20 week bump

20 weeks

9 year old sister Bernice pointing at my belly.

Me and Zach

She's the Length of a Banana!

140 days to go!!!

''Sophia weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel -- the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against her torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of her head to her bottom -- the ''crown to rump'' measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.) She's swallowing more these days, which is a good practice for het digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in het first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).''

IT'S A GIRL!!!

 

Sophia Lynn

(Sophia means Wisdom in Greek, Lynn is after me and Nana Kathy)

God has blessed us with a baby girl, and we couldn't be more excited! When we got the ultrasound, we got to watch her for about 20minutes. I couldn't stop staring at her, while crying of course. I was actually so emotional that I think I cried for about an hour after we left the hospital (HOLY EMOTIONAL!!). The first  10 minutes or so of watching her, she was moving all over the place, even sucking her thub (just like Daddy predicted). Then she must of been so tired that she conked out and fell asleep. It was the most precious thing I have ever seen. She is measuring a little longer than 'normal,' 13.5 centimeters curled up. We got to see every part of her beautiful body, including her heart beating, her brain, her spine, her bum and of course all the limbs. :) We can not wait for her arrival!

18 weeks pregnant!

''Your baby weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs -- movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood  vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still staning out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning from around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. Ifyou're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.''

I'm about to go the my ultrasound to find out the sex. But I wanted to do this post before I reveal the gender.

18 week bump!

from the side

 

 

 

it's hard to tell if i wear black

I'm 17 weeks and 6 days, so that means almost 18 weeks! Tonight I'm going to this big event with my mom..it's something of her work, so that's why I look so chic...lol.. anyway I was in a funny picture mood! So, don't mind my face pleace. Anyway, as you can see I'm getting big. On sunday we are going to find out the gender. I'm so exited!! I can't wait!

A lot of researching going up here.

 

Lately, the hype seems to be delivering a baby planned on a certain day and a certain time with tons of people watching. Birth had become more of a ''show or production,'' instead of letting the mother and the baby work together when they are ready and delivering when the body is ready to deliver. Our plan is to deliver naturally without the use of drugs...so let's pray gummy will not give us any problemos! :)

I'm not saying that using drugs means that every woman or their bab will have the horrible side effects that can happen and of course you can have a perfectly healthy baby and birth with the use of an Epidural, I just find it quite interesting that a lot of women don't do the research when there are many scary side effects that are very common with Epidurals...nor do doctors or nurses warn women on the side effects -- its just become the ''norm.''  Bottom line, there is a risk. In fact, one of my moms patients had had two kids...the first delivery was fine with the use of an epidural, the second pregnancy (8 years ago) didn't go so well..today she suffers from horrible back pains exactly where the epidural was injected and her child HAS many of the side effects listed below, so again -- its a risk. She is actually pregnant right now and has the SAME due date as me :) -- her plan is ''definitely not using drugs because of what happened.'' I understand if it is absolutely necessary for drugs and I am very thankful for conventional medicine if needed or in case of an emergency (which is very rare), but to just plan on using drugs without even trying doesn't make sense to me...that's just me :)

Side-effects:

• Short term: Nervousness, tingling around the mouth, tinnitus, tremor, dizziness, blurred vision, or seizures, followed by depression: drowsiness, loss of consciousness, respiratory depression and apnea.

• Long term effects: loss of perineal sensation and sexual function, neurological complications, backache (weeks to years), postpartum feelings of regret, loss of autonomy, fecal and urinary incontinence or bladder dysfunction (inability to urinate), & paresthesia (''pins and needles'').

*Side effects on the baby:

• Direct drug toxicity, fetal ditress/abnormal FHR (can lead to emergency cesarean), drowsiness at birth, poor sucking reflex, maternal feyer (impeded thermoregulation from numb skin) leads to fetal hypothermia and neonatal, NICU workup (spinal tap, etc.), poor muscle strength and tone in the first hours, neonatal jaundice, decreased maternal-infant bonding, behayioral problems & hyperactivity up to seven years (suspected)

How I'm doing

How far along? 17 weeks!
Baby's size: 5 inches, about the size of a bell pepper
Total Wight Gain: As of friday I weighed 132.2 pounds, which means I have gained 10.2 pounds over my normal weight.
Maternity Clothes: Not yet! I'm lucky that the fashion right now is leggings, long sweaters and baggy shirts :) I've been living in leggings, long shirts and tall boots.
Gender: Find out next week!
Movement: I think I felt my baby kick twice! It's still so new to me that I'm not positive, but my mom says it was the baby!
Sleep: Still have a little insomnia every once in a while and I wake up every night at least 2 times to pee. I'm sleeping about 7 - 10 hours per night.
Symptoms: Not much to complain about anymore. If I have to say something its the waking up at night and peeing ALL THE TIME! Still have a little acne around my chin too.
Best Moments this week: Feeling my mini me kick!
Food Cravings: Everything that is warm..
Food Aversions: Certain smells still really bother me, like if someone burps around me..yuck!
What I miss: my tight jeans!
What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex!
Milestones: The belly is really growing.
Goal this week: Having something to do..I'm so bored.