Only 8 Weeks Left!

I cannot believe that as of today I am 32 weeks pregnant! It feels as if this pregnancy has just flown by. I guess it helps that I work and go to school full-time, and that it has been a super easy pregnancy. While I am very excited that in a few short weeks I will be holding our sweet Kettlebear, I still can't help but to feel that I am going to miss carrying this sweet baby around inside of me; I will miss the rolling around, the nudges, and the not so subtle kicks!

On May 14th I was in California for my amazing baby shower! It was such an overwhelming day for me; it almost felt as if it was my wedding again! There were so many there (and some great surprise guests!), I wanted to see and talk with everybody, but it felt impossible! Plus, I caught a bit of a cold while there; and so on the day of my actual shower, I could hardly talk! It was great to see some of the New Life people that came out to celebrate! And the Sacramento Aunts (Barbara and Rosemary), and of the biggest surprises, Heather flew in all the way from Colorado! I was completely overwhelmed! My Aunt also drove down from Utah to spend a few days and to celebrate with me, and we had such a great time seeing one another and catching up! I got so many wonderful gifts, and they are all currently sitting in the nursery, waiting to be washed, put away and organized. I am planning on doing most of that this weekend, as the sheer chaos of the baby's room is driving me completely insane!

On May 22nd Paul and I were able to take a tour of the hospital where we will be delivering, and it is wonderful! They built a brand new maternity ward 2 years ago, and it's spacious and has a lot of amenities. Our room (both delivery and recovery) will have a refrigerator, and a flat screen TV with cable...so Paul is certain that we can spend a few extra days in the hospital :-) There are large soaking tubs to use while in labor, and each room has its own private bathroom and shower, blow dryer, radio and CD player. There is also a fold out couch for dad to sleep on if need be! Also, there is no nursery, so the baby stays in the room with us the entire time, which make me very happy! Also, they put a little alarm on the baby's ankle, and if the baby is taken within 10-15 feet of an exit, the alarm sounds! Also, the hospital is has recently received an aware for their maternity unit and staff, and also for their success in breast feeding and post-natal care, the hospital is 1 out of 14 hospitals in the Nation to have received this award. Needless to say, Paul and I are very happy and feel very comfortable with the hospital!

On May 24th I had another ultrasound to track the growth of the baby. At 18 weeks the baby's head and abdomen were measuring in the 97th percentile! I was told that it is good that everything is growing in sync with one another, but of course, those are some big numbers! So at 31 weeks, the baby's head and abdomen were measuring in the 94th percentile! Everything is still growing in sync with one another; however, they said that Kettlebear's growth is what an average 34 weeks ultrasound would show! So it looks like the baby is about 2 weeks ahead of me! Of course, the doctor said that the numbers are too close to change a due date, or to be concerned, and when it comes down to it, this baby will come when it is good and ready! :-) Overall, the baby is in the 89th percentile of growth. I only got one really good picture of the baby this time; the ultrasound tech said that the further along you get in the pregnancy, the more difficult it is to get a clear shot. Kettlebear is really in there! The baby is head down (has been ever since 18 weeks, and better stay that way!), and Kettlebear's hands and feet are touching, and the baby is in a nice tight ball!

Here is the picture, I have been told it's difficult to make out what you're seeing, so you are looking at the baby face on, it almost looks like the baby is trying to peek its head out! You can see the eyes, the nose, and a tiny little fist up by the baby's mouth. There is one thing that makes me so happy, and that is the baby's nose is identical to Paul's! As soon as I saw it pop up on the ultrasound I said "THAT'S PAUL'S NOSE!"

Third Trimester

So many changes! It's hard to believe that I am in the third and final trimester of this pregnancy! It seems like this pregnancy is just flying by! I have heard from so many people that it feels like their pregnancy's take forever, but I think being extremely busy, and having no time for rest really helps with the time :-)

Physically I feel great, I often times forget that I'm even pregnant. Thankfully the baby gives me a swift kick every once in awhile to remind me it's still there! I am still working full-time, going to school, and doing my internship, and I feel the same always, which I'm very thankful for! The only difference is the baby is sitting very high, which is making breathing very difficult! Also, I always feel full! And I still have 12 more weeks! I have been told that I don't look 27 weeks pregnant, that I look too small, which I guess is a compliment!

Paul has been busy these last few weeks getting things ready for the baby, putting together the crib and the dresser. I was able to put away the baby clothes we have already been given and it's nice to start getting things in order.

In a few weeks I am flying down to So Cal for my Birthday and Baby Shower celebration! I am so excited to get to see everybody, and have a few days of sun and relaxation! I'm even more looking forward to relaxing in a nice warm spa and swimming. I can't wait to see all my family and friends and I'm hoping that the baby will give everybody some nice kicks, and even make my belly dance for them!

I will be getting another ultrasound in about 4 weeks to track the growth of the baby, they want to see if the baby is still measuring big, or if everything has evened itself out. My doctor has never sounded concerned about it, so that's good. Paul and I also have our hospital tour scheduled for May 22nd, and I am very excited to see the Labor and Delivery unit and have an idea of what will be available to Paul and me when the time comes.

I have been told that I'm crazy, but I am actually looking forward to the labor and delivery part. The whole idea of it just intrigues me, and I can't wait to experience it! It almost feels like a rite of passage to me! I know it will be hard and scary when the time comes, but I am in no way scared of labor and I really can't wait!

I think that's all the updates for now! So here are some pictures of our crib and dresser, and an updated picture of me!!

Love you and miss you all!

Paul and Wendy

20 Weeks!

It is so hard to believe that I am already half-way through my pregnancy! A part of me is really excited, because I simply cannot wait to me our little baby, but another part of me is sad that it is going so quickly, I feel like I'm falling behind! I'm doing my best to sit back and just enjoy this time!

So we got our results back from our ultrasound and the baby is perfect! Everything is where it should be, they were able to see blood flowing through all 4 chambers of the heart, the kidneys, liver, bladder, just all the good stuff! However, the baby's head and abdomen are measuring in the 97th percentile!! The last thing I wanted to hear is that my baby is going to have a gigantic head! They said that it could be because of a few things, either I have gestational diabetes, however my doctor doesn't seem to think so because when I was tested 2 months ago I passed with flying colors, or, it could be that there is a family history of big babies, or everything could level out and the baby will catch up to itself! The doctors want to monitor the growth which means I get to have another ultrasound at 28 weeks! Which I am WAY excited for! So happy we will get to see our baby again. My doctor is not at all concerned, she said it's still very early in the pregnancy and she doesn't like to make any assumption about how big the baby is going to be before 28 weeks, and even then, the ultrasounds aren't reliable. So, I am mentally preparing myself for pushing out a large, big headed baby!

In other news, I have finally started feeling the baby moving around in me a little bit, it feels like tiny little knocks on my uterus! It happens randomly throughout the day and then won't happen for a few days, and then I will feel it again, it's getting me excited because it means that the kicks are coming soon!

So, those are the big updates for now! I will keep you up to date as things progress!!

Love,
Paul and Wendy

The Big Ultrasound

Today Paul and I went to the big anatomy scan ultrasound! This is typically where we would find out the gender, but we stayed strong and didn't find out! The ultrasound tech said that when she gets in that area to make sure all is in order that she would let us know so we could cover our eyes. At the end of the ultrasound I asked if she knew what we were having and she said "nope, I didn't even look". So, that means that nobody will know the gender of the baby until our little one makes it's grand entrance in July! I like not having to worry that a doctor or a nurse will slip up and tell us what we're having!

The ultrasound itself was just so amazing! Our little one was moving around, kicking away, and even had the hiccups! It was so cute to see it hiccupping on the screen! The ultrasound tech said that she wasn't allowed to tell us anything about the baby health wise, and that she would be giving the pictures to the doctor and we will get our results from her on Tuesday. Paul and I were a bit disappointed, because we really want to know if everything is ok. We did see all 4 chambers of the heart and 2 kidneys. I kept asking the tech probing questions, but she held pretty strong to not giving me any "medical" information. I asked at the end if it looked like the baby had anything wrong with it, and she said "Well, I can tell you that it doesn't look like you have anything to worry about". That did give us some peace, but I know we will both feel a lot better once we talk to the doctor on Tuesday!

The baby is already head down, but the tech said that could change throughout the course of the pregnancy. The little legs were way above my belly button and were kicking away, I can't wait until I can start feeling some of those movements! The heart rate was 160bpm.

We got a lot of pictures printed out for us, and I'm going to post some of the best/most interesting ones! I'm a little sad that this was the last time we will get to see our baby during the pregnancy, but so relieved that everything looks great and that we have an active little swimmer in there!

Love,
Paul and Wendy

What's New?

Well, I guess not too much, but I thought I would update you all on what amazing changes are happening with the baby, and what bizarre things are happening to me!

I'm sure most of you have seen the weekly baby updates that I post on Facebook, but for those of you that haven't, here is what is happening with the baby in week 15! First off, I can't believe it's already week 15! I am almost half way through this pregnancy already! It feels like it was just yesterday when we found out that I was pregnant! It's hard to believe that 11 weeks have already flown by between then and now!

So, this week: the baby is 4 inches long, and weighs about 2 1/2 ounces...about the size of an apple! The baby's respiratory tract is functioning, and the lungs are beginning to develop! The baby can move all of it's little limbs! The baby can now react to light, even though it's eyelids are still fused shut! So, if I shine a light on my belly, the baby will react to it! How crazy! Seeing as I haven't felt the baby move yet, I haven't tried this neat little trick, but trust me, we will be having fun with that when the time comes!

That is all the fun stuff that is happening with the baby, and now on the bizarre dreams that I have been having! I was warned about the dreams that come with being pregnant, so I have been trying my very best to remember any dreams that I have had. I have had 2 this last week that I can remember clearly.

The first dream I had was where I was laying in bed and I could feel the baby doing summersaults in my stomach, I kept telling Paul "touch my stomach! Touch my stomach!" and he would say "no! that's weird! I'm not going to do that!" I kept telling him to touch my stomach, but he wouldn't! Next thing I knew, I looked down and I could see the baby's face pressed against my stomach!!! It was the weirdest thing, I could see the eyes, nose and mouth, and it looked just like a dolls head! Paul and I were freaking out...and then I woke up!

The second dream I had was last night, I dreamed that I had the baby, it was girl, I remember the doctors putting the diaper on the baby before we left the hospital and we were on our way. We had friends and family with us throughout the next couple of days, and I remember just holding my baby all the time and giving her sweet little kisses. The baby began to get fussy, and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her! Then I realized that I hadn't changed the baby since we left the hospital 3-4 days ago!! We didn't have any diapers at the house, we weren't prepared at all, so we had to run to target and buy diapers, and I was so upset because I was a bad mother! I woke up right after that!

Very weird dreams I know! It's amazing what pregnancy hormones can do to a woman!

Well, I don't have any pictures to post thus far, I am still wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans, they are a little snug someday's and other days they fit fine. I have only gained 1lb, and while things are shifting all around, there is no baby bump yet! I hear it's common that a woman won't show with her first baby for 5-6 months! So, as soon as there is something to show, you all will know about it!

Thanks for reading the ramblings of a pregnant lady!

Love,

Wendy

The Beginning of an Amazing Journey

Hi everybody! Paul and I are starting this blog so that we can keep you all up-to-date with what is happening with us up here in Portland! Paul and I are starting a very exciting year together, as we are expecting our first little baby on July 22nd! The due date itself is very exciting because it is both Paul's and my dad's birthday! They are both excited for a birthday baby. Paul can't think of a better gift for his 30th birthday...well, except for maybe a Harley! ;-)

Today begins my 2nd trimester! Last week Paul and I went to the doctor and we were able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the very first time! It was such an amazing experience and joyous sound. It sounded like a washing machine, or a helicopter. The heartbeat was very fast, about 160 beats per minutes! I know in the "old days" doctors use to determine the sex by the baby's heartbeat, and a 160 heartbeat would definitely indicate a girl! I guess Paul and I will find out in July, since we aren't going to find out the sex of the baby before it's born!

February 26th is the "big" ultrasound, this is usually the ultrasound where they can tell the sex of the baby, but since Paul and I don't want to know the sex, this ultrasound for us will be for Paul and I to see some pretty amazing pictures of our little baby, and also to make sure that everything is right where it should be!

I have had a pretty easy pregnancy so far, I was sick for a few weeks early in my pregnancy, but it turns out that was due to me drinking milk! Turns out the baby isn't a big fan, and I'm now lactose intolerant! Once I cut out milk all of my sickness went away. I have been EXHAUSTED for the last several weeks, but that has been fading slowly over the last week or so and I am beginning to feel much more energized.

That is probably all of the updates for now, so I will leave you with a picture Paul and I got of the baby at our 8-week appointment!