24 weeks

This morning I had an appointment with Dr. Chatman, a fetal specialist I had been seeing. Marilyn came with me to see the little one on the big screen. They did a fetal heart ultrasound and measured baby. Everything is looking good, and I shouldn't need to go see this doctor after today! So once again we turned our heads when they went "down there" (Marilyn you better not have looked!). I think the pictures are so funny and cute, if you ask me the baby looks like Joey! haha! I just think it is so sweet looking and I can't wait to hold it in my arms. The baby still had it's little arm bent in front of it's face. I think the baby is so smashed in there it can't move it's arms. So take a good look at that face and tell me what you think it looks like, girl or boy?

While I was away...

Joey started painting on the nursery!
Him and John got the bottom painted dark brown and the top painted light brown.
So far it looks good! Joey said Gina even helped some!

I went to Corsicana for the weekend. I needed a weekend away from Houston...I wish I could have stayed longer but we will be back to visit in a few weeks. I had a nice time with my family and got to visit with my parents, Lacey, Lucy, and even got to see Grampy and Joyce. Saturday we went to The Pearce Museum at Navarro College. It was a nice weekend!

23 weeks and growing

So now I pretty much can't hide my baby bump or use my old excuse "I'm just bloated". I can also tell I'm changing quite a bit because my wonderful husband sometimes stares at my belly with a funny look on his face. I keep telling him it's gonna get bigger, but I don't think he believes me. I have been using a skin toning oil ever since I was about 2 months pregnant. It is called Mother's Special Blend and it is an all natural, no preservative type of oil. I wanted to use something oil based, I did not want to use a lotion. I bought it at a Whole Foods in Austin. The ingredients are Almond oil, Coconut oil, Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E. Joey says it smells like peanuts. I'll let you know if I don't get stretch marks...

We have been paint shopping and trying colors out for the nursery. We started at home depot where we came home with a sample of Whispering Yellow. Then the next weekend we went to Sherman Williams where we came home with two samples,one a dark brown and the other a lighter brown color. I believe we have decided on dark brown on the bottom, a white chair rail and then the light brown on top. The room will be accented with big polka dots in colors that match the bedding, red, blue, green, orange, ect...

Joey felt the baby kick for the first time last night. Baby is growing and kicking a little more each week. I have gained close to 9 pounds now and the baby should weigh 1 pound. The baby's face and body are beginning to look like an infant at birth. All the major organs, except the lungs, are now functioning. The cells that control conscious thought are developing, and the baby becomes much more sensitive to sound and movement. Baby can suck it's thumb and open and close it's mouth. The eyes open between 22 and 24 weeks, so maybe Baby is looking around in there. Baby's heartrate is around 140-150 beats per minute. Also by this stage the baby has developed a cycle of sleeping and waking.

Cousins!

Baby will be welcomed by 4 cousins!
Lacey and Russell's 2 girls, Lucille and Lillian
Becca and Jordan's 2 boys, Max and Evan

5 months!!

That is Joey at 22 weeks.
I cannot believe I am 22 weeks pregnant! My tummy is getting bigger and bigger. And it feels like it can't stretch anymore, but I know it can and will. I'm having round ligament pain on my right side, my doctor said it would get better but yesterday I stayed on the couch most of the day. Today it is better and I plan to walk a mile with Gina later when the sun is going down.
Baby is pretty active at times now. Mostly right when I lay down in bed at night I'll get a good kick. I want Joey to feel it, but he still hasn't. As far as developing goes, the nerve endings in Baby's fingers have developed the sense of touch. Baby is in there testing out it's abilities by touching the face and grabbing the umbilical cord. Baby's hair is now a short, bright white crop. No matter what color it will end up—red, blonde, brown—all babies' hair lacks pigment at this point. Baby now weighs almost a pound and measures almost 11 inches from head to heel. Up til now Baby's legs were curled tight up against the torso. I read online that the baby is about as long as a package of Oreos and as heavy as a large bag of tortilla chips. Now I really want Oreos.

ABC 123

I got home from work today to find a big box on my doorstep! Yay!! I finally decided on what nursery theme I'm gonna use! Joey's parents ordered the 4 piece set for us, THANK YOU! I love the bright colors and the animals. We will decide on paint colors next. I want to do some polka dots on one wall too. I am also looking for the matching mobile. I have looked online but haven't had any luck. This set is made by "Just Born" and is called ABC 123. It was only available online from Wal-Mart. If anyone sees a mobile you think would match send me a pic! Time to head to the paint store...

Half way thru...Boy or Girl?

My mom was here visiting this past week. We had a lot of fun. She stayed busy cooking, cleaning, playing with Gina, and pulling weeds for me. What a nice Momma! I wish she could have stayed longer. We also had a great time shopping and having dinner over at some of our friends. She went to my anatomy ultrasound on Thursday and she got to meet my doctor. The baby is about 20 weeks and 6 days in the profile picture. We saw the head and face, spine, arm, heartbeat, and hand. Joey and I had decided long before I got pregnant that we would wait until it was born to see the gender...So that's what we're doing! It's really funny because it is bothering other people WAY more than it is bothering us! I reassure everyone not to worry that is will either be a girl or a boy : )

These days I am feeling fine, I was suffering from allergies this past week. I still get spurts of being really tired. And at night I can tell my body is slowly growing because I'm tossing a bit to get comfy. My good friend let me borrow a pillow for preggys and I am anxious to use it! It should help me sleep once i get a bit bigger in the tummy. I also believe I have felt some little kicks and punches here and there. It makes me smile when I feel these!

Baby is getting busy in there growing and developing. My baby weighs about 14 oz and is about 12 cm long from head to rump. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and Baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After Baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she/he is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. The eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and the fingernails now cover the fingertips. The skin still looks pink and wrinkly, but is no longer translucent because fat is developing underneath.

I go back to one of my specialists on June 30th when I'll have the baby's heart checked for defects. So I'll be posting another ultrasound pic then. That office does the 3D pictures, so maybe Baby will show it's face!