Baby Cubs Fan

Went to the Cubs game tonight and picked up the first item since learning our baby will be a boy. Never to early to start the Cubs fan momentum!

There is a dangerous amount of things out there to buy for little Jack. I need to show restraint! I need to remember he will grow out of this stuff so quickly. The big money will be saved for when he is a toddler and the outfits can really be worn more than a few times.

Ultrasound Pictures: It's A Boy!

Profile - Week 16

So, starting this week, we are going to post a photo taken each week to show how the baby is growing. A little late in the game, but it will be something cool to show Peanut when he is all grown up.

4 Month Check-Up

We got to hear the hearbeat again today. 158 bpm, which the doctor said is still very good. We got our ultrasound form and need to schedule the appointment for 3 weeks from today. So, by the first week in May, we will know what we are having! It is so exciting!

We also had the test to see if the baby has Down's Syndrome. I am less excited about that news. It is scary, but it is something we need to know. That we will find out the results of in the next two days. The anticipation begins.

Week 17

The Mom:

Having trouble finding a comfortable way to sleep? It's a common complaint in pregnancy as they progress. It's recommended that pregnant women not sleep on their backs. As your uterus grows, when you lie on your back, it puts pressure on several important blood vessels. This can decrease circulation to your baby, and yourself.


You may find it more comfortable to sleep on your side, with a pillow between your knees. This helps keep your hips in alignment. Some women find comfort with placing a pillow under their growing abdomen, or in using body pillows.

Experiment with what works best for you.

You may also have already felt your baby's first movements by now. This is called quickening. It feels like a butterfly fluttering in your stomach. It's also been describes as "bubbles". It will be a few more weeks before you start feeling kicks and punches.

Your uterus is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches below your navel at this point.

SYMPTOMS YOU MAY EXPERIENCE

* Breast Changes, tenderness, fullness, darkening of the areola
* Frequent Urination
* Constipation
* Indigestion or heartburn
* Occasional headaches
* Stretch Marks (cocoa butter can help with these)
* Itching

The Baby:
This week, your baby is starting to develop fat layers. Did you know that by the time your baby is born, fat layers will be about 3/4 of his total weight? Speaking of weight, your little one now weighs on the average 3.5 ounces and is almost 5 inches long.

Potato Baby

They (meaning I heard it from somewhere but I don't know where) always say that what a women eats predominantly during her pregnancy has something to say about the child inside.

Well, if that is true, our baby is a potato.

Yeah, I know, I like the nickname Peanut, too. But, Taylor has eaten more potato products than anything else so far in this pregnancy.

McDonald's hashbrowns, tater tots, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, french fries. I am afraid to buy a Mr. Potato Head toy for fears she might gnaw on it.

I don't know if there is anything I can do about this. I cannot force her to eat anything different and I learned my lesson in suggesting other foods (another blog entirely). So, I am going to sit back and watch her eat starches and turn our baby into one of Idaho's Best.

Glider

Based on a head's up from our friend Yea, Taylor and I are checking out a used glider a woman is selling through a classified ad. It is a Dutailier brand glider and she is selling it for less than $200. According to Amazon, this brand sells for around $149 to $400, depending on the model. We are going to check it out this Saturday. Hopefully, if it is one of the higher end models and it is in good condition, we will get it. It would end up being the first piece of furniture we buy for Peanut. We shall see this weekend!

Pregnancy Make-Over!

My battle with morning sickness has been one of utter despair, weight loss, and losing the ability to enjoy foods I used to love as well as any usefulness I felt I was around the house, at work, and the general public.

Nausea stopped me in my tracks, cold! I could no longer do household chores that used to make me feel good. I could no longer pump gas (the smell), I could no longer open the pantry without gagging or wretching - yes, the sight, thought and smell of food disgusted me, I could no longer take hot showers without feeling dehydrated, having to take sips of seltzer water inbetween shampoo and conditioner. I felt as useful as the brail found on ATM machines.

Here are some precautions/wisdom/changes I picked up from my experience:

Do not reheat food in microwave in plastic containers - you can taste plastic - it's true!!!

Do not let tea cool in a plastic pitcher - again, taste plastic! Use glass instead.

Do not eat canned fruit (peaches) - you can taste the can.

I read you should find those things you like and stick with them throughout the 1 trimester - it's BS. Do not eat one kind of anything for more than 4 days (like yogurt) - it will make you sick

Carry around a Nausea Emergency Bag - Tums, sour candy, barf bag, small towel, saltines (although they didn't work for me), B6 tablets, and any and all anti-nausea suggestions/perscriptions your doctor's office suggest.

Do not lick stamps under ANY circumstances!

Always have your husband inspect the cats before you hug/kiss them for traces of 'the box' smell.

Seltzer water only stays 'seltzery' for 5 minutes after opening - 3 if left sitting on the bathroom counter while showering.

Decision

Well, we decided to find out what the baby is going to be. It just made more sense for us to find out. I mean, I think the suprise would be nice, but practicality and planning necesitates that we know. So, we will learn what the gender is in just about a month.

Taylor began to feel sick again today. She has pretty much slept the entire time. I left for a few hours to run some errands, she stayed home and mostly slept. We looked through a few baby books this afternoon and talked about the pregnancy a bit, she even made a pound cake using our new oven, but then she took another nap, which she is in the middle of as I type this update.

Not much else to report on the baby front. But, depending on whether it is a boy or a girl, look for a change in this page layout and title to reflect what Lil Peanut really will be!