6 months

We had the 6 month dr visit today and all is well! I'm still getting used to having "easy" dr visits when there is all good news; no new concern or diagnosis. It definitely is more fun this way and not as mentally draining.
There is no ultrasound at the 6 month visit. They just check the heartbeat to make sure that is healthy, which it was.
Much to my surprise I had not gained any weight since my visit last month. I just knew all of those holiday treats and snacks had packed on a few pounds. Somehow I'm miraculously still at 7lbs total weight gain. This is great news, but offers no explanation to my belly and arse that seem to be growing by the day! :) Take a look at the 6 month pix to the right.
Here's an update on baby at 24 weeks:
Baby's skin is becoming more opaque as the fat starts to pack on. And, thanks to the formation of small capillaries, her newly thick skin is taking on a fresh pink glow.
Your baby's face is basically complete now. The fetus's eyes are close together on the front of her face and they are still shut. Even though your baby's eyes are still fused shut, all the parts of her eyes are present, including the retina, which completes its development over the next month. The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have any pigmentation. Your little one's eye color will fill in over the next few months, though their final shade won't be settled until after she's born. Your baby's ears have moved into their final position on the sides of his head. Where they are now is where they will be when your baby is born! Hair will continue to grow on her scalp and her eyelashes are well developed. Most of your baby's features look the same as they will at birth. Jumping and diving, rolling and kicking—your little one is having a great time training for the Baby Olympics. Just as you settle in for a good night's sleep, she starts her workout. Does it seem as if she's moving more than ever? She is: Babies are most active between 24 and 28 weeks. After that, there won't be enough room for her to perform the acrobatics she's so adept at now.

It's hard to believe that I was worried about the baby's movement last week.....I feel her move every day now. I'm even able to feel her movements from the outside every once in a while. I was laying in the bed Saturday morning (trying to go back to sleep) and this little one was apparently having gymnastics practice! She was moving so much I couldn't even fall back to sleep. I put my hand on my belly and realized I could feel her kicks from the outside. It was such an amazing thing to feel, but it gets better.....I was laying perfectly still just looking at my belly and realized I could also SEE her moving. How crazy...to think she is only 1 pound and I can see and feel her flipping around!!! I literally laughed out loud I was so excited. I cant wait for Larry and the kids to get to see/feel her move now! It definitely is reassuring to be able to feel/see her move. I do realize that I will regret saying those words by the end of the pregnancy. By then I will wish she would stop moving so much! :)

Here's a 23 week update:

You may feel clumsy now that your center of gravity has shifted. Your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth. Swollen from head to toe? Increased blood flow, by now an old friend, is to blame. Consider a trip to the shoe store because loosening ligaments will cause your feet to expand even more in the weeks to come (I've been lucky to not have any swelling yet- hopefully I didnt just jinx myself).

Baby's now the size of a papaya! Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. Your baby is about the size of a small baby doll and looks very human. The baby's face and body look similar to that of a newborn at this time. You should be feeling your baby moving quite a bit throughout the day as she will kick and punch the uterus walls. Babies also run their hands along the umbilical cord and touch their body parts while they are in the womb. You might be able to feel small `jumps` inside of you when your baby gets the hiccups from swallowing fluid.

Looks like we're on a roll....This is my 2nd dr visit in a row with all good news!!! My visit with the specialist was a complete success today. I got to see the babe during the ultrasound and it was amazing. It is so much more exciting now that she is getting bigger. I could see her little fingers and toes so clearly! I wish they had given me a picture of everything to share, but the only one I got today is another profile pix. It's not that different from the last one I posted, but hopefully you like it!My placenta has moved to its proper location and is no longer a concern. I also got great responses to my 2 newest worries that I blogged about yesterday. 1. Is baby big enough? YES-she is right on target for 22 weeks and weighs one pound right now. 2. Is she moving enough? YES-the nurse who started the ultrasound repeated several times how the baby was moving so much it was difficult to get the measurements she needed (great!). In the end she said- "I got all of the measurements, IN SPITE OF everything". Oh no, my baby is that baby that people say "in spite of" when they reference her. :} After this the dr came in to finish the ultrasound and made the comment- "she sure is a squirmy little thing". Literally every ultrasound I have had has been accompanied by a comment about how much she moves or how uncooperative she is.

Sounds like I should stop making up things to worry about and start worrying about this uberactive, stubborn little girl who is coming in April. :)

Atlanta Perinatal, here I come....

I'm excited to go see the specialist tomorrow b/c that means I will get an ultrasound. Any time I can take a peak at this little troublemaker to be sure she is doing fine, I am excited! It is so hard to not have any clue how she is doing day to day. I make up so many things that could go wrong/be wrong on a daily basis.

It doesnt seem like I feel her moving as often lately. I dont know if she is actually moving less or if I have become more accustomed to feeling her move so I"m just less aware of it. Either way, this has become 1 of my new worries/obsessions (depends who you ask- worry? or obsession?)
My next worry/obsession is that she is not growing enough b/c it doesnt seem like my belly is growing enough. Let me clarify that I am fully aware my belly has grown from pre-pregnancy b/c NONE of my pants button. Nonetheless, based on everyone/everything else I see my belly does not look 22 weeks. Someone at work asked me "oh, are you expecting a small baby?"..... I wont even bother typing some of my possible responses. To clarify another point, I do not wish to/want to be huge. I do just want to be sure I am big enough for her to grow/be big enough. Everyone says, dont wish it upon yourself, the belly will come....... I guess I should listen to the masses. OR I could just find out from the doctor tomorrow. :)
Week 22, here's what's going on with baby-

Real estate within your belly is getting tight, with growing baby leaving little room for your lungs to...well...breathe. Expect the huffing and puffing to start soon. There's not much room for your belly button, either -- it'll pop out any day now (please Lord save me this one pregnancy experience….I wont feel short changed if my belly button stays an “inny”)
Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.
Your baby's senses are developing daily. The fetus now has a full complement of neurons in the brain and is learning about her body and surroundings through touch. Touch is one of the first senses to mature and your baby may stroke its face or feel her arms and legs. Your baby now shows an extremely rapid brain growth(which lasts until five years after birth).
Your baby's body continues to grow and develop every day. The organ systems in your baby's body are becoming specialized for their particular functions.
Sounds from a conversation are loud enough to be heard by the fetus in the uterus. If you talk, read, or sing to your baby, it's reasonable to expect him or her to be able to hear you.

I can officially mark one thing off of my never-ending pregnancy to do list- buy baby furniture. Last weekend I went to start looking for baby furniture b/c I know several friends who had to wait 2 months for their furniture to come in b/c it wasn't in stock. I completely lucked up becasue I found the furniture that I liked and it was at a discounted price because the company discontinued the color. Finding furniture I love at a deal the first time I went to look- you can't beat that!
The best part is that they had everything in stock and it is going to be delivered this Sunday! Here is a pix of the furniture in white...the set I got is antique white, but you get the idea.

Here's an update on baby: Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. The placenta is now almost equal in size to the baby. As your baby begins to lay down more fat, your weight will also increase. During the next 10 weeks, you will gain about half of the total gain for your entire pregnancy. Strangers can now tell that you are pregnant! You might notice an increase in appetite because you need 500 more calories a day to support your charged up metabolism. Your baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and your baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After your baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid. Your baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itself for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. Your baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced.
Sounds like baby's going to be growing and packing on the pounds and I have some of the same to look forward to.

Sorry for the delayed update....
I am happy to say that I had my first dr. visit that included only good news!! During the ultrasound everything looked wonderful. All of the measurements that they took were right on target for 20 weeks. So, apparently she is growing and developing perfectly. The placenta has moved up some and is no longer considered "low lying" or placenta previa. Whew! Who knew a placenta could be so much darn trouble???
I go see the specialist in a couple of weeks to make sure he agrees that everything looks great. If he does say all is well, then my dr. might start lifting restrictions. Yay! I"m sure Larry will be happiest. Just in time for Christmas! :)
Here is a picture from the ultrasound. I know it isn't an incredibly clear picture, but work with me...This is her profile(top of her head to the left) and she has her leg up in the air bent at the knee. Her knee is up near her face, practically touching her nose. Hopefully you can see it....

I did have an exciting pregnany milestone this week- buying my first pair of maternity pants. I have been lucky that I could wear my regular pants until about week 18. At that point I needed a bella band (a band you wear over the top of your pants if they fit everywhere except the waist and you cant button them). This was a great solution for about 2 weeks. Something must have changed (no need to guess what changed) b/c a few days ago the bella band was just more frustrating than it was worth. I decided it was time to suck it up, accept that I have a gut, and go to Target to get one pair of maternity pants to get me through work the next day. Well, let me tell you- maternity pants are the best things on the planet. You really should get a pair- pregnant or not! :) Seriously, maternity pants are so comfortable and alleviates that frustrating bella band. If only jeans with an elastic top could be in style.... :) Everyone said- once you wear maternity pants you wont want to wear anything else. Well, its true- believe the hype!

I will be 20 weeks/5 months/OFFICIALLY HALF WAY on Friday, but I decided to go ahead and give an update today instead of waiting 2 more days- what difference will two days make, right??

I am super excited about my dr. visit today for a couple of reasons. 1- I’m just excited to see the baby and make sure she is doing ok. 2-They will measure her, weigh her, etc to check her development- always exciting to find out how she is growing/developing since I have NO idea what is going on in there. 3-The specialist said that 90% of placenta previa/low lying placenta cases correct themselves by week 20. If it has not corrected by week 20, it probably is not going to. So, this ultrasound will give me a lot of information about the baby and perhaps a prediction for the remaining 20ish weeks of this pregnancy! Cross your fingers for no more bed rest.

Baby has lots of new tricks like gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, this baby is going to LOVE sweets, cereal, pickles, pasta, potatoes, junk food, etc. I cant say that I crave anything healthy, so the poor thing will be just be disappointed when she doesnt get chips every day. :)
In the last four weeks the baby has grown quite a bit and her weight is almost four times more. Now she is the size of a cantaloupe!

Here's a little info on the mayhem this baby is bringing to my body: For the remainder of your pregnancy, the growing uterus puts pressure on your lungs, stomach and kidneys. This will make you feel short of breath, the need to urinate more frequently and can cause indigestion. The added pressure on your abdomen can also cause your bellybutton to protrude and cause an `outy` instead of an `inny`. Many pregnant women begin to notice stretch marks around this time as well. Your abdominal muscles are being stretched and pushed apart as your baby grows inside of you. Is anyone else frightened by this?????

I'm sure you noticed, but I posted a 5 month belly shot picture to the right. Quite a difference! Here is a comparison of 5 month v. 4 month just for fun.

A couple of weeks ago Larry said-you really should put on a different shirt for the next picture. It looks like that is the only shirt you have.

Maybe I should clarify- I thought that it would be fun to wear the same shirt in each picture so we could really see how the belly changed month to month. Sometimes different tops make your belly look larger/smaller. I hoped/thought that was obvious to all when you continuously saw the same shirt month after month, but maybe not. Just for the record- yes, it is intentional that I am wearing the same shirt in each picture. :)