The Life and Times of Baby Dimick

Doctor Visit and GBS

2010-08-04T23:58:00.000-04:00

I had my weekly doctor's appointment today. The first thing I asked the doctor was if he could take her out today. He said no. Jerk.

It was a bit of an emotional visit after that, however, because he told me I was positive for Group B Strep, the bacteria they tested me for last week. I started sobbing, so it turned into a little therapy session.

Group B Strep, which is not related to Strep like Strep throat, is a bacteria that 10-35% of the pregnant female population hosts in their vaginal and/or rectal regions. It is completely harmless to adults, but there is a chance of it being transmitted to the baby during delivery. If the baby were to transmit the Strep, she could develop serious infections or pneumonia soon after birth.

What it means for me is that I will be on IV antibiotics during labor and delivery to reduce the chance of passing it along. However, since I am allergic to penicillin, they will have to do some testing on me to see which antibiotic I will be able to tolerate. I did not ask whether we will be able to do that ahead of time or it will be done when I get to the hospital since I was too busy freaking out and crying, but when I am calm tomorrow I will call and ask more questions.

The doctors say the chance of the baby having any complications is VERY slim since we will be prepared with antibiotics, but I can't help but freak out and feel so guilty. This THING I have inside me could seriously hurt my baby, and that is my fault. Okay, so I had no control over being one of the population to have this bacteria (it is not contracted or developed due to something I did), but it is still in ME and I am now exposing my baby to another complication on a day that could be full of complications.

Plus, I don't know as much about this as the doctors, so it is hard to just think, Oh, okay, they will hook me up to an IV. No problem. I keep thinking of the what-ifs: What if I am at work and it takes me a long time to get to the hospital? What if she is exposed to the bacteria before they have a chance to get the IV up and running? What if my sensitivity to most drugs causes problems and the antibiotics are not delivered on time or efficiently? I never claimed to be someone who doesn't overreact or over-think things.

After that whole big bombshell he dropped on me, he checked the heartbeat, and it was loud and strong, and then told me it was good that I was having a few sporadic contractions. After that, I was all prepared for him to check and see if I was dilated, but he says they don't do that until the 39th week unless there is a very good reason. He said many doctors don't do that preemptively anymore because it is very painful, and contractions or water breaking is a much more accurate sign of progress. He said I could request one at any time, but at their practice they will not ever induce me unless there is an excellent reason, so if I was dilated and not contracting, they would just tell me to hang in there.

So, I asked him if I could request him breaking my water. He said no. Again. Even after I offered to bake him a cake. Jerk.

After calling Jeremy and my mom sobbing, I went to Joann Fabric and finally bought some fabric for sheets for the cradle (I am going to keep her in our room for a while in the cradle my dad made for me when I was a baby). I also finally bought a canvas, paints, and brushes to get started on a painting I want to make to hang in her nursery above the crib. I hope it turns out!!!

Then I moped around the rest of the night, because crying exhausts me! I know this Group B Strep is not the hugest thing in the world, but I am so frustrated and feel so out of control. I have been trying so hard to do everything right, and now there is nothing I can do to minimize this risk for her. I guess this is just practice for the rest of her life, right? :)

It was 36 Weeks ... a Few Days Ago

2010-08-02T13:52:00.000-04:00

Yes, I missed posting on the real 36 weeks mark, which was Saturday. All I have to offer are lame excuses. The last week of my life has mostly been divided among three activities: 1) Frantically nesting while sweat pours down my face and my feet ache and I feel like passing out, but I MUST CLEAN AND ORGANIZE BECAUSE WORLD WILL END IF I DO NOT; 2) Taking a break at the end of a nesting period (which usually lasts about 6 hours) with my feet up on a pillow and crying uncontrollably; and 3) Sleeping (but still not at night -- this also ties in nicely to the crying times).

On Saturday I hosted a girls night at my house, and a few high school friends came over. So Friday and Saturday were all about the cleaning and shopping and no time for the resting, crying, or sleeping, but it was well worth it, because it was a really fun night. Like, no one left until 4:00 AM fun. It's great to get to talk to them and eat for huge stretches like that.

ANYWAY, I was supposed to have the 36 week post already written and then have Jeremy take a picture of me on Saturday before the girls arrived, but I was running behind schedule and sweating profusely and did not want a picture of me sweating and without make-up, so I skipped it. I thought I could get one on Sunday, but after my full day, my feet were once again looked like hams on toothpicks, so when I finally woke up on Sunday, I ignored all the other things that REALLY needed to be done and sat on the couch with my feet propped up all day (and as of right now, the right one is still pretty puffy. gross.). So when Jeremy got home, I shrieked "NO PICTURE!" and scared him out of the room. And here we are on Monday. I am feeling miserable and have NO intention of getting dressed or putting on make-up, and I have 30 papers to grade before tomorrow night at 4 PM, and here I am complaining about life, with no belly picture.

SO ... if you made it through all of that, here is what is going on this week with my little baybay: Once again, I will not give you an estimates for length or weight, because she shot right past the book. We will still just assume "large." The baby still has a soft skull, bones, and cartilidge so she can get out easier, but almost all of the rest of her systems are good to go. The only system that is not fully developed is her digestive system, but that won't begin to mature until she is outside and breastfeeding, since she has only been practicing by swallowing amniotic fluid.

37 weeks is considered the "for-sure-full-term" week according to the books, but my doctors say this little biscuit is being considered full-term at 36 weeks (as of a few days ago), so if I were to go into labor now, they would not try to stop it until 37 weeks rolls around next Saturday. This is exciting but also not ... I was hoping that would be the magic words baby needed to hear and she would make her debut, but she seems to like it in there -- even though she is really throwing her weight around in there a lot, as if to say "What happened to my spacious accomodations, woman?!?!" Of course, she is on her own timeline, so we will just have to wait and see.

I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions all week, and while that could be a good sign, I also know that some people have them for months. I sure hope that's not the case -- I am NOT enjoying them. I am much more uncomfortable and in a lot more pain this week, but I know it will just continue to get worse and worse, AND it is almost over. But all her clothes are washed and Jeremy and I went on big trips to Target and Babies R Us to get a bunch of stuff we still needed, so can't she come NOW??? :)

Doctor's Visit and Nesting

2010-07-30T00:08:00.000-04:00

Today I went to the doctor at 3:15 like I had written down in both my planner and on my calendar ... and the receptionist was like, "Ummm, your appointment was at 2:45." I replied, "Ummmmm, no?" So that was not cool. But they got me in, which was amazing, because that place is so popular you have to make appointments WAY in advance.

The doctor said my blood pressure and measurements and weight and urine and the baby's heartbeat all were great, and after she poked the baby for a while to feel how big she was, she told me any day after FRIDAY (as in TOMORROW), if I go into labor, they will let me labor and not try to stop it. I could not be more ecstatic. I have plans on Friday and Saturday, but she can come any time after then! :) Except, I told my mom and she reminded me that her and my dad will be out of state for a week starting Saturday. And they also have a huge event they are throwing on August 21st. So could I just get her to come sometime in between those dates please? We'll see ...

I wrote a big entry on my other blog about how I had probably jinxed myself into having a late baby because I have all my lesson plans and everything all set to go in case I go into labor early and need a sub for the night classes I am teaching. BUT, my mom made me feel tons better today by reminding me that I had never bothered to sign up for that childbirth class since we have not had a free Saturday in three months, so that could be my "unprepared" element that will let her come early if she sees fit. Lots of people have given birth without going to class first, right?

I also believe I am nesting. BIG TIME. Last night I slaved away for SIX hours, moving, sorting, cleaning, rearranging. Then I continued this morning. And then while my students were working on something in class tonight, I made a list of all the other things I want to get accomplished ASAP. I am making some major progress, and it feels great.

Tomorrow Jeremy and I are doing a big shopping trip to get some of the millions of things we still need, and I know I will feel even better after that. Sigh. Bring on my baby!! I want to meet her!!

35 Weeks

2010-07-24T22:45:00.000-04:00

I am not even going to bother pasting in a picture of what the books say the baby looks like now, because OBVIOUSLY my baby is not a normal 35-week baby. The books says she should be anywhere from 5 1/4 pounds to 5 1/2 pounds ... but at the ultrasound earlier this week she was in the mid-to-upper 6-pound range. So, from now on I think I'll just say length: long, weight: very heavy.

As for other baby-making developments, her kidneys should be fully developed this week and her liver can process some waste products. Her brain is also developing at an amazing rate and her body fat, which used to be about 2%, is 15% (or higher) at this point.

This week has been slightly rough for me, but mostly just the discomfort of being so big and not being able to move. I have been sleeping a lot. Just not at night. Also, my gentle little lamb has her foot shoved up so far under my ribs that sometimes I just sit for hours trying to push it out and trying even harder not to cry. And when I try to push her gently so she will move? Yeah, she kicks and kicks until I give up and leave her alone.

The official caption of the photo: "The glow is gone, people!"

As you can see by the picture, yes, I have outgrown almost ALL of my maternity clothes. They have all become belly shirts. Classy, let me tell you. I actually wore this outfit around town today while we ran some errands. We went and picked out stain and whatnot for the dresser (which Jeremy worked on today, and it is looking GREAT!), then I went into Barnes & Noble. I was looking for a baby book ... and I ended up running out of the store crying. Classic. At first I was crying in the aisle while reading all the pages -- first smile, first bath, etc. -- and then after I had gone through all of the books they had, I was suddenly overwhelmed and couldn't remember which had which pages, and WHICH was the best?? I was too busy crying to remember. I needed a piece of paper so I could make a list of pros and cons!!! Then I ran out. Good times.

Jeremy said it was okay because we had plenty of time, and I wailed, "What if she is EARLY? We need the baby book at the hospital to get the FOOT PRINTS!" He reasonably suggested we get the prints on a piece of paper and put them in the book later. I cried. He is in for so much more than he ever imagined. But he hasn't run away yet! :)

Odds and Ends #5

2010-07-23T19:24:00.000-04:00

1. Since I didn't get a belly shot on Saturday or Sunday, I thought some of the pictures my cousin Kristina posted on Facebook from our shopping trip might do the trick.

Here is a lovely shot of "Mount Dimick":

And here is a front view:

Yes, I waddled all the way across Target just to show my mom and Aunt Julie the Twilight dolls. Totally worth it. They both said Jacob has better abs in real life.

2. I also found THIS at Target for the baby:

I bought a 9-month size, because at this rate, she might come out big enough to fit into 9-month baby clothes!

3. I also found a replacement fake wedding ring on our shopping trip to fill my empty ring finger. I even got it a little loose on a day when my fingers were extra swollen, so I should have room to grow!

It's nice to have a ring on that finger again (for the low-low price of $7.95!), although it is nowhere near as beautiful as my real ring.

It will be nice when I can wear it again.

4. The other day I took our cat MoJo to the vet, and, as usual, many strangers had comments and questions about the baby. HOWEVER, a MIRACLE happened, and it was not a horrible experience. First, a vet tech asked me when I was due, and when I told her I had six weeks left, she said, "Oh! You are that close? I would have never guessed you were that far along!" and THEN a vet came up smiling and said, "Only a few months to go, huh?" and I said, "6 weeks." He looked surprised, and said, "You don't look big enough!" It was such a nice change of pace ... and I was so happy I almost cried. :)

5. Pregnancy hormones are so much more strange than I could have predicted. I have a nice new layer of fuzz on my stomach, but the hair on my legs has practically stopped growing altogether! The hair on my legs used to start regrowing approximately 5 minutes after shaving and would be unacceptably prickly in like two hours, and now it is very fine and I shave once a week, but there is hardly anything there. So strange.

6. I got the sweetest handmade gift in the mail a little while ago. My friend from high school, Hayley, who has a sweet little daughter of her own who is about 6 months old, sent me this adorable headband:

I LOVE it!! And isn't she talented? If you are in the market for something similar, let me know and I will contact her for you.

7. Jeremy's co-worker also sent home a gift yesterday. Get ready to squeal:

I cannot WAIT to dress her up in these!

8. I used to show the film Super Size Me to my classes all the time when I started teaching, and I decided to use it again this quarter for a paper. I have probably seen the movie about thirty times now, what with prep and showing it to all of my classes, and every single time it totally disgusts me and makes me never want to eat fast food again. However, watching it this time for prep and then showing it to two classes ... nothing. I was actually thinking a nice big order of fries would really hit the spot. There should be a warning on the box: "Not effective on pregnant women."

9. Jeremy has been working on fixing up a dresser I bought about five years ago (for ten bucks!!!) to use in the baby's room for a dresser/changing table.

He has been working really hard on it; it is all sanded down, the drawers are almost completely fixed (he re-fitted and glued them then added a bunch of nails to make them nice and sturdy) and ready for staining. The top looks beautiful -- the wood grain looks amazing after stripping and sanding it. Then we just need some hardware and we are good to go!

Doctor's Visit: Follow-Up on all the Scariness

2010-07-23T19:05:00.001-04:00

Well, we had the ultrasound today to see why I had a huge jump in fundal height, and, like most of you assured me, everything is fine. She is growing proportionately, I don't have too much amniotic fluid, and the placenta and umbilical cord are both fine.

However ... I have a massively large super-baby growing inside me. I am a few days away from 35 weeks, and she is measuring well past 37 weeks. In fact (give me a moment here) ... she is already almost SEVEN POUNDS. It looks like Jeremy's Hercules genes are hard at work in there.

So, obviously, I am hoping she will make her entrance into the world a little earlier than August 28th. The question is, which trait will win out: Will she be early like her mom or stubborn liker her mom?

We also got to see some great images at the ultrasound, so it was really great. We saw her little face and her little profile. We saw her wave her hands and open her mouth. AND the ultrasound tech said it was unusual, but she has SO much hair that it was even visible on the ultrasound. CRAZY! She even took a picture for us. All the little squiggly white lines around the outside of her skull are hairs:

Here is her little face straight on:

Of course it might not look like it to you, but to me it looks like a little doll and not like the little alien we saw in her 20 week ultrasound. It was really great to see her, and it was awesome to see Jeremy recognize things on the ultrasound. He recognized her face and feet and hands before the tech even pointed them out to us. He is practically a professional!

So, all is well ... except now I will just have to mentally prepare for the possibility that I will pushing out a 12-pound baby. Pray for me.

34 Weeks

2010-07-18T18:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was 34 weeks, but I was busy on a shopping trip in Grand Rapids with some of my favorite ladies ever: my mom, my little sister Victoria, my Aunt Julie, and my cousins Kristina and Kayla. I was WIPED when I got home, so I laid on the couch for an hour and just went to bed early. We had tons of fun, and many strangers asked me if my due date was days away. It never gets old ...

At 34 weeks, our little lady could be weighing in at five pounds now and could be as tall as 20 inches. The vernix (the white coating protecting your baby’s skin) is getting thicker, and her central nervous system and lungs continue to mature.

I also just read that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies. VERY exciting news, since I am really nervous about preterm labor with all we have been going through with this little one lately.

No belly picture this week, because I forgot yesterday until I was exhausted and my make-up had worn off, and today I am not feeling top-notch, so I am in PJs with no make-up. Don't worry, my belly is still huge and getting more massive by the day. I'll get back on track next week.

As for this past week, I have been feeling about the same -- tired, hot, the usual. Not a big deal. The only difference this week was that it felt VERY LONG with the weight of the upcoming ultrasound. We only have three more days to wait after today, so we are getting there!

I will have an update after the ultrasound and regular appointment on Thursday. Crossing my fingers!

Odds and Ends #4

2010-07-14T15:25:00.000-04:00

1. Even though I am worried about the upcoming ultrasound, I am really excited to see my baby girl again!!

2. I had a dream Saturday night that the baby was kicking me so hard that I could actually see all five of her little toes sticking out through the skin of my belly, so I grabbed them and held them, and then ran around and made people feel them! Later in the dream, I was able to see through my skin, and I saw her little face again. I have seen her a few times in my dreams, and she always looks the same. She has a heart-shaped face, tiny little cupids-bow lips, a tiny nose, dark brown eyes and light brown hair. I know it's silly to think that she might look exactly what she looks like in my dreams, but ... I guess you never know!

3. In the past month or so, I have been having a little trouble with food again, and nausea and heartburn and all that jazz. To top it all off, every time I eat ANYTHING even remotely healthy from my fridge filled with fruits and vegetables and salad fixings, I get horrifically sick. But, the other day when I stopped at the Burger King drive-thru and got a gross chicken sandwich and fries, I felt like I could conquer the world. For the next four hours I felt totally amazing -- no nausea, not dizzy, nothing. It's pretty disconcerting, but now all I want to do is eat fast food. :(

4. Even though I found a deep love for fast food and my go-to food when the thought of anything else makes me puke is a peanut butter and chocolate syrup sandwich, I am still not gaining weight. In fact, I currently weigh FIVE pounds more than I weighed before I got pregnant! It is kind of mind-boggling, but I did lose a lot of weight in the first trimester, so TECHNICALLY I gained more than five pounds during my pregnancy. It gives me hope, however, that after I have the baby I might be able to motivate myself to keep losing weight and get down to a lower weight than I was before I got pregnant. I just need to keep this little factoid in mind after the baby so I can motivate myself to workout!!

33 Weeks

2010-07-10T21:18:00.000-04:00

The baby is still gaining about half a pound a week, and she could grow up to another full inch this week. She is probably somewhere above four pounds. Now that she has gotten so big, there is less amniotic fluid to cushion the blows, and her kicks and pokes feel a little harder. Antibodies are being passed from me to the baby as she continues to develop her own fetal immune system. Her skeleton is also continuing to harden.

After we heard from the doctor that my measurement had jumped so quickly this week, Jeremy pointed out that it made sense, since this past week has been particularly difficult for me in terms of painful stretched skin and muscles that seem ready to give out at any moment. The quick jump was probably what made it seem pretty bad this week. The muscles really low on my pelvis (which I never really thought about even existing before) hurt SO BADLY ... when I try to roll over, get out of bed, or do something crazy like WALK. I feel so stupid, because I see pregnant ladies all the time who are walking along as if they were not in agonizing pain. Why am I so weak that I can't even do basic things? So sad.

I read that the baby was supposed to be running out of room and would be moving around less ... not this one. She is still as active as ever, rolling around, stretching out, poking, and kicking. One of her favorite new positions is with her head shoved up really high on my far right, under my ribs, while her feet are WAY down at the very bottom on my left side. And then sometimes she kicks her feet and flails her arms at the same time while in that position.

She also continues to hiccup a lot. In fact, she is hiccuping as I type! It is strange how different the hiccups feel when she is in different positions. Depending on whether she is head-up or head-down, the crazy percussion of the hiccups vibrate in very different places! My mom said she never felt any of us hiccup, and I feel this one hiccup about three times a day on average. My friend Jess hiccuped a lot in the womb too, so maybe our little girl will turn out like her! :)

Doctor Appointment

2010-07-09T15:14:00.000-04:00

I had a doctor appointment yesterday morning, and I needed a little time to think about it before I wrote anything, but I have found this blog to be very cathartic, so I am going full-steam ahead with discussing some news that has me freaked out.

So, yesterday's appointment started with my weight, which has not changed in a month!! WOOT! (no worries, though; "plus-sized" mothers do not usually need to gain as much weight. The doctors are happy with my weight progression) and a urine sample which was "fantastic" according to my doctor (I like that he likes my urine so much). My blood pressure was 118/68, even though I was very worked up (since I have still been spotting since my last visit two weeks ago when they ran the EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLAR test to make sure there were no signs of premature labor and my cervix was in good shape). The baby's heartbeat was great, even though she moved away from the doppler THREE times while the doctor was trying to get her heart rate! :) I told him she was a mover!

So, everything was fine until he did my fundal measurement (*The height of my uterus. Picture below if interested) and saw that I was measuring 3 centimeters ahead of 33 weeks, even though I was only at 32-and-a-half weeks, which puts me just over the "not normal zone." My doctor told me there was slight concern because I have been absolutely on with my measurements the entire time, never wavering one bit, and then there was a rather large jump into the abnormal range so suddenly, so he scheduled an ultrasound ... in TWO WEEKS. I have to wait TWO WHOLE WEEKS to see if something is wrong or everything is fine and she is just in a very strange position, causing the measurements to be skewed.

He tried to calm me down and tell me not to worry (nice try, doc), but explained very rationally that combined with my spotting, the fact that I had not gained any weight but my uterus got so big so fast, AND my sugar was fine (so it is obviously not gestational diabetes making the baby big), it was necessary to take a quick look to check the size of the baby and check to make sure everything is still okay with the placenta, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord.

So, there are many options here:

It could just be a very large, but still very healthy baby -- however, the doctor said big babies tend to grow at a steady rate
The baby could just be messing with us and be in a strange position (I am crossing my fingers for this one)
There could be too much amniotic fluid, which could be a symptom of many, many things (Which I will not go into detail here. I am trying to hope for the best)
The placenta could have slipped from its posterior position to covering or partially covering the cervix (This would also not be great)
I could be at risk of the umbilical cord prolapsing (Also not awesome)

Jeremy will probably think that I am sharing too much here, but I really feel better after writing everything down and taking a critical look at it. Plus, there is always the chance that some of you reading might have had a similar experience and could give me some comfort! :)

It was just so disheartening to hear that everything looks amazing ... ooops, except this one thing that could be nothing or could be a huge deal. And then my doctor tells me not to worry about it while I wait two weeks for the ultrasound. GUH!!!

I also feel tremendously guilty, because I have been saying I am SO ready for her to be here. I mean, I am having a tough pregnancy and I am DYING to have a baby instead of a belly, but I obviously never meant I wanted her to be premature and in danger. I wanted a baby NOW who was healthy, fully grown, and a nice healthy weight. Maybe I should have specified that.

However, I had Jeremy give the baby a stern talking-to when he got home from work. He told her to "grow normally!" and "stay in there until you're cooked!" and told me if I ever needed to, I could just tell her, "wait until your father hears about this!!" He's a big help! <3

*Fundal measurements, if interested:

Odds and Ends #3

2010-07-09T14:34:00.046-04:00

1. I never really thought of my hands changing that much when I got pregnant (other than the swelling I had heard so much about), but in the past two weeks, all of a sudden the veins in my hands are HUGE. I hate that I have to spend so much time on the computer because I keep stopping and staring at my bulging veins. I always appreciated that you couldn't see any of my veins before, because bulging veins skeeve me out. My veins were so small and invisible that medical professionals always get mad when they have to draw my blood, and claim I have no veins at all. I wonder if that will go back to normal after the baby comes or if they are here to stay?

2. Speaking of hands, I was very sure that I had missed my window of safely getting my wedding ring off of my finger. Like I said, my hands were totally normal up until about two weeks ago, when all of a sudden my fingers started swelling and my veins popped out. It happened so quickly that I could take it on and off easily one day, and the next my finger started losing circulation. For the past few days, I have just been freaking out and complaining about it, and realized I was going to have to do some fancy footwork to get it off, but was afraid. Jeremy came home from work on Friday and said he read online that we should dip my finger in freezing water for three minutes, then wrap it tightly in saran wrap, and then put super-hot water on the ring to expand the metal, then spray Windex on the ring and yank it off. However, at about midnight that night, I started actually panicking because it hurt so bad, and with some hard work and biting back screams, I got it off. And now my finger looks like this:

I miss my ring already!!!

3. I recently realized that the very first thing I do upon waking up in the morning is to give my belly a good rub to say hello to the baby. :) I don't even think about doing it, I just do it automatically.

4. Whenever I talk to my dad on the phone, he now asks, "Are you taking good care of my baby??" and I LOVE that.

5. When the doctor and I were discussing the options of what could be going on with the big jump in my fundal measurement, he said that I could just have a super-jumbo baby, and then said, "Which is fine with me, because I'm not the one who has to deliver it!" It took me TWELVE hours to realize he didn't mean he planned on being nowhere near me when I was in labor and instead meant, that *I* was the one who had to push it out. I felt a tad foolish, especially because I was mad at my doctor for that entire 12 hours. (Note: I go to a center with four doctors who rotate for deliveries, so this misunderstanding isn't AS stupid as it could be if he were my only doctor! But still pretty stupid!)

32 Weeks

2010-07-04T15:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was 32 weeks! This week the baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long, head-to-toe, though she is actually back to a curled-up position.

The books say that the baby has probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in preparation for birth by now -- not my baby! :). She is still flipping around in there; sometimes her head is under my ribs and she stretches her little legs as low as they will go (ouch) and sometimes her head is down low and she kicks those little feet in the direction of all my organs. She's a lively one, for sure!

The baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go by this week in preparation for the transition from umbilical cord to breast milk. Because she is accumulating more fat, her skin is finally turning opaque, and she is starting to look more and more like a newborn. By this week she is also sleeping in cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long.

The reason I had no post yesterday is because we were up at Treetops Resort in Gaylord for the day ... at a toga party ... thrown by my parents.

I can't wait to show the baby these pictures and tell her shortly before she was born we all went to a toga party thrown by her grandparents!!

As for me this week, I am fine. I feel very stretched and I am tired and uncomfortable, so I assume everything is normal!

Odds and Ends #2

2010-06-30T21:31:00.003-04:00

Other than sharing baby news with people I don't speak with every day, the main reason I started this blog was to record all the little things that I knew I was likely to forget. Here are a few of the latest ...

1. The baby has a new morning routine in response to my morning routine. I always wake up to some serious kicking (maybe she will be a morning person, unlike her mother?), she falls asleep in the shower (I figure it must be a calming feeling or sound for her), and then when I brush my teeth after my shower, she wakes right up and kicks like a maniac while I brush my teeth. The funny thing is, she is usually very quiet for the rest of the time I get ready (and doesn't start kicking again until I get started with whatever I am doing that day) but she is WIDE awake and kicking for teeth brushing time and then goes back to sleep. I don't know why, but this cracks me up.

2. Ever since I was first able to feel her hiccup, she has had the hiccups almost every single day, and sometimes more than once a day. The other night she had hiccups three times between 9 PM and 1 AM, and yesterday when I was teaching (the first day of the Summer quarter ... bets on whether or not I will make it to the last day of class on August 26th??) she had the hiccups three times during my four-hour class.

3. One of my students in the class I am teaching on Tuesday nights was also one my students last year. He came up to my desk to hand something in last night and said, "I predict you will go two weeks past your due date." Luckily he is someone I know very well and have a good rapport with, because I decided to go with my first instinct, and said, "You can shut your mouth right now, mister. If you ever say that again, I might punch you. In the face." He died laughing. I, however, got a little hot just thinking about it.

4. I posted a few days ago that I had been having some spotting and the doctors examined me and also ran some tests (which all came back saying I had no signs of premature labor! Yay!) and the spotting went away after a few days. Well, the spotting came back this afternoon, and it was a little closer to the color that they told me to watch out for. Naturally, I freaked out, but I decided to assess the situation before calling anyone. I felt no pain or cramping, but I also wasn't feeling the baby move, so I went and laid down on my left side in bed and put my hand on my belly. Immediately, she started kicking harder and faster than she ever has before, and she then proceeded to move all around my belly and kick every single inch, as if she were saying, "Hey! I'm alive and fine!! Feel how strong and energetic I am! No worries, mom!"

I can't remember if I already posted this or not, but she seems to do this a lot. Because she is so active, whenever I notice with a shock that she isn't moving and hasn't been for at least a half an hour, all I have to do is think When did I last feel the baby move?!?!? and she will kick on cue. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is very reassuring, like she can feel when I am worried and just need to check in on her, and she obliges. Such a sweet girl! :)

P.S. Wanna vote for when you think the baby will be born? Please do so! I have a new poll at the top right of the page!!

Hey! We finally did some stuff! And then I got a massage!

2010-06-26T21:21:00.000-04:00

We have been slowly (very slowly) working on the nursery, and now that we had the shower and have wonderful things like a crib and a glider, we finally got cracking.

(Slight backtrack -- yes, I know I still have not written about the shower, and I plan to, but a little side note: Jeremy's mom and grandma bought us a crib and crib mattress and then his mom and dad were nice enough to bring both, along with a dresser I had at my parents' house that I wanted to refinish, all the way to our house last night and then stayed for dinner. We are lucky to have people like them in our lives!)

SOO, since we had some new big things to assemble, today we did THIS!

(Reminder: We are still renting, so the paint and carpet is out of our control, but I think we got pretty lucky that it looks like a nursery anyway and doesn't have Big Bird yellow paint on the walls like the office does)

Here is the wall the crib is on

Close-up of the awesome crib, the quilt Jeremy's mom made for the baby (!!) and coordinating sheets

This is the window that faces the foot of the crib. I can't wait to fill the bookshelf with more books, and Jeremy can't wait to play music for the baby!

The glider! SOOO comfortable! (Jeremy put this together immediately for me when we got home from the shower!) Decorated with the beautiful afghan my mom made for the baby. Bobby hiding out behind the glider. Baby's First Year calendar hanging on the wall. This is on the wall opposite the crib, and to the right of the door when you walk in.

To the left of the doorway. The wall the dresser/changing table will be on when we finish stripping it and refinishing it to match the crib.

We also had to take a big step today ... we had to move MoJo's scratching post out of this room and into the office. When we first moved in, we really had no use for this room since we didn't have a bed for a guest room and we already had an office, so we put MoJo's scratching post under the window so he could watch birds in the tree right outside the window and just started calling it MoJo's bedroom.

In the past year, he would really only go in there sporadically. He would sharpen his claws, make noises at the birds for a half an hour, and then he was on to other places. However, in the past two months, (after we started moving some baby things in) he has been in this room literally 23 hours a day. He has made it very clear that he wants to remind us that it is HIS room. But today was the day to move out.

This is the window that MoJo's scratching post used to be under

Now, his little perch is under this window in the office (notice the Big Bird yellow walls -- they're worse in real life; trust me), which is one of only TWO places in the house where sun actually shines in and animals can lay in sunbeams. After we took him over to show him his new place, he stayed there for six straight hours! :) I think MoJo will be okay after all!

After we put stuff together and hauled stuff out and stuffed things in the "closet" (which is really the stairs leading to the attic) that we will later put in the dresser, my sister Tracy came over and gave me a truly blissful massage (she is the BEST!) while Jeremy and her husband and kids went bowling and picked up pizza for dinner. Then we had a nice evening of watching the kids climb the trees on our backyard while we sat around and talked. It was an amazing day!

31 Weeks

2010-06-26T19:38:00.000-04:00

31 Weeks! We are getting closer and closer to D-day, and I simply cannot wait. Not only because this pregnancy is kind of killing me, but because I have been DYING to meet our baby ever since the day we discovered we were pregnant, on December 22nd. It seems like a million years ago to me, but to Jeremy, the time has flown by (lucky him).

This week, the baby weighs somewhere around three and a half pounds and is probably 18 inches from head to toe. This means that she is getting pretty close to her birth length, but she needs to pack on a few more pounds before she comes tumbling into the world. Jeremy is actually more worried about premature birth than I am. Whenever he gets up close to my belly to talk to the baby these days, he tells her over and over to "Stay inside!" Luckily, she has a huge growth spurt coming up. Just when I thought my abs could not feel any more stretched and painful! :)

The baby is also developing brain cells at an amazing rate, and can perceive signals from all five senses at this point. I was happy to read that she is now putting in longer stretches of sleep, because I was wondering why she went from having a 24/7 dance party in my belly to taking long breaks in between what must be kickboxing classes.

I am still getting lots of comments like, "The doctor must be wrong! You're due ANY DAY!" and "Are you SURE there aren't two or three in there?" I don't think most people realize how insecure these comments make me, so I try not to get mad at them; instead, I just laugh and smile and say "I am measuring right on track and she is a healthy weight." If people keep asking questions and pestering me (which a lot of people do), I usually say something like, "Well, I was big BEFORE I got pregnant, so what did you expect?" (with a smile on my face of course). That usually makes them laugh but also ends the conversation. I just don't think most people realize that telling someone who has a terrible body image and was overweight BEFORE getting pregnant that she looks huge is maybe not the brightest point in my day. I know they are probably just caught up in baby excitement, but it still stings.

This morning the baby had her head shoved WAY up toward my ribs, and there was a bulge you could not only feel, but see. I called Jeremy in to feel it, and he couldn't believe it. He kept feeling it, and then leaned in exactly where her head was, and repeated, "DON'T COME OUT YET." I love that guy! :)

Doctor Appointment

2010-06-24T19:49:00.001-04:00

Sorry I couldn't come up with a more interesting and original title, but ... just another of the bazillion doctor's visits in my near future. I am getting close to once-a-week visits. Yikes!

Everything was fine today. Her heartbeat was great, I was measuring exactly on, and, if you can believe it -- I didn't gain a SINGLE pound in the last two weeks! Amazing! Especially since I may or may not have eaten six pieces of of this amazing baby shower cake in the past week:

(Yes, I know I haven't blogged about the shower yet, but it seems like a big overwhelming thing. But I promise I will!!)

My blood pressure was 112/78, which is still great, but I got a little nervous because for almost my entire pregnancy I have been very low, like 100/60. So, of course I asked my doctor if I should be worried that it is rising, and he said no, that my blood pressure is amazing. However, I think that means I should probably worry.

I also told the doctor that I had a tiny (TINY) bit of spotting two days in this past week that were not associated with heavy lifting or strenuous activity. So, the doctor said, "Let's take a good look!" Great. I kind of like to be mentally prepared for that, but she's the doctor.

She was not kidding about getting a good look -- when she came back she had a nurse and two other doctors with her. I figured this is a good preview of the circus attraction I will be when I give birth, so I went with it. At one point, she actually said, "What is that? Is that a cyst or a pollup?" and I wanted to shriek "WHAT THE EFF????" but the nurse grabbed my hand and said it was no big deal, they just wanted to see if anything was irritating me to cause the bleeding. So, both of the other doctors leaned in for a good look (and it was not a pollup, which I gathered would have been bad). Three heads, VERY close to my lady parts. Frankly, I didn't care for it.

So, one of the other doctors (actually, my favorite) took a closer look. In the end, they all concluded that things looked good and my cervix was closed and I should keep an eye on things but not get worried. Yeah, right. If I am worried about my blood pressure being below normal, I am going to worry about this little adventure.

I had also mentioned to the doctor earlier that she seemed MUCH lower in the past two weeks and was kicking SUPER low and I had an irrational fear that she was preparing for delivery or trying to kick her way out. After the exam she also assured me that the baby was not, in fact, trying to kick her way out. So that was comforting. :)

They sent me off saying everything was great and I was doing a great job, but this appointment was certainly a mixed bag. I'll take the bad with the good, though. It's all worth it!

30 Weeks

2010-06-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

Today the baby is probably about 16 inches long and weighs a little over over three pounds (and she’ll be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks!). Also growing daily is her brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with the characteristic grooves and wrinkles. And now that she can regulate her own body temperature, she'll begin shedding her lanugo (the downy body hair that's been keeping her warm up until now). Her eyes are also continuing to develop, even though she keeps them closed most of the day. When she does open her eyes, her vision is 20/400, meaning she can only see a few inches in front of her face, but she will respond to changes in light.

I have been feeling okay -- just the normal "uncomfortableness" of being huge and waddle-y. I have had some nausea return and am also having a little bit of heartburn off and on, but nothing too drastic. The swelling in my ankles and feet have been MUCH better over the last few weeks, and I even found a new pillow arrangement that allows me three hours of uninterrupted sleep at a time before I have to wake up and roll over to my other side to give the current hip a break. Before, I was waking up EVERY twenty minutes to flip over. Not ideal. I did have to steal one of Jeremy's pillows to create this new arrangement, but he seemed more than happy to have the constant flip-flopping stop!

And I just got home from my shower and got a belly picture, but I am much too exhausted to say anything about it. That will have to be a post for tomorrow.

Playing Catch-up

2010-06-18T23:15:00.001-04:00

There are a couple of fun things to report.

First of all, last night, Jeremy got to feel the baby hiccuping! At first I was scared that he wouldn't be able to feel them at all, because I put his hand right where she was, and he said he didn't feel anything. After I gave him a little more explanation as to what he was feeling for and telling him exactly on his hand where he should feel it, he did!

THEN, as she was wrapping up her hiccups, she got super feisty and was kicking and thrashing around quite a bit, right where Jeremy's hand was resting. Normally, whenever I rest my hand on my belly, she will kick right where my hand is, but until very recently, she would not do that for anyone else. Any time I put Jeremy's hand where she was kicking, she would stop immediately. It's nice that she will now perform for her father.

Today my mom and younger sister and I went to visit my friend/my brother's girlfriend at the Detroit Institute of Arts, where she is interning. We had a lot of fun walking around the galleries. I'm pretty sure the baby really liked the Contemporary Art, because in those galleries she would kick me so hard that it almost brought me to my knees, and I had to sit a few times. She probably just wanted me to have more time to appreciate the art. Our baby is such a genius.

Finally, since my shower is tomorrow (!!!), I thought I should finally post pictures of some of the things we have already received.

First, we got our awesome travel system (stroller and car seat combo) from Kevin and Ashley (Jeremy's cousin and his wife).

Jeremy keeps asking if he can try it out by putting the cat in and pushing him around. For some reason, I don't think MoJo would appreciate that.

Next, we got our high-tech bathtub that gives you a temperature read out and has a reservoir that holds the water until it is the correct temperature. We received that from Jeremy's older brother Christopher and his wife Molly. They also sent along a hilarious personalized card.

Yup, that's Jeremy's head on a baby in the tub they got us. I laughed so hard when I opened this card!!

We also got our pack and play from two of my mom's friends, Sue and Sue (cute, right?).

We were awfully proud that Jeremy got this thing together! Well done!

We are really looking forward to seeing lots of friends and family at the shower tomorrow. Any bets on whether or not I will cry while opening presents?

Finally Feeling Hiccups!

2010-06-14T00:39:00.000-04:00

It's 12:30 AM, and I am feeling the baby hiccuping for the very first time! People kept asking me if I'd felt them yet, and I was always like, "Ummm ... I guess not. I would know if I had, right?" I was also starting to think that maybe I just wasn't very in tune with the baby and I was missing obvious things.

A few minutes ago, I started feeling this weird thumping throughout my whole belly and back. At first I was confused. It felt like a huge heart beat radiating throughout a large portion of my body. Then, because I felt it near the bottom of the baby hatch, I started freaking out, thinking the baby was kicking her way out! (No, seriously, this thought actually crossed my mind.) THEN, I looked down at my belly and saw little rhythmic pops and realized my baby girl has the hiccups.

It took a LOT of self-control for me not to reach over and wake up Jeremy. He only has five hours until his alarm goes off, and I kept him up a half an hour after he wanted to go to bed because I wanted him to feel the baby kicking around.

I feel much better now that I felt hiccups. It somehow symbolizes me knowing what's going on in there with her. Since I still have NO concept whatsoever as to what position she might be in at any given time, I like that I can figure out SOMETHING she is doing!

29 weeks

2010-06-13T16:23:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was 29 weeks. I am really moving along here. This week the baby is nearly three pounds and measures about 17 inches from head to toe. Though she's getting pretty close to her birth length, she still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double -- or even come close to tripling -- her weight. As she grows and the room gets tighter, supposedly I'll be less likely to feel those big kicks she has been dishing out. However, I'll also be more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee.

Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in her hardening skeleton each day.

Don't mind how disheveled I look in this picture -- I had just gotten home at 11:30 PM and Jeremy didn't get home until almost 1 AM. Don't worry, it was just a normal Saturday for him -- probably hookers and whatnot. Okay, he was at a graduation Open House with his family. Whatever.

I, on the other hand, was seeing Kathy Griffin (!!!) one of my favorite comedians EVER! Here's me and the baby all excited to go in:

We went with my good friend Jess, and the baby seemed to enjoy herself. She danced along to the music playing before the show, and she kicked in between jokes, but every time I laughed really hard, she must have enjoyed the rocking and was totally calm. I also managed to avoid all elbows to my belly, which has become very hard in crowds.

It has been a good week, especially with all the good news at the doctor's office. Next week is 30 weeks -- which seems HUGE to me -- and my BABY SHOWER! I am so excited!!

Doctor's Visit

2010-06-09T14:39:00.000-04:00

I had another doctor's visit today, and there was a lot of good news.

I have only gained one pound in the last month, which is awesome, and my blood pressure was still below normal -- but it was a little higher than it has been. It has been consistently 102 over 66, but today it was 118 over 70. HOWEVER, I had just been sitting in construction for 10 minutes, less than ONE MILE away from the doctor's office and was freaking out about being late. So that is pretty good for freaking-out blood pressure!

I also learned the results of my glucose tolerance test (finally!) and they were great. My glucose level was 104, and a result of 180 (an hour after drinking glucoma) would have required a second test to rule out gestational diabetes.

My stomach was measuring right on and the heart beat was loud and strong -- 148 beats a minute.

The receptionist also scheduled ALL of the rest of my appointments until my due date. I got a little dizzy! :) I was like, is this necessary? and then I realized that I wasn't writing down THAT many appointments. She is coming!!!

It was a great visit, and I was out in 15 minutes so I could go home and get everything ready for Jeremy's birthday!

28 Weeks

2010-06-05T14:20:00.002-04:00

I missed last week's update and belly shot because we were up on Mackinac Island for four days. I even forgot to get a good profile shot of my belly. I had just mentioned to Jeremy that we couldn't forget to take one when we got to a pretty spot, but then I walked up 304 stairs, so my only thoughts were death and I forgot all about it. But I did get some shots that give you a pretty good idea of how big I was. These were all taken on Friday, when I was one day away from 27 weeks:

The baby makes her first visit to Arch Rock

Beautiful weather for our 8-mile bike ride around the Island!

I felt the need to pose for Tommy's camera. One of my friends said the caption for this picture is "I'm too sexy for my belly!"

I am wearing HEELS in this picture! So stupid!

We all had loads of fun, but unfortunately, I was a big buzzkill. The day before we left, I was working and packing and cleaning and preparing directions for the dog/cat/housesitter from 7 AM until 2 AM ... and then I looked at my feet. They were bigger than I had ever seen them, and my body told me there was no way it would allow me to sleep with my feet elevated while I laid on my side (per doctor's orders), so I went to bed and hoped for the best. I woke up four hours later to leave and, surprise, surprise -- they looked about the same. Then we spent 3 hours in the car, half an hour on the ferry and then started a vacation that included a lot of walking, standing, and socializing. So, basically, my feet never had a chance to return to normal, and I walked around getting shocked looks from people when they saw that my ankles were bigger than my knees and my swollen feet were jammed into dress shoes like ten pounds of sausage in five pounds of casing.

So, I was pretty lame, complained about it, and put my feet up on people's laps whenever I got five minutes to do so. At one point, I went into my mom and dad's suite and she had some friends I had never met hanging out in the sitting room. I plopped my feet on her lap and they both gasped. The husband said "Is there anything we can do for you??" and the wife immediately ran back to her room and got a tube a cooling lotion to use on my feet. She even insisted that I keep it because I needed it more than she did!

Also, I don't know why, but the beds killed me this year. I have stayed in this hotel for years and years, and usually I wake up feeling rested and ready to take on the day. They are very nice mattresses. This year, the same bed I slept in last year felt like a torture device and I woke up every morning exhausted and with every muscle in my body aching. On the last night, my arms were actually going numb because of the knots in my back, and instead of letting Jeremy drink and party with everyone else, I insisted on an hour-long back rub because I was certain I was about to die. So ... sorry fellow travelers!! And especially Jeremy. :(

Well, that was a big re-cap, but now here we are at TWENTY EIGHT WEEKS!!! I am offically seven months pregnant and in my (drumroll) ... THIRD TRIMESTER!!!

Look how big she is!!

This week our amazing baby has probably reached two and a half pounds and could be as long as 16 inches! Along with being able to cough, hiccup, suck, and take practice breaths, she can now blink and experiences Rapid Eye Movement when she sleeps! Thankfully, her lungs are fully mature at this point, which is the milestone I was waiting for with bated breath. Although she would still need a LOT of help if she were born at this point, she is out of the "danger zone."

It hit me in the shower this morning that it was my third trimester and I frantically started listing all the things we have yet to do (because we had SO MUCH time) like finding a pediatrician, pre-registering at the hospital, and taking a childbirth class. Of course, when I freaked out, Jeremy just patted my hand and told me we couldn't do ALL of those things today, so we will sit down tomorrow and make a schedule of when to get those things accomplished in the next month. What a guy.

Tonight I am off to a Girls Night with some old friends from high school. We'll see how the baby likes the car trip from Rochester Hills and back. She has been giving me some trouble to and from work lately. I often have to lean really far to the right so the pain in my left side will go away. Oh well, I have a lot of working left to do and that means a lot more driving, so we will both just have to get used to it.

My ligament pain has also returned with a vengeance, at exactly the same time when I am having a hard time hauling myself in and out of certain positions. At night, I usually wake up about ten times, whimpering because the hip I'm laying on hurts so bad. When I have heaved myself halfway to the other side, my ligaments stretch and I feel like someone is stabbing me under my belly, so I flop back down. It can take a few tries to roll over now, and all the while I am grunting. Of course, Jeremy sleeps right through this. I am going to need a system of pulleys and levers soon! :)

I guess I never appreciated being able to just get up off the couch or go from sitting on the floor to standing or roll over in bed without effort and embarrassment. I will cherish when I am able to again! :)

A few big achievements also took place this week. The baby has been SO ACTIVE and sometimes I feel like she is beating me up in there, but every time I put someone else's hand where she was moving, she would instantly freeze, then the second they gave up and moved their hand and I put mine back, she would go bonkers again. Sigh. She also moves so much now that I see my belly moving like an alien movie all the time. I even freaked a student out in the Writing Center because she was doing it, but Jeremy couldn't see it. But THIS week, Jeremy felt TONS of hard kicks AND saw my belly moving around! AND I finally found the baby's heartbeat and put Jeremy's hand on it ... and he FELT IT!!! It has been a good week! :)

Doctor Appointment

2010-05-26T20:17:00.000-04:00

Well, I was back at the doctor again this morning. This time for a regular check-up and my glucose tolerance test.

The glucose tolerance test was pretty much what I expected from everyone else's description -- terrible drink and then wait and wait. However, there was one unexpected bright side. Usually, people have a really hard time drawing my blood because my veins are supposedly small and thready and they collapse as soon as a needle comes near them. The last time that I went to this particular lab it took FORTY-FIVE MINUTES to get blood from me. Ick. So, I was really worried about getting the blood drawn in time for the test to be accurate, but she got me on the first stick! She said it must have been from all the sugar in my system. Good to know.

The appointment was also good. My belly measured okay, my blood pressure is still rocking at 102/68, and the baby's heart rate was 140.

They also gave me all the information on the third trimester and the pre-registration form for the hospital! Yikes!! Any day now, right? :)

26 Weeks

2010-05-22T17:20:00.000-04:00

26 weeks! Our little girl now weighs two whole pounds and is about 14 inches long!

In other big news, her eyes, which until now were developing under fused eyelids, are starting to open! Obviously, there is nothing good to see in there, but she might respond to bright lights near my belly with increased pulse or movement. She is able to react to loud noises outside the womb as well because her brain has become more developed and sophisticated with an increase in brain waves (I know this part is true, because we went to a movie on Thursday and she simply THRASHED around the whole time. I felt bruised when we finally got out of the loud theater!).

The baby's nostrils have also begun to open, and she is making periodic muscular breathing movements to prepare for drawing air into her lungs after birth. Within the next two days, the air sacs will also begin to develop in her lungs. Also, over the next couple of days, her fingernails will be visible!

Her movements are strong and frequent, as she is practicing movements she will need outside the womb. Apparently, she is even "pedaling" her feet against my belly (this made a lot of sense when I read it! So THAT'S what's she doing when I thought I could feel both of her feet at once!).

I am feeling bigger and bigger, and the baby's kicks are getting harder and harder!! I can't believe how big of a wallop she packs when she only weighs two pounds. She also found some new, not-so-pleasant places to kick me this week.

However, her kicks are now strong enough that Jeremy can easily feel them!!!! Last night at 9:50, he felt a bunch in a row, including one that was on the opposite end of my belly -- she kicked so hard at the top of my belly that he felt it at the bottom! It was so great. His face lit up like he had just won the lottery. Then, ten minutes later, he was actually around to see her "super-activity" time and saw my stomach bouncing around while she kicked like crazy. It was a big night!

Some not-as-awesome news from yesterday -- the name Jeremy really wanted for the baby that I definitely wasn't in love with but thought I could learn to like? I finally admitted to Jeremy that I was never going to be happy with it. So we got the baby name book back out and started over from scratch. The good news is, I think we are down to about three or four, so I think we will be fine. I feel really badly about dashing Jeremy's hopes like that, but the name just didn't sit right with me. I just knew it wasn't her name.

Today, we went to Detroit for the Race for the Cure. About 30 of Jeremy's family came out and about 25 of those walked or ran the 5K. I, however, brought a snack and sat on the ground in Detroit and waited at the finish line to cheer them on. Apparently I looked like this:

Classic. Jeremy thought it was worth capturing for posterity.

The baby kicked really hard when we cheered for the runners! She loves saving boobies too! :)

Baby Visit

2010-05-16T13:46:00.000-04:00

I just got to see one of my best girlfriends who lives in Chicago and has an AMAZING and ADORABLE two-month-old baby boy (who is TOTALLY betrothed to our baby girl).

It was nice to see her for obvious reasons, but I got two added bonuses. First, I got to see how Cleo and MoJo would react to a baby in the house. Cleo came right over and sniffed from a distance, then sat down in front of me, smiling away. Then, whenever the baby cried, she would run over, like "Why aren't you taking care of that baby? Can't you hear him crying?" and look very concerned until the baby stopped crying. She was SO good and polite and didn't try to lick the baby or eat his adorable feet (even though *I* tried to eat his little feet and cheeks). MoJo came over after a little while and also gave the baby a sniff from a safe distance. He gave me a look with big, wide eyes, but then busied himself with sniffing the carseat. But, they both seemed very comfortable with the baby being there, and were definitely not freaked out or scared or territorial (which I knew would not be a problem with Cleo, but you never know with Prince MoJo! He is a little sassy!).

Also, I got to take sweet pictures of Jeremy hanging out with the baby.

Doesn't he look sweet with a baby? :)

25 Weeks

2010-05-15T18:31:00.001-04:00

Head to toe the baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches and still weighs only about a pound and a half, but she's starting to fill in with some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. The small blood vessels under her skin are also starting to fill with blood, so her skin is taking on a pink color.

She's also growing more hair, and if we could see it, we'd now be able to discern its color and texture! Her adult tooth buds are also developing up above her baby teeth buds in her gums. The baby’s nostrils (which until now have been plugged) begin to open this week. By today, blood vessels will have developed in the lungs. After birth, these vessels will allow blood to flow through the lungs to intercept oxygen and circulate it to her tissues. The amniotic fluid (all six gallons of it) is also being removed and replaced by my system EVERY THREE HOURS! Yikes!

The baby continues to practice reflex movements, and by now, she has developed the startle reflex, meaning she might jump when she hears loud noises outside the womb. Jeremy said he would be more careful from now on! :)

As for me, I am uncomfortable, but feeling good overall. The kicking is getting harder and more frequent -- but Jeremy still cannot feel it! Every night, I put his hand on my stomach and keep saying over and over again, "THERE! Did you feel THAT?" and he shakes his head. Soon enough, I guess.

Jeremy and I did some planning in the nursery today. We had some high hopes that we might not be living in this city or this house when the baby came, but we got some good news the other day that Jeremy got another job at the Henry Ford Museum, so we will be here for a little while longer at least. So, we started the process of changing the room next to ours from the workout/storage room into a nursery and talked about what we will have to do to make it work.

There are a few problems, like PANELING on the walls, which we probably can't paint pink because we are renting, and the fact that there is NO CLOSET. However, there is an entry to a flight of stairs that leads to the attic, so I am going to buy two tension rods today -- one for baby clothes and one to go behind it with a white curtain to make a fake back wall of a closet. Genius, right? And, the room is actually ivory on the top half of the walls and lavender on the bottom half (because the homeowner was going for "neutral" ...?) so if I just do pink bedding and pink accents, I think it can work. Anyway, I know we could have MUCH WORSE options for a room to put the baby in, and like Jeremy said today, it is not like we are putting her in our horrific "Silence of the Lambs" basement. So, parents of the year, right? :)

Doctor Appointment

2010-05-14T11:24:00.001-04:00

Today I had a doctor's appointment where I basically just checked in, got my blood pressure checked (108 over 68!), got my belly measured (looks good), and heard the heartbeat (sounds awesome!).

The doctor assured me that the nose bleeds are still normal and aren't a sign of something bad (no worries, mom!) and was glad to hear that I have no swelling my feet or ankles now that I got rid of that pair of shoes. So, all is well.

I also set up an appointment for my glucose tolerance test for a little less than two weeks from today. I am certainly not looking forward to it after all the stories I have heard, but I will be glad when it is over and the results are good!

Foot Experiment Completed

2010-05-13T12:13:00.000-04:00

I was getting a bit sick of the swollen feet and ankles at the end of work days, so I decided to conduct a little experiment. I generally wear the same pair of black shoes to work every day because they are fancy enough to go with my suits AND make a clicky sound, but they have a low baby wedge heel that is really nothing and they are almost flats, so they are comfortable enough to walk around in all day.

This week, I wore a cute pair of flats on Monday that are not QUITE as dressy and don't match most of my work clothes, but are insanely comfortable. When I got home from work at 6:30 -- NO SWELLING.

On Tuesday, I wore another pair of super-comfortable flats that could PROBABLY be worn with most of my work clothes without people raising eyebrows, but they are a little outdated because they have a rounded toe. When I got home from work at 6:30 -- NO SWELLING.

On Wednesday, I wore my go-to cute black shoes. When I checked my feet before my 4:00 class started -- OUTRAGEOUS SWELLING. When I got home -- EVEN WORSE SWELLING.

Now, I am no scientist, but I think I have got myself a little formula here: Don't wear the black shoes that are beautiful and match all my work clothes. Sad. But YAY to maybe less swelling and grossness in the future!

And some people were telling my I wasn't eating healthy enough and that was the reason for my swelling punishment. Take that!

Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T12:01:00.000-04:00

Some people might not count it, but I am counting this as my first Mother's Day. :) AND, some other people agreed!

My mom got me this cute plant:

My mother-in-law sent me this card (Warning! I cried, so you might too!):

And my wonderful husband got me a sweet card and this outfit for our little girl!:

I also get to see my great friend, Heather, who is the new mom of a sweet little boy. She is visiting from Chicago, and I get to see Heather and the baby for the first time since he arrived!! It's going to be a good day.

Happy Mother's Day!

Visible Kicks

2010-05-08T21:45:00.001-04:00

Jeremy has been sad lately that he can't feel the baby kick. I think part of it is he doesn't really know what he is trying to feel, but most of the time I can't even feel her kicks just by touching my belly. I have been pretty down about it too, because he really wants to feel it and I really want him to share it.

Anyway, I have been pretty sure that the kicks were getting stronger, and for the past couple of days she has even been kicking me really early in the morning (she used to sleep in until about noon!) and I even thought I SAW my belly move from big kicks, but it was always out of the corner of my eye. Tonight, however, I FOR SURE saw my belly moving from her kicks!! I put my hand where she was kicking, and sure enough, I could feel it. Of COURSE, Jeremy is gone and won't be home until tomorrow night! :( But hopefully she will practice until he gets home and he can get a show right away.

24 Weeks

2010-05-08T17:52:00.002-04:00

Today is 24 weeks. The baby is probably a little more than a pound and could be as long as 12 inches from head to toe! The baby probably gained about six ounces in this past week, and will gain six ounces every week for the next three weeks.

Now that her inner ear is developed, she can tell which way is up while she does all the spinning and moving and thumping around in there. Even though her environment is getting more and more crowded, she is still moving around a lot, and all the moving helps her to develop strong muscles (so she can look like her dad!). Her face is also almost completely developed -- all she needs is the fat deposits her entire body is lacking (which means her skin is still transparent and all of her organs are visible through her skin).

This week, my uterus is the size of a soccer ball!! Kind of crazy to imagine. But, it does kind of feel like a soccer ball is in there! I still have swelling of my feet and ankles on days that I work, but on my days off I keep them elevated as much as possible and I haven't had any trouble. It seems it is just me being on my feet for extended periods of time that is doing it, so while it is annoying, I feel confident that it is not a warning sign or something abnormal.

Also, oddly enough, my nose bleeds are back. I woke up this morning with blood dripping onto my pillow case! I am not worried, however, since my blood pressure is fantastic and my nose and sinuses have been hurting this entire pregnancy. I assume it is just the same swelling and easily broken blood vessels. Annoying, though!

Today, Jeremy is gone on his annual 3-day baseball adventure with his brothers and cousins, and I am off to my baby sister Victoria's graduation (if you see her or talk to her, be sure to congratulate her on her BFA in Graphic Design!). This is my first public foray in a maternity dress! Yikes! Wish me luck! :)

Presents

2010-05-05T20:53:00.002-04:00

I am falling a little behind in presents, here.

Way back on my birthday, my wonderful mother-in-law gave me this sweet statue:

A few days after that, a co-worker of mine made me this little baby cap for a birthday gift:

She said I could switch the ribbon out every day with a different color to match the baby's outfits!

Then, when I saw my sister Tracy last weekend, she gave me this sweet little outfit:

I also registered for baby stuff the other night at Target and Babies R Us. It was exhausting and a little scary. I was very concerned about picking the right things. Oh well, I know one way or another we will have everything we need by the time she arrives (or shortly thereafter!).

It still seems so far away ... August 28th ... it might as well be a year from now! Jeremy, on the other hand, just told me at dinner that it seems really immediate to him, like he thought when I got pregnant that we had all the time in the world and now she will be coming very soon. I wish she were coming soon! The anticipation is killing me!

23 weeks

2010-05-01T21:21:00.001-04:00

Today is 23 weeks, and that means that the baby is embarking on a weight-gain extravaganza over the next four weeks. Today she is probably a little over 11 inches in length and a little over a pound, but in the next four weeks she will more than double in weight! YAY, but ... she already seems to be taking up a lot of room, so ... we'll see.

Her hearing is also getting better and better every day, to prepare for all of the sounds she will hear when she arrives. She is also supposedly able to feel me moving around now because her sense of feeling is so well developed. It only seems fair, since I can DEFINITELY feel her moving around in there! She continues to be a big mover. I have to constantly remind myself that she is only a pound -- it is hard to believe she is so little but can make her presence known with as much force as a bowling ball!

Her skin is also reddish in color right now because of the rapidly developing blood vessels and the fact that her skin is so thin. The blood vessels in her lungs are also developing to prepare for breathing.

I continue to get bigger and bigger -- big surprise -- and have been getting some fun comments lately.

Strangers will say, "OH MY, you are ready to POP! When are you due?" and of course, I tell them "In four months" and they look horrified. This past week, FOUR different people at work asked me, "Are you SUPPOSED to be this big?!?!" I REALLY wanted to say, "I don't know. Are YOU?" but I just smiled and said something vague and walked away.

Other than unwelcome comments, I am feeling the stretch in my muscles all up and down my torso and am getting some unwanted pressure on my diaphram, making it difficult to talk a lot when I am teaching (which, if you know me, is a CRYING shame, since it is what I do best!), but things are pretty good overall. Still some feet and ankle swelling, aches and pains, and trouble sleeping, but nothing unusual, and nothing that I don't already know is going to get worse as time goes by! :)

In just a few weeks I will be in the third trimester, and I can't wait!

Clothes!

2010-04-29T16:17:00.000-04:00

I was feeling not-so-awesome this morning, and then I found the BIGGEST BOX OF CUTENESS EVER on my front porch!

My dear friend Jess sent me a birthday present, and it was a package of BABY GIRL CLOTHES! Feast your eyes on this:

Those are ice cream cones on the pants!!

Yeah, you're seein' it. Elephant barrettes!!

This is actually purple, but my camera stinks

World's cutest bib? I think so!

We are so lucky to have friends as amazing as Jess. I held up each thing for Jeremy and said "there will be a PERSON in this one day!!"

I can't wait to meet her ...

22 Weeks

2010-04-24T16:47:00.000-04:00

Today the baby has reached the one pound mark! She is probably about 8 1/2 inches from head to rump and 11 1/2 inches from head to toe.

Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and even though her eyelids are still fused shut, she is making blinking movements. She can also perceive light and dark more accurately through her eyelids, and her irises are fully developed (but they still lack pigment). Her hearing is getting better and she can probably recognize my voice. She can also now be aroused from sleep by loud noises outside the womb. Her eyebrows are almost totally filled in, and she is growing more hair on her head every day -- but the hair looks white because it is devoid of all pigment. It might look something like this:

During this week, the brain development begins a big burst that will only end when the baby reaches five years of age. The baby's sense of touch is also developing, and as she develops her grip, she might even grab the umbilical cord to hold onto (since there is nothing else in there to grab). She is even developing tooth buds beneath her gums and taste buds on her tongue!

I am feeling okay overall. I have some feet swelling after long days at work, and I have lots of leg and hip cramps, but nothing big. When I get into my "approved" sleeping positions, my arms fall asleep pretty quickly, and I have to wake up often to shake the circulation back into them, but I am getting better at staying on my side at night, so that is good.

The baby is moving a LOT lately. She also seems to have similar sleep patterns to her dear old mother. She doesn't like to wake up until mid-afternoon, and she starts really bouncing around at about 10 PM and stays up having her little dance parties well into the AM. We'll have to see if that stays the same once she is "on the outside!" :)

Birthday

2010-04-22T15:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was my 28th birthday, and on the way to dinner, I turned to Jeremy and said, "This is my last birthday without a child." It was definitely a moment. We both took a little time to consider that for the rest of my birthdays, there will be a person (or people) with us.

YES, we already knew this. We are not idiots. We know we will have a little person soon and she will be a part of us forever, but thinking about all of those little individual things -- like a last birthday alone -- is really something.

Anyway, once we got home from the restaurant, I realized that this REALLY wasn't my last birthday before becoming a mom. This hit me when I finally slipped off the shoes I had been wearing all day and saw Flinstone feet and cankles. I FLIPPED OUT. I have had a little swelling on my long days at work, but yesterday actually scared me. I started panicking and crying. I propped my feet up on three pillows on Jeremy's lap and he rubbed them for an hour. Then I went to bed early, crying about how bad my lower back and hips hurt.

Yep, I guess last year was my last birthday before being a mom! :)

21 Weeks

2010-04-17T10:33:00.029-04:00

Today is 21 weeks!

The baby is probably about three-quarters of a pound and 10 1/2 inches long. She is all done getting her proportions figured out, and she looks like a miniature newborn. She even has her eyebrows now!!

I am past the halfway point and moving right along. Of course, we just had the ultrasound and discovered we are having a BABY GIRL (!!!), and I was sure they would either say I was so dang big because I had two babies in there or because I was off on my due date and the baby was weeks ahead of schedule. Sadly, neither was true. The baby is EXACTLY on for 21 weeks, there is only one, and I am just bigger than most women because ... well, because.

I still have not gained much at all, and I am excited about that since I was already on the "dark side" of the scale and was sure I would gain like 50 pounds in the first few months. However, I sure feel like I have gained weight! The baby is so high that she is already pressing on my diaphram, and just walking across campus can be a feat! I bet I look pretty classy huffing and puffing my way to teach every morning!

Overall, I still feel great. My big problem with sleeping now is that since I have gotten big enough, my doctor and I had the talk about how I go to sleep on my left side (like I was instructed!) but wake up flat on my back. I just feel much more comfortable on my back, so apparently I move to that position to get restful sleep, but the weight of the baby now puts too much pressure on my inferior vena cava if I lay flat on my back, which can cut off blood flow (and then oxygen) to the baby. He said to barricade my back with pillows so I can't roll over, but he didn't realize he was dealing with the girl who would take her retainer out in her sleep and then sleepwalk around the room and hide it. So, I barricade myself, and then wake up on my back anyway. Sigh.

I was hoping it wasn't THAT big of a deal to sleep on my back (even though everything I read said the opposite), but the doctor said I should at least TRY not to cut off blood flow to my baby. So I am working on it. Last night I only woke up on my back once, so I guess that is an improvement.

Anyway, we get more excited by the day! Can't wait to meet her!

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

2010-04-16T18:38:00.000-04:00

We learned today that we are having a little baby girl, just like her momma thought!!

Of course, the ultrasound tech told us she was "99% sure" because she said she refuses to give a 100% guarantee to anyone. But she said it was fairly obvious that she was a little girl.

At first, I let a student do some practice on me for about 20 minutes, and our little lady had her legs crossed! But she was also being very still and making it very easy for the student to measure her head and brain and femur and look at her heart. Then, she started bouncing around like crazy, but she finally opened her legs, and TA DA! Nothing else down there! Even I, who have only seen a handful of girl and boy ultrasounds, could tell it was a girl.

Anyway, the whole thing was great. They didn't send us home with too many great pictures, but we saw her strong and healthy heart, her baby feet, her hands up by her face, and lots and lots of images of her face (for the first 15 minutes she was lying flat on her back and looking up, so we didn't get too many profile shots).

face picture:

face picture translated:

profile picture:

profile picture translated:

foot picture!:

foot picture translated:

(Jeremy said, "Hey, it looks like she's got all five on there! That's good!")

Once she started moving around, it was so fun to watch. So so exciting. And for about an hour after the ultrasound, she let me know what she thought of all that poking and prodding! She kicked like a mule!!

Once we found out, we made some calls and then I posted it to Facebook. My beautiful and thoughtful cousin, Robin, was kind enough to get a screenshot of my announcement before the comments came pouring in:

It's hard to put into words just how excited I am. I just can't wait to meet her.

Suspicions Confirmed

2010-04-15T20:39:00.001-04:00

One of the reasons I was positive that I wanted to learn the sex of the baby before it was born was because of how much I DESPISE surprises.

I know, it sounds strange, since there are so many lovely surprises. Jeremy brought me home a magazine and a candy treat! Yay! I get a package in the mail with a maternity shirt my mom bought me! Yay! A snow day! Yay! All of that is fine and good, but the surprises that you KNOW are looming? Not good for me.

The unanswered, the anxiety, the anticipation, the feeling that the universe is holding information over my head like it is playing keep-away with me. It is all much too much. My stomach eats itself. My pulse races. I get rashes. I go crazier than usual. It is not a pretty picture.

I have been really excited ever since Jeremy said he was on board with us learning the baby's gender, but this past week has been terrible. I am not excited anymore. Instead, I have the nervousness, the queasiness, the "surprise is coming" feeling in my stomach, and it is not pleasant. I know tomorrow will be amazing, but I can't help but feeling anxious right now, and I am SO glad that is not what I will be feeling in the weeks leading up to the baby's arrival!!

Because we are finding out and having our surprise now, I will be prepared, and waiting for the baby will be better. I will know that I am getting closer and closer to seeing my baby boy or girl instead of worrying and wondering.

Ugh for tomorrow ... and YAY for tomorrow!

Boy or Girl?

2010-04-15T12:31:00.002-04:00

Comments with your guess of girl or boy would be welcomed and cherished today. We find out the gender tomorrow!!! (Hopefully! I am hoping for a cooperative baby!)

I can't wait!!!!!

New Due Date?

2010-04-13T17:42:00.000-04:00

I just read a very interesting fact. Supposedly, babies are generally born about 147 days (plus or minus 15) after the mother feels the first movement.

Okay, give me a moment to do some math ...

Okay, that was exhausting.

My due date is August 28th.
147 days after the day I first felt movement (March 27th) is August 21st.
Give or take 15 days would put it as early as August 6th (yes please!!) or as late as September 5th (NO SIR!!).

All of my mom's babies were early, and most of my mother-in-law's babies were late (except Jeremy. Phew!!). A late baby in August does not sound fun to me, so let's hope for on time or early!

I can't wait to look back at this when the baby is born and see if it came anywhere close!

20 Weeks, Continued

2010-04-11T16:38:00.001-04:00

Here is my 20 week belly shot from last night:

I had to wait for Jeremy to get home from the Tigers game so he could take the picture, and then when he went to snap the photo, the battery died. I reminded him that I haven't been able to find my charger in weeks and asked him to help me find it. We thought it might be in the overflowing office closet, so we spent about two hours organizing and cleaning. We got two bags of garbage out (so embarrassing!) ... but no charger. Five minutes later I found it shoved back and hidden in the corner of a drawer where I had already looked. Classic. At that point, dinner was two hours late, but dang if we don't have a clean closet!

When Jeremy was at the game yesterday, I was sitting on the couch doing tons of work for the new semester, and every so often I went to www.detroittogers.com to check the score. Every time I visited the website, the baby kicked! I told Jeremy when he got home, and the biggest smile I have seen in weeks spread across his face. :) He has big plans for a Tigers fan!

We also watched SNL last night, and Justin Beiber performed. We were obviously not impressed with the tween, and then Jeremy said "Oh my god ... one day our baby will be a tween and like terrible and annoying things!!!" Yikes. I said, "Yeah, that's why it's a baby first and by the time it gets to be a tween you already love it too much to give it away. Hopefully."

Twenty Weeks and Countdown to the Ultrasound

2010-04-10T13:01:00.002-04:00

Well, twenty weeks is here, and I am at the official halfway mark of my pregnancy!! Okay, so I get my baby soon, right!?!? Oh, another twenty weeks? Like, the same bazillion days it took me to get here? Crap. I want my baby NOW!

But since he/she is not ready yet (even though I whisper "hurry up!" to my belly every night), here is how he/she is doing this week.

The baby probably weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now, and has graduated from being measured head to rump, and can now be measured head to toe. Head to toe, the baby is probably about 10 inches! Getting so big!

The baby is swallowing a lot more now to practice using the digestive system, so he/she is also beginning to produce meconium. Fun milestone to celebrate, right? :)

The top of my uterus is now level with my belly button, so my belly button could be popping any time now. I am actually looking forward to it, as weird as it seems, because my belly button is still such a severe innie that it looks like I am just sporting a belly full of fat and not baby. At this point I would still rather Jeremy admire my belly while it is COVERED, and I know I will be much more comfortable with him admiring a belly with a pregnant lady outie.

In other news, I am SOOOO looking forward to this Friday and our BIG ULTRASOUND! I have no idea how I will get through this work week. All I am thinking about is seeing my baby and (hopefully) learning the sex! I know I also have to be prepared for the possibility that the baby will be uncooperative (I mean, it is MY baby, so it might be a little sassy), but I am just dying to see him/her!! I have only seen the baby at nine weeks, and it just looked like a fuzzy little gummi bear. Now it will look more like a tiny little baby. I just can't wait.

And, in all honesty, if this baby takes after me, he/she will appreciate being on camera and will probably ham it up! :)

Update on Kicks

2010-04-08T12:44:00.000-04:00

I was still feeling a little scared that I wasn't feeling the baby move a lot. I know another mother who is due only 3 days before me, and she mentioned she is feeling a LOT of activity. I was a little scared, and even took to poking my belly from time to time, asking the baby to move (which horrified Jeremy beyond belief!).

Thankfully, since Monday I have been feeling more movement, and yesterday the baby must have been having a dance party in there! While I was teaching from 12 to 6 yesterday, I don't think the baby stopped moving!! Whether it was loud or quiet, I was standing or sitting, the baby was bouncing around like crazy!

One of my students came up after class and said "It is so cool to see your baby move while you are talking to the class! I'm sorry, but I will be watching your belly all semester!" and I was SHOCKED!!! The movements still feel like little tiny pops to me, so I never considered that anything was visible to others! On the other hand, she might have just WANTED to see movement. Most of my classes this term are heavy on the female side, and about 90% of them are mothers and want to talk to me about the baby before class and during breaks. I will never be short of advice!

Anyway, last night, the little one kept up the dancing long after I was done teaching. It was grooving while Jeremy and I watched a movie and then for the three hours that I laid in bed trying to all asleep after Jeremy did. Nothing much yet today, but it must have tired itself out from yesterday!

I also read today that skinner women feel movement earlier (which I kind of figured) than heavier women, and all the moms I know who felt lots of early movements were skinny-minnies, so that makes sense that I would have to wait a week or two more than them.

Jeremy has only felt one kick so far, and I am trying like crazy to get him to feel more, but whenever I feel something and slap his hand into place, the baby freezes. I feel bad, because I know he wants to feel it too.

Anyway, I know in a few months I might be wincing from these kicks, but right now I want them all the time!!!

Baby Booties

2010-04-07T22:18:00.000-04:00

My mom made a pair of booties for Baby Dimick, and they are adorable and hilarious at the same time! I can't wait to put them on little feet!!

Apparently I had a pair when I was little, and my mom used the same pattern. <3

Easter (and a few unrelated items)

2010-04-06T12:48:00.000-04:00

Jeremy and I managed to go see both of our families this Sunday, even though Jeremy usually works on Sundays and the museum is usually open on holidays. It was a nice surprise, and we got good food and lots of laughs.

What we didn't expect was that Baby Dimick would get so much stuff!

The first stop of the day was at my mom and dad's house. My mom had pulled out all the baby stuff she saved from us, and we sorted through what we could. I didn't take any clothes, because they were all very gender-specific. I did get a few books and a bunch of blankets, however. Also, my mom gave me this onesie:

Priceless! We couldn't stop laughing about it all day.

Next we headed over to Jeremy's parents' house, where we joined 3 of his 4 siblings. We had lots of stories and laughs (and too much food!) there too. On the way out of town, we stopped at Gran's because she had baskets for us. In my basket was this onesie:

Baby Dimick cleaned up!

On to the unrelated items.

1. When I was importing the pictures of the onesies, I found a picture that I meant to write a post about. On March 25, I was in pretty rare form (well, I would like to think it is rare, but Jeremy might have a different opinion) and I NEEDED a cupcake and a shamrock shake. It is really not too often that I NEED a particular food, and it is even more rare that I give into the craving (Jeremy and I usually talk me down off the cliff, like the other night when I NEEDED a stromboli, even though dinner was all ready to be enjoyed). Anyway, I NEEDED that cupcake and shamrock shake.

And my wonderful husband obliged. At 9 PM on a Thursday. What a guy.

2. It looks like we have an official date and location for my baby shower! The shower will be on June 19th, and my fabulous mother-in-law just found an ideal location last night. I am getting excited!! How many days left? My mom gathered up some prizes and favors already as well, so we are on our way. I can't wait!

Our Baby Now Kicks on Demand

2010-04-03T14:18:00.000-04:00

Last night I was telling Jeremy that I hadn't felt any kicks since the night I first felt them for sure, on Tuesday. I told him it made me slightly nervous and a little sad. Jeremy suggested we play some really loud music, since the baby kicked in response to a very loud man talking. So I suggested that Jeremy just shout "KICK!" at my belly. Jeremy refused, saying, "What if the baby were born deaf?!?!" and I said shouting would not deafen our baby. He responded, "Yeah, but what if it were born deaf ANYWAY? Then I would feel like I caused it!"

So, we didn't shout at the baby. But about one hour later, when I was laying in bed, the baby kicked a few times on the right side, and then a few on the LEFT side, where I have never felt kicks before! The baby not only listened to us, but did some fancy acrobatics.

THEN, this morning, Jeremy and I were sitting on the couch, and I leaned over the lay on him, putting my belly on his knee ... and Jeremy felt his first kick!!!

Nineteen Weeks

2010-04-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

Today is nineteen weeks.

The baby is about six inches long and eight ounces. The baby continues to grow bones to replace the cartilage it now has, and the baby's body is now covered with vernix to protect it from the amniotic fluid. The arms and legs are now finally in proportion to its body, and the neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, so the baby has more control over its limbs. There has also been a sensory explosion in the brain, as the brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

I am still feeling good overall, and Jeremy, Cleo, and I have been taking a half-hour walk every evening when Jeremy gets home from work. Cleo makes sure I keep up the pace! I am also searching for a good prenatal yoga DVD, but all the ones I have found are heavy on the "spiritualism" or made in the 70s. I am looking for a contemporary yoga video like the ones I already have, and I just want them to be geared for pregnant women. I thought it would be easy to find. If anyone has a good one, let me know the title. I am ready to work out!

Odds and Ends

2010-04-02T12:21:00.000-04:00

I have a few random unrelated tidbits to record. I am really glad I started writing so much of this down. It is already fun to look back and read the old entries, so I can't imagine how I will feel in a few years!

1. It is official -- all the weight I lost in the beginning of my pregnancy came from my butt. And it never came back. One of the only body parts I liked!! :( I am still wearing all my pre-pregnancy pants, and they are so saggy in the britches that I can pull them down without unzipping. And to add insult to injury, I just read in the pregnancy survival guide for dads that my sister got Jeremy "Her butt WILL get flat and saggy. There is nothing you can do to stop this. But, by all means, LIE to her and tell her nothing has changed." So much sadness in those sentences.

2. My friend Heather said I was "adorably pregnant" the other day, and I got all misty and told Jeremy what she said and how nice she was. Jeremy didn't even hesitate, and said, "Well, she's right! You ARE!" I have the greatest guy!

3. Jeremy is indulging me by talking to my stomach every night. When we go to bed, I lay down and tell him to tell the baby about his day. He often says cute things like, "Oh yeah, Cleo is the DOG and MoJo is the CAT. You will learn what those things are later."

4. A guy HIT ON ME in Meijer the other day! At first I thought he was just messing around or something because, come one, I am PREGNANT, but then I realized he was totally serious. I couldn't help myself. I laughed right in his face because I immediately imagined his train of thought being something like: "Hmmm. A baby. I could work with that. Yeah, a baby would be okay." It was too much.

5. Last weekend Jeremy and I took a miniature road trip and talked the whole way. Since our conversations are usually baby-related, we were talking about some of my ... quirks ... as a child. Jeremy said, "You know, if we get a baby with all of your zany behaviors because of Karma, life is going to be pretty difficult!" I just said, "Well, get used to it."

REAL BABY KICKS!!!

2010-03-31T15:46:00.001-04:00

For real this time, guys!!! Drumroll .... I felt the baby kick last night! And kick and kick and kick. It was crazy and fun and amazing.

I was at a huge college-wide meeting last night, and I was just sitting there with my hands on my belly (to signal to the strangers at my table that I was pregnant and not just bellylicious -- we had assigned seating so we could meet new people. Like a cruise ship. Lame.) when one speaker handed the microphone over to another speaker. This guy REALLY wanted to make sure we heard him, and he was SHOUTING into the microphone. He was so loud that I felt the vibrations. It was unreal. Then, all of a sudden, I felt a little pop under my hand. I knew it had to be a little kick, but I waited and thought about it for awhile. What if I had imagined it? But then, pop pop ... pop ... pop pop pop! A bunch of little kicks, like my little one was saying SHUT THIS GUY UP!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM AND WHY CAN'T HE MODULATE THE VOLUME OF HIS VOICE?? I AM TRYING TO RELAX HERE!! It was amazing.

I kept feeling little kicks, and then as soon as loud guy handed off the mic, they stopped. I have a sassy little baby that is sensitive to loud noises, just like momma.

18 Weeks/5 Months!

2010-03-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

Today I am 18 weeks, which marks the beginning of the fifth month! It feels big.

This week the baby is probably about 5 1/2 inches from head to rump. He or she is also busy flexing his/her arms and legs ... which I have yet to feel. Today I thought I felt something that resembled the flutter people have described, but it's hard to be sure. We were at the emergency vet's office with our beloved dog, Cleo, and I was very agitated, when all of a sudden I felt a little something. I can't be sure if I was imagining it or not, but Jeremy said the baby could tell I was mad and was kicking me to tell me to snap out of it. This baby is definitely taking after, bossy baby!

If the baby is a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If it is a boy, his genitals will finally be noticeable by ultrasound, even though we will not have our big ultrasound for another two weeks.

HOWEVER, there is BIG news on the gender front. Brace yourselves. Last night, Jeremy said he had decided that it was most important that *I* be happy, and if that meant finding out the gender, he was on board. I am still a bit confused. He claims he is sincere, but I think there might be a chance he is using some sort of Jedi mind trick on me and is just trying to get me to change MY mind and want to wait. Oh well, because it is only SLIGHTLY working. I feel bad, but have not a SINGLE doubt in my mind that I want, nay NEED, to know the sex of the baby and that knowing will put my mind at ease and allow me to plan the way I would like. More updates on that as they happen.

As far as me, I am doing well. I am struggling with insomnia and being unable to breathe or get into a comfortable position in bed, but I knew that was coming and know it will just get worse. It's no fun, but I know it could be worse. During the day, I generally feel great. Unless I go too long without eating. Jeremy discovered that yesterday on a short road trip we took. Not pretty. I will just have to get better about packing food.

Overall, all is well, I am really excited to be 5 months pregnant, and I can't wait for the ultrasound!!

More Stuff For the Baby and More Gender Woes

2010-03-25T17:29:00.001-04:00

I did not set out for Monday to be a big baby day, but it turned into one.

First, I went to visit my dear friend Melissa at her new house, and she gave me a gift for the baby!! And look how perfect it is!!

Isn't that wonderful? I think I am going to put some headphones on my belly and start playing it for the baby tonight. I have such wonderful friends!!

After I spent some time with Melissa, I met my mom and dad for dinner. After a delicious meal, we headed to Target to return some maternity clothes my mom had generously bought me ... but didn't fit. Sooo frustrating, since I had other shirts in the same size by the same designer, but these were like 15 sizes too big. Grrr. And then there really wasn't much there. It really seems like when I was wishing I were pregnant, I saw awesome and inexpensive maternity clothes in my size everywhere, and now that I need them, there is like one rack at Target. Oh well. I got one really cute shirt, anyway.

That same night we also went to Joann Fabrics to do some looking around. I found some fabric on sale that would be perfect for receiving blankets.

One was a cute neutral:

This picture isn't amazing, but if you look hard, you can see pink, blue, and yellow.

And one was the prettiest little girl print in the whole wide world:

I figured I should make a few and then if I don't have a girl, I can save them for a little girl who might come in the future or give them to the next friend who has a girl. Either way, it was too cute to pass up.

Finally, I found a good pattern for baby bedding, since I have been LESS than impressed with the bedding I have found thus far. Nothing is really THAT great, and everything costs WAY too much money, so I figured I could make my own:

Now, here comes the real problem: Fabric. If I am going to lovingly make all this bedding, I want it to be for that baby, and not just some neutral boring something. I found the perfect fabric for a little girl's princess bedroom, and I have visions of a baseball bedroom for a little boy, BUT Jeremy is still being stubborn and wants to keep the sex a surprise. Everyone knows there is no WAY I will make bedding AFTER the baby is born -- even though Jeremy still maintains we could do all the decorating after the baby is born so I could have a gender-specific bedroom and he can have his surprise. I mean, come on. He is clearly grossly underestimating the amount of exhaustion that will be happening around here when that newborn shows up.

I started looking for neutral stuff, and there is nothing I like ENOUGH to design a whole nursery around it. I am just very disappointed. I want to celebrate our little boy or little girl, and, in my mind, that includes a fun nursery and clothes that aren't ALL green or yellow. How can I find a way to make both me and Jeremy happy??? (No, seriously, I need guidance!)

So Impatient

2010-03-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

So, apparently some women can feel kicking as early as 16 weeks and most can feel it by 18 weeks. I am 17 and a half weeks ... and NOTHING! I am dying here! I spend most of my time with my hand pressed on my belly, hoping and waiting.

I don't have too much more to say, but that has been my main focus lately, just dying for a little movement! Come on, baby!

17 weeks (plus a day) belly picture

2010-03-21T19:39:00.000-04:00

I didn't get a belly picture yesterday, so 17 weeks and one day will have to do:

When Jeremy showed me the picture, I said, "Holy crap! I'm huge!" It doesn't look that big when I am looking down at it! But I know I will look back at these pictures and laugh, wondering how I could think THAT was huge, when the real hugeness was yet to come. :)

17 Weeks and I Can't Stop Eating!

2010-03-20T14:41:00.001-04:00

The 17 week descriptions I have been reading are a lot less exciting than previous weeks. Other weeks are full of exciting things that make me want to end a million sentences with exclamation marks, but this week is a little short on exciting.

Now that I have made everyone want to stop reading already: Week 17.

This week, the baby is probably about 5 ounces and 5 inches from head to rump. His or her skeleton is finally transitioning from cartilage to bone, and the sweat glands are beginning to function.

Jeremy and I just talked about how all the measurements are actually head to rump, and if you think about little legs too, it's much longer than we have been imagining. We held up our hands and got an estimate of the baby's size, and it was pretty cool. It's definitely no longer a little soybean, but a little miniature baby doll!!

As for me, I am feeling better. I am definitely out of the first trimester, and my nausea is pretty much totally gone and my appetite is BACK and bigger than ever. It is kind of strange all the little things I can feel now that the nausea isn't so huge that it takes over everything. My stomach definitely feels weird -- moving hurts, and my body is already trying to convince me that bending over is a bad idea. My bump is getting very hard and my skin is feeling pretty stretched out. Moving around is just so different that it is a little frustrating and exhausting already. My hips have been hurting, so I have been slowly increasing how much exercise I get every day.

I am also pretty unable to get comfortable at night. Everything I have read has said to practice sleeping on your left side, and it is bad to sleep on your back. I know that will be more true later on, but it still freaks me out that I fall asleep on my side and ALWAYS wake up flat on my back. Any ideas on how to convince my body to only sleep on one side? Especially since I wake up with aching hips from lying on my side on our crappy mattress all night? Please advise!

But, overall, I am feeling much better. I am just more uncomfortable than anything, and I will take that over my first trimester experience any time!! I am looking forward for the fifth month to begin soon!!

Doctor Appointment Number 3

2010-03-18T15:12:00.001-04:00

Today was another doctor's visit, and, for some reason, I still never know what to expect when I go and I am shocked by how short they are.

Anyway, I was slightly nervous, because the first time I went, I got horribly lost, and then the second appointment Jeremy drove -- and took two different ways on the way there and back -- so I was feeling nervous that I didn't REALLY know how to get there. I mean, I had directions, but I was nervous, because, you know, it's an important appointment and the last thing I want is to be late. Also, the first time I went and got lost, I had directions ... just the WRONG directions, so I was worried that it might happen again.

However, I got there. AND, Jeremy called me to say he got out on lunch early so he could be back in time for an afternoon meeting, and that meant he had JUST enough time to drive over and meet me for the appointment. It made me so happy!

At this appointment, she calmed my nerves about some of the pains I have been having (she assured me they were just ligament pains) and we got to hear the heartbeat again!!! Here's the thing ... it sounded really strong and steady, but then it would sound like it was being interrupted by another heartbeat!! I swear! Jeremy even agreed with me. But did I ask the doctor why it sounded like two heartbeats? Noooo. I was too excited.

I gained a few pounds since last month, but I still haven't gained back all of the 20 I lost, and she didn't say anything at all about my weight, so I am assuming all is well there.

Also, my blood pressure was 104 over 60!!!! Isn't that really low?? Or am I just being a worrier? I am always an exact 120 over 80 person, so that freaked me out. But, the nurse said "Oh, that's great!" And did I ask the doctor about it? Nooooo. I was too busy asking the other questions I had prepared. Sigh. So, now what do I do? Wait until next month to ask about it? Double sigh.

BUT, I get an ultrasound on April 16th at 10 AM!!!! Jeremy and I are SOOOOOOOO excited!! I am already counting down the days!

Maybe Something Helpful?

2010-03-16T09:00:00.001-04:00

After reading my post on my personal blog about how I have NOTHING for the baby, my genius mom reminded me of something: Way back in the summer of 2003, when I didn't even have a boyfriend (a month before I met Jeremy!), I found some baby girl clothes on super sale ... and bought them.

Apparently I also bought a copy of my mom's favorite book:

Maybe I bought it to have on hand for friends who had babies and then I just threw it in with the clothes and forgot about it? Who knows?

But again, here we are with the same problem: helpful if we have a girl, not so much for a little boy! Also, most of them are 6-9 month clothes ... and they are also summer clothes. I am due at the end of August. I'm no mathematician, but that doesn't seem to add up. Oh well. Clothes are clothes, right?

My mom loves the story of how I brought them home and hung them in my closet until I could think of a good way to store them, but then a few weeks later my Aunt Julie came to visit and spied them ... she was horrified! She approached my mom and said, "Is there something you need to tell me?" When my mom told my aunt that I just bought them because I was crazy, I don't think she believed her right away! She probably kept an eye on my stomach for a while! Love that story.

A Decision. Finally.

2010-03-15T09:00:00.003-04:00

Nothing that exciting, but ... we decided what to do about the stroller/car seat debacle. Jeremy and I were seriously confused about what to do. Travel system and then upgrade the car seat later or big convertible car seat and "regular" stroller? We had heard so many opinions we couldn't keep it all straight in our heads.

We realized there were pros and cons to each, but we couldn't figure out which would be better for us in the long run when it comes to both finances and practicality. We want our baby to be safe, but we have like ... no dollars to spend, so every product decision counts. Also, we know we will get a lot of stuff from the shower, and we are SOOOO grateful for that, but we can't just count on getting all the important things from the shower.

So, anyway, we had a lovely little investigative trip to Babies R' Us yesterday, since it is the only place in our area that has more than like five display models out and they don't get mad when you play with them (and bash them into things) for hours.

We picked out our "favorites" of all the pieces and then looked at the combinations. Based on what we picked out, we would be spending about the same money either way we decided to go, so we decided to go for the travel system and then getting a bigger car seat when the munchkin outgrows the infant seat. That way, we get the bonus of popping the kid in and out of the car and the stroller very easily, and we can bring a sleeping kid places more easily. I am actually hoping to be a "baby wearer" and use my sling as much as possible, but it will also be nice to have a small seat to take places, like when we are visiting someone or I am going to the grocery store.

I think what really sold us was how much we liked this travel system:

It was lighter, easier to use, more agile, had more bells and whistles AND was about $90 cheaper than any of the other nice systems. It even has a spot to store WIPES up near the "mommy" cup holders!! Wipes!

I know this is not a huge decisions in the grand scheme of having a child, but it was a big decision for us, and we worked like a team to get there. We were like pros, I have to say. :)

So here's to more big decisions to come! I know we can do it!

16 Week Belly Pictures

2010-03-14T09:00:00.001-04:00

I remembered late last night to take 16 week belly pictures. Still counts!

I guess I AM pretty big ... no wonder everyone keeps asking me if there is more than one in there!

16 Weeks and Lots of Updates

2010-03-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

I don't know why, but sixteen weeks seems "big" to me, like a substantial marker in the land of pregnancy. I have no facts to back up why I feel this way, but that's true for a lot of things in life.

This week the baby is probably about 5 inches long and weighs around three ounces. The fun things growing this week are on the theme of "tiny": toenails (!!), eyebrows and eyelashes (!!!), and all of the tiny bones in the ears -- so the baby can hear and recognize my lovely voice. I'll have to remember to talk and sing to him/her more often. Actually, last night Jeremy had a little conversation with the baby. I have been having some sharp pains that come and go (the doctor says I am fine), and I got one while I was talking to Jeremy. He asked, "baby?" and I nodded, so he got real close to my belly and said "Hey, baby, can you please stop hurting your mom? She is working really hard to grow you, so stop that nonsense in there." Then he kissed my belly and I melted into a tiny pool on the floor. What a guy!

Overall, however, I am doing MUCH better than those first three dramatic months. I don't feel "amazing," but I feel solidly "good," almost normal, and that is leaps and bounds away from all the feelings of death I was feeling only a few short weeks ago. I guess I understand now how women say you will forget all the bad parts really quickly and get pregnant again, even if pregnancy is horrible. So, there IS a chance this baby won't be an only child!

In other breaking news, the "to know or not to know" debate is really gaining steam. For those of you who don't already know, I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to know what we are having. I want to plan and shop and decorate the nursery, and I want the baby to have SOME clothes that are not green or yellow. Jeremy wants it to be a surprise, even though he knows surprises are at the top of my hate list. At any rate, we both realize that the other has good reasons for feeling the way he/she does. So ... I guess it is not really heating up so much as it is at a standstill. Oh well.

One thing that we do seem to be in agreement with is keeping the baby's name a secret until he/she is born. Or, rather, it is really important to me and Jeremy is willing to play along.

AND we have a boy's name that we both really like and we are 99% sure we will use if the baby is a boy, which is VERY exciting for us, since this is the first name we have agreed on in the six years we have been discussing baby names! Victory! We have a name that we both like for a girl, but I have one small hang-up with it. Jeremy's homework is to make that go away, and I will be on board for the girl's name too. So, even if we don't learn the sex, at least I will know that the names are all ready to go and I won't have to panic when I go into labor!

Well, that was a long post, but fun for me. I keep trying to post more so I can use this to look back on in years to come and remember all these little things.

Baby Talk

2010-03-09T16:05:00.002-05:00

Today was a big baby day. Well, kind of.

First of all ... I bought THIS:

I know, I know, but I COULDN'T HELP IT!! How perfect! And, yes, it is true that I am convinced it is a girl, but I totally would have bought an adorable corresponding boy version ... IF they had one (it was only $3!). I am not a fan of newborn boy clothes. They are just not cute enough.

And, I think, just MAYBE, I might finally look pregnant to people in public instead of just a big-belly type of lady. I am making this assumption based on the fact that the produce guy asked me a bunch of questions about my "little one."

Sidebar: Yes, the produce guy chatted me up for like 5 minutes, but this is not unusual. If you really know me, you know that strangers LOVE to talk to me. In the 30 minutes I was in Meijer today, the produce guy chatted with me, a lady asked me if I liked Special K crackers and then told me all about her experience with other Special K products, and the cashier told me all about her plan to retire in two years ... IF they didn't change her insurance, and if they did, then she would still work part-time and be semi-retired. Strangers love me.

Anyway, this produce guy. At first, I was very excited, because he said, "Awww. How's your little one doing?" and I was all excited on the inside but just said "so far, so good." But then he started asking more questions ... "How far along are you?" "Is it a boy or a girl?" "Do you have any other children?" By the time he asked me "Do you have any names picked out?" I kind of thought maybe he was planning on stealing my baby, so I grabbed some grapes and hauled butt.

But hey, I look pregnant! :)

15 Weeks

2010-03-06T20:11:00.001-05:00

Today is 15 weeks, and the baby is at least 4 and a half inches long and weighs about two ounces. It is the size of a navel orange, which is hard to believe, considering how big I am already! EVERYONE keeps asking me if I am having twins! I try not to take it in a bad way, since I still haven't gained back a single pound of the 20 I lost since Christmas.

Anyway, the baby is busy "practicing" this week -- practicing breathing, sucking, swallowing, curling its toes, kicking, doing somersaults, and waving its little arms around.

I found a few amazing pictures of babies in the womb at 15 weeks ....

Pretty amazing. It makes me want the baby to come NOW even more!

I had a few rough days on Thursday and Friday, but I am doing better. I had some spotting on Thursday night and just about had a complete breakdown. The doctor said I was fine, but I had some pain the next day, and was pretty panicked until Jeremy got me calm enough to fall asleep on the couch. When I woke up, I was feeling better, and I hope to continue that way. I haven't had any symptoms since then, and the doctor tells me not to worry, that spotting can be caused by many things, and if in very small amounts and not combined with cramping, doesn't mean the worst.

Overall, I have been feeling MUCH better. I would not say I am feeling great yet, but when I remind myself what I felt like for the first three LONG months, I can appreciate how much better I feel.

And finally, we got to see most of the Dimicks today (YAY!) and Grandma Dimick (or whatever moniker she will choose when the time comes!) got us two great books:

Baby Names Now: From Classic to Cool -- The Very Last Word on First Names by Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran.

It is a HOOT. These ladies are so snarky and just have a comment about every name.

Like, they will tell you a little about the name listed, but then list a few that are similar but they think are much better. They also call a lot of names overused, and, including some of the Dimick names. Oops!

I love the little asides like, "we think parents can find a much more substantial and lovely names for girls than this." Priceless.

However, it also includes the meanings, any special stories, the use in popular culture and when the name has been the most popular. It is very interesting.

She also got us the baby's very first book -- There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Suess, which I had no idea was Jeremy's favorite book as a child!

Jeremy had a great time reading it today, and it even brought back the scary memories of the "Vug under the Rug" -- the image just showed a huge lump under a rug in a dark room.

Oh, isn't that the best way to scare the crap out of a child -- leave them to create the scariness in their own minds! It's funny how strong those memories are too, that they can come flooding back to you at a moment's notice. Jeremy will have to use special caution when reading this book to our little one so the same fate does not befall him or her!

14 Weeks, aka, The Second Trimester!

2010-02-27T20:58:00.002-05:00

Well, today is the big day: The second trimester! It is nice to finally hit a big landmark, and it makes it seem like that third trimester is actually something that will happen one of these days! I know everyone says pregnancy just FLIES by, but these past few months have been the LONGEST of my life! I truly hope now that things are calming down and I am feeling a little better I can enjoy the pregnancy more, and maybe it will begin to fly by.

In big baby news this week, the baby can now make all kinds of facial expressions! It can grimace, frown, and squint. None of the books mentioned smiling, but when Jeremy asked if it can smile too, I said, "Sure! We have a happy baby!" So, if you know for a fact that the baby cannot smile yet, please don't burst our bubble!

The baby is about 3 1/2 inches now and probably weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. It can also probably grasp and suck his or her little thumb! The fact Jeremy found the weirdest was that the baby is producing and excreting urine already.

The neck is growing longer and straightening out, and the body is finally growing faster than the head. By the end of this week, his or her little arms will probably also have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of the body, though the legs need a little more work to be in proportion.

He or she is also developing languo this week, or the ultra-fine hair that will cover the body and keep him or her warm, which my baby certainly needs! :) I have a super-low basal temperature, even with the one degree I increased with the pregnancy. I don't want a chilly baby!

The baby's liver should also begin making bile and the spleen will start the production of red blood cells. And even though I can't feel it yet, the baby's hands and feet (which are about 1/2 inch long!) are flexible and fully active. I can't wait to feel those kicks!

13 Weeks

2010-02-20T16:27:00.000-05:00

Today I am 13 weeks and the baby is about three inches long. The milestone today is ... fingerprints! It is really amazing to think that the baby probably only weighs about an ounce but already has his or her unique fingerprints.

Speaking of other teeny-tiny things, if the baby is a girl (which OBVIOUSLY she is!), she already has over 2 million eggs in her ovaries!

Next week marks the beginning of the second trimester, which according to the books, is a time of "relative comfort for most pregnant women." While I have been feeling better overall, I am still having some bad days, so I hope to enjoy some of that relative comfort soon!

I went to the mom 2 mom sale with my friend Loe'l this morning, but I didn't find anything. They didn't have any big items besides a highchair that another woman swooped on moments before I could, and the rest was basically clothes, which does NOT help me because I don't know the sex of the baby. So I will definitely go to the next one to look again, but I think they might be better after the baby comes if they are mostly clothes again. At least I got to scope things out and see what to expect in the future!

Beating Heart, Baby!

2010-02-18T20:17:00.001-05:00

I apologize for the title being a music reference that maybe only my sister will get, but that song has been stuck in my head all day because ... you guessed it: we got to hear the baby's heartbeat today!!

I had my second check-up, and this time it was with the RN, who was wonderful (recap: my place has a team of four doctors, a midwife, and a RN, who you rotate between and get to know because any combination might be the team on-call when you give birth. So far, I love the midwife and RN, and I meet one of the OB/GYNs at my next visit in four weeks).

This was only my second visit, but it was Jeremy's first time going, and he was impressed by how nice it was, which made me feel very good.

This check-up was very quick. We talked about my symptoms, she reassured me that it was okay that I had lost 20 pounds, since I have not lost too much in the past four weeks. Most of my weight loss was really really early in the first trimester, and I just haven't gained much of it back, and she said it doesn't concern her because the baby is obviously growing (have you SEEN my belly??).

Finally, she felt my belly a bit and pulled out the doppler. I was so nervous! She put it to my belly, and I (logically) knew she probably wouldn't find the heartbeat immediately, but I still freaked out when all I heard was silence! After the appointment, Jeremy said as soon as she put it to my belly he heard something, and then he realized it was someone walking in the hallway and he got mad and wanted to tell them to shut up! :) She found the heartbeat quickly, and it was fast and strong!! It was so amazing to have Jeremy there and see the look in his eyes!!

Then, it was over! Jeremy and I were shocked at how quick it was, but then I remembered that one of the reasons I chose the place was because they weren't overly pokey and invasive. I am not a high risk pregnancy, so I don't need unnecessary tests all the time just for the sake of running tests. The baby is obviously fine and I am healthy, so I should just be thankful and chill out. Easier said than done, but I would like to try to stick by that mantra.

I have one more regular check-up in four weeks before I get to have my ultrasound (another four weeks after that), which will put me really close to 21 weeks. While it is really disappointing that I will have to wait so long to see the baby, it should be a good ultrasound since the baby will be bigger and more developed, so I am trying to think positive thoughts about it.

In other news, Jeremy found out about a mom-to-mom sale this Saturday in Lansing, and I am going to go check it out. I know, it seems early, but everyone says pregnancy flies by, so I better get shopping! ;)

Music!

2010-02-15T20:19:00.000-05:00

We decided to play the baby his/her first music tonight. Jeremy was playing records on the turntable, and then he finally believed me that the baby wouldn't be able to hear it ... the womb just doesn't work that way. So, he got his old CD player and we hooked the baby up.

Yes, I realize I look huge in this picture, but I want to remember this moment!

Any guesses as to what we played baby Dimick?

The Beatles, of course!! "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is playing as I type!

12 Weeks

2010-02-13T16:48:00.001-05:00

Twelve weeks already. I would love to report that I am feeling better, but now it's more like intermittent horribleness. One day I will be feeling awesome (and then I stupidly say something like, "Jeremy! I think I am turning a corner here!") and then the next day I will be back on the couch unable to lift my head. But at least I am having some good days!

On Thursday I was actually thinking about posting about how much better things were getting, but I decided to wait for Friday. Friday morning I was feeling fantastic. I had a morning meeting at work (still feeling fantastic) and then I was driving home and ... BAM. I threw up in a Tim Horton's bag while driving on the expressway. It was so freaky and came out of nowhere! Most of what I have been dealing with is just that overwhelming nausea feeling, and I wasn't even feeling nauseated when this happened! I called Jeremy panicked and crying (which turns out, didn't help), and then got home and took a 3-hour nap. What a weird day!

Anyway, two more weeks and the first trimester will be a distant memory! This week the baby is the size of a lime ...

... and I am apparently already the size of a house! :)

But amazing things are happening this week. The baby is developing REFLEXES! Reflexes!! I told Jeremy (through sobs, of course) and he was just as shocked as I was that the baby is opening and closing its little fingers, curling its toes, and making SUCKING MOVEMENTS! It is just too amazing.

Nerve cells are forming rapidly now, and synapses in the brain are forming furiously. The face also looks more human now.

The baby probably looks something like this today:

Except, let's be honest -- my baby probably already has a MUCH bigger butt than normal babies at this point! :)

The next doctor's appointment is this Thursday, and Jeremy will get to go with me to hear the heart beat!! I am so excited! Maybe they will also tell me it is twins, and that is why I am already as big as a moose!

11 Weeks

2010-02-06T19:09:00.001-05:00

The first trimester is drawing to a close, and I am getting EXCITED! People keep promising I will feel better soon, and I am sure in the mood for that!

Today the baby is about two inches long, and he or she is kicking, moving, twirling and spinning in there!

There are hair follicles developing on his/her head, some of his/her bones are beginning to harden, and the beds of the fingernails and toenails are also forming for nails that will begin growing soon.

Testes are forming if it is a boy, and the ovaries are forming if it is a girl.

And, finally, even though I can't feel it, the baby might be hiccuping a lot these days because the diaphragm is developing.

Materinty Clothes and Shopping and Crying, Oh My!!

2010-02-05T21:14:00.003-05:00

I wore MATERNITY CLOTHES today!! In honor of such a momentous occasion, I took a picture, and I even took ... a BELLY SHOT!

You may have noticed a lack of belly pictures, and to be honest, I have been embarrassed to take any. I started showing very early, and after hearing about a thousand mothers tell me I probably won't show until the 4th or 5th month, I was feeling fat. I was sure that I was just gaining pudge, and I didn't want to go showing that off to the Internet.

Well, guess, what? I have lost SEVENTEEN pounds since getting pregnant, and I still gained THIS bump ...

I am assuming it is baby-related and not fat-related. I also read that if your abs were not in such great shape when you get pregnant you are likely to show earlier because there is not much resistance. I'll be honest. My abs were NOT in tip-top shape when I got pregnant, so I think it just popped right out.

So, NO MORE SHAME! I have a bump and it is not fat!! I'll just tell strangers that I am like 5 months along when they ask! ;)

In addition to all this excitement, Jeremy and my mom when to Babies 'R Us today ... and I got so overwhelmed that I cried. Kind of a lot.

The crib I thought I liked was WRONG WRONG WRONG in real life, and they didn't have the swing or bouncy seat I wanted to check out. I was also very underwhelmed by the car seat stroller combos. The seat does NOT seem secure in that stroller. What if we move to San Francisco and have to go downhill all the time and the seat pops out??

Anyway, it was all just too much. Like the first time I went shopping for my wedding dress and the consultant wasn't bringing me the dresses I asked for and I felt like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and left crying. The moral of the story is that I went back a few weeks later and the second dress I tried on was the one and I bought it and took it home with me and looked at it lovingly every day for 10 months until the wedding. So, the next baby shopping trip will probably be amazing. Right?

10 Weeks

2010-01-30T10:53:00.001-05:00

The baby is 10 WEEKS today!!

The baby is about an inch and a half long today -- a half inch longer than last week -- and about the size of a prune. Even though the baby is only the size of a prune, his/her elbows are working! Bones and cartilage are also forming, and the little teeth buds are appearing under the gums.

The baby has completed the most crucial part of his or her development, and now begins the time of rapid growth and development of the tissues and organs.

And I feel like a failure -- I totally missed the transition from embryo to fetus!! I was SO sure it was at 10 weeks when the graduation takes place, but it turns out it was NINE weeks! Jeremy even said "Happy Fetus Day!" to me when I woke up, and then after reading up to write this post, I had to admit I was wrong.

THERE'S A BABY (or a gummi bear) IN THERE!!!

2010-01-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

My doctor didn't want to give me an early ultrasound? SO WHAT! I do what I want! :)

I got pictures of the baby, and it was amazing, wonderful, magical, perfect. Look at my baby!

(if you don't know these pics well, this is straight on, so the lump is not my belly. I WISH I looked as pregnant as I felt!)

The director of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program had asked me to drink 64 oz of water before I came. Yikes. I drank 32, and then went over early, but then I had to wait the half an hour for being early and an extra half an hour because they weren't quite ready for me yet. When I got up on the table, the very first thing the instructor said was "Oh my word, I have never seen a bladder more full than that. Are you okay??" I said, "Well, let's just not talk about it." But then three other people were like "Oh my! What a full bladder. Are you sure you want me to scan you?" The first student to scan said my bladder was gorgeous. I told her I hear that like ten time a day, but what about the BABY?

As soon as they found the baby and started measuring him/her, I said, "You found it?!?! The baby's really in there?!?!" And the instructor was like, "Yes, of course! I'm sorry, they're students!" It was just my biggest fear that I would get there and they would have to slide me off the table and tell me there was nothing there, so when the first student was gliding around my belly without saying anything, I thought they couldn't find the baby! Once they showed me the baby, I started crying. One of the girls was like, "Oh my God, we made our patient cry! Is this normal?!?!" I apologized, and said "It is for me. I should have warned you!"

I could see the heart beating the whole time. It was like they couldn't get away from the little heart if they tried. At the end, he/she even started moving!! MOVING!!

The yolk sac was a good size, and the mass that will become the brain was a good size, and so was the uterus and my cervix. The baby measured at about nine weeks, and the heart rate was 173!! Well, mine was probably much higher than that, so the baby was anxious with me. Something for me to remember when I am feeling anxious -- the baby really DOES feel it with me.

It was amazing. The only low point of the day was that Jeremy could not get off work, and he sent the video camera with me, but the BATTERY WAS DEAD! Guh! So, he got to see the pictures, but he couldn't see that amazing little heartbeat and the baby moving because he/she was sick of all the students poking!

I can't wait for more of these. I could go every week!

9 Weeks

2010-01-23T12:42:00.001-05:00

Nine weeks snuck up on us with the due date change, but it is certainly welcome!

This week, the baby is about an inch long and the size of a grape.

The baby is also starting to look more "human." The tail should be gone by now (!), and his or her little heart will finish dividing into four chamber and developing valves, at the same time his or her little teeth are developing.

The external sex organs are in place and all figured out, although we wouldn't be able to see them for a few more weeks ... IF we decide to learn the sex of the baby before the birth (BIG DEBATE IN THE DIMICK HOUSE!!!!)

Now that the baby's basic physiology is in place, he or she is poised for rapid weight gain! We can't wait!!

What a Difference 45 Minutes Makes!

2010-01-22T16:43:00.002-05:00

After I finished complaining writing my last post, I called my gal pal, Jenn, who also works at Baker College and just had a lovely baby herself. I asked her if it was normal to not have an ultrasound until 20 weeks, and she calmed my nerves. But she ALSO gave me the contact information for the Director of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program at Baker.

I sent her an e-mail saying I would love to be a patient for her students if she needed me, and ... she called me 15 minutes later!! AND she asked if I could come in THIS COMING MONDAY FOR AN ULTRASOUND!!!!!!!!!

She said they usually don't like to do ultrasounds on women who have not had one done by their primary doctor, but as long as I realized the position they would be in if they saw something and needed to recommend I see my doctor immediately, then I could come in. Of course, I said HECK YES, and if she DID see something, it would not have been found this early if not for her anyway, so I would be very grateful.

I just could not be more excited! And she will send me home with PICTURES, so next week I will have some fun stuff to post! :)

First Offical Doctor's Appointment

2010-01-22T15:25:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I saw the midwife at Meridan's Women's Health and had the big, long informational visit. She didn't seem scared about my family history, so that's good. Apparently they are more concerned with a family history of Down's Syndrome, immunodeficiency diseases, and birth defects than they are with large amount of cancer in my family. They also did not chastise me for being an "obese mother," which I was freaking out about, so all in all it was pretty good.

During the exam, she said everything looks great and I am actually closer to nine weeks than eight, like I originally thought. She also gave me a new due date of August 28th instead of September 5th.

It's really weird though, because I am feeling really down in the dumps today. I had really thought they would do SOMETHING to be sure my baby was in there growing ... I knew I might not be able to hear a heartbeat yet, but practically every mother I have talked to in the past few weeks has said they got an early ultrasound. So why didn't I?

They also said I won't be getting my first ultrasound until 19-20 weeks!! That seems late to me. And, of course, when I made my next appointment for the middle of February, I didn't have the presence of mind to ask if they will be looking for a heartbeat that day. And now I am afraid to call and ask. But I would really like to know, because if they ARE, Jeremy wants to be there, and it would have to be moved to a Friday. And if they AREN'T, then I need to find a way to explain that I NEED that to happen.

Yes, I know the solution to this is all very simple: CALL THE PLACE. But, if you know me well, you know my struggles with anxiety and panic (which I really don't have the time, energy, or space to explain here), and you know that a simple phone call like that can reduce me to tears. Believe me. I have been hung up on a lot. Years ago, I couldn't even order a pizza. Thankfully, I can do so now. Otherwise, I might have wasted away to nothing by now! :)

Anyway, I am feeling sad and like it still isn't real, but I do love the midwife I met with yesterday. When I told her about the nausea, she gave me a prescription (love her!), but she also said, "Oh, honey, I know right now you are thinking 'I did NOT sign up for this!' but soon you will be loving this pregnancy!"

When she asked me if I had any travel plans for the rest of the pregnancy, I told her about my dad's big banquet in Detroit at the end of August that is bigger than his wedding, my wedding, and the birth of Jesus combined and he needed me there, she said, "Well, stop by the day of the banquet, and we'll give you your file. They have lovely hospitals in Detroit." So I bet my dad will be happy to hear that. :)

My mom said I need to write more about how I'm happy to be pregnant. Let me direct you here and here. Yes, I am ECSTATIC to be having a child. But, unfortunately, right now I am not too excited with my personal pregnancy. But that doesn't mean I am not still grateful and excited, and I have high hopes that I will be happy soon. So, here's to hoping!!

Food Woes

2010-01-15T13:59:00.001-05:00

I have been struggling more and more with food lately. Yesterday, the only thing I could stomach was ... french fries.

Yes, greasy, terrible, lacking in nutritional content french fries. However, they totally saved the day. I was having a B-A-D day yesterday. I felt all sick and die-y, and it all came to a head when I was driving downtown to meet Jeremy for his lunch break, and I nearly got into a car accident ... on purpose. A man ignored a yield sign and tried to pull out in front of me at the last second in a rotary, and I seriously considered jerking the wheel and teaching him a lesson ... road rage style. Apparently the look on my face was enough, because he whipped it into reverse SO FAST.

I got to the restaurant before Jeremy and Loel, and the waitress actually asked if I was okay. I guess I looked that green. So I ate an entire basket of fries before they even showed up, and I felt GREAT for the rest of the day.

Anyway, I woke up today feeling really terrible, and couldn't think of anything to eat. So I drank a few ounces of a protein drink and headed to Meijer. DEAR GOD. I almost sat down in the middle of the aisle at one point and gave up. I considered calling Jeremy at work to come get me. I cried twice. Once because I went to buy ingredients for a lovely soup I was going to make my friend Heather today, and when I saw one of the ingredients, which is also one of my favorite foods, I had to run away so I wouldn't ruin ANOTHER purse by puking in it. The other time because I saw a bib in the baby aisle that said "I may be small, but I'm the boss." I actually sobbed at that point.

After TWO HOURS at the store and only getting four little bags of food, I got home and made myself a snack I was really hoping would make me less of a basket-case.

Take a look at this:

I feel like I am in a commercial. And it was DELICIOUS. And now I feel stellar.

I was shocked, because the baby has refused every other type of cracker, but for some reason Toasteds are okay. Hmmm.

I really hope this continues to be a good snack and I can pack it for work this week, because I have SO few foods I can eat right now.

7 Weeks ...

2010-01-12T14:48:00.002-05:00

... supposedly. I just confirmed with my doctor/midwife's office that if I want an early ultrasound to determine my actual due date, it will not be for another two weeks. Splendid. So, until then, I am still using my best guesstimate, and therefore, I am probably seven weeks today. Yay!

I have been waiting for this particular early milestone ever since I first cracked open What to Expect When You're Expecting ... the baby is now TEN THOUSAND TIMES bigger than it was a month ago!! That boggles my mind!

Even though he/she is growing exponentially, it is probably still only a quarter of an inch long and the size of a blueberry.

The biggest fetal growth this week will be the head -- the brain cells are being generated at ONE HUNDRED cells a minute.

And, good news -- the tail has almost entirely disappeared (hopefully)!

The arm and leg buds are growing longer and stronger and are now dividing into hand, arm, and shoulder segments and leg, knee, and foot segments.

This is crazy -- the baby has now gone through THREE sets of kidneys! The ones in place now are the ones he/she will have permanently, and will being fulfilling their waste management duties next week.

The baby now has partial eyelids covering eyes that already have some color!

He/she also has an appendix and a pancreas already!

I'm sorry I keep ending every sentence with an exclamation mark! I just can't stop!

Anyway, that's week seven for the baby. Week seven has started out relatively okay for me. I read that 75% of women deal with this "all-the-livelong-day" sickness, and of them, half will feel better by 14 weeks, and MOST of the rest will feel better a few weeks after that. So ... the odds are on my side! I'm not okay, but I'm also not in the fetal position, so I've got that going for me.

Something else I had never read before -- I currently have 10% more blood than I did before pregnancy, and by the time the baby is full term I will have 45% more blood! Crazy.

Well, that's about all. I can't wait to get into the second trimester and start seeing and feeling more exciting changes (that don't involve nausea and huge, painful boobs!).

Jan. 11th: Part Two

2010-01-11T17:25:00.001-05:00

I forgot to mention the highs and lows of today. Because they are definitely worth mentioning!

THE LOW:
Since I couldn't think of a single thing to snack on throughout the day to pack and take with me to work, I finally just grabbed a jar of olives and threw it in my purse. Yes, in my purse. When I got to work and pulled out my chapstick, I noticed it smelled TERRIBLE, so I put my nose close to my purse and sniffed ... and ALSO noticed the jar no longer had any brine ...

Yeah, an entire jar of olive juice. In my purse. On my cell phone. Soaked into the fabric. In my blush. On my keys. Yeah.

THE HIGH:
I walked the dog without puking in a neighbor's yard (if you don't know the back story, click here)! Now maybe they will take me off the neighborhood watch "terrorist" list.

Call Morgan Spurlock, Because I Think This McDonald's Relationship Might Be Official

2010-01-11T16:38:00.001-05:00

I went back to work today ... let me just sum it up by saying it is TRULY embarrassing to have a hard time teaching a college class because standing up and speaking is enough to exhaust you and make your voice all wavery. A few times I pretended that I was searching for a word so I could take a few deep breaths. So now my students think I am so out of shape I get winded from standing AND I am inarticulate. Maybe not the greatest strategy, but it was the best I could come up with at the time.

I also learned that the only reasons I was not experiencing certain pregnancy symptoms that people asked about was because I was living on the couch and the nausea was so overwhelming I could not feel anything else. Well, standing up straight for 10 minutes in fancy shoes was enough for me to develop such an ache in my lower back I had the urge to grab at it like you can only get away with when you look nine months pregnant. Yikes.

I have to say, though, I think the only reason I didn't end up on the floor in the fetal position, rocked by nausea is because I stopped for an Egg McMuffin again. The only other day I remember not feeling like dying was the first day I stopped for an Egg McMuffin breakfast, so I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be the key to my success. I guess it could be worse.

I also stopped at Taco Bell on the way home and got a Strawberry Fruitista Freeze, and OHMYGOD, I loved those things before, but NOW? I want need a million a day. Thankfully, I had found a recipe an hour before that for a strawberry-lime freeze, and Jeremy said he would make me one tonight. Yumlicious.

There was one highly odd and scary moment today: I sneezed, and there was such a deep, stabbing pain across my abdomen that I gasped and nearly swerved off the road. I have never felt anything like that before, and I am hoping there is someone out there who can explain it and ease my worries. So, get on it!