18 Weeks

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato!

Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel his movements. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born.

How far along? 18 weeks 3 days

Pregnancy Symptoms: I guess Ryan is sitting on my bladder because i have to pee ALL. THE. TIME. It's getting ridiculous. I'm not even halfway through, and Peanut is just going to get bigger! I'm far enough past the 1st trimester that it's a vague memory, and not to the 3rd trimester when i'll be huge and hot. Right now i'm thinking "Pregnancy isn't such a big deal, maybe i'll do it again next year." Truth be told my 1st trimester really wasn't that bad except for the falling asleep so much and the worrying part. I think i could manage this again....maybe?
Sleep: i can't breathe and i can't get comfy, not looking forward to trying to sleep in a couple months

Best moment this week: FINALLY the anatomy scan! I'm glad we found out the sex early because i was able to concentrate on the other things she was showing us. Little fingers and toes are so cute! Even on alien babies.

Worst moment this week: now that i can function again i've fallen back into the bad habit of staying up waaaay too late. And i can't drink coffee when i have to get up at 6:30am so that *really* sucks. The worst part of the week i guess was having to work all weekend and getting up so early. I passed out Sunday night.

Movement: Sometimes i think i feel Peanut but it's so vague that i just don't know if it's real or if it's just me *wanting* it to be real

Food cravings: apparently i'll start getting crazy hungry again soon. I started off that way in the 1st trimester, but so far in 2nd trimester it's just been my normal pre-pregnancy appetite for the most part. I haven't reached the meltdown point of "If i don't eat something now i'm going to kill somebody" in awhile.

Gender: DEFINITELY a boy!

What I miss: Is it really so much to ask to pee less and poop more? *sigh* Sometimes it's the simple things in life...

What I am looking forward to: 20 weeks, the halfway mark!

In Other News:

As soon as we were done at the ultrasound we went to breakfast and then i met up with Ally, Mom, and Grandmom to start my registry. It took quite awhile but i finished! I learned a lot about things i do and don't need (and what exactly they do in the first place.) Did you know there's like a million different kinds of bottles and diapers and you have to choose one? They are not all created equal! (or so i'm told) I'm starting to get scared...i have no idea what to do with a baby. Who wants to raise Ryan for the first 6 weeks so i can just have a maternity vacation?

18 Week Ultrasound

Finally! The 18 week Level-2 Anatomy Scan. There is a detailed breakdown for my own records :)



Part 1
0m5s: face profile.....head, nose, lips, chin
0m16s: heartbeat
0m43s: alien baby...looking at Ryan's face
0m48s: eyes, nose, mouth...even if it is an alien
1m11s: measuring the cervix, it's closed...no babies today! Ryan is in the breech position
1m22s: anterior placenta....the reason i can't feel little baby kicks yet
1m38s: umbilical cord....it will be anywhere from 3-6 feet long!
1m51s: pretty sure you got knocked up by an alien
2m07s: spinal cord
3m00s: tailbone
3m24s: arm#1
3m32s: arm#2
4m01s: leg#1
4m12s: leg#2
4m40s: trying to get a potty shot but Ryan has his leg's crossed (again) and is being stubborn (again)
5m33s: umbilical cord has 3 artery/vein things....that's good (2 umbilical arteries and 1 vein that transport nourishment to the fetus and remove its wastes)
6m08s: money shot! Ryan is definitely a boy (btwn the legs view showing boy parts + umbilical cord)
6m31s: second money shot
6m50s: profile
7m02s: 5 fingers
7m16s: looking up the nose...2 nostrils and 2 lips...this rules out cleft palate
7m40s: 2 hemispheres of the brain
8m09s: Ryan's brain....it's huge, so he must be smart like his mom



Part 2
0m04s: so far measurements are big for his age....the baby may come a few days early!
1m23s: examining the heart
1m33s: 4 chambers...2 atria/2 ventricles...valves are seen
1m50s: trying to measure the heartbeat, Ryan wiggles around
2m20s: finally get a good reading! HR=140bpm (normal is 120-160)
2m44s: belly measurement i think...looks like a little balloon
3m43s: measuring the right thighbone
4m04s: yep, still a boy
4m15s: left thighbone
4m45s: stomach and bladder...they're opaque and fluid-filled so that means Ryan is processing fluids
5m12s: kidneys
5m39s: profile
6m17s: sitting Indian-style again...legs and feets
6m37s: toes
7m32: baby weighs 8 ounces (1/2 a pound for you non-math types)
7m44s: he is averaging slightly ahead of schedule, showing a due date of 9/12
8m20s: the end!

New Babymobile

Although we've been looking for awhile now, I wasn't expecting to get a new car quite so soon. It just so happens that the color i wanted is not-so-common and we happened to find one in that color with the features we wanted. Check out our new Toyota Highlander!

Lots of buttons and heated seats

Rear climate control and lots of legroom

A third-row seat that folds down for cargo space and second row seats recline

17 Weeks

Baby's now the size of an onion!

Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints. He can move his joints, and his sweat glands are starting to develop.

How far along? 17 weeks 3 days

Pregnancy Symptoms: Ok seriously, walking up a flight of stairs gets me winded...what's going on?? I'm trying to walk on most days but my 2 mile trip has turned into probably half that because i just can't make it any farther. I get tired very easily now from just being awake.
Sleep: i can't get comfortable anymore, even with my snoogle. I'm already using the A/C every night because it's just too darn hot to sleep!

Best moment this week: Cake, cake, and more cake! Plus we got a new car!! It's a baby-blue Toyota Highlander.

Worst moment this week: nothing really so i'll just tell you how my maternity jeans are now "worn in" and therefore looser. They won't stay up very well and are always riding really low on my waist so i feel like a pregnant thug when i wear them.

Movement: There was one time when i was eating cake that i thought i might have felt Peanut, but i haven't felt it since so i'm not so sure

Food cravings: still none

Gender: We get confirmation on Monday that Peanut is still a boy, and we think we've decided on a name. Peanut's name will be.....Ryan Cole Bolton (i think...)

What I miss: I thought this was funny at the time but now i totally get it...."when going poo was not such a big accomplishment - worthy of a happy dance." ~J.S.

What I am looking forward to: ultrasound on Monday 

In Other News:

Here are some pictures to entertain you...
Getting my ultrasound to find out that Peanut is a BOY!

Mom *knew* that Peanut would be a boy because she found this beanie baby named "Peanut" that is a BLUE elephant!

My new, very noticeable, belly! My belly button is quickly becoming non-existent.

Peanut Is A...

Originally the tech said Peanut was a girl! That was the clip from yesterday. Here is the last little bit of Peanut's ultrasound where the tech changed her mind and said BOY!!! She seemed pretty confident by the end that we're having a baby boy, but i'll get doctor confirmation at my 18 week scan on April 12th. Does it look like Peanut is a boy to you??

Ultrasound Preview

I'm so impatient! At the ultrasound Tuesday we started off pretty quick. The tech pointed out almost immediately what gender she saw (the arrows). This clip goes on to show little hands and feet and the heartbeat, plus a little baby blob in 3D. I'm going to give you this little preview and let *you* tell *me* what gender you see. A "hamburger" (3 white lines) would be girl and a "turtle" would be boy. Just so you know, the tech saw one gender at the beginning and a different gender at the end. Her final answer was at the end of the ultrasound, but i won't post that until Friday night (sorry!) Some of those that attended the ultrasound, however, saw something different at the beginning (this clip) than the tech, so i'm curious what you see! (You may need to watch this full-screen to see much)

Please post your comments with guesses but if you already *know* the answer don't spill the beans yet!!!!

16 Weeks

Baby's now the size of an avocado!

Watch what you say...tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean he can now pick up your voice. A few more minuscule changes: Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop. 

How far along? 16 weeks 2 days

Pregnancy Symptoms: I get worn out very easily, and out of breath too. When we go on walks i usually have to tell Jake to slow down, and it used to be the complete opposite!
Sleep: Sleeping better now but i feel really tired, almost hungover when i wake up.

Best moment this week: seeing Peanut on the ultrasound and finding out the sex!!

Worst moment this week: Peanut didn't really feel like moving much at the ultrasound and was being really stubborn, so i had to drink 2 containers of orange juice. It made me want to throwup!

Movement: I found out i have an anterior placenta which means it's acting as a "cushion" between Peanut and my tummy, so i probably won't feel kicks until later :(

Food cravings: nope

Gender: I can't wait to spill the beans! After the rest of the family all find out on Friday night i have lots of pictures and video to share!!

What I miss: i don't care for this bigger tummy business. I think it's going to get in my way.

What I am looking forward to: Easter dinners...yummm! 

In Other News:

Check back Friday night or Saturday for a very important update!!