Working on Week 24

I'm 3 days into Week 24 of my pregnancy, and things are still going well. I've finally grown into my maternity clothes (full panel pants, anyone?), and the baby seems to be growing each day.

Highlights of Week 23:

• Matt and I saw Bunky kick for the first time. Up until last Saturday, we were only able to feel him or her move around by pressing on my stomach. Last weekend, though, we were able to see the movements just by looking at my belly. Crazy!
• My appetite continued to increase. It seems like I'm hungry all of the time now. I'm trying to balance things so that I don't overeat, but it sure is hard! (Side note: One of my weaknesses at the moment is french toast. I can't get enough! I've now sampled the crunchy sweet slices at several Durham and Chapel Hill area restaurants, so I'm becoming quite the expert. If you're ever in town and need a recommendation of the best place to get french toast, I'm your girl!)

What's happening this week:

• Bunky is starting to plump up!
• As the fat packs on, his or her skin becomes more opaque. And, it's developing a fresh pink glow!
  
• Baby has gained around 4 ounces of weight since last week. This puts him or her at more than a pound and more than a foot long (the length of an ear of corn!).

Matt and I are beginning to realize all the work we have left between now and Bunky's arrival. There's moving and painting and organizing galore. I'm sure it will all get done, but it's starting to become a bit overwhelming. Given the weekends we've planned to be out of town during the next couple of months, we're left with limited time for room prep. So, we've got to get moving. Wish us luck!

Something Magic Happens

We recently enjoyed a great weekend in Catonsville, which gave us a chance to see Madelyn play soccer, to spend quality time with all three of our nieces, and to relax in the newly renovated upstairs bedroom at Dad's house.

It seems Dad, Denise, and Pete are ready for "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" given how quickly they turned around that room. Impressive stuff.

The girls had a sleepover at Denise's on Saturday night, which provided Pete, Michele, Erica, and me the opportunity to visit Canton for dinner at Nacho Mama's and dessert at Vaccaro's. The trip has become an annual tradition for the four of us. We moved things up this year since Erica and I won't be visiting Baltimore for the holidays (something about a baby being due). It was nice to spend quality time with Pete and Michele. We certainly don't take it for granted.

There were a few great options for Sunday afternoon; we ended up at Camden Yards to watch the final game of the Orioles - Yankees series. I'm sure glad I made that decision.

It was my last baseball game before becoming a father, so it's fitting that we went with my dad. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of attending baseball games with him. We added another great one on Sunday.

Outnumbered by Yankees fans in the home ballpark, we watched the Orioles slog through several uninspired innings before mounting a comeback that culminated in Luke Scott's ninth-inning home run off perhaps the best closer in baseball history, Mariano Rivera.

The O's then improbably held off the Yankees in extra innings - even after New York put a runner on third base with no outs - and won the game in the 11th inning with a double by Scott and a game-winning hit by Ty Wiggington. Afterward, I continued my campaign to name our child Luke, regardless of gender.

Sunday's game added to Erica's remarkable hot streak. The Orioles have won two of the three games she's attended in the team's final at-bat. She now understands the classic song "Orioles Magic" - "Something magic happens, every time you go ...."

Doctor's Report + Shoe Woes

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Matt and I went to the doctor for our 24-week checkup yesterday. After peppering the doctor with all of the questions we'd noted since the last appointment (and getting sufficient answers), the doctor reviewed our ultrasound from last time and measured my belly. We were told that all is well with our little one and that everything looks to be on track so far. We also got to hear the precious heartbeat again. That's quickly becoming my favorite part of the non-ultrasound doctor's visits.

Fast forwarding to this morning, I experienced a "first" in my pregnancy. I had difficulty putting on my shoes! I still got them on, so no worries there, but I could barely reach my feet. I couldn't believe it! To be fair, I was standing up and trying to put them on, but that's never been an issue before. It looks like it's quickly becoming one, though.

More later!

Week 23 is Here!

So, I'm in the midst of Week 23. It's hard to believe that we're little more than four months away from meeting our little one!

Highlights from Week 22:

• Bunky continues to kick, punch, and otherwise be active. So far, it seems like he or she is a night owl, as I can feel more movement at nighttime than I can during the morning. Matt is able to feel the kicks almost daily now, and he's really enjoying it.
• I discovered that my belly button is getting closer and closer to being even with the rest of my stomach wall. Based on how things look right now, it won't be long until it pops to the outside of my body. It will be quite odd to have an "outie" for the first time in my life!
• My belly is getting rounder by the day. The below photo is proof of that...I'm a bonafide pregnant lady!
  

What's going on during Week 23:

• Bunky's face is now fully formed (minus the baby fat...that's coming soon).
  
• Blood vessels in the lungs are developing to prepare baby for breathing.
• He or she has grown to be a little more than 10 inches long (about the length of a Barbie doll) and weighs just over a pound. Bunky looks like a tiny, thin newborn now (but not for long!).
• Baby is transitioning into his/her job for the rest of the pregnancy: putting on weight.

Matt and I are headed to the doctor today for my next check-up. We hope all is well with our little one, and we'll post another update once we hit the 24-week mark. And...updates about our trip to Madrid are still to come!

Caught Up: Week 22

This past Saturday, we reached the 22-week mark in my pregnancy. So, below is a summary of what’s happening these days. For those of you who missed the earlier post, Bunky is the nickname we're calling our little one from now until the time we're formally introduced. : )

Highlights of Week 21:

• We ordered Bunky’s crib! Upon our return from Madrid, Matt and I realized the need for us to focus on baby preparation. We know that January will be here before we know it. So, we headed to Babies ‘R’ Us on Labor Day and placed an order for Bunky’s crib and bed rails.
• Kicks, kicks, and…punches? Bunky seemed to be a karate guru in training! I felt lots of activity during the entire week, including movements on both sides of my belly button. My guess is that I was feeling kicks on one side and punches on the other. Watch out, Bruce Lee!

How Baby Taylor is growing in Week 22:

• Baby’s lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct. Eyes have formed, but the irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.
• Tiny tooth buds are beginning to develop beneath his or her gums.
• He or she is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. I’m sure there will be all kinds of sounds that Bunky will hear now (football games, music in the car, etc.), but one of the sounds I’m most eager to introduce him or her to is the sound of Matt playing the piano. For those who don’t know, he’s been taking lessons for nearly a year now and plays quite well. So, I want daddy’s piano music to become familiar to our little Bunky.
• His or her weight is around one pound with a length of slightly more than 10 inches. That’s about the size of a papaya. Baby will grow during the next two to three weeks and will reach a length of nearly 12 inches and a weight around 1 pound, 8 ounces!
  

Now that we’re all caught up on the baby, we’ll try to post some updates about our trip to Spain. Until then…

A Review of Week 21

In Madrid, we also passed the Week 21 mark. Here’s how Week 20 went, and here’s what happened with Baby Taylor during Week 21:

Highlights of Week 20:

• We reached the halfway point in the pregnancy! With a normal pregnancy measuring 40 weeks, we’ve only got 20 more to go.
• Matt got to feel Bunky kick lots more in Madrid. Many of the instances came at night in our hotel room as we finished our daily dose of gelato. I guess that means our son or daughter will like ice cream. : )
• My belly became increasingly bigger and I started to look decidedly pregnant. In fact, there were several people in Madrid who offered me their seat on the Metro. I can’t lie, being obviously pregnant made me very happy.

How Baby Taylor grew in Week 21:

• He or she is now gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And…those taste buds actually work!
• He or she now weighs slightly less than a pound and is around 10 ½ inches in length. That’s about the size of a large banana.

Next up: Week 22!

Catching Up on Week 20

As I mentioned in my last post, I passed the 20-week pregnancy milestone during our recent trip to Madrid. So, I wanted to catch up on lost time and let you know how Week 19 ended up and what happened with Baby Taylor during week 20.

Highlights of Week 19:

• Matt and I had our 20-week ultrasound on Wednesday (8/25). Our little guy or girl cooperated beautifully and allowed the ultrasound technician to get some amazing photos, including the traditional black & white ultrasound photo as well as a 3-D photo. Matt and I were blown away by how much the baby has grown. Seeing the precious photos and hearing the heartbeat yet again helped make things ever more real for both of us.
• Matt got to feel our little Bunky (Baby Taylor’s nickname for the time being) kick for the first time during our plane ride to Madrid (8/27). It was an overnight flight during which neither of us slept much. I was awake and either reading or watching a movie, and Bunky started kicking. I had Matt put his hand on my belly, and for the first time, he got to feel the sweet little movement of our baby. I was so excited that he finally got to feel something, because I’m so eager for him to share in this pregnancy with me.

How Baby Taylor grew in Week 20:

• His or her digestive system is busy creating meconium which, as all the parents out there know, will fill the first diaper after birth.
• Baby weighs between 10 and 11 ounces and is around 6 ½ inches long from head to bottom. That’s about the size of a cantaloupe.

On to Week 21!

Back from Vacation

On Sunday, Matt and I arrived back in the U.S. from an amazing vacation in Madrid, Spain. While we were there, I passed the 20- and 21-week milestones in my pregnancy.

Matt and I had a wonderful time in Spain and got lots of photos. We'll try to summarize the trip and provide some photos when possible. We'll also try to catch everyone up on what's happening with our sweet little baby.

More to come!