It's a Banana...Week 20

I am 20 weeks...I have reached the half way mark. So far it's going by pretty fast...

Our big news from this week is that we found out that we are having a baby GIRL! We are very excited!!!

20 weeks, 5 days

Fun Baby Facts:

Baby girl weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel - about the length of a banana. This week was an important week for her sensory development...her taste, smell, hearing, seeing and touch are all developing into their specialized area of her brain. She is also swallowing more and more which is great practice for her digestive system. Her skin, hair and nails are also growing and developing. Her heart is getting stronger and of course...she's getting bigger!

This Week In Review: How Am I Doing?


This week was a busy week for Ray and I. Monday was a holiday and we started out the morning with me going to a dermatologist appointment. I had a minor surgical procedure done to have a spot removed on my chest that my doctor thinks might be skin cancer. Fourteen stitches later Ray and I went home and spent the day lounging around the house.

Tuesday afternoon was our sonogram appointment that I blogged about earlier in the week. We are so excited to know that we are having a little girl. The time we spent with the doctor, watching our little girl move around was amazing. They looked at everything...measured her head, her little arms and legs; looked at her brain development and all of the chambers of her heart. Ray and I just sat amazed at the detail we were able to see. And we are excited that she's strong and healthy! It's been so great to be able to refer to the baby as "baby girl" and not "it" or "the baby"...it's so much more personal.

Ray has spent the rest of this week preparing for his upcoming trip to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He will be gone for one week.

I have been eating more and more (per doctor's orders). I've been craving silly things like strawberry pop tarts, cheese curls and clam chowder. All of which I have found and eaten this week!

I have been able to get by so far without buying any maternity clothes. Early in my pregnancy, I purchased a bella band, which has allowed me to continue wearing many of my jeans and dress pants. However, I think I am going to have to give in very soon and get some new clothes...

It's A...

....Girl!!!

(Baby Girls' face and arm)

Ray and I had our Sonogram Appointment today, at 20 weeks, and we received the news that we are expecting a little girl...

We are very excited!

Everything looked great and we were told we have a healthy (and active) little one! And yes...there is ONLY ONE!!!! No twins...

Our little girl cooperated in showing us her arms, legs and whether she was a girl or boy...we didn't have much luck getting to see her face though. The nurse tried and tried to get a good picture of her face, but after almost an hour long appointment, we only got a quick little peak...

Below are some pictures and a video from our appointment...

Legs

Face

Arm & Hand

Legs

Head

Side Profile of Face

It's a Heirloom Tomato...Week 19!

I am a few days late on doing my Week 19 update, but alas, here it is...

Week 19 marks the baby being the size of an Heirloom Tomato...okay, not as fun or catchy as a Bell Pepper or Turnip, but we're growing non-the-less...

19 Weeks, 6 Days

Fun Baby Facts:

This week the baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom - about the size of a large heirloom tomato. It's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that it may be able to hear our voices now.

Its arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of its body now. The baby's kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on its scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on its skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid. (haha...don't want a pickled baby!)

How Am I Doing?

For the most part this was a good week for me. Sleeping at night has still been a struggle, but with all the snow we got over the last week, I had some extra days off of work and was very fortunate for the ability to get some extra rest!

I feel like my belly doubled in size this past week. It really didn't, but it sure felt like it. Pants that fit me last week were a little too snug for comfort this week. My skin is so dry and has been very itchy. I've tried just about every lotion there is just to get a little relief.

The baby continues to become more and more active. I can feel the baby daily, especially when I lay on the couch and watch TV in the evenings.

Tomorrow Ray and I find out if we are having a boy or a girl...so check back later this week for our big announcement!

It's a Bell Pepper...Week 18

Today I am 18 weeks and 4 days... The baby is continuing to grow and so am I!

18 weeks, 4 days

Fun Baby Facts:

Head to rump, the baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighs almost 7 ounces. The baby is busy flexing its arms and legs and its blood vessels are visible through its thin skin. Its ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from its head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around its nerves. If we're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If we're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now.

How Am I Doing?

I had my monthly appointment this past Monday. Everything looked and sounded great! I have continued to loose weight...I am now down a total of 13 pounds since I became pregnant. My doctors said to eat, eat, eat...eat anything and everything. I feel like all I do is eat! While I am no longer dealing with the daily nausea, I am continuing to find out that there's things that my body or the baby just don't like. Anything that is rich in flavor, meat of any kind, some sweets...I have to stay away from. I try eating them and it ends with me in the bathroom throwing it up - NOT FUN!!!!

Getting a good night sleep as been a struggle for me for a long time and it's just gotten worse over the last week or so. I can no longer sleep on my back and sleeping on my stomach is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Ear plugs have become my best friend, as Ray snores... My bed time has gone from 10pm to 9pm and napping has been a must when I get home from work in the evenings.

I have started to feel the baby move here and there. The movements are subtle and not very often, but it's exciting when it happens and I notice!

We have scheduled our next sonogram for February 16th! This is when we get to find out if we are having a boy or a girl! Any guesses on what we are having?