coming today

This movie should be waiting in my mailbox in a red Netflix envelope when I get home from work today. I'm so excited to watch it! I'll definitely let you know what I think afterwards. Click here for my previous post about it.

17 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and he's around 5 inches long. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

I've been feeling the baby move now for more than a week and it's really helped me feel closer to him/her. Jared is really cute and talks to my tummy now too. Having a baby is such a bonding experience. Seeing how excited Jared is makes me love him even more.

the ultrasound

will be March 4th!!! That's less than two weeks away! I can't wait to see my baby and hopefully find out whether I can start buying pink clothes or blue clothes.

So any guesses on the gender?

baby update

I went to the doctor's yesterday and things are looking good. I have officially gained one pound! We heard the heartbeat again nice and strong. My doctor also measured my belly, and I'm a little on the small side for 16 weeks, but nothing to worry about. It's funny because in order to justify the ultrasound to the insurance company the doctor has to say you are either "too small" or "too big". The ultrasound is then used to check the baby's development. So she put me down as "too small" but said I'm probably fine. I will find out today when I'm having the ultrasound. It will be in 2-4 weeks! We are so excited to find out if this little baby is a he or she!

Here is a little visual update of the growing tummy. We took this on Monday night:

We also took a little trip to Costco last night and splurged on a couple things. I will have pictures of those tomorrow. And...I went to Motherhood Maternity to try on their "Secret Fit Belly" jeans. Let me tell you, if you are pregnant you must try on these pants! They are the most comfortable things ever! It seriously feels like you are wearing nothing. They didn't have a huge selection at the store so I ordered some online. The best part is I can wear them now and even after the baby because of how they fit. Motherhood maternity has them for very reasonable prices. Mimi Maternity also them but they are more expensive. I can totally still wear most of my pants but it is like heaven to have nothing pressing on your belly, which is how these pants feel. The stretchy part over the tummy is quite thin and soft and feels delicious.

what's up, baby?

photo from birth.com

I think I felt my baby move. I have no way of knowing for sure. I've been questioning every little gurgle in my belly for the past couple weeks. But this definitely felt different. My first clue is that it was in the area of my uterus. Duh. And at first it felt like something turned. It didn't really feel like a flutter. I can't describe it. Then about 5 minutes later I felt something again. This time more fluttery. Could it be the baby? How the heck am I supposed to know?

For all you ladies who have been pregnant, how did you know it was the baby moving? When did you first feel it move? What did it feel like?

advice wanted

Ok, folks, I need some pregnancy/baby related advice, and I have faith in all of you out there to help a girl out in her time of need.

1. What are some good snacks that I can take to work? I'm getting sick of pretzels and almonds and yogurt. Yesterday I started feeling really not good because I got so hungry and had already eaten the big fat orange I brought for my afternoon snack. I need some new ideas! The hunger monster is getting worse!

2. So I won a $35 amazon gift card from a little contest Nicki had on her blog last week. Yay for me! Thanks Nicki! Now I am trying to decide what to spend it on. I'm thinking of getting a Bella Band or it's less expensive equivalent. I'm in that awkward stage of getting too big for my normal pants but can't fit maternity yet. Has anyone out there tried these? I'd like to know what you think.

3. I've also been looking ahead to when this baby arrives and thinking about getting a sling. There are a couple that I like, and I'm wondering if any of you have tried these or something similar. The first is the Peanut Shell Sling:And the second is the Moby wrap:Both can be used from infant through toddler and are around the same price on amazon. I'm just curious if you all have any opinions, or if there is another sling/wrap style carrier you love more. Please share!

That's it for now. I'll take any other 2nd trimester suggestions you might have though too!

Thanks!

there really is a person in my uterus

Well it's officially official. I have heard the heartbeat! Someone is growing in my uterus.

We went to the doctor today and they used the Doppler to listen for the heartbeat. It was beating nice and strong. I thought this would make it feel a lot more real, and it does sorta. But it also still feels very strange to know that a little person is inside me. My abdomen is starting to grow a bit, but I don't look pregnant. Perhaps once I do it will feel more real. Or when I feel the baby for the first time. That will be nice.

The doctor says I am looking and feeling good and my blood test was normal and all that. I go back in 4 weeks and then in March we will have the ultrasound and get to find out if we are having a boy or girl! I'm REALLY excited for that visit!

(btw... isn't that photo amazing! I can't believe how developed a 12 week fetus is! It really is miraculous.)

push presents?

Have you heard of "push presents"? Several weeks ago I read this article in the NY Times, "A Bundle of Joy Isn't Enough?", about the growing trend for new moms to receive gifts from their husbands after giving birth, usually in the form of jewelry.

Quoting the article: That’s “push” as in, “I the mother, having been through the wringer and pushed out this blessed event, hereby claim my reward.” Or “push” as in, “I’ve delivered something special and now I’m pushing you, my husband/boyfriend, to follow suit.”

“It’s more and more an expectation of moms these days that they deserve something for bearing the burden for nine months, getting sick, ruining their body,” said Linda Murray, executive editor of BabyCenter.com. “The guilt really gets piled on.”

A recent survey of more than 30,000 respondents by BabyCenter.com found that 38 percent of new mothers received a gift from their mate in connection with their child. Among pregnant mothers, 55 percent wanted one. About 40 percent of both groups said the baby was ample reward.

I remember first hearing about this idea years ago when Angie Harmon appeared on Oprah after the birth of one of her kids. She was a wearing a big fancy ring and said it was her present for giving birth. Her husband gave her a piece of jewelry for each kid. At the time I didn't think much about it other than, "That's nice." But now it seems that this trend is catching on and becoming an expectation for some new moms.

So while the idea of getting a gift for going through nine months of being inhabited by an alien and then getting that baby out seems justified, I also feel that this is becoming just another way for us to be materialistic. I mean, a baby is pretty great gift for all that work right? What do you think? Did you get a special gift, jewelry or otherwise, from your husband after having a baby? Do you think this sounds like a great idea or just another marketing ploy to get us buying even more stuff?

Do tell me what you think, and have a wonderful 3 day weekend!

*ring pictured from sundancecatalog.com

7 weeks

My little one is starting to look a little less like an alien! This is what I got from BabyCenter today:
How your baby's growing: The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

idea for parents

I have started a private blog that will be all about my baby. I thought of this awhile ago as an alternative to making a scrapbook for my kids. I gave up on scrapbooking long ago. I am going to do a wedding photo album because I got 4x6 prints as part of the package with the photographer. But printing photos and pasting them is just not for me. I'm a fan of all things digital!

Instead of a baby book, I've made a baby blog, and once a year I will have it printed into a book with the help of blurb. I know I am not the first to think of this, but I'd bet there are still some of you non-scrapbookers out there that might think this is a brilliant idea! Also, I decided I might as well get started now to document my pregnancy. This gives me an outlet where I can write about pregnancy stuff without boring all of you. And I like that it will all be in one nice place for my child to read someday. Sometimes I may copy and paste and put the same post on each blog. We'll see how it goes.

So for all you parents and parents-to-be go start a blog for your little ones! It's so much easier than scrapbooking!

Do you have any other great memory-keeping ideas? I'd love to hear them.

paralyzed and pregnant

I've already become slightly obsessed with all things pregnancy related. However, I am going to make an effort to keep my blog somewhat varied over the next 8 months, so that it doesn't turn into "musings of a pregnancy". But today's post is pregnancy related.

The other night I watched a documentary on Discovery Health Channel called "Paralyzed and Pregnant". It is about a woman named Michelle Carston, who at 23 years old dove into shallow water off the coast of Mexico and injured her spinal cord. She is now a quadriplegic.

This story hit close to home because my brother-in-law is also a quadriplegic caused by a diving accident when he was a teenager. Something I didn't know until I met Mike is that there are varying degrees of paralysis in quadriplegics. It all depends on where your spine is injured. So many quadriplegics have some use of their arms. Such is the case with Mike. And also with Michelle, who has quite a bit of upper body movement.

When Michelle was in her mid-thirties she met and married her husband and 11 months later she got pregnant. She endured an incredibly difficult pregnancy and was then able to deliver her baby boy vaginally. I was so inspired by her. She has immense challenges, but her dream was to be a mother. The pregnancy took a huge toll on her body. And the birth was amazing! She didn't want a cesarean. She had an epidural and actually pushed the baby out. The doctor also used the vacuum to help.

Michelle then had a very long recovery, and her husband is truly a saint! He has had to take on the bulk of the responsibility because obviously Michelle can't do a lot, especially right after the birth. I got emotional watching him do so much. You can see the love he has for his wife and son in his service to them.

Watching this documentary made me so grateful for all that I have. I'm so grateful for my healthy body! I'm grateful for my loving husband. And I'm extremely grateful for the little baby that is growing inside me. I pray that he/she will be healthy too.

The film was made in 2005. Unfortunately I couldn't find much updated information on Michelle and her family. If you are interested in watching it, Discovery Health Channel is showing it again Saturday, Dec 15, at 11:00 am.

nine months

We've made it 3/4 of a year! Nine months ago today, Jared and I became Mr. and Mrs.
Since I have them so handily available on my computer here, I will subject you to a few more photos from that March day.

Speaking of nine months....

What is that stick we are so happy to be holding? Why, it's this:

That's right folks! I'm knocked up! We've known for 10 whole days, and I have been DYING to spill the beans here in blogland, but somehow managed to wait. Of course, that doesn't mean I waited to tell my family... nope, they heard the day I found out! I am six weeks pregnant and due August 3rd! It has been confirmed by the doctor and everything. Of course, there is still that chance of a miscarriage this early on, but I decided I couldn't wait until week 13 (so far away!) to share the news. I am SO excited! And I need to be able to talk about it. Luckily, I haven't really been sick yet. No throwing up anyway. Just some mild queasiness and cramps. And moderate exhaustion! I think it will be a miracle if I don't get the pukes, but here's hoping right?