Week #14

So that's my belly at 14 weeks.  I wasn't sure if it was noticeable yet, but 2 of my good friends commented on it last night, so I thought I'd start posting a picture every month or so.  This way ~I~ have a record of my growing belly and anyone with a dying need to watch my belly grow can do so.  I'm also hoping to photoshop a little, either with a side-by-side comparison, or something similar so then it's more obvious how much I've grown compared to the last picture.

This week my baby is 8.7 cm (crown to rump) and weighs around 43 g (1.5 oz)!!  I am always amazed at how quickly this thing is growing!  Originally only growing millimeters per week, this kid has gained a centimeter and doubled its weight in 7 days!  (Since I'm a nerd and love Excel, I created a graph on how quickly its growing.  View it here.)  With that size, that puts the kid about the size of my fist!  (And for whatever reason, Blogger won't let me upload that picture.  Technology failure trumps all.  Again.)

The ears are now in their proper position, but the eyes are still travelling.  And all I can picture are halibut with their goofy eyes.  A juvenile halibut has eyes on either side of its head, like a normal fish, but as it matures, its eyes move to the same side as the body flattens.

The baby's hands are still developing, with the baby starting to learn how to use them, and its mouth is in various stages of development.  The roof of the mouth is finished, and sucking muscles are developing.  The salivary glands will not only be completed this week, but they will also be functional!  Sucking, swallowing and breathing motions will also be present at the end of the week, now that the esophagus, larynx are present.

Fun fact: hemorrhoids often plague pregnant women and usually get worse later in the pregnancy.  Just one more symptom to make this a joyous time.  One cause of hemorrhoids is constipation, so eating properly, exercising and drinking tons of water will help keep a body regular and hemorrhoid-free.

How am I feeling?  This week I've been feeling really, really good.  Like, back-to-my-old-self good.  And I'm loving it.

Any weird food cravings?  I bought some strawberries the other day, and they're like the best thing ever right now.  And, unfortunately, it seems like my love of cheese has come to an end.  At least on its own.  I've already switched from medium to mild cheddar and it seems like even eating mild is too much.  If I eat it on something or in something it's ok, but just a slice of cheese?  Yuck.

Mood swings?  I had a bad bout of them last weekend, but for the most part I'm ok.  I still get teary over something sweet and I think I'm more likely to be offended than before, but (so far) I'm not a raging psychotic.

Any baby purchases?  Only for the nursery!

What about the nursery?  I bought the 9 cubicle shelving unit that I mentioned last week (and there's a picture on that post too) and even bought the 4 fabric drawers in brown and turquoise that is pictured.  We've narrowed down the colours that we want for the nursery, but still haven't completely decided yet.

And that's it for this week!

Week #13

Wow, this kid is growing insanely fast!  This week it gained 2 cm in length to total 7.4 cm and nearly doubled its weight (again!) to 23 grams (nearly 1 ounce).  Now the baby is the size of a peach.

At this stage the baby's head is still roughly half its body length, but should start slowing its growth so that by the 21st week its head should only be 1/3 the total length.  Good news!  My baby's face is starting to look human!  The eyes are moving closer together and the ears are moving to their proper place on the side of the head.  If needed, it would be possible to determine its sex by now and its intestines are finally in the body - instead of the umbilical cord.  And my baby will start to urinate inside the womb. Yay? 

At this point the website goes on to say that I need bigger clothes but I'm actually still wearing my normal ones - even my jeans.  The belt, to be honest, is uncomfortable when I sit, but since I want my pants to stay up I still wear it.  Stretch marks: the physical evidence of a growing body and the bane of every woman's existence.  There is no "cure" for stretch marks and you really can't prevent them, unless you've got amazing genetics.  Creams, lotions and oils don't actually help, but if it makes you feel better to use them, by all means go ahead!  It has been mentioned that these things help alleviate itchiness, so there is a perk to their useage.  But, aside from slowly gaining the weight, stretch marks are inevitable.  And we'll see if I'm still objective about this after I get some.  Another thing to watch for are bladder infections, which are common during pregnancy.  Due to the growing baby inside, it is best to talk to a doctor about it rather than treating yourself with over the counter medication.  I've mentioned in the past that my boobs are huge now (for me).  Pre-pregnancy, the average breast weighs 7 oz and during can weigh between 14-28 oz.  That means they can double, or triple, in weight! 

Since excessive caffeine during pregnancy has been associated with low birth weight and smaller head sizes in babies, doctors have come up with the magical number of 200 mg maximum daily intake. Broken down, it looks like this:

• Coffee, 5 oz = 60-140 mg
• Tea, 5 oz = 30-65 mg
• Baking chocolate, 1 oz = 25 mg
• Chocolate candy, 1 oz = 6 mg
• Pop, 12 oz = 35-55 mg
• Pain relief tablets, standard dose = 40 mg
• Allergy and cold remedies, standard dose = 25 mg

Unfortunately, there is such high variability that it doesn't tell you what is in the low end (decaf?) and the high end (medium roast?).  Luckily for me, and my baby, I don't drink coffee and even pop rarely appears in my diet (now).  Chocolate, on the other hand, does, so it's just as well that I don't drink pop often, otherwise that would cut into my chocolate intake.

How am I feeling?  Lately I've been alternating between not being able to sleep at night and exhaustion.  I've been having more headaches this past week than I did in the past, plus heartburn has been making itself comfortable.  I'm technically feeling better because nausea isn't as big of an issue, but I'm still not feeling like myself.

Any weird food cravings?  This isn't really weird, but I've been eating a lot of peanut butter this week.  I've also been all about the sandwiches, but that could be because they're easy to make and don't require cooking.

Mood swings?  YES.  Even after I wrote the last blog, my first major mood swing hit.  I was reading a book, which was quite funny, so I was laughing really hard, like tears were rolling down my cheeks, and then it switched to sobbing.  I've been finding this odd and annoying.  Even my laughing isn't restrained!  I'm almost laughing TOO hard for what the situation warrants!  And it makes my belly hurt.

Any baby purchases?  I went to Zellers the other day and they had some value pack stuff on for $10!  So I got a 10 pack of bibs, 6 pack of receiving blankets and 30 pack of wash cloths.  Plus my mom came up yesterday and brought me some stuff for the baby: socks, onesies, sleepers, and diapers.  And then we went to the mall and she told me to pick out 2 outfits: 1 for a girl and 1 for a boy and she did the same.  I have the receipt so when I find out the baby's sex I can return the ones for the wrong sex. 

What about the nursery?  I have a vision of what I want the nursery to look like, colour-wise.  I want the walls teal, white furniture and jewel-toned bedding/decorations/etc.  I mentioned this to my mom and I think she's offered to make the bedding since I want just solid colours: emerald green, navy blue, dark brown, even white.  For a boy, more tones in blues, but for a girl, plum purple and rich pinks.  I dunno if that'll happen since you can't actually buy that stuff for babies, but for now that's my vision. 

I also plan on using the above cubicle system for the baby's clothing until they're older, at which point they'll get a real dresser and use the cubicle for toys.  The fabric drawers come in a variety of colours and I'm planning (hoping?) to get a white organizer.

Whew!  Long post!

Oh!  One last thing: my husband's coworker's wife has offered me the use of the clothes that she and her sister-in-law collected while pregnant!  How cool is that?  I've only ever met the guy once and have never met his wife, so I find this generosity to be a little overwhelming!

Cristina's Book Blog: The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy

Cristina's Book Blog: The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy: "It's been a while since I've blogged about a book and I feel a little guilty. One, it isn't like I have stopped reading - quite the opposit..."

Week #12

12 weeks down, 28 to go! 

This is the time that most women finally come out of the pregnancy closet and annouce to everyone that they're expecting.  Having kept this a secret for several weeks now, it feels funny to just email someone up and say, "by the way, I'm 12 weeks pregnant"; but to leave most friends and family in the dark is not very nice either.  Sure, they could hear from other friends, but maybe the other friends assume that they knew too or they don't have someone to tell them.  So, I'm going to post this blog link on my Facebook profile. 

Now on to the baby!

The baby is now 5.4 cm and 14 grams (nearly 1/2 an ounce).  I was lucky enough to hear the heart rate yesterday (with a doppler - the recording is on the previous post), but if the baby is sitting funny - e.g. placenta lying across its tummy - it won't be possible.  The baby's skeleton is hardening into bone now, with the fingers and toes separating and growing nails.  Hair is even starting to grow on the body.  The digestive system is developing nicely and the baby's pituitary gland has started producing hormones.  By the end of this week, my uterus will be too big for my pelvis and I should be able to feel it above my pubic bone (AKA pubic symphysis).  I'm really hoping this will be the end of morning sickness; 6 weeks was enough, thank you very much.  A pigment change that I may or may not experience is the linea nigra, which is a dark line from the navel downwards.

How am I feeling?  Today?  Pretty good.  Yesterday I had the worst case of morning sickness that I've ever had and I just felt gross all day.  I find that when I'm moving around, I get really warm and my face will even turn red - and it's especially bad when I dance.  I felt super lazy all week so I only went to one class out of 4 (bad!) so I'm hoping next week I'll be more motivated to go.

Any weird food cravings?  No, I'm really hoping that I never get any weird ones either.  Since we're creeping up on Halloween, I've been having sugar cravings, but I'm almost thinking my morning sickness yesterday was caused by eating too much sugar the night before.  Lesson learned.

Mood swings?  Nope.

Any body changes?  My belly is bigger.  I'm thinking of buying a tape measure just to mark on the tape how big I was and where in the pregnancy I was at the time.  Then that way when I look back, I can see how huge I actually was!

Any baby purchases?  We bought a couple small items (a bib and wash cloths) the other day but since we don't know the sex yet it makes it difficult to really buy anything.  Most items are more obviously masculine or feminine with the unisex stuff looking kind of boring in comparison.

What about the nursery?  I went and bought some reflective stars the other day, which I think will look really cute in there, but again, without knowing the sex it makes it difficult to decorate.  Not that anything has been moved or anything.

Next Doctor's Appointment: November 4
Ultrasound Appointment: November 30

Doctor Appointment #4 & Fetal Heart Rate #1

I heard the heart beat today. *loves!*  According to Dr. Fredeen, the average speed was 155 beats per minute and he even said that he could hear the baby moving around.   Also, according to this website, I'm having a girl based on the heart rate!  LOL!  Anyone want to change their guesses for the baby pool?  ;)  I'm getting my 18 week ultrasound done on November 30 (which would actually put me at nearly 20 weeks. /lame) but we've requested gender identification.  Actually, having it done a little later might mean that it'll be easier to tell - unless the kid squirms a lot, lol.

I nearly had to do another round of blood testing, since the lab didn't send the clinic my results.  I would have been really upset if I had to go back, considering how much it hurt last time.  Luckily, the receptionist was able to find it all.  The results of the blood work were that everything was normal; I'm HIV negative (no real doubt, but it's always nice to know for sure!) and I'm producing tons of rubella antigens, which is good since I was vaccinated against them when I was younger.

(Oh, and PS - I asked the Dr how fast the heart rate is, but it was very faint in the video, so that's what the 155 is when he answers).

All around, excellent day, except for the horrible bout of morning sickness this morning. :(

Week #11

I'm sooo excited!  If I'm lucky, first trimester annoyances (fatigue, morning sickness - all that fun stuff) should go away around the 12th week.  If I'm not lucky...well, we'll just hope for the best.

By the end of this week, baby will be 4.1 cm in length and weigh 7 grams!  And the baby will be around the size of a large lime.  Ho-lee.  I did not think it was that big already!  Explains the bulge though....

Over the next 3 weeks, the baby will double in length and its external genitalia will become distinguishable.  This week the iris will develop and over the next couple days the eyelids will meet and fuse closed (which is only temporary).  My baby now has a head that is half its length - so...2ish cm? - and its brain is the same structure that it will have at birth.  The reflexes are developing and apparently if its face is touched, it will open its mouth.  Honestly? That sounds adorable!  Some nearly completed organs include the pancreas, gall bladder and thyroid, with the small intestines moving from the stomach into the umbilical cord.  This week carbs are my friend!  Which is good since that's what I've been eating: bagels, bread and pasta.

How am I feeling?  Actually, pretty good!  I still get tired during the day and still feel a little nauseous at night, but for the most part, this is the best I've felt in a long time.  It could also be due to the fact that I'm not working and can therefore gets heaps of sleep.

Any weird food cravings?  No, still the usual stuff.  I've found that staying at home has really limited the cravings since I can't smell anything cooking.  Case in point: last night I went for a walk with a friend and I smelled jam (she could too - it wasn't just me!) and I wanted a scone with jam on it.  So I'm really thinking that smell plays a huge role in the cravings of a pregnant woman.  Another culprit?  The imagination. 

Mood swings? Nope!  Like I said, I've been feeling really good lately, so if anything I've been a little bored, but my cats keep me occupied.  I swear they're training me to be a mom already....

Any body changes? Bigger belly!  Last week I just thought it was bigger and this week I know that it is.  Under clothes it could look like just fat, but when I look at my stomach I know that its my baby who caused it.  And seriously?  If the kid is the size of a lime its no wonder!  It's funny though, I always assumed that women didn't start showing until later in their pregnancy - but it must just be that they don't start looking pregnant until later.  Before then it just looks like a big tummy. :-S

Any baby purchases?  I've already mentioned the stroller, but shortly after I found out I was pregnant, I went and bought some receiving blankets - it's my understanding that I'll need them in abundance so gradually buying them isn't such a hardship.  My mom has also given me a soft yellow-green blanket as well.  And the other day my mom called and said that Extra Foods was having a huge sale on diapers, so she bought me some!  I hadn't even started to think about diapers yet!  I'm starting to think that I'll get a huge shipment of clothes, diapers and blankets when this kid is born, lol!

What about the nursery? Our nursery will be where our office is, for those of you who know our house.  Before I even became pregnant, we installed new windows and Kevin had bought new blinds and drapes for the room.  Well, he bought them for our room too, but bought extra for the nursery.  We (I) plan on painting it teal with fantasy-themed decor.  I want the silhouette of a castle on the wall, with maybe some figurines or decals to match.  I found some fantastic patterns the other day for cross-stitch, but since they're so time-consuming, I hope it'll get done before the baby makes an appearance.  "Or turns 18." <--- So says Kim.  As of yet, we haven't bought paint and haven't moved anything around, but I still have 29 weeks to go.  That's plenty of time...right?

Oh!  Next Dr's appointment is on the 7th and we'll get to hear the heartbeat!  I'm hoping that I'll remember to bring a camera or use my phone to capture the moment and if possible, I'm going to upload it on here.  :)