19 Weeks

Holy crap! I'm already getting huge; didn't take very long sadly! Can you imagine me at 40 weeks? Nope, neither can I. I will resemble the Goodyear Blimp!

"Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.
Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid."

So that vernix crap keeps my kid from becomming a pickle? Mmmmmmmmmmmmkay...

Short and Not So Exciting...

I realize it's been a bit since I updated, but I'm going to keep the 18 week post a bit short with my development email since things are so crazy at work at the moment. I'll write more soon, I promise!

"Head to rump, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, although he may hide them from you during an ultrasound,"

Grr!

So Aaron and I, trying to be ambitious people, decided it was time to tackle trying to build Kiddo's crib. It took my approximately 25 minutes just to get all of the pieces out of the box! I built all the drawers and began to assemble the pieces for the dresser/changer attachment when (cue "bad news" music) I discovered that a part was missing! OMG! WTH! WTF! I"M TRYING SO HARD NOT TO CURSE ON MY BLOG!!!

So, being pregnant and EXTREMELY hormonal, I decide to call the crib company. THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE OPTION! I had to try to call the "parts" people, and of course it's Sunday so no one is there! I tried calling back to see if the "instruction" option would do us any better, and NOPE! The recording told us to go to their website and that they don't work with individual customers, only businesses. ARG! I left a pretty pissed off message for the parts people. I doubt they'll be calling me back after I "kindly" ripped them new butt-holes.

Then I called Babies R Us, where we purchased the crib. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED THEM FIRST! They were so nice and gave us tons of options: order a new crib, order the part, order the crib to the store and just get the part out of the box (I'm actually not sure how that last one is different than the first option really). We opted to order just the part so that we don't have to disassemble the drawers, try to pack this whole crib back up into the box and haul it back to the store.

This just caps off an enormously hormonal weekend. I've been all over the place. I actually took Friday off from school due to stress (terrifically terrible headache) because I was afraid that I'd blow my top at a student. (They've started to get pretty intolerable at times because graduation is close and they've left things to the last minute. Add to that working 3 nights a week and Saturdays to help students wrap things up before the graduation deadline. My tolerance for BS is -458 at the moment.) Recently, I've been having these laughing jags that can last for up to 20 minutes. When one occurs, I laugh so hard that I end up crying (happy tears) or I calm myself down just before I pee on myself. Then, I'll have crying jags over little things, like a sappy book/commercial or Aaron not letting me help do the laundry. It's bizarre. Over the course of this weekend, I've had two laughing jags, two crying jags, and after this crib deal, a jag of RAGE!

Wow...no wonder people think I'm crazy...

17 Weeks Bring Dreams and More Baby Shwag!

OK, let's get the update part out of the way: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

So, I had two extremely odd dreams this week (so far). First, I must have gotten hot one night while I was sleeping. I ended up taking off my shirt. In the dream I was having, I was at school without a shirt on. I had a hooded sweatshirt hung over my back, with the sleeves covering Emma and Phoenix (yes, my boobs are named after X-Man characters, laugh away, my husband is a terrible influence on me). The whole time I'm walking around the school, I'm extremely uncomfortable because everyone is talking about my blatant lack of shirt. I keep readjusting the sleeves as if it will help. Meanwhile, the part of my brain that isn't dreaming but isn't awake is yelling at dream me to just put the F-ing shirt ON! Maybe that dream is not odd to anyone else, but it was to me. The second dream, at least the part I remember, was very short. I was at school and saw a student who is not longer our student since he's gone back to jail. This is the same student who stole iPods off my desk! I see him walking around and I notice that he has essentially grown a mullet, pulled it back into a pony tail, and then shaved the rest of his head. So basically, he's grown a very long pony tail, but shaved the rest of his head. I keep chasing him around the school, trying to figure out why he's there and telling him to get out. Weird dreams are supposed to be common now I guess. I don't know if they are weirder than normal, or if I'm just remembering the weird parts. Maybe both of these dreams have something to do with feeling a lack of control. Feel free to debate.

In other news, Aaron and I went home last Saturday to see family. Cousin Annie was turning 4, so we celebrated at Chuck E. Cheese's. I'm saying this now and if I ever re-nig on this, my readers are obligated to remind me: NEVER, EVER have a party at Chuck E. Cheese's. It is a cesspool of screaming, whining, unsupervised germ-breeders. Need free birth control? Stop in there and just absorb the environment. Children are not so cute when they are pitching a fit because they can't make the helicopter ride go up. I had the most fun, however, watching little Evy plugging coins into various games and yelling "I stopped it!" when we lights/wheel/contraption would stop moving and spit out tickets. She was not a high roller, but she had some fun. There was this creepy older lady there who seriously looked like she was playing slots at one of those drop-in-the-coin-to-see-how-many-other-coins-fall-off machines. I think that lady made a killing, but she probably spent a butt-load too! I love their security measures too. I think it's smart to stamp kids and parents and make sure they match up before they leave, but Aaron and I speculated about the glory associated with "running the velvet rope" at Chuck E. Cheese's.

We have plenty of new baby shwag after the trip home. Granny Joan and Grampy Tim bought the baby a couple of bibs and a little Carter's set. Grandma Shelly, Grandpa Rick, Aunt Kira, and Uncle Trey bought the baby a cute little onesie with frogs and a cuddly frog blanket. Then Stephanie and I went out to Babies R Us, where she bought Kiddo a cute little hooded set and I found a bunch of the Amy Coe skull set on sale, buy one get one free! I know, skulls are very much "boy," but they were too precious to pass up. Boy or girl, Kiddo is going to be a bad-ass! I also found a couple of sets at Target and bought myself some "Assets," aka. pregnancy Spanx to wear to Tonya's reception and Mockster's wedding.

Now for pictures. I'll try to post a pic of the belly again soon. It's getting bigger, that's for sure. Still sometimes hard to believe that I'm preggo. Sometimes, Kiddo reminds me with a little tap though. I live for those feelings.



"Let's Hang Out!"



"Mommy's Lil Peanut"

From Grandma Shelly, Grandpa Rick, Aunt Kira, and Uncle Trey

From Granny Joan and Grampy Tim

Corny, I know...

Super cute Old Navy finds, a set of onesies and a sweet hat!

Babies R Us is my current form of CRACK!



From Stephanie and Kevin!More Babies R Us CRACK! The previous sleeper matches this set that they bought for Kiddo.

Amy Coe skully sleeper. I heart this collection!

 

Kiddo is gonna RAWK! Amy Coe onesie with Target hoodie.

More Amy Coe skully cuteness...I love the butt on the jeans! I wonder if cloth diapers will fit inside?

140 Perfect Beats...

I had the fastest check-up yet today. I showed up to the appointment 25 minutes early, peed in the cup right after check-in, and sat for approximately 30 seconds before I was called in. Weight gain is still a bit under, but with the amount of food I have been shoveling into my face this week, I'm sure we'll be at or above the curve soon. When I say "shoveling," I mean shoveling in the food. Kiddo has me extremely hungry lately, confirming his or her growth spurt (mentioned below in the email updates). I got to hear Kiddo's heart thumping away (140 beats a minute...PERFECT) and confirm two appointments in June, a normal one that "Grandma" wants to attend, and the glucose screening that Aaron will likely attend with me.

My growing bump helps me remember how real this truly is between visits. I bought a Be-Band today and I may just be in love with it. It's SO STINKING COMFORTABLE. It actually makes me feel more comfortable letting my bump "hang-out," aka. "Stop trying to suck it in Valerie...it won't work." I am also excited to mention that I did confirm with the doctor today that, although it is earlier than anticipated, I am feeling Kiddo move around in there a bit. It's hard to describe the feeling. Most people say it's a flutter, which I occasionally feel, but other times is a little thump. It's nothing I can share with Aaron yet, which is disappointing, but I know he'll get his chance soon.

It is official that we now begin the countdown to learning if Baby R is going to be clad in pink or blue. I think I've come to the realization that the only thing preventing me from purchasing obscene amounts of baby clothes is the fact that the gender is currently unknown. I do still continue to purchase occasional items though. I've begun to buy items in the 3-6 month category because we will need the larger size to accommodate the cloth diapers we're going to work with. See www.wallypop.net to support a local business and be green!

I am two weeks behind on the "email" updates, so here's what happened last week, followed by this week:

15 Weeks: Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam.


16 Weeks: 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 looks 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.

15 Week Quickie!

Just here to post the first bump pictures. I had a really large meal beforehand so there is something to look at! More coming later...

da Bump and I!

Just "da Bump!"