It's a Boy!

I knew what I was looking at as soon as the picture came into view (right before the doctor told us). :) He wasn't shy. We saw "the view" about 5 different times. He was moving around a lot in there. Doctor said he looked like a perfect baby. She also asked us "Who has long toes?" after seeing his little feet. (Chris certainly does).

His estimated weight was 12 ounces. Whew. I hope I don't have to birth a big baby my first time. :/ We need to sign up for childbirth classes soon. I can feel the anxiety building as I'm thinking about it now...but just the other day I thought for sure I was not going to be anxious about it. Something to pray about.

It was difficult to not refer to him by his name around Chris' parents this weekend. I was so thankful a number of times that I found myself saying something in my head before out loud. So, I managed not to accidentally give it away. :)

20 weeks

"Your baby weighs nearly 11 ounces and measures slightly less than 6 ½". She is actively kicking, but there is no particular amount in a 24-hour period. The average is about 200 kicks within 24 hours, but that range can go from 50 - 1000, depending on how active she is. Now you are most likely to feel your baby move when you are resting. She moves the most when you are sleeping (get used to those interruptions) because during the day, your movements rock her to sleep."

I just felt her/him kick as I pasted that. :)

"By week 20, your baby-to-be is gearing up for the next phase in his development—filling out. His organs are getting into their proper places. His kidneys are now in position with their familiar bean shape. His testes (or ovaries for girls) have reached their position. His brain continues to form and grow. His teeth are beginning to appear, and he can swallow."

I also read somewhere that he can hear now, and will put his hands by his ears if something startles him. :)

We go for our first ultrasound tomorrow. We're quite excited to find out the gender. We'll post that next week... we want to tell Chris' parents in person this weekend when they are here.

Movement!

I felt the baby move last night! I woke up around 3am to use the restroom (becoming a nightly ritual now), and couldn't get back to sleep right away. I at first thought I felt a kick type thing, but reasoned that it couldn't be the baby, as I don't think I'm supposed to feel such distinct movements yet. But then a minute later I felt a distinct fluttering feeling. It was just like the articles, doctor, etc. had described. How cool!! So, I'm feeling much more connected to this little one now. Before it was still so surreal. Once my belly started popping it became more real, but still didn't feel the connection that I do now. What a joy.

Just before I began typing I felt more fluttering, but it didn't seem to be as distinct. I thought maybe it was my stomach digesting (just finished eating) or gas producing or something... They say the baby moving may feel like gas though... ?? (no gas seemed to be produced from it, so maybe it was baby again :).

Chris told me yesterday that he almost hopes it is a girl because he likes the name we picked out so much that he wants to make sure we can use it before someone else around us does. :) We still need a middle name though. (one syllable if you are compelled to make a suggestion ;).

16 Week Appointment

So, I'm now 7 pounds heavier than pre-pregnancy. It's all in the belly too (which I'm glad for of course). So, I guess I finally sorta look pregnant. :) I can no longer button any of my normal sized pants. I have 2-3 pair of jeans from my freshman 15 days that are still working for me though. :)

The baby's heart rate was 141 bpm today. Chris isn't as convinced it's a girl now because of the lower heartbeat. I still have no inclination to believe either way. We'll get an ultra sound at the 20 week appointment to find out the sex (yes, I will post it here, so if you don't want to know, I guess you shouldn't follow this blog anymore :/ ). I was alone in the room after the nurse did her stuff, including the heartbeat monitor, so I was able to spend time in awe of and thanking God for His incredible creativity in creation and blessing on my life.

The doctor asked if I'd felt anything yet (I haven't). She said it's usually longer before you feel something during your first pregnancy because you don't really know what you're looking for. She said around 20 weeks is normal. I was hoping it'd be sooner, which it may still...

Baby Jesus

From Focus on the Family:

Perhaps Jesus could have arrived on the scene as a 30-year-old man, just in time for his ministry. But instead, He arrived as a baby, affirming the immeasurable value of every human life from the earliest stages.

Christmas also boldly proclaims that life begins at conception. While Jesus was still in the womb, less than three months in utero, the Bible records that Elizabeth’s baby “leaped in her womb.” Think of the profound pro-life statement that was made at that moment -- one preborn baby (John) recognized the personhood of another preborn baby (Jesus)!

Jesus came to a family of no wealth or influence and in a situation that had great potential for the perception of scandal. Yet God gave Joseph and Mary the courage to face truly unprecedented obstacles in order to ensure that Jesus would be raised by a mother and a father.

The Savior of the world was placed in a family that did what it had to do to provide Jesus with the care and protection He needed from infancy to adulthood. God placed incredible trust in the family then, as He does now.

Aunt Nancy's Analogy

So, Aunt Nancy sent me a little email including this good analogy I thought I would share:

"The love you're feeling for your little one is so profound, isn't it. You haven't really met in person, but your beloved grows within and so does your love. It's God's blessing and a reminder of the way it is with God. We haven't met him face to face yet, but he is within and grows in our very being. We will one day meet face to fact for eternity as well."

How wonderful! Thanks Aunt Nancy!

12 Weeks Old

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.