Time is flying by! The baby is probably about 12 inches long, weighing in at about 1 and 1/4 lbs. The baby's tastebuds are developing but his skin is probably still wrinkled and translucent. The brain is developing very rapidly at this point and the lungs are starting to produce a substance that will help the air sacs inflate easily. I can feel him kicking pretty regularly, especially when he stomps on my bladder. We may have a future football kicker on our hands - although this would be something since neither Patrick nor I have a single athletic bone in our bodies to pass on to him.
I think Patrick and I have finally decided on some baby furniture. We looked long and hard to find something reasonably priced that was good quality that we agreed that we both liked. You can see a picture here: http://www.hartbaby.com/meadowdale_room_2.jpg
I can't wait to get the baby's room all set up!
We are counting down the days until we come home for Christmas! We will leave here next Friday, drive for awhile then spend the night, possibly in Atlanta. We'll drive the rest of the way on Saturday. We'll be home until the following Monday. We're looking forward to seeing everyone!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
23 Weeks
I was home this weekend and my family had a baby shower for me. I enjoyed eating all of the yummy food and getting to see everyone. It was so much fun! Everyone was so generous - I got a lot of very nice gifts. With some creative packing, I even managed to get all of them back home to North Carolina! I can't wait to start decorating the baby's room.
I've posted a few pictures from the shower and you can see that I'm starting to show a little. The cashier at Barnes and Noble told me congratulations this evening, so it must be pretty obvious now that I'm pregnant. Good thing for that guy that I am actually pregnant!
I'm still feeling good and looking forward to the holidays! The baby should be about 11 inches long now and probably weighs about a pound. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to get him ready for breathing on his own when he is born. His lips are becoming more distinct and his eyelids and eyebrows are in place. His teeth buds are also beginning to form below his gum line.
Friday, November 23, 2007
21 Weeks
Happy Thanksgiving! We had a very nice dinner for Thanksgiving with Mr. Brian and Mrs. Jayne - turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffed mirlitons, homemade bread, corn grits, and cranberries - it was delicious! Patrick and I got up at 4am to brine the turkey - we are serious about our turkey - but it was worth it. It came out very flavorful and moist. The stuffed mirlitons took me about 3 hours to make - it might be awhile before I make those again - and I had to trade Patrick 2 foot rubs to get 1 foot rub from him. I think he took advantage of a poor pregnant woman - I was willing to take whatever deal he offerred if he rubbed my feet. So now whenever he wants to cash in, I apparently have to rub his feet twice. And you may know how much I love feet.
Patrick and his dad have been hard at work this week. They replaced my broken garbage disposal, ran a cable line for internet to the room upstairs that will become our office, a phone line to the TV for updates on our satellite system, they've replaced a lot of the siding on our house that needed to be changed, and they built a railing for the stairs in the front of the house. For those of you that have visited, our front steps are on a slope and are a little precarious. There were concerns that a large pregnant woman who can't see her feet, prone to being a klutz when she can see her feet, might fall down the stairs without a railing. It came out really nice. See the pictures below. Nellie has been hard at work this week too, of course.
Pregnancy wise, things are going well. My belly is getting bigger - my belly button is starting to disappear! I looked down the other night and it looked smaller. I had Patrick look at it because I thought something was wrong. He laughed and said that it was stretching out and and I was starting to see the back of my belly button as it came foward - Yikes!
The baby should be about 10.5 inches long and should weigh about 3/4 of a pound. His eyebrows and eyelids should be fully developed now. I'm starting to feel him move around a little bit. The doctor said my placenta is positioned in a way that might take me a little longer to feel a lot of movement. But I'm still feeling great!
Replacing the siding
Nellie is helping too!
Working on the railing
Finished railing!
Friday, November 16, 2007
20 Weeks
We're halfway there!! Isn't that hard to believe?!
We enjoyed seeing everyone's comments on our ultrasound post. We're very excited about having a little boy! Knowing what it is definitely makes us think about things differently. But I should have known it was a Harrell boy - I've actually enjoyed eating spaghetti and meatsauce a whole lot more recently. Patrick couldn't be happier. Now he's trying very hard to get me to eat pickles. That will NEVER happen!
The baby is now about 10 inches long from head to toe. Up until now, the measurements have reflected the head to butt, but since the legs can stretch away from the body and are no longer curled up, the measurements now measure head to toe.
The baby is swallowing amniotic fluid, which is good for its digestive system. The hair on the scalp is starting to sprout and his arms and legs are now in the right proportion. His brain is beginning to designate specialized areas for its sensory development - smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.
I've felt really good this week - first week I've felt completely normal in awhile. I've actually gotten some work done, so its been good to accomplish a few things this week.
Patrick's parents arrive today for the Thanksgiving week. Mr. Brian will be helping Patrick on some projects around the house while they are here. Patrick has a long list of things he wants to get done on the house before the baby comes, and I'm not exactly a good helper these days. So, who ya gonna call? Brian Harrell, of course! When it comes to home improvement, there's no one like him!
We enjoyed seeing everyone's comments on our ultrasound post. We're very excited about having a little boy! Knowing what it is definitely makes us think about things differently. But I should have known it was a Harrell boy - I've actually enjoyed eating spaghetti and meatsauce a whole lot more recently. Patrick couldn't be happier. Now he's trying very hard to get me to eat pickles. That will NEVER happen!
The baby is now about 10 inches long from head to toe. Up until now, the measurements have reflected the head to butt, but since the legs can stretch away from the body and are no longer curled up, the measurements now measure head to toe.
The baby is swallowing amniotic fluid, which is good for its digestive system. The hair on the scalp is starting to sprout and his arms and legs are now in the right proportion. His brain is beginning to designate specialized areas for its sensory development - smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.
I've felt really good this week - first week I've felt completely normal in awhile. I've actually gotten some work done, so its been good to accomplish a few things this week.
Patrick's parents arrive today for the Thanksgiving week. Mr. Brian will be helping Patrick on some projects around the house while they are here. Patrick has a long list of things he wants to get done on the house before the baby comes, and I'm not exactly a good helper these days. So, who ya gonna call? Brian Harrell, of course! When it comes to home improvement, there's no one like him!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Babies "R" Us is a scary place ....
My coworkers told me get used to it. Its the Bed Bath & Beyond for the newly married. Its the Lowe's of home improvement. Its our final conversion to yuppies.
Its not that they have everything (which they do). Its the fact that they have every option for everything. And every option takes D batteries. I need to invest in Duracell.
Baby monitor, you ask? Digital or Analog? Dual monitor or single? One, two, four, or ten channels? Did you also want it to show live video????????? Wow!!!
And strollers have apparently morphed into transformers over the past two decades. Its an infant stroller, its a toddler stroller, its an infant carrier, its a cradle and a car seat all in one. It now has cup holders and pockets for everything. Some even play music. I'm honestly surprised they're not remote controlled by now. Just Wait!
This is a whole new world to me. Its not that I'm complaining, I'm just a little overwhelmed.
-Dad in Training
Its not that they have everything (which they do). Its the fact that they have every option for everything. And every option takes D batteries. I need to invest in Duracell.
Baby monitor, you ask? Digital or Analog? Dual monitor or single? One, two, four, or ten channels? Did you also want it to show live video????????? Wow!!!
And strollers have apparently morphed into transformers over the past two decades. Its an infant stroller, its a toddler stroller, its an infant carrier, its a cradle and a car seat all in one. It now has cup holders and pockets for everything. Some even play music. I'm honestly surprised they're not remote controlled by now. Just Wait!
This is a whole new world to me. Its not that I'm complaining, I'm just a little overwhelmed.
-Dad in Training
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
It's a.....
BOY!!!!
We had our ultrasound today and the baby curled into a ball with his feet near his head so that we could get a clear shot of his area, leaving us without a doubt as to what he was. I don't think we needed the ultrasound tech to tell us what it was - it was pretty obvious. So he certainly showed us his stuff in all his glory!
We're pretty sure we have the name picked out, but we're going to keep it a secret until he's born! (Something has to be surprise!)
I've posted three pictures below. In the first one, you can see a good outline of its head. In the next one, you can see his body curled and his feet above his head. Then the tech took a picture between his legs, and there it is! (You can click on the picture for a larger view)
Otherwise, they said everything else looked really good. We could see the heart beating and the tech pointed out other organs as she took measurements of everything. He looks to be pretty healthy!
(If you don't have a google account, you can post a comment by selecting "other" in the identity section. We love seeing who's reading the blog and we enjoy all of your comments!)
We had our ultrasound today and the baby curled into a ball with his feet near his head so that we could get a clear shot of his area, leaving us without a doubt as to what he was. I don't think we needed the ultrasound tech to tell us what it was - it was pretty obvious. So he certainly showed us his stuff in all his glory!
We're pretty sure we have the name picked out, but we're going to keep it a secret until he's born! (Something has to be surprise!)
I've posted three pictures below. In the first one, you can see a good outline of its head. In the next one, you can see his body curled and his feet above his head. Then the tech took a picture between his legs, and there it is! (You can click on the picture for a larger view)
Otherwise, they said everything else looked really good. We could see the heart beating and the tech pointed out other organs as she took measurements of everything. He looks to be pretty healthy!
(If you don't have a google account, you can post a comment by selecting "other" in the identity section. We love seeing who's reading the blog and we enjoy all of your comments!)
Saturday, November 3, 2007
18 Weeks
At 18 weeks, the baby is approximatelyy 5.5 inches long - about the length of a bell pepper - and probably weighs about 7 oz. The baby is busy flexing its arms and legs, which I'm not sure if I'm feeling yet. There are certain feelings when I wonder if its the baby moving. But this should increase over the coming weeks. A protective coating, called myelin, is starting to form around the nerves. The gender characteristics have formed - if its a girl, the uterus and fallopian tubes are now in place and if its a boy, his genitals are now visible. We have our ultrasound on Tuesday, Nov 6th, so hopefully the doctor will see a healthy baby - boy or girl!
I've had a cold all week, so I haven't felt that great. I've been trying to treat it with non-medicinal remedies to try to alleviate some of the symptoms. Minna made me a concoction of honey, lemon and ginger. She said it really soothes the throat and calms a cough. I was getting ready to down a spoonful, desperate to feel some relief, when she yelled, "No, don't eat it straight!" and she told me to mix it with hot water, to make a tea-like drink. Right. Its actually really good and very soothing. I've had about 10 cups of it in the last couple of days. Patrick has taken to sleeping in the other room so the only person I bother by coughing all night is myself. Nellie is even sleeping with him.
We have a CD of baby sounds to play to help Nellie get used to the sounds of a baby. I put it on the other day, but it was stressing out both Nellie and Patrick, so I turned it off. I'll have to play it while Patrick isn't around. Nellie sat there and stared at the stereo, her ears very alert. Hopefully she won't be very alarmed when we have a real baby making those noises. I'm posting some pictures of our recent activities - some from the NASCAR race and one of Patrick and I in our Halloween costumes. I painted a fishbowl on the belly of my shirt and Patrick went as a "fisherman", but instead of lures, he had baby stuff hanging from his fishing vest. Not sure if anyone else thought it was funny, but we were hightly amused by ourselves.
I've had a cold all week, so I haven't felt that great. I've been trying to treat it with non-medicinal remedies to try to alleviate some of the symptoms. Minna made me a concoction of honey, lemon and ginger. She said it really soothes the throat and calms a cough. I was getting ready to down a spoonful, desperate to feel some relief, when she yelled, "No, don't eat it straight!" and she told me to mix it with hot water, to make a tea-like drink. Right. Its actually really good and very soothing. I've had about 10 cups of it in the last couple of days. Patrick has taken to sleeping in the other room so the only person I bother by coughing all night is myself. Nellie is even sleeping with him.
We have a CD of baby sounds to play to help Nellie get used to the sounds of a baby. I put it on the other day, but it was stressing out both Nellie and Patrick, so I turned it off. I'll have to play it while Patrick isn't around. Nellie sat there and stared at the stereo, her ears very alert. Hopefully she won't be very alarmed when we have a real baby making those noises. I'm posting some pictures of our recent activities - some from the NASCAR race and one of Patrick and I in our Halloween costumes. I painted a fishbowl on the belly of my shirt and Patrick went as a "fisherman", but instead of lures, he had baby stuff hanging from his fishing vest. Not sure if anyone else thought it was funny, but we were hightly amused by ourselves.
Friday, October 26, 2007
17 Weeks
The baby is getting bigger - about 5 inches now, which is about the length of your hand to the tip of your pinky finger. My uterus must be growing pretty rapidly because I've had some abdominal pain this week that the doctor has said is round ligament pain. I'm not having any other problems, so she said it wasn't anything to worry about. We listened for the baby's heartbeat which is was a strong 142 bpm. I haven't felt the baby moving yet, but it shouldn't be too long before I do. The skeleton of the baby is starting to harden to bone and the baby is beginning to develop its sense of hearing. I guess I'm going to have to start singing to it...or do you think that would just traumatize him/her?
My mom was here over the weekend and we got a lot accomplished. We now have a huge pile of stuff for a garage sale. She helped us go through closets, drawers, boxes of papers, etc. We can now open most of our closets without being scared that something is going to jump out at us. We bought hooks and bins to hang and store a lot of stuff, which has really helped with the organization. I found a lot of stuff that I hadn't seen in awhile. On a sadder note, she made me throw away some things that I didn't really want to get rid of. Like my pay stubs from working my campus job at LSU where I made $700/semester. Don't you think I'll need those someday?? And she made me get rid of my papers and notes from my first year of graduate school that I haven't looked at since. My notes from college must be stored in the closet at her house somewhere. I definitely might need those some day!
Ok, so in the end, we got rid of a lot of stuff that we needed to get rid of. Hopefully it will be a successful garage sale!
She did the ring test on me, because I had been getting some huge inconsistencies in the results. She showed me the right way to do it and ever since then, every time I do the test, it says Girl, Boy, Girl, Boy. Am I really going to have 4 children?!
We'll know the sex of the baby pretty soon!
My mom was here over the weekend and we got a lot accomplished. We now have a huge pile of stuff for a garage sale. She helped us go through closets, drawers, boxes of papers, etc. We can now open most of our closets without being scared that something is going to jump out at us. We bought hooks and bins to hang and store a lot of stuff, which has really helped with the organization. I found a lot of stuff that I hadn't seen in awhile. On a sadder note, she made me throw away some things that I didn't really want to get rid of. Like my pay stubs from working my campus job at LSU where I made $700/semester. Don't you think I'll need those someday?? And she made me get rid of my papers and notes from my first year of graduate school that I haven't looked at since. My notes from college must be stored in the closet at her house somewhere. I definitely might need those some day!
Ok, so in the end, we got rid of a lot of stuff that we needed to get rid of. Hopefully it will be a successful garage sale!
She did the ring test on me, because I had been getting some huge inconsistencies in the results. She showed me the right way to do it and ever since then, every time I do the test, it says Girl, Boy, Girl, Boy. Am I really going to have 4 children?!
We'll know the sex of the baby pretty soon!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Visit with the doctor ... what Patrick heard.
We had a pleasant visit with the doctor the other day. She is nice and doesn't mind explaining things to me in non-scientific jargon. We heard the heart beat again .... very exciting. This time it was a very distinct sound between 130 and 150 beats per minute. Woosh...woosh...woosh.
At the end of the visit the doc asked if we had any questions (I had been waiting patiently for this). I, of course, had a question. Just what, exactly, is Jessica not supposed to be doing physically? Jessica has been avoiding all physical activity. The doc immediately looked at Jessica who darted her eyes away. The doc said that pregnant women could do anything that wasn't painful. She said that she knew of women who ran marathons while pregnant! She also said that there are many old-wives tales about not doing heavy lifting or physical activity while pregnant. The secret was out!
Our wonderful doc confirmed for us that Jessica is in fact not disabled in a any way. No, she won't and I don't expect her to start running marathons, but it is nice to know that she can safely go on a walk every once in a while (like about 3 times a week as the doctor has suggested).
-Patrick
At the end of the visit the doc asked if we had any questions (I had been waiting patiently for this). I, of course, had a question. Just what, exactly, is Jessica not supposed to be doing physically? Jessica has been avoiding all physical activity. The doc immediately looked at Jessica who darted her eyes away. The doc said that pregnant women could do anything that wasn't painful. She said that she knew of women who ran marathons while pregnant! She also said that there are many old-wives tales about not doing heavy lifting or physical activity while pregnant. The secret was out!
Our wonderful doc confirmed for us that Jessica is in fact not disabled in a any way. No, she won't and I don't expect her to start running marathons, but it is nice to know that she can safely go on a walk every once in a while (like about 3 times a week as the doctor has suggested).
-Patrick
Thursday, October 18, 2007
16 Weeks
Yay! We love reading everyone's comments, so thanks for posting them!
The baby should be about 4 1/2 inches now - about the size of an avocado (that's for Aunt Rez), and probably weighs about 3 1/2 ounces. In the next few weeks, it will be going through a growth spurt and will nearly double in size. The eyes, which are still closed, are moving toward the front of the head and the ears are close to their final position. The baby's circulatory system is working hard, pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, which will increase to about 190 quarts a day by the time its born.
We had a doctor's appointment earlier this week. We heard the baby's heartbeat, which sounded very healthy. And I had my blood drawn to do the quadruple screen where they test for downs and spina bifida. Hopefully everything will look good. She measured my belly and so far it measures 12. I don't really know what that means, but I guess it will get bigger as my belly grows. Patrick did tell me earlier this week that I looked pregnant. I reminded him that I am pregnant, so that could possibly explain it. He says that I am also exhibiting signs of craziness. I disagree, of course. I think I'm perfectly rational at all times. Granted, I may be emotional, but I always remain rational. I have good reasons for those emotions.
The baby had its first trip to a NASCAR race this past weekend. My dad was in town and we went down to Charlotte for the race. We had a great time.
This weekend, my mom will be in town to help us go through stuff and make room for the little one! Patrick is going to have to get rid of a lot of stuff because all of my stuff is sentimental and I can't possibly get rid of any of it.
The baby should be about 4 1/2 inches now - about the size of an avocado (that's for Aunt Rez), and probably weighs about 3 1/2 ounces. In the next few weeks, it will be going through a growth spurt and will nearly double in size. The eyes, which are still closed, are moving toward the front of the head and the ears are close to their final position. The baby's circulatory system is working hard, pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, which will increase to about 190 quarts a day by the time its born.
We had a doctor's appointment earlier this week. We heard the baby's heartbeat, which sounded very healthy. And I had my blood drawn to do the quadruple screen where they test for downs and spina bifida. Hopefully everything will look good. She measured my belly and so far it measures 12. I don't really know what that means, but I guess it will get bigger as my belly grows. Patrick did tell me earlier this week that I looked pregnant. I reminded him that I am pregnant, so that could possibly explain it. He says that I am also exhibiting signs of craziness. I disagree, of course. I think I'm perfectly rational at all times. Granted, I may be emotional, but I always remain rational. I have good reasons for those emotions.
The baby had its first trip to a NASCAR race this past weekend. My dad was in town and we went down to Charlotte for the race. We had a great time.
This weekend, my mom will be in town to help us go through stuff and make room for the little one! Patrick is going to have to get rid of a lot of stuff because all of my stuff is sentimental and I can't possibly get rid of any of it.
Friday, October 12, 2007
15 weeks
Alright, people, where are those comments? I know you're reading this...that means you need to leave a comment!!!
Anyway, we're now at week 15. The baby should be about 4 inches long now and probably weights about 2.5 oz. It is beginning to inhale and exhale amniotic fluid which helps the air sacs in the lungs to develop. The legs are growing, and should be longer than the arms now. (Good to know that things are becoming more proportional.) It is beginning to move its joints and limbs - hopefully it won't be too long before I start feeling it move! Its eyelids are fused shut but the baby can still sense light. Meanwhile, its tastebuds are starting to develop.
I'm still feeling good. Not many cravings or anything, although I love having a piece of chocolate with a cup of milk midway through the day. I can tell my emotions are on a roller coaster. Patrick was aggravating me the other night and I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, so I was doing a little of both.
I go to the doctor again next week, and hopefully we will schedule the ultrasound where we find out if its a boy or a girl! That will probably be scheduled for November sometime.
We did the test last night where you loop your ring through a piece of string and hold it over the open palm of your hand. If the ring goes back and forth, its a boy. If it makes a circle, its a girl. Then it stops and starts moving again for the next child. It supposed to tell you how many kids you will have and what the sex of each will be. I stopped after the 4th because I was worried that it was going to tell me I was going to have 10 kids. But the order was boy, boy, girl, boy. Those Harrells sure do like to make boys! So, we'll see in a few weeks if the test was correct! I have 2 friends that had babies in the last couple of weeks and both are girls. A friend is due in December and she's also having a girl. And I know two more girls having babies in February and both are having girls. And one in March is having a girl. I don't know of any others having boys yet. I think odds are working in favor of a boy here.
Anyway, we're now at week 15. The baby should be about 4 inches long now and probably weights about 2.5 oz. It is beginning to inhale and exhale amniotic fluid which helps the air sacs in the lungs to develop. The legs are growing, and should be longer than the arms now. (Good to know that things are becoming more proportional.) It is beginning to move its joints and limbs - hopefully it won't be too long before I start feeling it move! Its eyelids are fused shut but the baby can still sense light. Meanwhile, its tastebuds are starting to develop.
I'm still feeling good. Not many cravings or anything, although I love having a piece of chocolate with a cup of milk midway through the day. I can tell my emotions are on a roller coaster. Patrick was aggravating me the other night and I couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry, so I was doing a little of both.
I go to the doctor again next week, and hopefully we will schedule the ultrasound where we find out if its a boy or a girl! That will probably be scheduled for November sometime.
We did the test last night where you loop your ring through a piece of string and hold it over the open palm of your hand. If the ring goes back and forth, its a boy. If it makes a circle, its a girl. Then it stops and starts moving again for the next child. It supposed to tell you how many kids you will have and what the sex of each will be. I stopped after the 4th because I was worried that it was going to tell me I was going to have 10 kids. But the order was boy, boy, girl, boy. Those Harrells sure do like to make boys! So, we'll see in a few weeks if the test was correct! I have 2 friends that had babies in the last couple of weeks and both are girls. A friend is due in December and she's also having a girl. And I know two more girls having babies in February and both are having girls. And one in March is having a girl. I don't know of any others having boys yet. I think odds are working in favor of a boy here.
Friday, October 5, 2007
14 Weeks
The baby should be about 3 1/2 inches long now and weigh about 1.5oz. The arms should be lengthening and will be more in proportion with the rest of its body. There is now a covering of hair all over its body, called lanugo. The liver will start secreting bile this week, and the spleen will start to contribute to the production of red blood cells.
My allergies have really been acting up this week. I finally broke down and took a claritin yesterday on the advice of the doctor because I was pretty miserable. Then I went home early and Nellie and I slept all afternoon. I feel much better today.
My allergies have really been acting up this week. I finally broke down and took a claritin yesterday on the advice of the doctor because I was pretty miserable. Then I went home early and Nellie and I slept all afternoon. I feel much better today.
Monday, October 1, 2007
13 Weeks
Ok, Ok, I know I'm a little behind. I was a little distracted last week with school stuff, but here is the 13 week update:
At 13 weeks, the baby is about 3 inches long - about the size of a jumbo shrimp. The head is now only about 1/3 of the size of the body, so things are becoming a little more proportional. The baby now has unique fingerprints and the kidneys are functioning along with the urinary tract, so the baby is beginning to urinate. How exciting! That must be why I feel like I need to run to the restroom every 10 minutes. Ok, that's an exaggeration, but you get the point.
This week is the official end of the 1st trimester, and things are still going very well. I feel great and am starting to show a little bit. My mom's been sending me some maternity clothes that she has found great deals on (of course!), and I've bought a couple of non-maternity shirts that look like maternity shirts since that's the style now. I just need long shirts to cover the elastic waistband of the maternity pants I'm wearing. My friend Lauren had a baby on Friday and she had given me some of her early pregnancy "big" clothes to wear, so that's been helpful. My butt is bigger than hers, so I think I outgrew the bottoms more quickly than she did but the tops have been great!
Every day when I come to work, Minna, my labmate, checks out my wardrobe to make sure I look presentable. Apparently she had a dream that I was very pregnant and came to work dressed in a moo-moo. She thought I looked horrible, and debated on whether or not she should tell me that I could be pregnant and still wear cute clothes. She was afraid that she would upset me, the pregnancy hormones would kick in, and I would cry. Apparently I worried her the other day at Erin's defense when I started crying during Erin's acknowledgments to her family and then I couldn't stop crying. At least now when I cry, I have an excuse.
I have to go now.....I need to tinkle.
At 13 weeks, the baby is about 3 inches long - about the size of a jumbo shrimp. The head is now only about 1/3 of the size of the body, so things are becoming a little more proportional. The baby now has unique fingerprints and the kidneys are functioning along with the urinary tract, so the baby is beginning to urinate. How exciting! That must be why I feel like I need to run to the restroom every 10 minutes. Ok, that's an exaggeration, but you get the point.
This week is the official end of the 1st trimester, and things are still going very well. I feel great and am starting to show a little bit. My mom's been sending me some maternity clothes that she has found great deals on (of course!), and I've bought a couple of non-maternity shirts that look like maternity shirts since that's the style now. I just need long shirts to cover the elastic waistband of the maternity pants I'm wearing. My friend Lauren had a baby on Friday and she had given me some of her early pregnancy "big" clothes to wear, so that's been helpful. My butt is bigger than hers, so I think I outgrew the bottoms more quickly than she did but the tops have been great!
Every day when I come to work, Minna, my labmate, checks out my wardrobe to make sure I look presentable. Apparently she had a dream that I was very pregnant and came to work dressed in a moo-moo. She thought I looked horrible, and debated on whether or not she should tell me that I could be pregnant and still wear cute clothes. She was afraid that she would upset me, the pregnancy hormones would kick in, and I would cry. Apparently I worried her the other day at Erin's defense when I started crying during Erin's acknowledgments to her family and then I couldn't stop crying. At least now when I cry, I have an excuse.
I have to go now.....I need to tinkle.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Week 12
We had our first doctor's visit this week. It went really well. All of my bloodwork looked normal and the baby's heartbeat sounded good. The doctor did a physical exam, which Patrick thought was a little invasive. I laughed because it wasn't anything unusual and he will certainly have to get used to it. The doctor is really nice, I liked her a lot. I'm doing my prenatal care at the UNC Student Health Center, so she is a member of the UNC OB/GYN group, one of the best OB groups in the country. She is one of fifteen doctors that share call, so it is highly unlikely that she would actually deliver the baby, unfortunately. But either way, I know I will be in good hands. I'm still feeling really good, although my clothes are getting a little tighter.
The baby should be about 2 inches now and probably weighs about a half an ounce. The eyes and ears are just about finished moving to their correct positions. The kidneys have begun to secrete urine into its bladder, and neurological pathways in the brain are beginning to form.
-Jessica
The baby should be about 2 inches now and probably weighs about a half an ounce. The eyes and ears are just about finished moving to their correct positions. The kidneys have begun to secrete urine into its bladder, and neurological pathways in the brain are beginning to form.
-Jessica
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Week 11
The baby should be about an inch and a half long now, weighing about a quarter of an ounce. The skin is still transparent, and the bones are beginning to harden. The fingers and toes have separated and he or she is taking on gender characteristics. (We should find out the sex around Thanksgiving time). The baby is probably starting to make tiny movements, although I can't feel them yet, that will increase over the next few weeks as the body grows and becomes more developed and functional.
I'm still feeling good, other than being tired, but I'm not complaining about that - at least I haven't had morning sickness!
-Jessica
I'm still feeling good, other than being tired, but I'm not complaining about that - at least I haven't had morning sickness!
-Jessica
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Houston, we have cleavage!
Jessica is now the proud owner of a little bit of cleavage. She is very happy about this and wants to stay pregnant the rest of her life. The husband is happy as well.
-Patrick
-Patrick
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Week 10
Week 10 marks the beginning of the fetal period, when tissues and organs mature rapidly. The liver, kidney, intestines, brain and lungs are continuing to develop, but are also beginning to function. The baby's size will double in the next 3 weeks!
Ref: www.babycenter.com
Ref: www.babycenter.com
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The Early Pregnancy Ultrasound
We went to our first ultrasound today. Wow! Let me just say that our little dude/dudette has a motor! The heart was beating at 178 beats per minute. We could actually see and hear the heart beating. Quite amazing and reassuring at the same time.
-Patrick
-Patrick
Ultrasound
We went for an early-pregnancy ultrasound today. It was so exciting to see the heart beating and see the baby moving around. It has 2 arms and 2 legs and a big head! We could even see little fingers! The baby is 9 weeks, 2.3 cm long, and has a heartbeat of 178 bpm!
Mimi and Grandma's reaction
We went home August 10th-13th to tell everyone the good news! We had a BBQ with the Orys and Harrells, lunch with the Ragas's, and boiled crabs with the Sehrts and Wedigs. Click on the play buttons to watch the videos.
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