19 Weeks

Wow, how time sure does fly!  I attended my 3rd prenatal appointment this week and checked out like a champ.  Aside from awaiting the blood results to check my thyroid levels (which come back next week sometime), the doctor said I am right on track.  My uterus measured where it was supposed to (a fingertip below the bellow button), my urine came back negative, my weight change from my last appointment four weeks ago was +3 pounds (a total of a 10 pound gain from my prepregnancy weight), and my blood pressure was 107/69 which is lower than the last two visits which is nice.  The baby was moving around so much that the nurse had a hard time following him/her around.  The heartbeat kept going in and out because of all the movement, but she finally was able to grab the heartrate and the baby is ticking away at about 145 bpm.  She said I had a feisty little soccer player in the making!  My next appointment is in four weeks.  Guess what is coming up though later this week?  Our BIG ultrasound!!  We can't wait!!  Tune in to my 20 week blog to find out how that goes!

Our baby weighs in around 8 1/2 ounces (over half a pound now!) and measures about 6 inches, head to butt— about the size of a large heirloom tomato. The arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of the body now. The kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on the scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

The baby's sensory development is exploding! The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he/she may be able to hear our voice now. Pretty cool, isn't it? Maybe we should start reading to the baby. I can't carry a tune, so I'll have to leave the singing to someone else! Any volunteers?

Below is a picture of my belly at 19 weeks!  My cat managed to get in this photo op.  He's playing with my pants' drawstrings!

19 Weeks

18 Weeks

Craig and I took a trip out to Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg, MD to look at furniture with Craig's parents and John.  That place is HUGE!!  After a few hours (yes, a few!), we are set on a Pali crib, a Bolton dresser and a Bolton end table.  The furniture will be white.  I may have a chair picked out, but when we go back in a week, we should have a final decision since that's when we plan on purchasing the furniture for the nursery anyway.  The store says it will take about 10-14 weeks for the furniture to come in, so thankfully we are making a wise decision to buy now instead of waiting.  The colors for the nursery will be green walls and white furniture.  Brown will be an accent color.  Craig plans to paint the nursery probably in the next month or two.  We'll probably pick out the paint color in the next week or two.

Well, Grandma Conlon (or Oma as she might want to be called) found a stroller on Craigslist she liked and we went out today to take a look and the lady was selling the carrier along with it.  It seemed like a great deal and it seemed to be in excellent condition, so Grandma and Grandpa were sold.  I guess this marks the beginning of them really preparing for the newcomer! 

Our baby now measures about 5 1/2 inches and weighs about 7 ounces (that's almost half a pound!).  His/her blood vessels are visible through the thin skin, and the ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from the head a bit.  A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around the nerves, a process that will continue for a year after birth.  If we are having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place.  If we're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now.

I still feel great!  I really have been soaring through this pregnancy practically symptom free.  Let's hope it continues that way in the coming weeks.  I have been feeling the baby more, but it is still very light.  It mostly feels like tiny thumps or knocks.  But it should continue to get much stronger and more consistent in the weeks to come.

Below is a picture of me at 18 weeks.

18 Weeks

17 Weeks

Happy 17 weeks to us! Craig and I went out to dinner last night to DuClaw and he has finally told me I am starting to look pregnant and not just plump :) Haha. I will have to say that I can definitely tell I've popped out in the last week or so. When looking down, I see three boobs, not just two. But then I realize, it's my baby bump! Yes, my stomach has officially outgrown my breasts now! My bras don't fit right and they are so unconfortable. I may have to start wearing just sports bras until I'm ready to start wearing maternity bras. I can get away with certain clothes that can "hide" my pregnancy, but people will think I'm just "thick" in the middle, so why not pass as being pregnant and wear my maternity clothes? With that being said, I have officially changed over into my maternity clothes full time.

Every now and then, I can feel the baby moving, but it's not too often, and it's not at specific times; so it is a hit or miss - or should I say a "kick" or miss? But when I do feel it, it's amazing! I have to justify to Craig why my hands are down my pants all the time while we lay to watch TV!! I simply don't want to pass up an opportunity of feeling the little one squirm. I am growing so fond and attached to this little being that I can't wait to meet him or her!! Of course we don't want an early entrance or anything, but boy is the wait hard! I love the baby so much already!!!

Our baby's skeleton is hardening from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker. The baby weighs about 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she/he is around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She/he can move all of their joints, and the sweat glands are starting to develop.

They say that dreams are more intense during pregnancy and although I've had a couple baby dreams so far, they haven't been good news, so we will share one that Craig has had last week. Yes, his first baby dream; or at least the first he is willing to share!

I gave birth on a street corner and then we were in the hospital trying to deliver my placenta. There were three nurses and of course one had to be hot since it was Craig's dream! We were all waiting for the doctor to come in. The baby apparently was sitting up on a bookshelf! When our family wanted to know the name, we said we haven't named her yet (yes, it was a girl!). But it was between two names (I am not mentioning them here because they are part of our potential name list), but since in the dream I was insisting on naming the middle name something I would never use anyway, I will let you in on that name. Craig said that I insisted on the middle name "You" for some odd reason.

Hey, we can't exactly control our dreams, can we? I just thought it was hilarious that he is having such vivid, intense dreams too! By the way, if anyone wants to use the name "You" as a first or middle name for their baby, it is off our list and up for grabs.

Below is my 17 week old baby bump along with a picture of Craig and I since I haven't posted an updated picture of us together:

17 Weeks

Craig and I at a dinner gathering in Virginia - 16 weeks

Belly Pics

I will be adding my belly pics weekly to their corresponding post.  However, if you would like to see all the belly pictures posted together, simply find the link on the right-hand side labeled "Belly Pictures"

38 Weeks

37 Weeks

36 Weeks

35 Weeks
Missing Photo
34 Weeks

33 Weeks

32 Weeks

31 Weeks

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30 Weeks

29 Weeks

28 Weeks

27 Weeks

26 Weeks

25 Weeks

24 Weeks

23 Weeks

22 Weeks

21 Weeks

20 Weeks

19 Weeks

18 Weeks

17 Weeks

16 Weeks

15 Weeks

14 Weeks

12 Weeks

10 Weeks

8 Weeks

16 Weeks

My baby measures 4 1/2 inches from crown to rump and weighs approxiamately 3 1/2 ounces.  This week, the baby compares to the size of an avacado.  He/she started growing toenails and the patterning of the scalp has begun to develop although the hair is not recognizable yet.  The baby is pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day and will increase as he/she continues to develop.

I visited my brothers down in Tampa, FL for 5 days from Saturday through Wednesday.  The weather was ridiculously cold in Florida.  The average low in Tampa for this time of year is around 55 degrees and we were lucky if we hit 50 as the high for the day.  It dipped as low as about 31 degrees.  But I had a lot of fun regardless.  My brothers could tell I was starting to show, but to strangers, I'm sure it is still not quite obvious yet.

Below is a picture of my 16 week belly pic along with a couple pictures taken in Florida..

16 Weeks

"Uncle Sean" and me

15 Weeks

I am posting one day early since I am going to be out of town early in the morning tomorrow and will not get a chance to post.  Happy New Year!!!

On Wednesday, December 30, I had my routine appointment with my OB.  I was 14 1/2 weeks.  I weighed in 7 pounds more than my starting weight.  My blood pressure went up since last time and read 120/76.  I believe I started this pregnancy at 100/60 and my 1st prenatal visit it was 110/70.  The baby's heartbeat was 155 which dropped from 168 from the last visit.  It is said to be normal for the heartbeat to slow down as the fetus develops.  My uterus measured at the middle of my abdomen between my pubic bone and my belly button.  All went well and I will be seen again in 4 more weeks.  I don't believe I mentioned it yet, but at my first appointment, they drew several blood samples and when my results came back about a week later, they said I need to be seen for hypothyroidism.  I have a very mild case.  But they wanted to start me on synthroid to get the levels back down.  So I'm on Levothyroxine at 75mg a day.  At my 18 1/2 week appointment, they will order more blood work and test my levels and also find out if it was pregnancy induced or not.

EXCITING!!!  When I was getting ready to go to my prenatal appointment on Wednesday, I felt something in the right side of my abdomen.  It was very, very faint, but it felt like a few taps or knocks.  It was only a few and then stopped so I didn't think anything of it.  Perhaps just a rumble in the tummy.  However, Thursday morning I woke up at 5AM and felt the same thing, except this time it was constant and I could feel it with my hand on my stomach.  I guess I can describe it like popcorn popping or small taps on my abdomen.  Later in the morning when Craig got up for work, I felt it AGAIN!  If it was the baby, he/she was going crazy tapping away. 

Our baby measures around 4 inches from head to rump and weighs in around 2 1/2 ounces.  That's one more ounce than last week!  The baby now compares to the size of an apple and my uterus is about the size of a head of cabbage.  The legs are growing longer than the arms now and he/she can move all of their limbs and joints.  Tastebuds are forming, although there is not much for the baby to be tasting right now.  Although the baby's eyes are fused shut and won't open again until about week 26, they are sensitive to light shining directly at the tummy.  If I were to have an ultrasound this week, I could theoretically find out if we are having a boy or a girl, but we won't cheat.  We're keeping it a surprise until the end!

Below is a belly picture taken at 15 weeks:

15 Weeks