Halfway There

20 Weeks
Mango
Today is the first day they start measuring my fruit-baby from crown to heel, rather than from crown to rump. He is now about 10 inches long and weighs about 10.5 oz. However, at the ultrasound in week 18, they estimated he already weighed 10 oz. So, I may have an oinker. I neglected to show you our son, Jack Skellington, so he is pictured below:

"Blueberry" at 18w3d

I rotated the image so he could show you his "Whazzup" face, which looks pretty scary and awesome. I feel him wiggling all the time now, but only from the inside. I put my hands on the outside and can't feel anything but my heartbeat in my fingertips. Mama blood is powerful. I am a bit worried he will be a super-anxious kid, given all the stress I am under these days. Either that, or maybe he will be the most mellow kid because he needed to counteract all the cortisol his mother is kicking out. Hoping for the latter. Regardless, we're halfway to meeting him!

Babbling

Pregnancy seems like a lifetime ago. My baby will be five months old in a mere 6 days. She was so small and you could easily cuddle her completely within your arms. Now an arm or leg tends to dangle beyond my embrace. Sometimes she pulls my hair or pinches my flesh (the non-muscular part just above the elbow on the back of the arm, for example). Sometimes she slaps me in the face or scratches my eyes. She's going to be the devil incarnate someday. For now, she's a sweet little angel and I can't get enough of her.

Tonight when I put her to bed, she "talked" to herself for no less than an hour. I think she finally passed out about fifteen minutes ago. She babbles, coos, giggles, belly-laughs, grins, drools, chews, and does something that sounds like a heavy breather on the other end of a phone line. She also does that noise that young Forrest does when his principal leaves his home after some school-admission coitus with Mommy. She keeps us laughing all the time.

These are some milestones:
1. Laughed aloud.
2. Rolled over (completely by accident, four times in a row, and not since).
3. Held head up while on tummy.
4. Took a few pretty nasty face-bumps while on tummy... but survived.
5. Copied Mom and Dad sticking out their tongues and making noises.
6. Giggled when tickled.
7. Smiled for the camera (and now will not STOP being a ham in front of one).
8. Scooted in reverse (only once).
9. Kicked so hard the crib dropped down to the lowest level (this was scary, and the crib manufacturer should put out a warning).
10. Went to daycare and did super.
11. Had some photos taken by someone OTHER than relatives.
12. Flew to NC.
13. Rode 10 hours in a car over 2 days and didn't squall.
14. Was able to ride face-out in the front carrier.
15. Learned some cause-and-effect (i.e., if I push this button, animal noises come out).

These are just a few. We're so proud, as if you couldn't tell. Maybe if life stops being so... dominating... I can post more about postpartum stuff. Here's a picture for now. Not super-recent, but she's so sweet and dreamy I couldn't resist.

34 Weeks, 2 Days

Had the last ultrasound today. Baby was pretty cooperative, although it took some time to see the heart. Didn't matter much because this tech didn't really have the high-quality machine that the other tech did, nor the expertise about VSDs - so she said she couldn't see them, and I guess that's a good thing. Anyway, the part you are all waiting for... pictures!

Baby has a head full of hair!

You can see a closed eye and eyebrow.

Baby gots some fat lips!

If you can't see that last one, tilt your head to the right and imagine Baby is blindfolded. You can see the bottom of the little nose and then BIG FAT LIPS!!!! That's okay, both Mommy and Daddy have them as well. Time is drawing short on this pregnancy. Less than six weeks to go. Hopefully, Baby wants to show up on time (or maybe a few days early). We shall see.

Week 28 Ultrasound

Today is Week 28, Day 6. Almost 29 weeks. I'm technically in the third trimester now, and the DAY is drawing closer. I got some new clothes in the mail from my mother. Here's a little taste:


We got some great news today at the ultrasound. The VSDs (holes) in the baby's heart are now down to less than one millimeter each in size. With any luck, they will be gone before the birth. If not, they should be gone close after. The next ultrasound is not until 29 November, so we have plenty of time to work it out!

My suspicions were confirmed today... the reason my ribs hurt so badly is because a tiny foot is wedged up there in them throughout much of the day. I have started doing yoga and other stretches to get Baby to do something else with its feet for a while, but eventually they migrate right back into their favorite resting place. I guess I shouldn't complain. It's slightly less annoying than the sciatic nerve pain I had for the entire second trimester.

And now, the ones you're REALLY waiting for, the baby:

Baby's eyes are open. Because we woke it up with the ultrasound!Big yawn!!!

It's simply amazing to watch the little one grow and move. We saw the eyes moving around, "looking" at stuff (even though it's REALLY dark in there and not much to see). And the little one's tongue, tasting the amniotic fluid and practicing the SUCK. The technician says there is hair on Baby's head now. The heart rate was really good... 138 bpm at first (sleeping), and finally around 150 bpm by the end (because Baby was irritated, I think). Baby weighs 3 lbs., 1 oz. and is about a week ahead for its size (looking like a 30 week, 1 day baby rather than a 28 week, 6 day baby). Here's hoping that means the little one shows up early!

Pictures

After all this time, here's the 19 Weeks Ultrasound photo update. I had about twenty to choose from, but ultimately, these were the best two. And I'm not trying to make it take all day to upload.

Baby's facial profile, with a little hand waving hello. Or just hanging out up there.


This little foot is already almost one inch long!

So there they are. You can guess all you want about whether it's a boy or girl, but if the technician couldn't tell, neither can YOU. Haha!

Ultrasound tomorrow...dare I post pictures?

Ultrasound number two is tomorrow morning, and I'm really excited to see how much the baby has grown. Maybe I can watch the movements on screen and feel them as well (so I'll know what I'm feeling for). People's descriptions so far have not been helpful in my determining whether that was a baby movement or a bowel gurgle.

The really unfortunate thing is, my husband and I have decided to make the baby's sex surprise, but someone very close to us is trying to ruin that. I am worried that if I post pictures of the baby, this unnamed person will try (as threatened) to get someone else to determine the sex. The reasoning is "to make shopping easier" for everyone.

How about the fact that the parents (Devlyn and me) don't want to find out the sex. And if we don't find out, NOBODY finds out. What's so wrong with wanting it to be a surprise? So many things are unsurprising these days. I've known practically since the day I missed my period that I was pregnant. I've seen what the baby looks like already. I have everything picked out for the baby's room. We even have names picked out (but I'm not telling).

Why can't my wishes be considered? Why can't this person just let me decide how I want my pregnancy to go? If I want it to be a surprise, then dammit, EVERYONE will be surprised.

So, until I get confirmation from that person that they won't try to usurp my parenthood authority or go behind my back to determine the sex and then tell everyone what to buy, nobody gets to see pictures.