20 Weeks...Halfway there!!

Here is the 20 week shot. Wow the belly is really growing now and the pounds seem to be piling on! This past week was such a fun week for us. We found out that we are having a baby boy. I just knew it was a boy the whole time, but Justin was pretty shocked. If you watch the video, I know I shouted "it's a penis" really loud (hehe) but I knew it as soon as I saw it! Justin was recording the actual screen on the ultrasound machine, but I was watching a large flat screen TV of the images. I could see the "boy parts" SO clearly. I really dont think Justin could see on the small machine, and I know he had no clue it was a boy until I said that. He was about to jump out of his skin with excitement! Our baby looked great, but was hugging the placenta, making it hard to get some really good 3D shots. The baby has my nose and Justin's mouth, but thats all we could tell from the ultrasound. All of the baby's organs looked great, and I am most thankful for that. I can't believe we are already over halfway through the pregnancy. August will be here before we know it! My coworker is due a day after me and just found out today that she is having a boy. My other coworker is due 6 days before me and she finds out tomorrow. It seems like this is the year of the boy, as most of my pregnant friends are having boys. Other than that, baby boy has been kicking and moving around a lot. Justin was finally able to feel it the other day, and that was pretty cool :)

It's a BOY!!

New Pictures!

The baby looked HEALTHY, was moving like crazy and we couldn't be happier!!

New Pictures!

19 Weeks

One week to go before I am halfway through the pregnancy! This Wednesday is the BIG day when we hopefully find out the gender of our baby. The days seem like they are dragging by! Justin and I have been tossing around names a little more, and I really think we have got it narrowed down to our favorites now. The middle names that we chose are already set. More important than anything else, I am hoping that our ultrasound shows a happy and healthy baby. It has been a while since we have "seen" the baby (7 weeks!), and almost 5 weeks since we have heard the heartbeat. What keeps me feeling good about things is that I am feeling the baby move more and more. Today it felt like we had a dancing baby all day. It does make me nervous when I feel movement less on some days than others, but I have read that is normal, especially at this stage. I am so excited to see how the baby has grown since last time! Other than that, work and school have been keeping me really busy. Working full time and going to school full time has been a challenge over the last two years, but the end is finally in sight. Lately I have been a paper-writing machine! I have six more weeks until I am no longer a grad student...YAY! Justin is doing great and is talking to the baby every day. He has been so good about taking care of me, especially reminding me not to overdo it at the gym, and making sure that I am getting enough calcium since I hate milk. :) Plus, for some reason he has been super funny lately (even more that usual) and has been making me laugh SO hard these last couple of weeks that it I can't breathe. All I can say is that the movie "Nights in Rodanthe", which is supposed to be a sappy love story, was THE FUNNIEST movie of the year due to his comments from the peanut gallery. I hope the baby gets his sense of humor!! I will be sure to update the blog with the big news and new pictures after our appt on Wednesday :)

18 Weeks

Well here is 18 weeks and I have almost hit the 10 lb weight gain mark. I am up about 8-9 lbs and I think I am starting to show alot more now. The most exciting news that I have to report is that I am pretty sure that I am feeling movement now. It started right at the beginning of week 17, but I wasn't sure if it was what I was feeling. For over a week now, I have been feeling it every day. The best way that I can describe it is that it feels like a stomach muscle twitch to me. I feel it different places and it varies in strength. On the way to the gym last Thursday I about jumped out of my seat because I thought that I got hit from the outside, but it was our little baby saying hello! Justin got a kick out of that one. Justin hasnt been able to feel it yet, but I have been able to put my hand there and feel it from the outside. Everytime he tries to feel, the baby stops. Other than that, I am counting down the days until next Wednesday, but feeling a little nervous (as I always do before ultrasounds) that everything is going to be ok. This is the big ultrasound where they check out the heart and do a very detailed anatomy scan. Say a prayer for us! I am going to honestly be shocked if we find out that its a girl. I feel sure that its a boy, but either way, it is going to be SO great to know what we are having so that we can start planning more and thinking of names. We have a few in mind, but nothing set yet. Thats really all thats going on this week. Hope all is well :)

17 Weeks

Yikes, Where in the world did my abs go?! When you compare my picture from 7 weeks to my 17 picture, you can really see what a difference 10 weeks makes!! This past week I put on a couple more pounds, and they seem to be piling on more quickly now! I had the strangest dream two nights ago. I dreamt that I was at the big ultrasound in two weeks and they doctor said that it was a boy. When I looked at the ultrasound screen, there was our baby, playing a guitar. I asked the doctor if that was normal and she said that they see babies playing guitar on ultrasound from time to time...HA! What a crazy dream. Last night, I was up half of the night with horrible acid reflux. It was so painful, I spend several hours sleeping while sitting up. One of my coworkers said that means we will have a hairy baby....we'll see!! I am going crazy waiting to find out what we are having!! Mar 25th seems so far away!!

16 Weeks

Here is my picture at 16 weeks, and I kinda wish didnt start to take these pictures in the AM, because I always feel like my face looks puffy in them. Or maybe it is just really getting puffy...I hope not!! We got our results from our alpha-fetoprotein test today and they were negative..YAY! It was a second trimester screening blood test for neural tube defects. Now we just have to wait for about 3 more weeks until we can see our baby again and hopefully find out the gender. I am really hoping to start feeling movement in the next couple of weeks. Anyway, just for the heck of it, I tried buttoning my work pants today and I couldnt even reach the buttons to eachother! I think I am starting to show a little bit more now, and Justin is noticing the "bump" more and more. Here is what is going on with the baby this week:

"How your baby's growing:Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.