22 weeks and hiccuping right along

We're back from Oregon with our new (to us) car! We had a great time, but I wish we could have seen a few more friends and spent more time with the ones we did get to see. Even though the drive home was ridiculously long, it was the most comfortable I've ever been on such a long trip. Here are a couple of pictures of our new ride:

In other news, we ordered our crib and dresser/changer last weekend and they've already arrived at the store...sweet! The future occupant of said crib is now kicking her mommy a lot and as far as I can tell, has had hiccups for the past two nights. It feels funny, like a little jolt in my belly every few seconds. She seems to get them right after I eat dinner.

Here's my belly photo for the week. Getting bigger and bigger!

And according to Babycenter.com:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 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.

21 weeks and we're off to Oregon!

We're flying to Portland in a few hours for a whirlwind weekend visit. We'll be driving back on Sunday since Popi has generously agreed to let us use his car while he's overseas. Said car just happens to be a red BMW 5 series station wagon - hello new styley mommy-mobile!

I can't wait to see everyone again! Garrett and Robin are picking us up at the airport and taking us out to dinner, and then we're going to Adeline's pumpkin carving party. Tomorrow we'll have breakfast in Portland with Todd, Megan, Halen and baby-#2-to-be, and then going to Eugene to spend the night at Marisa's place with her, my mom and Madylan. And possibly even Irene! Then Sunday morning we'll hit the road after breakfast, and hopefully get home early enough to get a decent night's sleep before we start the week all over again. Should be a lot of fun, but I fully expect it to be an exhausting weekend.

In case you're wondering, baby ZoKay (as Kailen's niece and nephew, Shasta and Jevria, have dubbed the baby) is now as long as a carrot and weighs in at around 3/4 of a pound.












According to Babycenter.com:

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.

Here's what that carrot translates to:

Halfway there! Where did the time go?

Today marks the halfway point! I'm 20 weeks exactly, and feeling sentimental about it. It's hard to believe that half of this pregnancy is already behind me. I wish I could stop time so that I could enjoy being pregnant forever. I always thought I'd be one of those women who just LOVES being pregnant...like it's how they were always meant to be, and once they are, they are truly in their element. While it's been different from what I expected, for the most part I do feel like one of those women. Yes, there are random aches and pains and weird annoying symptoms like round ligament pain and ever-present nasal congestion, but I wouldn't trade this feeling - that I am creating a new life inside my own body, that I can now feel moving around - for anything. Granted, my pregnancy has been really easy so far and I know I've been incredibly lucky in that respect. I'm not sure I would feel the same way if I was dealing with crippling nausea 24 hours/day.

Here's the belly as of yesterday morning:
















And according to Babycenter.com:











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).

19 weeks today, and happy birthday to me!

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, talking 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.

Excuse me, but "pickling"? Couldn't they have come up with a better term than that?

Last night I went to my first prenatal yoga class with Stephanie and Nazy. It was great, though it reminded me of how out of shape I am. The three of us are going to try to go every week. It will be fun watching our bellies grow throughout the course of the class!

Speaking of bellies, here's mine as of yesterday morning. Getting a little rounder, and helloooo back flab. All for a good cause though I suppose...

















Today also happens to be my 31st birthday. It occurred to me that this is my last birthday ever without kids. Which means it's also my last birthday ever that matters at all, since it's all about the kids after they arrive. I'm not too concerned though. I can't wait for those sweet little kid-made birthday presents. Glitter-sprinkled macaroni glued onto construction paper, a lopsided something molded out of clay...that will be the best!

Feeling movement

I started feeling actual kicks a couple of days ago. I've been feeling flutters here and there for a few weeks now, but wasn't 100% convinced that it was the baby and not just...um, digestion. Also, this morning I felt her kick from the outside for the first time! I felt a couple of stronger kicks, and put my hand where they were coming from. Sure enough, a couple of seconds later I felt a tiny little tap on my hand! I wasn't expecting this to happen for at least another month, so it's very exciting. I can't wait until K can feel her...it probably won't be long now.

According to Babycenter.com:











Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Did I just pop?

UPDATE: Here is a photo taken this morning. I think I popped since the last one!

Big ultrasound! It's a...

We had our "big" ultrasound appointment yesterday, and everything is moving along right on schedule. We got lots of great pictures, and we found out that "it" is now officially a "she"...that's right, we're having a GIRL! A very long-legged girl, apparently. She takes after her daddy already. Here are some pics from the appointment:

In this one, she's curled up with her knees up by her face, with her little hand behind her knees. Our kitties do this exact pose all the time when they're sleeping!


Here's a straight-on one of her face, with her elbow up above. I think her hands are both behind her head. Chillaxin' to the max!


And now for one of the goods!


And finally, here's me as of two weeks ago (why can't I ever seem to have more recent pictures lying around?)


They bumped my due date up by two days based on the new measurements, so mark your calendars for March 6th! I'm starting to feel a few kicks here and there, which is just amazing. I can't wait until the movement is more regular. More updates to come!