14 weeks and counting.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

It's week 14, and I've gained 8 pounds since I got pregnant. Too much for not showing very much. Correction: not showing much baby. The fat is there, though. I'm walking Lola often. Not often enough, but often. I'm terrified of stretch marks and varicose veins. I'm slathering on cocoa butter after every shower, but I should probably do that more. Like 3 or 4 times a day. :) The only way to keep varicose veins at bay is to KEEP MOVING. Something I DO NOT want to do. It's not like I can't, I'm not nearly big enough to make moving difficult. But I just don't have the energy!
I've discovered one of the joys of pregnancy that will last until the baby is born. I am SO SNIFFLY! Pregnancy causes your soft tissue to swell, therefore the tissue in nose is swollen and snotty, making it difficult to breathe. AND I sneeze about 5 times an hour. Which doesn't sound like a lot, but you sneeze 5 times an hour, all day, and tell me it's not a lot.
I know I should take belly pics to make all of you happy, and to document this process, but I don't wanna! I'm growing too much. My normal clothing still fits, but it's tight. I've found a new love for sweat pants. My sister, Ashley, is letting me borrow her maternity clothes, but she's like 100 lbs to begin with. So, I can't fit into her stuff now, much less when I'm huge. Sounds like I need to go shopping.
And go take some belly pics. :)

14 Weeks Ultrasound



The baby! I think it looks like a little penguin or something. :) The OB couldn't get a clear picture because the baby wouldn't stop moving!



Here's the measurement of the head.



The picture is zoomed in on the heart. You can see the wavelength of the heartbeat below the picture. A strong 160 beats per minute.

9 Weeks Ultrasound

10 Reasons why Daddy Matters.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

1. Who else, other than mum, will tuck her into bed at night, teach her how to ride a bike, fund her first holiday with friends and buy her first pint?

2. He's got your genes. You are a part of his history, who he is, how he looks, right down to those big ears and awkward gait.

3. You matter to your partner, too. When you get stuck in from the start, breastfeeding is more successful and she is less likely to suffer from postnatal depression.

4. You'll raise brainy kids. Children with involved fathers have better social skills when they reach nursery and do better in examinations at 16.

5. Being a good dad keeps your child sane. Father-child closeness is a crucial predictor of long-term mental health.

6. Successful professional women tend to have at least one thing in common: fathers who respect and encourage them.

7. Do well as a father and, when your child's time comes, she'll be a better mum.

8. You'll keep him out of prison. Good fathering means your son is less likely to have a criminal record.

9. She'll be happier later. Father involvement at age seven is correlated with your daughter's contentment with love at 33.

10. Do you want your child to have higher self-esteem, be friendly and trust others? Your influence makes a difference.

Tips from blogs.babble.com/being-pregnant

1. Just Say No to Low rise

This is tricky. Low waisted jeans can cause a tummy to pooch out. If your favorite jeans just happen to be low waisted, then do not wear a tight or short shirt with them. If you like how the jeans fit everywhere else but the stomach, wear a longer, looser shirt that covers the waistband. To test the length, try raising your arms above your head. If the tum-tum is still covered, you’re good.

2. Beware of the Mom Jeans, or the Jessica Simpson effect

High waisted pants are very chic and very hot right now- but be careful. If the waistline is too high, say above the belly button, then that will draw attention to the gut as well, as you will be highlighting the belly curve. Ideally, the pants should hit about one inch below the belly button, thus cutting the belly in half, and preventing the ballooning look.

3. RIYF (Ruching is your friend)

Ruching is a technique where fabric is gathered and bunched. When a dress is rouched in the right places, it can obscure the belly and draw attention to the dress, and away from your abdomen. If the ruching is done well, it can also create an optical illusion that your waist is smaller.

4. Waistband

I think shirts with bands on the bottom are a bad idea. Always. I don’t even know what these shirts are called. I saw a woman wearing a loose, flowy shirt that had a tight band on the bottom. I don’t know what would possess a person to wear a shirt like that. Anything with a band around the middle screams ‘with child.’

5. Save the Empire Waist for when you really are pregnant

I say this a lot, but for women with bellies, empire waist is just not flattering. I know you want to just hide your belly sometimes, but empire waist dresses and tops will make you look pregnant. I know they can make your rack look great, but hello, this just adds to the problem (hello nursing?). I have said it before, but it is best just to stick to your natural waist. A-line skirts that hit on the waist are flattering. Anything that can help give the appearance of an hourglass shape is good. You want to highlight your bust and hip curves, and take the eyes off of that other curve.

14 weeks. Belly Pics coming soon!

How your baby's growing:
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:

Welcome to your second trimester! Your energy is likely returning, your breasts may be feeling less tender, and your queasiness may have completely abated by now. If not, hang on — chances are good it will soon be behind you (although an unlucky few will still feel nauseated months from now).

The top of your uterus is a bit above your pubic bone, which may be enough to push your tummy out a tad. Starting to show can be quite a thrill, giving you and your partner visible evidence of the baby you've been waiting for. Take some time to plan, daydream, and enjoy this amazing time. It's normal to worry a bit now and then, but try to focus on taking care of yourself and your baby, and having faith that you're well equipped for what's ahead.

Babycenter.com

Things that suck about being pregnant!

1. Shuffling around on dirty floors that you cannot bend down to mop. (Yes, I know they make mops on a stick, but I like to do it with a rag. Its the baseboards that are annoying me and you can’t get those with a stick mop.)

2. Uncomfortable chairs. Which is 98% of all chairs.

3. People who give you the “you should not be lifting that” look, but don’t offer to help.

4. Hairy legs that you cannot comfortably shave. I figure I have the strength and flexibility to shave just one more time. I am saving it for the night before Aunt Shel’s wedding.

5. Spending weeks making a beautiful nursery and then having nothing to do in there but sit in the rocking chair and say “Ho Hum.” I do that just about every night after we put Pookie and Geetle to bed, by the way.

6. Maternity clothes that you worry might not “make it.” I am 7 months along…and some of my maternity pants are a bit tight. I still have 2 months!

7. Seatbelts. Wear it below the belly, they say. Yeah, OK. What if your belly rests on the tops of your thighs when you drive. Do you tuck it under? That just hurts.

8. Not being able to play Pookie’s favorite game, which is a kind of human pin-ball game in which he pretends to bump into you and ricochet off.

9. Rolling over in bed. I need one of those monkey-bar things they hang over hospital beds, to give sick people something to grab onto when they maneuver in bed.

10. Not being able to sit on the floor and play puzzles with Geetle.

11. The fact that EVERY maternity shirt/dress seems to have a sash and bow that ties in the back. So, while I am trying to get comfortable in the chair, I have to worry about the gigantic fabric knot that is poking into my spine as well.

12. Trying to remember the EXACT last time I felt the baby kick, so I can determine if its been too long.

13. The fact that it is socially acceptable for everyone to tell a pregnant woman how tired she looks. Gee, thanks; that’s helpful. I think you look rude.

14. Standing up and literally feeling the waistband on my underwear roll slowly over my bump and down to my hip bones. Creepy.

http://www.beagoodmom.com/78/things-that-suck-about-being-pregnant/

SOOO CUTE!


http://www.rhbabyandchild.com/rhbc/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=rhbc_prod220232&navAction=push&navCount=2

I LOVE this. Getting it for the nursery.
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