Hiccups and leg cramps

Brian and I went to the doc on Thursday afternoon and got to hear Sadie hiccup! Dr. Bradford had the doppler on my stomach and you could hear her heartbeat change every time she had one!

Twice this week I have been startled awake by leg cramps! Thankfully my lovely hubby was there this morning to rub the cramp out and listen to me whine. Then he snuggled with me until I fell back asleep. :)

Sadie now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long. Her eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And I can certainly feel her move. Brian gets his "Sadie Time" everyday and gets to feel her move and talk to her.

I have been feeling better, but I am told to relax and enjoy it while I can — the third trimester will bring some mild discomfort from carrying a baby who is nearly full-term. I have noticed that I have spider veins on my thighs and stomach, but no stretch marks on my actual belly yet. I do have them on my hips though, but I have always had them there. Round Ligament pain still comes and goes, but it is not as persistent as it was. They have been replaced by back pain (which the doc said can also be round ligament pain) and the pregnancy waddle. The books I am reading say I will probably get a lot bigger next month and I am worried I am going to go into the Guiness Book of World Records for being the widest 5'2 woman in history. I got my first fat joke the other day when someone asked if I was carrying twins. I looked at the man and told him the doc keeps checking, but only sees one!

Look what Grandma E got me!

Grandma E. bought me this changing table and mom and dad got to bring it home when they went to Louisville for Uncle Joel's graduation. Mommy painted it white and covered the shelves in pink fabric. I love it! The pig is my friend Orbel that Becky got for me.

My friend Ivy

This is my soon-to-be friend Ivy. Daddy says this little girl is responsible for my mom having baby fever.

Mommy and Daddy are silly!

Yesterday was mom and dad's anniversary. They are really silly and decided to take pictures in a photo booth in the mall. Daddy tried to get mom with silly string in the last pics, but she is wise to his crafty ways! They paid to take some more pictures, but the machine ran out of film! Don't worry though, the company is sending them a $3 refund check in the mail.

Here is what my room will look like!

No piggy jokes when I am a teenager though, okay?

We are halfway done!

We've made it to the halfway mark, woo hoo! The top of my uterus is at the level of my belly button now, and I've gained 4 pounds. I have been feeling the baby move since around 16 weeks, but this last week I have been feeling her everyday and her kicks are definitely getting stronger! Brian has been able to feel her move too!

Sadie weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 10 inches from head to heel. A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)She baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and we'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

What do you think of my new pics?

Click on me for a better look!

I am 4 1/2 months pregnant!

Head to toe, our baby is approximately 7 inches long and she weighs almost 7 ounces. It's busy flexing its arms and legs — movements that I can usually feel after I eat a big meal. The blood vessels are visible through its thin skin and the ears are now in position and stand out from the head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around the nerves, a process that will continue for a year after the baby's born.