Author: althea

Oct. 18: This is such a lovely time in pregnancy.  I think I’d be happy being this pregnant as a general state of being in life.  I can feel the little one rolling and kicking and moving around, but the motions are generally soft and fluttery.  She’s feeling less like a pingpong ball in her movements this week.  Her movements seems to be slowing down a little.  Maybe she’s finding that she’s running out of room.  Hard to believe that she’s over a pound now:)
My belly has rounded out in the last week or two.  I no longer fit into any of my pre-pregnancy pants, and especially now that I’m wearing maternity shirts, I’ve had several people on the street comment on my pregnancy.  It’s a surprising time to have my pregnancy go from a secret I tell people to a fact that anyone I meet can know.
Sleep has been good these days, and I haven’t been particularly tired during the day.  Plus I can still usually eat big meals, which I enjoy.  I’ve gained about 10 pounds since July, but I lost around 8 pounds in May and June (early pregnancy loss of appetite), so while I’m feeling bigger, I’m not yet feeling heavy.  But that’s coming!
I bought the cutest little shoes at a wonderful store in St. Paul called Peapod.  They make me so very happy.  That’s the news for now!

23 Week Update from Babycenter.com

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound. His skin is red and wrinkled. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing. He can swallow, but he normally won’t pass his first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Loud noises heard often in utero — such as your dog barking or the roar of a vacuum cleaner — probably won’t faze your baby when he hears them outside the womb.

Oct. 7: Time keeps going by.  I haven’t been on the computer much in the last week, and when I logged on this evening, I was shocked to see that I’ve reached the 22 week mark.  The illustration for this week is a little weird looking.  I know that the baby has very little fat, but this one looks a whole lot like ET:)
I had some fun recently looking at the posts that I had done during my pregnancy with Andrew.  They’re available at the very start of my blog or right here.  So far, this pregnancy has been really, really easy.  I’m feeling the baby moving a lot of the time, and I’m feeling very loving toward her.  I love anticipating that the little person who is growing inside of me could grow to become one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.  Pictures of the ultrasound and some exciting new baby clothes are in the gallery.

Here’s the 22 week update from BabyCenter.com

How your baby’s growing:

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches 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.

Sept. 30: This sweet little baby is really moving around in my belly!  I spent the weekend up in Northfield and St. Paul, and in the evenings while Maretta and I were watching movies, she could feel the little bumps coming from my tummy.
I think that this is the most calm and lovely part of a pregnancy.  I can feel the sweet little baby, I’m feeling pregnant and growing but still small enough to be comfortable almost all the time.  It’s not hard to do anything yet.  The sweet little baby bumps aren’t uncomfortable, my pelvis isn’t splitting…these are all really good things.  I’d like it if this month could last a while.  On the other hand, I want to meet our new little person, so let’s keep the show on the road!

Update from BabyCenter.com – Week 21

How your baby’s growing:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is
approximately 10 1/2 inches long. His eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed. And you can certainly feel him move. He’s oblivious to your schedule, though, so don’t be surprised if he starts working out just when you’re settling down for the night.

Sept. 25:  I’m just back at a computer after my fun and heartwarming ultrasound appointment.  The little one was bopping around inside.  Very active and looking all complete and healthy.  The ultrasound lady got a good look, and she said that we’re having a girl.  Yay!  I’m so giddy and excited.  Going out for French fries and a malt now!
~Althea

Sept. 25: Today is the day of my 20 week ultrasound, and I just can’t wait to get a glimpse of the little wanderer inside.  I asked Andrew last night if he thought that the teeny tiny baby would be a sister or a brother.  He said sister.  Then I asked if a sister was a girl or a boy.  He said a boy.  I told him a sister is a girl and a brother is a boy asked again which he thought our baby would be.  He said sister.  So that’s Andrew’s guess.
I think Bryan has no guess about gender, and I’ve been quietly thinking girl from nearly the beginning.  I’ve spent the last week trying to get my head around the idea of, “what if it is a boy?”  I’d be pretty surprised!  But I’d be delighted either way.  I kind of see myself as the mom of a boy.  I like the idea of boys and brothers.  When I first found out I was pregnant, I was hoping for a boy.  But then I started to get a girl sense, and at this point, like I said, I’d be really surprised if it was a boy.
So exciting!  I’ll post an update as soon as I find out!