24 week update - We made it to 6 months!

A few more little tidbits about Christmas, and then I'll post the next update.

On Christmas day, I turned 24 weeks pregnant.  That's right folks, I've made it to the 6 month mark.  I've made it past the blood tests, the ultrasounds, more ultrasounds, feeling my uterus stretch, feeling the baby move (which she does every few hours at this point) and we've got less than 4 months ahead of us.  I'm amazed!

At Christmas Eve Mass when we were singing the Lord's Prayer, Mom had my hand in one of hers and the other on my belly, and what do you know, Baby Girl moved right under her fingertips and she felt it for the first time.  What a wonderful Christmas gift that I couldn't have planned better if I tried!

The following day at J's parents house while we were standing around talking, Baby Girl started to move around and looking for the closest grandparent I could, J's Dad was right next to me and I quickly asked him if he'd like to feel her move.  He agreed and hand to belly, he too felt her move.  Now just to get my Dad and J's Mom to feel her is the next step.  It will come, I hope.

And here's our 24 week update:

Your Baby in Week 24 of Pregnancy

Your baby is about eight and a half inches long and weighs one and a half pounds, gaining steadily at a rate of six ounces per week. Much of that weight comes from accumulating baby fat, as well as from growing organs, bones, and muscle. Those little ears of hers are getting sharper and can hear very loud sounds, from a yapping dog to a jackhammer. Also by now, that fabulous face is almost fully formed, complete with eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair. Is your baby a brunette, a blonde, or a redhead? Actually, right now her locks are white since there's no pigment yet.

Your Body in Week 24 of Pregnancy

If your former innie is now an outie, welcome to the club. Almost every expectant mom's pregnant belly button pops at some point as her swelling uterus pushes on everything in its path. Things should return to normal after delivery, though your navel (and some other parts of your body) might look a bit, well, stretched. Just think of it as one more badge of honor that only moms get to wear. What other pregnancy woe is pushing your buttons? Well, probably your uncomfortably numb wrists and fingers, thanks to carpal tunnel syndrome. (Don’t worry — the sensations will disappear when you give birth.)

Week 24 Pregnancy Tip: Red, Itchy Palms

Sure, you'd heard that pregnancy comes with a variety of symptoms, most of them not very pleasant (actually, none of them very pleasant — unless you count fast-growing hair, nails, and breasts). But maybe you didn't expect so many seemingly random symptoms — such as the red, itchy palms that have nothing to do with the amount of dishwashing you're doing. The red may spread, too, to the soles of your feet (though you're less likely to notice that once your feet become more difficult to see). Though this is a relatively normal symptom (especially this far into pregnancy) be sure to mention it to your doctor — there's a chance it could indicate a rare pregnancy complication called cholestasis. Along with virtually all the stranger symptoms you'll be experiencing as the months go by (such as the metallic taste in your mouth, skin tags appearing out of nowhere, bigger feet, increased saliva — am I drooling? — and vision changes, to name a few), you can blame your hormones (and throw darts at them, if you like — take that, progesterone!). As for getting the red out, there are no sure solutions — besides delivery. Until then, avoid anything that makes the red redder — such as being overheated, taking long, hot baths or showers, or wearing too-warm or too-tight gloves or socks. You might even try going on a dishwashing strike while you're expecting (good luck with that plan!). Just tell your spouse it's doctor's (and Heidi's) orders!

Week 24 Pregnancy Symptoms

Constipation: There is a good reason for pregnancy constipation — pregnancy hormones cause intestinal muscles to relax in order to keep food in your digestive system longer so you and your baby can absorb more nutrients. But just because it's for a good cause, that doesn’t make it pleasant. Drink lots of water and fruit and vegetable juices to get things moving faster through your system and to soften your stool, making it easier to pass.
Occasional headaches: If you find that your headaches last for days, are severe, and are sometimes accompanied by nausea or vision changes, you may have migraines. Let your practitioner know about your migraines and keep a journal recording what you ate, where you were, and what you were doing before you experienced a migraine so that you can pinpoint your migraine triggers — and start to avoid them.
Lower abdominal achiness: As your uterus continues to expand, the ligaments that support your uterus continue to stretch — and may cause some pain. Occasional achiness in this area is normal, but if the discomfort is accompanied by symptoms such as fever, chills, or bleeding, see your practitioner.
Backaches: Back pain is quite common during pregnancy, but if your discomfort is severe, ask your practitioner to refer you to a specialist such as a physical therapist or acupuncturist.
Leg cramps: When leg cramps start to cramp your style, try straightening your leg and gently flexing your ankle and toes up toward your shins several times. This can stop the spasm.
Vision changes: Are your contact lenses bothering you lately — or is your vision sometimes blurry? Pregnancy hormones can decrease tear production (causing eye irritation) and increase fluid buildup in the eye, temporarily altering your vision. This should pass shortly after delivery, so don’t go out and get any new eyeglass or contact-lens prescriptions while you’re expecting.
Mild swelling of ankles and feet: Don’t be alarmed if the swelling in your feet has caused you to “grow” out of your favorite shoes. Simply do what you can to avoid letting body fluids (which increase during pregnancy) pool in your legs — so that means elevating your legs when you’re sitting.

At this point I don't have a lot of these symptoms that I am seeing.  I did read in one of my books that my uterus is the size of a soccer ball right now!  WOW!  There's a visual for you!  My innie belly button is not yet an outie, however, the cavern that once was my belly button is far less deep than it was.  I could see in the next few weeks, my belly button becoming an outie easily.  No red itchy palms, no headaches (I had those in the first trimester), a little bit of lower abdomen achiness and backaches, no leg crams, no vision changes and no swelling of the ankles and feet.  Am still trying to eat a bit healthier, although was definitely hard over the holidays.  But preggos can still make New Year's Resolutions to go back to eating right!  And this one will!

Happy Last Week of 2011 Bleeps!

The Name Game ... literally

Hello dear Bleeps...after the on-slaught of posts last week from me, I figured we all needed a little break.  But now I have more fun stories to tell, so I can't hold my tongue any longer.

Ever since Thanksgiving, both sets of parents have been hounding us about Baby Girl's name.  It's in almost every phone call from my mother-in-law (MIL) as she slips in "and the baby's name is what again?"  Or the emails from my Dad reminding me what time we are having dinner on Christmas saying "what was the baby's name?" They think they are so sneaky, but we never gave in because we had a surprise in store.

After we were sure we were happy with the name we had picked out for Baby Girl and based on the fact that J's parents said we shouldn't spend money on them for Christmas because every dime we had should be going towards the baby, we decided our big present to them both this year would be to give them Baby Girl's name.  But it wouldn't be given, they'd have to earn it.  (We sound like parents already huh?!)  I used some scrapbook paper and made 3 game sheets - 1 for our keeping, 1 for my parents and 1 for J's parents.  The sheet said at the top, "If you want to know your granddaughter's name, you have to figure it out.  Open presents to find pieces to spell it out.  Good luck and Merry Christmas!"  Then further down it said, "Baby Girl Rowe's name will be..." and three lines about the size of each of her 3 names.  Then at the bottom it said, "So now you know, but we'd still like to keep it a secret from the masses."

I wrapped that up in a big box and then cut up the three names into two or three letter pieces and put them into different presents, or just empty boxes and wrapped those up.  We had Christmas Eve with my parents so they got to go first.  The first gift they opened was the big paper with the game on it.  As my Mom figured out what was going on, her eyes began to twinkle...she LOVES puzzles.  So then they started to unwrap other presents and find letters.  It was absolutely hysterical watching them try to figure out the names.  They got the middle name right away, but the first name gave them trouble.  The last name of course was easy, but it threw some wrenches in there because there were extra letters they weren't expecting I think.  Anyway, once it was all said and done they loved the name we picked out and the way we let them figure it out.  But they still can't tell anyone!!!

Christmas Day we drove to Mesa (about 2 hours away from our home) to spend Christmas with J's parents, sister and her boyfriend, and his grandparents on his Mom's side.  We got there before everyone so started the gift giving before the rest of the family showed up.  First, I gave Debbie the Christmas bulb I made her (I make bulbs every year fro loved ones with events we shared together during the year written on them) and what popped out of her mouth? "Where's the baby's name?!"  So I knew we needed to get the game going because I didn't think we could handle a full day with the family and the pestering of these questions.  So we went and got the presents and they protested seeing about 10 boxes from us, but we asked them to open the big one first and then see if they wanted to protest further.  Here comes the placard with the name game rules and then they understood and started tearing through presents.  They would literally open a present, look for letters, and if it was an actual present, throw it over their shoulders to add the letters enclosed to figure out more of the name.  They too figured out the middle name first, and then moved on to the first name...completely forgot that the last name was in there too so got a little confused with the extra letters, but eventually figured it out.  They too liked the name we had chosen and the way we presented it to them.

But the funniest thing may have happened later in the day.  After the rest of the family had arrived and we had settled down for dinner, J's Uncle called to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  J's Dad told him that we had gifted the name to them for Christmas and let J reveal the name.  Well, he popped out the WRONG first name.  He said as soon as it left his lips he knew it was wrong, but he had just heard it on the radio that had been playing!  He turned red, corrected himself and said the correct full name.  J's Uncle was very pleased to hear it too.  The right one that is!

Now I would love to reveal it to you folks too but I just can't.  The family knows, and they are pretty much all who know.  I will leave you with initials though...R.J.R.  But I won't answer questions about if you are right in your guessing or not. 

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas (if you celebrate it) and a little R & R along the way too!  And on Christmas Day we hit our 6-month mark!  Amazing!

The first stranger

Ever since I got pregnant, I have wanted to "look" pregnant and not fat.  I've never been able to see my belly button by just looking down my front, but now I can.  Not only that, at some point I believe I'll be able to see the inside of my belly button because it is slowly beginning to become less of a cavern.  Yes, my belly reaches out further than my breasts...something I always wished for but wasn't sure I would achieve thru pregnancy.  Obviously, our prayers have been answered.  All of our friends and family know (and if they didn't before now, it was said yet again in this year's Christmas card), but I always wonder what strangers think when they see me.  I've always been told you are never supposed to ask a woman when she is due unless you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY SURE they are pregnant.  And I think there is a point where it's obviously a baby and not just not watching your caloric intake for everyone.

Well, I think I've hit it.  (silent yay and jumping up and down, or at least slightly bouncing as to not jostle Baby Girl).  I went to the post office on Tuesday to mail out the final packages, however didn't have the right boxes at home to mail the ornaments I had made.  So walked into the line at the post office with printed address labels, printed return labels and wrapped presents, ready to box up while I waited in the line I knew would be there.  However, there weren't boxes.  As I got closer to the front I finally had the opportunity to ask one of the desk clerks for more of the size boxes I needed and got them as I was the first person in line.  The elderly gentleman behind me was kind enough to hold them closed so I could tape them with the provided packing tape.  We finished in perfect time and even enough time for him to say, "You gonna make it to Christmas?"  It took me a second to think about what he was asking and as I saw him sideways glance at my belly, I said, "I surely hope so!  This baby isn't due until April!"  He smiled and laughed a bit.  And then I was called up to send my packages.

It was quite funny and not at all upsetting, until my Mother remarked upon hearing the story that I've said everyone says I am small and now this man thinks I'm gonna pop any day.  I replied that the people that say I am small are young and have seen more preggos than this man may have!  Silly G-ma!  I still say I am small...despite the fact that the doc says to watch my weight gain.  I swear that I carry my weight differently than others.  When I have said my weight to peeps in the past, they don't believe me!  They think it is less!  (yay!) 

Another little funny...I worked at home on Tuesday and J came into my home office when he got home.  He was looking at the pictures I have hanging up, and there was one from a few years back when we went to Denver to visit Schelle and we visited the Coors Brewery.  He said, "you look really different in this photo!"  I said, "you mean not pregnant?!"  He laughed and said, "yeah, exactly."  He went on to explain that he sees the progression and forgets what I look like in the past, so it's weird to see the photos.  The same evening when I went to say goodnight to him (because he was working in the garage), he put his hands on my belly and said, "guess there's no denying it now huh?!"  He's a funny man!

Okay folks, your Christmas present was 3 posts in one week, but there probably won't be anymore before Christmas.  I hope everyone has a great holiday, whatever you celebrate and will catch you on the flip side I'm sure with stories from our Christmas adventures with both sets of Grandparents-to-be!

And if I haven't said it for a while, let me reiterate that I appreciate all of you taking this journey with me and helping me when times are tough!  I probably don't say it enough, but this really has made a difference in this whole process!  Thanks SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Nikus

23 week update...

Holy blogs Batman...is this number 3 in just one little week?  I don't know that this one really counts because I'm just going to post what is happening this week in my belly.

How your baby's growing:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

How your life's changing:

You may notice that your ankles and feet start to swell a bit in the coming weeks or months, especially at the end of the day or during the heat of summer. Sluggish circulation in your legs — coupled with changes in your blood chemistry that may cause some water retention — may result in swelling, also known as edema.

Your body will get rid of the extra fluid after you have your baby, which is why you'll pee frequently and sweat a lot for a few days after delivery. In the meantime, lie on your left side or put your feet up when you can, stretch out your legs when you sit, and avoid sitting — or standing — in one place for long periods. Also, try to exercise regularly to increase circulation, and wear support stockings (put them on first thing in the morning) and roomy, comfortable shoes. You may be tempted to skimp on liquids to combat swelling, but you need to drink plenty of water because staying hydrated actually helps prevent fluid retention. While a certain amount of edema in your lower extremities is normal during pregnancy, excessive swelling may be a sign of a serious condition called preeclampsia. Be sure to call your midwife or doctor if you have severe or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles, more than slight swelling of your hands, swelling in your face, or puffiness around your eyes.

So now for my update... compared to yesterday, A LOT better.  Taking my Zantac and eating less carbs and feelin' fine.  Tomorrow is the first day back at the gym after Monday's ordeal and I will be eating my protein bar (or at least half of it) before I go in.  Other than that, I guess no news is good news right?

Happy rest of Christmas week Bleeps, I'm off to make some supper!