Where did that come from?!

Our week 17 picture definitely shows I'm pregnant but I am still very self conscious of being in public!! My belly just 'popped' in the past week... amazing.

16 week update

Week 16

Your baby is now about the size of an avocado (about 5 inches / 11.6 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighing approximately 4 ounces / 100 grams). In the next three weeks he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling his weight and adding inches to his length. In or out of the womb, babies are playful creatures. Yours may already have discovered his first toy -- the umbilical cord -- which he'll enjoy pulling and grabbing. Sometimes he may even clutch it so tight that less oxygen gets through, but don't worry -- he doesn't hold onto it long enough to harm himself. The circulatory system and urinary tract are in full working order, and he's inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid through his lungs.

Your baby is almost certainly listening up by now. In fact, loud noises — the dog barking, the doorbell ringing — will actually startle your baby (and also get him or her used to such noises; for instance, fetuses who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through Fido's outbursts). Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of his or her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. And since practice makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his or her sucking and swallowing skills in preparation for that first (and second…and third) suckle at your breast or bottle. In fact, most of the survival reflexes that your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now. And here's some proof that your baby is truly one of a kind (as if you needed any!). Within the next week or so, the pads on your baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases (aka fingerprints).

Well, I found out at my last doctors appointment that my due date has been changed to November 7th, so that puts me at 17 weeks on Wednesday! The weeks are going by very fast; between working and taking trips on our days off, fall will be here before we know it!

Okanagan Lake in Kelowna

And so it continues...

I believe I am destined to suffer every pregnancy symptom! For the past couple days my belly has been quite sore and I think this may be why...

As I gain weight with this pregnancy, my lower abdomen aches sometimes. Is this normal?
It's quite typical. This aching, as opposed to cramping, is usually caused by the stretching of the muscles and ligaments supporting your womb (uterus). You'll probably feel it when you're getting up from a bed or chair, when you cough or when you get out of the bath. It may also become a problem when the baby's head engages in the later stages of pregnancy

What can I do to relieve this discomfort?
Sit down, put your feet up and relax. When you feel this aching, resting comfortably should alleviate your symptoms. Don't forget, it's a perfectly normal complaint of pregnancy, and it gives you an excuse to get off your feet -- and even be waited on.

I'll have to make sure Charles reads the last part!

15 week update

We had an amazing time on Vancouver Island. It was a much needed break for the both of us & I think the fetus appreciated the fresh, ocean air! The remote area we stayed in was perfect as we were craving peace & quiet (pickles, too, but I didn't get any!).

Our last Doppler check of the baby was Friday & she/he is higher in my abdomen now & the heart beat was very loud. Very exciting! I've really noticed the space it is occupying in my lower abdomen now as it is uncomfortable to bend over to put on shoes, pick up stuff off the floor, etc. Soon, Charles will have to tie my shoes for me (besides many other things!) & I will be sad... it's hard when I've been so independent for so long. But, I will get use to it I'm sure.

Your nearly four-inch long gymnast is happily mobile inside your womb, and if you're really lucky, you’ll notice a point when your sneezing, coughing or laughing results in a little kick here or a poke there. Although the poking and kicking isn't very charming during sleeping hours, it’s a good sign as it means your baby is actually reacting to outside events! Their little elbows and knees are bending more freely this week and their little legs are finally growing longer than their arms and getting them all pumped up for prenatal Richard Simmons. Many of their major organ systems are increasing in capacity—particularly that amazing tiny heart and complex circulation system, which is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood per day, and will increase to a very impressive 200 quarts per day by the end of the pregnancy. As far as hair goes, we’ve got some new scalp patterns beginning to develop on the head, although actual head hair is not yet present.

You may not know it when it happens, but your tiny tenant frequently gets the hiccups, which babies master before breathing. Babies don't make any sound because their trachea is filled with fluid rather than air. Although you've probably gained between 5 and 10 pounds / 2.2 - 4.5 kilograms, the fetus weighs in at around only 2.5 ounces / 70 grams. It measures nearly 4 inches / 11 centimetres long, crown to rump. Legs are growing longer than the arms now, fingernails are fully formed and all the joints and limbs can move. If the idea of having a baby seems so remote, nothing makes it feel more real than feeling your baby move for the first time. Most moms-to-be discern movement (called quickening) between 16 and 20 weeks. If you've been pregnant before, you'll feel things earlier rather than later. What you may first think is a rumbling stomach may be your baby doing some back flips.

It's been a hard transition back to work & I can only count down the days until my maternity leave. I am thankful for my 8 hour days but I am exhausted when I get home. Some days I don't get to sit or have a drink/snack until my lunch hour (even that is up to 2 hours late sometimes) & I know that's not good. Unfortunately, that's my line of work. I will see how things go for now but if I feel it's too much I will ask for another position doing awful admin/crap work. But last day tomorrow then I'm off for 5 days when Charles & I will travel to Kelowna to visit Mom & Gus (and hopefully the sun!) for a few days.

14 week update

Pictures from Cape Scott Provincial Park on the Northwestern tip of Vancouver Island

(I'm pretty sure our pictures won't look like these!)

Crown to rump, your baby is around 3 and a half inches / 9 centimetres long and weighs one and a half ounces / 43 grams. The body is now growing faster than the head. This week, its parchment-thin skin covers itself with lanugo (ultra-fine, downy hair that usually disappears before birth). Though eyebrows are beginning to grow and the hair on top of the head is sprouting, this hair may change in both texture and colour after birth. About now, the fetus can grasp, squint, frown, and grimace. It may even be able to suck its thumb. Researchers believe these and other movements probably correspond to the development of impulses in the brain.







If you poke at your abdomen and the baby feels it, it will begin to root around as if looking to suckle. Their little face starts to resemble Mom and Dad as they continue to develop more normal looking facial features. Baby can hear sounds now and are able to feel pain. The baby now has unique fingerprints. Inhaling and exhaling movements have begun and the torso is growing very quickly to make up the difference in body and head size. All nourishment is received through the placenta. The intestines continue their migration into the body from the umbilical cord. At this point you may begin to feel “quickening”: a fluttering sensation in your abdomen. This is actually your baby moving around! It might be several weeks before you notice it, but some Mom’s notice this as early as 14 weeks.







Your baby is now producing urine and actually urinating into the amniotic fluid. It also can practice "breathing" the amniotic fluid in and out of its lungs. Amniotic fluid is an amazing substance. It completely regenerates itself every three hours. We do know that it is partially composed of urine from the baby, but where amniotic fluid in general is made we are not sure. Modern medicine still has some surprises left.







Well, I survived my first rotation back to work. Though it was great to see my co-workers, I really struggled to find my 'place'. I'm thankful that I decided to reduce my work hours; eight is all I can muster. I am even more cautious than ever about the hazards of working in the hospital. I'm washing my hands raw, wear gloves for almost everything and a mask whenever I feel it's necessary. And I don't particularily care when someone asks why. I don't lift, I don't run, I don't put myself in contortionist positions like I used to. There's at least a dozen people who can do these things... so I let them!







Charles, me & the fetus are off on our first trip (besides Quebec when the fertilized egg was just implanting!) together tomorrow morning. We're spending 4 days on Northern Vancouver Island and are very much looking forward to it. It's not the most ideal time of year to go but it will be nice just to be in the forests & by the ocean. Our lungs will appreciate the break from the disgusting Calgary air!

Daddy's write-up

So far Kim's has been doing much of the writing. I'm actually not going crazy as much as Kim is letting people believe. I just feel powerless about everything that's happening in her life. To make this worse, I get to be on the road for more than 12 days every months.

On the other side, I just can't wait to see our baby. At first I was little scare about the whole idea, but now, I just can't wait. On almost every flight I'm on, there is a baby. On yesterday's flight, they were 4 of them. There all so cute and stinky and messy. Life will be different, but Eh!

Last night was our first night on that brand new bed, it was a much nicer bed that I thought it would be. It is quite soft and I thought it would give me back pain... so far so good. Hope Kim slept good too, but she's at work. Yes, I'm actually at home alone! So today I'm gonna clean, cook, do the dishes, vacuum, laundry, wash the car... hahaha! I'm so funny! Ok, I'll do at least 2 of these things!

(What the first ultrasound revealed to us but that Kim didn't want Gus to see)

Bye!

2nd Trimester!

Me at 13 weeks

The fetus is now nearly 3 inches / 7 to 8 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs nearly an ounce / 23 grams -- about half a banana. Its unique fingerprints are already in place. And when you poke your stomach gently and she feels it, your baby will start rooting -- that is, act as if she's searching for a nipple. If you're having a girl, she now has approximately 2 million eggs in her ovaries; she will have only a million by the time she's born. She'll have fewer eggs as she gets older, and by age 17, the number will have dropped to 200,000. As for you, the fog may be lifting, so to speak. For many women, the side effects of early pregnancy -- frequent urination, intense fatigue, nausea -- diminish sometime in the second trimester. Your uterus, while large enough to announce to onlookers that you're indeed pregnant, isn't so huge that it gets in your way. Even though birth is months away, your breasts may already start making colostrum, the fluid that will feed your baby for the first few days before your milk comes in.

I'm happy to be at this milestone in our pregnancy! The nausea is pretty much behind me except if I get hungry or move too fast. I still feel I like napping in the afternoons but try to avoid it to help ensure I sleep well at night. Charles & I bought a new bed so in a week we'll hopefully be sleeping in the same bed again! My two recent 'side effects' of the pregnancy are a bit more manageable, sort of. My emotions rule my life at the moment & I cry mostly everyday. Charles is probably wanting to lock me in the bedroom soon! I've also developed a shooting pain up my tailbone everytime I sit down. A couple women told me (and I've read) that it could be my pelvis shifting but a doctor I spoke to yesterday siad it could be from the weight gain & sitting too much. I like the first reason better. After two days of rain, today is finally sunny & warm. So, while Charles is inside an airplane all day I'll spend the majority of the day outside.

2nd ultrasound

We had our second ultrasound today for the nuchal translucency test. Baby looked fine measuring in at 7.3cm with a heart rate of 155bpm. It took along time to get the pictures as the baby has to be in a certain position for the test. It was difficult with a full bladder as the technician pressed hard with the probe. I thought I may pee on the table! I won't get results until next Friday when I see my doctor. We didn't get any pictures to take home with us which is a bit disappointing but the technician went over all of baby's body parts with us. We saw 5 fingers on each hand (at one point saw the baby 'wave' at us!), each long leg (2!), the eyes, and if you can believe it the bladder and the brain! Very cool. I am in awe that you can see the brain in such detail in something so small. I was impressed that we could see the little bladder, too. But the brain?! Wow...