19 weeks

So this is a little late - usually I post on Fridays. This weekend was really busy being that it was my birthday weekend. I can't say that there have been anymore changes this week. I have had a cold for the last 4 days. I didn't think there was anything I could take except Tylenol which would only get rid of a headache and fever. I have a dry cough and congested nose (it's runny during the day and congested at night). Between getting up to pee 3-4 times during the night, coughing, or flipping from one side to the other; I don't think I'm getting a whole lot of sleep.

The one thing I keep telling myself is that I've made it to the half-way point. It's all down hill from here, right? This is where all the good stuff starts - ultrasounds, feeling the baby move, Jon being able to feel the baby move, being able to buy stuff that is gender related.

When I went to Colby, WI with Margaret this past Saturday, we stopped at a consignment store. I ended up finding a couple stuffed animals, books, and outfits that were gender neutral. I know I'm going to be in trouble once I know what the sex of Chishi is because you can buy a lot of clothes at thrift stores when they are only .99-2.99 vs. what they are in the stores. Buying baby clothes in thrift stores is way different than buying adult clothes. Adult clothes have been worn for years and you don't even know what size they really are anymore. Baby clothes look like they have hardly been worn.

Only 1 1/2 weeks until the ultrasound!

Chishi update:
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. 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.

18 weeks

Nothing new again this week. I wish I had more to report. I' m starting to think I look pregnant at least. It's hard to believe that I am almost to the half way point (especially since I write about my week when I am at the end of it-I'm really 18 weeks 5 days right now). I have been having more food aversions than cravings lately. I can eat half of what I used to eat and feel really full.

I looked into daycare a little more this week. Called a bunch of places to find if there was availability first. Many places did not have openings for infants. Glad I kept to the books and started looking now. We ended up finding a place that is two blocks away. Home daycare with about 7 kids. Her infant is turning one so he is moving into the toddler age range. Her prices and flexibility were really nice too. I called her references and they gave her "A's across the board" or "can't say enough good things about her", "my kids love her and still talk about her". They even answered a few questions that I had about the daycare (guess that's the point of a reference). I called her back to sign the contract and put down a $75 deposit. This will hold a spot until the baby is born and I go back to work. Right now Jon is working weekends so he has Wed and Thursday off. We can pay daycare $30/day=$90/wk. If he is able to go back to M-F so we can have the weekends off as a family then the fee would be $135/wk. Either would be fine, but it would be nice to switch back at some point.

Chishi's development:
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long 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.

Baby Shower?

So it wasn't a real baby shower. My mom invited me, Margaret and my Aunt Sally to a "Baby Shower" that Babies-R-Us was putting on. We were a 1/2 hour early, so my mom printed off my registry and told me to point everything out to her that was on it because she hates trying to find everything in the store. Mostly every time I would show them what I was registered for, they would find a better one they thought I should be registered for. I compiled my registry by having Jodi go through the website and the store with me and then Jon added a few things when we went through the store. I know Jodi knows her stuff - she has two kids, recently. There are a lot of products out there that do more than you really need, but you don't want to get bare minimum either. I was trying to register for items that I would need, but may not be out of people's price range.

After we walked around the store for an hour or more they finally announced that the "shower" would be starting in the back of the store. First off was a diapering contest. My mom vs. Sally=mom won. Me vs. Margaret=I won. We won sample diapers. They also had boxes and sample wipes at the front of the store. Between the game and those samples I ended up with 18 diapers and about the same in wipes. Hehe. After the first game they announced they would be doing a tour of the store. Since we had already walked around for an hour, we bugged out on that. Time for lunch.

Byerly's across the parking lot was our lunch spot. They had fresh made sushi. I had a California roll (nothing raw). Then we went to JoAnn Fabrics. I think we spent more time there than at BRU. The moms must have caught a bug from Joan because they were looking through patterns and buying matching fabric to the quilt she made. All had ideas of things they wanted to make for the room or baby. Should be interesting what comes of it. I know Margaret used to make clothes for her boys, but I have only seen my mom make curtains, pillows, or cushions.

17 weeks

My appetite has gone down or I am so busy at work that I don't think about it. Both are a good thing. Keeps my mind busy. I haven't felt like doing much at home. I've spent the last week watching 2 seasons of Dark Angel.


Last weekend we went to Gracie's 2nd birthday party at the Kruse's house. It was interesting watching four 2 year olds interact. Best part was seeing Jason hold a baby! Yes, I said it. He held little Brianna and neither of them cried. Joan gave me the quilt that her, Jodi and I had picked out fabric for. It turned out beautiful.

My cravings this week have been minimal. Can't get enough milk. It tastes so good. I think Jon and I go through a gallon in 2-3 days. When I go to ALDI I have to buy 2 gallons at a time to make sure we don't run out. Makes sense reading my Babycenter update.

Sleeping has been getting interesting. I start on a side and wake up on my stomach. I wake up because it actually doesn't feel good-it feels like I'm sleeping on a small ball. The hard part about finding a comfortable position is that my side of the bed starts off with half the bed and sometime in the night I wake up and it is 1/3. Jon tends to meander to the middle of the bed, does not make me happy. If I shove him over enough, he may stay on his side.

Tomorrow I go to my first baby shower. Babies-R-Us is having a "shower". My mom, Margaret, and I are going. Not sure what the store has planned. Should be fun.

Chishi update:
Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

16 weeks

4 months. wow. still no difference in how I feel. I have been feeling the flutters if I concentrate and hold really still. The heartburn comes and goes, but mostly coincides with what I eat. I haven't been craving steak as much. Now it is milk. I believe the stage I am getting into for week 17 is where the bones are forming. Makes sense. Need more calcium for those bones. Before I needed iron for all the blood supply. The weeks seem to be going by so fast. It helps that I am still at work because things are busy enough to keep my mind from wandering. My mom has asked me about a shower. I didn't think it would be time for that already, but I guess she wants to start planning. Lots of people have suggested I start taking photos now also. I really don't notice, but if I saw week by week I probably would. Until the indentation where my pants cut in at my belly button goes away, then I will know that I am showing. For now I just look the same...with bigger boobs.

Another weird dream: I had a dream where my KIDS were full grown. Boy and girl. Boy was so old he had a goatee, and girl was a teen. Wonder if that will be the order.

BabyCenter update:
Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now he's 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.