Happily Uncomfortable

I've been joking to Zach the last few days that the baby has somehow found a dull razor blade and has been carving BABY P WUZ HERE into my uterus. I have all sorts of random twangs and pains and aches, that although I've read are completely normal and it helps to calm my fear about anything being wrong with the baby, are slightly annoying. I'm starting to think I'm feeling the baby move around, but I can't be sure yet. My back is starting to ache and moving around is becoming a bit more of a task.

The baby is the size of an avocado I am told, but I am feeling like the Princess and the Pea. This little avocado is becoming uncomfortable, but I am constantly reminded as to how blessed I am to have this experience and I am cherishing every twang, pinch, and pain.

16 Weeks

From BabyCenter:

How your baby's growing:
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 locks 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.

Baby P's Heartbeat

I bought a fetal doppler a few weeks ago but only recently have I been able to hear the baby's heartbeat and distinguish it from my own. Today I decided to actually record it for everyone to listen to. The cool thing about the recording is that in the background, you will hear a second, slower heartbeat. That is mine. Melts your heart, doesn't it?

Fatigue? Again?

The fatigue has returned again this past weekend. No matter what, I can hardly keep my eyes open. It's annoying, since it was gone for about 3 weeks. Here's hoping it doesn't stay long!

I've forced myself to start working out again, hoping that this will help kick the fatigue. I went to the gym on Saturday and did 1.5 miles on the treadmill, then some lunges and wall squats. Today I did Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred (Jillian Michaels) without the abs, and then about 10 minutes of prenatal yoga from Netflix to cool down. I wish I could say it gave me energy. However, I am determined to keep it up.

I'm really hoping to be able to eat a more balanced and nutritious diet soon. I am still stuck eating only certain things, and actually get nauseous having to think about eating anything else. I need to find a way to get veggies into my diet again, and will need to start making protein shakes with fruit in them in order to get some fruit servings. I also have found I can go hours and hours without even thinking about food and have to almost force myself to eat. Today I realized at 4 pm that I hadn't eaten since 8 am for example. I'm looking forward to feeling a bit more like myself.

Stuck in that perpetual limbo between doctor's appointments. My belly has popped for sure and I am having trouble sleeping at night since I keep rolling over on my stomach. The pain wakes me up and I have to fall asleep all over again. Other than those minor complaints, I couldn't be happier. My life has become a series of countdowns waiting for this little one!

Playing with the Infant Carrier

Uncle Mike and Aunt Cheri bought the Graco Snugride 35 for Baby Polun to travel around in style. We received the gift a few weeks ago and finally got around to playing with it. Our little 6lb dog, Minnie, is already having trouble with the baby and spends all her time in the baby room. She was very excited to be a model for us as we tried out the infant carrier. We just had to share.





Thank you Mike and Cheri!!

15 Weeks

From Babycenter:
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. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl!

NT Scan Results

Just got a call from my doctor with the results of my NT scan. They started me with a ratio of 1:845 (based on the ultrasound measurements) for down syndrom (trisomy 21), trisomy 18 and trisomy 13. After the bloodwork and the ultrasound, my ratio for each of those abnormalities is:

1 : 10,000

Yay! I'm so happy!!

Nursey Ideas

We've been kicking around nursery ideas off and on for the last few weeks, but I think we're on to something. We aren't going to paint the nursery, so that requires we be a bit more creative with our decorating.

We decided on vinyl wall decals, and I am in love with all things handmade, so that brought us to Etsy. Here are the ideas we have.

Boy: a jungle/monkey theme with this as the centerpiece:


Girl: A cherry blossom tree pink and purple theme with one of these two:



All a work in progress, but feels good to start to have a grip on these things!

14 Weeks

From Babycenter

How your baby's growing:
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Food...and Food Aversions

Now that I am in my second trimester, I've been reading that eating food gets easier and you get less picky. I wish that was the case! For me, it's actually the opposite. I've developed a major food aversion to meat (although I have eaten two hamburgers since I've been pregnant). Just thinking about eating meat for dinner (or any other meal) seriously grosses me out.

I've also found a few foods that I like, and have been eating them CONSTANTLY. Fage 2% greek yogurt with honey has been a staple, as well as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread. My favorite is Grands wheat biscuits which I cut up and add a scrambled egg and half a slice of cheddar cheese. I've been eating that for breakfast with a glass of orange juice and some fruit for breakfast for easily the last 10 days. My go to dinner is an egg omelet with cheese and whole wheat toast. At least I am able to get my protein that I am not getting from meat from all the eggs I am eating. I will also eat tacos and pizza, still proving I am a Jackmin at heart haha.

I went grocery shopping with Zach yesterday and I was totally useless - nothing sounded appetizing! Zach grilled himself a steak, had a salad and a baked potato and I was quite content with an egg and cheese biscuit, a peach, and some orange juice. This baby loves its breakfast food apparently!

Gender Scan

We will be getting an anatomy scan to determine Baby P's gender on Saturday August 14th at noon! I will be about 17 and a half weeks when we go. We are going to an elective ultrasound place called Stork Vision where they will provide us with:

• 15 minute elective ultrasound session
• CD with all of the images
• DVD of entire session
• 5 B&W photos of your baby
• A glimpse of what your baby looks like in 3D/4D!

We couldn't be more excited! The gender will be confirmed by my doctor at my 20 week appointment, which should be the week of or the week after my sister's wedding.

NT Scan and Pictures!

I had my 13 week appointment this morning and I am sitting on cloud 9. First, I've only gained 3 pounds so far during my pregnancy. I am so happy about that!! Had an ultrasound in order to do the NT scan for down syndrom and got to spend some quality time with the munchkin. This was my first tummy ultrasound and the baby popped up right away. Everytime she moved the sensor, the baby moved and kicked its legs. She was able to get a picture of it with its knees pulled up and it is so darn cute!

The NT scan showed a fluid level of 1.5, with anything over 3.0 being a cause for concern. She was also able to see the nasal bridge, which isn't present in babies with down syndrom. She took some blood to send to the lab and I'll have my ratios in about two weeks, but all looked great. All of the genetic testing I had last appointment came back negative, and my iron levels are just fine. The baby has been measuring about 10 days behind, but has almost caught up, and is measuring about 4 days behind my due date. Baby had a heartrate of 164bpm and all looks to be happy and healthy.

I go back on August 11th for Alpha-Feta Protein Testing and some more bloodwork, but no ultrasound. Since my doctor does the gender check at 20 weeks, Zach and I are going to have an elective ultrasound at 17 or 18 weeks to check for gender, which will be confirmed at my 20 week appointment. That will be the third or fourth week in August. As soon as I set that appointment, I will let you know.

Here are the two pictures I have of the munchkin from my exam this morning. The baby's head is to the left with its arms by its side and its knees pulled up. You can see the eyes and nose in the first picture pretty well. The second picture is a repeat of the first, but with body parts identified:

Helloooooooooooo Second Trimester!

So my second trimester has shown up with a bang so far. In fact, I like it so much, I've been attempting to seduce it to stay with all the alcohol that I can't drink. Hopefully it will listen. I have more energy, am sleeping through the night, and my face is starting to clear up.

I went to my first prenatal fitness class yesterday and holy cow am I sore! I learned so much and have a great workout to start to utilize now that I'm not counting down the minutes to my next nap. I can hardly move my legs are so sore, but it feels great to have that feeling again.

I had my hair dyed at the salon yesterday. I had stupidly dyed my hair a light blonde right before I got pregnant, so after 13 weeks it looks pretty bad. My doctor said I could have it dyed professionally after 12 weeks, so I took advantage. I can't believe how dark my original color is, but it is nice to have it fuss free. It'll take some getting used to, but it's better than the two colors I had before!

13 Weeks!

From Babycenter:

How your baby's growing:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Knock On Wood

I am 13 weeks tomorrow, which means HELLO SECOND TRIMESTER! I am hoping for puppy dogs, rainbows, and all the energy of 5 redbulls, but I tend to be overly optimistic. So far today things are going well. I am off of work and actually feel like cooking for the first time since Baby P decided to show up about 3 months ago. I'm making a red velvet cake to bring to a housewarming party and also some stuffed shells. Yum!

I'm going to a prenatal fitness class tomorrow to see what I'm supposed to be able to do now that I am supposed to be getting some energy back. Hoping to meet a few ladies too. I might continue the 8 week series, but I'm going to the first class just to test it out.

Very happily got a hair cut today as well. Amazing what a few inches off does for your day :) Counting down the hours until our next appointment on Tuesday. I'm so excited to see what the munchkin looks like!

12 Weeks

From BabyCenter:

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.