22 Weeks

‘tis 3 days before Christmas, and I can hardly contain, my joy and excitement to celebrate this day…so many great blessings and things through the year, so much to be thankful for, many reasons to cheer…2 days full of family and good food await, many gifts will be opened, we’ll give many thanks...but the greatest gift of all won’t be found under a tree, it’s wrapped tightly inside my growing belly...4 months from this day, our baby is due, our wonderful little miracle, we can’t wait to meet you!

We had an ultrasound on the 14th at 21 weeks, and everything with our little munchkin is looking great! As far as we can tell, it is a normal and healthy baby! We found out the sex, but decided not to reveal it to everyone. There has to be some surprises! :) I need to be better at updating this blog, so maybe I will make that my New Year's Resolution!

Half Baked

 

 

How your baby's growing:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He'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 his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

How your life's changing:

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.

If you haven't already signed up for a childbirth education class, you may want to look into one, especially if you're a first-timer. A structured class will help prepare you and your partner for the rigors of labor and delivery. Most hospitals and birth centers offer classes, either as weekly meetings or as a single intensive, one-day session. Many communities have independent instructors as well. Ask your friends, family members, or caregiver for recommendations.

18 Weeks!

We're almost halfway there! I'm still mostly looking fat, but starting to get a bit of a bump!

 

How your baby's growing:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. 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. 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.
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:

Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Make it count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, candy, and other sweets). Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow.
Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during this trimester your blood pressure will probably be lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy.
From now on, when you do lie down, it's best to lie on your side — or at least partly tilted to one side. (When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein, leading to decreased blood return to your heart.) Try placing a pillow behind you or under your hip or upper leg for comfort.
If you haven't already had a second-trimester ultrasound, you'll probably have one soon. This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking his thumb. Bring your partner along, and be sure to ask for a printout for your baby's first photo album!

15 Weeks!

Here is my 15 week belly in all it's glory!

 

 

 

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")
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:

Quick Clicks

• Inside pregnancy: Weeks 15 to 20
• All about ultrasounds
• The best kinds of exercise for pregnancy
• Why you might need to say no to pregnancy sex
• Vaginal discharge during pregnancy

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now (a little more or less is fine, too) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose.
If you're having amniocentesis, it'll most likely happen between now and 18 weeks. This test can identify hundreds of genetic and chromosomal disorders. If you're getting very anxious while waiting for the results, it may help to know that most women who undergo amniocentesis get good news about their babies — bringing welcome relief from their worries.
Don't be surprised if you and your partner are feeling a little stressed out these days. Many pregnant couples worry about their baby's health and how they'll handle the changes ahead. But with physical discomforts on the wane and energy on the rise, this is also a wonderful trimester for most women.

12 Weeks!

Week 12

Here I am at 12 weeks, second trimester, woohoo! I mostly just look bloated. I started wearing maternity pants about a week ago because the regular ones no longer snap, button, or zip. Whoever invented maternity clothes should get a hug. :)

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.
See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb 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:

Quick Clicks

• Sex during pregnancy: An overview
• What activities should I avoid during pregnancy?
• A BabyCenter tour for expectant dads
• Inside pregnancy: Girl or boy?
• Skin darkening during pregnancy

Your uterus has grown to the point where your healthcare provider can now feel the top of it (the fundus) low in your abdomen, just above your pubic bone. You may already be into maternity clothes, especially if this isn't your first pregnancy. If you're still fairly small and not yet ready for maternity clothes, you've no doubt noticed that your waist is thickening and that you're more comfortable in loose, less restrictive clothing.
You may begin to feel heartburn (also called acid indigestion), a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat. Many women get heartburn for the first time during pregnancy, and those who've previously had bouts of heartburn may find that it gets worse. During pregnancy, the placenta produces a lot of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Particularly when you're lying down, gastric acid can seep back up the pipe, which causes the uncomfortable burning sensation. For many women the problem doesn't begin (or get worse) until later in pregnancy, when your growing uterus starts to push up on your stomach. The discomfort may range from mildly annoying to intense and distracting.

My baby is...

The size of a lime! It's fun to see what fruits and vegetables our Little Lloyd will be compared to as it grows!

We hoped and prayed it would happen some day and Oh we're pregnant by the way!

The next chapter of our story begins on August 21. Well, it actually began a few weeks before that, but since we’re all adults here, I don’t think I need to explain those happenings to everyone.
I woke up in the morning, and for some reason, the thought popped into my head that my period hadn’t started yet. I tend to have long cycles, but when I got to counting the days, it had been 37 days since the first day of my last period (July 16) and that is long, even for my wacky body.

I was getting ready to go to WalMart to pick up a couple of things. I’m not sure I even remember what they were at this point, I think maybe mascara and something else. I decided while I was there to pick up a box of pregnancy tests, just to rule it out, knowing full well that it would be negative. I was so sure it would be negative that I didn’t even tell Brent I was going to buy one.

After my shopping excursion, I decided to do what I used to do every month, but had stopped doing a while ago…pee on that darn stick, and pray that it turned out positive.
I did my business, and while putting the cap back on, the second line starting showing up instantly. I didn’t even have the cap fully on before it showed up. It showed up even before the control line, or the “evil not pregnant line” as I like to call it.
I’m not sure if I got my pants pulled up before I walked out of the bathroom or not. Luckily it was just me, Brent, and the furkids, so it wasn’t anything unseen to any of them! J Brent is sitting on the couch on his laptop, and I walk up to him, shaking, saying “I don’t believe it!” and shoving the pregnancy test in his face. I think it took him about 30 seconds to register what I was shoving in his face, and then he just looked at me in shock. The look on my face had to have been priceless at this point. I am pretty sure that I said “I don’t believe it” about 12 more times before we hugged and I started crying.
I’m sure for most women, the moment they find out they are pregnant is overwhelming and exciting, but I don’t think anything can top the rush of emotions a woman struggling with infertility feels. Especially when you’ve pretty much given up, and assumed that a pregnancy was never going to happen for you.
Throughout the day, I kept looking at the pregnancy test. I took a picture of it. I stuck it in Brent’s face several times. I showed it to my dog, and my cat. I looked at it in the mirror. I wanted to carry it around everywhere with me, and sleep with it under my pillow, but Brent said no. To this day, I still have that pregnancy test in my purse. And yes, the cap is on!
Over the course of the next week, I took several more tests. They were all positive.
But that didn’t calm my anxiety. I know how it feels to lose a baby, and the last time we discovered we were pregnant, the joy was ripped from us a week later. We kept the news to ourselves for a week, and really, I was just waiting for it to happen again. But it hasn’t. The following Sunday we told Brent’s parents, and then Wednesday we told my parents. I wrote them a poem, which I will share with you all now.

We have some good news to send your way
We know how much you’ve been waiting for this day
Maybe not as much as us, but surely close behind
This news is pretty awesome, it will probably blow your mind
If you are not sitting down, I suggest you do that now
We never thought this day would come but it’s here…some way, some how.
The suspense is building as you read this poem, word for word and line for line
It’s time to share the secret that we’ve been holding for some time
A few months down the road from now, there’s someone you’ll want to know
Someone you’ll want to call your own, to watch play and laugh and grow.
The dream we’ve had for 3 long years is finally coming true
We’re overwhelmed by the wonderful news we have to share with you
We’re so excited, blessed, delighted, and overjoyed
Towards the end of April, there will finally be a LITTLE LLOYD!!!
Yes, I swear, you read that right, grandparents you will be…
I can’t believe it’s finally happened…pregnant, knocked up, and having a baby!!

We didn't really share the news with anyone else until Thursday, after we had our first doctor's appointment. We had an ultrasound and got to briefly hear the heartbeat, and amazingly, everything is going great so far. The heartbeat was 171. The baby looks like a little jelly bean right now at 9 weeks. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

I still am in shock and awe that this happened. I really thought our path to parenthood was headed towards adoption...many years down the road when we could afford it. But, miracles do happen, and God does answer prayers, just in his own time.
We thank everyone so much for all their prayers and well wishes. Please continue those until our due date of April 25. We are praying so hard for a healthy baby.