Week 32...Baby Shower for Christian

Week 31...dedicated to Kinya and Sanaa

Baby weight: He’s probably weighing about 4lbs now
Fruit equivalent: bunch of asparagus
What’s growing this month:

·         He’s definitely getting fatter…woo hoo

Week 30 photos

Week 29 photos

Week 27 photos

Week 26 photos

Week 25 photos

Week 24

Baby weight: about 1.5 lbs (but I think June Bug may be bigger than that)
Fruit equivalent: corn
What’s growing this month:

·         Baby’s lungs are secreting surfactant- helps the lungs to inflate

·         He is starting to fill out his skin and he is becoming less transparent

Week 23....sorry for the 4 week hiatus

Baby weight: more than 1 lb
Fruit equivalent: a pomegranate
What’s growing this month:

·         His sense of movement is well developed and he can feels me dancing

·         Blood vessels in his lungs are preparing him to breathe

·         Baby is continuing to gain weight

Boy or Girl???

Watch the video to find out....

Week 19

 I've been so busy this week packing that I haven't had time to answer my usual questions...these pictures will just have to do the job this week

18 weeks and counting...

Baby size: 5.59 inches
Baby weight: 6.70 oz
Fruit equivalent: Bell Pepper
What’s growing this month:

·         ­She’s covered in a greasy, waxy, cheese-like substance called vernix caseosa- this protects baby’s skin from the amniotic fluid and it helps when its time to deliver the baby

·         She’s conscious of the noises from the outside world because her outer ear is fully developed, her inner ear will continue to develop throughout the second trimester

·         Her sense of sight is evolving

How far along: 18 weeks, 6 days
Total weight gain: about 7 lbs I think
Maternity clothes: I bought some shirts and dresses today from Burlington Coat Factory
Stretch marks: The usual
Sleep: The usual
Best moment of this week: It was a precious moment on Sunday. My husband had to teach Sunday School and when he started to talk, Sweet Pea started to move. I was like “awwww” she knows her daddy’s voice. I’m very convinced that she knows his voice because he talks to her so much. He started singing to her tonight and she moved. I’m like I’m convinced I’m having a girl that’s in love with her daddy already lol.
Miss anything: No
Movement: Yes. It’s always so wonderful to feel her moved. Earlier I felt her move when I was crying, and it made me cry even harder when she moved, it was like her way of saying it’s okay Mommy…too cute
Food cravings: Um the usual
Anything making you queasy or sick: I got sick on Tuesday (technically my 19^th week, but I may forget to post it in that post). It was kind of funny and I think my child has a sense of humor. I was packing up some books and I was already tired but I just wanted to finish up a little more before I got ready for work. Well I accidentally bumped a book into my belly and it hurt pretty bad. But it was nothing to be overly concerned about so I kind of ignored it. And then a minute later I started feeling queasy and I was thinking, I feel like I’m going to vomit. That quickly changed to, “I KNOW I’M GOING TO VOMIT”. And I ran to the bathroom. Indeed that is what happened. I rubbed my stomach and apologized to Sweet Pea. She was probably like, “what in the world is this lady doing out there, I got something for her, for disturbing me” lol.
Have you started to show yet: Um, sometimes…not as big as I want to be though
Gender Prediction: I’ve changed my mind once again, I’m on Team Pink now…and I will be actually content if I’m having a girl…we shall see
Labor signs: Definitely not
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: on
Happy or moody most of the time: Um, pretty normal. I take it day-by-day. Some days are better than others, it just depends
Looking forward to: Moving and starting to work on baby’s nursery
Anything else:  One of my kids at work said to me…
            Student: Ms. LaTeeka, you look pregnant!
            Me: (stunned and excited at the same time) Oh maybe, it’s just the dress I have on that makes me      look pregnant
            Student: No, you’ve been looking like that for a few days now
            Me: Oh, so are you saying that I look fat?
            Student: No, you just look pregnant
Haha! That was totally exciting that a kid noticed but of course I didn’t tell her I was yet. I want to wait until I find out what I’m having before I share the news with the kids…

Week 17

Baby size: 5.12 inches
Baby weight: 5-7 oz
Fruit equivalent: Onion
What’s growing this month:

·         Her heart is now regulated by her brain instead of random beats

·         She’s continually practicing to suck and swallow

·         Her sweat glands are starting to develop

Week 16

Baby size: 4.57 inches
Baby weight: 3.53 oz (100 g)
Fruit equivalent: an avocado
What’s growing this month:

·         Baby’s head is more erect than what it’s been

·         Heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day (this will increase to 1900 quarts per day at 40 weeks)

·         Baby has started growing toenails

·         My uterus weights about half a pound, and there’s about 7.5 oz of amniotic fluid surrounding my baby

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Doctor's Appointment...16 week checkup

So hubby didn't come with me to this appointment because I knew it would be a quick appointment and he heard baby's heartbeat the day prior so we did find it necessary. So anyways, my daddy called me that morning to see how I was doing and wanted to know if I needed a ride to the appointment or if I was up to driving. I told him I would call him back when I woke from my nap. Well I was feeling a whole lot better than the previous day so I told him I would drive myself.

Trip to the ER

Hopefully this will be the first and last trip that I need to take to the ER while I’m pregnant…So here it goes. On Tuesday night I started to get a cold. I was congested, coughing, and head a congested headache. I woke up Wednesday morning and went to a meeting and my boss told me that if I needed to call out on Thursday then please do not hesitate because she would cover for me. At the time, I didn’t think I would have a need to call out because at the moment I only had a headache. So anyway, that night I was sure to take some Robitussin for the coughing and around 3am in the morning I awakened because my stomach was very tight and uncomfortable. I felt “extremely full” like I had just ate way more than I could handle, but I had been asleep for hours so that was definitely not the case.

Week 15

Baby size: 4 inches
Baby weight: 70 grams (2.5 oz)
Fruit equivalent: Apple
What’s growing this month:

·         Her legs are growing longer than her arms now and she can move all her joints and limbs

·         She can sense light

·         She’s forming taste buds

·         Hair is sprouting on top of his head and his eyebrows have begun to fill in

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Deep longing for love...random thoughts

Last night was a pretty random night. I decided to go through my journals that dated as far back as 1999 and up to I was a senior in High School. After reading several excerpts, I quickly realized my deep longing for love. Every entry that I read was centered around a boy. I think saying that I was simply “boy crazy” would not give the full picture as to why my world was centered around boys, so I won’t use that term. But one thing I know for fact, is my deep longing for love. As I read my journals last night, I remembered how I always felt like a part of me was missing. I’m not sure why I felt that way but I think that feeling also rooted in the longing to be loved. So as I read these journal entries, I became that little girl/teenage girl all over again because I remember those feelings of hurt and disappointment. Now that I’m pregnant, I think a lot about the mother that I want to be. 

Week 14...2nd Trimester!!!

Baby size: 3.42 inches
Baby weight: 43 grams
Fruit equivalent: Lemon
What’s growing this month:

·         Lanugo(fine hair) is starting to appear over the body

·         Baby can now squint, frown, and grimace

·         Baby’s liver starts to make bile this week (meconium)

·         Baby is starting to develop the ability to move his eyes, although eyes are fused shut until after 27 weeks

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13 weeks...last week of my 1st Trimester

Sorry! I never got around to taking a picture..and since I'm in my 14 week now...it wouldn't be accurate

Baby size: 2.91 inches
Baby weight: 23 grams
Fruit equivalent: Peach
What’s growing this month:

·         tiny bones are beginning to form in her arms and legs

·         intestines have moved from the umbilical cord to the abdomen

·         vocal cords are done forming

·         she may be able to suck her thumb now and make a fist

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Week 12

Baby size: 2.13 inches
Baby weight: 14 grams
Fruit equivalent: Plum
What’s growing this month:

·         The most dramatic development this week is reflexes.

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Doctor's Appointment...12 week checkup

So we had our 12 week checkup on Friday. It was a fairly quick appointment and my mother accompanied us. On the way to the doc's appointment I really felt like that would be the day I vomited. I ate a breakfast sandwich...well I partially ate it...and then I started feeling very queasy. So I drove with a bag in my lap just in case...luckily, nothing happened. So anyway, we got there and they took my weight. I gained a good ol' pound. That made me a little nervous. I don't feel like I've been eating enough and actually I proved myself to be right today because I tracked my calories, and sure enough I'm not eating enough. So I'm perplexed as to what to do at this moment... anyway, nurse asked a few questions and then asked me to lay back and lift my shift...Woah, faster than I thought. I looked behind to my hubby and asked if he were ready? Well I asked him to record it so we could have it for later and he did. So it took the nurse like 50 seconds to find Sweet Pea's heartbeat and she was bumping at 162 bpm. She said she was still below my pelvic bone and that's why it took awhile. I said, woah, it dropped and she laughed and reassured me that everything was fine and that baby's heartbeat would drop some more. Later hubby confided that he was a little nervous when it took the nurse so long to find the heartbeat but I wasn't nervous at all because I knew that baby was in there. So anyway, soon after our doctor came inside. She said everything looked great and baby was doing great. I asked her if it was ok that I only gained a pound and she said that was totally fine because some women actually lose weight in their first trimester. She also said by my next appointment I should gain about 4 pounds or so. I asked her about her induction procedure and she said with first time moms she tries to let baby come out when they are ready but statistics show that past 42 weeks baby has a slim chance of coming on their own. She said if baby isn't here she would induce in the 41st week. I asked her where my uterus was and she pressed down on my tummy (it actually hurt) and right below my belly button was where she said the top of the uterus was and she also pressed down to show where baby was. It was a quick appointment and then we all left. I scheduled my 16 week appointment and my 20 week appointment. That is on April 26 and we will get to find out the sex of the baby...I'm too excited...and can't wait...

Week 11

Baby size: 1.61 inches
Baby weight: 7g
Fruit equivalent: lime
What’s growing this month:

·         Tiny fingernails are now developing and will continue to grow during the next several months

·         She may start hiccupping now that her diaphragm is forming

·         Baby’s ears are assuming their proper place

·         Baby is busy moving arms and legs

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Week 10....30 more weeks to go!!!

Baby size: 1.22 inches
Baby weight: 4 grams
Fruit equivalent: a Prune
What’s growing this month:

·         Baby will start taking practice breaths of the amniotic fluid

·         Baby’s limbs can bend now: hands are flexed at the wrist; arms can bend at the elbows

·         Hair is starting to sprout

·         She may be able to hear because the inner workings of the ear are complete

·         Kidneys are producing urine

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Week 9

Baby size: 0.9 inches

Baby weight: 2 grams

Fruit equivalent: a cherry
What’s growing this month:

• All of baby's limbs are visible
• Baby's heart has divided into four chambers
• Tiny teeth start to form
• Baby's eyes are fully formed, but fused shut until about week 27
• Cartilage and bones begin to form
• Last week of being an embryo

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The Doctor's Appointment...

So we found out we were pregnant on Jan 6 and I had my first doctor's appointment 26 days later on Feb 1. Let me tell you, it was a LOOONNNGGGGGG 26 days. I remember during the first week I had a panic attack that I may have a miscarriage after reading post of women that had and I freaked out. I cried to my husband but he was so tired that he wasn't very consoling. Then at the end of my 6th week/beginning of 7th week was when NAUSEA began to show its ugly face. Prior to that, I was like wow being pregnant is easy and I guess I'm one of the lucky few. Too bad I didn't knock on wood, because NAUSEA showed up without a warning. One morning, I just felt sick after eating and it lingered all day long. During that same time, my appetite changed and foods didn't taste the same or even sound good in my mind. I'm battling NAUSEA now but when I drink lemon water it helps a lot. Crackers definitely didn't do it for me...Idk if it was because its so salty and neither did ginger ale...but LEMON WATER is definitely the trick. So fast forward to Feb 1 at 1pm...

Week 8

Hubby was adamant about not getting up from the couch, so he zoomed in to take the photo. Please excuse any kind of blurriness :)

Baby size: .63 inches
Baby weight: .04 ounce
Fruit equivalent: raspberry
What’s growing this month:

·         Eyelids are developing

·         Hands and feet have developed from the arm and legs buds

·         Neural pathways are starting to develop at a rapid pace

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Week 7

I think this is a pretty cool looking photo that's why I added it at the end. My hubby has been struggling with the flash when taking photos.

Baby size: .51 inches

Baby weight: less than a gram

Fruit equivalent: a blueberry

What’s growing this month: 

• hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs, even though they look like paddles
• mouth and tongue are forming
• both hemispheres of baby's brain is growing
• umbilical cord is now visible
  

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Week 6

Don't mind the stain on my shirt, this was taken right after I made chicken and rice soup

Baby size: .25 inches

Baby weight: less than a gram

Fruit equivalent: a pea

What’s growing this month:

• Baby's ears, nose and mouth are starting to form
• Intestines and lungs are starting to develop

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Week 6...in the snow

First Announcement

Chris told me that we would tell pastor on Friday after service. By this time, I was tired of arguing so I didn't object. And sure enough when service was over, he walked to pastor and asked if we could meet with his wife and him. Pastor said that he needed to get his daughter but it's ok. I quickly intercepted and said, "It's alright pastor, we can meet with you later". But that didn't work and he said oh no, come on. So we all walked to his office and we sat in front of the two of them. And then pastor asked what was going on. I can't remember verbatim what my husband said but it was along the lines of, "my wife is expecting!". Pastor and First Lady both congratulated us and my husband quickly added, "but we are not telling anyone else yet".  So they agreed to not say anything and my husband said, "she's 4 weeks". And I corrected him (in hindsight I don't think I should have) and said, "actually I'm 5 weeks. Our first appointment is on Feb 1 and then we will get an ultrasound done and make sure baby is doing good". We also told them that we hadn't even told our parents yet.

Some how, I mentioned to First Lady that I didn't want to work after the baby was born. And she added that if you can do that, it will be so fulfilling and it's a wonderful thing. And pastor hurried and added but the two of you need to discuss it because finances are the number one reason for break-ups. He was totally right by adding that in it. So hubby and I've been talking about that a lot lately. I've wanted to be a stay-at-home mom to my children since before I can remember. Not indefinitely, but ideally until they start Preschool. At that age, they can tell mommy and daddy if someone hurt them whereas if they are small, they cannot voice it. And I want nothing more than to be able to protect my children. 

So anyway, this subject has definitely been up for quite a lot of discussion. We both have valid reasons and I pray that the Lord will lead us in this decision.

Week 5

Baby size: .13 inches

Baby weight: less than a gram

Fruit equivalent: an appleseed

What’s growing this month:

• The central nervous system, muscles, bones and even the heart will begin to form around this time. 
• Early skeletal development may also begin 
• The heart will begin to divide into separate chambers and start pumping blood. 
• The circulatory system is the first organ system to function! 
  

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Daddy loves you!

I am surely falling deeper in love with my husband as the days pass by. He is so excited about this "appleseed" I have inside of me right now. Before he leaves in the morning for work or before he goes to sleep, he leans down to my belly and rubs it and says, "Daddy loves you". I have informed him that baby won't develop ears until week 6 and they won't begin to hear us until around week 16, but he doesn't care. I wanted to finish watching a movie that we started (Heat) and my husband objected because, "I don't want baby to hear all of that vulgar language". haha!!

BFP!!

So I received my BFP (big fat positive) on Sunday. It was totally weird and I was so not expecting it to go down like that...

Hubby's face is like that because he was disgusted that I had a "pee stick" near his face lol.