Saturday, July 25, 2009

22 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

Our 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 my 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.

How my life's changing:

At this point, my belly is becoming a hand magnet. I have to admit, it's a bit awkward for strangers to come up and touch my belly. I'm not typically a touchy person to begin with so it's definitely stretching me beyond my comfort zone. And I just love how everyone wants to tell me I look bigger than I should at this point. On that note at my last prenatal visit they said I'm measuring at 24 weeks instead of 22. Could be the weight gain but I'd like to chalk it up to a big baby. I have to remember that one, each woman grows - and shows - at her own rate. But two, I am married to a man that is 6'3" and his dad is 6'8". We are going to have a big baby.


Tuesday, July 21, 2009

21 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

I'm not sure of the actual weight or length of our baby at this point but I assure you he's growing. Seems like I'm getting noticeably bigger every day. He is definitely an active little guy, guess he's going to take after his daddy. Starting to notice a pattern in his activity. He also seems to like when Micah or anyone for that matter is preaching. Just maybe this little guy will be a preacher some day. Wouldn't surprise me.

How my life's changing:

It's been a busy season and I've been tackling pretty long days so I'm starting to notice some swelling in the feet and hands. Summer is always exciting as I get to lead our Summer Internship. Between June and July we've had 21 students and I'm always amazed at how God works in and through us for His greater glory. The days are long and tiresome but the rewards are worth it by far. We've also hosted 2 outreaches this summer and have youth camp next week. Yes, we are busy but not to busy to slow down and connect with God. Micah and I also make sure we have time for each other. I was grateful when he insisted we go on a date last night, even though I was exhausted, I needed that time with him. I've come to realize that the time we have to ourselves may not compete with the quantity of time that goes into the ministry but the quality has become greater and greater as we find our fulfillment in Christ. I know God equips and enables those that He calls and I'm thankful that He sustains us when we feel that we've got nothing more to give.

Well I've officially graduated to maternity pants. I was glad to have been able to wear my normal jeans this long. For the last month I had been using a belly band but I got tired of fussing with the constant pulling up and making sure everything was covered all the while hoping I wasn't offending anyone. Thanks to those of you who have blessed me with the ability to be in comfortable clothes and feel confident while I'm pregnant. I have to say I'm a big fan of the store "Motherhood".

I seemed to have had abnormally clear skin the first trimester and was hoping it'd last throughout the pregnancy but I've always been prone to oily skin and acne and it's beginning to rear it's typical plight. And on the topic of skin, I'm starting to notice a few stretch marks already - oh joy, it begins!

Well enough for now, I'm just a couple days away from 22 weeks so I'll be posting again soon.


Saturday, July 11, 2009

20 Weeks Pregnant


How my baby's growing: Every baby develops a little differently - even in the womb. So I've realized the information I've taken from babycenter for this blog is not completely accurate for our baby as we learned he's growing a little faster than the norm. 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 we'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

How my life's changing:
Well the exciting news is I've hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy. The top of my uterus is actually a little above my belly button, and I've gained about 10 pounds. I can expect to gain another pound or so each week from now on. Sleep is becoming more difficult as the pregnancy progresses, thanks to some obvious and not-so obvious changes taking place in my body. I was a little surprised to hear Micah tell me I've been snoring. I can contribute that to the swelling of the mucous membranes that line the nose and may cause me to make more mucus. The key is to sleep on my side and elevate my head slightly. If only I could remain in one position through the night:) Heartburn has been kicking in a little more but thankfully Tums usually does the job. We had a screening test for down syndrome and everything came back normal - praise Jesus (not that it would have changed our mind but every expecting parent wants a healthy baby).

Here's the next pregnancy picture - 5 months along.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

19 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

My baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear my voice now, so we're not to be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes us.

Our baby weighs about 11 ounces ( a little ahead of schedule growth wise - I think he's going to be a big baby, thanks to my wonderful husband!) His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

How my life's changing:

I feel big now! However, I'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. As a result, I've already begun to notice some achiness in my lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when I shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support my uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight.