NYE 2013

NYE 2013 was low key and fun.  We hung out with Jess & Bryan Dawson.  They came over to see our place and have some champagne (sparkling apple cider for me).  After they told us how much they loved our house, we went to dinner at Grotto which was delicious.  Then it was on to Dave & Busters for games.  We played a lot of games and I even came in first during a racing game! The clock struck midnight and we rang in the New Year with shouting and kisses.  Then we exchanged our tickets in for a giant pug to go in the nursery and a soccer ball.  It was nice to actually get things we could use instead of just junk.  Finished off the night back at our house with drinks and conversing.  It was a good night and I was proud of myself for staying up :)   

25 Weeks

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — 1 1/2 pounds — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

 from babycenter

Doctor's Visit

Had a doctor's visit today.  Heard David's heartbeat.  It was around 150 bpm which is good, range is 120-160.  Doctor said everything looks good.

Merry Christmas!

"Maybe Christmas", he thought, "doesn't come from a store."  "Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!" - Dr Seuss

Merry Christmas! - Love, Lucas, Jean, David (middle name Lucas), and Peanut

24 Weeks

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since he's almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

 from babycenter

First Diaper Change

Changed my first diaper today. Wasn't that hard and it was for this cute little guy, our nephew/godson Walker. 

Santa or Elf?

In preparation of Christmas 2014, I bought this onesie for Speck.  Now I just have to decided what hat to go along with it.  Santa or Elf?  Lucas says Santa cause of what it says but I'm thinking Elf cause it would be funny.  Plus we all have Santa hats, so Elf hat would make him unique.  Good thing I have a whole year to decide! 

23 Weeks

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, he can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about the size of a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him.

 from babycenter

Sonogram

Here's the sonogram video from December 2, 2013.  They take a lot of measurements.  Unfortunately the sound was not recorded so you can't hear the heartbeat.

Leg Cramps

A few days ago, the alarm went off and I woke up almost in tears.  My calf muscles hurt so bad!  Thankfully I could wake Lucas up to message them for me.  He told me it was because I was dehydrated and not drinking enough water, which is a total possibility because plain water is sadly not that appealing to me since I've been preggo.  So I upped my water intake.  Woke up on Tuesday, in tears again!  Friend at work told me to get more potassium in my diet, so I decided to go to the store that evening and get some bananas.  Later that day, my baby update email came in.  At the bottom was a link to an article called "What causes leg cramps?"  Of course it would be pregnancy related!  All my pains/sicknesses now a days are.  Why didn't I think of that in the first place?

According to research ".. the lower portion of the back is pushed forward. This posture frequently pinches the motor nerve which runs from the spine down the leg — and that pinching is what causes leg cramps.."  So basically the baby is pushing my back, which causes me back pain, which in turn is pinching a nerve and causing me terrible leg cramps.  Oh joy.  The only thing that helps is stretching.  Well Speck, I'll say it again, you better be cute!

22 Weeks

At 11 inches and almost 1 pound (about the size of a spaghetti squash), 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.

from babycenter

Bedding

Baby bedding/decor had been a huge problem for us.  We just couldn't find exactly the right one.  So we decided on something neutral and then we are going to add blue (royal blue if possible) accents through sheets, pillows, curtains, etc.

To see more detail, click here.

By Request

I've had some request for a picture of me and my belly.  Well here I am at almost 22 weeks!

Speck's First Onesie

Speck got his first gender specific onesie!  Laurel is a great friend and I'm excited to have her and her family in our lives.  She said she was in Target when I texted her that it was a boy and she bought it right then and there.  I love it and think that it fits with being Lucas's son.    

Oh Boy!

I am super excited that Speck is a boy!  For some reason I have always wanted a boy, maybe it was the fact that I only have an older sister but not a brother.  As sad as this may sound, I think I would have been slightly disappointed if Speck had been a girl.  I would have loved her with all my heart, don't get me wrong, but my heart was set on a boy.  I also really like the idea of the older brother taking care of his younger sister.  If we have more kids, I would like a girl next time.

It's funny, cause now that I know for sure it's a boy, I'm kinda freaked out about somethings.  He will have parts that I don't have.  How do you even clean a penis?  And then there are the stories about little boys peeing everywhere and on you when you change their diaper.  I know it's a learn as you go process no matter what gender, but it's still scary.  At least I'll have Lucas around to teach him most things. 

Ultrasound Pictures

21 Weeks

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — about the size of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

from babycenter

Gender Reveal