Another week down!

Well, this week was stressful. I was really sick all day last friday, really really sick. I also had a ton of catching up to do in the school area, so the weekend was packed. I ended up getting it all done though, so that's a relief. I had an exam in Finance today, but I think I did ok. Other than that, there's not a whole lot to report. I'm continuing to have food aversions though, which is a huge pain in the rear. Think happy food thoughts for me! And that my cracked rib from coughing feels better.

I think I've felt the baby move a few times. Just little flutters, but it's still exciting!

Anyway, here's what happening at 15 weeks:
Your baby weighs about 2.8 ounces (79 grams) and is about 4 1/2 inches from crown to rump—roughly the size of a small gerbil. At any time, you will begin to feel fetal movement as your baby's bones harden, and she starts a big growth spurt. Your baby has plenty of room: At this point, she could fit in the palm of your hand. This is a great time to be a fetus. At any given time, she might be playing with the umbilical cord (which she's now able to grasp), putting her thumb in her mouth, or kicking at the amniotic sac.

The Second Trimester!

Depending on who you talk to, the second trimester starts anywhere from 12-14 weeks. Well, I'm officially 14 weeks (and even the ticker trackers vary several days) so I'm officially in the second trimester! This year is a fun year for these things because Leap Year throws them all off. Regardless, I'm due July 23rd. I might change tickers later, because this one can't seem to count.

School has been going, and I feel like I'm forever behind. I have to play some major catch-up this week, since I have my first exam next Thursday. Jason starts his student teaching full time on Monday. He's excited about that. Right now our lives are mostly just attempting to stay caught up on school and housework.

I also talked to our landlord, I think we're going to move in June. I think it would be a lot easier to move pregnant and be able to direct people than to move with a newborn. That and the added stress of having the baby around while trying to move sounds like too much work. So the current plan is to start packing slowly once we hit April. We'll give ourselves 2 months, and just take it slow, so when finals are over in June we can wrangle us some strong guys and a truck, and pretty much go from there. I find unpacking to be a lot easier than packing, especially if the packing is done well to begin with.

One more note, I found out that the website I've been pulling my updates from thinks a week ahead. These things can be so complicated. It's thinking since I'm 14 weeks along, I'm in my 15th week developmentally. So I'm going to play catchup.

Last week, here's what happened:
By weeks 14-17, your baby's bone marrow is producing blood cells; his liver is secreting bile; his pancreas is producing insulin; and he will be covered in a layer of downy hair called lanugo. Around week 16, you may get your first ultrasound, but don't count on learning your baby's sex quite yet.

And this week, this is what's going on in my Uterus:
Your baby is about 4 to 4 1/2 inches and about 1 3/4 of an ounce. If you could see your baby's face, you might be able to see her wince and grimace, because her facial muscles are developing and flexing. All of her tiny organs, nerves, and muscles are starting to function. The intestines have moved farther into the baby's body; her liver begins to secrete bile, which will later aid in the digestion of fats; and her pancreas begins to produce insulin, a hormone which turns sugar into energy.

Photos and Things

I finally took some pictures today to show off my bump! Some days I look more pregnant that others, and some outfits change it too! You can see it the most when I wear a dress, no waistbands to disguise it.

Also, I started a journal for the baby. If you would like to add to it, you can write the baby a letter, and mail it to me. It's mostly a keepsake thing. And if you really want to, it doesn't have to be a one time thing either. Completely optional!

Week 13

Well, I'm over 13 weeks now! It's hard to believe I've been pregnant for three months. It feels like forever, but it also feels like I have so much time left! I'm starting to show a little bit, but it's mostly the baby pushing the fluff out. I've been super busy with school, and I'm going to a "Distinguished Scholars Executive Lunch" today. I guess the College of Business and Economics invites one student from each of the 6 majors to have lunch with local executives each quarter. So that's exciting! Too bad my suit no longer fits, I bought it before I knew I was pregnant.

Jason is in Seattle helping my mom move furniture around while she gets new flooring put in. He left on Wednesday, and he'll be home tonight. I miss him so much! I've been really cuddly lately. Anyway, I should go get ready for that lunch, and try to fit some homework in.

Here's what's happening for week 13:
Your baby is 2 1/2 to 3 inches long, the size of a medium goldfish. She weighs about one ounce. Your baby is shorter than a finger, but her face is already showing individual features and characteristics! Her ears are now developed enough that she may be able to hear when you sing, hum, or talk. And her vocal cords will form this week—soon she'll be able to sing back. Your baby spends her time in your womb flexing her new and developing muscles and joints. Bouts of prenatal hiccups are strengthening your baby's diaphragm, which is preparing her respiratory system for breathing. Less glamorous but highly necessary organ systems for making hormones, absorbing nutrients, and filtering waste are also in place this week. The pancreas, gall bladder, and thyroid have developed, the kidneys can make urine, and her bone marrow is making white blood cells to help fight infection after she's born.

The first week of school....

Well, classes started again this week. Hence the late posting! Pre-pregnancy, sitting through lectures wasn't too bad, but now I feel like falling asleep the entire time! I have to pay really close attention, and take good notes. I'll get through it though. Luckily my grades are high enough that even if I don't get super fantastic grades the next few quarters, my GPA won't be ruined.

Jason started volunteering at the school he's going to be student teaching at. Student teaching doesn't actually start until the beginning of their next semester, which is the end of January. But he decided to get to know the kids early so the student teaching will be easier when he starts.

Last week I worked at the Seattle wedding show, and it was a lot of fun! I love wedding shows. If I could have it my way, life would be all weddings and babies, but without the stress that's involved! Like that will ever happen...

Anyway, I'm getting close to 13 weeks, but here's what's happening this week:

Your baby's crown-to-rump height is 2 1/2 inches, or about as tall as a squash ball. She may weigh as much as half an ounce. This begins the age when the fetus starts to look really cut in those womb pictures. If you had a womb camera, you'd be able to see your baby's proportions changing, with the growth of the head slowing down to let the rest of the body catch up. Arms, legs, and fingers are also growing out and tapering to look more like a newborn's, and your baby's posture becomes less curled and more upright. Isn't it amazing that every person in the world was once the size of your thumb? And for that matter, for every person alive, some woman went through a pregnancy?

The first ultrasound!

We had our first ultrasound today. It was so amazing! When she first put it on, right away, there was the baby, sucking it's thumb. It then started jumping around going "Hey! Someone's poking me!" It's just under 2 inches long, and it already looks like a baby. After that it fell asleep for a while. The tech was great, and she spent a good half hour showing us things. The baby even got hiccups! It was so sweet, the entire thing would bounce every time it hiccuped.

When they showed us the face profile with the little hands, we decided it looked like it was wearing a strongbad mask (from homestarrunner.com). If you don't get that, it's ok, but if you do, I'm sure you'll see it too!

The smile on Jason's face was priceless. She let us hear the heartbeat (167bpm!) and she measured it at 11 weeks, 3 days. That's 3-4 days earlier than our current due date! We'll see on monday, but I don't think the doctor will actually change the due date. But it's fun to think it might come even sooner, if only a few days.

Jason also decided that it's a boy, since all the girls in his family were born in August, and I don't think the baby will wait that long. Also, most of our friends in "this generation" have had boys first. At least that's his rationalization. We still won't know for a few more months, but I'd be happy with a healthy baby!

Holidays make me tardy

Sorry for the late update, I know I missed last week, but it was Christmas! Jason and I both got sick the friday before Christmas, and we're still suffering from it. Luckily now it's down to a cough and runny nose, but it's still not fun.

Christmas was great, and we got to spend time with both our families. We also spent some additional time afterwards with our own families, which was nice to do. We got such lovely and thoughtful presents this year! I guess everyone is excited as we are for the first grandchild/great-grandchild in the families! Anyway, I need to go scrounge some food (sadly I'm still struggling with bits of morning sickness) and go grocery shopping, and run some other errands. I'd like to get the house cleaned up and the Christmas tree taken down too, but that may be asking too much!

We have our first Ultrasound tomorrow, and we're sooooo excited! Be thinking of us tomorrow at 9:45....

And here's what's been going on the last few weeks:
Week 10-
Your baby is now about an inch long and weighs five grams, or one-sixth of an ounce, roughly the size of a garden beetle. This end of the two-month mark is a landmark date for your baby. It's looking more human all the time. If you could look inside, you'd see a thumb tip-size translucent creature that's unmistakably human. Kidneys, lungs, genitals, and the gastrointestinal tract are all present, though far from fully formed. Your baby's bones begin to form in his limbs, a process called ossification. The floor plan for your baby's structure has been laid down, and the next thirty weeks will be about expanding and developing on this blueprint. If your baby is a boy, his testes are already producing testosterone. A Doppler handheld device can usually detect a fetal heartbeat by this point. Once the heartbeat is detectable, your chances of miscarrying in the first trimester are immediately lower: between five and ten percent.

Week 11-
Your baby is about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long and weighs about a third of an ounce, the size of a peanut. This is a big week for your baby's growth—she'll double in height. At the end of the week, her head and body will be roughly equal in length. This week also starts an active phase for her - she can turn somersaults, roll over, flex her fingers, hiccup, and stretch. You won't be able to feel her movement for another month and a half. She's floating in lots of amniotic fluid. Her limbs are developing from webbed paddles into arms and legs that have well-defined fingers and toes. Fingernails, toenails, and hair follicles are also beginning to form. Your baby's testes or ovaries have developed, though the sex probably won't be visible on a sonogram for at least another month. Intestines have developed at the place where the umbilical cord meets your baby's body. The intestines are now able to make constricting movements, though there won't be anything to digest until later.

Oops, a day late!

Hello Everyone!

Well, I've hit 9 weeks. Supposedly. We went to the doctor on Monday for the first time. She was nice, and I liked her nurse. She scheduled us for an ultrasound on January 2nd, since twins run in both families, and she wants to confirm the due date. Since I had been on Birth Control, dating from my LMP isn't always accurate. So that will be fun! She used a doppler for about 30 seconds to try to find a heartbeat, but she thought it was still a bit early so she didn't try very hard to find it. It just means we have to wait until the 2nd! Time goes by very slowly while waiting for milestones like that.

Oh well, it will be fine. Christmas will distract us! We'll be pretty busy over the holidays, so that will help. Here's what's happening in my uterus:

Your baby is now about three-quarters of an inch long. As the embryo enters its fiftieth day of existence, it becomes known as a fetus. A membrane lid covers your baby's eyes. Your baby's muscles are beginning to develop, and she can make tiny movements. Your child's limbs are growing, but her arms and hands are forming more quickly than her legs and feet. The hands are actually still known as "hand paddles" and look just like they sound. Ridges have formed on the paddles, which will soon become well-defined fingers. Your baby is developing little dimples where her knees and ankles will go, and her elbows are becoming visible. This week is when sex characteristics begin to assert themselves, and ovaries or testes will soon appear (though an ultrasound won't be able to detect specific sex organs for another two months or so). Your baby's brain waves can now be detected.

Oh the Joys!

Week 8 has arrived. It seems so odd that we've known for almost a month! Not much has changed around here. We're just finishing up school, and want to get a lot done around the house. This will be our last major "break" before baby! Still no morning sickness for me, just nauseous if I don't eat quickly enough. But I have found that if I stand in one place for too long, my back starts to hurt. But so far I've been blessed with an easy pregnancy!

Here's what's happening this week:
Your baby is now about the size of your thumbprint: one-half to three-quarters of an inch. Six weeks is barely enough time to start a magazine subscription, but it's enough time for your fetus to develop limbs, tiny fingers and toes, the beginnings of external ear structures, eyelids, an upper lip, the tip of a nose, and intestines! The outer cells of the embryo have grown links to your blood supply.

Week 7

Well, I've hit 7 weeks. Time seems to go by so slow, but so fast too! I had to buy new pants this week. Not that I outgrew my normal ones, but my belly is sensitive, and it doesn't like where the waistband fits.

My sense of smell suddenly got super sharp, and garlic completely turns my stomach now. That's sad, I love garlic! And the Doctor appointment scheduled for friday got pushed back a week. I found out it's more of a get information on us meeting, and then they schedule the real first appointment.

In Jason and Merrilee news, we're in "dead" week now, the week before finals. Classes are winding down, and there's a lot due coming up! I'm not looking forward to the coming school, but it will work out just fine. I also got invited to be an honoree at the CBE (College of Business and Economics) Leadership lunch. They only choose 6 students a quarter to be invited! That's happening in January, and it's a real honor to be a part of.

I would write more, but I have no time! Maybe next week, and definately the week after.

Here's what's happening in the coming week:

Your baby enters its second month of development, weighing no more than a chocolate chip or a berry. It's about five to thirteen millimeters long (less than half an inch), and weighs less than a gram (0.8g), or less than one-twentieth of an ounce. The human blueprints are already visible. Your child still has a tail but is also beginning to form a digestive tract, lungs, nostrils, hands and feet, and a bump of a mouth. The liver, tongue, and lenses of your baby's eyes are forming. There are beds for your baby's fingernails, and the buds of teeth are forming in the gums. If you could take a picture, your baby would look more like a baby and less like a reptile. The baby's nerve channels and muscles are connecting, and the body can wiggle when the cells communicate. In just two days, from days thirty-one to thirty-three, the brain becomes one-quarter larger. If you were to have an ultrasound, it would be able to detect the beating heart, which shows up looking like a tiny flashing light.

Week 6

I suppose I should tell people that I started blogging on this site, huh? Not that much has changed on my front this week. I still feel about the same, still constantly hungry and tired, and had my first experience with morning sickness in the morning!

I applied for food stamps, and we qualify for additional food health through WIC (Women, Infants, Children) to help with milk, cheese, eggs, bread, and some of the more expensive grocery items. Next week we have a nurse visit at home from the Mother Baby Center, an appointment at WIC, and on Friday the 7th we have an appointment with a doctor! I called just about everyone on the list, but pretty much everyone was already filled up with their regular patients for next july. We thought about going with a midwife, which would have been my preference, but with the rate of twins in both our families, we didn't want to risk being dropped half way through the pregnancy and then have to find a doctor! So I found just about the last female OB in Bellingham who would take a DSHS patient like me, and so that's who we're going to see. Since I didn't have a whole lot of control over that, I think I'm going to interview several doulas (who act as the natural/relaxation side of the midwife, but not the doctor portion) so I know I'll like her.

Development wise, here's what's going on!

Your baby and the yolk sac are about the size of an M&M's candy. A month after conception, your embryo looks something like a newt or a tadpole, and it has gills like a fish! Right now, the embryo of your future baby looks much like the embryo of any other animal—a bird, rabbit, or monkey. It has two tiny cups of pigment on the side of its head that will develop into eyes. Tiny buds that will form the lungs have appeared. The neural tube has closed. On end is flattening and expanding to become the brain, and the other end will become the spine. It's already 10,000 times larger than the fertilized egg. The embryo doesn't have gender characteristics yet, but has little dots where the nipples will be, whether it's a boy or a girl. The heart, a tiny U-shaped tube, will start beating between days twenty-one and twenty-four and is circulating the embryo's own blood. It has a small mouth and lips and fingernails are forming.

The Beginning

Well, we're pregnant. Just barely. 5 weeks today. Jason and I are so excited! But already my body has changed so much. It's hard to keep a single thought in my head, and I fall asleep so easy! Luckily I haven't had morning sickness, but I do start feeling it in the later evening.

A few nights ago, Jason laughed at me, because I fell asleep eating a cracker. Oops!

Someone from the Mother Baby center is coming by tomorrow to talk to me about how to prepare. Hopefully from her I'll be able to get a list of doctors in the area who will take new patients like me. From there I can start calling and interviewing, and all of that fun stuff. But at least there's Thanksgiving in there!

Here's what's happening this week - Week 5

Your embryo is about two millimeters long, about the size of a grain of sand. Your baby transforms into a bundle of cells organized in a C-shape with a top, bottom, front, and back. A groove has developed on the embryo's back, which will seal and develop into the neural tube (which later will become the spinal cord). At this point, the tube already has a wider, flatter top that will grow into your baby's brain. A bulge has developed in the center of the embryo, which will soon become a tiny U-Shaped tube which will form the heart. Your embryo is encased in protective membranes and attached to a yolk sac, which manufactures the embryo's unique blood cells.

Positively Pregnant

Last month, Jason and I decided it wouldn't be bad if we had a baby. The birth control I was on wasn't working well for me anymore, so we decided to just see what happens. Usually after being on birth control, it can take several months before you start ovulating again, so I wasn't too concerned anything would happen right away. Well, the next month I was a day late, and I had all these tests, so I decided to try one. The first one came back, and I looked at it, and a million thoughts went through my head. I took the test into the computer room where Jason was on the computer and asked him "How many lines do you see?"

"One and a half"

"Ummmm"

"What does that mean?"

"I think we're pregnant..."

Thinking the first test was a fluke, I took another one, right away. Same thing. Next morning, same thing. Morning after, same thing. So on Friday, I made my way down to DSHS and got it confirmed! A lot faster than expected, but we're having a baby Dilley in July! We couldn't be happier!

Whew....

I'm afraid I finally took another photo... I'm huge! No wonder I'm waddling. At our Doctor's appointment last Thursday he was still floating high, and she said not to expect him early at all. She also estimated his weight between 6-6.5 lbs. As I get bigger, I'm starting to think that toward the end I may be doing as much as I can to encourage him...

I've been puttering around the house, slowly getting everything put in it's place. We're close to being done with that at least. I also have lots of craft projects, like making baby blankets and slings and diapers that I've been working on too. I'm having way too much fun with my sewing machine. Thanks mom!!! Of course we've also been putting some things off too, like we still need to do the childbirth center tour. I should call them and figure that out. And I still need to pack my hospital bag. I also need more long nightgowns, waistbands are starting to be super painful, especially at night. Jason laughs at me because I improvised a skirt with an old fleece blanket and safety pins that I wear around the house. It's not very classy, but it's sure comfortable!

Jason got a job at Target, but orientation isn't until the third week of July, so I don't think he will actually work there. Instead he registered at Labor Ready and has been doing odd jobs with them as well as picking up day jobs from the Western Job boards. He's done dishwashing at a local Casino, and today he's doing yard labor at a home in Ferndale. Every little bit helps!

I think I now have almost everything I need that I have to have before the baby gets here. Except a diaper pail. But I have liners, so I need to take them with me when shopping so I can make sure they fit. Fun stuff! Most of the diapers are washed and ready, and all of the clothes are too. We still have to pick out what outfits to bring to the hospital though, there's just too much to choose from!

Anyway, I still have a lot to do and I tend to take naps 3-4 times a day. My last day at Kohl's is on Saturday, and I don't work until then either, so at least I have time to relax.

Here's what's happening this week:
The average newborn has a length of 21 1/2 inches and weighs 7 1/2 pounds. He is fully developed, though still adding connections between neurons in the brain (this continues well after birth). His nails have been growing and now reach to the ends of his fingers and toes. His movements are quite restricted by his close quarters.