Almost in the 2nd Trimester

12 Week Fetal Development

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is almost 2.5 inches and she now weighs between 8 and 14 grams! In just three weeks, your baby's size has more than doubled and begins to look a lot more human. Even though you won't be able to feel your baby moving at this time, you can stimulate him and he will squint, open his mouth and move his fingers or toes.

Because most of the structures are already formed at this point, few will be formed after this time. The structures will continue to grow and develop throughout the remainder of your pregnancy. Your baby's skeletal system now has centers if bone formation in most of the bones. The digestive system is capable of making contractions that push food through the bowels and it is also able to absorb sugar. The pituitary gland beginning to make hormones. You will probably be able to hear your baby's heartbeat with a Doppler at this time!

Your baby develops reflexes and the skin is very sensitive. The brain is fully formed, and the child can feel pain. the baby may even suck his thumb. The eyelids now cover the eyes, and will remain shut until the seventh month to protect the delicate optical nerve fibers.

The Sweetest Sound

Jason and I heard our baby's heart beat this morning. It almost brought a tear to my eye. Dr. Appel said it was 170 beats a minute. While we were listening to it, we heard our baby kick twice and then it moved away. She said we are going to have an active one! Dr. Appel said since my uterus felt small she was pretty sure there was only one baby in there, sorry to those of you that were hoping for twins! All my lab work came back great, blood pressure was great, and after Dr. Appel did my exam she said everything else looked great too. My next appointment is scheduled for May 27th, and then in June we will find out the sex! I don't have a preference. Jason wants a boy but, he thinks it's a girl. I don't have a "feeling" of what it is yet. I'm really ready to find out because I'm tired of calling it, "IT." IT was a killer clown in a Stephen King movie....clearly not an acceptable name for our sweet baby!

I went to Kohl's this evening to try to find some maternity shorts. We had company come over yesterday afternoon for a BBQ and I had a little meltdown because nothing would fit me. I tried on 2 pairs of shorts and a pair of capris and everything was too tight. I had to settle for a skirt and Jason made a comment about me being dressed up, so I told him I had no choice because nothing would fit me. So, time to buy some new clothes.

Home At Last

I am so glad to finally be back at home! Jason and I have had a very busy few days. After he got home Saturday night from fire school in Higgins we went to bed. We got up Sunday morning and got our bags around to head out. We left around 11am. We ate lunch at Fuddrucker's in Lubbock and while we were there, Jason's cousin Quinn called and wanted us to run by his pick-up and meet a locksmith so that we could bring him his glasses. We stopped in Abilene at Target to get a few things and then again in Brownwood to eat dinner. We ended up getting to our hotel in Gatesville around nine. There were lots of blue blonnets along the road down that way. Something we don't see up here.

The funeral was Monday at 2pm. Before we went to the cemetery we went to the funeral home and then to grab some quick lunch. After the service we went back to the hotel to visit with some of Jason's family for a while before we headed out. We stayed the night in Abilene which was about 3 hrs away.

We left Abilene about noon after we had checked out, filled up with gas, and got some lunch. We stopped in Tahoka at Jason's PawPaw's house for a couple hours before we met some friends for dinner.

We ate in Lubbock at Shogun's with Ryon and Alexis (our old neighbors) and made it home at nine last night. I had no ambition to do any unpacking so I pretty much went straight to bed. I went in to work at noon today and Jason stayed home and worked outside all day. We had one of Jason's friends babysit our dogs. I was ready to see them.

I am about to go sit outside with Jason for a while before I head to bed. It's really nice outside, I should go walk my dogs, but I'm so tired from our trip...I have no ambition for that either.

Fetal Development in Week 10

Your baby's growth is fast and furious. He or she is nearly an inch and a half long and the size of a prune, but not nearly as shriveled (even with all the time it spends in water). In fact, your baby is really taking a human shape now. Bones and cartilage are forming, and small indentations on the legs are developing into knees and ankles. The arms (complete with elbows) can flex already, but don't run to the store for a baseball bat just yet. Though your baby's arms are taking shape and getting stronger, each one is only about the size of this number 1.

The tooth bud fairy is making her appearance this week, heralding the arrival of your baby's little choppers, which are forming under the gums. (Those pearly whites won't break through the gums until your baby is close to six months old). Other systems are go, too. Your baby's stomach is producing digestive juices, the kidneys are producing larger quantities of urine, and, if your baby's a boy, he's already producing testosterone.

Going Out of Town

Jason and I are leaving tomorrow to drive down to Gatesville. It's near Waco. His PawPaw passed away on Thursday around 5:30pm. The funeral will be Monday at 2pm. The drive down is going to be about 8 hours or so, but with all the stopping I have to do it will most likely be a couple more. We are going to get around and leave sometime tomorrow mid morning and take our time getting down there. I think after the funeral on Monday we will head back but will most likely spend the night somewhere. Probably in Abiliene.

Yesterday Jason and I drove to Pampa to visit with Lori's Mom and Dad, and her 3 year old nephew Issac. They went to Florida and then came to Texas before heading back home. Joyce knitted a baby blanket for me on the way down...my first baby blanket! We went through a lot of boxes of my old stuff that were in the attic to get around for the garage sale we are planning on having next weekend.

Then yesterday afternoon a group of guys from the fire department picked Jason up in Pampa at Daddy and Lori's on the way to Higgins for a fire school. He will be home tonight. Last night we all went out to eat at the country club (with the exception of Jason), and then I drove back home.

Once Jason gets home we will be packing and making reservations to head out in the morning.

Belly Pics

These are a couple pictures at 9 weeks and 5 days, so almost 10 weeks. I'm gonna say that any belly expanding is bloating, since that's how I feel nearly everyday. Although, it could be weight gain too with all the food I feel like I'm eating, but I'd rather just call it "bloat." Good thing my scrubs are drawstrings!

A Quick Update

I do not have any exciting news to report, but I have been feeling sickly the last few days. I feel like I have an empty stomach ALL the time. It feels queasy all the time and makes a lot of strange noises. I eat an apple or orange at work every morning for breakfast and about 10ish I am starving again, looking for something to put in my stomach. Then comes lunch and around 4:30pm, hunger strikes again, and when it strikes I need to eat something immediately or I start feeling all shaky, nauseous, and turn into this psycho person no one has seen before. It can be bad news! So I eat an orange or something, then go home to find dinner. After dinner, I have made myself a fruit smoothie a few nights, but I'm wondering if eating all this fruit is what keeps me running to the bathroom every hour or two, because that needs to come to a stop also! I got to work this morning and ate an orange for breakfast. At 10:45, I called Jason (he was off work today) and asked him about lunch and was thinking maybe he could bring me a snack or something until then. I ended up just eating some dried prunes and cranberries that I had stashed in a drawer at work until 11:30. He and I went to Subway and Wal-mart. I stocked up on cheese, crackers, ginger ale, and of course more FRUIT! Then about 4 or 4:30 this afternoon it hit me! Earlier, one of our pharmaceutical reps came in and brought the office some bagels from the bakery so I had half of one of those. Got home about 5pm and ate a pickle. Now, dinner is ready! Hallelujah! Steak, red potatoes, corn on the cob, and pasta salad. Better get going and get some of that before we have to perform an exorcism on me to get the hunger devil out! Not long after this meal, it will be time for another "feeding!"

Fetal Development in Week 9 of Pregnancy

Would you believe your baby is having his or her first graduation already? Yes, it's true: At 9 weeks pregnant, your scholar-to-be has ended his or her embryonic stage and is entering the fetal period now (good-bye embryo, hello fetus). Your fetus is now about one inch long, the size of a medium green olive. The head has straightened out and is more fully developed, the ears are much more prominent, and some new organs (the liver, spleen, and gallbladder) are forming. Your fetus is also making spontaneous movements of his or her arms and legs now that minuscule muscles are beginning to develop, though you won't feel your tiny dancer for at least another two months.

While it's way too early to feel anything, it's not too early to hear something (possibly). Your baby's heart is developed enough — and grown large enough — so that its beats can be heard with a Doppler, a hand held ultrasound device that amplifies the lub-dub sound the heart makes. But don't worry if your practitioner can't pick up the sound of your baby's heartbeat yet. It just means your shy guy or gal is hiding in the corner of your uterus, or has his or her back facing out, making it hard for the Doppler to find its target. In a few weeks (or at your next visit) the miraculous sound of your baby's heartbeat is certain to be audible for your listening pleasure.

Trip to Tyler

Jason and I drove to Pampa Friday morning to meet Daddy & Lori at the house. We were fortunate enough to be able to fly down in Uncle Tom's plane, so we just had to meet the pilot at the Pampa airport. We left about 11am and got down to Tyler around 12:30 or 1ish. That was so much better than sitting in the car for over 8 hrs, especially with my father who is better known as Hitler when it comes to traveling. No eating, no drinking, no pottying, NO STOPPING! Uncle Tom and Uncle Darren picked us up and we went to Uncle Tom and Aunt Debbie's to hang out for the day.

Jason and I stayed with Melissa and Casey, so we got to spend some extra time with Addison. Saturday was the day of Meme's surprise party. Everyone was at Aunt Debbie and Uncle Tom's waiting around and getting stuff ready. About 11:30am Meme, Dan, Aunt Patty, Aunt Shirley, and Aunt Sharon showed up. Aunt Pam, Uncle Darren, Lori, Jason and I hid in the garage. My father was not there yet, as I came out of the garage I saw him walking around the back side of the house. They must have just missed each other pulling it. It would have really ruined the surprise if they would have pulled up at the same time. Melissa was going to come and get us to have us walk in the house and surprise her, but I heard Uncle Tom tell Meme to walk into the garage for something and when she opened the door I was standing there. I yelled "surprise" and she shut the dang door in my face. I thought I gave her a heart attack. She eventually got over all the shock and we ate and visited.

Although Melissa had been grilling me like filet mignon about me being pregnant for almost 2 days, I managed to keep it a secret. She said I was showing symptoms. After lunch, Meme opened her birthday cards and mine was last. Leslie told her that she had to read the cards out loud for everyone to hear. I wrote a poem inside her card......

I do not have a face to see,
or put inside a frame.
I do not have soft cheeks to kiss;
I don't yet have a name.

You can't hold my tiny hands,
nor whisper in my ear.
It's still too soon to sing a song,
or cuddle me so near.

But all will change come November 11th,
when they say I'm due.
I'm your new great grandchild;
I can't wait till I meet you.

All I ask between now and then
is your patience while I grow.
I promise I'll be worth the wait,
because of all the love we'll know.

So as you're waiting patiently,
please pray lots of prayers for me.
I cannot wait to be a part
of this wonderful family!

About the part where it says the due date, she said "Leslie's not due in November, who is this from?" Then it occurred to her and everyone else that is was me. So my plan worked great and I managed to keep the surprise. We all visited, went swimming, and took turns playing with Addi. Later on, Sheryl, Eric, Julian, and Sophia showed up and surprised Meme again. That was the last of the surprises! Probably a good thing, I don't know how more she could have handled.

We were scheduled to fly home Sunday at noon, but the pilot called about 9:30am and said that there would be moderate turbulence and 80mph head winds the whole way home and that it would not be a good day to fly home. We went and ate lunch and then the girls went to TJ Max. My dad called the pilot, Larry around 4:00pm or so to ask him what the situation looked like and he said it was better and we could go ahead and go. We left Tyler at 5pm and got home around 8ish. By the time Jason and I got our stuff loaded up, got some dinner, and drove home. We got here and had the truck unloaded around 10:40pm. We had a great trip, but it was quick as always.