19th Week

I'm a Mango this week!!!

I bought Baby his first book this week.  It's called "Oh Baby, the places you'll go!" by Dr. Seuss.  The inside cover reads "Exciting discoveries have been made about how much learning goes on while a baby is still in its mother's womb.  Here is an introduction to the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss - for doting parents-to-be to read aloud to their adorable babies-to be."  There was actually a study done in the early 80's involving Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in the Hat" which was read aloud to babies in the womb, twice a day, during the final 6 weeks of pregnancy. After birth, it was proven that babies responded positively to recordings of their mother's voice reading the same story  vs. hearing their mother reading a different story.  Which proves that not only is there auditory perception in utero but also memory of auditory experiences.

I've also been reading (not aloud) a book called "Brain Rules for Baby - How to raise a smart and happy child from Zero to Five".  It's very interesting and actually speaks of the aforementioned Dr. Seuss research study.  Currently I'm focusing on the pregnancy section of the book which talks about the positive and negative impacts you can have on your pregnancy (and Baby's intelligence) through weight, nutrition, exercise and stress.  It's definitely educational and  will be a valuable reference book after he arrives.

So you're all probably waiting for the announcement.  Well really, I've already spilled the beans in reference throughout this blog.  Did you catch it? Yup, we're having a BOY!! (Well they said 95% sure. He was in some crazy face down yoga pose during the scan but we could all see something that surely resembled a boy bit!) Otherwise the scan was great. Organs, limbs, spine all intact. Measurements good. And he was moving a lot, flexing his arms and wiggling about. At one point he reached out and grabbed onto his foot.   Adorable!!   We are so relieved that all is well and thrilled to welcome a little boy!!  Now Daddy better REALLY hide the car keys!!

What's happening with our Baby Boy this week? "At 19 weeks pregnant, your baby may be as long as 6.5 inches and could weigh up to 8.5 ounces. Your baby is comparable in size to a coconut that has had the outer-shell removed! Your little one's growth won't stop anytime soon. On the contrary, from pregnancy week 19 until you give birth, your baby is going to increase in size by more than 15 times. This week, your baby is starting to produce vernix - a white sticky substance that covers your baby's skin to protect it from its watery environment. (Remember your baby is living in a sea of amniotic fluid for 40 weeks.) The vernix will keep your baby's skin looking soft and supple. During pregnancy week 19, your little one's brain is in the process of forming pockets that specialize in smell, taste, hearing, vision, and even touch. Your baby can hear your voice at 19 weeks of gestation. Fetal ear development has matured to the point that your baby's outer ears can pick up noises from outside the womb, including your voice and even your partner's voice. Your baby's fingerprint are also developing. The pads on the fingers have ridged patterns that will eventually become your child's unique ID. "

I'll leave you this week with some words from Dr. Suess

"...so now as my voice burble-ups in your ear-

with a bump thumpy sound that is not very clear-

the words I am saying, you hear in your heart,

and know that I wish you the very best start.

It's a scrumptulous world and it's ready to greet you.

And as for myself...well...I can't wait to meet you!

18th Week

Hello Sweet Potato!  Another week..another comparison to some gnarly piece of produce.

Had my first "when are you due" asked by a stranger.  So I must look pregnant now and not just chubby.  Or perhaps it was because I was rubbing my belly like a Buddha!  Speaking of chubby, I've already gained 10lbs! Now I'm no math whiz but if Baby only weighs 7 ounces...where did the rest go?!  :s

Had my second OB/GYN appointment.  Things are moving along as they should be. The highlight was again hearing the little heartbeat.  This time I was prepared and actually recorded it. (See link) With such infrequent movements at this early stage, it's very reassuring to hear that baby is still in there!!!  I actually thought I might have felt "real" kicks (and not just little flutters) on Saturday July 16th.  There were 3 distinct taps in the same spot just to the right of my belly button.  It hasn't happened since, so perhaps it was just a little muscle spasm. I'm sure I will be feeling little kicks soon enough.

Here are some fun facts I found for Baby Bean;

*             Your baby will start kindergarten in 2017.

*             Be old enough to drive a car in 2027. (Lock up the keys Daddy!)

*             Finish high school in 2030.

*             Graduate from college with the class of 2034.  (I'll be 61!!!!)

I still haven`t found myself with any strange food cravings…but I`m pretty hungry all the time.  In fact most nights I wake up starving.  I've managed to fend off the midnight refrigerator raids for now.  There is another  old wives tale that correlates a profound increase in appetite with carrying a boy!?  Guess we'll know soon enough, as long as Baby isn't camera shy on July 28th.  (Stay tuned for the announcement!)

What's happening with baby this week? "In the 18th week, the baby's crown to rump length will be around 6 inches long and the weight will be about 7 ounces. There is still a lot of space in the uterus and the baby will be active with periods of rest from time to time. Your baby might somersault or sit cross legged at this stage. The baby will become more sensitive to sound as the bones which pass the sound to the inner ear harden. The part of the brain that sends and receives nerve signals from the ears are also developing now so the baby reacts to loud sounds by kicking or prodding. The baby will get used to familiar sounds such as the beating of your heart, familiar voices in your surroundings, and other daily routine sounds like doorbells and dog’s barking. (Shssssh Maddie!)  If you have a stethoscope at home you can check the baby's heartbeat by yourself.  (Still can’t hear it) The baby is busy flexing its arms and legs and you might notice the movements more clearly now. A protective layer called myelin begins to form around the nerves which will continue for a year after the birth."

Almost half way there...time is flying by!!

17th Week

I'm an Onion this week!  Making my way through the produce department one fruit and vegetable at a time.

Belly fluttering is increasing but still can't be felt on the outside.  It's a feeling that is really hard to describe.  Almost like a teeny tiny kitten softly kneading you from the inside, or like a goldfish swimming about and occasionally bumping into the wall.  It makes me smile.

I was reading another study this week that suggests if you eat a varied diet of vegetables during pregnancy and breastfeeding (like cabbage/broccoli/beans etc), then your child is more apt to acquire a taste for them and be less "fussy".  "Flavours from the mother's diet are transmitted through amniotic fluid and mother's milk. A baby learns to like a food's taste when the mother eats that food on a regular basis,"  Apparently babies are born with a dislike for bitter tastes which stems back to early evolution. Bitter tastes are usually caused by alkaloids - poisons developed by plants to protect themselves against being eaten. Over time humans developed innate reactions against such tastes and it is these responses that prompt babies to reject certain foods.  Bring on the Brussel Sprouts and Lima beans!! (Oh wait, I rejected Lima beans a long time ago!!)

One more week till 2nd ObGyn appointment and hopefully another chance to hear BB heartbeat with the Doppler. Despite my best efforts and way too much time with a stethoscope pressed against my belly, I still cannot hear his/her little ticker at home.yet!  At this appointment, I hope to learn the results of my IPS testing, and whether or not I will need to consider an Amnio. The IPS testing only gives you a probability (%) based on the scan, blood results, family history and age. I don't really want an Amnio...I'd rather just take what comes in the end and enjoy the journey to get there.

We've started thinking about Baby names.  What a job!  I never thought it would be so hard!  The pressure of giving your child a name that he will carry through his life is very stressful!  We want unique but not so much so that the poor child needs to spell it to everyone they ever meet.  Nor do we want people to say "What were your parents thinking?!?" We also don't want to go too trendy otherwise when the teacher calls out Ethan..he'll be one of 10 hands that shoot up in the air. Then there is the consideration of what potentially rhymes with the chosen name so as not to give arsenal to playground bullies!  Sigh.  At least when we find out the gender, it will narrow our search!!

What's happening with baby this week? "By week 17, your baby weighs about 5 ounces and is 5 inches long, crown to rump. His head is starting to look more proportional to his body, and he can hold his head more erect. His skeleton, which at first was a rubbery consistency, is starting to harden to bone, and he can move his joints quite well. Pads are beginning to form on his little fingertips and toes, and he is not far off from developing fingerprints.  Although his eyelids are still fused together, his eyes have moved from the side of his head to the front, and are facing forward now. His sense of hearing is now developing, and he is consumed with listening to the sounds of your heartbeat.

Bring on week 18...almost half way there!!

16th Week

Another week has come and gone and so has another fruit. Is an avocado really a fruit?  Blech!

This week I've been looking for a nice lullaby that I can sing to baby. Any suggestions? I read an article that said if you sing the same song every night to baby in utero, then you can use that same song to soothe the baby after he/she is born.  Since Baby Bean's hearing is now developed, I thought I would give him/her something else to listen to besides my beating heart and rumbling belly.  Given the choice though, I wonder is BB would rather listen to the "lub-dubs" and "gurgles" than my screechy voice?!    Speaking of music, I'll be interested to see what kind of activity that guitar playing will stir up, as the instrument rests against my belly.  So far I haven't noticed an increase when playing, but the fluttery movements  are still few and far between. 

Another interesting study I read promotes the power of touch. "Though your little one is still very tiny, your touch may prove to be of much help for making it feel safe, secure and warm inside the womb. If you haven't already begun to do so, you can consider rubbing your belly in calming circular movements. This helps not only in comforting your little one, but also helps in initiating the bonding process between you and your baby throughout your pregnancy and thereafter."

Something that is really neat and worth mentioning is that Baby Bean's Paternal Grandmother has a TWIN sister in Ireland who is also expecting her FIRST grandchild at the SAME time.  The Twin Sisters' Daughter is 42 and an only child.  Baby Bean's Daddy is 38 and also an only child.  I bet the two "Grandma's to Be" gave up thinking they would ever have a little one to spoil and bounce upon their knee.  It will be an exciting time for them to share these little miracle Grand-Babies together.

What's happening with baby this week? "This week, baby is just beginning to accumulate some fat cells underneath her translucent skin. The baby is about 4 ½ inches long and weighs about 3 ½ ounces. She is beginning a huge growth spurt within the coming weeks in weight and height, so hold on! Baby's heart is strengthening, and is now pumping about 6 gallons of blood per day. The heart beats twice as fast as yours, and it is furiously working to promote circulation and feed the organs for growth. The whorl pattern on her scalp, which will form her hair, has started to develop. If you were to watch your baby's face, you would see that she has also developed some reflexes, including sucking, swallowing, and blinking her eyes. Her eyes have moved to the front of her head as well. Another great milestone this week is that your baby is breathing. Her tiny lungs are taking in oxygen-enriched amniotic fluid for practice until she can breathe air one day."

Bring on week 17!!

15th Week

This week I'm an orange...but it feels more like I'm a cantaloupe!! Should my tummy really be this big so soon?  Are they sure there is only one in there? As my Ultrasound tech said at the first scan,"well it looks like only one but they could be conjoined and the other one is just hiding."  WHAT?!  Who says that to a first time, newly pregnant, terrified, neurotic, hormonal woman?! :s


Otherwise, things are moving along well and we can't wait for the next scan.  We are pretty sure we want to find out the sex.  I know....I know.  Why not let it be a surprise!  Well, neither of us really like surprises and it makes sense to prepare for either a boy or girl.  Besides, I could never keep a Xmas present wrapped and would always peel the wrapping back to sneak a peek!

When home to visit my parents recently, we pulled out the family Christening  gown that was hand-made in 1869.  It has traveled in my family from England to Ireland to Canada and has been witness to many Baptisms. It is in remarkable shape for a hand-made silk garment that is ~142 years old. I certainly never thought that I would be lucky enough to have a child whose name would be added to the "Saga of the Christening Robe"!   It is still very surreal to me.

What's happening with baby this week? "The baby is around 4 inches long and weighs around 1.75 ounces by now. The reddish and wrinkled skin gets covered with fine hair called Lanugo. This Lanugo enables the baby to maintain a constant body temperature and it almost disappears by the time the baby is born. The baby can swallow and hear you and other sounds now. You might be able to feel moments of activity and periods of rest as the baby moves, kicks, sleeps and wakes. You might notice some fluttering movements but they might not be so profound. The baby can grasp, squint, frown, grimace and suck the thumb at this stage. The skin is very thin and the blood vessels are visible. The baby’s legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head. Fingernails and toenails are growing and the eyebrows develop including some hair growth on the head. The baby has taste buds and can develop hiccups from time to time. The three little bones in the middle ear start hardening. The auditory centers in the baby’s brain do not develop so soon so the baby might not understand what he/she hears but the hearing capacity is developing very rapidly now. The amniotic liquid that surrounds the baby carries external sounds to travel to the baby especially the mother’s heart beat, stomach and voice.

Only 165 days to go.....