23 week update, www.pregnancy.org

Taken from www.pregnancy.org Week Twenty-Three Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since he hasn't begun to form body fat. Bones located in the middle ear harden. Your baby is able to hear. The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. He has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars. If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, his odds going up with each passing day. . The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.

20 week Ultrasound and Check-up, 10/27/08

Today was our 20 week visit to the doctor. We had our ultrasound, which confirmed we still have a baby boy! His heartbeat was 143 then 146, very consistent. He was very active throughout the entire ultrasound. Some movements I can feel, others I cannot. He has grown quite a bit in the last month. Dr. Gilliam said his anatomy looks great! We saw the 4 chambers of the heart, stomach, kidneys, bladder, 5 fingers, 5 toes, 2 arms, 2 legs, little boy parts, spine, brain, pretty much everything. He is turned lenghwise across my belly right now, instead of up and down. I suspected this because I keep feeling him on one side of my belly. I have gained 7 pounds since our last visit (total of 12 lbs). Dr. Gilliam was pleased, she said I should gain a full 30 pounds by the end, and we are halfway there! Hard to believe.

We are so proud and excited! Thanks for checking in.

Week 20 Update

HERE WE ARE, CREEPING UP ON 20 WEEKS! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT! THIS INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM PREGNANCY.ORG. THIS IS WHAT OUR LITTLE GUY IS UP TO THIS WEEK. WE GO FOR OUR 20 WEEK ULTRASOUND ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 27TH. Week Twenty We're half way there! The rapid growth stage is about over. While things have slowed down, this next stage is vital to survival. The baby's heart grows stronger. Find a quiet place, lay flat on your back. Locate your own heartbeat by finding your pulse. Next lay your hand on your belly. You may be able to distinguish the two heartbeats! His legs are reaching their relative size. With the increase muscle develop occurring as well, you will start feeling much more than tiny flutter kicks soon! Immunities are being transferred from you to your baby now. These immune cells will protect him from viruses you've already had for up to six months after birth! The nerve cells for taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch are now developing in specialized areas of the brain. Production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections. Your baby may startle in reaction to loud sounds. Amazingly, he can actually hear noises outside of the womb. Familiar voices, music, and sounds, that baby becomes accustomed to during his development stages often are calming after birth. Baby is about 6.46 inches (16.4cm) and weighs around 10.58 ounces (300g).

Week 18 Update

Week Eighteen (Information from pregnancy.org) This is what our litte guy is up to this week! Vernix (a white cheese-like protective material) forms on baby's skin with the lanugo (soft, lightly pigmented hair covering the body and limbs); both serving to protect your baby's skin during the months in water. Your placenta continues to grow and nourish the baby. Don't forget those prenatal vitamins! Tiny air sacs called alveoli begin to form in lungs. He'll be putting these lungs to good use in just a few months! His vocal chords are formed. He goes through the motions of crying but without air she doesn't make a sound. Features of your baby's heart, including ventricles and chambers, should be visible during an ultrasound. Your baby measures about 5.59 inches (14.2cm) this week and weighs about 6.7 ounces (190gm).

16wk 4d Ultrasound/Dany's Birthday/September 29, 2008

What a great birthday present!!! What more could we have asked for?!

We had our 16 week check up today and everything is going great! I have gained 5 pounds, normal blood pressure, and no problems, baby's heartbeat was 143. We had a great visit. BUT, to top things off, we asked Dr. Gilliam for a special favor.......since today is my birthday, Bear and I thought it would be GREAT to get to see our special little person. Dr. Gilliam and the technician were able to work us in and not only did we get to see our little person, we got to see the little parts, too!!! AND we are pretty certain that we are having a BOY! We are both thrilled (as we would have been with a girl, too) and feel like we are floating in the clouds right now. I have also felt him moving quite a bit today, which feels so cool. We are so blessed and we thank the Good Lord for all the many gifts we have received.

We will go back for our 20 week visit on October 27th, when we will get to see him again! Thanks for checking on us.

Movement????

Just a short little announcement....I believe I felt light flutters this morning!!! I've been feeling lots of weird sensations, but this one was different and I'm pretty sure of what it was. I was lying down just after I woke up this morning and I kept feeling the same thing over and over. I haven't had that feeling before, SO of course I believe I felt the baby move for the 1st time!!! Just wanted to share that with you guys.

Heart Center Results, 9/12/08

Great news from the Heart Center today. All of the testing checked out normal!!! YEAY!!! They said it looks like I'm just experiencing some extra heart beats. They want me to come back in about 3 months, once we are a little further along, so this should be sometime in December. This is great news and I am so thankful! Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

We are about to enter 14 weeks and here is what is happening this week

(This is not a picture of our baby, this info was taken from pregnancy.org) Week Fourteen Thyroid gland has matured and your baby begins producing hormones which will be used throughout his or her life. In boys, the prostate gland develops In girls, the ovaries move from the abdomen to the pelvis Your little one may have learned to suck his thumb by this point! Your child's bones are getting harder and stronger by the day! Your baby's skin is very transparent still Lanugo (very fine hair) covers the baby's body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks gestational age - Generally this will be shed prior to birth. Its purpose is to help protect baby's skin while in all that water! Your baby is 3.42 inches (8.7cm) long and weighs about 1.52 ounces (43 grams) - approximately the weight of a letter!

Visit to the Heart Center, 9/4/08

Today's appt went well. I had an EKG that looked fine. They did some lab work to look at my thyroid and cholesterol. He also sent me home wearing a Holter Monitor. This will monitor my heart over the next 48 hours. Monday afternoon, I will return to his office and they will perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). This will show any valve problems, such as mitral valve prolapse. He expects everything will come back normal, but wants to confirm that theory with all the testing. I will update you all as soon as I know something. Thanks for checking on us!!!

12 wks and 5 days Prenatal Visit, Sept 2, 2008

The 3 of us, Bear, Dany, and Babe, went to visit with the doctor again today. Overall we had a great appt. The baby is doing great. We heard it's little heartbeat again, this time on the doppler. We didn't get a rate, because we only listened for 30 seconds or so. But the little booger was moving around so much, the doctor was chasing it for a heartbeat! We heard lots of movement and lots of healthy beats. It was great! Also, we have gained a whopping 1/2 pound!! Our blood pressure and pulse were normal. Mommy is having some heart palpitations, nothing to be very concerned about. But the doctor did schedule an appt for us at the Heart Center on Thursday, September 4th. There they will just confirm that it is all pregnancy related and normal. It isn't something that happens continuously, but when it does occur it is very tiresome and irritating. This started on Friday, and has continued through today. So, we will update you on this Thursday. Tune in for more excitement!!! Thanks for checking in on us all. Have a great day!