1 cm dialated...an ok size
3 cm dialated....doable
5 cm dialted...gulp!
8 cm dialated....WTF???
10 cm dialated...or fully dialated....ready for baby to come out
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FLIPPIN KIDDING ME!!!!
Is it too late to call the whole thing off?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Holy Sh**!!!
So I was bored at work and feeling the baby kick and I started to think about labor and delivery...I kinda started to get scared at the thought out it all, and wondered, how big is a 10 centimeter dialated cervix? Here is what I found out:
1 cm dialated...an ok size 3 cm dialated....doable 5 cm dialted...gulp!
8 cm dialated....WTF???
1 cm dialated...an ok size 3 cm dialated....doable 5 cm dialted...gulp! 8 cm dialated....WTF???
Sunday, March 29, 2009
19 weeks!!
Today begins the 19th week of pregnancy. I am in the 5th month already, still about 5 to go;, approximately 140 days left!! 8 days until the next Ultrasound, and the next OB appointment is Wednesday afternoon.
Enough about us, here is what is happening this week with little love, baby BellaReese (who knew something so silly could make your heart so warm already?):
Italicized words are my comments.
Your pregnancy: 19 weeks
See the big picture
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you. Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato, or a mango or a grapefruit for those of you who love fruit, or my favorite comparison, a subway sandwich!! Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now (unless she takes after her father and has extraordinarily long arms...it runs in his family...they all have wing spans [obviously it is an arm span, but I think wink span is more exciting] larger than their overall height...Brian is 5'11", but has a wing span of 6'2", I am 5'5" and have a wing span of 5'5"....odd). Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Think you're big now? (yes, huge, thanks for pointing it out yet again, jk) You'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. As a result, you may notice some achiness in your lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when you shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support your uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight. You may be noticing some skin changes, too (yea, I feel like a pubescent teen again! Pimples and red dots everywhere!!). Are the palms of your hands red? Nothing to worry about — it's from the extra estrogen. You may also have patches of darkened skin caused by a temporary increase in pigment. When these darker patches appear on your upper lip, cheeks, and forehead, they're called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." You may also notice some darkening of your nipples, freckles, scars, underarms, inner thighs, and vulva. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or "dark line."(got the dark line already....gross) These darkened spots will probably fade shortly after delivery. In the meantime, protect yourself from the sun, which intensifies the pigment changes. Cover up, wear a brimmed hat, and use sunscreen when you're outdoors. And if you're self-conscious about your "mask," a little concealing makeup can work wonders.
There's nothing like getting into bed at the end of a long, exhausting day — especially when you're expecting. Aching for a good night's sleep (literally, if your back's been acting up again), you throw back the covers and prepare to happily surrender to sleep. But if you're like many expecting moms, something may be keeping you awake tonight (besides what color to paint the nursery): leg cramps (they are god awful and in only my right leg!). These painful spasms that radiate up and down your calves (only my right one!), all too often keeping dreamland at bay, are very common during the second and third trimester. While these cramps can occur during the day, you'll notice them (oh, baby — will you notice them!) more at night. No one knows for sure what causes leg cramps in pregnancy — though there are plausible theories aplenty. It could be that your leg muscles are just fatigued from carrying around all the extra weight of pregnancy. Or that the vessels that carry blood to and from your legs are compressed by your growing uterus at 19 weeks pregnant. There's also speculation that it may be somehow related to diet, though this hunch hasn't been substantiated by studies.
And just to update everyone else, we are in the process of moving! We got the keys to our new duplex on Friday morning, and I have done a couple of back and forth trips so far, but the main move will be happening this week and weekend. We absolutely love our new place and can't wait to get in and make it ours! I am on weight lifting restrictions of nothing more than 20 to 30 pounds, cuz I guess the placenta can actually detach and that ends well for baby, and/or you can pull muscles more easily. I have already broken that limit, but that was before I found out about it, so from here on out, I will leave all the lifting to other people and just carry pillows and stuff, ha! In case you don't know much about the new place, it is not that much bigger overall than our current one, but we have made some big upgrades/exchanges that make it completely worth it. We no longer are in an apartment complex, we are renting one side of a duplex that has our own garage and a huge, fenced in backyard for the dog and we have our own laundry room and storage space with tons of extra wall space to hang clothes and store boxes. The bedrooms are a tad bit smaller than our current place, but we have a second bathroom, a much larger kitchen and a deck outside big enough for a grill and some chairs. We are across the street from a park that has soccer goals and tennis courts and a baseball diamond. It is only a 2 minute drive from the in-laws, or a 15 minute walk door to door with the puppy. The only thing that would make it better would be if we owned it, but oh well, that home ownership will happen hopefully next year or the year after! We are very excited to get in there for good.
Enough about us, here is what is happening this week with little love, baby BellaReese (who knew something so silly could make your heart so warm already?):
Italicized words are my comments.
Your pregnancy: 19 weeksSee the big picture
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you. Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato, or a mango or a grapefruit for those of you who love fruit, or my favorite comparison, a subway sandwich!! Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now (unless she takes after her father and has extraordinarily long arms...it runs in his family...they all have wing spans [obviously it is an arm span, but I think wink span is more exciting] larger than their overall height...Brian is 5'11", but has a wing span of 6'2", I am 5'5" and have a wing span of 5'5"....odd). Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.See what your baby looks like this week.
How your life's changing:
Think you're big now? (yes, huge, thanks for pointing it out yet again, jk) You'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. As a result, you may notice some achiness in your lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when you shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support your uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight. You may be noticing some skin changes, too (yea, I feel like a pubescent teen again! Pimples and red dots everywhere!!). Are the palms of your hands red? Nothing to worry about — it's from the extra estrogen. You may also have patches of darkened skin caused by a temporary increase in pigment. When these darker patches appear on your upper lip, cheeks, and forehead, they're called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." You may also notice some darkening of your nipples, freckles, scars, underarms, inner thighs, and vulva. That darkened line running from your belly button to your pubic bone is called the linea nigra, or "dark line."(got the dark line already....gross) These darkened spots will probably fade shortly after delivery. In the meantime, protect yourself from the sun, which intensifies the pigment changes. Cover up, wear a brimmed hat, and use sunscreen when you're outdoors. And if you're self-conscious about your "mask," a little concealing makeup can work wonders.
There's nothing like getting into bed at the end of a long, exhausting day — especially when you're expecting. Aching for a good night's sleep (literally, if your back's been acting up again), you throw back the covers and prepare to happily surrender to sleep. But if you're like many expecting moms, something may be keeping you awake tonight (besides what color to paint the nursery): leg cramps (they are god awful and in only my right leg!). These painful spasms that radiate up and down your calves (only my right one!), all too often keeping dreamland at bay, are very common during the second and third trimester. While these cramps can occur during the day, you'll notice them (oh, baby — will you notice them!) more at night. No one knows for sure what causes leg cramps in pregnancy — though there are plausible theories aplenty. It could be that your leg muscles are just fatigued from carrying around all the extra weight of pregnancy. Or that the vessels that carry blood to and from your legs are compressed by your growing uterus at 19 weeks pregnant. There's also speculation that it may be somehow related to diet, though this hunch hasn't been substantiated by studies.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
WOOWOO!!!!
So I have been trying to feel the baby kick from the outside by constantly sitting with my hands on my belly, waiting for a slight nudge. I thought I felt one two days ago for the first time, but since it hadn't happened since, I was thinking maybe I made up. I was just sitting here at work, however, with my hands on my belly, I felt 2 really strong punches (or kicks, or the head or butt or knee or elbow, I have no idea what part of the body it was) but either way, it has made me so excited!! We have tried to get Brian to feel something (I feel so bad for the guys, they don't get to really experience anything until the end! Brian says he will feel it when BellaReese wants him to), but everytime a kicking spree starts and he puts his hands on my belly, nothing happens. It is such a crazy thing! Next, I am going to be looking to see it kicking from the outside, but sitting here at work, I don't think it is appropriate to have my shirt lifted waiting for something to happen, ha! More to come later!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
18 week photos!
Here are some pics from last night! Sorry I look so gross, we just got inside from the monsooning rain we had all yesterday, and my hair is soggy and sticking to my head! Oh well! BellaReese is growing and growing and so is my belly and butt! Ha! Enjoy :)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Horoscopes!!! (bored at work again)
So, according to babycenter.com, here are Brian and I's horoscopes for being parents together, our parenting styles individualy, as well as how we will be with BellaReese. I think, for the most part, they are true to who we are. I am a July baby, so I am the cancer sign, and Brian is a Libra.
Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cancer and Libra Parents
Are described as: kinder, gentler parents
Together you two create a kind and gentle parenting team. In many ways, you want the same things: a harmonious, peaceful home; children who grow up feeling supported and loved; balance in your lives. The way you achieve these things may be different from each other, though, so there will be the need for some adjustment between you. The Cancer parent is a homebody, preferring to cuddle up on the couch, reading together after sharing hot chocolate and a plate of home-baked cookies. You're sensitive and emotional, connecting on a feeling level with your children. The Libra parent is more social, organizing a network of families who can call on each other for playdates and other support. Fairness is a big issue with you, so you strive to treat everyone fairly and equally. With the gifts you share, your home life will be fulfilling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Cancer Parent
Described as: providing and ensuring a sense of belonging
As a Cancer parent, you're probably very involved in the childrearing process. You enjoy and learn from every miraculous moment of pregnancy, birth, and your child's growth. You're loving, protective, sensitive, and compassionate. If you're a typical Cancer, you may be a nurturing dynamo, creating a safe and cozy home environment for your loved ones. Caretaking is how you show your love, and this is your seat of power -- but it's not control you want most. You have a primal need to feel safe, secure, and needed. You try to do everything for your family, so that they'll depend upon you. This is perfectly appropriate when you're caring for a baby, but every Cancer parent must remember: If you do everything for your children, they won't learn to take care of themselves. Be sure to teach them the skills you've mastered. Overprotectiveness is another pitfall the Cancer parent should try to avoid. If you constantly hover over your child, letting go could be a challenge as you watch them grow and change. Deep inside, of course, you know it's all part of the cycle of life. Tradition speaks to you; some may even consider you old-fashioned. Holiday customs, family rituals, even ceremonies of religion or faith feed your soul with that strong sense of continuity and community that helps you thrive. The irresistible sensation of your feet on your home turf, surrounded by loved ones and protecting your brood under your generous wing: This is what you live for.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Libra Parent
Described as being: The Peacemaker
As a Libra parent, you try to create a peaceful and harmonious home life for your children. It's important to you to bring up your family in beautiful, even luxurious surroundings, and you do what you can to avoid conflict in the home. Thus, you might be a bit of a pushover, especially if your kids are particularly assertive or if they learn to manipulate you to get what they want. Good thing you're so in touch with your core values and beliefs. This will help you put your foot down when necessary and bring the right influences into your children's lives -- without going overboard, of course. You can't help but instill a sense of taste and style in your children, since aesthetic concerns are a natural part of your personality. You enjoy playing the host or hostess at social gatherings and inviting friends into your home, and you'll make sure to teach your children about treating others with courtesy and respect. Your kids may rely on you to settle disputes when sibling rivalries flare. Since you're uncomfortable with tension, this won't be a role you relish, but you're a born diplomat, so it's actually a good fit for you. This is a natural opportunity to teach your children about compromise and cooperation, two of your strong suits. Since you tend to be indecisive, you'll need to make sure that you demonstrate firm consistency with your kids whenever necessary. It's wonderful to be part of a close-knit, affectionate family, but you'll also need to command their respect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cancer Parent (mom) and
Described as being: The Peacemaker
As a Libra parent, you try to create a peaceful and harmonious home life for your children. It's important to you to bring up your family in beautiful, even luxurious surroundings, and you do what you can to avoid conflict in the home. Thus, you might be a bit of a pushover, especially if your kids are particularly assertive or if they learn to manipulate you to get what they want. Good thing you're so in touch with your core values and beliefs. This will help you put your foot down when necessary and bring the right influences into your children's lives -- without going overboard, of course. You can't help but instill a sense of taste and style in your children, since aesthetic concerns are a natural part of your personality. You enjoy playing the host or hostess at social gatherings and inviting friends into your home, and you'll make sure to teach your children about treating others with courtesy and respect. Your kids may rely on you to settle disputes when sibling rivalries flare. Since you're uncomfortable with tension, this won't be a role you relish, but you're a born diplomat, so it's actually a good fit for you. This is a natural opportunity to teach your children about compromise and cooperation, two of your strong suits. Since you tend to be indecisive, you'll need to make sure that you demonstrate firm consistency with your kids whenever necessary. It's wonderful to be part of a close-knit, affectionate family, but you'll also need to command their respect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cancer Parent (mom) and
Leo child (BellaReese if born before due date {Which mom predicts she will be} )
You're sensitive enough to intuit your Leo child's needs and feelings, which is very special for him. You may realize better than anyone that behind your little one's vibrant, courageous exterior hides a vulnerable soul, and your child thrives under your nurturing care. In fact, you're one of the few people who truly understand your little Leo's sensitive pride, and you always take care to preserve his feelings as much as possible. His warm, sunny nature brightens your life, and you're an enthusiastic audience for his many impromptu performances.Your Leo child craves your devotion, and you give it to him unconditionally, with your whole heart. Your selfless love ensures that your little one will always be able to come to you for soothing support, and he'll always appreciate your cheerleading at the sidelines of what's sure to be a dynamic, interesting life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Libra Parent (Dad) and
Leo Child (BellaReese if born before due date {which mom predicts she will be})
Your Leo child loves performing for you because you make such an affectionate, encouraging, and generally rapt audience. Your little one's flair for drama is apparent from an early age, and she adores being the center of attention. You're a wonderful parent to her in part because you so enjoy her bright, happy energy. Plus, she's naturally popular (which she must have inherited from you!), so playdates, birthday parties, and other get-togethers are fun for both of you. You can foster your child's natural creativity by taking her to plays, films, art galleries, and museums, and instilling in her your own love of art and performance. Most of all, give her all your affection and encouragement, because although your little Leo seems as courageous as a lion, her pride is easily dented if she doesn't feel she's getting the adoration she craves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're sensitive enough to intuit your Leo child's needs and feelings, which is very special for him. You may realize better than anyone that behind your little one's vibrant, courageous exterior hides a vulnerable soul, and your child thrives under your nurturing care. In fact, you're one of the few people who truly understand your little Leo's sensitive pride, and you always take care to preserve his feelings as much as possible. His warm, sunny nature brightens your life, and you're an enthusiastic audience for his many impromptu performances.Your Leo child craves your devotion, and you give it to him unconditionally, with your whole heart. Your selfless love ensures that your little one will always be able to come to you for soothing support, and he'll always appreciate your cheerleading at the sidelines of what's sure to be a dynamic, interesting life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Libra Parent (Dad) and
Leo Child (BellaReese if born before due date {which mom predicts she will be})
Your Leo child loves performing for you because you make such an affectionate, encouraging, and generally rapt audience. Your little one's flair for drama is apparent from an early age, and she adores being the center of attention. You're a wonderful parent to her in part because you so enjoy her bright, happy energy. Plus, she's naturally popular (which she must have inherited from you!), so playdates, birthday parties, and other get-togethers are fun for both of you. You can foster your child's natural creativity by taking her to plays, films, art galleries, and museums, and instilling in her your own love of art and performance. Most of all, give her all your affection and encouragement, because although your little Leo seems as courageous as a lion, her pride is easily dented if she doesn't feel she's getting the adoration she craves.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cancer Parent (mom) and
Virgo Child (BellaReese if due on or after her due date)
A born worrier, your Virgo child can be a bit reserved or high-strung from an early age. Good thing she has such a warmly nurturing, supportive parent as you! You're sensitive to her feelings and concerns, and you go out of your way to provide her with plenty of emotional support. Under your tender guidance, your little Virgo can learn to feel more secure in the world, but take care not to compound her fears with your own. As the parent, your job includes putting on a show of confidence, even when that's the last thing you're feeling inside. In fact, you can learn a lot from your child in that area. She's somewhat more grounded and practical by nature than you are, so she can teach you by example about setting your emotions aside when it's time to get something accomplished.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A born worrier, your Virgo child can be a bit reserved or high-strung from an early age. Good thing she has such a warmly nurturing, supportive parent as you! You're sensitive to her feelings and concerns, and you go out of your way to provide her with plenty of emotional support. Under your tender guidance, your little Virgo can learn to feel more secure in the world, but take care not to compound her fears with your own. As the parent, your job includes putting on a show of confidence, even when that's the last thing you're feeling inside. In fact, you can learn a lot from your child in that area. She's somewhat more grounded and practical by nature than you are, so she can teach you by example about setting your emotions aside when it's time to get something accomplished.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Libra Parent (dad) and
Virgo Child (BellaReese, if due on or after her due date)
One of your primary concerns in life is harmony in your relationships, but your Virgo child is more interested in attaining perfection. Not nearly as gregarious and people-oriented as you are, he's most comfortable when surrounded by quiet, order, and routine, so it's best to establish a daily schedule for his meals and bedtime. This could be difficult for you, since you aren't as practical as your little Virgo. Efficiency matters less to you than friendliness and positive feelings. Still, your love of peace and your little Virgo's need for order can dovetail nicely. Your child appreciates that you keep a pleasant, comfortable home. You, in turn, like the way he keeps his toys organized and, as he gets older, how he completes his chores in a timely manner. It should be easy for you and your child to get along and create a cozy home together.
Virgo Child (BellaReese, if due on or after her due date)
One of your primary concerns in life is harmony in your relationships, but your Virgo child is more interested in attaining perfection. Not nearly as gregarious and people-oriented as you are, he's most comfortable when surrounded by quiet, order, and routine, so it's best to establish a daily schedule for his meals and bedtime. This could be difficult for you, since you aren't as practical as your little Virgo. Efficiency matters less to you than friendliness and positive feelings. Still, your love of peace and your little Virgo's need for order can dovetail nicely. Your child appreciates that you keep a pleasant, comfortable home. You, in turn, like the way he keeps his toys organized and, as he gets older, how he completes his chores in a timely manner. It should be easy for you and your child to get along and create a cozy home together.
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