21 and 22 Weeks

I'm worried that this baby is never going to sleep. He seems to be constantly moving, just like his dad who can never sit still without shaking his leg or tapping his foot. I have a feeling he is going to be just like Adam. I've noticed this past weekend that my belly has really popped out and my belly button, while still a definite inny, has become shallower. My pregnant friend, Mel, and I are up to 60 lengths in the pool and feeling great. It's a good thing I have someone to motivate me because lately I've been addicted to our baby registry! I can't stop... I think I might need help. Everything is so cute and I want it all..and of course it's ALL necessary ;-) I'm so excited for the baby shower coming up next weekend. It's a joint shower for myself and three other pregnant friends. Grenada seems to be the place to conceive! In other news, we submitted our hospital choices for next year and we're crossing our fingers we'll get placed in Bakersfield- hmmm never thought I'd say that! But, it's the closest hospital to home and I want our son to get to see his granparents, aunts, uncles and cousins often. So, please think positive thoughts for us!

Here's how baby is doing at 22 weeks:
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, our baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Inside/outside view at 20 weeks

20 Week Baby Update

Since we're at the halfway mark now (yay!) I thought I should give an update on how the baby is growing and what he's up to: Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion.

20 weeks and the results please....

Well.... IT'S A BOY!!!! We think...

The 20 week ultrasound was pretty incredible. Although he wasn't in the best position for viewing boy/girl parts - he was face down, spine up with legs crossed - the doctor, as well as Adam and I, could see something between the legs. His head and femur measured at 19 1/2 weeks and everything looks healthy and normal. The doctor was really patient waiting for the baby to move, but the little guy must have been pretty comfortable because he stayed in the same position. We could see his little feet, his arms moving up to his face and his mouth opened several times too. We only got the one picture of his face, which frighteningly resembles Edvard Munch's The Scream painting! Although I've always thought the man in the painting was quite handsome.

We will most likely get another ultrasound for confirmation, but we are still so excited!

19 Weeks

The 19th week has been one of the coolest yet. Not only was it my birthday, but the baby has been moving like crazy, morning, noon and night. And, to top that we even managed to hear the heartbeat with Adam's stethoscope! I lay down after lunch to try and hear the baby's movements and to my surprise I heard a rapid little beat. Adam was able to listen as well and he counted 148 beats per minute, perfect! It was truly amazing.
My Birthday was wonderful as well. Pancakes and bacon in the morning, lunch on the beach with friends and pizza and a movie on the night (not to mention the plethora of desserts I received!).

The baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato... mmmm my favorite! The hair on her scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: our baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear our voices now, so Adam has been singing to him/her.

18 Weeks

I'm feeling great (knock on wood)... pregnancy is easy! I'm just amazed out how fast I'm growing out of my clothes, thank goodness for the belly band! We felt the first two little kicks on Adam's birthday which was pretty amazing. It felt like a sort of poke/thump. It only happened once and so we're anxiously awaiting more frequent movements.

Head to rump, our baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs. Blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If we're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If we're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now,Hopefully he/she is not hiding them from us during our ultrasound next week!

Adam relaxing at the beach
La Sagese Beach
Happy from a perfect day!

Adam's 30th Bday

Adam turned the big 3-0 this week! Despite the fact that it was exam week for him we had a really nice day. I made him bacon sandwiches in the morning and in the evening I cooked him a great big English style meal with yorkshire puddings and gravy included. And, what better gift than feeling the baby kick for the first time! Guess he/she wanted to say happy birthday as well :-)
Once exams were over we were able to really enjoy the birthday celebrations. We rented a car for the weekend and got to experience the island from a tourist's point view. We went shopping in St. George's in the morning and then headed to our favorite beach on the east side of the island, La Sagese Beach. It was such a peaceful afternoon and the weather was gorgeous. We ended the day with a fabulous meal at La Luna restaurant- an exclusive resort on the beach. Here we are about to eat our tiramisu....well, Adam had one bite and I ate the rest! It was a perfect day.. (scroll to the bottom of the blog page to see a slideshow of the bday week).