27 Weeks

This is my last week being in my 2nd trimester and I'm still feeling great!  Three more months until my due date!  I've only had a day or two of mild heartburn, a day here and there where I had a really achy stomach and sore back, but for the most part, I can't complain!  I've started taking the dog out for walks again on a regular basis.  Soon, I hope to start walking again with my mom.  Walking is the only exercise I get nowadays.

My mom and I made a trip this past Sunday down to the Buy Buy Baby store, which is in Bethesda.  And, can I say, I fell in love!!!  The store is pretty big and the customer service is exceptional!!  I had a personal consultant walk around the store with us and everyone was so friendly and helpful.  They all seemed very knowledgeable too.  They had a much wider selection I felt on a lot of their items than what Babies R Us carries and I didn't think I would end up registering there, but once there, I couldn't resist.  And I realized they had stuff that Babies R Us didn't have that I wanted.  What I really like also is that you can use your Bed Bath and Beyond coupons at the store too!  They also take competitors coupons I believe too as long as the same product is available at both stores.  I told my mom, that we'll have to make some trips down there when the baby comes!

Tuesday night, I picked Briana up and took her out to dinner at Sascha's in Baltimore for her upcoming birthday!  It was so nice having one on one time with her.  The food was great.  Afterward, we went back to her place to have "birthday cake".  Well, not exactly.  I ordered the Birthday Cake Remix icecream from Coldstone along with another cake batter ice cream and cookie dough...they were sooo good!  We were good though and saved some for later.  I know, I broke my lenten promise, but it was for a very special person and a very special occassion!

I had my 5th prenatal appointment today.  This was the "big appointment" where they check for Gestational Diabetes.  I had to drink a bottle of a fizzy orange drink.  I didn't think it was bad at all.  It sorta reminded me of a Sunkist going flat.  I drank that within a few minutes.  My blood pressure read 107/71 and as far as my weight goes, I was up 3 pounds since my last appointment 4 weeks ago.  My total weight gain so far this pregnancy has been 21 pounds.  I saw my OB for the first time this pregnancy.  Typically, I've been seeing the nurse.  The doctor measured my fundal height (length from the top of my pubic bone to the top of my uterus) which is the first appointment they have done this.  It measured about 26 centimeters which the doctor said is right on track.  The ultrasound from earlier this month checked out great and they can eliminate any cardio problems at 80-85%.  After I saw the doctor, I had to finish waiting until a full hour went by from the time I drank the orange drink and then they took my blood which will be tested for the gestational diabetes and also my TSH levels for my thyroid.  I should have my results back sometime next week.  My next appointment is in three weeks.

Yesterday was a busy day, hence why my blog post is a day late.  I had my hair done, attended Drew's 2nd birthday, and then went up to Frederick for my niece's baptism.
This week, our baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with legs extended. He/she's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing the eyes, and perhaps even sucking on those tiny little fingers. With more brain tissue developing, our baby's brain is very active now. While the lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he/she were to be born now. Any rythmetic sensation I may be feeling, may be the baby having hiccups, which is common. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother the baby.
Below are a few pictures of me at 27 weeks, including pictures of Briana and I (26 1/2 weeks) and a picture of me when I returned home from Ava's baptismal celebration.  I wish I had a picture of Craig dressed up because he looked so good that night!  He was dressed in lenten colors which is one of my favorite colors - Purple!

27 Weeks

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26 Weeks

Less than 100 days to go!  We are about 2/3 of the way there!  This may be the week our baby opens their eyes for the first time since the first trimester, which is when their eyelids aren't fully developed yet.  The eyes remained closed until about this time.  Also, if we had to unfortunately go into premature labor, our baby has a good chance at surviving even though it will require a lot of medical intervention since its lungs are not yet prepared for the outside world yet. 

We once again dog sat Saber, our friend Jo and Tim's dog.  This time, it was for 10 days.  I can't believe he gets picked up within the next day or so.  Time flies when Saber's here!  I was roommates with Jo back in 2003 when she brought Saber home for the first time as a puppy.  Raised by two females, this dog is the most LOVEABLE, CUDDLY dog!!!  I love when we have him stay with us, because then Bailey has a playmate and when Bailey lays with Craig on the couch, I have a dog of my own to just wrap over my tummy to keep me warm and cozy.  He's such a wonderful dog!  And the cat no longer hides from him.  The cat used to stay in our sink for 3 days and we would have to bring his food to the sink.  He now actually teases Saber and tries to corner him until Saber barks for one of us to rescue him or the cat tries to get in Saber's way so he can't come back inside from being outside when I open the door.  Mean cat!  But Saber doesn't pay him much mind and the cat doesn't ever try to hurt him.  Saber acts how Bailey the dog used to act with Bailey the cat when they first started living together.  A matter of time, and I think Saber will own up and show the cat who really is the boss!

Briana and her boyfriend Buddy came over for dinner Tuesday night.  I was complimented by the empty plates everyone had.  We had Mango Curried Pork Chops with Arkansas Beans, and my homemade mashed potatoes.  I was quite impressed myself with how everything turned out.  It was a great time seeing them and Craig really enjoyed Buddy's Political Intellect; they could go on for hours!  I'm so happy my best friend has found someone that truly makes her happy.  But it is sad to realize that she may soon move away.

Our home improvements have been completed and we should get our refrigerator today.  We had a ceiling fan installed in the nursery, had new tile floor installed in the soon-to-be baby's bathroom which we then needed a plumber to come in and raise the flang for the toilet and extend the piping in the sink since the tile floor made the bathroom floor slightly raised.  We also had recessed lighting installed in our kitchen (what a difference the lighting makes!!!), had a water line installed for the ice maker, and then had the cabinets above our refrigerator raised so we can fit a larger refrigerator there which we are to have delivered today.  My mom keeps stealing our contractors too.  She now wants them to paint for her as well as refinish their banister.  We were really happy with Troy and Eric.  They were extremely friendly and easy to work with.  If anyone needs someone for bathroom, kitchen, or basement remodeling, they are the ones to hire!  And they are friends with the plumber we used too which has been our plumber for the past two years now as well (that's who referred us to these contractors).

Since our kitchen was "occupied" for most of the day/evening, Craig and I, along with Craig's friend Mark, all went to Greene Turtle by Arundel Mills to have dinner and watch some basketball.  I like the personal TVs each table had!!

Craig is enjoying his time off of work.  He took off of work Thursday to play golf and enjoy the nice weather getting stuff done outside.  Then he went golfing again yesterday with Mark, and Sunday he will be golfing with his friend Neil.  He loves his golf GPS that I got him for Christmas and he's been matching his best game scores.  Since this is the first time he's been out this season, and the first times he's used the device, he may be shooting in the 70's by the end of the season!  His best score yet has been an 86 which he shot yesterday while playing with Mark.

The network of nerves in our baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He/she may now be able to hear both my voice and Craig's voice as we chat with each other.  I started reading Goodnight Moon to the baby (the only baby book I think we have in the house right now).  The baby is inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of their lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when they are born and takes their first gulp of air. The baby is continuing to put on baby fat. The baby now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If we're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Below is a picture of me at 26 weeks.

26 Weeks

25 Weeks

There are 15 weeks left, which is equivalent to 3 1/2 more months, before we are expected to meet Baby Long.  Can you believe how far we've made it?  It sure is hard for me to believe.

On Thursday, I went to lunch with my brother Chris and my friend, Mel.  Other than the lunch, it's been a pretty uneventful week, which I can't really complain about.  I need to cherish weeks like this, since soon, all of our days will be eventful.

Next week, we are putting some of our tax refund toward some home improvements.  We are getting a larger refrigerator which requires the contractor to change out part of our cabinets in order to allow the new fridge to fit.  A growing family requires a larger refrigerator!  2nd we plan on putting tile in the bathroom that will be the baby's bathroom.  3rd, we are having a ceiling fan with a light fixture installed in the nursery, and 4th, we are changing out our kitchen light and having recess lightting installed as well as a pendant light installed above the sink.  I can't wait to see the results!  We have done so much to this house and are so proud to see all we've done in the last 2 years of living here.  I just wish we took a lot of before pictures when we first moved in!

Head to heels, our baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. The weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he/she is beginning to exchange the long, lean look for some baby fat. As the baby does this, the wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he/she will start to look more and more like a newborn. The baby is also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

I can tell when the baby is more in a head down position versus feet down.  I say this because typically I will receive the kicks in either the top of my uterus above my belly button or down on my cervix and bladder.  It's like the baby is doing somersaults in there because he/she changes position throughout the day!

Below are a couple of pictures of me at 25 weeks.

25 Weeks

24 Weeks

Thank goodness the Olympics are over.  I finally get to go to bed at my decent hour.  Craig and I were able to enjoy a movie out Sunday evening (we saw Shutter Island) and then grabbed subs at Potbellies afterward.  I didn't want anything too heavy since it was already 8 at night.  Then we went out to dinner Friday night at Timbuktu.  Originally, we were going to go to the movies after dinner, but decided to buy a movie and watch it at home instead.  We ended up buying the movie 2012.  We figured it was the same price anyway and we get to keep the movie.  I wish date night happened more often.  Hopefully it won't be nonexistent once the little one comes along.  That's what grandparents that live close by are for, right?

I had an ultrasound on Thursday, March 4th in order for the doctors to have a closer look at the baby's heart since one of my brothers was born with Transposition of the Great Vessels.  According to more recent studies, if a sibling has this type of heart defect, it will increase my chance of passing it on to my children, but the chance is still very small.  The doctors are just taking precautions.  Based on the previous U/S, everything was pointing toward a positive outlook, but they wanted a more indepth look and needed to wait until the baby's heart got a little bigger.  Everything checked out great and they do not see any sign of any major heart defect.  The baby was in breech position.  Last time they were head down.  But that doesn't mean anything at this stage anyway.  The baby is on target for growth and they estimated the weight to be 1 pound and 4 oz.  They said it falls in the 39th percentile for growth.  The baby had hiccups too!  You can see the 3-D picture that we were given down below of the baby's face.  The little stinker wouldn't move its hands from its face, but all in all, the picture turned out pretty good.

Craig was finally able to feel the baby kick.  I had his hand on my stomach this past Sunday and told him he will have to do this each night until he feels a kick.  At first he would say he felt it so he can just go to sleep but I knew better.  And shortly thereafter, I felt a huge thump and said "o.k., did you feel that??  That was a really good one!" and sure enough he did.  He said it felt like my belly just bounced...LOL.  After that, I had a hard time falling asleep because the little one would not stop moving around.  But I was enjoying it none the less!  As the doctor says, "an active baby is a healthy baby".  I don't go a day now without feeling some good movements.  And to top off my excitement, I was able to just lay in bed and watch my belly have a party inside!  Seeing it from the outside adds a whole new dimension to this baby miracle thing.  I just love being pregnant!!!  Someone ask me in 3 more months if I'm feeling the same way!!

Some random tidbits - I do find that I have a hard time catching my breath when going up 2 or 3 flights of stairs.  Also, tying my shoes is becoming a chore, so I'm glad I am having a June baby so I can start wearing slip on flats and flip flops soon.  I do notice that there is more of me taking up more space.  For instance when opening a door, I have to step back just slightly more than I'm used to or the door brushes against my stomach.  I lay on my stomach still to play with my cat, but I find I have to have a huge pillow under my chest to balance the bump out.  My back started hurting this past Wednesday; although it's been a lot more tolerable now.  And I cheated on my lenten promise...I had some chocolate chip peanut butter cookie batter when making Craig cookies to bring to work.  But I'm saving my craving to try the cookies on Sunday.  Other than that, I've done really well!

Our baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him/her at just over a pound. Since the baby is almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he/she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but the body is filling out proportionally and will soon start to plump up. The brain is also growing quickly now, and the taste buds are continuing to develop. The lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help the baby's air sacs inflate once he/she hits the outside world. The skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.  My uterus is now the size of a soccer ball!
Below are pictures of both the sonogram from Thursday and me at 24 weeks.

Baby has a face!

24 Weeks