25 Sep 2013
by jhking
in Uncategorized
What’s new with the baby?
During week 19, your baby measures about 6 inches long and weighs in at about 8.5 ounces. She’s developing a protective coating over her skin, called vernix caseosa. It’s greasy and white, and you may see some of it at her birth.
Food comparison this week is…
How am I feeling?
So, last week when I said I was ready for fall? Well, someone must have been listening, because we got a taste of it!! We had 2 days where the high was only in the low 80s, and all of sudden, the nights are cooling off. It is like heaven. Urijah and I have been taking total advantage of it, too. We have spent a ton of time outside…playgrounds, walks, kicking the ball, and just running around like crazy. It’s been so nice. And even today we did something very unique…we met up with some other moms and kids who like to have fun and we went stand-up paddleboarding on the lake in Austin. It was our first time and it was a huge success! I was able to stand up when I was by myself, and U got on the board with me and we tooled around the lake for a bit. He did great and when I asked him if he liked it he did the sign for ‘more’. I think that’s a yes.
Weight gain?
I’m not checking again until my next prenatal appt on October 8th!
What do I miss? What am I looking forward to?
Birthday celebrations! Still. it’s going to be so fun to have family and friends around. And Lisa and Ada are coming from Portland, and I can’t wait for Ada and Urijah to get to play together and see them bond. We get to have them here for about a week, so the cousins will have plenty of playtime. We’re going to wear those kids out!
Preparedness?
The big consignment sale is coming up at the beginning of next week, so I’m looking forward to that (I guess this could technically go under the section above and this one….). I’m going to be able to get U some stuff for this fall and winter and the new baby will get some stuff, as well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some fantastic deals on good stuff!
Highlights of the week?
Going paddleboarding was really fun…I’m so glad we tried it! Also, on Sunday I took Urijah up to the Southwestern University campus and we ran and kicked the ball for about an hour and a half all around their big grass quad. To see my big kid running at full speed, laughing and kicking the ball while doing it, just made me so proud. He’s getting so big and is learning so much. I can’t believe all the stuff he can do now!
Belly Pic:
20 Sep 2013
by jhking
in Uncategorized
Not too much going on over here this week, but I thought I’d share a couple of photos from Urijah’s photo shoot back in August. My friend Hannah is starting her photography business and I won a little contest she offered on Facebook, so I got a free 30 minute photo shoot. And because she is so rad, it ended up being more like 2 hours and she just kept shooting! We had a great time and U was totally cooperative and just down right adorable. I won’t post too many pictures here, because it’s a pretty good possibility that you all will be getting a framed picture for Christmas and I want those to be a surprise. Is there a cut-off for when it’s weird for me to give out framed pictures of my kids? I hope not.
Here are a handful of cute shots! (Click to view larger)
Most of the pictures were taken on the Southwestern University campus by our house (really beautiful location for pictures!) and they have two nice fountains that were very tempting on such a hot day. Since it was at the end of the shoot we decided to be daring and let U get in the water and play around. It was a good decision to break to rules (even though I was on high alert for some authority figure to come running out and tell us we were in trouble. Totally didn’t happen.) because the water pictures turned out really cute and he loved it!
18 Sep 2013
by jhking
in Uncategorized
What’s new with the baby?
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He’s busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you’ll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they’re still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he’s born. If you’re having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.
Food comparison this week is…
How am I feeling?
Ready for fall is how I’m feeling! I know other parts of the country are experiencing weather in the mid 60s, and are wearing jeans and long sleeve shirts, and I’m jealous. This morning, I thought I’d surprise U and make an unexpected stop at the playground before we went to the grocery store. About 40 minutes later his hair was completely soaked with sweat (he really looked like he got a cup of water dumped on his head) and mine was partially frizzed out and partially hanging limply in my face, and I had visible sweat stains on my shirt. Just from being at the playground. Ugh. He had fun though. I try to remind myself that’s what matters. Physically though, I’m feeling good. I felt the very first small movements last Monday, and it felt like tiny little flicks from inside. Just like it did with Urijah. Since then I can feel sort of gliding sensations in there. Nothing too strong yet, and I really have to pay attention to it, but I can feel it!
Weight gain?
Back down to 9 lbs, last I checked. At my last prenatal appointment the midwife told me that they want to see a minimum of 10 lbs gained by twenty weeks, so I’m doing just fine. Right on track.
What do I miss? What am I looking forward to?
I’m really looking forward to Urijah’s birthday – only 1 month away! I can’t believe it. 2 years. Where did my baby go?! Good thing I’m getting a replacement. Ha! Just kidding. I’m looking forward to having family around and having a fun time eating cake.
Preparedness?
Nothing too new this week, I don’t think. I had a coupon for $1.50 off a pack of the newborn diapers that I liked from last time, so I went ahead and got a pack. Does that count as preparedness? I think so! We’re waiting until after U’s birthday to sell off the guest room furniture, since we’ll have visitors needing to use it. But after that, we can start the bedroom transition, so that he is firmly settled into his new room well before his brother makes an arrival. We might also just wait to paint until after the furniture is gone, since it will definitely be easier to paint an empty room.
Highlights of the week?
Feeling the baby move was pretty good!
Belly Pic:
11 Sep 2013
by jhking
in Uncategorized
So, better late than never, I say! U and I went to Florida to see my folks about 2 weeks ago…or 3? Anyway, we had a great time – we stayed for almost a week, which was nice…our travel days didn’t feel back to back that way and we had plenty of time to do all sorts of stuff. Urijah isn’t quite old enough to really enjoy stuff like the zoo, so we skipped doing stuff like that where we would have all just paid a lot of money to sweat profusely, when, really, we can do that for free at home. Instead we played with all the many toys at Gram and Grandpa’s house, we went to the beach, we met up with some friends at the art museum to play around in the kids section (such a huge hit last time we were there we did it again, and all for free!), and we ate, and ate and ate. Oh, and of, course, Mom and I shopped some, but not as much as we used to, since now we have a little person tagging along who can only take so much confined stroller time.
The trip to the beach was a big highlight, and I had my doubts about how it would go. I pictured us schlepping all the stuff it takes to go to the beach for a few hours down the super long boardwalk, getting set up, only to have Urijah decide he was tired/hungry/unsure about how the sand felt on his hands, etc. BUT! I was so pleasantly surprised when he LOVED it.
He wanted to go right into the water and since it was an overcast day and even sort of drizzling while we were there, the water was pretty rough, and the waves were coming in fast and hard. No fear for this kid, though. He wanted to stand in the shallow water and let those waves crash into him again and again.
He laughed like crazy and held onto our hands while we lifted him up for the bigger waves and made sure he didn’t get sucked out to sea. He was quite happy to sit in the very wet sand and let it drizzle out of his fingers and later to run up and down the beach and in and out of the water’s edge.
A nice lady passing by offered to take our picture, so we took her up on it. Nice!
But not before an inopportune wave tried to mess it all up.
(I love Urijah’s face in this one…happiness! Also please notice his 2 little handfuls of sand..not letting those go no matter what. Andy my death grip on his arm.)
The rest of the trip was pretty relaxed, so here are just some fun hanging out shots.
(I’m pretty sure everyone was recruited to do some sweeping at some point. He loves to scoop up dirt and dump it in the trash!)
Thanks for the fun visit Gram and Grandpa!
10 Sep 2013
by jhking
in Uncategorized
What’s new with the baby?
Your baby’s skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she’s around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.
Food comparison this week is…
How am I feeling?
Good! I finally am back to having some energy and not just feeling sluggish all the time. There was a while there I was feeling so worn down and blah just constantly, I actually thought it was my new normal mental state and I was really bummed about it. I’m glad to report that I was in fact just really tired and in the early stages of pregnancy and I am now pretty much back to normal. Which is good, because being all lame and depressed just doesn’t work with my life.
Weight gain?
10 pounds. At 17 weeks, I think I’m ok with that.
What do I miss? What am I looking forward to?
I miss being able to hold pee. I know that’s probably too much information for this here public blog, but seriously, I really, really hope I gain back some bladder strength after this baby is born. Either that, or that I never have to sneeze again.
Cravings/Aversions?
Nope. I remember this being kind of an uninteresting topic from last time, too, so maybe I’ll find another heading to replace it for next week.
Preparedness?
Well, since we found out this week what we’re having I was able to go through all Urijah’s clothes that I had stored away and sort through what we can use and what we can’t. Since we found out it’s a BOY! (pretty much everyone who is reading already knows that since we called and told you all, so it’s not exactly a big surprise now) I didn’t have to worry about getting rid of a ton of boy stuff – we can use that all again! But these two kids will be born into different seasons, so there was a handful of things that this baby won’t be able to use…like a super cute red cable knit sweater in size 3 months. I don’t think he’ll need that here in May. But, most stuff I was able to keep, so that will be really nice! Everything is at hand, and probably just needs to get washed after being packed away for a while, and we’re good to go. Also, this weekend I was at Target and I cruised through the kids bedding section, in case there was something for U’s new room that caught my eye. Lo and behold, a picture that I have been eyeballing for over a year, at least, was finally on clearance and it was the last one! I really love it so I snatched it up!
All the pictures it has for each state are really cute and I know this is something I would have loved to stare at when I was a kid, (or even now) so hopefully he will too.
Highlights of the week?
We found out it’s a boy! At first the ultrasound tech had some trouble because the umbilical cord was between his legs, but after eating a Starburst and standing up and bending over and mashing on my belly, he had shifted around and we got a good view. I was really surprised. I don’t know why! 50/50 chance and all. But I was genuinely shocked. I think I would have felt the same way about a girl, though. Maybe because I didn’t have a clear gut instinct this time, so anything would have been a surprise. And I could really easily see our lives in the future with either a girl or a boy, so to find out that one of those paths was going to come true was just sort of wild to think about. The only part I was dreading about having a boy was picking out a name. We had so easily settled on Urijah’s name before I was even pregnant with him, and we already had a girl name that we loved, as well. But to think of another boy’s name that we liked as much as Urijah? Oh boy. But, you know what? I think we’ve already done it. Way, way easier than I was expecting. And I’m sorry, but we’re not telling until the baby is born. If you have any complaints you may send them…somewhere else. 😉 Patience. It is a virtue.
Belly Pic: (this was sort of a last minute shot, so the shirt I’m wearing doesn’t exactly show off the belly too well.)
05 Sep 2013
by jhking
in Uncategorized
Since I was in Florida last week, I missed doing the week 15 update, and now here were are at 16 weeks already! So, combo post.
What’s new with the baby?
15 weeks – Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She’s busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she’s likely to move away from the beam. There’s not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby’s a boy or a girl! (Don’t be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby’s sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby’s position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to “hide the goods.”)
16 weeks -Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he’s about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren’t recognizable yet. He’s even started growing toenails. And there’s a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.
Food comparison this week is…
How am I feeling?
Very good! Finally. I noticed yesterday that when I took Urijah to the playground that I was walking faster and I didn’t actually mind jumping around and being silly while he was swinging. And I realized I must really be feeling much better now. Before it was all I could do to drag myself outside and just stand there an push him and I felt just worn down and miserable. But, so much better now. I am counting the days till we get some cooler weather, as that will make going outside even more enjoyable, but that isn’t anytime soon, according to the weather report of 100 degrees for the next 2 days and 101 for the day after that. Scott and I talk (joke?) more and more these days about moving somewhere cooler. Somewhere with seasons would be nice.
Weight gain?
Right before we left for Florida I checked again and it was down to 7.5 lbs, so that’s a smidge better than 9. I haven’t stepped on the scale again, though. We ate a lot in Florida, and there was plenty of snacking at the house, so….well.
What do I miss? What am I looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to finding out what this baby is very, very soon! Like this week or next, depending on when we can get in to get the ultrasound. And seeing the baby on the big screen will be nice, too, for some peace of mind that everything is progressing along in there just like it ought to be.
Cravings/Aversions?
Nothing here. I’m actually feeling the desire to cook things again, so that will be nice. It’s been so long since I’ve wanted to drag myself into the kitchen, that I’m actually looking forward to making things that we can eat at home instead of spending the big money on eating out. But, it was a nice luxury to be able to do that when I was feeling so out of sorts!
Preparedness?
Nothing. Boo. Scott decided not to paint the room while we were gone, so other than the room being mostly cleared out, that’s all to report. Once we find out what the baby is, we’ll make some forward progress, I guess!
Highlights of the week?
Our trip to Florida was fantastic! U was a great traveler, as usual, and we had a blast with Gram and Grandpa. I’ll do a separate post about that this week with some pictures!
Belly Pics:
We missed both weeks 15 and 16. We’ll be back with 17 for sure!
