Jelly Bean Tales

24 Wk Dr. Appt.

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Today I saw Dr. Webb at 4pm. My weight was up again, making my total gain +9lbs. Ugh! I feel so huge and the baby feels really big inside. Nothing like Ainsley who felt so tiny and my belly didn't feel big at all - of course I didn't gain any weight with her either.

My blood pressure was up according to what the nurse had taken, so the dr. had to take it again using a larger cuff - it was then normal -Thank God! Baby's heartbeat sounded great on the doppler and my measurement was right on (though he didn't say what it was, just that is was good.)

I will see him again on Sept. 15th as well as have the glucose screening test. I am still awaiting a phone call from the university about scheduling an ultrasound with them. I am really going crazy not knowing if it's a girl or boy :( I still say girl!

24 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:29:00 +0000

How your baby's growing:
Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

23 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:27:00 +0000

How your baby's growing:
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

22 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:25:00 +0000

How your baby's growing:
At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your 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. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that 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.

21 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Wow this baby is moving so much! It went from barely any movement to dancing all day and night LOL! Still fighting the nausea during the day but no morning sickness since I have been eating toast first thing in the morning. Seems like I am getting hungrier and hungrier each day! This baby will be a big eater I think!

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

And It's A..............

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:33:00 +0000

Well we don't know for sure. U/S tech said she thought it was a girl but the little bean wouldn't open it's legs so we could see. From what I saw I think it's a girl too. She said too that she thought this with another one and then at the last minute it opened its legs and it was a boy! So she had another tech come in to try to see and she said the same thing. So they recommended we schedule a free u/s with the local university and get more info then.

They wouldn't do a 3d much to my dismay! She said they only did those at 32wks or later, but I know better as I have seen them from friends. Oh well!

Here are some of the u/s photos (the first 2 are videos of the heart).

Here is the face:

Looking down over it's head, it's hands are together:

Here are the legs (at this time they were obviously apart - looks like a girl to me):

Here is a measurement of the femur:

And the spine:

Heartrate was 152 beats/min and baby weighs approx. 13 oz.

After the U/S I had an appt with Dr. Webb. My weight was up 6.5 lbs! Yikes! And my blood pressure was 140/80. We heard the heartbeat and he measured me. Then we told him about the u/s and that we weren't sure of the sex. He said he figured it was a girl since most of the time when the legs were crossed it was a girl. But hey we won't know 100% til we see or til the baby is here right?

20 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:26:00 +0000

Baby bean is moving and kicking lots now. However I remember that around this time, Ainsley was kicking lots harder. Every pg has been so different as far as baby moving.

How your baby's growing:
Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He'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 his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

17 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:05:00 +0000

Well today makes 17 weeks! I can feel little baby bean moving all around now when I am still, especially at night. Great feeling! Counting down the days til the 21st so we can see pink or blue!

Rollin Back...

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:54:00 +0000

..to 16 Weeks!

I seen Dr. Webb today. Both girls went with me, Ainsley was into everything lol. We heard the heartbeat. I declined the AFP testing. And he confirmed that my due date has changed to Dec 5, due to the last u/s results - making me 15 wks 6 days. So that means I may be having a Turkey baby since I will have a c-section 1-2 wks before my due date. He says he has a feeling it is a boy and that if it is, he gets to name him LOL. He picked Jacob. I told him if it was a boy we already have a name and it's Lincoln after hubby's dad and grandpa. He said that was a good name too. It's great that he has such a good sense of humor and he always talks to the girls and makes them laugh. I am so thankful that he is my dr!

I go back in 4 wks, July 21st for my U/S and then to see Dr. Webb again. We are definitely going to find out if it's a boy or girl. Now they have the 3d U/S so that gives us an even better chance of finding out :)

18 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:28:00 +0000

I have been less busy but I am feeling more tired and needing to have naps during the day again. I think I was just overwhelmed with all the activities we have had the past few weeks. We finally have our A/C fixed so it's nice and cool inside and I can go out without getting too hot.

Next week on friday I will see Dr Webb and will post the results of my appt and hopefully have a date set up for the u/s :)

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he 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 standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form 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. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

17 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 02:25:00 +0000

Ainsley had a dr appt today and had a dtp shot. Then we had the rehearsal for my cousin Sami's wedding. I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to feel pregnant.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

16 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:27:00 +0000

Still having some morning sickness, well today anyway. But then if I didn't have it, I wouldn't even remember that I'm pregnant. I do not feel pg at all and my body is back to normal I suppose. I am not really as tired as I was, I have more energy. I still don't have my creativity back - I really miss it!

Still no drs appt - next week sometime, I'm hoping to get in on friday since Ainsley has an appt across the street.

How your baby's growing:

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.

15 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 24 May 2008 02:25:00 +0000

I completely forgot my drs appt today :( I blame the pregnancy brain - and my dad who came over this morning and said he wanted to go shopping LOL. I will call and reschedule.

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

14 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:32:00 +0000

Nothing much has changed this week. I did get a bad sunburn on my legs and had an allergic reation that made my legs, knees and feet ache something awful. Thankfully today that is gone and I am back to feeling normal again. I have noticed I can't really eat as much without getting too full too fast. This is where I started really losing weight with Ainsley, so hopefully it will be similar this pg. I haven't been throwing up but I have had some nausea and I tend to gag a lot especially when I smell just about anything. I bought some B6 vitamins to take along with my prenatal and they seem to really help.

My next appt is on May 23rd at 10am - then we will see what the dr says about whether or not they will change my due date.

How your baby's growing:
This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

13 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:30:00 +0000

How your baby's growing:
Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

First Ultrasound

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 05 May 2008 23:10:00 +0000

Today I got to see my little jellybean!
Here is a video of her dancing.

Here are some more photos. The baby is measuring 9 and a half weeks gestation but she said it was just a general estimate and doesn't mean anything. However it will be up to my dr. whether we will change the due date. 3 weeks is a big difference in my opinion.

And here is the photo of the heartbeat. I did hear it and what a sweet sound it was!

12 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:13:00 +0000

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 two inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

1st Prenatal Exam

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:07:00 +0000

Today I saw Debbie Crowder, a midwife, who I just love. Emira went with me since she had a dr appt right after mine. Besides lots of paperwork, I had my usual pelvic exam, pap, etc. My weight was a whopping 261 boo hoo! I have been a bit sick and tired but nothing like I was with Ainsley or Emira. I did get some B-natal lollipops for my nausea, they are so good! Monday I have an u/s appt for 1pm to get an accurate due date. Then I will see Dr. Webb, who I am hoping to have deliver again for us, in a few weeks and will hear the heartbeat then.

ETA: We declined all genetic testing once again even though I am a carrier for CF (as is almost everyone in my family). We are Christian and very Pro-Life so this holds no bearing on our decision to love and cherish our baby even if it's not healthy. God is in control and we know he never, ever gives us more than we can handle.

11 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:50:00 +0000

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

10 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:15:00 +0000

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

It's Official!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:04:00 +0000

I had an appt today to get my test confirmed. And it is POSITIVE. I just seen the nurse, peed in the little cup and had my weight and blood pressure. They said my due date is November 14th going by my lmp. Of course that doesn't matter really since I'll be having another cesarean and they will do that 1-2 weeks before my due date.

I haven't made my first prenatal appt yet, their computers were down. But I will probably wait til May to see the dr.

I also had my first real day of morning sickness! Not just nausea this time, the real deal! Yippee what I have to look forward to each day LOL.

9 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:53:00 +0000

Please Welcome Nausea back to my life!

I got my first real dose of the icky tummy feeling driving home from FILs house on Sunday night. Then wouldn't you know Monday morning it was back and then hit again full force while I was grocery shopping. Somehow the frozen food aisle was just enough to make me have to run to the checkout. Thankfully I was able to hold it down, that would have been terribly embarrassing lol.

For those of you who have asked, I have not seen the dr yet. I will call and see about making an appt this week though I don't feel it's really necessary to see a dr so soon. My pap is up to date so they will probably not do much. They will set me up for an u/s to get my due date since my cycles were not yet regular when I got pg and that is always exciting but again, not necessary. This is my 3rd pg and as long as I don't feel anything is wrong, I know baby and I will be fine without seeing a dr for a bit longer.

How your baby's growing: Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's

8 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:17:00 +0000

According to my LMP which was either Feb 8 or 12 (duh can't remember which but I know it was one of those days lol), I am about 8 weeks pg.

Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. His arms have lengthened, too, and his hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart. His knee joints have formed, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways.

Time for a new BEAN!

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:06:00 +0000

Hospital Photo

noreply@blogger.com (Nikki) — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:24:00 +0000

Check out Ainsley's Hospital Photo Website and leave us a comment :) Thanks!

Be sure to read up on Ainsley's progress and growth on my regular blog Simplicity. Thanks to everyone who has been visiting Jelly Bean Tales and leaving comments and messages. Love you all!