Night owl

Stewart just admitted that when comes to bed after I've gone to sleep, he feels my belly to see if the baby is kicking (how cute is that??) Apparently last night he was kicking like crazy for daddy! I'm just thankful that it doesn't wake me up....I guess the little guy is letting me get my sleep now while I can...

By the way, isn't that owl adorable? Pattern available here on etsy.

22 Weeks

Hi from week 22! I'm officially 5 months pregnant, no matter how you break down the months/weeks (it really depends on what book I'm looking at.) Only 4 months to go! For the next month the baby is about the size of a papaya (which I've actually never eaten), and several sources say that he's probably weighing about a pound this week. He continues to be very active, kicking much higher than before, and Stewart gets to feel him moving almost daily now. Typically he moves most when I'm sitting quietly at the end of the workday, but sometimes he surprises me. Once this week he started doing some major karate while I was washing my hands at school (which I do a lot these days,) and it was so unexpected that it literally brought tears to my eyes. I love to feel him move!

We attempted to register at Target yesterday, since that's really the only place in town that people could go to buy gifts. We'll probably also register online at BabiesRUs, and I'm trying to figure out a way to set up something through etsy.com. The Target experience was pretty overwhelming, despite all the advice I've gotten, and my trusty Baby Bargains book. Take bottles, for example. I've heard several recommendations for two types of bottles, Avent and Dr. Browns. But how do I know which one the baby will do better with? And how many do I need? So we went ahead and registered for one set of both types, but then the issue becomes that you have to get different nipples for each type. I'm afraid people are going to look at our registry and think I've gone overboard. (By the way, Target is currently having some technical difficulties getting the in-store registries linked to their website, so you can't pull up our registry yet.) Our other issue is that Stewart thinks I'm going to make our baby boring, because I always gravitate towards neutrals, solids, and stripes, and he thinks the baby needs some more bright colors, patterns, etc. It doesn't help that we're not really designing a nursery at this point (we'll do that when we move mid-year next year), so we don't have a color scheme or anything to guide our choices. I don't want a whole lot of extra "stuff", especially in our current small apartment, but I know that comes with the territory of having a baby. I am really excited for my baby showers. I'll have one shower at work, and then another one thrown by a co-worker and friend at her house. I think both of those will be in November, so I have a little bit more time to get the registering under control.

In terms of belly growth, I think I still look about the same as the last few weeks. While we were registering yesterday, a woman shopping in the baby aisles didn't believe that I was the one having a baby. Obviously the T-shirt in this week's photo doesn't really show off my belly, but it was a game day, so I had to represent my Gators!

Sweet kids

Look at the sweet pictures I've recently received.

The first one is from a student at my school. She is not one of my students but she knows me from being in her classroom. (Obviously there's some confusion with "for" and "from").


The next two are from my old roommate Heather's two nieces (age 4 and 2, I think!) Apparently she has been showing them the pictures of my growing belly....how cute is the little drawing of me (blond hair and all!?) Love it. :-)

Baby's first Gator game

Stewart's dad got us some last minute tickets to the UF-TN game on Saturday, and we were thrilled since we had thought we weren't going to get to go to a game at all this season. I was a little bit worried about whether the noise would bother the baby, since I had just read that a noise as loud as a jackhammer can be upsetting to a baby at this point in pregnancy. I'm pretty sure that 90,000 screaming fans in The Swamp is louder than a jackhammer, but I figured since Angie is a pediatrician and went to the FL-GA game while pregnant with Anna, it wouldn't really do any damage.

I did hit what I consider a pregnancy low once we arrived in Gainesville. We'd been searching for a parking spot forever, and finally managed to snag the last spot in the front yard of some college guys' house. I had to go to the bathroom so bad and didn't think I could make it all the way to the stadium, so I asked the guys if I could use their bathroom. "Sure, go ahead in and just ask anyone where it is," he said. It was such the stereotypical college guy's house, and I felt SO old walking in there. And the bathroom was NASTY! But my bladder could not be ignored. I'm still amused that I actually went in to that house....

So the game was fun, and the baby didn't seem to be bothered by the noise. In fact, I think he was probably even doing a little baby gator chomp in there...


And since we figured it would be several years before he's old enough to take his first real trip to a Gator game, we should document this as his first visit to The Swamp. Stewart and I are sharing responsibility for the poor composition of this photo....me because I plunked my purse down right in front of the gator, and Stewart because he cut off half the gator's head.


And for the record, I don't usually wear dresses to football games (that's just too Georgia sorority girl for me), but my wardrobe options are currently pretty limited at the moment. Don't judge me.

21 weeks

21 weeks, and the baby's about as long as a banana. Measurements are different now...instead of being given from crown to rump, the average measurements are from head to heel. Apparently taste buds are starting to work, and he's doing lots of swallowing. Hopefully he doesn't have any difficulty with that, since his momma blocked out everything she was supposed to learn in grad school about swallowing.

The big excitement this week was that Stewart finally felt the baby kick! I had been pretty convinced that I was feeling movement from the outside all week, but Stewart had spent quite a bit of time hanging out with his hand on my belly to no avail. Finally last night the baby was kicking up a storm, and Stewart was able to feel him twice. They weren't even his biggest kicks, so I definitely know that we'll be feeling much more in the weeks to come.

OK, belly shot time. Is this the "popping" that I keep hearing about? The last two weeks have definitely been the biggest weeks for belly growth. Am I carrying abnormally low, or is this normal for 21 weeks?

20 weeks

20 weeks! We're halfway there, yippee! This week I learned the perils of overdoing it. After babysitting for a friend on Friday night and not getting home until 1:15 am, I spent all day Saturday cleaning and baking. Here's the result...

This is at our friends' house Saturday evening, after enjoying some homemade pizzas and board games. It took me all of 5 minutes once we started watching football to pass out (Stewart must have followed soon after, but he doesn't have the pregnancy excuse like me.) I didn't even know that Brian and Krisita took this picture until I went to upload the belly picture a few minutes ago! Don't we look like a fun pair to have over on a Saturday night?? :-)

So I've been reflecting on the first half of the pregnancy, and what is/isn't what I expected. I definitely think overall the symptoms have been much milder than I was anticipating. The morning sickness wasn't as bad as I thought, I haven't had major cravings or food aversions, I'm not too sensitive to smells, etc. I thought I'd have a bigger belly by now. I'm starting to get aches and pains that I didn't think I would get until much later (lower back pain, sore hips when I sleep, etc.) In terms of things that are what I anticipated, I would say my emotions in general are what I thought they would be. I knew I would probably be a nervous wreck in the beginning, and I was. I knew I'd feel more confident once we got out of the first trimester, and I did. I knew I would start to feel a stronger connection to the baby once I knew the gender and could feel him start to move, and I do. Overall, I would say that I am really enjoying being pregnant, while at the same time wishing I could fast forward the next 20 weeks. I hope the second half of the pregnancy goes as smoothly as the first half!

I know certain readers (hi mom!) are anxious to see the latest belly picture. I can tell a pretty significant difference compared to last week, what do you think?

Dear co-worker,

Dear co-worker,
I appreciate you being excited about my pregnancy, really I do. But let's get a couple things straight. First of all, it is still WAY too early to be patting or rubbing my belly. Maybe when I'm 8 months along and have a hugely obvious pregnant belly, I won't mind. But for right now, let's continue to respect each others' personal space, m'kay? Also, announcing that you are going to pat my belly does not excuse the actual act of patting, because I'm too nice to a) swat your approaching hand away or b) say "Hold it, sister!!" Please, let's just keep our hands to ourselves for a few more months.

Second, I have no objection to you commenting on my growing belly. Comments like "Oh, you look like you're starting to show!" or "Look at your cute belly!" are a-ok. But let's refrain from things like "You're starting to pudge out now, aren't you?" Really, that doesn't make anyone feel good.

Respectfully,
Your moody pregnant speech-therapist

It's all in the clothes....

I just wanted to prove how much more pregnant I look on some days, depending on what I wear. This is my new favorite outfit (thanks Susan!) because it literally is soft enough to be a nightgown. I'm planning on wearing it once a week. This picture was taken today (19weeks4days).

19 week picture

I don't really see much difference from the past few weeks....maybe because I'm wearing a looser (i.e. maternity) tank top. In person I definitely think I look bigger, although it's still all below the belly button. Also, I'd like to state for the record that I'm aware that gray is not my color. But not to worry, because I threw on a bright scarf that helped the outfit significantly. Just in case you were concerned.

We had a great time in Atlanta, and I didn't even have to drag Stewart around to too many baby stores to accomplish my objectives! I think we found a glider/rocker chair that we like, although we still have to decide on a fabric (the hardest part for me.) We managed to try out the Peg Perego Si, which is one of the things I really wanted to see. We liked it, but didn't LOVE it like the City Mini. So as of right now, we've pretty much decided on the City Mini, yay! Now we have to decide on the infant carseat/carrier, and whether or not we'll just get an adapter so it can fit into the stroller or whether we will get a separate stroller frame. Decisions, decisions.

We rounded out the weekend with a Braves game, lots of eating, and plenty of talking about babies and baby names. Nancy & Thomas were great hosts as always, and we're looking forward to seeing them again next month when they come down here.

In other baby news, I'm definitely feeling the baby move. A lot. I'm pretty sure that's what I had been feeling for weeks, but it's just much stronger now. Definite kicks and punches. Every once in a while I think I can feel it from the outside, but Stewart still can't feel it. Hopefully in the next couple weeks. Sometimes when I'm sitting quietly and I feel the baby move, it makes me get really weepy and emotional. I feel like I'm connecting more to the baby, now that I know it's a boy and can feel him move. The whole process is just so amazing and wonderful. I can't believe that next week I'll be halfway through the pregnancy!

Gator baby

Tomorrow brings about the start to a a beautiful season...college football, baby! And just in case there was any doubt as to who this child will grow up cheering for, check out what we already have for him....




This doesn't include the Gator pacifier and Gator football Mr. Potato Head that I have stashed away for him. Forget teaching him how to wave "hi" and "bye-bye", we're starting with the Gator chomp....

19 weeks

This week's fruit comparison is dedicated to my best friend Robin. She had objections to the strangely shaped sweet potato of last week, but little did she know that this week the baby is the size of her new favorite fruit, the mango! (Robin inherited a mango tree in the backyard of her previous house, and has eaten more mangoes over the last two years than anyone thought humanly possible.) So is this better, Rob?

I'm writing this post a little early, because tomorrow morning we're headed to Atlanta to hang out with family and do a little baby shopping. Still in search of that perfect (but affordable) glider! I'll post my 19 week picture when we get back.

One quick funny story about a student "outing" me at school. I haven't really told many students that I'm having a baby; they'll figure it out eventually. But this one little kindergarten boy (who I adore) came in to use my bathroom, and then asked why he hadn't been to speech this week. He normally comes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, so I missed both his sessions this week due to the doctors appointments. I told him I was at the doctor both days, and he got very concerned. "Why are you going to the doctor??" I decided, what the heck, I'll just tell him, he probably won't even remember by they time he gets back to his class. So I simply told him I was going to have a baby. He was like "Oh, ok." Little did I know, he got back to his classroom, flung open the door, and announced, "Mrs. Courtney is having a baby!!" Well, his teacher somehow was the one person in the school that didn't know I was pregnant, so she didn't know what to say. I can only imagine how she responded! She came into my office later and whispered, "Are you pregnant??" She couldn't believe that I was almost 19 weeks along, and that she couldn't even tell I was pregnant. (Like I said, it still depends on the outfit.) Anyway, I guess I shouldn't underestimate my kiddos at school!

So the most exciting baby development to me this week is the hearing. According to the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy:
Your baby's hearing is now well-developed. He is probably hearing lots of different sounds, maybe even your conversations. Mom's voice is by far the most prominent in any conversation. If you sing or talk to your baby, it is reasonable to think he might notice.

I admit that I haven't started singing to the baby yet, but I guess I better get to it! To be honest, every time I think about it, I can't come up with a song to sing. The one that always pops into my head is "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles. Guess I better learn the words to that one...

Well, we're getting up bright and early to his the road tomorrow, so I better cut this short. Happy Labor Day weekend everyone!

Follow-up appointment

We went this morning for our follow-up ultrasound with the fetal medicine specialist. I came away from the appointment feeling slightly reassured but also somewhat confused and disappointed. What I was really looking for was for the doctor to say "Oh, false alarm! Your baby's perfect!" Here's what we got instead:

• The baby has this spot on his heart, which often means nothing, but can also be a marker for other problems such as Down Syndrome
• All the other detailed measurements they took today, along with my bloodwork, are normal.
• There really is no way to say with 100% certainty at this point whether there is or isn't a problem, with the exception of an amniocentesis, which is not something we are considering (has too high a risk of pregnancy loss.)

The doctor threw around a ton of medical terms, along with some very random metaphors to Dick Cheney, weapons of mass destruction, and the proposed healthcare plan. So after he finished explaining everything and asked if we had questions, the first thing I asked was "What is the take-home message from this appointment?" His response was "Your baby is fine."

Here is some of the information from the handout they gave us on the Echogenic Focus.

• Is seen as a "bright white" area in the fetal heart
• A normal structure, simply more echogenic (brighter) than normal
• Present in 5% of all fetuses
• Not associated with any increased risk for heart defects
• Some increased risk for Down Syndrome (estimated to be 2X the age-related risk)

One nice thing the doctor kept saying was that the Echogenic Focus is more common in "skinny" women, and then proceeded to call me skinny at least two more times. You know that gave him some bonus points and slightly made up for the hard-to-follow metaphors. He did schedule us for another appointment in 6 weeks, but I'm pretty reassured for now.

Consider yourself updated!

Possible names?

So it seems that the pressure to name the baby has been lifted from our shoulders! Grace and Megan have decided that they will take care of that for us. These were their first suggestions:

Eric
Aladdin
Luke
Max
Hermit
Camden
Pinocchio

Thanks girls, we'll keep those in mind!

It's a.....

It took the ultrasound technician about a half of a second to inform us that we're going to have a baby boy!! (She actually admitted that she was glad we wanted to know, because it would have been hard for her to hide it from us!) He was VERY active during the ultrasound...seriously, he barely stopped moving the whole time. The poor technician had her work cut out for her, between the baby's movements and my subsequent laughter. But she did manage to get all the measurements that she needed. Overall measurement is still right on track, estimated weight at 9 oz. It was really cool to see some of the more detailed shots, like the brain, four chambers of the heart, umbilical cord, etc. There is one little spot (called a echogenic foci) on the heart that they were concerned about, so I have to go back on Thursday morning to have a fetal specialist take a look at it. Both the ultrasound tech and my doctor assured me that it's not totally uncommon, but that it's better to have another set of eyes look at it. Sometimes a spot like this can be indicative of other problems, but since my 16 week bloodwork and all other organ measurements have been good, I'm trying not to panic. I'm at least glad that I was able to get in to the specialist on Thursday morning, so I don't have too long to worry about it.

So Stewart (and my brother) are over the moon about the fact that I'm having a little boy. I'm excited, but taking a little bit longer to get used to the idea. All day I've been thinking about why I'm more reserved in my reaction, and I think it's because I'm a little bit more nervous about raising a boy than a girl. I just don't know what to do with a boy! I'm a girly-girl.....I like ruffles and bows and ballet and princesses! So the thought of a boy kind of intimidates me! I'm slowly getting used to the idea though. Now we really need to get serious about names. Eeek! (That makes me nervous too!)

Ready to see some pictures? Like I said, the little guy wasn't at all shy about giving us "the money shot", as they say, but for some reason, I feel kind of weird about posting that one on the internet. I know that's kind of ridiculous, but this is my son's privacy we're talking about! If you really want to see that picture let me know and I'll e-mail it to you.

Here's a cute one of his profile.


And one of his feet, tush, and spine (the face and head are not in this shot)


The ultrasound tech commented several times that she thought he had big feet, and how they were right up against my bladder. I believe her exact words were "Wow, he's nailing your bladder with those feet!" Trust me lady, I know!

Well, I'd better go....Stewart is ready to start reading "The History of the Florida Gators" to our little man now. Starting him early....