The Size of a Carrot

I don't think of a carrot to be very big... but that is what American Baby.com says is the size of my baby at 24 weeks.

The size of a carrot
8.5 inches long
1.25 lbs

Dear Kelly,
Right now, you may be suffering from minor ailments. Whether you're itchy, scratchy, or achy, this time is full of hiccups, burps, and other cramps and interruptions. Keep your eyes on the prize, and remember: these annoying symptoms are signs of a healthy, developing pregnancy.

Your Baby
Your child's organs and tissues are growing, with the biggest gains in muscle and bone mass. Her bones, organs, and blood vessels are visible beneath her thin and transparent skin.

Your Body
Your uterus is the size of a soccer ball. You may have pains down the side of your tummy, or along the sides of your lower abdomen from stretched ligaments. The skin over your abdomen may be stretched and dry and itchy, too. As the uterus presses on major blood vessels, the blood supply to your legs slows down, causing cramps when you stand, sit, or lie down for long periods.

Your Self
Perhaps you thought you would be more productive when you were reproductive. Relax and focus on what you can do. Drop the novel/ masterpiece/coup d'etat you were planning to complete and adjust your expectations accordingly. This is not the time to ignore and press through any discomforts or symptoms. If you need to rest more, then do so.

I am having some discomforts right now. I am now taking laps occasionaly around the office. I get stiff from sitting for so long and I am constantly crossing my legs, not crossing my legs... it is constant all day long. I am figity too.... thinking of a million things at once. Whether about the baby, work, friends, family, supper, who's b-day is next... that kind of stuff. It is always rewarding to come home at the end of a hard day and have my husband give me a hug and kiss and ask how Baby Gus is.... I love that. Sometimes he'll kiss my belly good night... and it just brings a smile to my face.

Next Tuesday is our breast feeding class, and the following 3 Tuesdays after that are our birthing classes. I can't wait... it will make it feel so reall. And if I want to try and go without an epidural... I think these will be important.

Well off to the couch... my vein is hurting... my sister gave me some great stuff that helps alot... today I forgot it so I am hurting.

Good Night!!

7 weeks!!

7 weeks until we go to the wonderful place called Gatlinburg!! I can't wait. It is soo beautiful there and I can't wait to just be able to relax and enjoy time with my husband and family. This year Robin, Chris & the twins are going too. I can't wait for them to be able to experience this... they are going to love it. Especially Robin, it is decorated so neat and I think we all need to be able to relax in this AWESOME cabin. 7 weeks... can't come soon enough!!

Trim Central is Back!

Aaron has surprised me the one day with trim around out kitchen window. It looks so nice!! Very classy and clean! I love it! The Oak looks great next to our Black Cabinets. Ignore my dirty kitchen window... someone likes to spray the window while I am doing dishes and he is watering the yard...

Waiting on Baby Gus!

We have this small night stand size table that we will put in the nursery beside this rocker for feeding, and rocking the baby. I love this rocker that once belonged to Aaron's mom. She gave us this rocker when we moved into the house. It has a nice seat for my big butt!! This side table will hold burp clothes and stuff for all that middle of hte night needs. (Ignore the wood floor, this stuff is sitting in our family room still waiting on carpet. We need to get a weekend that we can go buy remnants... we have been so busy)

Mom got the baby these adorable puppy slippers from Babies R Us the one day and they are in the top drawer of the baby's dresser. They are so cute and everytime I just stand in the nursery and look around, open a drawer I see these little cuties looking at me. I put this tall dresser in the back of hte closet for extra storage. T he nursery isn't the biggest room but perfect for our kids. And we already have a full size spare bed to use when the baby is done with the crib. We have this long dresser that Aaron is going to put pieces of wood to outline where the changing pad will go. And we will use this as our changing table. It will help us save alot of money, and it has tons of storage with all the drawers. Perfect for Baby Gus to use through toddler and up years.

Baby Gus' closet is filling up nicely. I have been buying diapers, wipes and baby wash when grocery shopping. Just a little of something everytime I go will help. I have also been buying the playtex drop in refills for our bottles. I am sure we will not have enough of them. I am going to try and breast feed, but if I do not like it I am for sure going to pump for a little while. I am going to at least the 6 weeks at home, and see about after that with work and stuff.

Aaron put together our crib for the baby Wednesday night. It is perfect!! We love the black and it went together rather easy. Aaron didn't need to use any foul language. It is in the room to stay that is for sure and will be perfect to hold our new little package when it decides to arrive. We still have to paint the walls and Aaron has trim to install. Since we put all new windows in the house all the windows are getting all new oak trim. It will look great when finished.

Family Cookout for 4th of July

Here are some pics from our 4th of July get together at Mom and Dad's campsite. They went and fed the ducks and geese.... and boy are they mean!! The Geese start to hiss at you and scare off the ducks. We scurried away fast!!

We smoked ribs and pork chops, cooked sweet corn over the fire and Robin brought this awesome salad and mom made cheesey potatos... YUMMY!! We were all ready for a nap when finished.

Master Bedroom (Past Due)

I know it is a little past due... but here we are all moved in to our master bedroom. I had painted brown horizontal stripes and Aaron has put all our trim up. All he has left is his closet. He has taken over 1/2 of my walk in closet for the time being but I know we'll get him all moved in sooner or later. I love having this big bedroom. It is perfect for the baby's bassinet and we just have room to move around. It is great!

24 weeks & Counting

How your baby's growing: Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing: The top of your uterus is now an inch or so above your belly button, which means it's about the size of a soccer ball. With the skin on your abdomen and breasts stretching, you may feel a little itchy now and then. If your skin is dry, keeping it well moisturized may help. Also, your eyes may be sensitive to light and feel gritty and dry. This is a perfectly normal pregnancy symptom known as dry-eye. To ease your discomfort, use an artificial tears solution to add moisture.Most women will have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between 24 and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a high-blood-sugar condition during pregnancy. Untreated, high blood sugar increases your risk for having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow overly fat, especially in his upper body. It also increases your baby's risk for complications like low blood sugar at birth. A positive result on your GCT test doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you should have the more involved glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out.It's also a good idea to be aware of the signs of preterm labor. Contact your caregiver immediately if you notice an increase in vaginal discharge that is watery, mucus-like, or pink or blood-tinged; any vaginal bleeding or spotting; abdominal pain or menstrual-like cramping or more than four contractions in an hour; an increase in pelvic pressure; or low back pain that you haven't had before.

24 weeks

My Baby - Your baby has now developed his sense of balance, so he can tell which way is up inside your belly. (The inner ears control this skill, and as of this week they're fully formed.) There's still enough room in there for him to easily flip around, tethered by the umbilical cord. The cord, by the way, is pretty darn amazing. It contains two arteries and one vein and is quite long -- by birth, most average around 2 feet long! Every 30 seconds, nutrients and oxygen-rich blood travel from the placenta to the fetus through the single large vein. Then the blood returns to the placenta through the two arteries. It's an ingenious system that ensures the baby gets what he needs while keeping your blood separate from his.

Placenta returned to mother on judge’s orders

LAS VEGAS - A woman has won a court fight to keep the placenta after her daughter’s birth. She had planned to grind it up and ingest it as a way to fight postpartum depression, but now plans to bury it.
Clark County District Court Judge Susan Johnson granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday, ordering Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in southern Nevada to return the placenta to Anne Swanson.
Hospital officials said they will comply.
The hospital had refused to give the uterine lining to Swanson following the April 12 Caesarean birth of her daughter, with officials calling it contaminated biohazardous waste.
The judge ordered the hospital not to destroy the placenta, which was frozen, and ordered that it be turned over to Swanson within two weeks.
Swanson, who was 30 when she gave birth, originally wanted to give her placenta to a friend to be dried, ground into a powder and packed into capsules. She said she now plans to dry, store and eventually bury the organ instead of eating it.
“I hope this brings about a better awareness about the benefits of placenta,” she said, citing a theory that placental hormones can help control postpartum blues.

(This is soo gross... could you imagine? I thought I would share)

6 months

My Baby -
Your baby's lungs are in major growth mode this week, with blood vessels expanding and preparing to help her breathe after she's born. Although she's making breathing movements in the womb (so cute!), it's still just practice with amniotic fluid; your baby will get all of her oxygen delivered from the placenta until she's born. But here's why this lung development is so fabulous: If your child should happen to arrive early (though only 2 percent of babies in the U.S. are born before 32 weeks), her odds of surviving are significantly better now that her lungs are up and running. Of course, these and other important organs still have a long way to go to become fully developed, but most experts count weeks 23 and 24 as important, reassuring milestones when it comes to long-term healthy outcomes from preterm labor.

Color Swatches for Gus' Room

I am leaning towards #3. What do you think?

The size of a slice of pizza!

You will gain the majority of your pregnancy pounds in the next few months. If you were heavy to begin with or have put on too much weight, don't fuss. As you go forward, just try to keep your weight gain as steady and gradual as possible.

Your Baby:
Your tiny diver has a few new moves, thanks to its buoyancy in amniotic fluid. It can turn, spin, somersault, and jackknife. Its motions are becoming more forceful and coordinated. The connection between its brain and limbs is growing stronger every day.

Your Body:
You might feel klutzy, off-balance, and accident-prone. Two hormones, progesterone and relaxin, are responsible for making your pelvic bones separate more easily during labor. As the joints in your pelvis soften and loosen, your hips widen. Your grip may feel looser, too. There is a shift in your center of gravity. Do not wear high heels.

Measuring up to date!

Today we saw the doctor and the heartbeat was again at 150. I have gained 3 more pounds putting me at 4.6 lbs total. He said that I am doing great.... everything is measuring up to date and we again had lots of questions that he answered for us.

The Results Are In!

What an AWESOME experience! First of all I knew Dr. Schutz had a new ultrasound tech, but had no idea I'd know her, Kristin Cupp! It made the experience that much better!

We got in the room and I immediately told her that we did NOT want to know the sex. She did an awesome job... she would turn the monitor away when she need to get the legs and bladder... and then the legs were crossed!! So she turned the monitor back around.

We got to see the baby looking at us, its hands, feet, back, heart beat, ear, belly button (with cord of course). A totally amazing thing it is soo hard to explain.

Mom and dad had a great time... and they would make me laugh. The baby was moving all over... and I still can't feel it kick.

All of Gus' measurements are up to speed... she said I am measuring right to my due date.

The baby is currently around 1.1 lbs. After she got all her measurements and pictures for the doctor she gave us the opportunity to get pictures of the sex body parts and she could either put them in a sealed envelope for us to open after the baby is born for scrapbook reasons, or they could keep them there in my file. It is sooo tempting to just say "OKAY TELL ME WHAT IT IS".... But I didnt' and I opted for her to keep the pics in my file and I could ask for them at any time. I thought would be nice to see after the baby is born!

Profile 1

Profile 2

A foot

After the ultrasound we ate at Chedders for supper. It was delicous!

Over all I am soo happy with the experience. The baby cooperated for everything and most of all it did have it's legs crossed.... already listening to its mother!

Today is the day!

Today is our ULTRASOUND DAY! Today around 4 pm we will be able to see our little one once again. It has been almost 14 weeks since we have seen it last. We could find out the sex, but we are choosing not to. My parents are coming too and we are eating out afterwards. I will post pictures tonight after we get home.... I CAN'T WAIT!!

We Are Registered!

We had a great weekend! Yesterday we registered at Babies R Us! We agreed on everything and took us about 2 1/2 hours to do it all. Aaron picked out the stroller and I am very happy with the decisions we made.

We couldn't find a bouncy seat or a swing we liked at Babies R Us so I got online with Wal Mart and did a small registry there. Basically onzies, burp clothes, bottles, swing, and bouncy seat. Aaron's mom has made several comments on trying to do a registry close to home. I have a feeling that a lot of ppl will order over the internet. And the Toledo Babies R Us isn't that far... so easy to get to. Exit 8 off of I-475.

22 weeks, major changes are happening!!

How your baby's growing: Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing: You may start to notice stretch marks on your skin as your abdomen expands to accommodate your growing baby. Some pregnant women never get stretch marks, but at least half do. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color), and they become more apparent as pregnancy progresses. They can appear not only on your tummy, but also on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. Lotions won't prevent or eliminate them, but they help with any itching. Also, you may no longer be an "innie" — your navel is flat and may soon pop out. It will revert to its usual shape after birth.Another interesting skin quirk you may notice during pregnancy is something called vascular spiders. These are little areas of raised, reddish skin, with tiny branches. Commonly found on the face, neck, upper chest, and arms, they're caused by the higher levels of estrogen in pregnancy, and they usually disappear after delivery.

Surprising Facts: Body changes beyond your bellyYou expected your belly to grow, and perhaps your breasts too, but the following physical changes may take you by surprise. As with most pregnancy symptoms, you can credit hormones for most of these alterations in your looks.

• Thicker, more lustrous hair. You're not actually growing more hair, just losing less than normal. During pregnancy, your body sheds hair much more slowly than it did before. What to do: If thicker hair is a boon for you, enjoy it. If it's making your mane more unruly than ever, ask your stylist to do some thinning at your next cut. After your baby's born, you'll start to lose this excess hair, sometimes in clumps, so it won't last forever.

• Increased body hair. Sex hormones known as androgens can cause new hair to sprout on your chin, upper lip, jaw, and cheeks. Stray hairs can also pop up on your belly, arms, legs, and back. What to do: Tweezing, waxing, and shaving are all safe ways to manage these temporary changes.

• Fast-growing fingernails. Your fingernails may grow more quickly and you may notice changes in texture. Some women's nails get harder, others' get softer or more brittle. What to do: Indulge in an occasional manicure at your favorite nail salon.

• Skin changes. Some pregnant women report that their skin has never looked better. If that's you, enjoy the proverbial "glow." Others find the hormones of pregnancy aggravate skin conditions such as acne. What to do: Talk to your caregiver about safe treatments during pregnancy. Some acne medications pose serious dangers to your baby.

• Stretch marks.As your belly expands to accommodate your growing baby, you may get tiny tears in the supportive tissue that lies just beneath your skin, resulting in striations of varying color. These marks will be darkest during your pregnancy but will fade over time. What to do: Despite what you may have read on labels, there aren't any medically proven creams, lotions or oils that can prevent stretch marks. The best thing you can do is drink plenty of water and gain no more than the recommended amount of weight.

• Skin discolorations. An increase in melanin can create a thin dark line (called the linea nigra) that runs from your belly button to the top of your pubic bone. It can also cause dark splotchy patches on your face. What to do: Minimize the discolorations on your face by using a sunblock of SPF 15 or higher, wearing a hat, and avoiding the sun during peak hours of the day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

• Larger and darker nipples and areolas. You may find that your nipples and areolas — the pigmented circles around your nipples — are getting bigger and darker. The little bumps on your areolas, known as Montgomery's tubercles, may also be more pronounced. These bumps are oil-producing glands that help fight off bacteria and lubricate the skin. Some women also notice more pronounced veins in their breasts. What to do: Nothing — all these changes are preparing your breasts for nursing your baby.

• Larger feet. Your feet may go up half a shoe size or more. Swelling is partly to blame, but lax ligaments also make your feet spread — permanently. What to do: Buy a comfortable pair of clogs or slip-ons to accommodate your growing feet.

This Week's Activity: Take off your rings. You'd be surprised how many pregnant women need to have their rings cut off by a professional jeweler because their fingers have swollen up around them. If yours are feeling the least bit snug, do yourself a favor and take them off now before it's too late. If you can't bear to be separated from your wedding band or another important ring, loop it on a chain and wear it close to your heart.

Hectic day

Today was a day from hell at work. Emotionally drained, mentally exhausted. I called Aaron, he brought home chinese and it was nice not to have to cook. He offered to cook and had some great ideas but I just thought quick and easy was best. I really wasn't in the best mood. I haven't been at my desk in like 2 weeks, and no one fills in for me when I am gone... and lets just say that my desk looks like a tornado went through.

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Next Monday is our next Ultrasound and I can't wait to see our little one. I am soo hoping that we don't see the sex of the baby.

Tuesday is my appt with my Dr. then to go over the US, and I anxious to see how much weight I've gained? I am sure I have surpassed my 1.6 lbs last month.

Our nursery is cleared and ready for paint. I am between two colors and not sure which one to go with just yet. I am wait a little longer and make sure I pick the exact green I want.

We are hoping to register in a couple of weeks. I am looking forward to doing that with Aaron, hopefully he feels the same. This is the only time we will be able to do this and I totally enjoyed doing it for our wedding and can't wait to look at everything our first little one will use. All new nad waiting for "the baby" to arrive.

Off to bed... hopefully I can stop crying before going to sleep.... I hate the way I feel right now.

good night to all.

21 weeks

Your Baby - By the end of this week, he'll measure about 7 inches from crown to rump and weigh nearly a pound. Not bad for a little guy who weighed barely an ounce 10 weeks ago! His hearing is developing, and sounds from your conversations can be heard inside the uterus--along with your heartbeat, stomach rumblings, and the pulsing of blood vessels. In fact, the womb is so noisy that it's been compared to an airport runway during takeoff; it's thought that the stimuli prepare the baby for the cacophony of noises, sights, and sounds that will greet him at birth.

Vacation day!!

Well the week is 1/2 over. Aaron has done a knock out job on his honey do list. The bathtub is going back on today thanks to Jason's help, the front foyer is grouted and ready to be sealed, the main bedroom door is ready for installation and Aaron has even put trim around our kitchen window, door stop on the bathroom door and might possible be moved into our master bedroom tonight...WOO HOO!!

Tuesday night we had a party at a friend's house in Arlington. We had a great time and I liked seeing Aaron and Matt hitting it off. They have a beautiful house and are super nice! We played corn hole, and watched fireworks and ate lots of good food.

Yesterday we went to Van Buren for the camp grounds to hang out with my family. We ate lots of good food and like always had great conversation.

Today back to work for Aaron and I have already 2 loads of laundry done, boiled nipples, sanitizing bottles, and will be washing windows here shortly. If I do get into my bedroom that will keep my busy, cleaning our old one. Dog hair, washing walls and clearing out our stuff making room for Baby Gus. I can't believe that we only have like 19 weeks.... 19 more Sundays, 133 more mornings to wake up and get stuff done....AMAZING!

I cleared out a cabinet today for the bottles. Robin gave me a big bag of hers to use and I will be registering for more. She has been such a great help with advice, stories, medical information, and most of emotional support being my sister. I can't wait for this little one to come and see the love in her eyes that I have for her kids. It is an amazing feeling. I look at her boys and can feel joy and love seeing that these are hers.... part of her and Chris and they are growing so fast it makes me want to cry sometimes. They have had 2 Pre-School shows and I have cried at each one.... I can't wait for them to meet their new cousin!!!

Interesting tid bits

Month 5/ Week 20

Baby's Length: 6 inches
Baby's Weight: 7.5 oz
Baby's Size: Magic 8 Ball

Your skin is stretching and changing. Due to an increased secretion of oils and hormonal changes, some women have glowing, dewy skin that's clear, while others are revisited by the acne that plagued them in high school.


Your Baby - Soon your baby will be covered in a protective, cheesy coating called vernix caseosa. This rich, homemade "moisturizer" is made up of dead skin cells, oil, and lanugo. It will keep her skin soft and smooth as she bathes and swims in amniotic fluid. It also will protect the emerging sensory cells and glands in her skin.

Your Body - There may be changes in your pigmentation. Sometimes a dark vertical line, called the linea nigra, becomes visible down the middle of your abdomen. You may get irregular brown patches on the face or neck known as chloasma, or the mask of pregnancy. Others may have red itchy palms and soles.



Your Partner - Ask your mate to give you a massage. Dab a little massage oil or moisturizer to warm up the hands. Use gentle but firm strokes. Always rub in a downward motion. Don't massage the abdomen, and keep a light touch with the toes and the webbed part of your hand between your thumb and index finger. (These points could stimulate contractions.) Touch can be a powerful, yet reassuring way to stay close. And remember, massage is a skill that you both can enjoy practicing on each other -- and baby! (americanbaby.com) (I thought I had read somewhere that you shouldn't get feet massages while pregnant. I was amazed by this. But I guess they know what they are talking about. I usually only ask Aaron to rub my neck and shoulders for headache purposes!)

30 Years

Today is my parents 30th Wedding Anniversary! I am sure Padre is going to be taking her to Red Lobster and a movie. That is what she was hoping for when I last talked to her. Mom was only 17 when married and dad was 20. Soon after marriage Robin came, then me, and of course the baby Chuck!! We started out in this little house, I can't see it being 1,000 square feet. But we made do. We had an awesome back yard and great screened in porch. Then in 1999 we moved to a much much bigger house on Main Street. I often wonder how we would have done it on Grove Street with us girls married, twin grandboys, and more on the way? It would have been tight during holidays and get togethers. But mom and dad always made it work for us. We never felt like we didn't have nice things and we were able to do alot of things that other kids could do too. I think that Robin, Travis and I were popular in school. We all had lots of friends and did well with academics. I am hoping mom and dad are proud.

I need to remember to call them today at the camp grounds and wish them a happy anniversary!