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| day-to-day pregnancy |
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[ Wednesday, July 28, 2004 ]
From WebMD, about the 20th week: The fetus measures about 5.6 to 6.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 9 ounces. Your baby can hear sounds by now -- your voice, heart and your stomach growling, as well as sounds outside your body. It will cover its ears with its hands if a loud sound is made near you, and it may even become startled and "jump." The baby is moving often, too -- twisting, turning, wiggling, punching and kicking.
The nursery is finished, and it looks very cute (even if I do say so myself). It was well worth the exhausting hours of work on the weekend. Now we just need to put the crib together. In the meantime, Kate has been very active: the midwife had trouble following her heartbeat yesterday. She is either kicking harder or closer to the surface, because David can feel some movement every now and then.
[ Sunday, July 25, 2004 ]
After deciding early on that the nursery would have Winnie the Pooh (classic), I thought the work was half done. On Friday we realized it is not so simple. Disney is fighting tooth and nail for the copyrights to Pooh, and has discontinued several products with the character. On top of that, licenses to manufacture Pooh articles are very difficult to get, which explains why there are so few "Classic Pooh things" out there. When it came to wallpaper, the choices were always blue, pink, or a dusty green that did not look appropriate for a nursery. After a long search, I found a wallpaper border that could be used with other colors. David located wallpaper made by a different company, but that matches our border. And finally, we went to Lowes for custom paint. Yesterday I spent about 6 hours priming, taping, and painting. Today is wallpaper day. If we are lucky, the whole nursery could be ready next week. You can see our choice of border, paint and wallpaper on the Nursery Photo Gallery.
[ Saturday, July 24, 2004 ]
Yesterday at the sonogram, the baby was showing off: she yawned, kicked, waved her tiny arms, drank some amniotic fluid and gave us no problem when it was time to find out the gender. Little Kate already looks very cute. There is a new photo of her in the Pregancy Photo Gallery. Today, David and I will start working on a peach Pooh nursery.
[ Friday, July 23, 2004 ]
It's a girl! :-)
[ Tuesday, July 20, 2004 ]
From WebMD about the 19th week: Your baby measures about 5.2 to 6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 7 ounces. Skin is developing and transparent, appearing red because blood vessels are visible through it. Creamy white protective coating, called vernix, begins to develop. As your baby continues to grow, you may be feeling some mid-pregnancy aches and pains by now -- lower abdominal achiness, dizziness, heartburn, constipation, leg cramps, mild swelling of ankles and feet, and a backache. Dilated blood vessels might cause tiny, temporary red marks (called spider nevi) on your face, shoulders and arms.
[ Friday, July 16, 2004 ]
Great news! The blood test came back normal, which means no genetic defects. Now it's a matter of days until the sonogram, when we can count toes and fingers, and make sure the baby anatomy is also perfect.
[ Thursday, July 15, 2004 ]
From WebMD, about the 18th week: Your baby measures 5 to 5.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs about 5.25 ounces. The rapid growth spurt is tapering off, but reflexes are kicking in. It can yawn, stretch and make facial expressions, even frown. Taste buds are beginning to develop and can distinguish sweet from bitter tastes. The baby will suck if its lips are stroked and it can swallow, and even get the hiccups. The retinas have become sensitive to light, so if a bright light is shined on your abdomen, baby will probably move to shield its eyes. Your uterus, about the size of a cantaloupe, can probably be felt just below your navel. You're most likely feeling the baby move by now. Your heart has to work 40 percent to 50 percent harder now to support your pregnancy.
[ Monday, July 12, 2004 ]
On Friday, David and I went to see the National Symphony Orchestra perform Beethoven's 9th Symphony at Wolf Trap. During the 3rd movement, which in my opinion is the most touching, I felt the baby move. I had experienced what I thought was fluttering, but that was the first time I had this very clear feeling. It made me wonder if the baby can hear external sounds already. According to the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting", babies are supposed to be able to recognize sounds around the 19th or 20th week.
[ Friday, July 09, 2004 ]
Well, the nasty blood test is done. They still couldn't find veins in my arms, so they drew blood from my hand (ouch!). I scheduled the next sonogram for the 23rd. Today the new bed for the nursery arrived, but the crib is still packed in boxes.
[ Monday, July 05, 2004 ]
From WebMD, about the 17h week: Your baby, now about in its 15th week of development, measures about 4.4 to 4.8 inches from crown to rump and has doubled in weight in the last two weeks to about 3.5 ounces. Fat begins to form, helping your baby's heat production and metabolism. The lungs are beginning to exhale amniotic fluid, and the circulatory and urinary systems are working. Hair on head, eyebrows and eyelashes is filling in.
[ Sunday, July 04, 2004 ]
That sharp pain from last week made its 4th of July weekend appearance on Friday night and then again yesterday. I am now pretty convinced it's a muscular issue. On Friday, it seemed to be a result of my lifting weight while groceries shopping (similar to last week's scenario). Yesterday, David and I ran errands practically all day, and while I didn't lift anything, there was a lot of walking around, climbing up and down stairs and carrying light shopping bags. In both cases, a Tylenol Codeine prescribed by the doctor on Friday worked wonders. I am taking it easy today, even though we are hosting brunch at 12 and going out for a 4th of July dinner and fireworks on the Potomac later on.
[ Saturday, July 03, 2004 ]
When I saw the doctor earlier this week, he finally gave me the prescription for the "tetra" blood test, which screens for genetic diseases and Down Syndrome. This is one of the big tests, so I was anxious to get it done. This morning I tried. After a quick look at my pitiful veins, the lab worker seemed so unimpressed I decided to try it another day.
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