Lay off the beer

Today, our office went on a retreat to the Tulsa Aquarium. While we were there, I decided to feed the sting rays! As I was buying the food, the man that was helping me all of a sudden said "UM, I don't mean to be rude but..." (I went into panic mode, thinking "Is my bra showing?" "Is it my undies?"). He then pointed at my stomach and said "I think you need to lay off the beer." Then he gave me extra food so Sadie could feed the rays too!

Sadie's First Baby Shower

On Wednesday, Trace and Nancy threw me a surprise baby shower at work! It was so beautiful! Here are some pics:

Am I Having Twins???

NO! SO stop asking...it isn't funny :)

Baby Sades is growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when she was just over a pound. Since she's over a foot long, that makes a pretty lean figure, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon put on more baby fat. Her skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, her brain is growing rapidly, and her taste buds are developing. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.

The top of my uterus is now an inch or so above my belly button, which means it's about the size of a soccer ball, which is funny because I could swear she is playing soccer in there sometimes.

Last night I got to watch my tummy bounce up and down while Sadie had the hiccups! Brian was outside, so he missed it :(.

Where are my ankles???

I have noticed some mild swelling (to put it lightly) the last few days, especially in my ankles and feet. It's called edema, and it happens because changes in my blood chemistry cause fluid to shift into my tissue and because my ever enlarging uterus puts pressure on the veins returning blood from the lower half of my body, slowing circulation in my legs. Edema is often worse at the end of the day and in the summer. My body will eliminate the extra fluid after I have Sadie (which is why I will have the pleasure of urinating often and sweating a lot for a few days after delivery). Needless to say, my ankles look like marshmallows. Yum.

Sadie Rose is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. Her skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare her for breathing. She can swallow, but she probably won't pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as a dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze Sadie when she hears them outside the womb.

Sadie now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at close to 11 inches and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head (is it blond or brown?) and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.

It is funny what a stigma it has become to touch a pregnant woman's stomach! Even close friends hesitate before they touch the belly. For now, I would welcome anyone, but ask me how I feel about it in a few months!

Even though the books I am reading say I could possibly have stretch marks on my tummy by now, I only have them on my hips. I can see the veins on my tummy and chest though, and have some dark spider veins on my stomach.

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.

Insulin

So we went to the doctor on Friday and I got the pleasure of starting on insulin that same night. I am feeling better, but my blood sugar still isn't great yet. Keep us in your prayers that we do not have to go up in dosage! It's expensive!

The doctor listened to the heartbeat again, but the baby was moving around so much that the doctor was having trouble keeping up with him/her!

Sadi or Riley???

Only ten more days until we find out if we have a Sadi or a Riley...

I am 4 months pregnant!

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, our baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. The baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of the pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.

The Mister

It'a true. I am having a torrid affair with the gentleman in the picture. He takes up half our bed, but boy does he support my belly and help me lay on my side!

This is actually my second mister. I left the first one at a hotel on a business trip. I hope he isn't cuddling with someone else now.