22 weeks!

22 week belly

 Quinn and I have been going through a growth spurt these past two weeks. My round ligaments are sore anytime I walk too much (though I'm not bothered by lifting or yoga). I've been trying to stay active, and have gained about 10 pounds so far. That's a bit below the average for 22 weeks, but Quinn measures normally for his fetal age, so we're not too worried about it. We've been having a blast playing music for him and reading him bedtime stories every night. The most amazing thing is when he responds to Jonathan's voice. I am beginning to get a handle on when he is awake based on his movements, which is exciting. He is still doing his little froggy kicks. I am just hoping that he doesn't turn into a stretcher later on, like his father was! Please, no little feet in the rib cage!

I never seem to have the right fruit/veggies on hand, but this banana is 11 inches long.

Quinn's growth this week:
"At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your 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.
If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily."

"Aaahhhh, this feels so good!"

The weather has been pretty hot late this week - almost 100 yesterday. Jonathan has been working hard on the yard and I've been running errands and getting caught up on housework. We took J.J. to the dog park today, and he had a blast. He loves it there, but we don't go very often because he rolls in mud and gets absolutely filthy. Bath time is a necessity after the park.
 We went out last night on a date for the first time in months, to celebrate getting through another tough semester. After dinner, we treated ourselves to kids cones at the local ice cream shop.
It's a lovely holiday weekend that we are enjoying together at home. We will have one more week of off-time before the summer term begins. Jonathan will have two hours of class every morning (at 7:30!) and we will both work together on campus. We will be busier than we are now (thanks to this glorious break), but we are looking forward to working together. I know most couples would go insane if they spent all but 10 hours a week together, but we get very spoiled by it and love every minute.
I hope you all are having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

21 Weeks - It's a Boy!!!

21 Weeks!

There is something so familiar in this face...

We are going to have a son! We found out two weeks ago, but had to keep it a secret until we told all of the family and friends we could in person. His name is Quinn - it means "wisdom", and we've had it picked out for years. I thought it was a girl all along, so it was such a fun surprise to see the ultrasound. Jonathan actually predicted it was a boy the morning of the appointment, because he had had boy dreams leading up to that day. So we made a bet, and I lost. Not at all a bad bet to lose! The ultrasound was a lot of fun - Quinn was a busy bee the entire time. Before going in, the sonographer told us that we might not see the gender or get good shots if we couldn't get him to move. We were pretty confident that he would be active, since he has been for other ultrasounds and moves around several times a day. She wasn't even looking for the gender when it popped up on the screen. We saw his you-know-what and said, "Is that...?" She said, "Yep, it's a boy! And he's not shy!" I am impressed with people who turn down the chance to find out the gender - we couldn't stand the curiosity! We wanted to know who this person is, not just the gender. It is so incredible to imagine what he will be like. We have dreamed of this little boy for so long, and now we know he will be here soon!

In addition to his gender, we saw him swallowing and rubbing his face with his hands. We also saw something amazing. Jonathan and I both used to sleep in the fetal position with our butts in the air when we were kids - and we saw him do it! We even saw his arms lying behind him like we used to. I know this child! Everything looks normal and he's very healthy - she even said he was very muscular (see leg shot) for a 20 week baby. We are elated!

Quinn sleeping briefly as we always did. When he woke up, he jumped like a frog, so we're calling him our little frog baby.

Muscular little calves!

Since the ultrasound, Quinn has been even more active it seems. Jonathan has seen him thump my belly. He's even started responding to daddy's voice! We are reading him bedtime stories since he can hear us clearly now, and playing him music. He started kicking when I put on classical, so he either loves it or hates it. We'll be introducing him to plenty of good stuff over the coming weeks - Queen, Yanni, Lord of the Rings soundtrack music, you name it. He's kicked hard enough for other people to feel it - two of his grandparents have felt him move now!

Quinn's growth development this week:
"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now."

While Quinn is growing and kicking, I'm doing great too. I've only had two days of heartburn, and my feet are starting to get sore if I am on them all day, but other than that, I still feel fantastic. I'm really starting to feel pregnant, though. I even had someone ask me when I am due on Friday, which was so nice - it's great not to have it assumed that I've just been hanging out too much at the donut shop. It feels like a new milestone for me now that strangers can see I'm pregnant. It is so much fun!

Campfire fun with good friends

The last week has been very busy. Jonathan has been doing yard work all week, and I've been doing some serious nesting. We sold a bunch of furniture and I'm trying to clean everything out that we don't need. No clutter. It's starting to look nice around here. Friday we drove down to visit family and see Lydia graduate. We had a wonderful dinner with friends. Quinn had his first campfire s'more and liked it! It was so nice to talk to Peggy about pregnancy. We shared our mutual feelings that pregnancy is the most magical, amazing thing, and it goes by far too fast. They made us a fantastic dinner, most of which came from their garden, and we hated to leave. Thank you!

Congratulations, Lydia

Lydia's graduation was lovely. We are so proud of how hard she worked in college, and are thrilled that other people recognize her efforts and devotion to others. We missed Ricky being there, but were so happy to talk to him on the phone and tell him that he is going to have a nephew. After the ceremony, we helped put on her party, in which dozens (and I mean dozens) of people came to share their joy with her. She is such a social butterfly - I'm not even sure I know that many people! Congratulations, darling! We are so proud of you!

She is so excited to be an auntie!

20 weeks - the halfway mark!

 I would celebrate the fact that Friday marked the halfway point in my pregnancy (depending on when Baby decides to get here), but the truth is, it has gone by so fast that I can barely keep up. Even with the nausea and exhaustion of the first three months, I have loved every minute of being pregnant. It is an amazing blessing and miracle. I might feel completely different about how quickly this goes by in about 3 months, when it's blisteringly hot outside, but right now I'm not in a hurry for it to be over.
Baby has been so active this past week. I've noticed regular movements in the early to mid-morning, around dinnertime, and bedtime. The movements are so strong that you can see them when I lay down! Jonathan and the midwife both felt some big kicks last week. The midwife was surprised, as most moms still can't feel their babies kick for another two weeks. This little one is active! I've been feeling great as well, and maybe that's why Baby is so happy. I've been getting lots of exercise - still jogging, lifting, and doing yoga each week. I am starting to get the pregnancy walk, according to Jonathan. And the pre-pregnancy jeans finally had to go after this weekend. The button was just too tight. I got some great maternity clothes this weekend that I am excited about - thank God for stretch panels in shorts! I had my first dose of strong heartburn yesterday. I'm also noticing my body getting tired at the end of the day in a different way - very fatigued. I'm surprised this is happening so early, given that I've only gained 8 pounds. But I guess my center of gravity is shifting, which causes weight to be carried differently.

 Here is how Baby is growing this week:
"Your 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. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery)."

Friday was also the end of the semester - and it could not have come soon enough. What a rough one! We both got A's, which was nice given how much work we put into it (Jonathan actually got an A+!). It's such a relief to have it over. No more papers, homework, required readings, grading, etc. for a whole summer! We will go back to work this summer at the Writing Center, but no homework! Yea! We're excited about working together and spending the entire summer together. I've got the nesting bug, because I'm cleaning and organizing around the house like crazy. That's how we plan to spend the next couple of weeks - prep for Baby!

Week 19

19 weeks has started to bring some hints that my body is really changing and will be challenged in new ways.  The belly has really popped out this week - I'm thinking my regular pants only have a couple of weeks of wear left before they will be replaced by maternity clothes. It's just now getting big enough to get in the way of things. The difficulty getting out of chairs and off the couch has begun, though it's not too difficult yet. I just notice getting up for the first time. I also get very dizzy when I get up too fast. Round ligament pain is back - I guess Baby and I are going through a growth spurt that is causing my ligaments to stretch. I've had spurts of energy and then moments of feeling very worn out, especially at the end of the day. I've gained a total of 6.5 pounds so far - pretty slow and steady growth, which I think is a good thing. Last week was so incredibly busy that I didn't get as much exercise as I would like, but I plan to make up for it as soon as school gets out. Finals week begins tomorrow and we'll be busy with a lot of grading. But it is such a relief to be able to look forward to it all ending on Friday.

Enough with me, here's what is happening with Baby this week:
"Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you. Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid."

 I forgot to take a picture with a fruit or vegetable, but I will do so later this week and try to post again. :)

 Some great news came our way this week. First, I was offered a position to do the work I currently do as a tutor on campus at home online next year. They created a new position so that I can continue to work there from home - thanks to my amazing husband, who worked with our employers to make it happen. I am so excited about it! Also, the same wonderful employer/friend honored me with the Excellence in Tutoring Award in Writing on Friday at our end of the year banquet. She read some lovely words about me that made us both cry. She is a dear friend and we are lucky to have such good people in our lives.
Jonathan also had his first publication accepted! It will be published in the Fall, and he's waiting to hear on another publication he submitted. He's also been accepted to present at a national conference (the big deal in his field) in Las Vegas in the Fall. This is the fourth conference this year he's been accepted to present at, which is unbelievable given that this is his first year in the program. He's currently working on another paper to co-publish with a faculty member that they will submit soon. I am so proud of him because he has been working so hard and has been so successful, but kept a calm composure the entire time. He's my hero.

 

The only sad thing about me working from home next year is that I won't get to work every day with my best friend. We have been able to work side-by-side as tutors for the last two years. I will miss spending all day every day with him, but we are trying to arrange his schedule so that he can be home with us (Baby and me!) as much as possible next semester. I am really looking forward to it.
When I post next, this crazy semester will be over and summer will have begun. I love summer!

Finally...the 18 week post

 

If anything, the timing of this post should indicate how busy we have been this past week.  But hey, better late than never! This is the final week of classes - next week is finals week and the end of a very intense semester. In addition to loads of grading, we've been reading, writing papers, and working at other jobs on campus. The light at the end of the tunnel has appeared, however, and it is glorious! 

18 weeks is a great time in pregnancy. I'm feeling fantastic, and starting to show enough that people want to touch my belly. I might find this annoying by the end, but right now I love it. I love that there is something sacred inside of me that people want to put their hands on to connect with. I feel so special. I'm living it up. I'm eating well, exercising, sleeping pretty well, peeing all the time, and starting to dread putting pants on. The baby moves at least once a day now, and the movements have gotten more prominent - it's almost a rolling kind of feeling, rather than a touch or flutter. I've also started getting dizzy when I get up too fast, and I've had to start modifying some yoga poses because my hips are changing. The pregnant "duck walk" is beginning (which is due to the hormone, relaxin, that loosens the joints in the hips and causes the gait to change). All of these changes are so fascinating. What amazes me most is that I am so close already to the halfway point. I remember looking at blogs of other pregnant women when I was first pregnant, and thinking, "Wow, must be neat to be 20 weeks and feel the baby!" It seemed so far away. Now it is almost here.

 Here is how the baby is developing this week:
"Head to rump, your 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 — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His 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 you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound."
I chose a carrot to represent the baby because I didn't have a big enough bell pepper. 
 Early in the week, I was feeling a bit smaller than the previous week, and was still hovering around 5 pounds total weight gain. This weekend I started feeling very pregnant. It's harder to get up off the couch, and the aforementioned gait change began. As you'll see in this picture, that was taken Monday, the belly got a lot bigger in a few short days. That seems to be the trend.

 In other news, our newest treat is homemade frozen yogurt. My mom and sister loaned us their yogurt maker and it is awesome! This batch lasted 24 hours - organic blackberry frozen yogurt. I got an entire container of organic frozen blackberries for a dollar at the natural grocer's in town (usually priced at $8.29), so I made a whole batch of yogurt out of it. Now that the weather is turning summer-like (upper 80s), this stuff really hits the spot. And there are only 4 ingredients - none of them require a degree in biochemistry to read.
J.J. really enjoys the remnants of any diary treat.

 I also got a sweet "baby" present this week. This balloon, bear, bamboo, and poem was from a student. I've worked with her on her writing for the past two years, and she brought me this to congratulate me and thank me for helping her so much. Not only was it exciting to get a teddy bear for the baby, but it meant a lot to hear that I've helped her. This is what keeps us going. We've been so fortunate to have a lot of students tell us this semester what a difference we've made in their lives. Jonathan was even nominated by one of his students as best TA in his fraternity. Making meaningful connections with students makes our job so worthwhile - even in the craze of finals week, it's totally worth it.