Week 25 Update

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 25 weeks

Baby Stats: 

Head to heels, baby boy now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga(whatever that is), but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.
 **info. from www.babycenter.com**

Maternity Clothes: same old, same old

Movement: Still moving around lots. However, I have had a few days where he didn't move as much and I was panicking. Per doctor's advice-I drank some coke (haven't had that in 25 weeks!) and laid down and he still wasn't moving as much as usual. Later on when I was trying to be very still to paint wine glasses, he kicked so hard my whole arm moved!

Sleep: getting harder to sleep through the night, up for the bathroom a lot and having knee, hip, and shoulder pain

Symptoms: same old thing, I am having some anxiety about the delivery though (probably brought on by watching A Baby Story or some other TV show about babies being born)

What I Miss: wearing my regular shorts WITHOUT a belly band

Cravings: still just about everything and anything (surprise surprise)

Best Moment of the Week: This week we ordered the nursery furniture, selected the bedding we are registering for, and picked paint colors to match! :) I can't wait to see the room when it is all finished and see baby boy IN his new crib :) Here are some pics of the things we selected:

Crib that turns into a toddler bed and then a full size bed :)

dresser/changing table combo

Dresser

Mosaic Transport Bedding

Pops' Surgery

This isn't necessarily "baby" related, but it has been a big part of our family's life and I know a lot of you have been wondering how my Dad is and praying for him.

As some of you know, my Dad (Pops) was diagnosed with prostate cancer a few months back. After talking to many different doctors, his best option was to have his prostate removed and surrounding areas biopsied. What seemed like YEARS of waiting, the day finally came for his surgery on Thursday July 14th. He went to Christiana Hospital for his prostatectomy via the davinci robot. A local newspaper was doing an article about the robot that day and Dad is mentioned (not by name) in the article and there are even pictures (a little disturbing), you can read about it here: http://www.sparkweekly.com/article/20110717/HEALTH/107170342/-1/TERMS.

After 6 long hours, we were notified he was out of surgery and in recovery and everything had gone well. The doctor said he had no reason to think the cancer has spread but cannot tell "just by looking at it". We will get the results of the surrounding biopsies within a week or two (why must people wait sooo long for these types of results!) It took Pops almost 3 and a half hours to come out of recovery but we were finally able to see him. One of the first things he asked was "How's my little boy doing?" referring to our precious baby. As hard as it was, I didn't break down right then and there.

Thanks to answered prayers and positive thoughts sent our way, Dad has made it home and is recovering. He still has a long road ahead of him (6 weeks minimum) but is getting stronger everyday. I can only hope that seeing my pregnant belly is giving him extra motivation to get better so he can be strong and well to play with his grandson for MANY years to come!

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and pray for his biopsy results to come back cancer-free! We greatly appreciate all of the prayers and well-wishes so far!

Week 23 Update

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 23 weeks

Baby Stats: 

With his sense of movement well developed by now, baby can feel me move or dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long (wow!) and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), I may be able to see him squirm underneath my clothes (I have seen thumps here and there, so has Dave). Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that  baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as dogs barking (Abby and Sophie :)) or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.
 **info. from www.babycenter.com**

Maternity Clothes: same old, same old

Movement: Movement is more consistent now, mostly after meals and at night. It is fun to actually SEE him move now! It only looks like little bumps or thumps, not quite rolling around!

Sleep: still sleeping ok :)

Symptoms: still having some cramping in my legs when I wake up and my belly skin is starting to itch b/c it is stretching (hope it isn't a sign of wicked stretch marks!)

What I Miss: not much

Cravings: still just about everything and anything

Best Moment of the Week: actually SEEING baby move in my belly was pretty cool and also knowing my dad (Pops) came out of his surgery well, but more on that in another post

22nd Week Update

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 22 weeks

Baby Stats: 

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, our baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. Fine hair (lanugo) covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.
 **info. from www.babycenter.com**

Maternity Clothes: Wearing more and more lately. I packed a pair of regular shorts to wear on vacation with a belly band and two days in, they were a little snug...YIKES!

Movement: Feeling A LOT more movement, still off and on though. Our second day of vacation Dave even got to feel the baby move! He's felt it once more but very faint. It seems that when baby boy is going wild, Dave isn't around :( The last few nights he has been most active when I'm trying to go to sleep....he needs to get back on schedule :) Gigi (my Mom) got to feel baby boy kick hard when I came up to visit! I asked the doctor at my check-up today if it was normal that I don't feel him most of the day and he said yes, until he gets a little stronger, then I will feel him all the time and most likely be a little uncomfortable!

Sleep: Slept really well while on vacation in OBX!

Symptoms: Having some cramping in my calves in the morning, doctor said I may need more calcium now that the baby is stealing my calcium for his bones! I feel like I've been drinking a gallon of milk every two days so I'm not sure why I would need MORE calcium!!!

What I Miss: During vacation I really missed wine and other alcoholic beverages with certain meals but quickly got over it! 

Cravings: still just about everything and anything

Best Moment of the Week: Heard baby's heart beat today again at my check-up and doc confirmed that everything looked great from the ultrasound a few weeks ago. He also reassured me that if the tech said it was a boy, it most definitely is because it is rare to mistake "the manhood" parts.

OBX vacation/21 weeks

We just returned home from a week-long vacation in South Nags Head with Dave's family. The weather was gorgeous and a great time was had by all. I survived the 5 hour drive and was surprisingly comfortable! We stopped at some shops the first day and I really had to resist buying a few baby shirts/onesies (namely the one that said "Lil' Pirate" on the front and "Poop Deck" on the behind :)) While we were there, Dave's brother Jimmy celebrated his 22nd birthday on Monday 6/27 and Dave and I celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary on Tuesday 6/28.

Baby boy Williamson was VERY active the entire trip! I noticed him the most during the late morning and late afternoon hours while relaxing in my beach chair :). On Sunday, Dave even got to feel a small kick/punch! He spent the rest of the week trying to get another feel but baby boy was stubborn and would stop when Daddy put his hand on my belly.
 
Just like any other family on vacation, we enjoy plenty of delicious food and drink (non-alcoholic for me this year). Everyone insisted that the tuna, soft cheese, and sangria I wasn't allowed to partake in were just "terrible tasting" so I didn't feel left out. Dave even lovingly named my 3 parts water/1 part grape juice cocktail a "Prego Bomb". To change things up a bit he bought me the V8 Splash Pina Colada flavor, it was tasty! Everyone took turns making dinner and each one was equally as divine. In fact every meal I had I found myself saying, "this is the best ______I've ever tasted". At one point I even had the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had ever tasted....haha I found EVERYTHING delicious!

Here are some pictures from our trip:

"These are the best fish tacos I've ever had"

Family Shot: Dave, Jimmy, Mike, Me, Joan, Phil, and Autumn

My "Prego Bomb"

Out to dinner-As you can see the baby bump definitely POPPED during the trip :)

Joan and 2 of her boys

Phil and the girls