21 weeks! Busy Times!

So I totally skipped on writing about the 20th week, but YAY! HALF WAY DONE!!!! Yahoo!! Its been great! Can't complain too much, but we have been busy! Daddy (Josh) got to come to the 20 week ultrasound with me. It was great! I was so glad he was able to come! This kid is an active one though, the ultrasound tech, made the comment, "Wow! I haven't had to chase down a baby this active in a long time!" Baby flipped around about 3-4 times during the ultrasound. Everything seemed to be great! 

 Check out those moving arms above the head!

 Open mouth!

 Head on! Always looks like an alien :) but a cute alien

 A blurry foot!

 Its also been fun to feel this little one, more and more! Recently we have also had a wedding in the family! Congrats Brittany & Davide! Also been getting ready for Thanksgiving and Elk Hunt! Josh, his uncle Steve and I all have bull tags this year!

This week....

• By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. 
• Your baby has been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that she's absorbing small amounts of sugars from it.
• Your baby now weighs about 12-13 ounces and is approximately 7.25 inches long crown to rump.
• White blood cells are being produced to form the baby’s defense system.
• Josh is going to be so cute as a dad! He is already! He makes sure he talks to baby each day!
• Only 19 weeks left.... :)

That cute picture of baby with it's mouth open reminded me of Pac Man!

My Cute Nephews!

(I totally stole this pic off Facebook)

These three boys are the cutest! And although I am not quite sure if they realize they have a cousin on the way and what that means to them, they know we will have a baby at some point! :) They have said some of the cutest things I just had to share!

A couple of weeks back, Jerm, Laura & the Boys stopped by the house! We were all in the kitchen eating dinner, when Diego asks, "what is that?" pointing to the sonogram picture on the fridge. I told them that that is a picture of their new cousin, Mine and Josh's baby. Everyone was quiet for a moment and then Issac says, "Daddy's can't have babies. Grandpa's can't have babies. Josh's can't have babies." Ben must have wanted to clarify so he added, "Yeah, only GIRLS can have babies." Shirley (grandma) decided to educate them further by saying, "Grandma's cant have babies." Ben agreed so he says, "Yeah, only REGULAR GIRLS can have babies." Then the three of them decided to make a long list of everything that couldn't have babies... house, forks, etc. They even included cows, but grandma said, "ask your dad he has seen a cow have a baby." Diego looks at Jerm to make sure grandma is not pulling his leg. "Yep, I've seen a cow have a baby." They were pretty amazed by that.

Then just last weekend, I had a chance to go to the Time Out for Women downtown. Josh and Grandma watched the boys so Iris and Laura could go too. They must have been talking about the baby, because right we I got out of the car three little boys come running out! Diego says pointing to me, "Your baby is a boy!" Right behind him Issac is shouting his agreement to that statement. Sweet little Ben comes closer and tells me, "I think the baby is a girl, because I have never seen a little girl. Only Big girls. So I hope it is a girl!" So sweet! I love these boys they are so cute! Of course they are always saying cute things and just being sweet! Our baby is going to be so lucky to have such awesome cousins!

19 weeks and Counting!

This weekend I got to spend time with my mom, Dawn (aunt), my other-in-law, my sister-in-law, and my niece at the Time Out for Women at the Phoenix Convention Center. It was awesome!!!! Afterward my dad, mom and Josh and I went fishing! Josh and I didn't catch a thing... my dad caught all 3 catfish that night! We had a great time!  

• Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. 
• Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom. 
• Baby's arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. 
• The kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. 
• A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.
• One minute you're lying peacefully in bed and the next your calf muscle feels like it's about to explode. 
• By 19 weeks, your baby’s brain begins to form pockets to specialize in taste, smell, vision, hearing, and even touch.
• Had my first Braxton Hicks contractions while at the Phoenix Time Out for Women. Worried me at first because I didn't know what they were. 
• Baby is crazy in there! He or she is a mover! Can't wait until others can feel it too!!!
• In one week Josh and I will get to go in for the anatomy ultrasound. :) Can't wait to see this little one!

Cord Blood

So I don't know how much everyone knows about saving your baby's cord blood. But its something I have looked into and am very interested in doing. I am not going to get into an explanation right now, but there is a lot of information out there regarding cord blood and what it can do! Its incredible. If you have a chance I would definitely encourage learning more.

I found that you can register online for cord blood. Since I have heard from many people they won't be able to buy things for our baby since we aren't finding out the sex I figured this was another great option for a gift of something that could be life changing/saving for our family. Or if its something people would like to contribute to.

Check out my registry (click the link below) and let me know if you have any questions! I am more than happy to answer questions!

 CORD BLOOD REGISTRY

18 Weeks Pregnant and New Cousin to Play With....

So here we are only a couple of weeks away from being half there! I can't believe it! Things have been crazy busy! On October 25th, 2011, Josh's cousin Jared and his lovely wife Becky had their second baby. A beautiful baby girl named Tenley Jade Tieman! Congrats!

Also Josh is HOME!!!!! He surprised me by coming home on Friday night, he drove home in one day! Crazy guy! It has been so great to have him home! Now he is busy working in Scottsdale doing Bariatric Surgery!


This week there are a few fun things happening!

• There is still space in your uterus and your baby will be active for periods at a time.
• Your baby may sit cross legged or turn somersaults.
• Baby is still between 5 ½- 6 inches long, but has gained about 2 ounces this week, equaling about 7 ounces.
• Baby may be large enough for you to feel twisting, rolling, kicking, and punching his way around the womb. (In fact baby just rolled across my tummy!)
• Plus baby is developing yawning and hiccupping skills (may start feeling those soon, too!)
• A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around the baby’s nerves, a process that will continue for a year after birth.
• If baby is a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place.
• If baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable now.
• As mom’s tummy continues to expand you may notice stretch marks and have itchy skin.
• Your back will ache as your body adjusts to its new alignment.

FUN FACT: Did you know that studies have shown that a full 60 percent of all expectant fathers show some symptoms of pregnancy? They may experience nausea, mood swings, weight gain, and odd cravings.

Midwife Appointment Today!

So some of you know others don't.... I haven't come out and told everyone, but yes we are using a midwife. We will be delivering in a hospital,  but I hope to have as few interventions as possible, but nice to know everything is there should we need it. Some have asked me if I am worried about using a midwife or say "I would never do that." My question is to you.... who is in the room with you 99% of the time during labor? The nurse right.... she is highly trained to know if something is wrong to contact doctors and have them take over. Well, my midwife is a CNM (certified nurse midwife) meaning she is an RN and then has had additional training just in gyn. care, prenatal care and delivering babies! Plus most of the CNM's at the office I am going too have worked as a hospital Labor and Delivery nurse for year and then have many years being a practicing midwife. So no I am not worried and like I said the beauty of being able to do it the way I  want in a hospital is just what we are looking for.

So enough about that.... Today I went in, and at this practice I am meeting with all the midwifes because there is a chance I could have a different one there at deliver than I am hoping, so I am meeting with all of them.... but today I met with Lylaine, the midwife that delivered Natilee 11 years ago! She was great! She says I look good! Am doing what I should be, my blood pressure, weight, uterus, everything is awesome! Baby's heartbeat is strong! And we had fun just chatting. When listening to the baby's heartbeat she said, "Now I know you can't tell the sex by the heartbeat, but all the years I've done it you notice patterns... I would say make sure you have ideas for a boy's name." :) So there you have it another vote for boy!

Josh should be home in the next 3 days! I can't wait! He is doing so good! Has gotten Honors in his last 2 plastics rotations and has interviewed at University of Utah and A&M Temple Texas.... so far! I am very proud of him, but more than ready to have him home! Ultrasound in the next few weeks and hopefully he will get to be there! :)

Week 17

So week 17 is not so exciting, as far as, there are not a ton of BIG things happening to baby!
* Baby is about 5.5-6 inches long (crown to rump) about the length of your hand! Crazy!
* This week it is about packing on the pounds.... well actually ounces. Baby is fattening up!
* Bones are getting harder and less like cartilage.
* Umbilical cord is getting thicker, to allow more blood flow for upcoming growth
* Other than that baby is just working at getting better at swallowing, sucking, reflexes, hearing, etc.


I have a doctors appointment on Thursday this week! Excited!

Also I got totally spoiled this weekend by my sister-in-law, Laura and my niece, Iris! They wanted to make sure I got some cute clothes too since the baby will be getting lots of things! I have a whole new wardrobe! Thanks ladies! I had so much fun! I totally got the royal treatment! And I am going to be the most fashionable prego!