Shannon's Pregnancy Journal
Due Date - August 3, 2003

7/30/03 - Welcome To The World, McKenna Riley!

On Monday, July 28 I had a doctor appointment and the doctor said I was still dilated to a 3. She said she stripped my membranes a little and still expected that I would go into active labor on my own.

On Wednesday, July 30, 2003 at 6:30am I woke up and felt a little trickle. I stood up and walked into the bathroom and made it there just in time before I felt a big gush! My water broke! It was time to go to the hospital! I woke up Erick who (because of his job) was on a sleep schedule that had JUST put him to sleep about 10 minutes earlier. We both ate something, Erick took a shower and I finished packing our bags. I called my sister (who was going to be in the L&D room up until the pushing phase) and told her to meet us at St. Joseph Hospital (she actually beat us there by almost an hour).

After checking in, they put me in a gown, hooked me up to an IV (I was in the 40% of women who tested positive for GBS and therefore required antibiotics), strapped the double monitors on me (one monitored my contractions and the other monitored the baby's heartbeat) and did an internal exam. I was dilated to a 5. My contractions were rather sporadic and not ideally effective at this point so they added a small amount of Pitocin to my IV. This got the contractions coming hard and fast and I labored without pain relief until 4:30pm. The contractions were absolutely miserable by the time the Anesthesiologist came in and I had a little difficulty remaining in the "arched back" position he needed me in to apply the epidural. After a few minutes, he completed his task and I was able to lay down again. I felt a few more strong contractions and then (thankfully) was relieved of the pain! God bless the inventor of the epidural! From this point on, the labor was a piece of cake compared to the pain I'd felt prior! The doctor checked me again and found I was now dilated to a 7. With 3 cms to go and seeing that I was feeling much better, Erick decided to lie down and take a quick nap (at this point he had been awake for well over 24 hours).

Within an hour I felt a lot of pressure and let the nurse know. She said that the baby was probably getting close so she checked me again and I was a 10 already! She asked if I was able to stand the pressure a little longer. I said yes. Technically, we could start pushing once I was dilated to 10 but she thought it would be a good idea if I rested and saved my strength and let McKenna make her way down the birth canal naturally for a while. The whole time McKenna's heartrate had been doing great so we knew she was handling the labor process well. We agreed to wait a little while longer.

Around 5:45pm the nurse said it was time to start pushing. Erick woke up and came to my side (a little bewildered at how quickly everything had gone while he slept). He was the perfect labor coach. He encouraged me in exactly the way I needed to be and stayed strong and positive through the whole process.

The nurse asked if I wanted a mirror so I could watch McKenna enter the world. I said yes because I really believed that seeing myself progress would motivate me. Nope. It made me nauseous and I wasn't able to concentrate. I asked her to take the mirror away. The doctor came in and I had a few more sets of pushes. I felt the pressure of McKenna but absolutely no pain. At 6:11pm our beautiful daughter entered the world. The doctor handed McKenna to Erick first and he placed her on my chest. We were both so overwhelmed and thrilled and awestruck at seeing her that honestly, the memory is like this fantastic and magical blur in my mind. I remember the feelings I felt, I remember the excitement in Erick's voice and the look on his face. But I can barely remember what was said. All I know is that I get a lump in my throat whenever I think about that amazing moment.

They took McKenna to the baby table to clean her up and Erick went with her. She cried just enough to score a double 9 APGAR score and then she was comforted to have her Daddy by her side. They stitched me up (I was fortunate to have only suffered a 2nd degree tear in the 'preferred' direction) but I was totally oblivious to the entire process. I couldn't take my eyes off my little girl. They wrapped her up and handed her to Erick who brought her to me. We were a family now.

McKenna weighed 7 lbs., 10 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches at birth. She has her Daddy's hair and eyes and her Mommy's nose, lips, hands and feet (or as Erick says "She's me from the eyes up, she's you from her nose to her toes.") She is a very calm and laid back baby! She barely ever fusses, she eats well, she sleeps well and she makes adorable and expressive faces! She LOVES lots of kisses and playing with Daddy's goatee, she doesn't love cold baby wipes.

There is absolutely nothing that could have prepared us for how much we love this little girl. When she wakes up to be fed and I hold her in my arms, she looks up at me with the most precious face and I feel like my heart is literally overflowing with adoration for her. As a new parent, I am almost taken aback by how much love I feel for her. And it strikes me that God is the parent of us all and He loves us even more then I love McKenna. And I know that I am not worthy of either blessing.

McKenna Riley Bieger

Week 39 (July 21 - July 27)

We're getting close! We had a doctor appointment on Wednesday and the doctor said that I'm dilated 3 cms! That means I am officially in stage one/phase one of labor. She said its likely that we'll deliver within a week (which makes me very happy since I was positive McKenna would be late!) Her instructions were to keep an eye on my contractions and come to the hospital when they're 5 minutes apart or less for 2-3 hours or when my water breaks. I've had several times when the contractions would be 5-7 minutes apart for an hour but they would kind of fizzle out after that. Very disappointing. So here we remain, patiently waiting. Ok, maybe not patiently.

Another milestone this week was I finished my last week of work! I am now officially a stay-at-home mom! It will be a big adjustment for me but I'm so excited and blessed to have this opportunity! I'm ready to begin this new phase of life...if only my daughter would hurry up and get here!

Cravings: Watermelon, peaches, chicken mcnuggets, tapioca pudding

Symptoms: Contractions, contractions and more contractions. Some painful, some just uncomfortable. Frequent urination (at least once, sometimes twice an hour), backaches, swollen feet, and varying amounts of energy. I'm either dead tired and need to rest or I have a sudden burst of energy and can't sit still.

McKenna: Our baby continues to prepare for her grand entrance. Her endocrine system, which is responsible for hormone production, is gearing up for birth. She will secrete more stress hormones during birth than at any other time in her life. Once she's out of the womb, those hormones will help manage her bodily systems without the help of your placenta. These tremendous changes demand lots of effort and energy, but she'll be ready. McKenna's lungs continue to develop, too, right up until she's born. At the moment, the lungs are still working hard to manufacture surfactant, a substance that helps keep the many air sacs from sticking together when she takes her first breath. Right after that initial deep breath comes a wail worthy of an opera diva. The sound of a baby crying is a bittersweet experience; while no one likes to hear a child expressing fear or discomfort, a loud cry means she's breathing well. But we shouldn't expect to see tears yet; her tear glands won't produce tears when crying until she's a few weeks old. And if she doesn't let out that hallmark howl, don't fret: Some infants don't cry at birth. The important thing is that breathing gets started.

 

Week 38 (July 14 - July 20)

My work threw me a baby shower this week! It was so adorable! They had pink plaid table cloths and the centerpieces were hot pink tulips and pink balloons. They served a variety of salads, fruits, veggies, breads and cheeses. They played several games, one of which was to find as many words as you could from McKenna Riley Bieger (it was pretty amusing to find that the words Gerbil, Enema, Keg and Beer were all in her name!) And we got a TON of adorable outfits, a lot of our bedding accessories, toys, baby toiletries, gift certificates to BRU and her Gymni Playmat! Between our two showers we received almost everything off our registry and so much more! I also love that we got one non-traditional, co-ed baby shower and one very-traditional girly baby shower. We really got the best of both worlds and were entirely spoiled by our family and friends!

I'm trying to wrap up details so that we're all ready for McKenna when she comes. I've started packing my hospital bag, we've hired a maid to come and give our apartment a thorough cleaning, we've made an appointment to have our carpet cleaned, and I faxed my birth plan to the Labor & Delivery unit at St. Joseph's. All that's left is to write the thank-you notes for my work shower and wait for McKenna to arrive!

Cravings: It's still fruit! Peaches, watermelon and Dreyer's Whole Fruit fruit bars!

Symptoms: The Braxton-Hicks continue to increase and are sometimes painful. The pressure in my pelvis is very uncomfortable, especially when getting up from a lying-down position. I actually dread getting out of bed because I know its going to be so difficult (which is unfortunate since I have to get up 3-5 times a night to go to the bathroom). I am literally peeing every waking hour now! As far as I can tell, my moods haven't been too unbearable. But then again, maybe having a husband who is so considerate and patient helps to demagnify my moods. My feet/ankles are still extremely swollen and the heat is pretty miserable. Thank God we bought a car with air conditioning!

McKenna: Eighty-five percent of babies are born within two weeks of their due date, so we'll probably give birth sometime in the next four weeks. While we're watching for signs of labor, our baby is shedding lanugo, the fine hair that's covered her body for months. She may have some of it left on her shoulders, forehead, and neck when she's born. She'll also have lost most, if not all, of the vernix, the creamy wax-like substance that's protected her skin from the amniotic fluid. So what happens to the cast-off vernix and lanugo? Some of it ends up in our baby's intestines, where it becomes part of the meconium. Meconium is the greenish-black, tarry substance that will make up her first bowel movement after she's born. It also consists of dead cells, amniotic fluid, and waste products from her liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. McKenna's kidneys are filtering some waste too, but they won't be functioning fully until after birth. Our little one's growth rate is losing speed, but she's still making strides: Her length is probably closing in on 19.5 to 20 inches, and her weight is nearing 7 pounds.

 

Week 37 (July 7 - July 13)

McKenna is officially FULL TERM! Yay! That means that if she decides to come at any time now, the doctors would not try to slow or stop labor because she would be as healthy as a baby born on their due date.

I'm experiencing a lot of frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions as my body begins to prepare for labor. Even so, this doesn't mean that McKenna will come early or even on time. Statistically, she will probably arrive late (first-time babies come on average 10 days after their due date). We would love for her to come early (we've been waiting so long to meet her!) but we're certainly willing to be patient for her to arrive when she is ready. No at-home labor-inducing methods for us unless the doctor recommends it!

This week Erick and I have been watching the childbirth preparation video called "Labor of Love." Boy are we glad we went this route! So far we haven't learned anything new so we would've been really mad if we'd paid $80 for this class and learned nothing. Instead we paid $6 to rent the video, we're watching it from the comfort of our own home and we don't have some overly-upbeat teacher hovering over us trying to massage my butt (oh yeah, she massages the mom's butts in this video!) We also bought a video camera/digital camera. We don't plan to videotape McKenna's birth but we will be taking photos and video footage of her after she is born. Her daddy did lots of research and finally decided on this camera.

Cravings: Fruit, fruit, fruit! Especially watermelon and peaches!

Symptoms: Everything I was experiencing last week but with increased Braxton-Hicks. McKenna's movements are even stronger now and sometimes it feels like her foot might pop right out of my skin! Someone asked me this week what it feels like to have a baby move around inside of me and I told her "You know those massage rollers they have? Its like someone is going around on my insides with one of those!" That's the best way I could think to describe it.

McKenna: It's likely that our baby is more than 19 inches long and weighs between 6 and 6.5 pounds, nearing her final birth weight. These last few weeks are important, though; she's still gaining half an ounce of fat per day. This fat helps her body regulate her temperature and keep an even blood-sugar level. The brain, and the skull that houses it, continue to grow.

 

 

Week 36 (June 30-July 6)

We saw the doctor this week and everything is going well. McKenna isn't actually "engaged" in the pelvis yet but I am carrying her lower. My blood pressure and weight were normal, as were the swelling I'd been experiencing in my hands and feet and the pressure I'd been feeling in my pelvis. I also discussed my birth plan with her and there really weren't any conflicts, mostly because I'm going into the birthing experience with a very open attitude. Essentially, I want to labor as long as I can without pain medication but I am prepared to accept an epidural if need be. I also prefer to avoid any invasive medical procedures (c-section, episiotomy, etc.) but, again, I am prepared to accept them if my physician sees them as absolutely necessary. It is agreed that Erick and I will be a part of the decision-making process for any and all procedures. Our one unusual request is that after McKenna is born and after Erick has cut her umbilical cord, she be cleaned off and handed to Erick first. Because I've been the one who gets to carry McKenna these past 9 months and have felt her every kick and squirm, it's important to me that Erick be given something special as well. So it is my request that he be the first of her parents to hold her. After he's had a moment with her, he will hand her to me. It should be a very special moment for all three of us.

Also this week we had to cancel our Childbirth Preparation Class. There is just simply not enough time (it's 3 different days, 3 hours each day). I had intended to keep July and August as easy on us as possible but for some reason, it's more hectic than ever. I have accepted a part-time/from-home position with our church in Anaheim to be an Administrative Assistant for the intersect service. I would have preferred to start this position in September but the need was immediate so as of now, Erick and I are both working one full-time job and one part-time job each. My last day at EV Free is July 25 so I expect that the next few weeks will continue to be very busy and tiring. Fortunately, St. Joseph's has video tapes that we can rent of the childbirth class so we will be able to rent those and watch them together (hopefully this week).

Cravings: Fresh fruit, iced tea, Mom Bieger's chicken tortellini salad.

Symptoms: Every symptom in the book! It's SO hot these days and that is making for very swollen hands and feet. Backaches, sore hips, sciatic nerve pain, fatigue on some days and totally antsy on others, leg cramps at night, heartburn, very frequent urination, breathlessness, vivid dreams, extreme thirst, pelvic pressure, walking/waddling slowly, cramps, TONS of Braxton-Hicks contractions, outgrew my fake wedding ring, linea nigera is all the way up to my breast-plate now, clumsiness, forgetfullness - you name it, I've got it! McKenna seems to be squirming non-stop (yep, it's official, I'll never get sick of that!) and she gets the hiccups about once a day now. Her kicks are getting strong enough to wake me up at night though if I change my position, I'm able to fall back asleep pretty quickly. Only 4 more weeks to go until McKenna's due date!

McKenna: Pampers.com (where we get these tidbits of info) says that our baby loves hearing us read or sing. Research has found that newborns show a preference for a song that was played to them repeatedly while they were in the womb. If that's true, when McKenna is born, she should recognize (and hopefully respond positively to) the books "Oh Baby, the Places You Will Go" by Dr. Seuss and "Guess How Much I Love You" by Sam McBratney as well as the songs "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison and "Stay Awake" from Mary Poppins. Our baby's head is specially designed to travel through the cervix and pelvis. The bones in her skull aren't fused together yet; this loose construction makes her head very shapable so it can squeeze through the birth canal without harming her or Shannon. These bones will gradually fuse over the first year of life. McKenna should weigh between 5.5 and 6 pounds this week and measures nearly 19 inches.

 

Week 35 (June 23 - June 29)

There's nothing like being busy to help the time pass! This week we had to drive out to Vegas because I had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding (Congratulations Alyson & Mike!) Our plan was to drive out Thursday afternoon but after taking my dress to 2 tailors and 2 dressmakers (all of whom said it wasn't possible to convert my dress to maternity) we decided to leave a day earlier and take the dress right to the people it was purchased from. Fortunately for us, they had no problems re-doing the dress and it was ready by 11am the morning of the wedding (talk about stressful!) Because we were in Vegas and the weather was at least 110 degrees every day, my feet were swollen beyond recognition and it was imperative that I stay hydrated through the entire visit. But the bride and groom, the bridal party, my family, Erick and just about everyone we came in contact with made sure I was well-taken care of so it really did go smoothly. Somewhere between Wednesday and Thursday I noticed that I was breathing easier, my heartburn had eased up and my belly was pointing downward. I also noticed that I had a need to urinate MUCH more frequently and was feeling a lot more pelvic pressue. So I'm not positive but I do think that McKenna has dropped into the pelvis! I have a doctor appointment on July 2 so I'll find out for sure then.

Cravings: Light and cool meals. Sandwiches, salads, cereal, etc.

Symptoms: Swollen fingers and feet. Possible engagement. More frequent urination. More painful kicks and squirms from McKenna. Extremely sore hips when trying to sleep.

McKenna: It's very important for Shannon to eat lots of iron-rich food in the third trimester. McKenna absorbs this crucial mineral from Shannon's body to build up iron stores in her own body, mostly in the form of red blood cells. The majority of the absorption takes place in the final months before delivery. The head-down, or vertex, position is the ideal position for birth. Labor goes more smoothly when the baby's head, the largest body part, comes through the birth canal first. About 3 to 4 percent of babies haven't flipped to this position by 35 weeks. If something other than the head appears first, the delivery is called a breech birth. Amazingly, despite the tight quarters in Shannon's uterus, our little acrobat may turn several more times before she's born. McKenna's arms and legs are getting chubbier as she continues to gain weight. By the end of this week, she may weigh up to 5.5 pounds and measure around 16.8 to 18.5 inches long.

 

Week 34 (June 16-22)

I learned this week that a baby born at 34 weeks has the same chance of survival as a baby born at 40 weeks! So this week was quite a milestone for McKenna! I feel like she must've had a growth spurt this week because all of a sudden it seems to take twice as much work to turn my belly over in bed at night and my belly just feels all around heavier.

Erick was awfully cute earlier in the week when he INSISTED on going shopping and picking out a few outfits for McKenna. I told him that she had plenty of clothes but there was no stopping him. He picked out two adorable outfits for her to wear when she is around 6-9 months. He loves his little girl so much. He's already such a sweet and loving Daddy to her.

Somebody sent me an amusing email that I thought I would post here in light of my worry-fest last week. Enjoy!

According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's or even the early 80's, probably shouldn't have survived.

Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint.

Babies slept on their tummies.

We had no childproof lids or locks on medicine bottles, doors, or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.

Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking ...

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags . Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem .

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. No cell phones.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal cell phones, personal computers, or Internet chat rooms.

We had friends! We went outside and found them.

We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. They were accidents. No one was to blame but us.

We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out any eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

Tests were not adjusted for any reason.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected.

The idea of parents bailing us out if we got in trouble in school or broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the school or the law.

It's a wonder any of us are "still alive"!

Cravings: Meat, iced tea, Miso Soup

Symptoms: LOTS AND LOTS of baby movement. McKenna squirms so much that even people sitting across the room can see her moving. For the first time, her squirms woke me up at night. But for the most part, I'm still able to sleep through them. I'm exhausted all the time. I could probably sleep a whole day away accept lying in bed for too long is killer on my hips. I'm definitely starting to feel anxious for McKenna to get here. I've loved pregnancy but I'm ready to meet our little girl. I've started to have more and more dreams of taking care of her and holding her. I can't wait to see what she'll look like, what her personality will be like, and to watch Erick with her.

McKenna: Our baby is moving around less frequently, mostly because of the cramped quarters. Of course, it may not seem as if she's settled down—now that she's so big (about 4.7 to 5 pounds and 15.5 to 16 inches long), Shannon can feel even the slightest movement. In fact, since our baby is right up against the wall of the uterus, Shannon is probably getting good at guessing which body part (foot? elbow? arm?) is protruding. Regardless of the eye color McKenna will end up with, right now her eyes are currently blue. The pigmentation process in her iris won't be complete until her eyes have been exposed to light for several weeks after birth. Her final eye color may not be evident for years.

 

Week 33 (June 9-15)

So you're probably wondering "What happened to week 32?" Well, apparently I've been counting my weeks wrong! Oops! So welcome to week 33 of my pregnancy journal! It's great to be a little farther along then I thought I was!

I had a bad episode of nausea and vomitting this week! I think it was a combination of having too-sweet of a breakfast (apple juice and a banana nut muffin) as well as McKenna being VERY wiggly. But the end result was throwing up five times in a half hour! Ack! I was just about to call my doctor when it all passed and I felt a lot better.

I did see my doctor for my regular appointment on Friday. Everything is going great. My blood pressure and weight were normal, McKenna's heartrate was healthy and she's already in the head-down position!

We also celebrated Erick's very first Father's Day! He came home from work at 6:30am to a breakfast-in-bed of waffles and sausage. And after he got his sleep for the day we went for a few rounds at the batting cages. For presents he received the special edition DVD of Black Hawk Down, a mini-shopping spree at Best Buy and from McKenna he got a picture frame that says "I Love My Daddy." I can't wait to put a picture of the two of them in there!

I also had a little worry-fest this week wondering how in the world we will ever be able to take care of a baby! I've researched so much about breastfeeding vs. formula, sleeping on the back vs. the tummy, preventing SIDS, keeping a child safe in your home that I think it just made my head spin to think of all the things that could go wrong and I began to second guess things that I thought I already knew! And no one seems to have a concrete answer! Every bit of research contradicts the former research I'd read. I read a few other online pregnancy journals and ironically, week 33 all seemed to find these mommies-to-be suffering from the same worry-fest! It must be the fact that knowing our babies were coming soon brings home the reality that there is a little one coming who relies solely on us to keep him/her safe. But I do feel much better about everything now. God has entrusted us with McKenna and we will trust God to protect her and to lead us as parents to make the best decisions we can for her. I know this worry is normal and even healthy. Being nervous just means we recognize that being parents is a big deal and we just want to do our best. We know we can't be perfect parents but we can always let God be the "lamp unto our feet".

Cravings: Apple juice

Aversions: Our rude downstairs neighbors. They smoke constantly and their smoke fills our apartment. They've been asked to smoke out on the sidewalk but they refuse. They also cook the most foul-smelling meals. Another weird aversion was Snuggle Fabric Softner. We had a box that was next to me while I was on the couch and it just made me sick to my stomach.

Symptoms: McKenna has had hiccups a lot this week! Poor little thing! I'm so sleepy all the time and probably really moody. I'm also hungry more often. Sleeping continues to be VERY uncomfortable. Either I have bad heartburn or my hips are sore or I can't breathe well. Turning over has become such a circus act! I've been getting a lot more leg cramps but Erick taught me how to prevent them from becoming a full-on charlie horse.

McKenna (Week 32):Our acrobat may be standing on her head now: Most babies settle in the head-down, or vertex, position by this week. Ideally, she'll stay put until Shannon gives birth. But remember, McKenna has a mind of her own—she might decide to change positions several times before she's born. Shannon might feel her jostling into place as she flips, especially if she does so late in the pregnancy. The amount of amniotic fluid in Shannon's uterus right now—about two pints—makes it fairly easy for our baby to switch from head up to head down. Over the next eight weeks, the amount of fluid will decrease as the amount of baby increases. McKenna weighs between 3.5 and 4 pounds and measures about 17 to 18 inches stretched out.

McKenna (Week 33): Our baby's brain is still developing rapidly as her five senses get ready for the world outside the womb. At this point, she can see the liquid world around her; feel sensation when she grabs a toe or sucks on a finger; taste the amniotic fluid she's swallowing; and hear Shannon's heartbeat, voice, and the grumble of her stomach. Of course, there's no air in the amniotic sac to carry scent, but if there were, she could also smell her environment. Because of tremendous brain growth, McKenna's head circumference has increased by nearly half an inch just this week. It's more important than ever for Shannon to pay attention to her diet. McKenna's protein and fat requirements are at their greatest over the next few weeks, so Shannon must be sure to continue to eat balanced meals. Our little one now measures 16.5 inches and weighs more than 4 pounds, and she'll double her weight over the next seven weeks.

 

 

Week 31 (June 1-7)

It's so hard to believe that we're in the final stretch! If McKenna were to be born now, she would have a 95% chance of survival. That's amazing! We have been so blessed to have a complication-free pregnancy thus far. We pray the same for the delivery! And it wouldn't hurt to pray for complication-free teenage years too right?

Speaking of delivery, we took the tour of St. Joseph Hospital. We didn't learn a whole lot except that they have more types of L&D rooms then I thought. I figured at this point (and since they recently remodeled) all hospitals were working towards having one room for labor, delivery, recovery and post-partum. But SHH still has post-partum rooms separately from the LDR rooms. Erick and I are still debating on whether or not we want to pay the extra for a private room. For one, it's not guaranteed and with August being what's known as a "busy delivery month" our chances are slim that we'll get one. In addition, the primary benefit of a private room is that Erick can sleep-over. He would, however, have to sleep in a reclining chair. Our tour guide recommended that we keep in mind that somebody is going to need to be well-rested when we take the baby home and it isn't going to be momma. So we are torn - we do want Erick to be well-rested but we hate the idea of not being together with McKenna from the very start. We would love to spend our first night as a family together.

Cravings: Rootbeer and "fruity" things (jell-o, fruit roll-ups, raisinettes). Cup-O-Noodles is on my favorites list as well this week.

Symptoms: Especially noticeable this week would be backaches, fatigue, moodiness, and my whole belly just feels overwhelmingly heavy! I knelt down to put some things on the bottom shelf of our pantry and I couldn't get back up! I had to ask Erick to lift me! I also got the WORST leg cramp I have ever experienced in my entire life one night. I woke up in the middle of the night in so much pain that I actually cried out. It took a few minutes for it to stop but I was limping for two days afterward!

McKenna: Many health care providers recommend doing fetal-kick counts at this stage in pregnancy to be sure that the baby is not in distress. But McKenna remains so active that it hasn't become necessary. Our baby is about 11.2 inches long from crown to rump (17 inches stretched out) and weighs about 3.3 pounds. She's been in the fetal position, with her legs tucked, for a few weeks now. She still has lots of growing to do—she won't get much taller, but she'll put on another 2 pounds this month. In nine more weeks, she'll be ready to greet us!

 

 

Week 30 (May 25-May 31)

So I've taken a poll among the many pregnant women I know and we've come up with a list of some of the most annoying things people say to pregnant women:

* "You're barely showing at all." This seems like a compliment. But it actually makes a woman worry that her baby is not growing properly.
* "You're getting so big!" Does anyone like to be told that they're big? Only if they're a body-builder!
* "Are you sure there's only one baby in there?" Yes, we're sure. But thanks for making us feel extra fat!
* "You're gaining a lot of weight in your face!" Would you say that to us if we weren't pregnant? What makes you think it's less offensive now?
* "You're due in August? But it will be so hot!!" First of all, we've experienced "August" before. We're aware of the weather. Second, we can't change our due date now! Third, you're the 100th person to tell us that.
* "You know what causes that don't you?" (Said while pointing to the pregnant belly.) Ok this is about as funny as when people say they're going to "squeeze their sponge" when what they really mean is "I'm going to the bathroom." Some jokes are just so old that they cease to be funny.
* "Get lots of sleep now because you won't sleep again until the kid goes off to college." Again, you're the 100th person to say that to us. We are well aware that babies don't sleep through the night after birth.
* "Your life is over!" (Or any variation of that including "Your social life is over", "Your days are numbered", and "You're in for a rude awakening!") Most women (most adult women I should say) and their spouses are well-aware of the dramatic change that occurs when the baby is born. We don't have unrealistic expectations of what life will be like. We KNOW we won't be able to run off on random vacations, take off to the movies or a fancy restaurant, spend a ton of money on nice clothes....we know. We CHOSE to have the baby despite all of that. And yes, our days ARE numbered. We have 64 more days until McKenna's due date. We're counting down the days until our beautiful baby girl joins our home! Thank GOD our days are numbered! We can't wait!
*And worst of all - please don't share your pregnancy horror stories! We don't want to hear about still births, miscarriages, or incompetent doctors who did something to you so terrible that you are still recovering! Save those stories for AFTER we've delivered! Or at the very least, ASK us if we want to hear them before you share them!

The BEST things you can say to a pregnant woman are:

* "You wear pregnancy well!"
* "You're all belly! You didn't gain weight anywhere else!"
* "You're going to be a terrific mother!"
* And best of all - go ahead and tell us all the reasons why having a baby is far better than any random vacation, trip to the movies or a fancy restaurant, or nice outfits!

Of course if you find that none of these things are true. You don't have to lie. A simple "congratulations" will suffice.

And one other thing - not every pregnant woman likes to have people rub her belly. Some of us think it's great, some of us are uncomfortable with it. Best thing to do - ask first.

Cravings: Hot dogs, fresh fruit dipped in yogurt, cap'n crunch berries

Symptoms: I had to call my doctor this week because I was experiencing a really strong cramp at the top of my uterus that lasted for at least 45 minutes! She instructed me to drink a lot of water and relax and to call her if it continued. Sure enough, a ton of water later I was feeling much better! Dehydration can cause cramps and/or braxton-hicks and it probably didn't help that over the weekend of the baby shower I was so busy that I hardly drank any water at all AND I took a plane trip (which dehydrates you) to VEGAS (hello, it's a desert!) What was I thinking? I should've been downing water the whole weekend as a preventitive measure (oops). I'm also experiencing mild swelling in my feet/ankles and fingers. My feet look like Flinstone feet and my real wedding ring will be put away for safe keeping until after McKenna is born (I really don't want to risk having to get it cut off of my finger anytime soon). Every night my hips get really sore. Whenever I turn over you can hear a loud pop. That would be my hips preparing for childbirth. McKenna remains very active though I'm still able to sleep even while she moves about at night.

McKenna: Our baby's brain continues its amazing development. Up until now, its surface has been smooth. This week, the brain begins to take on its distinctly wrinkled appearance. These wrinkles are called convolutions, and they allow the brain to hold more brain cells. As some things develop, others disappear, like lanugo, the ultrafine hair that covered McKenna's body. She may still have patches of it on her back and shoulders, however. Eating well is tremendously important in the third trimester because our baby is taking nutrients directly from Shannon to build up her internal stores and to gain weight. The calcium from the milk Shannon drink goes directly to building McKenna's bones, and the iron in the prenatal vitamins and iron-rich foods boosts McKenna's iron supply, which will last until she's 6 to 9 months old. Protein is also crucial in these last few months, because it supports healthy cell growth throughout our baby's body. McKenna weighs about 3 pounds this week and is a little more than 10.8 inches from crown to rump. Her total length, including her legs, is about 17 inches.

 

 

Week 29 (May 18-24)

We had our co-ed baby shower on Saturday! Wow! How can we even begin to tell you how much fun it was! Our shower hostesses truly went above and beyond what we could ever have hoped for! Here are some of the creative details:

Theme: Welcoming a New 'Lil Rocker into the World

* Our name badges looked like backstage passes. They were an "All-Access Backstage Pass" for the "McKenna Rocks" Tour.

* We had dark purple and gold stars all over the room, purple gold and black balloons, napkins, plates, etc.

* My sister made a guest book that everyone signed with their baby advice and then they took pictures of everyone who signed so that it can go above their advice in the guest book.

* The cake was a giant pink and purple guitar that said "Rock on McKenna".

* The games were: Name the kids in the different tv shows (Cosby, Full House, Waltons, etc.); Name as many songs as you can think of that have "baby" in the title; Take cut-out pictures of different rockstars and create the best "rockstar baby"; Take one of Erick's songs and create the best mad libs from it; plus 2 drawings for door prizes.

* The prizes were: gift certificates to Chili's, Tower, Borders, Edwards and a DVD of Friends.

* We got a TON of presents. Our SUV was literally filled front-to-back and top-to-bottom! We got both our car seats, our pack 'n play, our kick 'n play bouncer, our baby monitor, our bath tub and our bath seat, a ton of adorable clothes, blankets, accessories (including the cutest swimsuit and baby sunglasses), toys, and practically a lifetime supply of baby toiletries! Plus we got gift cards and spending money for Babies R Us!

* Tons of food! Sandwiches, various salads, chips, candy, beer, soda and water.

* As the guests left they were given purple bags filled with: BABY Ruths, 3 Musketeers (because there are 3 of us now), hershey kisses (cause babies need kisses), tootsie pops (cause one day she'll be a pop star), a guitar pick, plastic pacifiers and booties, a slip of paper with our family web address, and on the outside of the bag were guitar key chains.

It was the best, most creative shower I've ever seen!! We are so grateful for all of the work that everyone put into it and for all of the wonderful gifts and kind wishes from our friends and family. We'll be posting pictures soon!

Cravings: Milk and juice

Symptoms: Pretty much everything that was happening last week continues this week. Leg and foot cramps have increased. Several Braxton-Hicks contractions but nothing serious. It's almost impossible to sleep through the night. McKenna continues to be very active. Erick seems to have a knack for getting her to wiggle and squirm.

McKenna: This week marks an important milestone in our baby's brain development: The brain has matured to the point where it can help regulate body temperature. Of course, our little one isn't ready to do it all on her own yet; she still needs the warmth of Shannon's body to keep her toasty until birth. She also continues to develop nerve cells in her brain. By the time she's born, she'll have hundreds of billions of them. That seems like a lot, but she needs to stock up, since she won't produce any more after birth. McKenna is looking more like a full-term baby, too. She's plumping up nicely; the surface of her skin is smoother and paler because of the fat she's starting to gain. This fat will be an important factor in her ability to keep warm. She also has eyelashes! Despite the increase in fat, McKenna is still pretty thin—only about 2 to 3 percent of her 2.7 pounds is made up of fat. Crown to rump, she measures 10.4 inches, but if you stretched her out, she'd be more than 16 inches long.

 

Week 28 (May 11-17)

I must look really pregnant this week because all sorts of strangers were asking me when the baby is due. It's fun to get the attention but I notice that everyone asks the exact same questions and makes the same comments. Here is a typical conversation with a stranger:

Stranger: "Awww. When is the baby due?"
Me: "August 3"
Stranger: "How wonderful! My _____ is an August baby." (Son, granddaughter, nephew, whichever)
Me: "Really. That's great."
Stranger: "Yes, he/she is going to be 28 this year."
Me: "Wow..."
Stranger: "Are you having a boy or a girl?"
Me: "A little girl"
Stranger: How wonderful!"
Me: "Yes, we're very excited."
Stranger: "Girls are so much fun. Well, congratulations."
Me: "Thank you."

Sometimes it varies. They may warn us that we'll never sleep again. That girls are more difficult/easier than boys. But generally everyone says the same thing. I'll try to keep that in mind the next time I encounter a pregnant woman so that if I do converse with her, I can at least ask her some different questions.

We had our month 7 doctor appointment on Wednesday. All continues to go well. I had to take the glucose screening test 2 days before. They gave me 10 oz. of a substance that tasted like orange soda and was instructed to drink it within 5 minutes and then wait for one hour. After an hour passed they drew blood to check for gestational diabetes and also for the rhogam factor. They also drew blood from Erick to test for the rhogam factor. Because we both have negative blood types, there will be no need for me to be given a shot of Rhogam during or after the pregnancy.

Cravings: Milk, fruit, hot dogs (I actually ate 4 hot dogs in one day!)

Symptoms: Frequent urination (on average 3 times a night!), leg cramps, easily fatigued, sciatic nerve pain, sore hips, heavy heartburn, backaches, intense dreams, linea nigera is getting darker and my belly button is almost a full-blown outtie. I'm extremely clumsy and can I please get through one day without dropping food on my shirt?? As McKenna grows bigger, her kicks and punches become less forceful and are replaced with active squirming.

McKenna: Last week our baby opened her eyes for the first time in four months, and she began to see light and shadows. This week, if you shine a bright light against Shannon's abdomen, McKenna may open her eyes and turn away from the light. Our little one's sight isn't the only sense that's working. Her brain wave patterns indicate that she's responding to sounds in the environment. What's she able to pick up? The sound of our voices, the growl of Shannon's stomach, even noises outside of Shannon's body. Her brain waves are also starting to show differences during sleep. These sleep cycles will become clearer and more distinct as she gets closer to her due date. This is a vital stage in McKenna's lung development. Blood vessels are forming throughout both lungs. When she takes her first breath of air, her lungs will absorb the oxygen, then send it into these vessels, which will circulate the oxygenated blood throughout her body. She is also just starting to manufacture a substance, called a surfactant, which keeps the air sacs in her lungs from sticking together. The surfactant will allow her to breathe properly after birth. The bronchial tubes are also maturing, dividing into smaller and smaller branches. McKenna is gaining weight rapidly now—she may weigh about 2.3 pounds. Crown to rump, she measures 10 inches, but if you were to stretch her out she might be around 15 inches long.

 

Week 27 (May 4 - May 10)

This week McKenna likes to really push up against the front of my belly. I can't usually tell if it's her back or her head or her little behind that's pushing but I was able to tell when I felt her knee! It was unmistakable and so cool to be able to distinguish an actual body part of our little girl!!

Because we had so much to do on Mother's Day, we celebrated my FIRST Mother's Day on Saturday! Erick took me out to breakfast, bought me 3 new maternity shirts and a gift off of our baby registry that he knew I would be too embarrassed to have bought by one of our shower guests - my breast pump. We also picked up the book "On Becoming Babywise" by Gary Ezzo. I can't believe I'm now on the receiving end of this holiday! I am so looking forward to macaroni necklaces and handmade cards from McKenna one day!!

We also received a huge box from our friends Kyle & Lydia filled with a TON of adorable onesies, dresses, rompers, sleepers, blankets, socks, shoes, hats and beanies! Everything in sizes newborn - 3T! They're all so precious! McKenna is going to have one impressive wardrobe!

Cravings: Chocolate

Symptoms: This week was the first week that I had to get up to go the bathroom at least once every single night. And without even realizing it, I've been downing fluids like crazy. I can easily consume about 75-100oz. of fluids a day. In fact, most of the week I prefered to drink something rather than eat (not that I allowed myself to skip meals). Also experiencing leg cramps in the middle of the night as well as numb hips. Sciatic nerve pain, shortness of breath w/cramps near the diaphragm, sensitive stomach, heavy heartburn, and just being plain ol' exhausted were frequent symptoms this week. My stomach feels so big that I literally feel like if I take a deep breath it will burst open. Sitting at my computer all day is very uncomfortable. I always look forward to being able to go home and just stretch out on the couch. I can't believe I still have 3 months to go! I can't even imagine what I'll be feeling like in months 8 & 9!

McKenna: After being fused shut for more than four months, our baby's eyelids can open again. This, combined with the facts that the visual part of her brain is active and most eye structures are complete, means our daughter can see the world around her, limited though it may be. She can't make out objects yet, but she sees light and shadows. By paying attention to her movements inside, Shannon can get a good idea of how McKenna spends her days...and nights. Just like babies in their mothers' arms, our little girl gets lulled to sleep by rocking. Shannon's daily activities may not feel like rocking to her, but the amniotic fluid provides such a cushion that all McKenna feels is gentle swaying. So she's likely to sleep more during the day. It may be a different story at night, once Shannon lies down to get some rest. Suddenly, McKenna is awake and ready to party! Our daughter will gain about 1 pound over the next month. This week, she's up to 13 inches, crown to rump, and weighs about 2 pounds. Though she's growing quickly, her brain and lungs are still immature. Luckily, she's got 13 more weeks to get ready for the outside world.

 

Week 26 (April 27 - May 3)

Ow. Ow. Ow. Sciatic Nerve Pain is REALLY uncomfortable! All night long I have to continuously switch from one side to the next as my hips start to ache but it's really hard to do that with this big belly! Needless to say, I'm not getting much sleep lately! The fatigue I'm experiencing seems to trigger nausea and vomitting again as well. Fortunately, McKenna has been very active which makes it all worth it! She had hiccups this week (aaaaw. how cute) and when Erick placed his head on my belly to listen to her she gave him a few good kicks right in the head.

Cravings: Chocolate, hamburgers, grape gatorade.

Symptoms: Sciatica, major heartburn, backaches, swollen calves, frequent urination, nausea/vomitting, breathlessness (sometimes associated with pain under the ribs from the diaphragm being pushed up), fatigue.

McKenna: This week, our baby's nostrils are starting to open up, which gives her the chance to practice breathing using her muscles and lungs. There's no air to take in, of course, so instead she "inhales" and "exhales" amniotic fluid. By the time she's born, she'll be a pro.
McKenna is also flexing some of her feeding muscles— her lips and mouth. Her sucking reflex is so strong that if her hand floats by her face, she'll suck on her thumb or fingers. Ultrasounds often show babies in utero sucking their thumbs. In fact, some babies are born with sucking blisters on their fingers, thumbs, lips, or hands. Sucking is just one of the 70-plus reflexes our baby will have when she's born. Grasping is another of those many reflexes. If you hold out your finger to a newborn, you'll be amazed by the strength of it's clutch. McKenna is practicing her killer grip right now. Her favorite pull toy is her umbilical cord, which she likes to yank and tug. Don't worry - the cord is up to the challenge. McKenna is about 13 inches long and weighs around 1.75 pounds.

 

 

Week 25 (April 20-26)

We had our 3D ultrasound on April 25 and it was awesome! McKenna slept through most of the ultrasound but she gave us plenty of great shots of her face. It seems like she might have Mommy's nose and chubby cheeks. She likes to sleep with her hand up next to her face and yawned throughout the whole ultrasound. At one point she showed off her flexibility by resting her foot on the bridge of her nose. We were so pleased to get about 40 great pictures of her! Our ultrasound tech was great! After I'd been on my back for about 20 minutes I came pretty close to passing out (the pressure of my uterus was cutting off my blood flow) so she quickly rolled me over to my left side and her and Erick began fanning me. She got me a cool cloth and turned on the air conditioning and offered me water. After the whole episode was over she continued the ultrasound, getting a ton of wonderful shots and telling us how cute our little girl was. I HIGHLY recommend this place to any other parents-to-be. It's called Innovative Imaging in Yorba Linda (714/692-8849 ask for Jill). Be sure to check McKenna's page to see the 3D pics!

Although the ultrasound was definitley the highlite of the week we were also amused at how McKenna responds to the outside world. We had read that she may respond to loud noises. So it was funny when our Pastor said the words "Get up!" loudly during his sermon, McKenna jumped. He said it several more times throughout the sermon and each time...she jumped! Erick's hand was on my belly at the time so we were both trying our best not to laugh since we were right in the Pastor's line of sight! She'll calm down when I start talking but kicks more when her Daddy plays with her. And I'm not positive but she may be picking up a habit of mine. I always get really sluggish and tired on Thursdays and for the past two weeks I've noticed that McKenna is especially sluggish on Thursdays as well!

We've received our schedule for our childbirth class (June 14 & 21) and set our date for the hospital tour June 2) and we're beginning to work on our birth plan! So much is happening and we're having so much fun! I can hardly believe the 3rd trimester is right around the corner!

Cravings: Fruit, chocolate, sushi. And last night I had a dream about coconut cream pie! Craved it all day so Erick took me to get some! YUM! I'm also going through a TON of milk!

Symptoms: Sciatic Nerve Pain (very uncomfortable), major, major heart burn (who knew water would make heartburn worse!), leg cramps in the middle of the night, frequent urination (way more than in the 1st trimester), a few bouts of nausea, backache, breathlessness, nosebleeds in the morning and I've definitley got the pregnant waddle going on! Oh, and my linea nigera showed up! I wasn't sure if I'd be getting one since they tend to show in darker skinned women. But lo and behold - there it is! My fingers are also swelling to a point that I can't wear my wedding ring. Had to break out my fake wedding ring!

McKenna: Her skin is still thin, wrinkled, and pale, but she gets a bit plumper every day, thanks to the fat and muscle she's continually adding. Right now tiny blood vessels called capillaries are starting to develop below our little one's skin, and these will give it a pink hue.
The brain's cortex is developing into layers. Most of the action is still controlled by other brain areas that developed much earlier. The human cerebral cortex is the most elaborate brain structure in all the animal kingdom, giving us the ability to think, plan, and feel in complex ways. McKenna measures 12 to 13 inches and weighs about 1.5 pounds.

McKenna yawning!

 

Week 24 (April 13-19)

This was both a wonderful week and a difficult week. It was difficult because McKenna's kicking slowed down considerably for a 24-hour period and in that same 24-hour period I heard about a girl I know (due August 5) who went into pre-term labor and lost her baby (this was also the same 24-hour period that Laci & Connor Peterson's bodies were found). So needless to say, not feeling McKenna kick very much got me worried. In the midst of all my worrying, a friend emailed me and asked how I was feeling and I told her about my worries. Since she had just had a baby a few months ago she was able to share with me that she had often experienced the same thing and not to worry. I went to prayer and reiterated to God that no matter what, I still trusted Him above all else with McKenna's life. She is His gift to us and we know that He loves her even more than we do.

The week was wonderful because eventually McKenna DID start kicking again and with force! She even gave me one especially hard kick that was so strong I actually jumped and gasped. I've been feeling her ever since and grateful for every jab and punch! We also had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday which went well. We got to hear the heartbeat again (healthy and strong) and once again were reassured that everything is right on target. At our next appointment I will have to take the Glucose Screening Test to test for Gestational Diabetes. I will also find out if I need to take Rhogam (a blood product to prevent my RH- blood from attacking McKenna).

We got a lot done this week as well. We totally re-arranged our bedroom and moved McKenna's bassinet and nursery cart in (we were glad to find we had plenty of room!)We registered for our Childbirth Preparation Class though we won't know the dates of the class until they send us a confirmation letter. We selected a pediatrician which was decided not only because of the excellent referrals we got for him but as it turns out, he was Erick's pediatrician when he was growing up! And we're THRILLED to have set an appointment for a 3D ultrasound on April 25. We can't wait to see our little girl again! We will be sure to post the pictures on McKenna's web site so be sure to keep an eye out for those!

Cravings: Any kind of fruit juice, cheese, green olives

Symptoms: Braxton-Hicks contractions (particularly as I learn what activities are now considered "pushing myself"), nose bleeds, foot cramps, feeling REALLY huge, backaches, clumsiness.

McKenna: Jumping and diving, rolling and kicking—our little one is having a great time training for the Baby Olympics. Just as Shannon settles in for a good night's sleep, McKenna starts her workout. Babies are most active between 24 and 28 weeks. After that, there won't be enough room for her to perform the acrobatics she's so adept at now. If our baby could look down at her chest, she'd get her first anatomy lesson. Because her skin is still thin and transparent, it's possible to see the blood vessels, bones, and organs beneath it. Her skin will continue to thicken as the months pass, until it's opaque like ours. Even though McKenna's eyes are still fused shut, all the parts of her eyes are present, including the retina, which completes its development over the next month. The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have any pigmentation. Her eye color will fill in over the next few months, though their final shade won't be settled until after she's born. McKenna weighs up to 1.3 pounds this week and measures 10 to 11 inches.

 

Week 23 (April 6-12)

Shopping and registering! We had such a blast! We bought a ton of stuff for McKenna including her homecoming outfit, a bunch of onesies, sleepers and gowns, socks and booties, hats, a few bibs, pacifiers, rash ointment, shampoo, lotion and baby wash, bath toys and storage baskets and carts to put it all in! The registry is complete and available online at www.babiesrus.com. We're registering for our childbirth preparation classes this week and also making our appointment for our 3D ultrasound. So we've gotten a lot done lately which makes me extra happy!

Cravings: Fruit roll-ups and Rice Krispie Treats

Symptoms: McKenna has taken to tap-dancing on my bladder, headaches, backaches, Braxton-hicks (I think I need to increase my fluid intake), foot/calf cramps, bloody noses, and a rapidly-growing and itchy belly. I daydream about bringing McKenna home but I also daydream about my skinny jeans.

McKenna: Now that bones in her ears have hardened, our baby can hear us and prefers our voices to any other sound. The amniotic fluid that surrounds our baby is the perfect place for her to grow into a healthy newborn. The salty fluid keeps her warm, protects her from infections, and is buoyant enough for her to exercise her developing body. Right now the amniotic sac contains about a pint of fluid, which is refreshed every three to four hours. McKenna looks like a tiny, thin newborn. She now weighs close to 1 pound and measures 9 to 10 inches, about the length of a Barbie doll.

 

Week 22 (March 30 - April 5)

This week I started going through my closet so that I could pack up my pre-pregnancy clothes. Almost nothing fits anymore and it's taking up valuable space! It was entertaining to try on a tshirt and watch my belly pop right out of it. Fortunately, I've got a nice supply of maternity clothes on hand and for the most part, today's maternity styles are much more attractive then they used to be. At first I wasn't enjoying my maternity wardrobe because they were so big on me that I just looked frumpy. But now that my belly is obviously a pregnant belly, it's much more fun to "dress it up."

Cravings: Milk, apple juice, fruit, hot dogs.

Symptoms: Braxton-Hicks contractions, heartburn, fatigue, breathlessness. I woke up in the middle of the night and found my right hand completely numb. Apparently if you have a job that makes you susceptible to carpal tunnel (like, oh, being a secretary) it can be aggravated by pregnancy because of the increased blood flow. After a long day of typing it isn't unusual for the hands to become numb at night. Ok, as long as it's normal!! My belly button is being pulled across my tummy and I expect it to become an outie soon. I was able to pick up McKenna's heartbeat with the stethoscope! It sounded like a herd of galloping horses and I was able to listen to it for a full 15 minutes (she actually stayed still long enough for once!) Erick was also able to pick it up a few days later. As she gets bigger we expect it will get easier and easier.

McKenna: As if concentrating on a tricky math problem, our clever baby can furrow her brow. And now she's actually getting eyebrows to do it with! These fine hairs, like the hair on her scalp, don't contain any pigment yet-they're pure white. Her eyelids are completely developed too, though they're fused shut until about 28 weeks. Jumping jacks may be our baby's favorite activity these days. Now that her arms and legs have reached their final proportions (but not their final size), she's exercising them vigorously-kicking, flexing, and clasping her hands. Speaking of her hands, fingernails now completely cover her fingertips, just as yours do. And they keep growing. In fact, we may need to trim our baby's nails right after she's born so she doesn't scratch herself. Even though our baby measures more than 9.5 inches now, she still doesn't weigh much-about 13 ounces. At this point, she has only 1 percent body fat. But from here on out, she'll be adding layers of fat, which will help her to produce and retain body heat. McKenna's fat is a lot like the kind Shannon is putting on during pregnancy. It's called brown fat and is readily turned into energy to keep them both on an even keel.

 

Week 21 (March 23-29)

We’re starting to prepare for McKenna’s arrival. My “nesting” instincts are saying “Get what you can done now because you will be much more tired in the third trimester!” So we bought McKenna’s bassinet, a nursery organizer cart for her clothes, a toy hammock to hold her stuffed animals, a pink fleece blanket, a baby book, and a starter package of Huggies. We also went shopping for some more maternity clothes as I am looking more and more pregnant every day. We’re having a lot of fun preparing for her and can’t wait until the day when we get to see HER in the bassinet, using the toys, snuggled under her blanket, etc.

Cravings: Still can’t get enough milk and OJ. Subway’s Italian B.M.T. and Souplantation are back on my favorites list. I’ve welcomed sweets back into my diet once again but still not very much. Usually just a little will satisfy the craving. I’d still prefer fruit to candy if I have the option.

Symptoms: Heartburn! Every day, 3pm, without fail. And poor Erick is experiencing this symptom right along with me! He rarely had heartburn but now, every day, 3pm, without fail he’s in as much discomfort as I am! And we are both exhausted beyond belief and find ourselves taking any opportunity we can to snuggle up for a cat nap together. I was extra hormonal this week. Not irritable so much but just very emotional. I’ve also been having small instances of nausea/vomitting this week. I’m still experiencing plenty of round-ligament pain and also lots of movement from McKenna. I worry a lot less now that I can feel her move on a regular basis.

McKenna: Her heartbeat gets stronger and louder every day. Up until a few weeks ago, our doctor needed a special device called a Doppler to hear it. Now all that's needed is a stethoscope. Fortunately for us, we have a doctor in the family who let us borrow his stethoscope (thank you Mike!) so we play around with that every so often. So far we haven’t been able to pick up her heartbeat on our own but we can hear her kick the stethoscope which is always funny. McKenna is already starting to sleep and wake in subtle cycles. She’s awake and active starting around 5am and off and on until about 8am. She’s always sure to give me a few solid kicks just before my lunch hour. Then she may stir throughout the day but isn’t back into super-active mode until after dinner. From that point we can usually enjoy her wiggles off and on until midnight. Ultrasounds show that unborn babies may even settle into a favorite sleeping position. McKenna might tuck her chin into her chest, clasp her hands under her chin, or tilt her head back. Our baby girl weighs approximately 14 oz. and is around 9.5-10 inches long.

 

Week 20 (March 16 - 22)

This has been the week we were waiting for! The week of the ultrasound! Tuesday could not get here fast enough. We are very excited to announce that we're having a healthy baby girl! McKenna Riley is measuring right on target and all of her little parts appeared to be in good working order. She even gave us a little smile for the ultrasound photo (see below). In addition to the ultrasound I had my regular ob/gyn appointment and everything is right on target with Mom as well! My weight, blood pressure, and fundal height are right where they're supposed to be, my AFP test came back negative, and all of my current symptoms are completely normal. We left that doctor's office, ultrasound photo in hand, absolutely overjoyed and grateful for God's blessings. Daddy took his girls out for lunch and then we stopped by Babies R Us so that he could buy his daughter her first girly outfit - a pink t-shirt and denim overalls with flowers sewn on them. Knowing now that it's McKenna rolling around in there has made it so much more special to talk to her, read to her, sing to her and just feel her every day movements. Sometimes I just place my hand on my growing belly and think "Wow, that's my daughter in there!" We can't wait to meet her!

Cravings: Milk, milk, milk! And Subway's Italian B.M.T. w/veggies.

Symptoms: Increased appetite, sore hips, minor backaches, the total inability to use my stomach muscles the way I used to, a rapidly growing belly and a ton of baby movement. Two benefits of pregnancy I've noticed this week: My leg hair doesn't grow nearly as fast and my finger nails are looking quite lovely!

What's happening with McKenna: Last week, vernix started to coat our baby's skin. This week, she's completely covered with the creamy substance, which will protect her delicate skin from the amniotic fluid. McKenna is truly starting to experience the world around her, limited though it may be. Her brain has been working overtime developing the nerve centers dedicated to her senses, and they're coming alive. She's more responsive to the changes in the world around her: Shannon's activity, sounds in the environment (particularly her Daddy's voice), and even the taste of the amniotic fluid. Shannon has felt McKenna rolling, diving, and kicking inside her belly. Now she might also feel a rhythmic jerking called hiccups or hiccoughs. Most babies get the hiccups in utero, possibly due to an immature diaphragm having spasms. There's nothing that can be done to stop the hiccups, but there's no need to-they won't harm the baby now or after she's born. After establishing a scalp hair pattern several weeks ago, the baby is moving to the next step: growing hair. And this isn't lanugo; it's the real deal. But don't get visions of a lustrous mane just yet. Most of this hair will start to fall out two weeks after birth. Don't worry-our little one will gradually grow permanent hair, which will probably be lighter in color than the hair she has at birth. Elsewhere in our baby's head, the bones of the inner ear are now fully formed, and her nose is beginning to develop into its recognizable shape. The baby books say that McKenna weighs about 7.5 to 9 ounces and measures approximately 8.5 inches. But from the ultrasound we know that she weighs closer to 12 ounces and is closer to 9 or 9.5 inches - right where she should be by 20 weeks!

McKenna's first picture!

 

Week 19 (March 9 - 15)

Ugh, this week I felt terrible. It was definitely the flu I was coming down with last week because it knocked me flat on my butt this week! I had a sore throat, head cold, fever and vomiting and was out of commission from Wednesday night straight through Sunday. Apparently, pregnancy makes it a little more difficult to get over sicknesses! Fortunately, my fever never reached high enough where I needed to call the doctor and our little wiggle worm was still very active morning, noon and night so I wasn't worried about how he/she was doing.

Cravings: Nothing but hot soup. Everything I wanted needed to be as hot as possible to bring me some relief from the congestion.

Symptoms: Because of the flu I was offered some relief from the normal heartburn. Other than that, just a LOT of baby movement.

Baby Bieger: If we're carrying a girl, the reproductive system is already well established. The vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place, and the ovaries contain more than 6 million primitive egg cells. When our baby is born, that number will have shrunk to about 1 million, which is all the eggs she'll ever have. If we're having a boy, things are also moving along. The male reproductive system is nearly fully developed. Testicles have formed and have been secreting testosterone since about week 10 of our pregnancy. The external genitalia, which became male in the first trimester, are continuing to grow. Around this time, the skin starts to produce a creamy substance called vernix caseosa, which is made of oils secreted by the skin, dead cells, and lanugo, the fine hair that covers the body. This waxy coating protects our little one's skin from the effects of floating in amniotic fluid. Most of the vernix will disappear before birth, unless our baby arrives early. Preterm babies are often born still covered with a lot of vernix. Even full-term infants will have a bit of vernix in the creases of their skin. Baby Bieger measures about 7 inches and weighs anywhere from 6.5 to 8 ounces. There's a definite upswing on the fetal growth chart now, so expect some big gains in the coming weeks.

Week 18 (March 2 – March 8)

I think we should call this week “Wiggles Week.” Because we have one wiggly baby on our hands! Erick felt the baby kick for the first time on Sunday which was a really special moment for us. And since then this little guy/gal hasn’t stopped moving! He/she responds quite often to Daddy’s voice and last night Erick and I sat watching the little kicks and jabs rise up out of my belly. It was both totally bizarre and completely amazing! The baby kicked, Erick poked. The baby kicked again. But this time when Erick went to poke him/her the baby kicked HIM! Ah….sneaky little one!

Cravings: Steak, salad, green apples, miso soup. And though my craving for them was mild, I stocked up on Girl Scout Cookies.

Aversions: Foods don’t really disgust me anymore but I am more sensitive to bad smells. Our down stairs neighbors smoke, garbage that needs to be thrown out, etc. are all magnified now.

Symptoms: I wasn’t feeling so well this week. It really felt like the flu but I’m not sure if it was or not. Headache, sore throat, nausea/vomiting, round ligament pain, dizziness, fatigue, breathlessness, foot cramp, extremely chapped lips, baby movement.

Baby Bieger: This week, our little one is developing one of the characteristics that will make his/her unique: fingerprints. Pads of fat accumulating on the fingertips and toes will turn into distinguishing swirling lines. The large intestine has been tacked down to the back of the abdominal wall, and many digestive glands are forming. This developing digestive system has been going through its paces for several weeks already: The baby is swallowing amniotic fluid, which then makes its way through the stomach and intestines. Now, that fluid combines with dead cells and secretions in the intestines to form meconium. Meconium is the black, tarry substance that will eventually make up our baby's first messy diaper. Baby Bieger weighs up to 7 ounces and is about 6.5 to 7 inches, top to bottom.

 

Week 17 (February 23 - March 1)

This week has been a week of some pregnancy firsts! First time a stranger offered to give up his seat for me, first time someone other than Erick rubbed my belly, first time I had strangers smiling at my belly, first leg cramp that woke me up in the middle of the night (ouch!) We had dinner with our friends Ted & Kim this week and got to meet their new baby Matthew. What an angel! I hope our little one has a temperament like he does! It was fun to see them again and to be around a baby. Erick and I can hardly wait for our son or daughter to arrive!

Cravings: Fruit and red meat.

Aversions: Nothing much. I've found that some things smell really good but I can't stand the taste (tomato juice, split pea soup). Probably my body's way of saying I need the nutrients that are in those things.

Symptoms: Growing belly, baby movement, headaches, morning nausea.

Baby Bieger: This week, our little one starts to plump up a bit. The fat that's acquired, also called adipose tissue, helps produce and retain body heat. Fat tissue is also important for metabolism, since it's a great source of energy. This is a time of tremendous growth-the baby might measure up to 6.8 inches and weighs nearly 5 ounces. "What are these new things my mouth and throat can do?" Our little one has been working on two basic reflexes for a few weeks: sucking and swallowing. By the time he/she is born, he/she will have nearly all the reflexes that we do, ones that will help the baby survive and learn about the world. If we're going to have a girl, a special set of tissues is developing into the uterus and vagina. If a boy is in our future, these same tissues are taking another path: The penis has formed and the prostate has begun to take shape. The testosterone-secreting cells, which formed a month ago, are key in orchestrating these developments.

 

Week 16 (February 16-22)

This week has been a really fun week! I've felt the baby moving a LOT which was really exciting and comforting (Even as I type this I've already felt a couple of little taps). On Tuesday we had a doctor appointment and it went great! My weight is right on target. She found the heartbeat RIGHT away and it was much stronger, louder and faster than when we heard it at 10 weeks. As we were listening, the baby jumped away from the Doppler (to them it's as loud as a helicopter over your house) and the nurse laughed and said "Wow! Active baby!" I also had blood drawn for the AFP test (to measure the risk of brain or spinal cord defects) and we should get the results on Monday. The doctor also gave us a huge bag of free stuff that included samples, a changing pad, several magazines, and a book of the hospital's policies and birthing classes that we can sign up for. There is also a place for us to write out our birth plan which made me happy that they would give us the opportunity to voice our opinions. Before we left we set our next appointment for March 18. That's the appointment when we'll have our ultrasound and will find out if we're having a son or a daughter! We can hardly wait!

Cravings: Cherry Coke, cheese, fruits and veggies

Aversions: Nothing too noticeable. I've been eating a lot better lately!

Symptoms: Dizziness, growing belly, baby movement, fatigue. I'm still experiencing nausea in the morning or if I get too hungry. But after those two weeks that were REALLY bad, this seems much more tolerable!

Baby Bieger: The appearance of body hair and possibly head hair was the big story last week. This week, thanks to strengthening muscles, our little one is working on lifting the head and neck from their curved position. Being able to straighten out a bit makes sitting up a possibility. Our baby is also moving those arms and legs frequently. These workouts could even get a sweat going, since the sweat glands have already formed (of course, Shannon's body will keep things at just the right temperature). Sometime between now and 20 weeks, Shannon may be able to feel movement for the first time. Baby Bieger is about 4.5 to 4.75 inches long and just under 3 ounces.

Week 15 (February 9-15)

Could it be? Is it possible? Yes! I think it's true! I think the worst of the nausea is over! This week we overcame a huge hurdle and have managed to get through most of the days without any nausea or vomiting! If I get too hungry, I might feel it a little but nowhere near as bad as the past few weeks have been. I've also got a bit more energy back, which is GREAT! We bought the Dr. Seuss book "Oh Baby, the Places You Will Go" for Erick to begin reading to the baby. He's already been carrying on conversations with the baby for the past couple of weeks and looking for his own ways to bond with his son/daughter. Depending on his mood he's either extremely precious or extremely funny. Either way, its fun to watch.

Cravings: Spicy mustard, Miso soup.

Aversions: None that I've noticed.

Symptoms: Mild heartburn, growing/stretching belly, super-itchy feet/ankles if I stand in one place too long, extreme dizziness on Wednesday.

Baby Bieger: By the end of the week, Baby Bieger's scalp hair pattern will be established for life. Some hair might begin to sprout, although it's usually not evident for a few more weeks. Of course, this is no guarantee that our baby will be born with a full head of hair; some babies stay bald until several months after birth. Ultrafine, soft hair called lanugo is also appearing over his/her entire body. This downy hair, which protects the delicate skin from the amniotic fluid, usually disappears just before or after birth. Underneath that lanugo is a fine layer of skin through which you can see blood vessels, which are already transporting blood. Mouth development continues-our little one may even be sucking on a thumb right now-and facial movements are a regular occurrence. Baby Bieger weighs anywhere from 1.7 to 2.5 ounces and measures 4.1 to 4.5 inches from crown to rump-about the size of a small grapefruit.

Week 14 (February 2-8)

The nausea and vomiting continue but at a friend’s suggestion I started eating a half of a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread with a small glass of milk just before bed. That really helped to ease the nausea and heartburn at night and I’ve been able to get a decent night’s sleep. Having a restful night relieves a bit of the morning nausea and gives me enough energy to be able to return to work. I get to work around 7am and depending on the day I either tough it out and throw up in the trashcan at my desk or I don’t experience anything more than some gagging and some heartburn. Erick and I don’t get home until 5:30pm or later but by the time he picks me up from work I’m a zombie! We both find ourselves eager for the weekend and have begun to guard our free time jealously!

I’m pretty sure I’ve felt the baby move on at least 2 occasions though I’ve been reluctant to tell anyone other than Erick because most people just pass it off as gas bubbles. However both times the movement was low in my abdomen (where my uterus is and not where I normally experience gas bubbles) and the first time it felt like a strong pulse but with no set rhythm (as though he/she was just bumping into my uterine wall several times like a balloon bumps against the ceiling). The second time I felt one big pop which at first concerned me but when I thought about it realized what it really felt like was that I’d been kicked. Those are really the only two that I believe were for sure the baby. I’m very anxious to start feeling those movements more often (though I haven’t been really looking for them because I know that more active movement occurs around weeks 16-22) and Erick and I are both awaiting the day when he’ll be able to feel his son or daughter moving from the outside. I remember when our friend Robin was pregnant with little Sarah and Robin let me feel her tummy one time when Sarah had the hiccups. It was so amazing and unbelievable and precious! Erick and I are anticipating those days with our little one and are excited that they’ll be here soon!

Cravings: Bratwurst w/sauerkraut, tomato soup w/sour cream and cheese (I have never even had tomato soup before and I’d always thought of it as the most disgusting soup they could ever make), fried zucchini. Despite being nauseous, my appetite is still ravenous!

Aversions: Getting up early

Symptoms: Nausea/vomiting, LOTS of heartburn (more often than nausea actually), fatigue, tons of pulling and stretching and definitely showing now (can the rest of the world tell? Still not sure. The ladies at my work said they can), breathlessness.

Baby Bieger: If our little one could understand your jokes, you'd see a smile this week (or a frown if you're not the world's most entertaining comedian). Our baby's mouth can even open and close and is starting to make swallowing and sucking motions (watch out, thumb). Those facial muscles are really getting a workout! The esophagus, windpipe, larynx, and vocal cords are all in place. Of course, the vocal cords can't make any sounds yet, since he/she is floating in fluid. But they're already being prepped for that first loud wail after birth. With each passing week, our baby is looking more like the little person we'll meet the day we give birth. By now, the eyes have moved to their proper place at the top of the face, and the ears have moved from the neck to the sides of the head. The jaws have been complete for a while, and the palate is now "zipping up," closing from front to back. Our little one weighs about 2 ounces and measures 3.2 to 4.3 inches long.

 

Week 13 (January 26-February 1)

Definitely no improvement on the nausea/vomiting so far. Although if I finish my meal and then lay down to rest I found it's easier to keep what I just ate rather than lose it! I'm really grateful for the time at home to rest but seriously beginning to wonder if I'll be ok to return to work on Feb. 5. Erick's been great working full-time at his new job, part-time at AUMC and still doing the dishes and trying to keep the apartment somewhat straightened for me. He encourages me to get lots of rest but even after he's dead tired he's taken me out so I can get a little bit of fresh air each day. He's gonna be such a wonderful dad!

Cravings: Mom Bieger's Chicken Tortellini Salad, iced tea, jello.

Aversions: Fish, anything greasy.

Symptoms: Nausea/vomiting, headaches, increased heartburn, pulling/stretching & round ligament pain, vivid dreams, hip cramps, extremely itchy legs after standing in one place for too long, bloody nose, dizziness, breathlessness (even just from taking out the garbage!)

Baby Bieger: Now that the baby has completed the task of forming all the critical body structures, the organs go to work. The liver secretes bile, the pancreas produces insulin, and the kidneys form urine to carry waste away. The urine is excreted into the amniotic fluid. Our little one's intestines, which have partially resided in the umbilical cord, have moved back into the abdomen now that there's enough room to accommodate them. With muscle layers forming in the gut, it'll soon be time to get things moving through the digestive system, too. Baby Bieger is now about the size of a large plum, weighing less than 1 ounce and measuring anywhere from 2.6 to 4 inches. The head takes up half of that length, thanks to all that brain development. Over the next few months, the body will grow at breakneck speed to catch up. When our baby is born, the head will be only a quarter of his/her total length.

 

Week 12 (January 19-25)

I guess it was wishful thinking that my nausea was going away! It came back with a vengeance this week! This time accompanied by more vomiting, headaches and lasting all day and night! It was also keeping me awake at night which made for very difficult mornings having to be at work by 7:15am. Fortunately, my doctor and my boss have allowed me 2 weeks leave of absence! I'm so grateful to be home where I can rest when I need to. I've also experienced a few back spasms, a stiff neck and for some reason my right leg can not get comfortable! My doctor says this is all normal though.

Cravings: Subway sandwiches w/lots of veggies (I used to nix all veggies from my sandwiches), lemon drops (they help the nausea at night), orange juice every morning.

Aversions: I try to ignore my aversions and just get the food down. Although every morning they show a commercial for "Joe's Crab Shack" at 7am and I have to cover my eyes. But really, does ANYONE want to think about seafood that early??

Symptoms: Nausea worsens. Back spasms, stiff neck, uncomfortable right leg, headaches. Lots of pulling and stretching and round ligament pain. Also, a few vivid dreams especially about the baby. They haven't really been scary dreams though. Just weird.

Baby Bieger: Last week nail beds formed at the tips of Baby Bieger's fingers and toes. This week, fingernails actually start to grow from those nail beds and will continue to grow until birth. Many babies are actually born with long fingernails that need to be trimmed soon after delivery. The truly critical period for the baby's development is coming to a close. By the end of this week, the monumental task of growing new body structures will be complete. All the parts are there, from the pinky fingers to the little toes. Even the sex organs have developed, though it's too soon for an ultrasound to determine if we're carrying a girl or a boy. By this week, the eyelids have formed and will close. They'll remain fused together until late in our second trimester. For the next 28 weeks, Baby Bieger's job is to keep growing and developing. This week he/she weighs 0.3 to 0.5 ounce and measures around 2.5 inches.

 

Week 11 (January 12-18)

The nausea is a lot less in the morning though it sometimes kicks in when I start to get hungry in the afternoons or before dinner. My tummy is definitely getting bigger though it’s still not noticeable to the rest of the world. My food aversions are fading somewhat so eating has become less of a hassle. But brushing my teeth in the morning is still a dangerous adventure.

Cravings: Grapes, sandwiches.

Aversions: Nothing out of the ordinary.

Symptoms: Less nausea but its still present. Fatigue continues as do my early-evening naps. Heartburn every day around 3pm (weird). Lots and lots of stretching and pulling and definitely feeling like I’m expanding. Very emotional (I cried 3 times when Erick started his new job).

Baby Bieger: The baby's heart has been beating furiously for weeks. A baby's heart beats twice as fast as an adults, anywhere between 120 to 140 beats per minute. In addition to perfecting its beat, the heart has become a proper four-chambered structure over the past month, although some of the dividing walls won't be complete until after birth. A fine layer of skin has been forming over the baby's body during the past few weeks. Now, a specialized layer develops into what will become the fingernails and toenails. Baby Bieger has grown quite a bit since last week-the crown-to-rump length is just over 2 inches. The baby's head alone is nearly half the length of the body, which shows you how rapidly the brain is growing. Genius in the making!

 

Week 10 (January 5-11)

Well, I finally had my first craving that sent my husband out in the middle of the night. I woke up at 1am craving Salt & Vinegar chips. Erick was still up and fighting the battle at Helm’s Deep (Xbox) and paused mid-battle to run me to 5 different stores before we finally found some! He’s already a sacrificial dad! I had to order my first pair of maternity jeans though I expect they’ll be a little big on me for another month or so. And we also had fun investigating the different baby products at Babies R Us and already creating a list of the things we’ve decided on! We got to hear the baby’s heartbeat on January 8!! It took her a minute or so to find it and that was extremely suspenseful! But once she did it was the most wonderful sound in the whole world! It was so tiny but very strong and healthy! Praise God!

Cravings: Sour things! Salt & Vinegar chips, pickles, orange juice.

Aversions: I keep thinking I want cheese but whenever I go to eat it, it’s VERY unappetizing.

Symptoms: Nausea continues at full-force. Fatigue is letting up just a little though I still fall asleep for an early-evening nap. Heartburn a little more often then before. Stretching and pulling continue but less cramping. I’m also very emotional and found myself crying during “Everybody Loves Raymond” when Allie buried her pet hamster.

Baby Bieger: Arm and leg development was the big news last week. By the end of this week, the outside ears will be developed. Right now they sit very low on the head, but as the head grows bigger, they'll move to the right spot on either side. Soon, Baby Bieger will be able to hear our voices!Our little one's eyes are also developing. The basic optical structure is in place and the eyelids are beginning to cover the eyes, which are still on either side of the head. Our baby's first tooth won't break through the gums until several months after birth, but those little choppers are already starting to form as tiny tooth buds. At birth, he/she will have 20 baby teeth waiting to pop out during the first few years of life, as well as permanent teeth developing underneath the gums.Thanks in part to developing bones and lengthening limbs, the Baby Bieger now weighs about 2.5 grams and measures a little over an inch from crown to rump (head to bottom).

 

Week 9 (December 29-January 4)

Finding clothing is not quite as easy as it used to be! My clothes are starting to get tighter but I’m not quite in the maternity clothes stage yet. I had to go shopping for some loose-fitting outfits so I have a little breathing room! I’m also noticing that things I used to do with my stomach muscles (particularly getting up and sitting down) I now need the assistance of my arms. My nausea continues to come on strong particularly on work days when I get less sleep and have to get up early. The nausea starts right away but brushing my teeth triggers the gagging. I have a hard time staying awake in the afternoons and usually take an early evening nap now.

Cravings: This week it’s been difficult to decide what I want to eat. Nothing seems to sound good despite being starved! However once every so often I’ll see something on tv and THAT’S what I’ll want.

Aversions: In the morning, everything is an aversion!

Symptoms: Nausea, nausea and more nausea. Lots of stretching and pulling this week! Fatigue and mood swings. I’m also very forgetful and spacey and have no drive to get anything done.

Baby Bieger: Baby gets a new name this week-the official designation is now fetus. And this fetus is looking less and less like a pink blob. The tail has disappeared and the body shape is now emerging, thanks in part to the elongation and straightening of the trunk area. This is a critical period for arm and leg development. The legs have lengthened, and the buds that will eventually become the toes have started to sprout. Meanwhile, the arms have gotten longer and have begun to bend at the elbow. A basic hand structure is forming too, with the fingers and thumb clearly differentiated. The abdomen is developing as well: The structures that will be the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and adrenal gland are becoming specialized. This is the beginning of the dance period! Our little one has started moving vigorously, even in response to stimuli from outside my body, such as light and noise. But I won't be able to feel this action until well into the second trimester. Baby Bieger measures about 1 inch long this week!

 

 

Week 8 (December 22-28)

The nausea continues but if I eat some sort of bread (wheat toast or breakfast sandwich) it will disappear pretty quick. However I now feel nauseous in both the early evening AND the late night. I started taking my prenatals before bed and that has helped ease the heartburn a lot. We have now officially told everyone about the baby! All are excited! Erick does a fantastic impression of what I look like when I "casually begin gagging and insist that I'm fine." :

Cravings: Breakfast meats (sausage, ham) and chili. Pickles! I ate 4 before I realized I didn't want the pickle, I wanted the juice! I then proceeded to drink half a jar of pickle juice!

Aversions: Souplantation salads.

Symptoms: Nausea, stretching uterus, very thirsty. My skin has slightly improved and I have a little more energy. I think the extra sleep over the holidays has really helped.

Baby Bieger: Last week, the brain started to develop into three distinct structures. This week, other body parts are beginning: Hands and feet are forming tiny webbed fingers and toes. And the tail Baby Bieger has been sporting starts to disappear.The extremities aren't the only things developing-the middle is making strides too. As the intestines form, a middle loop moves into the umbilical cord because there's not enough room for it in the abdomen. Even at this early stage, the intestines are working to carry waste away from the body. A month from now, when there's more room in the baby's belly, the intestines will have moved back into the abdomen and out of the cord. If you could poke Baby Bieger's body, you'd see him/her react with a jerk. This is because the developing nervous system is already communicating with the muscles. Baby Bieger is about the size of a gum ball, weighing in at about 0.25 gram and measuring anywhere from 7 to 17 millimeters (roughly 0.5 inch).

 

Week 7 (December 15-21)

Nausea continues to come on strong! I have to force myself to eat in the morning because that helps. If I eat one more saltine I will lose my mind so I try to snack on cereals that are high in folic acid. Erick is very anxious to run out and get me weird snacks. I haven't taken advantage of it too much but it's so good to know he's willing. On the plus side, it's been very easy to know where to eat lately. I'll usually know exactly what I want and the idea of anything else makes me sick.

Cravings: Salad and chicken or turkey sandwiches.

Aversions: Spicy pickled eggs.

Symptoms: Major nausea, stretching uterus, extreme fatigue, mood swings, skin break outs, heartburn.

Baby Bieger: Baby's big accomplishment last week was the "zipping up" of the neural tube. This week, the budding genius is working on building brainpower. Although brain development will continue long after birth, the basic sections are laid down now. As the week progresses, the organ will divide into three parts: forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. The forebrain will be responsible for things such as reasoning, problem solving, and forming and retaining memories. The midbrain will function as a traffic cop, relaying electrical signals to their final destinations in the brain. And the hindbrain will take care of breathing, heart rate, and muscle movement. The action isn't all upstairs, however. Limbs are also growing fast. Arm and leg buds have sprouted, though at this point they look more like paddles.Baby Bieger is 0.15 to 0.3 inch (4 to 8 millimeters) long this week, a little larger than the width of your pinky nail.

 

 

Week 6 (December 8-14)

Everyone said morning sickness gets worse at 6 weeks and let me tell you, it was right on cue! Morning up until noon I have severe nausea. Then I'm fine for the day until about 11pm when I get really hungry and nauseous at the same time. We had our second doctor appointment and it was pretty routine and uneventful (looking forward to Jan. 8 when we get to hear the heartbeat). They pretty much just check for urinary tract infections or high blood pressure and say that they'll call if there is a problem.

Cravings: Salad and chicken or turkey sandwiches.

Aversions: Spicy pickled eggs and sweets.

Symptoms: Major nausea, stretching uterus, extreme fatigue, mood swings, skin break out, heartburn.

Baby Bieger: An important milestone occurs this week: The neural tube, which began to form last week, starts to close over what will become the baby's spinal cord. Although Baby Bieger still looks somewhat like a tiny tadpole, folds of tissue are developing at the top, and these will eventually become our little one's chin, cheeks, and jaw. The areas that will be the eyes and nose have started to project as bumps, and the inner-ear structure is pushing inward. The heart tube, which formed last week, continues its development as it gradually grows into four primitive chambers and starts to beat like a tiny drum. Other major organs, such as the kidneys and liver, are also beginning to take shape. The lungs each exist as a single tube, and they're starting to form into pouch-like structures; they've got lots of blossoming to do before they're ready for air. Baby Bieger keeps growing bigger, now measuring about 0.1 inch, or 2.5 millimeters.

 

 

Week 5 (December 1-7)

Got the test results back from the doctor confirming (officially) that we ARE pregnant. Due date is August 3, 2003! My HCG levels were smack in the middle of normal and no real problems with my test results. One small red flag was that I am RH negative. If Erick was positive then we would have had to give me a blood product however Erick is negative so it won't be an issue at all. What a relief!

Cravings: Spicy pickled eggs dipped in ranch.

Aversions: Sweets.

Symptoms: minor cramps/stretching/pulling, minor nausea twice, extreme fatigue, heartburn.

Baby Bieger: The placenta, which started to form last week, and the beginnings of the umbilical cord are already working to channel essential nutrients from my body to the baby's. Oxygen, amino acids, fats, and sugars all play a vital role in this incredible construction project. One of the layers of specialized cells is developing into the neural tube, which will become the spinal column and the brain. The heart is now a single tube with a few uncoordinated beats. These thumps will become more regular with each passing week. At 0.05 to 0.1 inch, Baby Bieger is about the size of a small orange seed.

 

Week 4 (November 24-30)

We found out yesterday that we're expecting! We are so thrilled! We found out together with a home pregnancy test ("Are you SURE you see a line?" "Shannon, that is DEFINITLEY a line!"). Erick ran around the apartment "Woo-hooing" and I could barely get him to stand still long enough to hug! Our first doctor appointment was November 27. They took 4 vials of blood, a urine sample, weighed me, asked about family medical history, and made sure I was on prenatals.

Cravings: Spicy pickled eggs dipped in ranch. (They were already in place when we tested positive!)

Aversions: Sweets.

Symptoms: minor cramps/stretching/pulling, minor nausea once, fatigue, heartburn.

Baby Bieger: The fertilized egg is implanting itself into the side of the uterus, where it continues its rapid development. Once implanted, the egg divides into layers of cells and officially becomes an embryo. These cell layers will grow into specialized parts of Baby Bieger's body, such as the nervous system, skeleton, muscles, and organs.The placenta, the disk-like organ that connects my circulation to the baby's, begins to form and attaches to the uterine wall at the site of implantation. The umbilical cord comes out of one side of the placenta. The amniotic fluid, which will cushion the baby throughout the pregnancy, is already forming inside an encircling sac, called the membranes.By the end of the week, Baby Bieger measures around 0.04 inch, or 1 millimeter-about the size of a poppy seed.