Week 22

Moving right along to 22 weeks...it is all going so fast, I can't believe it! I just had my 3rd OB appt last week and everything is going great. I have one more appt in 4 weeks and then I start going every 2 weeks. Yikes! My 1 hr. sugar test has been scheduled as well. I'm still feeling lots of movement and Erik likes to feel him roll around in there. It is truly amazing that I have this little boy developing inside me. I feel so blessed!

Fetal Development

The baby is getting bigger and continues to practice for life outside the uterus. This week your baby has fully developed eyelashes and eyebrows and the hair on your baby's head is continuing to grow as his brain begins a rapid growth process. The fetus has fully formed fingerprints and loud noise can wake up the baby. He may begin kicking and turning around, too. Your baby's heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope. His nose is taking on a more defined shape as cartilage (the soft bone) appears. If you baby is a boy, the testes have begun to descend from the pelvis into the scrotum. Your baby is approximately 30-32 cm (12.2 inches) and weighs about one pound.

My Symptoms

- Fatigue

- Shortness of breath

- Round ligament pain (ouch!)

22 week belly pic!

Another OB Appt = Success!!

I had my 3rd OB appt today and everything was wonderful. Our little guy was moving all over the place and the midwife had a hard time getting a heartbeat reading. He finally did settle down enough for her to get the reading and all is good!! She went over all the results from my big ultrasound last week and everything came back normal and I was even measuring about 4 days ahead. My cervix was measuring 4.3 which means it is nice and closed giving me a very slim chance of going into preterm labor. Good news to hear! I have yet to gain a pound during this pregnancy however the doctors are not too concerned since I am eating well. I guess I will be all baby and no extra fat...don't be jealous. ; ) All good news to report today...YAY!

We Made a Decision...

We made a decision!! I am the type of person that if I spend way too much time looking at all the choices, I would never make a decision. I kept looking at my final choices and my eye just kept going to this picture. I love that it is so simple/classic yet I can do so much with it to make it more modern/contemporary. I did like the alphabet one but after thinking more about it...it just looked a little too busy for me. I really like how this one can easily change as he gets older. I ordered everything last night and I'm so glad I did!! It was on backorder PLUS the stock on it was very low. I could not get the mobile...they were sold out but I'm sure I can find something to match. Yay for making a decision!! We are moving on to paint next and I have some cool ideas for this as well. Stay tuned for progress pics...

Week 21

Well the past week has been so exciting!! Now that we know we are having a little boy all the fun is finally starting....setting up nursery, deciding on names, buying cute clothes, having a stronger bond with him, etc. It has been wonderful!!! We are deciding between 2 names right now...Tristan or Keaton. Keaton seems to be what most people like but I do like the way Tristan fits with our last name. We should have a decision pretty soon.

The nursery is going to be fun yet challenging. I say challenging because I have such a hard time making a decision on what I want. Everyone has a different opinion on things and I know it is ultimately what I choose but I take all comments/opinions to heart. I can see that this will stress me out for awhile until I just make a choice and go with it. Wish me luck....

Baby M is moving more and more each day and I can even see my belly move when he is kicking. It really is amazing to see.

Fetal Development

Your baby is still pretty active and continues to move all over in the amniotic fluid. However, towards the end of this trimester the baby will begin to settle, usually in a head down position. Your baby is beginning to show evidence of eyebrows and eyelashes and the hair on his scalp is much more visible. He wakes and sleeps in regular intervals, similar to what a newborn would do. This may be apparent to you by his movement patterns. He regularly ingests and absorbs large quantities of the amniotic fluid and excretes urine. Your baby is approximately 27-30 cm (11 inches) and weighs about three quarters of a pound.

My Symptoms

- Hip pain

- Extreme fatigue again (falling asleep on the couch constantly)

21 week belly pic!

Nursery Ideas

Since Wednesday I have been spending so much time researching nursery ideas. I love to decorate so I've been waiting for this time for the past 5 months. It is finally here and I am so excited. Most of you know that I have a modern flare to my decorating so I want to incorporate that style into the baby's room however I don't want it to look ULTRA modern that you don't even know it's a nursery...if you know what I mean. So below are some of my top choices SO FAR...I am known to change my mind a million times. Tell me which one you like...

I love the classic yet contemporary look to this one.

Something about the aqua/brown color combination is intriguing to me

This is about as "cute" as I will go with a nursery. I do like the modern flare with the polka dots and stripes. Erik likes the monkey theme a lot.

This is my absolute FAVORITE so far. I'm really liking the "alphabet" theme because it is both modern and appropriate for a baby. I could do a lot with this.

It's a BOY!!!!

We had our big u/s today and it was such an amazing experience. The u/s tech spent an hour and a half getting pictures and taking measurements. I originally thought a girl because of what I saw on the u/s I had last week. Of course I am no professional so I knew I could be totally wrong...and I was! We are both so excited and can't wait to get things rolling in the nursery. : )

It's a BOY!!! Here are the "goods"

Love this shot!

His leg...obviously

He was opening his mouth constantly

How we told my parents and all my coworkers (blue cake)

His first outfit (picked out by dad). Love the sandals!

Week 20

I can't believe I am half way there already! Where has the time gone? Now I feel like I need to get my butt in gear and get some things done and checked off our list. This weekend we did move all my lia sophia stuff out of my office....this room will be the nursery. Erik and I are now sharing an office...this should be interesting. The nursery is all bare and ready to go for the baby.

The fluttering that I've been feeling is now becoming more like kicking and Erik even got to feel the baby move for the first time on Saturday morning. His eyes immediately lit up when he felt him/her move, it was cute.

Our big ultrasound is THIS WEDNESDAY!!! YAY!!! I can't wait! I'm both super excited and super nervous. I'm hoping and praying that baby M is healthy in there more than anything else. I'm taking guesses on the sex....

Fetal Development

Over the last four weeks, your baby has grown an incredible amount, and has just about quadrupled his weight. He's big enough that you should be feeling fluttering or quickening quite regularly now. In fact, from his movements you may be able to tell if your baby is awake or asleep. Your baby is anywhere from 25 - 28 cm or 10 inches long and weighs 285-300 grams or 10-11 ounces.

Your baby has started to practice breathing motions, even though his lungs are not yet mature enough to breathe enough air to allow him to survive outside your body. Lanugo (the fine hair) covers your baby's whole body, and hair on his scalp is beginning to grow. Your baby's ears are fully functional now and he enjoys the sound of uterine noise. All the organs and structures of your baby's body are formed and your baby is now entering a period of simple growth. And you may be getting ready to be a grandma already: if your baby is a girl, her uterus is beginning to develop!

My Symptoms

- Hip pains

- Shortness of breath

20 week belly pic!

Small Scare

So I woke up this morning and found some spotting in my underwear and there was a lot too. I immediately started to freak out since I know this is uncommon at this stage in pregnancy. I was going in for my progesterone shots this morning so I planned on telling them at this appt. As soon as I told the medical assistant I was having spotting issues she immediately went to talk to a doctor about it. A midwife (that I never met before) came in and said that they are definitely concerned and I should get checked out right away. Unfortunately she was unavailable to do the check up but another doctor had some time to see me right away. Waiting for the doctor to come in was torture. Erik was not with me so I was freaking out by myself....what if something went wrong? What if my progesterone made a big drop and I was going into preterm labor? My thoughts were all over the place for those 5 long minutes waiting. The doctor came in and wanted to do an ultrasound to make sure everything was ok. Everything looked perfect and the little heartbeat was beating away. The baby was moving all over the place and was looking right at us on the screen. What a pleasant surprise to have this ultrasound. Since my big ultrasound is next week (in 8 days to be exact) they did not get into the sex of the baby. However, I did see the three dots/lines that everyone talks about...usually a girl! I'm not getting excited yet nor shopping for anything pink...I'm just so excited to have this big u/s now! I'm on pins and needles wanting to know. I was doing fine but after this unexpected ultrasound this morning, I really want to know for sure. I guess the next 8 days will drag for me but I will make it. I was just so thankful that everything was fine with the baby and my cervix was tight and closed. :)

Lia Sophia Fashion Show/Opportunity Event

Yesterday I had the honor of hosting (along with my manager and district manager) a lia sophia fashion show/opportunity event for potential recruits. We were happy to walk away with 3 new recruits (unfortunately non of them were my recruits but still a good result). It was a fabulous day having fun with new advisors and getting to know them on a personal level. Tons of gifts, prizes, giveaways, and jewelry were given out. I was asked to give my "butterfly story" (lia sophia's name for our story in how we got started in the company and our success along the way). I was very proud to give my butterfly story to everyone and I know it inspired a couple ladies into joining (they told me after the presentation). It was a great time and I enjoyed every minute of it. My wonderful manager and district manager gave me awesome gifts just for having the event at my house. I love to entertain so I'm always offering my house to host special events. Here are some pictures from the event.

This is the display of our current Spring/Summer jewelry line.

This is a display of what comes in your starter kit once you join.

This is a display of the benefits of hosting a show.

Yummy food!

My cupcake display...this was a HUGE hit!

Week 19

Almost half way there...WOW! Time is flying and my belly is growing. Nothing too exciting pregnancy related right now. I'm just waiting for my big u/s next week...woohoo!! I'm still on my progesterone shots however I am happy that the levels are increasing nicely. Love to see that! Movement/flutters are happening more and more now and I'm excited to feel that first real kick....should be soon. : )

Fetal Development

This is an impressive week for growth! Your baby weighs approximately 250 grams (8-9 ounces) and is about 22 cm or 6 inches long.

If you are having a girl, her ovaries now contain primitive egg cells. Lanugo (a covering of fine soft hair) appears all over the baby's body. This fine hair will remain until birth draws nearer. Sometimes you can still see some on the baby's face and ears after birth. Also apparent is vernix, a milky white covering that protects your baby's skin from its aquatic environment. Can you imagine how wrinkled you'd get if you were in water for nine months? The placenta continues to grow and offer nourishment for your baby while the permanent teeth buds are forming behind the already formed milk teeth buds. Growth becomes rapid now and your baby begins to store iron for the production of red blood cells. Your baby can even dream (REM sleep)!

My Symptoms

- Dizziness when moving too fast

- Continued hip pain while sleeping

19 week belly pic!

Another Big Increase

I just got the call from my doctor's office regarding my progesterone results. They made another big jump up to 41.3...that is up from 30.3 two weeks ago!! Woohoo!! It's nice and reassuring when I have big jumps like that however they do want me to continue with 2 shots twice a week. That's fine...like I said before, I'm so used to them now that it is no big deal. I just like to know that the levels are increasing!

13 days until my big ultrasound!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week 18

Nothing too exciting to report. I had my 2nd OB appt last week (posted below) and everything is going well. I'm still fighting a little cold that is rather annoying but other than that I'm feeling good. Sleeping is getting a little better but I still have hip pain from time to time...the snoogle pillow is helping though. In just a little over 2 weeks I will have my BIG U/S!!! I can't wait!!! I plan to take that day off work so Erik and I can do a little shopping and just celebrate the wonderful news (hoping baby M cooperates).

Some non-pregnancy related news....
I BEAT my manager in sales for lia sophia this past month (Feb)!!!!!!! I'm so excited and I'm still in shock considering she does this full time. I had lots of shows in Feb and made LOTS of extra money! WOOHOO!!! For the 4th month in a row, I am top seller in our unit. I can't wait for our meeting in a couple weeks...I wonder what my big prize will be for beating my manager, not to mention the other gifts I get for being top seller. If I haven't mentioned it before...I LOVE this company!!!! It is truly an awesome company to work for. Oh yea...I almost forgot, I got my first RECRUIT last week!!!! I'm well on my way to becoming a manager of my own, earning commission of others and reaping additional awesome benefits. :)

It is also Erik and I's birthday this week! Erik is 28 today (2nd) and I will be 28 on Wed (4th). It is snowing today and that is how I definitely know it's my birthday week. Every single year it snows around my birthday. I remember numerous cancelled birthday parties as a kid due to weather. I am SOOOOOOOOOO ready for spring! It's time for this crap to go!

Fetal Development
Your baby is growing rapidly. His bones are continuing to harden and the pads of his fingers and toes are formed. He even has his own set of fingerprints developing as well. Your baby is approximately 5.5 inches and weighs about 200 grams (7.5 ounces).

Your baby can kick, swallow, and sleep. He also is developing his stomach, intestine and colon and the intestines collect meconium (the initial stool a baby will pass after birth). If the baby is a boy, the prostate will begin to develop this week as well. The skin is still a bit pink and transparent and his ears still stick out from his head. The four-chambered heart begins to build up muscle cells and is pumping between 25 and 30 quarts of blood per day.

My Symptoms
- Mild hip pain while sleeping

18 week belly pic!