Oink!

Let me just say that pregnancy has some weird side effects! The most current one I'm enjoying is being out of breath. I recently had a small speaking engagement, nothing big - only about 10 minutes long but the moment I started to talk I became a flustered pig! I was completely out of breath and no matter what I did to try to calm myself down it wouldn't go away & if you know me at all, you know that I don't suffer from stage fright nor do I have any anxiety about speaking in front of small OR large crowds so we're not talking panic attack here - we're talking about wonderfully odd & strange pregnancy side effects! This month I've officially turned into a huffing pig! Voila~

22 weeks

Our little poppy has officially blossomed into a gymnast! Its kicks & punches are very noticeable now. Every night when we go to bed Tom puts his hand on my tummy and gets to feel the baby doing its kick kick pow! I look forward to our time together each night when we get to share that moment, its so special & fun for him to get to feel the baby moving.

 

I had a regular check up Wednesday and got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, I love that whoosh whoosh whoosh noise, its so fast! I've gained a total of 10 lbs and am right on track. Here's a little update on the baby's growth for this week:

 

*approximately 11 inches & one whole pound!! about the size of a small doll - awwww my beeb's growing up!

* baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn - lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are much more distinct

* tiny tooth buds are developing beneath his gums

* eyes have formed but the irises don't have color yet

* pancreas is steadily developing

* baby can hear voices, my heartbeat, my gurgling stomach & the whooshing sound of blood circulating thru my body - WEIRD & WAAAY trippy!

* will start reaching for his/her face or whatever it can reach to experiment with newfound send of touch

 

So many changes happening, each week the baby just gets bigger & bigger and so does my stomach hahaha! I already feel giganto & eating is hard sometimes. I'll be soooo hungry but then after eating I feel ridiculously stuffed! Between the baby & food, I don't know how much more room I've got in there, it's going to be a tight fit!  

 

We're super excited for Christmas next week & spending extra time together. We wish you all a safe & blessed & happy holiday. 

 

We love you!

Results!

We got our amnio results this morning and Baby Bowman is perfectly healthy! No extra chromosome & no down syndrome! What a relief, its all over & done with. They called me on my way to work this morning with the good news and I immediatly burst into tears and called Tom crying. We're so excited to be able to put this behind us now and move forward. It feels so good to finally have a solid answer and not wonder/question/worry about all the what if's for the rest of our pregnancy. Our genetic counselor also mentioned that if we change our minds, the gender of the baby has been noted in our charts! eeeek - temptation! hehehehe!

Thank you everyone for all of your support, love and prayers. This journey has only been possible because of each & everyone of you that have helped us along the way. We know that one day at a time we can get thru anything but its only with God and YOU that we can face each day.

Love.

133 days to go

The baby is due in 133 days! All the sudden I feel like things are starting to go by fast now. Funny how in the beginning things were moving at a snail's pace and I couldn't wait to start showing and feeling the baby move and now I'm on the fast track to baby town! The baby's been moving pretty actively now, especially at bedtime. The light little flutters have turned into pretty good little kicks and sometimes catch me off guard they're so startling! When I get in bed though and lay down is when he's most active and kicks often. Last night while in bed watching the news I made Tom keep his hand on my belly for quite awhile and sure enough - he felt the baby!!!!!! At first he just felt the super soft motion of the baby moving but then it let him have it and thwapped Tom's hand pretty good! He said he could feel it right on his palm - so awesome! I can't wait for Jake to feel him now, he'll freak out big time! :-)

Half way!

Today marks 20 weeks. Half way - only 20 more to go! According to our weekly updates we receive, the baby is about 10 1/2 ounces now and approximately 10 inches long. Keep in mind though that our baby is measuring larger so I'm guessing our little moose is 11 or 12 inches! Right now our little poppy is practicing its breathing & swallowing on a regular basis. Its also starting to produce meconium....baby poop!!!

Tom & Jake have been amazing helpers around the house the last couple of days while I've rested from the amnio. We did a family cooking night Wednesday night & Tom learned how to make tacos! I did the chopping and Jake set the table & helped with the prep work. It was actually a lot of fun having everyone in the kitchen together. Jake has learned how to officially do laundry on his own and can use both washer & dryer now - WOOHOO! I'm feeling pretty good, very light cramping which is to expected & no big deal. After 72 hours we're in the clear from any risks so we're almost there. I love all the special treatment though and feel so loved & well taken care of! My girlfriend came over yesterday & brought me coffee & kept me company for the morning...so super nice! Last night Tom & I skipped cooking and went out to eat which was a nice treat too. I'm feeling quite spoiled! God is truly good.

Here's one of the 3D ultrasound pictures...totally a boy hehehehe!

Love.

Amnio

Whew~ Amnio done and over with! We had our appointment yesterday and everything went great. The baby was out of its tumor pillows and we got to see its sweet little face & the Dr’s got the measurements they needed. I have to take it easy and stay down for the next couple of days as part of the recovery process from the amnio. I have a list of stuff that I can’t do…no lifting, no working out, no power walking, no cleaning, etc and Tom said he’s going to make copies of the instructions and hang them all over the house for me! I’ve been taking it super easy though, following the doctors (and Tom’s) orders and using the time to get caught up on my homework. The counts from the ultrasound looked good and the fluid from the amnio was clear & looked great according to the Dr. We feel good about things & having the procedure behind us we now feel a lot of relief. The results come back in about 7 to 10 days so in the meantime we’ll just sit back and relax. In the ultrasound yesterday the doctor flipped the switch to 3D, it was amazing! We got a couple of super awesome pictures of the baby that I’ll post separately once I’ve uploaded them. 3D really made it look like an actual baby though and now we’re even more convinced that it’s a boy!  Maybe we should start working on boy names; we can’t seem to agree on any, although Tom and I work great under pressure so maybe we’ll figure it out the week before the baby comes! Tomorrow I’m 20 weeks – half way marker!