3rd Trimester!

Caleb is 26 weeks old now and according to some books, I'm in my third trimester. Some books say 26 weeks, some say 27. Either way, it's getting close! Pregnancy is going by fast, and I'm kind of thankful for that. There are some parts of pregnancy that I really like, for example, feeling Caleb move. But for the most part, I will be happy to be done being pregnant and have Caleb on the outside.

As promised, I took a bunch of close up pictures of the nursery and I'm including them below.


Ethan and I had a great Christmas. First we drove to Yakima to visit my parents and open presents. We stopped by to see some friends before heading back over the pass and home to Renton. The pass was gorgeous. There was light snow, and you could see all the mountain peaks in the sunshine. We were thankful for that because usually it's a mess trying to drive over in the winter.

Back home, I cooked up a turkey, stuffing, and a pumpkin cheesecake and we had family over on Christmas day. This weekend, we have just been relaxing and getting some work done around the house. Ethan is busy clearing out the 4th bedroom, which has been full of boxes and papers since we moved in, and I went through all of my clothes and sorted out donations, throw aways, and clothes that need to be packed away until I fit into them again. Unfortunately that's most of my wardrobe, but at least my closet is organized :)

For Christmas, Ethan got me a Kindle, and I have already bought 4 books for it. I really love it! It's so convenient, and I won't miss having a hundred cheap paperbacks laying around my bedroom. He also got me some blu-ray DVDs. I got him a surround sound system. He installed it yesterday and it sounds awesome!

We started to think more seriously about childcare options this past week. I looked around at some live-out nannies and realized how expensive they are. I am not that naive, I knew that nannies weren't cheap, but I didn't bargain on $2500 plus a month. Right now, Ethan and I are evaluating our budget and trying to keep our options open to a number of different things, so next week we are checking out a daycare, talking to some friends about and Au-Pair, and also going to "interview" a potential live-in nanny, who is an old friend of mine from way back. I'm sure we'll figure out the best option for us.

Now I have to wrap up this blog post because Ethan and I are going to watch the Harry Potter DVD that he got me for Christmas :)

How far along: 26 Weeks 2 Days
Sleep: OK. Lately I've been waking up at 5 am and not falling back to sleep until 7. :/
Best Moment This Week: Christmas!
Movement: Pretty much same as last week - lots of strong kicks.
Food Cravings: Ugh, no. Unfortunately I think I ate something bad at some point and my stomach has been cramping up for the past two days. It's getting better though. At least it's keeping me away from all those leftover goodies!
What I miss most: Not too much, all is good in pregnancy land this week.
What I'm looking forward to: Visiting the Mountainside Daycare tomorrow. I have high hopes.
This Week (from the BabyCenter): The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

25 Weeks

This week was all about the nursery! Ethan and I spent most of the week putting together furniture and decorating (thanks to Jen and Neil who helped us with the dresser). I really love the way it came out! So, without further delay, here are the pictures:





I think we need better close ups of the cute little items on the shelves, so I'll try to get that next week. The pictures on the wall are animal alphabet cards that we ordered off of Amazon and Ethan framed. Some of my favorite things are the little lamp, the monkey clock, and the alphabet blocks that we put up on the shelves.

I also went on a hunt for nursery organization stuff. I mostly just wanted canvas storage bins to put on the shelves in the closet, which i found at the Container Store. It took me forever and two trips to the Container Store (I returned the first stuff I bought) to find canvas bins that worked, which was surprising since I thought it would be so easy. On Sunday, I went to Babies R Us and discovered that they have tons of storage stuff exactly like I wanted, so I kind of felt like I should have gone their first. Oh well, live and learn I guess.

As I write this, the laptop is sort of on my lap and I think Caleb can hear me typing or something because he's kicking like crazy and the laptop is bouncing off my stomach. Haha! it's funny how much stronger he is now. When I am at work, I look down and see my belly jumping around like there is popcorn popping in there. I often laugh at my own stomach in the middle of a meeting, and then have to remind myself that I'm at work and supposed to be paying attention!

I'm really excited for Christmas this week! Ethan and I are going to Yakima to spend Christmas eve-eve with my mom and sister, and then on Christmas day I'm going to make my turkey and stuffing. I make an awesome Apple, Sausage and Sage stuffing that I really love (I know I'm patting myself on the back here) and I'm looking forward to eating that and having lots of left overs to munch on over the weekend.

Ethan and I both have the whole week after Christmas off and I'm not going back to work until after my birthday in January. I'm excited to have a little break, but hopefully I don't get too bored sitting around the house. Maybe I'll blog extra (maybe not though, I'm not the best at keeping up with the blog and Ethan has to remind me almost every week!).

Anyway, I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas/holiday time, and here is the baby update for the week:

How far along: 25 Weeks 3 Days
Sleep: Much better this week! I got a Neti Pot last week, and after a few days of consistent use, my pregnancy rhinitus is so much better! My nose still gets a bit stuffy at night, but not nearly as bad as before, and the burning and itching is mostly gone. I'm so happy I got a Neti Pot!
Best Moment This Week: Shopping and decorating Caleb's room with Ethan
Movement: Yup! Calebs kicks are getting harder and more consistent. I can see him from the outside a lot now. And he's like an octopus in there, I swear I can feel him in like 4 places at once sometimes.
Food Cravings: No. Lots of holiday treats to eat this week though. Today my boss gave me some homemade chocolate covered pretzel sticks and they were too good to resist.
What I miss most: I decided I'm not going to complain this week.
What I'm looking forward to: Christmas!
This Week (from the Bump.com): Baby is the size of an Eggplant. Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

24 Weeks

Christmas is right around the corner and the holidays are in full swing! I had two holiday parties at work in the past week. Both were very kid oriented, but still fun. The first one was a "Planet Earth" theme. My work group (Finance) took over one of the large conference buildings and each room was made into a different theme to represent part of the earth (for example: under the sea) with corresponding food and drink. Ethan and I walked around, watched hula dancers, ate thai food and cupcakes, and listened to a jazz band in the Ice room. It was pretty fun. The other party was for the Windows group, and that was in my building. My work group had a snow man decorating contest with fake snowmen, and then we just ate and drank and walked around talking to people. It was fun.

Ethan's company doesn't have a Christmas party! I guess it's understandable, because it's such a big company, but still. He has the huge 787 launch coming up this week and gets to attend the "first flight" of the 787, which is a really big deal. He had to work overtime all weekend to help prepare for the big launch.

We also celebrated the first night of Hannukah this week. Unfortunately our menorah is packed away somewhere and we couldn't find it to light the candles on Friday. On Saturday our friends Becca and John brought their menorah over and we ate brisket and latkes and celebrated. I remembered almost the entire Hannukah prayer without having the words in front of me! Tonight, we had some family over for a little early Christmas party since we can't all be together Christmas morning. Caleb's aunt and uncle Elayna and Sean got us a really cute baby book to put photos and memories in for the first 5 years of his life.

In baby related news, Ethan painted the nursery this weekend! He has been working so hard on it for the past few days. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about the color, but I think it came out really nice. We also went shopping today and got the dresser and some great decorations for the room. I can't wait until the paint is dry so we can start putting stuff up. We'll probably do that next weekend.

I got a little nervous for Caleb this week because he went through a couple days where he hardly moved, but it must have been a growth spurt or something, because today he's been back at it and kicking as much as he ever did. Yesterday Ethan and I went to check out the birthing class we are signing up for, which is called Hypnobirthing, and we also found our doula. A doula is basically a birth helper who is there from the start of labor until the baby is born. She will mostly be there to guide Ethan and help him to help me when I need it. She will also do things like help me find more comfortable positions when I'm having contractions and stuff like that. I'm excited about having a doula, and I think it will be good for our birth experience, but man, I can't believe that we are already going to be starting birth classes soon! Time is flying!

Here is the baby update for the week:

How far along: 24 weeks, 2 days

Sleep: not so great. My sinuses have been acting up like crazy this week. I almost wonder if I have a sinus infection, but I think it's just normal pregnancy stuffiness. I bought a neti pot, which seems weird to use, but it is actually really helpful for clearing out my nose.

Best Moment This Week: Painting the baby room

Movement: I had some anxiety about it this week when Caleb was quiet for a couple days, but all is back to normal now.

Food Cravings: I'm trying to cut back on the junk. I don't know how successful I've been though. I made a batch of delicious chocolate chip cookies this weekend and I must have ate at least 10 of them over all. Sigh.

What I miss most: Not having burning, itchy sinuses

What I'm looking forward to: starting to put up our decorations in the nursery!

This Week: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

23 Weeks!

Caleb is growing a lot now! Unfortunately so is Caleb's mom! I found at at my last appointment that I gained 9 pounds in a month and I am not happy about it. I'm trying to cut back on the food intake and get more exercise each day. Hopefully I will only gain 2-4 pounds at my next appointment, which is on my Birthday in January. Over all, the weight gain is still on track, but obviously if I keep gaining 9 pounds a month I'm going to end up way over where I should be.

Other than the weight gain, everything is going really great. I got to hear Caleb's heart beat again and he is growing right on track for how far along I am. I can't believe I'm already over 5 months pregnant! It's going by so fast, but even still I can't wait for him to get here.

Ethan and I did our Christmas shopping today and tonight we're getting ready to send out the Christmas and Chanukah cards. I love the holiday season, but it sure can be exhausting! I'm really looking forward to the week and a half off between Christmas and New Years. Ethan is almost done with his classes for the quarter, which is a relief for both of us, but the next few weeks are super busy! We have birthday and holiday parties every weekend! Should be fun though :)

Here is the baby update for the week:

How far along: 23 weeks, 2 days
Weight: +16 pounds - still on track for how far along I am, but more than I had wanted at this point. That's what happens when you gain 9 pounds in a month :(

Sleep: eh, ok

Best Moment This Week: Seeing my belly move when Caleb kicks

Movement: Yup, I can even feel him standing up now. He moves pretty regularly

Food Cravings: I don't really have cravings, just hungry all the time. I really trying hard not to gain too much weight because I am gaining too fast.

What I miss most: Just being in better physical shape

What I'm looking forward to: Getting the fan installed and painting the nursery

This Week: (switching to Baby Center updates) Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Happy Holidays!

It's officially the holiday season! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, ate lots of turkey, etc. I definitely ate my share. I love Thanksgiving food. My favorites are stuffing (w/celery! yum!), cranberry sauce, and pie. I can't get enough pumpkin pie. It's not because of Caleb, it's because I love pumpkin pie. I love it so much that after Thanksgiving, I had to make my own pumpkin cheesecake to have the rest of the weekend. I let Ethan have a few slices too.

Obviously Ethan and I have a lot to be thankful for this year! I started my new job with Microsoft, we bought our home in Renton, and of course, baby Caleb is healthy and on his way.

Speaking of Caleb, he's kicking a ton now. Today I even felt him kicking when I was standing up, which is a new thing for me. Usually I can only feel him when I'm sitting down. He doesn't kick all the time, and sometimes he has quiet time for hours and I get a little worried, but then he starts up again and I have to remind myself to take it easy.

One thing that kind of surprises me is that I don't feel like my belly is really growing that much. I was looking back on my weekly pictures, expecting to see all this change (because mostly I just feel huge compared to my old pre-pregnancy self), but nope - not much happening week to week. I think if anything, the bump is just moving up instead of out. Also - I'm not fishing for compliments at all, but I'm starting to feel like my top half is out of proportion to my bottom half! I've always sort of had a big bobble head going on, but now the rest of the top half matches my head...However, I'm not going to complain too much because I'm afraid the alternative is that my bottom half could expand to match the top, and that would not be good.

We didn't do that much baby stuff this week because the weekend was taken up with eating and cooking. We did pick out paint colors for the nursery. We are going with the minty-green color that is in the middle in the picture above. Before we paint the nursery we have to get a fan installed, and that probably won't happen until mid-December. We hope to have the nursery all finished in time for my baby shower in January, so we still have plenty of time.

Today, we went and got our first real Christmas tree to put up in the living room:



The picture doesn't really do it justice, but it's a great tree! It smells wonderful and it's about 7 feet tall. Plenty of room for all the goofy decorations we've collected over the years. We have everything from Hedwig the Owl to Kobe Bryant. I think most of the fun in decorating the tree is remembering where and when you got all the ornaments, so I don't care if the tree doesn't have a fancy theme.

We also broke out the three huge boxes of Christmas decorations and started decking the halls. The mantle looks pretty good (I love the snowmen and snow babies).

But the rest of the house is a disaster zone. I hate clutter, so we'll definitely have to finish up the decorating ASAP and get these boxes out of here.

I'm so sad that the four day weekend is over and it's back to the routine tomorrow! I don't hate my job at all, but I just love have free time to do whatever I want and laze around the house with Ethan. I'm consoling myself with the thought that Christmas is just around the corner and then I get a whole week off! Woot! Here is the baby update for the week, then I'm off to finish the laundry and watch Desperate Housewives.

How far along: 22 weeks, 2 days

Sleep: Now that I've figured out the side-sleeping bit, it's better. I still wake up a ton, and I have some problems with breathing at night (nose stuffy - throat dry), but I'm sort of used to it.

Best Moment This Week: Food! 'nuff said

Movement: Yup, Caleb was moving around a lot. He also started changing positions a lot this week that I could feel, because sometimes I feel him up high, sometimes down low.

Food Cravings: The appetite kicked it up a notch just in time for Thanksgiving this week! I get hungry every 2-3 hours no matter how much I just ate. I can see easily how women pack on the weight during this phase of pregnancy.

What I miss most: having abdominal strength. It's amazing how much your movement changes when you can't really flex your stomach muscles.

What I'm looking forward to: finishing up the Christmas decorations and getting the boxes put away. Also, I get to hear Caleb's heartbeat again at my appointment this week.

This Week: The bump is not doing weekly fruits anymore! The fruits are now every three weeks. I'm going to have to switch to a different source for fruit comparisons going forward. Here is the last one from thebump.com: Baby is the size of a papaya! Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Workin on the nursery!

I can't believe another week has gone by already. Time is flying by, and with the holidays, third trimester is practically around the corner. I feel like I'm getting huge. I'm kind of dreading how big I'm going to get before this is all over.

Caleb was pretty active this week! I had a Jamba Juice on Thursday and it's like he was doing baby aerobics in there. Caleb looooves Jamba Juice! Ethan felt him kicking almost every night. He loves feeling the baby move and talking to Caleb. He also reads books to the baby, which is cute, but I have a feeling I'm going to get tired of hearing children's books read to my stomach once a week (I know - I'm horrible).

This week was all about the nursery. We got our crib on Wednesday (Thanks Sheryl!) and assembled it that night. Well, Ethan assembled it, I watched.

We also got our bedding on Friday. It's animals. I love it!

And Caleb got a fun monogrammed baby blanket to go in the crib:

The big art project this weekend was the name letters I made for Caleb. They are polka dotted and have little wooden animals on them. I can't wait to hang them in the nursery. Ethan and I also bought a fan for the nursery, and picked out paint colors. We'll probably paint in December over the Christmas holiday, and then it's just a matter of putting up our decorations.

It was a very busy weekend with all the shopping, crafting and decorating. I'm pretty exhausted! I wish I had another day off. Back to work tomorrow, but it's only a two day work week for me. Woot!

I dont' have the energy to write too much more, and I've got Magic Cookie Bars in the oven, so here is the baby update for the week:

How far along: 21 weeks, 2 days

Sleep: This was a rough week for me with sleep. I was getting terrible headaches for a week, and I finally figured out it was due to sleeping on my back. I think somehow sleeping on my back was causing me to have neck problems. So I started sleeping on my side, which wasn't comfortable for the first few nights, but I'm getting used to it.

Best Moment This Week: Putting together the crib with Ethan

Movement: lots! Still not regular, but much more frequent. Plus, Caleb kicks every night when I lay down to go to bed.

Food Cravings: I don't know if it's a craving, but I love celery. I could eat it every day.

What I miss most: Sleeping on my stomach

What I'm looking forward to: Turkey!

This Week: Caleb is the size of a banana this week. Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid.

It's a boy!!!

Caleb Reid Schwaber is halfway done cooking and things are looking great.

We were so excited to find out that he was a boy this week. I kind of thought that the baby was a boy, so I can't say I was surprised, but we were both so happy. Everything looked great at the ultrasound. Caleb is healthy and growing just fine.

We had a party to announce the gender and celebrate the halfway point with some of our friends. For the party we had some cupcakes made up with blue pudding inside. First everyone guessed boy or girl, and then we ate the cupcakes. It was fun to watch everyone bite into the cupcakes and be surprised.

We also finished the registry this week and set a date for the baby shower! I can't wait! Carrie is already doing a great job with the planning, so I'm sure it's going to be an awesome time. I bought another cute outfit for Caleb this week, and one of my friends, Aydan, also bought Caleb an adobrable sailboat outfit. He's already getting a little wardrobe!

Aunt Elayna got this cute bib for the baby as well:

Also, I found this adorable Sock Monkey at Halmark that is nearly the same color scheme as we will use for the nursery.

I felt Caleb kicking pretty much every day this week. His kicks are getting stronger and more regular. Hopefully soon Ethan will be able to feel them.

Here is the baby update for the week:

How far along: 20 weeks, 2 days. HALFWAY!!

Sleep: I had a couple rough days this week but made up for it this weekend

Best Moment This Week: Finding out that baby is a boy

Movement: Feeling kicks every day!

Food Cravings: Not really, but I feel like I ate a ton this week! I might need to cut back on the pigging out, but we'll see how the weight is at the next appointment

Belly Button: Innie. I'm sort of doubting whether this will ever change.

What I miss most: Not having a headache. I've had a headache all week. Ugh!

What I'm looking forward to: Starting decorating the nursery

This Week: Baby is the size of a cantaloupe. Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation...baby's genitals are now fully formed!

19 Weeks

It was a big week for Baby S.

I finally felt the baby kick this week! I have thought I felt little movements here and there in the past, but this week I could definitely feel kicks and I knew right away what they were. I put my hand on my stomach and could feel the little baby nudging away in there. Feeling the baby move is wonderful and it really makes me realize that there is an actual living thing growing in there. It's hard to describe, but it makes my connection to the baby so much stronger. I don't feel it very often, so Ethan hasn't been able to feel it yet. I'm hoping in a few weeks when the movements are more consistent, Ethan will be able to feel the little one move too.

We did so many baby things this week. I got really excited about registering and added a bunch of stuff to my Babies 'R Us registry. At first I was overwhelmed at the idea of all the baby items we need to buy, but I've been having a lot more fun with it lately. I love looking at all of the cute baby gear and thinking about what the nursery will look like, but the thing I love most about registering is imagining the baby using all the things and thinking about what life will be like once he/she is here.

I was at the mall yesterday and noticed that the Pumpkin Patch store (cutest kids clothes ever!) was having a buy one get one 50% off sale, so I bought baby's first outfit!

I wanted to buy more clothes, but I'm waiting until we find out the baby's gender to really go crazy. Only 3 days until we know if it's a boy or a girl!! I am excited to find out the gender, but mostly I just want to see the baby on the ultrasound again. I can't wait!

On Wednesday night this week, we went to visit the Birth Center where I will be delivering the baby. We met Kelly, one of the nurse practitioners who works there at our last ultrasound and she gave us a personal tour. It is so nice, and I'm actually looking forward to having the baby there. One of the things Kelly asked me is if I had a birth plan yet. uhhh.... I hadn't even thought about it! The only thing I've decided is that I want to take HypnoBirthing classes. So I went to BirthPlan.com and started looking at their checklists. There is so much to consider!

Ethan and I also got a class schedule for new parent classes that they offer at the hospital. We'll probably take a class sometime in January and learn how to take care of baby. Hopefully most of it will come naturally, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

Today, Ethan and I are going to head out to pick out our crib and the rest of the nursery furniture. I'll update next week with pictures of the bedding and crib that we choose :)

Here's the baby info of the week:

How far along: 19 weeks, 2 days

Weight: +7 (maybe 8 by now)

Sleep: Pretty much back to normal for now. I get up a couple times a night and don't really need the unisom any more. I'm going to buy a Snoogle today at BRU, which is a big pregnancy pillow to help me sleep more comfortably on my side.

Best Moment this week: Feeling the baby kick for real. I love it!

Movement: Occasional kicks. It's not frequent, but when baby kicks it really kicks!

Food Cravings: Veggies! I want fresh veggies all the time.

Belly Button: Same

What I miss most: Nothing right now! I'm just really excited at the moment.

What I'm looking forward to: Finding out if Baby S is a he or a she.

This Week: Baby is the size of a mango. Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of languo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats the baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if the baby is premature.

18 Weeks

Happy day after Halloween! I have to admit I was a schmuck and didn't dress up. I kind of wanted to find a cute shirt with a pumpkin on the belly or something similar, but I waited to long and couldn't find anything at the last minute. Ethan dressed up as a pilot.

We had a great Halloween. I started out the day with some house cleaning. The bathrooms really needed it! Then Ethan and I went to Baby's 'R Us to start picking out things for a registry. Registering is a little overwhelming, just because there are so many things to pick out! Since we don't know the gender yet, we mostly just went for basic stuff like a baby carrier and some toys that will be cute either way. We'll pick out bedding and stuff like that once we figure out if it's a boy or girl. I don't know, I kind of like the gender neutral stuff more anyway, so it might not end up mattering that much! Some of the Safari Theme stuff was really cute with monkeys and lions. There was also some adorable bunny and puppy stuff that I liked, so we'll see. Decorating the baby room is going to be fun! What I'm most looking forward to shopping-wise is buying cute baby clothes though. What I'm least looking forward to is picking out a carseat, so hopefully Ethan will do that for us. After the trip to the baby store, we went over to my sister Carrie's house for a Halloween party. Even though I couldn't drink (and everyone else was definitely pointing that out to me! :p ) I had a great time hanging out and of course, watching the trick-or-treaters collect their candy.

Baby S is really growing this week!

My belly already seems so big to me, I can't imagine what it's going to be like in a couple months. I'm sure I'll look back on this and laugh at myself for feeling big now! Baby and I had a great midwife appointment this week. I heard the baby's heart beating and the midwife said that the baby is growing right on track for 18 weeks. During the appointment I asked about getting the H1N1 vaccine, and they will hopefully have some this coming week. I've already had the regular flu shot, so once I get that Swine Flu one, baby and I will be fully protected (or at least as much as we can be). Also, I finally scheduled the 20-week ultrasound where they will do a full anatomy scan of the baby and hopefully tell us the gender. The big day is November 11th, one week from Wednesday.

I'm trying to decide if I should just announce the gender on Facebook or something like that for everyone to see, or if I should try to have a little mini-party that weekend and do the gender-cake thing. That's where you fill a cake with either pink or blue icing and let people know the gender when they cut it open. It sounds like fun, so I'm thinking about it.

Here are the baby stats for this week:

How far along: 18 weeks, 2 days

Total Weight Gain: 7 pounds. typical range is between 8 and 12 pounds, so I'm doing good!

Sleep: Actually sleep is improving lately. I only get up a couple times a night. I'm thinking about getting one of those snoogle body pillows though, to help with sore back/hips

Best moment this week: Hearing the baby's heartbeat at my midwife appointment

Movement: Same - I think I feel some tiny movements off and on, but nothing consistent, and not really that noticeable.

Food Cravings: hmmm...I don't know if it's a craving, but I have a preference for fresh foods like fruits and vegetables.

Belly Button: In

What I Miss Most: Feeling like I was in decent shape. I get out of breath going up the stairs these days!

What I am Looking Forward To: finding out the gender!

This Week: Baby is the size of a sweet potato. Your fetus has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to you), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, baby's finally big enough that you'll be able to feel those movements soon.

17 Weeks

17 weeks and I'm just feeling fat and frumpy. Ugh. This is not one of those "look at my cute bump" weeks, but here it is anyway, for documentation purposes:

Ethan and I had a pretty great week topped off with an amazing trip to the Washington Coast and the town of Seabrook. We totally lucked out and had gorgeous weather all day Saturday. It was a really relaxing trip with lots of time spent with our friends, playing in the park, walking on the beach, and hanging out at the cafe. I highly recommend Seabrook if you've never been there.

Baby-wise, we settled on names for both a boy and a girl, and will announce the chosen name when we find out the gender. The main reason we aren't announcing it now is that we want to keep the non-used name a secret in case we still like it for the next go-round. Also - be warned in advance, if you have any unfavorable opinions about the name, feel free to not say anything. We are set on our name and aren't considering alternatives. :p

I'm pretty sure I felt the baby moving this week, but it's hard to tell. The movements are light and feel like bubbles popping in my stomach, so I'm inclined to think it's just gas, but then again, no one has THAT much gas - not even a pregnant woman! teehee.

After getting books from Grandma Schwaber last week, Ethan was inspired to go unpack his box of childhood books from the garage and we found a treasure trove of Dr. Suess and Golden Books. We literally have over 50 books for baby at this point, so I don't think we'll be buying any more for a while. We are going to have the most well-read baby in town! Also, Grandma S sent us another present this week! It was one of those fake vaccuum cleaners that pops when you move it across the floor. I remember this was one of my favorite toys when I was a toddler, so I'm sure baby will love it! It will have to go in the toy closet for now, but I'm sure it will be put to good use when the time comes.

Next week is my mid-wife appointment where they will listen to baby's heartbeat and we'll schedule our BIG ultrasound appointment (the one where we find out if it is a he or a she).

How far along? 17 weeks 2 days
Sleep: I'm cutting back on the unisom - down to half a pill at night. I've added heartburn medicine to the mix so I'm trying to cut back on the number of pills I take each night.

Best moment this week: Choosing our boy and girl name
Movement: Pretty sure I felt the baby this week! It wasn't very obvious, it's a very subtle thing. I'm still looking forward to feeling a real kick!
Food cravings: No. I still have a serious aversion to most kinds of meat though.

Gender: Only a few weeks until the big ultrasound! We are counting down..
Belly Button in or out? IN

What I miss: Having moments where I don't feel like a blimpy mess
What I am looking forward to: Hearing baby's heartbeat this week at my Dr. Appointment.
Milestones: Picking the name...

This Week: Baby is the size of an onion! Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

16 Weeks

Time is just flying by! Ethan asked me today if I was going to vote, and I can't believe it is election time again already! It doesn't seem like a whole year has gone by since the big election last year. I can only imagine what life is going to be like this time next year.

It was a busy week at work, and the week went by really quick. The baby bump has definitely grown this week:

I read that the baby is supposed to go through a growth spurt over the next two weeks, so I'm suspecting that I'm going to be "showing" soon. Ethan and I started going through boy names this week and now we have narrowed down a list of 7 girl names and 7 boy names. We are each picking our top three from the list, and then we'll try to decide on one for a boy and one for a girl. Picking out a name is fun and I can't wait to find out the gender so we can start calling the little one by it's name.

Grandma Schwaber bought the baby a bunch of books and mailed them to us, so we are already starting baby's library. She got some really great classics for us, like "Goodnight Moon" and "Curious George". She also wrote little messages in each book which was cute and I'm sure baby will love it someday.Since we have no baby furniture, the books are in the baby room on the floor for now :) The next step is definitely to start picking out things for the nursery. Ethan and I are reading the Baby Bargains book to try to find out what we need to buy.

Baby Update:

How far along? 16 weeks 2 days

Sleep: Same - still waking up several times a night. I guess it's good practice.

Best moment this week: Unpacking the baby books we got from Grandma

Movement: Same as last week - sometimes I think I feel something, but it's probably just gas. Still waiting!

Food cravings: Nope, just lots of aversions...Sausage and BBQ really gross me out.

Belly Button in or out? Still an innie - but it's getting shallower! Usually it's like a bottomless pit, so I don't know what to expect.

What I miss: having energy

What I am looking forward to: Same - feeling the baby move!

This Week: Baby is the size of an avocado. Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender.

15 Weeks

This week Ethan and I started thinking about baby names. I bought a baby name book and we've been going through it letter by letter and writing down the names we like. We have a list of about 15 or so girl names that we need to narrow down. Next week will be boy names. By far the funniest name we came across was Bethan, which rhymes with Ethan. When Ethan read that one to me, I just about died laughing. - Don't worry baby, we won't name you Bethan! I have been calling the baby Bethan for the last few days though, just for fun.


Unfortunately, the "morning" sickness made a reappearance today, and I haven't been feeling good, but other than today I've felt pretty un-nauseous all week. I think it's probably going to come and go like this the rest of the pregnancy, but I'll take the occasional bad day the over non-stop yuckiness of the first 3 months! I also think the daily morning sickness is being replaced by heart-burn, but it reminds me to take my tums and I need the extra calcium, so it's practically a good thing! ahh, the joys of growing a baby.

Here is my 15 week picture. I don't think the bump looks much different than last week.



In non-baby related news, Ethan started back in school this week so I was on my own several nights out of the week. Back to solo TV watching and frozen dinners :) Oh well, it will all be worth it when Ethan graduates next March. I can't wait! We also had a pretty fun week over all. Last weekend, we celebrated Sukkot and had Sangria under the Sukkah (well Ethan has Sangria), and on Wednesday we went to a Windows 7 launch party that our friend Jacquie invited us to and met some fun new people. This weekend we just relaxed around the house, which was nice because we have a really busy next few weeks coming up!





Baby Update:


How far along? 15 weeks 2 days
Sleep: Stopped taking the Unisom this week, and woke up 5 or 6 times a night, but other than that, just fine :)
Best moment this week: Looking at baby names with Ethan
Movement: Sometimes I think I feel something, but it's probably just gas. Still waiting!
Food cravings: Not really.
Belly Button in or out? Still an innie!
What I miss: Same - Enjoying a variety of food
What I am looking forward to: Same - feeling the baby move!
This Week: Baby is the size of an orange! Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

Baby!

I'm really bad at updating the blog, but since Baby S is already on his/her way, I've decided to get back on the blog horse with a (hopefully) weekly baby blog! Ethan took his first picture of me at 14 weeks, and we are officially on bump watch! I think I've got a little bump going, but most people say that there's nothing there yet.

Anyway, none of my old pants fit and my whole wardrobe consists of stretchy waisted items, so I'd like to have something to show for it.

We are all super excited about the baby and we can't wait to find out the gender. Even Abbey is excited!

I have to be honest, pregnancy is a b*tch! The first trimester really sucked. I was both nauseas and exhausted all day long. It's like having the flu for 6 weeks straight. I'd like to say you get used to it, but you really don't. Luckily, Ethan has been a total champ and is a superstar around the house. He has been doing most of the cooking and cleaning, and I am so glad that I can count on him to take care of me and the baby that I'm growing!

Now at 14 weeks, I'm finally starting to feel better. Some days it's still bad, but most days seem OK. The best part so far has been announcing the news to all our friends and family. Especially the grandparents who can't wait to meet Baby S!

How far along? 14 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: +2 pounds as of last check-in. I'm not weighing myself weekly, only at midwife appointments.

Maternity clothes? Yup! I have three pairs of jeans, one pair of cords, and a bunch of tanks/t-shirts

Sleep: Same as usual, but I take 1 Unisom a night to keep me asleep and help with the m/s

Best moment this week: Not being sick every day!

Movement: The baby is moving, but I can't feel it.

Food cravings: Not really. Finally getting my appetite back

Gender: We won't know until our 20 week U/S, then we'll tell everyone!

Labor signs: nope, way too early for that!

Belly Button in or out? Still an innie!

What I miss: Enjoying a variety of food

What I am looking forward to: feeling the baby move!

Milestones: Finishing the first trimester!

This Week: Baby is the size of a Lemon! Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.

New Years, Birthday and Other things

Happy New Years! I can't belive it's 2009. Of course, I'm probably still going to write 2008 on everything for at least a few months.

2008 was a great year for us. Ethan and I both got new jobs at the companies we (respectively) have been dreaming of working for for a long time. We also put our house on the market, and took it off again, and put it on again (thanks economy). We put an offer on a house in Maple Valley and withdrew it... We went on a couple of great vacations, including a beach trip to the west coast and a week long extravaganze to the East Coast. We sampled fantastic italian food in Boston and reconnected with family in New York. Ethan and I feel very blessed to have had such a great year and are looking better to an even better 2009. I hope that all of our friends and family also enjoyed 2008!

For new years we went to Elayna and Sean's house and played Rock Band and Scene It! 2. Unfortunately I was so busy playing that I didn't take many pictures, but we had a blast. We had a very relaxing new years day relaxing and watching the rose parade.

This weekend was my birthday. I am 27 - which is a good age, but I would like to stop now. So no more birthdays for me, ok?

We finally got comcast installed, and I am enjoying having high-speed internet! I can watch videos on youtube! hooray! For my birthday, we got together at the Ram for dinner. The service was only so-so, but the food was yummy and I got a free mile-high mud pie for desert! Nothing like free dessert to round out a birthday meal.

I got some wonderful presents, including a new make-up bag and a year membership to xbox Live so that we can game online with our friends! I also got a Garmin, which was on my wishlist. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow, even though I already know how to get to work. :)

It started snowing quite hard again. It's really unbelievable how much snow we are getting this year. Ethan just informed me that it has turned to rain, fortunately, so the commute shouldn't be too bad.

Unfortunately, I dont' have any new pictures. I have been slacking with the camera. I need to start carrying it in my purse...

Happy new years all! Hope that 2009 is a wonderful year full of fun and surprises.