Half-way mark! (with pictures)

Hi all! Yesterday we got another sneak peak into our baby's little world. Using 2D technology, the sonographer first did a very thorough diagnostic of the baby's body. She checked out the limbs, bone structure and internal organs, talking us through everything that we saw. It was so reassuring to get a thumbs up on everything she inspected. We saw the heart -- all four chambers of it -- beating steadily at 148 bpm. The doctor and the sonographer both told us that the baby is growing well and that everything looked great. They even threw in the word "perfect" a few times, which is great for the egos of these parents-to-be! :-) Seriously though, we are so thankful for the baby's health and that all of the his/her parts are in order and we just pray that everything continues to progress accordingly during the remaining 20 weeks. In 2D, it was very evident that the baby still has a lot of fat to gain; the images made him/her look like a little skeleton! A cute skeleton, but a skeleton nonetheless!

The 4D imaging was a different story entirely! We got to see very detailed images of the baby wiggling around in real time! The printouts we got are basically stills of a very cool video, but they do no justice to what Jeremiah and I actually saw on the monitor. The image to the left is probably the clearest of the bunch. Although s/he looks to be resting in that shot, s/he actually appeared to be waving, saluting and smiling through much of the 4D ultrasound. In one waving shot, it is absolutely amazing at how defined all five fingers are! Jeremiah and I were just in awe as we examined the pictures, trying to determine whose nose that is! (I still say it's his. What do you think?) At one point, the sonographer almost let me in on the baby's little secret (his/her gender), but she has quick reflexes and was able to cut away before I recognized anything! (By the way, Jeremiah knows but is going to try to keep it quiet. Please don't try to squeeze it out of him! I'm sticking to my guns on this surprise.)

Another cool aspect of the ultrasound was being able to check out a pair of seemingly muscular baby legs! I now know why I usually feel little kicks in my lower abdomen -- the baby was floating straight up and down, with his/her head up above my navel, legs stretched out and his/her little (actually they seem quite large) feet dangling and kicking about 10 inches lower! All of this time I've been looking at the stats that give the baby's length from head to rump; I never realized how long the baby is from head to toe! It certainly explains why I am getting so round!

Week 20 Developments

I usually take these stats straight from babyfit.com, but this week I have my own from yesterday's ultrasound! The "fun facts" are still babyfit's.

Baby's Age: 18 weeks
Baby's Size (head to foot): 10 inches
Baby's Weight: 12 ounces
Other fun facts: The baby's eyebrows are now forming. The baby is sleeping and waking much like a newborn at this time. Permanent hair is now growing on the scalp, but even this hair will fall out the second week after birth and will be replaced by thicker hair. To aid in muscle development, the amniotic fluid is supporting the baby's movements. The baby is quite the little gymnast and is getting busy with twists, turns and forward summersaults!

The picture to the right is not as clear as the others (the baby was pretty wiggly), but I just love how the baby seems to be flashing a big smile. Also, s/he seems to really favor that right hand; it got in the way a few times while the tech was trying to look at his/her face. We may have a thumbsucker on our hands, folks!

Going bananas

I must start out with big congratulations to my yoga/water fitness classmate Catrina and her husband, Mark, who welcomed their new baby girl, Sophia, into the world on Wednesday! It's baby mania this month as another classmate is due this coming Wednesday. It is so exciting!

Thankfully, we still have quite a way to go (I'm still kind of afraid of labor and delivery)! On Saturday, we hit the halfway point -- week 20 -- then we have our big, diagnostic ultrasound on Wednesday. I can't wait to see this baby again! This is the ultrasound where many couples learn the gender of their baby, but I'm hoping our little one will be modest because I really want to be surprised when s/he is born. I've heard that we won't be able to tell without the tech telling us anyway. Here's hoping!

I'm kind of short on words this week, but I always like to include the weekly developments. I'll be sure to update after the ultrasound next week. I hope we'll have some great pictures to share!

Week 19 Developments

Baby's Age: 17 weeks
Baby's Size (head to rump): 5.25 to 6 inches
Baby's Weight: About 7 oz
Other fun facts: This week, the baby begins taking on more fat, which is very important for its ability to create and maintain heat and for metabolism. The baby's ears now stand out from the head. This week a temporary hair called lanugo will appear on the baby's body and head but disappear by birth. No one is sure of the purpose of this hair. Right now the baby is about the size of a small banana.

Comforting reminders

Last Tuesday, Jeremiah and I heard the most reassuring sound at the doctor's office: The sound of a herd of tiny horses galloping in my belly. That's what it sounded like anyway! It was actually the baby's heartbeat at a racing (and perfectly normal) 156 beats per minute! I want to get one of those little fetal Dopplers so we can hear the baby's heartbeat all of the time, but they're like a meeeelion dollars! That's at least a year's worth of disposable diapers, right?

In lieu of being able to hear the baby's pulse for now (I think there are affordable heart monitors for later in the pregnancy), this kid has decided to start kicking and squirming forcefully enough that I can now feel it! How's that for a constant and comforting reminder?! Usually while I'm eating -- or shortly thereafter -- the baby seems to be most rambunctious. Last week we had salsa meatloaf, and the baby seemed to especially like (or maybe hate!) the extra zing of the mild peppers and spices. It's so exciting and cute! I fear it won't be so adorable when I get that first swift kick in the bladder or ribs, but I'm holding out for the big payoff so I'll deal! :-)

Week 18 developments*:

Baby's age: 16 weeks
Baby's size (head to rump): About 5 to 5.5 inches
Baby's weight: Approximately 5.5 ounces
Other fun facts: Pads are forming on the baby's fingers and toes that will develop into characteristics of fingerprints and footprints. Fine hair is growing and covering the baby's head and body. The baby's legs are now longer than the arms.
Right now the baby is about the size of a can of soda.

*Thanks to babyfit.com for the stats.

It's like butta baby

During these first months of pregnancy, I've really tried to stay level-headed when it comes to the term "eating for two." In my brain I know that it doesn't really mean to double your food intake, but rather just add a few extra calories. The intelligent part of me knows to make sure that I make every calorie count by ensuring I have enough of the right nutrients.

I'm frightened by the horror stories of women gaining 65, 70 or even 80 lbs during pregnancy. I'm sure it's possible for me too, but I just can't imagine where 80 extra pounds will go on my less-than-5-foot frame. Not to mention how difficult it will be to shed once the baby is here.

So I try to keep all of these rational thoughts in my head - I keep up with my yoga & water fitness, apples & water. But then there's the Food Network. Rachel Ray with her easy mac & cheese with chicken and broccoli, the mysteriously skinny Giada De Laurentiis with her savory Italian delights and Ina Garten with her "good" cream and fresh-picked herbs. Ahhh...they all make me feel like I, too, can be an accomplished chef. But the one who gets me in the most trouble is Paula Deen. Oh my gosh, I want to live in her kitchen!

Last week the Southern chef layered chunks of devil's food cake, chocolate pudding, whipped cream and pecans. That usually would be too much chocolate for me, but I was strangely drawn to her decadent parfait. I find myself almost drooling as she dumps stick after stick of butter into her potpie filling, honey glazed fried chicken and fudge cake. It seems as if someone let her in on a little secret that real butter was the latest craze in healthy eating.

Healthy or not, I have to agree with Ms. Deen. There are just some foods where margarine or Shedd's Spread just won't cut it. Think about it. It's autumn. That means sweet potato pie, pecan pie, real cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes - all of which require the richness of real butter. And what better way to brown the Thanksgiving turkey? Olive oil? I think not! And I know when I get ready to make apple pie the way my dad showed me, I won't be reaching for the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Give me the good stuff!

Somehow the sane part of me has managed to stay in control as I've resisted the urge to make any of Paula Deen's (or any other butter-rich) recipes so far. But it is fall. With my ever-increasing appetite (Thanks Baby), I just don't know how I'm going to make it through this season.

On that note, I thought I could solicit some hearty autumn recipes. I'm looking for main dishes, sides, desserts, you name it! Bonus points for health-conscious dishes, but in the spirit of butter, anything goes! The comment space should be more than ample room for ingredients and instructions. Come on, I know there are some great chefs out there among us (You know who you are!). I can't wait to read what you've got!

Week 17 developments

Baby's Age: 15 weeks
Baby's Size (head to rump): About 4.5 to 4.75 inches
Weight: Approximately 3.5 ounces
Other fun facts: The baby's bones are hardening. If you were to take an x-ray, the skeleton would be visible. And by this week, the baby may suck its thumb.
Right now the baby is about the size of a stick of butter.