Week 22

I have had several complaints on the extent of my blog updates as of recently. My response to this is I don't have anything new to report. We have been on a 'baby buying' freeze it seems lately - so no new purchases to report. My belly continues to expand and baby Dill continues to get more and more active everyday. Yesterday at work right after lunch I felt many kicks all in a row so I touched my tummy right in that area and felt a body part pass by my fingers. Not a tap but more of a drag right across my tummy. It was very exciting and I called James right away. If he would have been close by I am sure he would have felt it to.

I have also noted that most people have a hunch that we are having a boy. Seems everyone who is brave enough to put forward a guess figures we are having a boy.... As of right now - both James and I also think it is a boy. I guess we have another 4 month wait until Dill shows us his gender.

I thought I would add in a sample of the weekly email that I get from the babycenter website about Dill's progress. My comments are in bold.


Your pregnancy: 22 weeks

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound. Her skin will continue to appear wrinkled until she gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her head and body is now visible. Her lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath her gum line. Her eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily. I love the fact that the baby now resembles a newborn. It makes it much easier to imagine what dill looks like. On another note - did you know that a newborn can be born with teeth?? My coworker told me that. Not sure if that info is reliable. Ouch!

How your life's changing:
You may start to notice stretch marks on your skin as your abdomen expands to accommodate your growing baby. Some pregnant women never get stretch marks, but at least half do. These small streaks of differently textured skin can range from pink to dark brown (depending on your skin color), and they become more apparent as pregnancy progresses. They can appear not only on your tummy, but also on your buttocks, thighs, hips, and breasts. Lotions won't prevent or eliminate them, but they help with any itching. Also, you may no longer be an "innie" — your navel is flat and may soon pop out. It will revert to its usual shape after birth. My belly button hasn't popped yet - but the skin is starting to look very distorted and feels stretched to the touch. More evidence that my belly is growing!

Another interesting skin quirk you may notice during pregnancy is something called vascular spiders. These are little areas of raised, reddish skin, with tiny branches. Commonly found on the face, neck, upper chest, and arms, they're caused by the higher levels of estrogen in pregnancy, and they usually disappear after delivery. Something else to look forward too....

Surprising Facts: Body changes beyond your belly

You expected your belly to grow, and perhaps your breasts too, but the following physical changes may take you by surprise. As with most pregnancy symptoms, you can credit hormones for most of these alterations in your looks. I suggest any men who are currently reading stop here as some off these 'changes' are less than desirable. Ladies - tell me again why we do this??? Just kidding - it will all be worth it in the end but still can't say I look forward to some of these symptoms.

• Thicker, more lustrous hair. You're not actually growing more hair, just losing less than normal. During pregnancy, your body sheds hair much more slowly than it did before. What to do: If thicker hair is a boon for you, enjoy it. If it's making your mane more unruly than ever, ask your stylist to do some thinning at your next cut. After your baby's born, you'll start to lose this excess hair, sometimes in clumps, so it won't last forever. I can handle this.

• Increased body hair. Sex hormones known as androgens can cause new hair to sprout on your chin, upper lip, jaw, and cheeks. Stray hairs can also pop up on your belly, arms, legs, and back. What to do: Tweezing, waxing, and shaving are all safe ways to manage these temporary changes. Not so excited about this one.

• Fast-growing fingernails. Your fingernails may grow more quickly and you may notice changes in texture. Some women's nails get harder, others' get softer or more brittle. What to do: Indulge in an occasional manicure at your favorite nail salon. I have already noticed a change in my fingernails - I have never had such great looking nails!

• Skin changes. Some pregnant women report that their skin has never looked better. If that's you, enjoy the proverbial "glow." Others find the hormones of pregnancy aggravate skin conditions such as acne. What to do: Talk to your caregiver about safe treatments during pregnancy. Some acne medications pose serious dangers to your baby.

It all goes down hill from here...

• Stretch marks.As your belly expands to accommodate your growing baby, you may get tiny tears in the supportive tissue that lies just beneath your skin, resulting in striations of varying color. These marks will be darkest during your pregnancy but will fade over time. What to do: Despite what you may have read on labels, there aren't any medically proven creams, lotions or oils that can prevent stretch marks. The best thing you can do is drink plenty of water and gain no more than the recommended amount of weight.

• Skin discolorations. An increase in melanin can create a thin dark line (called the linea nigra) that runs from your belly button to the top of your pubic bone. It can also cause dark splotchy patches on your face. What to do: Minimize the discolorations on your face by using a sunblock of SPF 15 or higher, wearing a hat, and avoiding the sun during peak hours of the day (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

• Larger and darker nipples and areolas. You may find that your nipples and areolas — the pigmented circles around your nipples — are getting bigger and darker. The little bumps on your areolas, known as Montgomery's tubercles, may also be more pronounced. These bumps are oil-producing glands that help fight off bacteria and lubricate the skin. Some women also notice more pronounced veins in their breasts. What to do: Nothing — all these changes are preparing your breasts for nursing your baby.

• Larger feet. Your feet may go up half a shoe size or more. Swelling is partly to blame, but lax ligaments also make your feet spread — permanently. What to do: Buy a comfortable pair of clogs or slip-ons to accommodate your growing feet.


This Week's Activity:

Take off your rings. You'd be surprised how many pregnant women need to have their rings cut off by a professional jeweler because their fingers have swollen up around them. If yours are feeling the least bit snug, do yourself a favor and take them off now before it's too late. If you can't bear to be separated from your wedding band or another important ring, loop it on a chain and wear it close to your heart.

That is it for now - enjoy the longest post ever!

Growing Machine

The past few weeks I have been a lean mean growing machine! After getting through the entire first trimester with little weight gain - it is finally catching up with me! I have a nice little belly to show for it as well. I have found in the past 2 weeks that my waistline has expanded to the point of being not exisitent. The things you have to give up to make a baby :)

I don't think it will be long now before James is able to feel Dill kicking. I can feel it from the outside but I am less afraid to push on my tummy. James on the other hand barely wants to touch it as it may poke the baby. Shoulddn't be long before Daddy James gets to feel our little soccer player!

Week 21

So I made it back from PA in one piece. Only a delayed flight that arrived back in Calgary after 11pm last night to complain about. I had great visits with friends and family and can't beleive that next time I see most of them I will be a mom.... Scary.

Mom and I did some shopping in Saskatoon on Friday before heading back to PA. I think we have narrowed the stroller down to the Valco baby which is a jogging stroller. We are also going to buy a bassinet and car seat that attaches to the stroller. Mom is adement that I have a bassinet... so we will also be getting a stand so the bassinet can be used both with the stroller and on it's own. So baby Dill may be sleeping his/her first fews weeks in mom and dad's room afterall!

I also spontaneously bought a bedding set for the crib. I know you aren't really supposed to use half the stuff it comes with... but it was alphabet theme just like the nursery - so I couldn't resist. I am still holding out on clothing purchases - but I can't say the same for Grandma Paulette. We picked out about 5 sleepers/onesies to be tucked away for later as she puts it.

On antoher note, I came home to a nicely painted yellow nursery. James did a great job! Although he won't admit it, he is proud to have painted the nursery himself. I look at it kinda like his first gift to Dill. I have the pleasure of carrying Dill around with me all the time and I think this was a great way for James to connect with the baby as well.

Dill has become more and more active. What i once beleived was gas is now for sure baby kicks. No one can possibly have that much gas! Last night and today Dill has been especially active. I secretly think (s)he was excited to get back home and hear dad's voice. But that is just me!

As per the weekly email - the baby now weighs 3/4 of a pound and is the length of a carrot. We are definetly entering into the growth stage - but I am anxiously awaiting it!

PS - my 2 year old niece Madison says the baby in Auntie's tummy is a girl. I thought this was very cute.

Week 20

As you may have noticed – I have updated the 20 week picture on the side bar of the site. From the comments I have received so far – I am apparently showing. I guess James and I have just gotten used to the new expanding me and don’t notice it much on a daily basis. I must admit though that I see a big difference between the 16 week picture and this week’s picture. I guess the growing had to start at some point!

I also had my monthly pre-natal visit today. Everything went well. I got to hear the heartbeat which I'm quickly learning is the highlight of each and every appointment. She took my measurements which were all normal. Here is a piece of trivia that I didn't know previously.... during pregnancy - the distance from your pubic bone to the top of the uterus in centimeters should be the number of weeks pregnant you are. No kidding.

And that about sums it up. I go back in a month for yet another appointment. On another note, I met my assigned doctor for the first time and really liked her. I felt very comfortable with her in the short amount of time I spent with her today. Although I keep reminding myself that any of the 6 doctors could potentially deliver the baby.

So with this part of the week over and done with I am counting down days to my last Valentine’s Day pre baby and finally my last trip to SK before I become a mom. I am very much looking forward to both occasions!

Mom's First Baby Purchase

I finally broke down and bought Dill his/her first little outfit. Every time I go to Sears, the Bay etc, I have to stroll through the baby section just to see what is there. I figure when baby is born I should be well educated in the area of baby clothing/accessories - so I am starting my 'studying' early! I bought the green onesie with the elephant in the middle of the picture. I am not really a fan of gender neutral stuff. I think having baby dressed in pink/blue avoids the awful question of 'Is you baby a little boy or a little girl?'. Or even worse... having someone guess the wrong sex. BUT - we still need to be prepared for the first couple weeks until I am ready to go out shopping for all the cute blue or pink clothing. Hence… a lot of yellow, green , and white.

I just fell in love with this rack of onesie's at Sears and quite honestly could have taken the whole thing home with me. It is filled with very cute gender neutral items (believe it or not). So there you have it my first purchase for baby. I am just afraid that I may have ‘broken the seal’ and there may be several of these spontaneous purchases over the next 4.5 months.

As you may have noticed..... as per the picture, baby has many more items than the onesie that I bought this week. Although I have been holding back - the grandma's aren't doing as well. What can I say baby Dill is going to be one spoiled child..... even before he/she is born!! But I can’t really blame them – baby stuff is so cute and hard to resist!

PS – stay tuned for the 20 week picture I hope to post before I leave for PA on Friday!!

Week 19

This week, the baby is the size of an heirloom tomato…. Whatever that is. I assume it is not the round everyday tomato that I buy. The arms and legs are now in proportion with the rest of baby’s body. I read somewhere that the hearing is also developing and that it can distinguish the mother’s voice. Shouldn’t take too long to recognize as I do use it a lot. I'll have to have James start talking to my belly soon.....

More Shopping

This weekend was pretty low key – I ventured out to buy some maternity pants… not a fun experience. None, I repeat, none of them look good. When you think about it, how flattering can maternity pants be when they have a panel that go right up to your boobs? I did manage to find one pair of jeans and one pair of dress pants which should do for about a month. My baby bump is still quite small and hasn’t ‘popped’ as I keep hearing it will.

On a more exciting note – I think I may be feeling little baby kicks. I am still not confident, as it could be gas, but it has been pretty constant for about a week. It feels like little tapping or popping in the lower stomach under my belly button. I have felt them daily now for about a week. I had heard that the first movement feels like a butterfly fluttering. I think I may have missed that stage which is quite frequent with first time moms as they do not know what to expect. I can’t wait until James can feel them too – although I don’t expect this to happen for quite a while.

One More Pic

This one is for Grandma Paulette who thinks it is 'just too cute'! I must say I think (hope) it is a sign that Dill is quite laid back - everyone wants a calm baby right?

PS - for those of you that can't tell... baby has its legs crossed in the pic. He/She is just chillin' out.