Baby Update

I had a baby checkup today.  Low blood pressure!  112/70.  Normal urine test.  No sugar detected in urine which is a relief to me since I’m concerned about getting gestational diabetes.  Everything is good!

The ultrasound turned out great!  They were able to get better pictures of the spine and she is perfectly healthy and formed!  Also, we FINALLY got to see better pictures of her sweet little face!

1 2 3 4

 

Faith pointed out her nose and mouth and she was able to understand what she was seeing!  She was so excited!  She said, “I can’t wait to be a big sister!” as she walked out of the room holding the pictures of her little sister :)

We all were smiling from ear to ear.  We saw our little baby girl :)  We all saw her little hands moving, her little wiggles and squirms.  I’m counting the days until she gets here! :)

A great doctor visit!  Everything is perfect!  Praise God!!!

25 Weeks

I have finally gained back my pre-pregnancy weight of 155 pounds.  During the 3rd trimester is when weight gain happens fast, so it’s important I eat healthy and don’t overeat.  High blood pressure, and gestational diabetes is what I’m concerned about.  I need to lay off the salt and the sweets!  God help me lol.

My belly is steadily growing, and so is my boobs.  I need to shop for new nursing bras and nursing shirts so it will be easy to breastfeed once baby girl gets here.  She is constantly wiggling around now.  Aaron and Faith can feel her movements whenever they touch my belly.  Faith is constantly kissing my tummy and asking when she will get here.   I keep telling her once the leaves grow on the trees, the flowers bloom and the butterflies return is when baby girl will arrive!  She keeps looking out the window :)

We won’t be having a baby shower, but it might be nice to have a little celebration when she arrives.  Balloons, a little cake and some spring flowers for Aaron, Faith,  baby girl and I to mark this special occasion with; especially for Faith’s sake so she can experience what a gift it is to welcome a new little one into our family and acknowledge God’s blessings.  I just hope I have the energy to set up a small party for us :)

This year will be very important to me.  This will be the last year I have Faith at home with me before she starts Kindergarten.  This year I will have Faith and baby sister home with me – together.  All of us will be home for one year.  Once Faith begins Kindergarten, and baby girl is 1 year old and weaned, I will start looking for work and put my degree to use!   I am only a few months away from graduation :)   Babygirl is suppose to arrive right at the end of this semester.  I look forward to having a picture of me in my cap and gown, with Faith, babysis, and Aaron at my side :)

But for now, I want to enjoy this year focused solely on my family.  After classes end, there will be no more homework deadlines and no job to drive to yet.  It will be just me, hubby, Faith and baby getting 100% of my time. Playing in the backyard, planting a vegetable garden, and planting flowers.  Catching fireflies and eating meals outside at the picnic table.  Trips to the library,  movies and popcorn on the weekends, and tucking them in every night.  Home sweet home.  Nothing to distract me from my family.  This year will be very precious to me.  I know I will be tired caring for a newborn, but this is what I’m striving for.  I want to make the most out of this year.

Tomorrow I am having another ultrasound!  I’m excited.  Aaron and Faith will be there, too.  I hope we get to see some better pictures of our baby girl.

25 weeks belly pic…

25 weeks

 

Here is what baby looks like at 25 weeks…

pregnancy-week-25-baby-fat_square

 

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — 1 1/2 pounds — isn’t much more than an average rutabaga, but she’s beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she’ll start to look more and more like a newborn. She’s also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you’d now be able to discern its color and texture.  Her senses are becoming more sophisticated, too. At 26 weeks, fetal brain scans show response to touch. If you shine a light on your belly, your baby will turn her head, which means her optic nerve is working.

24 weeks

It has been a good week.  Nothing new to report.  I still weigh 150.  Weight gain is going very slowly.  I can’t complain.  The less weight I gain, the better my blood pressure will be and I may not get severe swollen ankles either.  Also, older moms who gain a lot of weight have a higher chance of developing preeclampsia.  I’m trying to eat healthy and drink lots of water.

Next week classes start back up for me.  Just one class this semester and I’m done.  Finally.  I will graduating very soon!  I had a nice winter break.  Relaxed as much as I could and simply enjoyed time with my family.

24 weeks belly pic…

1M9C1622_Fotor

 

What baby looks like at 24 weeks…

pregnancy-week-24-lung-development_square

 

Your baby’s growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since she’s almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she’ll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Today we finally had our first snowfall of the winter.  It’s only 14 degrees outside, but Faith was extremely excited to play out in the snow.  She has cold urticaria (allergic to the cold).  She develops hives when her skin is exposed to the cold, and if she’s out for too long, it gets worse and she has an asthma attack.  Poor girl.  Today she could only be out in the snow for about 10 minutes before hives appeared and she started wheezing.  I feel so sad for her.  I personally hate the cold, but as a child I enjoyed playing in the snow.  I grew up in Chicago.  I would play in the snow with my neighbors for hours!  I would come in from the cold feeling numb to the bone, but no hives and I didn’t even have a problem with asthma back then.  Some of my favorite childhood memories are playing in the snow.  My dad would take us to the park and we would go sledding down a hill.  We built snowmen and had snowball fights.  Faith really can’t do any of that.  I hope she grows out of it.

12417722_10156357337465317_3618245905724062649_n

12507226_10156357338220317_1209021616514153012_n

12548906_10156357338615317_5657289885671435646_n

 

I hope her baby sister will not have this disorder as well.  I wonder how it will be for Faith if her sister can play out in the cold for as long as she wants, or can play outside at recess during the winter while Faith would have to stay inside?  I worry that Faith will be angry or jealous about this.  I pray the girls will get along well and grow to be great friends during their lifetime.  I want them to comfort and support each other.

At my next baby check up, I will be having another ultrasound to see if we can get better pictures of baby girl.  Faith is excited about this.  We all are.  Faith is ready to meet her already!  Just a few more months!!!