Evan, Aidan, Bella & Sophia » June 2008 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Thu, Jun 26, 2008 8:34 AM
I'm 22 WEEKS!

How your baby's growing:
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and about 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

How your life's changing:
At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It's perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you'd rather they didn't. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate. What's important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's growth is on track.

You may start to notice stretch marks on your abdomen as it expands to accommodate your growing baby. At least half of all pregnant women will develop stretch marks by the time they give birth. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color). Although they most commonly appear on your tummy, stretch marks may also show up on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. There's no proof that lotion helps prevent stretch marks, but keeping your skin moisturized may help with any itching.

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Thu, Jun 26, 2008 6:00 AM
Happy 37th wedding anniversary Mom & Dad!

We love you!

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Wed, Jun 25, 2008 10:00 AM
Just got back from my 22 week Ultrasound. Cervix is still holding out around 4.4 cm, which is great, and Sophie is adorable as always. The little stinker still looks like she has gobs of room with her hand over her head and her legs stretched out w/ her ankles crossed. Lil stinker. The sonographer thought we were keeping the gender a secret and said, "Whoops, don't want to give you a gender shot." I said, "Huh? It's a girl." She apparently forgot and said, "Oh yeah, it is a girl, but for some reason I was thinking you were keeping it a surprise." Moi? LOL!

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Thu, Jun 19, 2008 8:14 AM
Happy 21 WEEKS! 3 weeks until viability!

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

See what your baby looks like this week.

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a general idea of your baby's development.

How your life's changing:
You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you're feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.

That's not to say you won't have some minor glitches to deal with now. For example, increased oil production may contribute to the development (or worsening) of acne. If that's the case, be diligent about washing well with a gentle soap or cleanser twice a day, and make sure that any moisturizer or make-up you use is oil-free. Don't take any oral acne medications — some are very hazardous during pregnancy — or use any topical acne products without first checking with your practitioner.

You're also more prone to varicose veins now. As your pregnancy progresses, there's increasing pressure on the veins in your legs; higher progesterone levels, which may cause the walls of your veins to relax, can make the problem worse. You're more likely to get varicose veins if other family members have them. Also, they tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy and as you age. To help prevent or minimize varicose veins, exercise daily, prop up your feet and legs whenever possible, sleep on your left side, and wear maternity support hose.

You may also notice so-called spider veins (a group of tiny blood vessels near the surface of your skin), particularly on your ankles, legs, or face. They may have a spider- or sunburst-like pattern with little branches radiating out from the center, they may look like the branches of a tree, or they may be a group of separate thin lines with no particular pattern. Though they may be a bit unsightly, spider veins don't cause discomfort and usually disappear after delivery.

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Wed, Jun 18, 2008 9:30 AM
21 Week Cervical Scan:

I had my cervical scan this morning. Everything is fine. Lori said the contractions I started having this week aren't changing my cervix, which is most important, and my stitches aren't pulling/tearing - so good news. Cervix measures 4.4-4.5 cm long, EXCELLENT.

Something did happen last night that had me worried. I was listening with my doppler and Sophie's heartrate went from 148-155 bpm down to about 100 bpm and then STOPPED. It actually STOPPED. And no, it wasn't because she moved away, I was right on her heart and it was SUPER loud. (When she moves away, it gets faint and obvious that she moved away). Anyway, I was very worried, listened for another 10 min. just cuz I was worried. I spoke to the sonographer and nurse this morning. Luckily I had been feeling Sophie movie this morning, so I knew she was ok. The nurse and sonographer said it is normal for this gestation. She said it's not even considered arythmia (sp?) at this point. She said it happens all the time during ultrasounds, but they don't mention it to the mom and just move away from the heart (so as not to make it obvious to the mom). Then she said she will give it a minute and move back to see if the heart recovered from it and it always does. She basically said it's common for this gestation. I mentioned that Bella's heartrate dropped a few times down to 110 or so during 3rd trimester NSTs, and that I remembered the nurse saying that sometimes the baby can grab the umbilical cord and it can cause a temporary drop in heartrate - and maybe that's what happened to Sophie. But the nurse and sonographer said "no," that it's different at this gestation and more than likely not from her grabbing her cord, etc. She just said it's common and unusual to catch on a doppler at home, but happens frequently. So, I'll just leave it at that!

Sophia was adorable. She had the hiccups and was jacknifed in a position where her nose was actually touching her knees. Her little feet were dangling over her head. I felt bad for the hiccups, but it was cute to watch her. Lil stinker. She likes giving those $ shots. LOL

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Mon, Jun 16, 2008 12:25 PM
We had a fabulous extended weekend with my parents at Norris Lake, TN. The kids had a blast swimming and playing. The water was a warm 85 deg. and the air temperature was 87-93 deg. SOOOO nice. The water was nice and calm - which was good, as I can't be riding on a bumpy boat during pregnancy. It isn't advised to boat ride during pregnancy due to the risk of a hard crash from a wave, etc. But, everything went well, the boat cruising was save and calm and we all had fun!

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Thu, Jun 12, 2008 12:21 PM
HALF WAY! 20 weeks!

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against her torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of her head to her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.)

She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery). Her digestive system is sufficiently advanced to absorb water and sugar from the amniotic fluid that he swallows and pass it to his large bowel.

Your baby may respond to external sounds, such as the music you are listening to or your voice.

Your baby has developed some red blood cells already. The white blood cells that your baby needs to fight infections are being manufactured.

She is developing taste buds on her tongue.

Your baby has lanugo hair on her forehead and upper lip and her eyebrows are thickening.

Vernix (the waxy substance that covers and protects your baby's skin) accumulates on your baby's eyebrows.

Your baby's eyes are still sealed shut.

Your baby continues to grow and develop and her kicking is getting stronger now.

Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. The top of your uterus is about level with your belly button, and you've likely gained around 10 pounds. Expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. (If you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more; if you were overweight, perhaps a bit less.) Make sure you're getting enough iron, a mineral that's used primarily to make hemoglobin (the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen). During pregnancy, your body needs more iron to keep up with your expanding blood volume, as well as for your growing baby and the placenta. Red meat is one of the best sources of iron for pregnant women. Poultry (especially the dark meat) and shellfish also contain iron. Some common non-meat sources of iron include legumes, soy-based products, spinach, prune juice, raisins, and iron-fortified cereals.

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Tue, Jun 10, 2008 12:00 PM
Today was our big 20 week anatomy ultrasound. Everything is perfect! Baby Sophia looks beautiful. She shows no signs of neural tube defects, no soft markers of any kind - basically, she's perfect! Everything is where it should be and all the organs and valves accounted for.

Sophia weighs 10 oz. and measures right on track for my gestation.

I have gained 11 lbs. total now, 5.5 lbs. just in the last month. I was worried about it, but Dr. Marcotte said it was fine.

I signed waiver forms declining the Cystic Fibrosis screening and the AFP/Triple/Quad screening. Dr. Marcotte said the U/S detects about 95% of neural tube defects (something the NT Scan, which we previously had, does not detect). And all babies in Ohio are tested for Cystic Fibrosis through the state PKU testing. We don't have any family history (he asked) of Cystic Fibrosis and even if Sophia did have Cystic Fibrosis, we would not terminate. So that's that!

We confirmed, for the 5th or 6th time now (I'm losing track) that she is still a girl. And she was sucking her hand, waving all around and cute as a button.

It took us WEEKS to come up with her name - teetering back and forth between a few. But Slawek and I decided together that she will be named Sophia Josephine. We will call her Sophie.

Pics in the Ultrasound album!

Comments:
Kerianne: I just stumbled upon your Blog and when I saw you had decided on a name, I just had to leave a comment. Sophia is a beautiful name. I am so glad to hear that everything is wonderful with your newest baby. Congratulations to you and your family. xo

Carrie: I love the name! With my daughter I always wanted to verify it was a girl as well on the u/s. LOL!

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Thu, Jun 5, 2008 9:40 AM
19 weeks!

How your baby's growing:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, taking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom —about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

How your life's changing:
Think you're big now? You'll start growing even more rapidly in the weeks to come. As a result, you may notice some achiness in your lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when you shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support your uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight. This is nothing to be alarmed about, but call your practitioner if the pain continues even when you're resting or becomes severe.

You may be noticing some skin changes, too. Are the palms of your hands red? Nothing to worry about — it's from increased estrogen. You may also have patches of darkened skin due to a temporary increase in pigment. When these darker patches appear on your upper lip, cheeks, and forehead, they're called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." You may also notice some darkening of your nipples, freckles, scars, underarms, inner thighs, and vulva. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or "dark line." These darkened spots will most likely fade shortly after delivery. In the meantime, protect yourself from the sun, which intensifies the pigment changes. Cover up, wear a brimmed hat, and use sunscreen when you're outdoors. And if you're self-conscious about your "mask," a little concealing makeup can work wonders.

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Wed, Jun 4, 2008 2:04 PM
Today was my 19 Week Cervical Ultrasound (I have these weekly due to my cerclage/cervix). Everything looks great, my cervix is almost 4.5 cm long, which is excellent and unchanged from last week.

Baby girl looks great, too. This is the 2nd week in a row that she has both arms behind her head (elbows at her ears) like she is all kicked back relaxing. Such a cutie. She opened her mouth real big once, which was cute.

My sonographer gave me a good gender shot this time. (I am sure I get on her nerves w/ the gender thing because I make her check every darned week JUST to be sure this baby is still a girl - especially since I just recently bought a few things!) She's definitely all girl! I'm having fun buying this baby and Bella matching outfits!!!

Comments:
Carrie: I completely understand about checking to make sure it is still a girl. I did the same thing with my daughter and am doing it again with the twins. LOL!

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Wed, Jun 4, 2008 8:03 AM
We are getting closer to a name!!!!!!!!!

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Mon, Jun 2, 2008 8:38 AM
Having trouble officially deciding a name this time. We have a handful of names (3 to be exact) that we are choosing from for the first name. We had chosen one several years ago - one that was in line with our vowel theme of names. However, it was recently used by someone in our family so we can't decide for sure if we still want to use it or not. So, we came up with 2 other names. I like all 3 names equally as well as the name we had chosen years ago, but the other 2 names do not start with a vowel like our other 3 kids' names. Sooo hard to decide. Do we want to use the vowel name that we had chosen years ago, even though someone in the family has used it? Or do we want to go with an entirely different name, but doesn't follow the trend we had set with our other 3 kids? I wish I would have a dream or someone would help me make this decision. I have said the names to the kids, asking them which name they prefer, and they just repeat the names back to me. Ha Ha! They are no help at all!

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