23 Weeks 2 Days

Colleen says I need to write more so here it goes:
We saw our doctor today. It took forever to find the heartbeat; however, this was not particularly concerning considering the reason was that the little squirmy boy kept kicking and punching the wand away over and over. Everything from the 2nd trimester screening looks good, but we are going to repeat the ultrasound in about 6 weeks to check on the position of the placenta.

22 Weeks

How your baby's growing?

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn.His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

See what your baby looks like this week:

At this point, you may find your belly becoming a hand magnet. It's perfectly okay to tell folks who touch your tummy that you'd rather they didn't. And if people are telling you that you look smaller or bigger than you should at this point, remember that each woman grows — and shows — at her own rate. What's important is that you see your practitioner for regular visits so she can make sure your baby's growth is on track.

Surprise! It's a . . .

Is Baby R a BOY or GIRL?
19 (50%)
BOY
19 (50%)

GIRL
19 (50%)

Votes so far: 38 Poll closed

21 Weeks

How your baby's growing?

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot.
You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

See what your baby looks like this week:

(Almost) 21 Week Bump

It's getting bigger . . .

20 Weeks

How your baby's growing? Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

What your baby looks like this week:

Sorry, no picture this week. I forgot my camera at home!

But, here is a chart for you old-timers who can't count in weeks:

Trimester	Month	Week
first	one	1-4
	two	5-8
	three	9-13
second	four	14-17
	five	18-21
	six	22-26
third	seven	27-30
	eight	31-35
	nine	36-40

"Laugh and Learn" from BabyCenter.com

Improv 101

"I was out of the house one day, and I guess we'd run out of diapers, because when I got home, my husband had made one out of a maxi-pad, a dish towel, and the headband I use when I take off my make-up. It worked, but now I make sure that I'm never, ever out of diapers."— Amy"

Help! My baby is an alien!

"My newborn daughter would spit up occasionally, like all babies, but one day when she was just 3 weeks old, she began to projectile vomit. I swear it shot from her mouth 4 feet across the room. Ironically, I had just watched 'The Exorcist' the night before, so I was positive she was possessed. I couldn't believe a tiny baby could have the ability to do this naturally. Hysterical, I called my parents, the emergency room, and a priest. When I got to the emergency room, the doctor explained it to me, and told me I was probably just overfeeding her. My priest laughed so hard he had to sit down."— Katherine"

I had only been home from the hospital for a couple of days and was just finishing a shower when my husband screamed for me to come to the family room. I ran in and saw our daughter, Abigail, innocently lying on a towel on the floor. My husband jumped up and ran to the bathroom, and I heard him throwing up like he had a horrible flu. He walked out a few minutes later, went into our bedroom, and came out with a gas mask on. He said he had never seen anything like that — Abby's first poop after the meconium. After that he changed her diaper with his gas mask on."— Melissa, Ohio

Operating instructions

"When my first son was born, I knew nothing about giving an infant a bath. When it came time for his first one, I put him into the tub and discovered, to my horror, that I didn't know how to wash his back. He was so slippery, and his little head flopped all over the place. I was so upset I cried. I couldn't wash my own baby's back! He had a very clean front side for the first week until my mother visited. She showed me what to do. The biggest lesson I learned was to ask for help when you need it."— Dawn, Hawaii"

Before my son, Justin, was born, I'd only changed girl babies. For the first two weeks of his life, I ended up having to change his whole outfit every time he peed in his diaper. Then one day, desperate, I told my dad about it. He laughed and then went on to tell me that little boys' penises need to be pointed down every time you change them. We still chuckle about it today."— Heather"

My son, Billy, was only about 4 days old when I got up from a nap and found that his dad had taken the nasal bulb syringe that they give you at the hospital and given it to Billy to use as a pacifier. After I explained what it was, he looked a little sheepish before saying 'Good thing I rinsed it off first.'"— Betty, Indiana

When my daughter was 2 weeks old her umbilical cord stump was still not even close to falling off, but I accidentally helped it along the way. I was trying to change her diaper in a dark room and instead of grabbing the diaper tab, which I thought I had, I grabbed her umbilical stump and pulled it clear off! I felt so bad, but after a few days of it being just a little bloody, it healed up perfectly fine.— Mary

Learning the hard way

"I didn't always put a burp cloth over my shoulder when I picked up my newborn — I figured if I was holding him only for a minute, he wouldn't spit up. But once, after I laid him down, I found that my back and rear end felt very warm. I didn't feel anything on the outside of my shorts. But I had overalls on, and my son had spit up inside them all over my shirt and underwear. It was a very enlightening experience, the moral of which is that, wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, always put a cloth over your shoulder when holding your little one."— Lisa, California"

I learned the hard way to always put a diaper under my new baby girl, Lexi. I had just bathed her, so I wrapped her up in her towel and started walking from the bathroom to her room. I stopped for just a second to say something to my mom, who was visiting, and Lexi let loose! There was a huge puddle on the kitchen floor, and I was pretty soaked too!"— Michelle, Michigan"

The day my son, Mason, was born, my husband did his first-ever diaper change. He was so proud. But when he picked Mason up, our son urinated on him. The little cut-out in the front of the diaper for the belly button stump was too far down, and Mason's little pee-pee was sticking out. My husband was so embarrassed."— Brandi, Arizona

Bye-bye, brain

"In the first couple weeks after I had Zach, I was absolutely exhausted and trying to recover from a c-section. I was taking Percoset for the pain, which made me tired and a little loopy. So, one night it came time for his 2 a.m. feeding. I always change his diaper before feeding him, so I followed my routine as usual and went back to sleep. But when I got up the next morning to change him, I noticed he was wearing two diapers instead of one — his dirty one from the middle of the night and a clean one right on top of it."— Amy"

When my son was 5 days old, I decided to take him to the store. I was really nervous because it was my first time taking him out by myself. After spending about an hour getting ready, we left the house. I locked the front door of my house and put my key chain in my pocket. Minutes later, I buckled my son into his car seat and closed the car door. I went around to the driver's side door, and the door was locked. I went back around to the passenger side, and it was locked too. I sat on the hood of my car crying for about an hour (while my baby slept in his car seat), thinking about what a terrible mother I would be. Then I remembered that the keys were in my pocket! I unlocked the car door and took the baby back into the house. When my husband came home and I told him about it — still crying — he laughed and thought it was cute."— Jennifer, Georgia

Somehow they survive ...

"A few weeks after my son, Weston, was born, we hit an unusually warm spell in early October, so I decided to put a fan in his window to keep him cool. When I went to check on him during his nap, I found him surrounded by a swarm of mosquitoes, and I saw that I'd forgotten to put the window screen back in when I installed the fan. So then, in my sleepless state, I sprayed him with bug repellent from head to toe, including his hands, which he immediately used to rub his eyes. Already cranky because I'd woken him up, he now started screaming because of the spray in his eyes. I was so panicked that I never even thought of just wiping him off with a damp washcloth. Instead, I put his poor little head under the running faucet. But that just made him cry harder: It was bad enough being woken up and getting bug spray in his eyes, but now his mother was drowning him in the sink. It ended up with me on the kitchen floor crying and my poor husband coming in and trying to console both me and the baby, who at this point has, amazingly, survived his first two years."— Liz, Illinois

"When my son was about 6 weeks old, he began teething (I know — it's early). I wanted to give him some infants' pain reliever because he had a bit of a fever. I was going on about two hours of sleep over a period of two days, and I couldn't find the dropper that went to his medicine anywhere, so I had the bright idea that I would just cover the top of the bottle with my finger and let it drip out that way. When I tried it, I was horrified to see half the bottle disappear into his mouth! I screamed and frantically tried to scoop some out with my finger, but to no avail. I started bawling my head off and called poison control, telling the guy over the phone that I was a bad mom. He told me not to give him any more for a while, and that I shouldn't worry, because for my son's weight, he would have had to drink three whole bottles to get sick from it! I'm so ashamed about that. I'll never do it again, that's for sure."— Lori, Washington

Adventures on the road

"When our son was 3 weeks old, we decided it was time to get out for a day with him. We packed bags all morning, trying to make sure we didn't forget anything. Extra formula, a whole bag of diapers (just in case) — you name it, we had it. We loaded everything up and trudged down the three flights of stairs to the car, but when we got to the bottom, we looked at each other and said, 'Where's the baby?!' We had left him in the apartment! We raced back up the stairs at 90 miles an hour — and found him sitting in the car carrier sound asleep. We laughed until it hurt, and never left him behind again."— Sandy

Even BabyCenter editors have been there...

"When Nicky was several weeks old, I was driving home from a hike with friends. I couldn't figure out why he was fussing in the car since he usually loved the motion. Finally, when I stopped at a red light, I turned around and saw the car seat on its side. I'd strapped him in, but not the seat! Everything turned out fine, but it was a definite 'Bad Mom Day' for me. I never made that mistake again."— Mollie"

About five days after my daughter, Nina, was born one sweltering New York July, she developed a fever of 102. Convinced there was something very wrong, I rushed her to the doctor's office. When I got there, the nurse led us to an air-conditioned room. When the doctor walked in, he promptly undressed my crying daughter down to her diapers. As if on cue, she suddenly stopped crying and cooed on the exam table. The doctor checked her out and then turned to me and asked, 'Do you have air-conditioning?' I said we did, but only in the bedroom. He asked where Nina and I had been all day. I told him we were in the living room. He looked at me quite seriously, and said, 'Keep her in the air-conditioned room. She doesn't have a fever; she's just hot.' Then he smiled. Thank God for air-conditioning."— Jhoanna

"My daughter, Annie, was about 3 weeks old when some friends from work stopped by. I was working on a total of about five hours of sleep for the week, I hadn't showered in days, and I wore the same stained leggings I'd been wearing since coming home from the hospital. The only reason I changed my T-shirts is that they got sopping wet with breast milk. One of my colleagues, a 20-something single woman with no kids, asked me in all seriousness: 'So, what do you do now that you're not working?' That's when I saw the vast gulf between me, a parent, and non-parents. The non-parents just don't get it."— Julie

19 Weeks (+ 1 long day)

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.

Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. 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.

What your baby looks like this week:

How your life's changing? Think you're big now? 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. This is nothing to be alarmed about, but call your practitioner if the pain continues even when you're resting or becomes severe. You may be noticing some skin changes, too. 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.

Boy or Girl?

No, that is not me and my evil twin, and no, we don't know the gender yet.

We did not have an ultrasound at our appointment today but did make an appointment to have one on the 25th. We are a little disappointed, but at least this way there will be a better chance of getting a good view when we do. So, 22 days left to vote!

We did get to hear the heart beat again. Baby is laying very low and still does not appreciate the wand, trying to wiggle away from it.

18 Weeks

How your baby's growing?
Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces.
He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.How your life's changing:

Hungry? An increase in appetite is pretty common about now. Make it count by choosing meals and snacks that are rich in nutrients instead of empty calories (chips, French fries, candy, and other sweets). Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline grow. Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during this trimester your blood pressure will probably be lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy. From now on, when you do lie down, it's best to lie on your side — or at least partly tilted to one side. (When you lie flat on your back, your uterus can compress a major vein, leading to decreased blood return to your heart.) Try placing a pillow behind you or under your hip or upper leg for comfort. If you haven't already had a second-trimester ultrasound, you'll probably have one soon. This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking his thumb.

P.S. Vote to the right!

Snow Storm

No snow in Tucson yet, but it's close by . . . !
http://azstarnet.com/promo/homepage/collection_6393f4a6-13a5-11e0-a7e2-001cc4c002e0.html
(Catalina Highway is the road up to Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven)P.S. Currently listening to conversation after conversation similar to this one:
"Hi, hun" . . . "Is it raining there?" . . . "Oh, no, it is?! Well, do you really need to go out?" . . . "Yeah, okay. Well, be very careful. It is RAINING."

Oh Arizona.

Merry Christmas!!!

17 Weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now, about as much as a turnip (no, I don't know where they get these crazy-sized vegetables), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.

(Almost) 17 Week Bump

Current Baby-Likes: Chocolate Milk, Leg Cramps, Not Moving Around

Lunar Eclipse

Here is a pic from the beginning of the eclipse last night. Tucson had partly cloudy skies (extensive news coverage anytime that happens), so P woke me up (because I was tired and he doesn't sleep anyway) for the beginning and the middle because it was visible. Although I couldn't see the middle part as well, I thought this picture came out great!

2010 Outtakes

Some outtakes from the Rhamey Christmas Card 2010:

Week 16

How your baby's growing? Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

How your life's changing? Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, many don't feel their baby move until about 18 weeks or more. (And if this is your first baby, don't be too impatient — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so.) The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll grow stronger and you'll be able to feel them much more frequently.

Mmmmmm . . . Peanut Butter

Like mother, like Dagny

P.S. In spite of this picture, when Dagny and Hank went to vet to get shots on Monday, they were pronounced a "healthy weight" (and Hank did not pee on the scale - yeah!). I guess it's easy to diet when someone else has complete control over your eating.

Week 15

If you are one of the three people who read my blog, you already know Patrick and I are expecting a child June 4th! We went a week ago (Week 14) and heard the heart beat, which was great for us, but Baby R did not appreciate it, giving the wand a kick!

Here's a quick recap . . .

Week 5:

I brought this home for Patrick "Little Boots . . . Why did you buy Hank little boots?" - Patrick

It took a minute, but he figured it out. Week 10:
Weekend with the Gals in Alabama

Week 12 UltrasoundBaby R did not appreciate this activity either, going into what Patrick dubbed "spider monkey pose" and then squirming away.
Week 15:

How your baby's growing? Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple).

She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.") http://www.babycenter.com/

Kittens, Kitttens, Everywhere!

October 2010

In October, I opened up the front door to find three tiny kittens on the doorstep - seriously, sitting right on the front porch. We're not sure, but we did hear a cat scream the night before, so we are pretty sure their mama was killed by a coyote who came up from the wash. "We" (aka Patrick) were only able to catch two of them at first. A few days later, he was finally able to catch the third one after setting up a variety of traps. I named them Bubba (the one with the white), Willlingham (changed to Wilbur when our friend adopted him), and Newman (the third one). Bubba, because that is the one Adam chose to be his temporary namesake, was the most playful and the biggest eater. Willingham was named such because he is a pretty boy. Newman was named such because he was the "New Man" of the bunch (and he was kinda a dud, like the Seinfeld character).

The first two kittens . . . still pretty freaked out

All three with their rescuer

Willingham (aka Wilbur) goofing around

Bubba and Willingham (aka Wilbur)

Fluff Ball

Dinner Time!

Below is the MAIN reason (among a few others!) that keeping the kittens was NOT an option. Hank and Dagny did this (staring, not moving, just staring) for a week straight. They didn't sleep, they just stared.

One of the three was adopted by a friend. The other two we took to a shelter. It is good we held on to them for a while, however, because the shelter said that they were only just big and healthy enough to be adopted. We called for an update, and they were both adopted within a week!

The sound is Patrick sneezing. The kitten that doesn't care is Bubba . . .

Doggie Diet

August 2010When we went to the vet last spring, he said the dogs were a little overweight. Well, they've gained even more since then! In August, Hank was almost 60 pounds, so they are now on a little diet!