32 Week Ultrasound

Baby boy is head down and healthy! He is measuring 32 weeks, 4 days and just over 4lbs. He is still in fact, a boy..we confirmed that. His head, legs, body are measuring in the 64th percentile and the doctor is estimating a 7.5lb baby. 
Sounds a lot like his big bro :)

baby looking at the camera - black spot is his right eye

ps: my doctor hasn't improved his photography skills since the last time around. He takes the worst photos!

Baby #2 is a......

Shocked is a understatement! 

Our ultrasound tech told us at 12 weeks she predicted girl - and these days the predictions are usually right because the picture is so clear. We've been calling the baby a she, talking about girls names, browsing girls clothes online, and I even went as far to take WAY more pictures of Hunter eating the pink frosted cake rather than the blue (we did both colors just in case...). 

Right before walking into our appointment I had a nagging thought in the back of my head about how crazy it would be if my doctor miraculously said "it's a boy!" Obviously, having a girl would be just as exciting, but thinking about Hunter and a little brother so close in age just made my heart happy.

Well, it turns out Robert was thinking the same thing. After the appointment, we sat in the car and confessed that we both had the same thoughts going into our appointment but that we didn't want to admit it. 

I guess it's time to start thinking about boy names, huh? 

Can't wait to meet you baby boy!

37 Weeks - Full Term

How far along? 37 weeks

Size: Watermelon

Maternity clothes? I got some new tops, thanks to my mom! I feel like a new woman (and I am sure my neighbors appreciate it).

Symptoms: Lots of pressure, contractions, exhaustion, morning headaches, etc. Does nesting count as a symptom? 

Mid-week picnic in the park

Sleep: Sleep is still great, I feel lucky. Just wish I felt rested when I woke up. I could go back to bed about two hours later.

Best moment this week: Finding out on Monday that the baby flipped to head down - hooray! Doctor also predicted baby will be 7.5-8lbs (previously predicted 8.5-9lbs) so I am thankful for that. 
Taking a quick trip to Monterey for a dentist appointment and being able to hangout with most of the family for a night. Missed you Adam and Kaila!

Worst moment of the week: Nothing I can think of

Miss anything? Sleeping without my Snoogle and mess of pillows. It's not easy hiking my big self over that thing every time I need to get up. I could go for a margarita too. Mmm.

Movement: He is still keeping busy in there. He gets the hiccups a lot, which is cute.

Food cravings: I am not craving any in particular, but I did get my fix this week from my thrifty craving I had a few months ago - thank you sissies and mom. Chocolate malt crunch, say what!

9 months pregnant + double square scoop = happiness

Anything making you queasy or sick: I still wake up feeling sick, but it passes.
Have you started to show yet: Most definitely. 

Labor signs: Contractions, pressure, etc. Nothing immediate, but I can tell he is getting ready. 

Belly Button in or out? Flat and sometimes half out.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy - emotional

Looking forward to: Cooper starts school tomorrow - we can't wait. He can sit, lie down, and shake, but he'll need to learn some more manners before his brother arrives.
This week I hope to get some healthy freezer meals made and get the carseat installed (finally).

Baby A, size of a watermelon

What's the baby up to?

• Typically, baby now measures 19.5 inches from the head to the heel.
• Baby weighs up to 7 pounds.
• The head diameter is over 3.5 inches.
• The water could break at any time.

Gaining one ounce per day, your baby is growing rapidly. Keeping your pelvic floor muscles toned will aid in a quicker recovery from the birth. An elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when baby stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles.
Even though you are three weeks from your due date, you are now considered 'at term'. In most cases, nothing will be done to stop your labor once it starts, even if it is before your 40th week.

Ultrasound #5 - 32 Weeks

This morning was our 32 week ultrasound to measure the baby's size and look at his position. He is measuring right on track (on the bigger side) weighing 4.5lbs and the doctor said he has long legs. Looks like we have a mini Robert on our hands! 
We got a photo from the ultrasound but can only see the top half of his face since his hand is covering the lower half. Check out that eyeball staring at the camera!

The only bummer is he is in the breech position right now. Fortunately it's still early enough to flip, but the bigger he gets the harder it will be for him to turn. The doctor ordered another ultrasound at 36 weeks to look at his position, so I am looking forward to that.
In the meantime I will be walking around on my hands and knees in an attempt to spin him around :)

21 Weeks

How far along? 21 weeks
Size: Length of a carrot (10.5 inches) 
Maternity clothes? Earlier this week I tried on all of my springy dresses and had to laugh because most don't fit me like I thought they would. They come up in the front too high for what I feel is appropriate at work. Looks like I have to grab a few new dresses when the weather gets hot. 
Symptoms: Back, round ligament, and tailbone pain 
Sleep: I am not sleeping as much as I used too. Falling asleep later waking up earlier. Weird dreams too.
Best moment this week: Found out he is a boy, finished up the registry, got the crib (thank you Oma & Opa!), and signed up for the hospital tour. It's been a great week! 

Wiggly right before ultrasound

I don't think I got any work done on Monday - my mind was racing over and over with excitement. Our last ultrasound was 8 weeks ago, so it was reassuring to see the baby dancing around in there. The doctor asked what I ate for breakfast because he was so wiggly (which led to horrible ultrasound photos!). The doctor measured his limbs, counted his finger/toes, looked at his brain, spine, kidneys, eyes, and heart chambers. It was pretty neat and I wish those appointments lasted longer. It feels nice to call him a he :)
Our registry is almost done, give or take a few things. Thank you to my sisters for all of their help - it's scary when you see how many baby products are out there (and you have no idea which ones you actually need). It is a huge help having two sisters that have gone through this not too long ago!
The crib is up and looks so pretty -  thanks to Robert and my dad for assembling! Lastly, we signed up for the hospital tour/orientation. From what I hear, the Stanford birthing center is really nice and brand new - can't wait to see it.

Baby looking at camera

Worst moment of the week: Nothing to complain about this week
Miss anything? Sleeping on my back and on my stomach. I get sore sleeping on my side and find that I have to readjust often.
Movement: All the time and I love it. He is getting stronger and there is no mistaking that he is in there.
Food cravings: Still eating my chocolate chips at night. Not sure if it's a craving or a routine at this point. I wonder how many bags I will have consumed by the end of my pregnancy?
Anything making you queasy or sick: My beloved steamed broccoli (cue the crying). So sad and I hope I'll get over quickly.
Have you started to show yet: Yep, I am up 8lbs so far and can definitely see that I am getting bigger all around :)  

Gender: Boy! 
Labor signs: No - did have some tingly sensations across my stomach yesterday, not sure what that was about.  I think the baby might be resting on some nerves. After drinking lots of water and walking around, it went away.
Belly Button in or out? Still in, but, weird looking. I have a scar right above my belly button from my appendectomy surgery, so the bigger I get the funnier it looks!
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Feeling grateful he is healthy and right on track. I am enjoying all things pregnancy since I know it will go by quick (it already has). Before we know it life will be very different, so we are savoring our last months as a twosome.
Looking forward to: A couple of DIY projects for the nursery while Robert is in Vegas - surprise Robert! I am not crafty, so this may not go well. Now that we know he is a boy, I can't wait to at least window shop a little bit too. Baby Gap carries the Gap maternity line, so every time I go in I get distracted by the baby clothes (I'm sure that was an accident). I love that Baby Gap's style is basically adult clothes in baby size.
 

Baby A, length of a carrot!

What's the baby up to?

• Length is now measured crown to heel.
• The fetus has grown to 10.5 inches - 12.7 ounces.
• It is now gaining weight steadily, with fat being added to the body.
• Bone marrow has started making blood cells.
• Their small intestine is starting to absorb sugars.

Your baby's bone marrow has started making blood cells, a job done by the liver and spleen until this point. The placenta has provided nearly all of your baby's nourishment, now your baby will begin to absorb small amounts of sugar from swallowed amniotic fluid.
 
Based on the size of baby's head, which is about 2 inches (5cm), the date of birth can be determined to within one week. The fetus is steadily gaining fat and has grown a whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance to protect skin in amniotic fluid and to ease delivery.
The baby can hear and recognize the mother's voice, and may respond to some types of music (uh oh, Robert better clean up his music selection).

13 Weeks

How far along? 13 weeks
Size: Peach
Maternity clothes? I've worn my maternity pants a couple times (so comfy), but other than that just normal clothes. I wear longer, looser tops with a belly band over my skinny jeans to work and that works great.
Symptoms: No matter how much water I drink, my skin is very dry. My Clarisonic + coconut oil has been an awesome combo for treating it.
Sleep: Not as blissful as it's been in past weeks - sad!. It's not horrible, but I wake up a few times throughout the night rather than sleeping for 10 hours straight. Rough life over here.
Best moment this week: Entering the second trimester. Oh! Discovering chocolate chip cookie in a cup. Thank you Pinterest.
Worst moment of the week: Loosing my awesome sleep streak. Something to get used to since I imagine it's not going to get any better.
Have you told family and friends: Yes - and I told my boss on Thursday :)
Miss anything? Being tidy. I like to keep our home clean and orderly, but lately I have been a slacker. Sorry Robert!
Movement: Not yet
Food cravings: Nothing in particular. I have been eating a lot more fruit than usual - it's easier to throw an apple and/or banana in my purse and go. Oh, and I had my first midnight snack. I woke up at 3am on Wednesday starving - so I ate a banana in the kitchen with my eyes closed and then crawled back into bed. Success.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really, though coffee isn't as delicious as it used to be.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, but when wearing loose tops at work no one would know. Still depends on the time of day too. I am pretty small in the mornings and bigger in the evenings. 

Off to a baby shower!

My Gender prediction: Boy! 
Labor signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy
Looking forward to: Registering. After test driving strollers with Robert, I am excited about choosing registry items. I haven't really been excited up until now because it's really overwhelming, but thanks to my amazing sisters, I think it will be fun. I am so lucky they have kids and they are able to offer me advice on different products. Thank you seesters <3

Baby A, size of a peach!

What is the baby up to?
The fetus is now 3 inches long and weighs about an ounce. The baby's unique fingerprints are already in place. The muscles lengthen and become organized. The nose and chin are well defined and the baby can open and close its mouth (nom nom). You can't feel it yet, but your baby can move in a jerky fashion, flexing the arms and kicking the legs.

NT Scan

We had our NT scan on Tuesday (tests for Down Syndrome, Trisomy13 and Trisomy18) which was exciting and nerve-wracking. Good news is the baby looks active and healthy <measuring ahead at 13 weeks, heartbeat at 169bpm> with no signs of birth defects.

Love

Think they printed out enough photos for us?

We got to see several different angles of the baby - including the brain chambers (weird), arms, legs, belly, butt, etc. This appointment was fun because the ultrasound lasted for about 30 minutes, so we had a lot of time to watch the baby do his thing in there! 

The next ultrasound around 20 weeks will confirm the sex :)

Ultrasound #3

Today we met our new doctor who will be delivering the baby. We came to the appointment with lots of questions for him to make sure he was a good fit and it turns out that we both really like him.

We also got to see Baby A - best part of the appointment :)

Dancing upside down

 The doctor started the ultrasound and immediately pointed out the baby dancing like a maniac. It was so cool! I didn't realize the baby was moving so much at this point in the pregnancy. He also pointed out all of the baby's fingers, toes, legs, arms, and butt (the photo above isn't great quality, so you can't see much besides the shape of the baby). 

Then, he clicked a button and we could hear the heart beating - we didn't even know what to say - we just looked at each other with our jaws dropped. He said the heartbeat was 178 bpm which was great (and mentioned the baby was super active so next time it may not be that high). Baby is measuring a day ahead again, so the new due date is August 2nd.

Still, a few hours later I am shocked that there has been so much development in such a short amount of time. I told Robert when we walked out that I feel like I left the baby in the office because it's hard to believe what we had just seen was in my belly!

I am glad we were spoiled with these ultrasounds because we will only get to see the baby about three more times until I give birth: 13ish weeks, 20ish weeks, and 32ish weeks. The rest of our appointments will be listening to the baby's heartbeat and blood tests/urine samples for me. 

Off to celebrate with Robert's favorite dinner - homemade pizza!

Hi from Kenya. Wearing a onesie.

Ultrasound #2

What a great way to start off the weekend! This morning we had our 8.5 week ultrasound and the baby looks great. He/She is actually measuring a day ahead, so that makes me 8 weeks 6 days pregnant - new due date 8/3 (I'm sure that will change again eventually). The doctor estimated the heartbeat in the 150's, which is healthy and normal. So cool to see the flickering again - can't wait to hear it eventually.

Pointing out the flickering heartbeat

 It's hard to believe I will already be 9 weeks tomorrow. We are thankful for a healthy report - these early ultrasounds are so exciting, but can also be nerve-wracking since it's still so early and you never know what can happen.  

No longer a blob! Much more of a bean/shrimp combo

Our next appointment will be our 10 week ultrasound with a new doctor. I am feeling lucky to be getting these ultrasounds - a lot of women only get a handful of them during their entire pregnancy and I will have seen the baby three times by ten weeks - fine by me!

(Robert the videographer)

This weekend we have brunch with friends, prenatal yoga for me, and a secret up our sleeves planned for Sunday - more on that later...

Ultrasound #1

This morning Robert and I had our first ultrasound to see if the little one had a heartbeat and if he/she was growing normally. Good news is the baby looks great and the heartbeat was pounding away! He/she measured right on track at 6 weeks 4 days, keeping our due date August 4th. I'm not sure when or if that due date will change at some point, but I'm happy to know we are on track for now. 

Could have lost the scarf - but thumbs up, there's a heartbeat!

Baby A - the whitish blob at the top of the black blob

 It's unreal to see the heart flickering so fast and to hear the doctor say the baby looks excellent. She pointed out where the baby was sitting inside of me and explained all of the measurements she was taking. As I was driving to work all I could think about was that  I actually have a living thing inside of me - so weird and cool at the same time.

I can't wait to see he/she again at our 8.5 week ultrasound, which will be just after Christmas. I think by that time the ultrasound picture will look more like an actual baby rather than a little blob.