28 1/2 week update and Dr. Appt

In this picture, Braydn has his arms and legs (ankles crossed) in front of his face....OUCH!

This is the only face shot we got of him. It isn't very clear, but you should be able to make out eyes, nose, and mouth. Big foot shot! You could clearly see all 5 toes... (and fingers on his hands).

Side view of the belly at 28 1/2 weeks.

Bear and Dany in front of our "Christmas Mantle" posing before the doctor's appt.

This morning we had our 28 1/2 week check up. This was the last monthly visit appointment. After today we will begin seeing the doctor every 2 weeks.

• First thing - we weighed....gained 5.5 lbs since last visit (total weight gain is 18.5 lbs). She said we are right on target and if our total weight gain stays between 25-30 lbs by delivery, we will be perfect!
• Second thing - blood pressure, it was 90/54, has gone down since the beginning of pregnancy, but this is where my bp normally sits. This was also a good report.
• Third thing - glucola test, to prepare for this I had a choice of whether to drink 'the famous orange drink' or eat 18 jelly beans. I chose the jelly beans! Then in one hour they draw blood to determine your sugar level, this is an indicator of gestational diabetes. If level is okay, that means my body, and Bradyn's body, are producing enough insulin to keep sugar levels under control. We will get these results tomorrow.
• Fourth thing - ultrasound, Braydn's heart rate was 151, he measured right on target for our due date of Friday, March 13th!!! He also measured 2 lbs 15 oz. He is in the 60th percentile, which Dr. Gilliam says is great...not too big and not too small! We only got one very faint face shot, you can see above. He was asleep almost the whole time (until it was over, of course) with one arm across his face and one arm behind his back (Ouch!).
• Fifth thing - bathroom break and wait on Dr. Gilliam. The bathroom break was very necessary by this point! I began to wonder if I was going to wet my pants before they would let me go! Urine checked out good, no sugar or protein.
• Sixth thing - Dr. Gilliam came in to talk with us. We got the schedule for birthing classes. We will most likely be in the class beginning Jan. 15th. She also explained the hip pain I've been having. We've also been having some Braxton Hicks contractions, which she confirmed. This is normal. The only concern is if I have six or more within one hour. They are very sparatic, 3-4/hr then no more for a few hours, then maybe one here and there. So, we are good in that department, as well!
• Lastly, Seventh thing - scheduled our next appointment which will be January 5th at 11:30am.

Dr. Gilliam is planning to be at the hospital when we deliver, she said, unless she is out of town. They only time she is scheduled to be out of town is March 15-18!!! So, I pray that he will come the week of our due date or after the 18th! She did say she will not let us go longer than one week past our due date, so the absolute latest he will arrive is March 20th!

Thanks for checking in on us. We will post tomorrow after we get our results from the glucola test.

26 1/2 week photo update, December 7, 2008

As you can see we are moving right along. :) Braydn is really active now, especially in the morning and at night. This morning he actually woke me up with his aerobics practice! For almost 45 minutes we felt him kicking and/or punching continuously, one after another!!! So, I guess we need to prepare ourselves for some all-nighters with this little guy! Things are still going well. No problems at all, just an achy back every day and night, but I guess that can be expected! Thanks for checking in. Our next visit is December 22nd. I'll try to post again before then, though.

Nursery Pictures, 12/3/08

Here are a couple of photos of the newly painted nursery, finished it Saturday. It's a shade of light green. I couldn't get a great angle, so I hope you can tell enough from the pictures. I was proud to finally get it finished and for once the color matched what I had imagined!

Photo Update, 12/02/08

These are not the best pictures.....I set the automatic timer to take these. The top picture was taken this morning at almost 26 weeks. The bottom 2 pictures were taken on 11/22/08 at 24 weeks. As you can see, we are definitely making some progress. My belly seems to have exploded in the last month! :) I painted the nursery this past weekend. I'll post some pictures of it soon.

24 Week Checkup, November 24, 2008

To start things off, we have decided on his name......Danley Braydn Whitlock! We will call him Braydn. Actually, we already refer to him as Braydn, and call him by name. It's really fun! We had our 24 week check up with Dr. Gilliam today. My blood pressure was good, 120/70. We have gained one pound since last visit (raising the total to 13 lbs). We heard his heart beat on the doppler again, and she commented on how active he is (they say that every time, he must really be a busy little bee in there). We are scheduled to go back on December 22nd for our glucoli (sugar test), lab work, and another ultrasound. This will be a great Christmas present for daddy and I, we can't wait to see our little Braydn again! By the way, I must mention, that Braydn had a 1st cousin born on Friday, November 21st, Virginia Ruth Little. She weighed 6 lb 3 oz, 18 1/2" long. Mom and baby are both doing great. They went home yesterday. Thanks for checking in. I'll post some pictures soon of our outward belly progress! It has changed since last time, I can promise you all that! We hope everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving! We are very thankful for our great family and friends and especially for our sweet little Braydn!

We will be 24 weeks on Thursday, 11/20/08

24 WEEK UPDATE (from www. pregnancy.org) Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs. His body begins to fill out with his appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn. Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his distaste. Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of his hands has improved as he sucks his thumb. Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily. This week your baby is officially considered viable. Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!

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).