see a little better than I, and said he was able to see her heart chambers working away.  Josh does have a video from this appointment.   Our results just came back and everything looks okay so far :)   
Below are two of her ultrasounds from this visit:

In this one she is looking at you with her face on the left.  Her mouth was open and she was rubbing her eye.   

This one is in profile with the head again on the left.  


Week 23:
Aside from the business of the work week, the most exciting news is that we got to see her move slightly on the outside of my belly!  I was sitting watching TV and I saw a little thump from the outside of my belly.  We tried to videotape it but she apparently became shy all of sudden and stopped, but I'm sure there will be more opportunities to catch that on film later :).    

We have been not only blessed with her healthy pregnancy so far, but also by our loved ones around us.   So many of you have been so nice and want to lend/give us baby items.   I have been blown away by the generosity :)   A big thank you to all of you from the 3 of us :).  Even most of the items we have from previous pregnancies were gifts or hand me downs from family and friends :)

Here is my belly shot this week.  She is apparently the length of an ear of corn, about 8.5 inches, and weighs a little more than pound!  I've had little growing pains these past two weeks, but no spotting, so I believe (from what the dr. has told me and what I've read/heard) this is normal.  We are almost done with the 5th month and about 3 or 4 weeks away from the last trimester!!!!   We are so excited!!!!

Side shot (m), and front shot

 a pink sock monkey :)

and a Rubber duckie for Hanukkah :) 

We also picked up a couple of little things over the last couple of weeks for her:  

Thanks for checking in, Week 24 starts on Monday!  Officially in the 6th month :) 

:)

Week 21 :)

I am actually in week 22, but these past couple of weeks have been so busy I got behind!

Last week we had two appointments.  We had our anatomy scan on Monday the 26th, which was about a 45 minutes ultrasound session where they take like 90-100 ultrasound pictures of the baby-each organ, skeletal system, etc.   The tech was guessing a girl as well :)    We received about 13 of these ultrasounds.   I haven't had time to scan them all, but here is one of her looking directly at the screen.   She was moving a lot an kept putting her hands above her head.   She was actually moving so much that we have to go back on Saturday, the 8th to get another anatomy scan done of her spine, because they didn't get a good picture of it.  

On Wednesday we had our normal prenatal appointment where they listened to her heart and started us on the info packet for the labor and delivery!   It was so exciting just to have reached the point where it starts becoming something that is ready to planned :) We will also be taking some of the classes as well because I've never been through full term labor before.   We're doing the newborn class as well because although  I've babysat since I was 12, have 3 younger brothers I watched over the years, and worked in a daycare , Josh has never babysat or even changed a diaper before in his life.

So week 21 went by smoothly and she continues to grow.   I didn't have the right food to picture with :) but in week 21 she was as big as a spaghetti squash, about 8 inches and is supposed to weigh about a pound.   In her anatomy scan, they estimated her at about 401 grams or about 14 oz.   Here are some belly shots at 21 weeks :)  I am actually starting to feel "round" and pregnant :)    

Week 22 is almost half over so I'm sure we'll update again soon after Saturday's ultrasound ;)


Thanks for checking in!

Week 20, gender reveal, nursery, pics :)

This past week marked the halfway point, 20 weeks!   I am surprised, but extremely happy that we've made it this far.   Our baby continues to grow and I've been able to feel definite movement in there.   

This past week was Thanksgiving as well, and the week we revealed the gender of our baby to our siblings, and then the rest of the world.   I wanted to do something cute, so it wasn't just a comment in passing, i.e. "It's a girl".   So Josh suggested doing something cute with the last ultrasound and putting the name on it as well.   I also wanted to add a little poem/riddle or something to keep the suspense a moment longer :) This is the picture we had framed for the parents and siblings in our immediate families: 

We wrapped up the pictues in blue wrapping paper and pink ribbon to keep them guessing a little while longer and addressed them to their relationship to her, i.e. Uncle Toby.   

Inside the envelope was the following poem: 

 The first letter of every sentence spelled out It is a girl.
Below is the comparsion picture: 20 weeks, the baby is the size of a banana.

 And here's a belly picture :)

 My brother Andy and his fiancee are getting married next June and their wedding color is red.  I figured it would be hard to find a little red outfit in the spring, and they are all around right now because of Christmas, I picked up a little red dress and shoes for Maia to wear at Andy and Maria's wedding :)

 Now that we've made it to the halfway point, I've finally felt comfortable going thru the nursery and going through things that we had set aside for babies #1 and #2 (Angel and Ethan).   We have had generous family and friends throughout each pregnancy and have some of the "big" items already.   We also had been storing all of our childhood belongings in there as well, such as stuffed animals and children's books I was collecting when going through the credential program.   There is still much to do, but this is what the nursery looks like right now.   The two quilts on the crib were prayer quilts made for us for babies #1 and #2.  

I bought this little diaper bag with baby #1 back in 2008 and finally opened it up.  

 I bought this for Ethan back in 2009 because it has little music notes on it ;)

The baby seems to be okay and we have our anatomy scan and appointment this week.  I'm sure we'll have some more ultrasound pictures to share with you all :)
Since finding out the baby is a girl, so many friends and family have been very generous in wanting to pass down items to us.   We have been blessed with so many loving friends and family.   
We can't wait to see our baby girl again tomorrow!  Tomorrow also marks 21 weeks :)   Thanks for checking in!

Week 19 Womb with a View :)

So after falling asleep by 9pm the last week or so, I am stuck awake!  Might as well cross this off my to do list :)


This is week 19!!!  We've never made it this far, so that previous statement is very exciting for us :)    We are almost halfway there!   However, my doctor thinks that with my bicornute uterus, that I will be prone to pre-term labor and not make it to week 40 and maybe not even April!

I had been feeling very anxious and nervous in week 18 because it had been 5 weeks since our last ultrasound, and this crazy mama needs to SEE our little gummy bear to be reassured :) (I guess more like a small teddy bear now, not so much a gummy bear).  Since our next ultrasound wasn't until week 21, we decided to go to Womb with a View, here in Modesto, to get a sneak peek at our little one.   We were able to see a pretty clear ultrasound image of our baby, hear the heartbeat, and get a "preview" of the 3D image.  We even found out the gender.   It's a ...  (sorry :)  you'll have to wait until next week after our siblings have found out first :))

The best part about Womb with a view, unlike a regular doctor's visit, is that you can include family members to sit in and watch the whole scan on a huge flat screen TV.  Since this was the gender check we invited our parents (who live in town) to come share this special moment with us.   It was a very emotional night :) and I am so glad we invited them to join us.  It's been a long journey to get to this point, and they have been there for all the ups and downs the last 4 years.   Although it is AWESOME to know the sex of the baby, I was just SO HAPPY to see that Baby Stime was okay :)   Since I have never made it this far I had never seen an ultrasound where the baby was so active and so baby-like in it's features.   I was so relieved and SO happy to see our little one moving around.   During the gender check, Baby Stime had it's legs up under the crotch area so we weren't able to tell at first but eventually the legs moved and it's gender was revealed.  I promise after Thanksgiving we will share Baby Stime's gender with everyone else :) 

The moving around is so neat.   I can feel the baby when I'm singing in the car :) but especially when I'm playing trumpet (although those days are numbered-can't breath as well or feel breath support as much), and especially in my 7th/8th grade band class.  
Josh has been super cute with the baby as well.   Ever since our visit to Womb with a view, he has melted into a puddle of goo :)   He has been talking to the baby everyday, since he learned that around this time the baby can hear voices and other sounds, and may recognize them outside the womb (i.e. if we had a dog that barked all the time, the baby could possibly recognize it outside the womb and be accustomed to the sound-according to What to expect :))  He has already started to call the baby by it's name.  It's so cute :)

So here is my 19 week belly shot.   Not too much of a change since 18 :)   Some of my smaller maternity shirts are getting a little tight, but I've lost another 2 pounds and have not put any back on since the initial lost (14 pounds total!) and I continue to grow.  I have been SUPER tired this past week, hence the falling asleep early comment above.  To quote Gloria from Modern Family "You want to know why I'm so tired?!   I'm turning food into a baby!!"  So funny :)

If you didn't see these on face book, here are some pictures of the baby from Womb with a view:

This is a blurry picture of the 3D preview of the baby.  It's right hand is bent into an L shape, like it's waving at you :) 

This is the baby in profile, with it's head on the right side.  You can see the ribcage, and two arms, and if you look carefully, the jaw.  Once the gender is announced, I will post that ultrasound as well next week.   

That's it for this week, just overly tired, happy, and know what baby Stime is wearing to it's Uncle Andy and Auntie Maria's wedding in June :) 

Thanks for checking in with us!  Week 20 starts on Monday :)   

Week 17 and 18 and pregnancy announcement

Short post :)

This month has seemed to fly by as we are heading into the 18th week tomorrow.   Week 17 was fun for me because we announced to the rest of the world (well at least the rest of our world :)) that we are pregnant.   For those of you not on Facebook I posted the following picture with the following caption: Trick or Treat, trick or treat, in April a little skeleton you all will meet.

Physically I feel about the same, just rounder :)

Here is week 17:

And as we head into the 18th week tomorrow, November 5th, here is the 18 week belly!  I don't know if it makes a difference, but I had just a big lunch right before this so some of it might be me being bloated or something :) LOL

We are planning in another week or so to get an ultrasound done at Womb with a view so hopefully I'll have some more baby pictures to share with you soon, and maybe even the gender :)     I can't wait to finish month 4 after this week!

If I make it until mid December we are going to go out and buy the baby a red dress or little suit (depending on the gender) for my brother's wedding in June.  His wedding colors are red and black and it will be too hard to find a red dress or outfit in June :).  Can't wait!

Thanks for checking in!

Update on weeks 15-17

Having a hard time getting sleepy...guess I'll update this thing :)  

So this past Monday marked 17 weeks!   It's very exciting to say that since we've never gotten this far before :).   Since my last post we saw the doctor again last Monday and they didn't do an ultrasound, but we did get to hear the heartbeat-151 bpm :)   Since I had seen some light spotting, she also checked to make sure I wasn't dilated, which luckily I wasn't.

Our next ultrasound isn't until the end of November, which seems like so long, but I guess that's part of having a regular pregnancy :).  We've thought about getting a heart rate Doppler, just for that reassurance whenever we want.    Another thought was to get a basic ultrasound done at a place like Womb with a View, here in town, to get a little peek in a couple of weeks, so we don't go 6-7 weeks without getting to see our little gummy bear :)

Physically, I either am completely exhausted or super charged with energy.   I have "popped" out a little bit, but it's hard to see unless I wear form fitting shirts, which I've been avoiding at work, because I was waiting until Halloween to announce my pregnancy (tomorrow!).   For some it may look like I've been eating a pizza a day for lunch :) but my belly has started to round out and has gotten firmer.   I've been able to keep the weight off that I lost in the first trimester, despite the growing roundness up in front.   I've also started to feel a pulling/pressured feeling at times, which apparently is normal.  I've also started to feel a little movement on my left side (where the baby is)!   I can't feel it on the outside yet, but when I'm hungry, sing, sitting in my tower class I can feel it moving more.
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we'll be able to find out the gender :)
I know I'm a dork, but we've been taking some "weekly" pictures and the baby is as long as a _____ picture (in the what to expect book/app it tells you approximately how long your baby is every week, i.e. an orange, poppy seed, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc).   I tried to take a profile picture as well so you can see the "bump" :)
Thanks for checking in! :)

                                             Week 15, baby is as long as a navel orange.   

                                                      Week 16, baby is as big as a turnip (we didn't have one :)), 
                                                         roughly about 5 inches long. 

                                           Week 16 profile.  Some of this is me, but I'm definitely 
                                                           feeling more round these days :)  

I'll post my 17 week belly and Halloween baby shirt after tomorrow.  This week, the baby is as long as a sweet potato :), about 5 1/2 inches long.    Those of you who saw Ethan (baby #2) or saw pictures, he was 5 1/2 inches long so this baby should be about that long now.   

We're almost halfway!  Here's to hoping everything keeps going well!  :) 

Week 13, Appointment, last week of 1st trimester! :)

Week 13!   I can honestly say 9 weeks ago when I found out I was pregnant, I didn't think I would make it this far.   I suppose with all the problems we've had in the past, it feels like I am constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.   It is hard to believe the fairly uncomplicated journey we've had so far with this baby.  I'll take boring any day over constantly worrying every second.   Almost every comment out of my mouth about the baby has been prefaced with "Knock on wood...", i.e. "Knock on wood, I haven't had any abdominal pain with this one...".  I was joking with Josh that I should have a little piece of wood to carry on a key chain :) I feel we've been blessed with the good, (fairly) normal pregnancy so far.  

Not to step onto a soapbox, but I feel that anyone out there that is thinking of getting pregnant or very early in the 1st trimester, should definitely get everything checked out long before it's too late.   I had NO idea that I had a low thyroid or that when pregnant my body can't produce enough progesterone (what nourishes the baby while the placenta is being formed, then the placenta produces it's own progesterone).   I can only wonder what a difference knowing that information would of made with my first three babies.   I am just thankful that we took the initiative to go push for answers.   Taking medication for both the the thyroid and progesterone is the only difference in this pregnancy.   Hopefully things will continue to go well with this one. :) 

So next week we start the 14th week and we'll officially be in the 2nd trimester!   I've only made it to 15.5 weeks before so I'm going into uncharted territory.  I actually "feel" pregnant this week, with all my regular pants out of commission :) and my "bump" starting to push forward.   I haven't wanted to share the good news quite yet, with the stupid superstition that I'll jinx myself somehow, so not being a skinny mini has been a good disguise, haha.   I suppose I won't be able to hide it much longer.   Knock on wood :) if we make it to Halloween, I'll announce it to the "world" around that time.   

We had an appointment yesterday.   I'm so tense until I see that ultrasound.   I was so excited for Josh to see this ultrasound.  When I made it to the 2nd trimester with Ethan, our second pregnancy, the last ultrasound we saw him alive in was when I was taken to the ER in Tracy by my school secretary (God Bless Sue :)), and was about 12.5 weeks and Josh was working and couldn't get there in time, so he had only seen the very early ultrasounds where they baby isn't quite moving yet.   It was so great to see our little one kicking around, waving it's arms around.   We saw the bladder and a couple other tiny internal  organs, it's little head and alien looking eyes :).  Josh swears he saw it trying to suck it's thumb.   Everything look okay and the heartbeat was normal.   The baby is in the left side and I've been feeling...something on that side, but wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but the baby is exactly where I'm feeling flutters, and round ligament pain :P ( the ligaments in the abdominal area are stretching and loosening up to accommodate the baby and growing).   So it seems everything is okay as of right now.  Our next appointment is on Oct. 22nd at about 16 weeks.    

Below is a couple of pictures from the appointment.  They aren't very clear but I'll try to explain: 

On the left side is the baby's head, the whiter part is the baby's jaw, the spine runs along the bottom. 

This one is looking at the baby straight ahead, he/she was facing us.   The baby's head is again on the left, the dark circles are the eyes (hence the above alien eye comment), and the two little arms are the white stick looking things sticking out.  The one below is in the mirror image and more enlarged.   

Thanks for checking in on us.  We definitely feel the love :)