20 weeks!

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. (He is supposed to weigh 10 1/2 but Brayden weighs 14!! He is big!) He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats his entire body to protect his skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for his digestive system. he's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).
Like I said above Brayden is bigger than these measurements! Hopefully he will even out, or I'll go early! At my appointment I had gained 4 1/2 pounds in two weeks- that was huge! I am now at a gain of two pounds at 120. It has been very fun and exciting spreading the news. I am trying to get used to the fact that we are going to have a boy in the family. He is going to have lots of girlfriends with my friends' girls, and great bff with Caleb (Blake and Lauren's little boy) who was born this past Sunday!
Drew and I went to register the other day, and that was stressful! We ended up finally agreeing, and are excited. If you want to check it out it is at Babiesrus.com.

It's a BOY!!

Well today was so very exciting! We went to the doctor today and found out that it is going to be Brayden Andrew Beckett! We went in the room and the x-ray tech asked us if we wanted to know, and of course we said yes. Then she asked if we could tell what it was. At that point I thought it had to be a boy if she asked that, and she said yes it was a boy! I started crying, and everyone else was screaming.
He measured big for how far along I am so she said I could come earlier than my due date. (mid June)
Another exciting thing was I had gained 4 1/2 pounds since my last visit two weeks ago!! That was a huge gain since my last visit. I am now 20 weeks- five months along, and now know that it is a boy!! We are very excited!!

19 Weeks

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. The hair on his scalp is sprouting. If your baby is a girl, she already has 6 million eggs in her ovaries. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. He may be able to hear you as you talk. Research shows that he's learning to distinguish your voice from others, and he'll soon show a preference for it. Let Dad get in on the act, too — encourage him to talk to your baby.
We are getting so excited!

Moving and Shaking!

Well this weekend (when I was away from Drew at a cheerleading competition) I felt baby move....alot! I guess I had been feeling a little something for a few days, but I wasn't sure what it was until Saturday night. I was laying in bed, and it felt like popcorn in my belly and it kept happening...some soft and some not so soft! I could even see it on the outside of my belly. It was awesome. Now I feel random pops throughout the day, and Drew got to feel it last night. It definitely happens more when I am laying down at night. I love it.

Doctor's Check-up!

We went to the doctor today for a check-up. I have only gained 1/2 a pound from last time (115 1/2 pds), which that was very disappointing because I feel like I have been eating like a horse! The doctor says she anticipates me to gain a lot next time. We heard the heart beat and it was 171 (high!) and very strong.
We go two weeks from today to find out if it is a boy or a girl!! Can't wait! Jan. 29th at 9:00 a.m. Get excited!

17 Weeks

My belly is growing, and I love it! I feel pretty good- tired after work, but other than that feeling good.
Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and he's around 5 inches long. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

You know you are looking pregnant when....

You know you look pregnant when.....(my recent findings since my belly has been growing!)
1. I know I look pregnant when students in my class stuff a blanket up their shirt and say they look like Mrs. Beckett.
2. I know I look pregnant when servers always ask if the "baby" wants dessert.
3. I know I look pregnant when strangers approach me at the grocery parking lot and ask if I should be carrying whatever is in my hands.
4. I know I look pregnant when my husband looks at me and says "holy crap your belly is getting big!"
I'm sure there will be more to come!

16 Weeks!

At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.
We are doing well- as you can see from the picture I am rounding out nicely! Still medicated- keeps me eating and growing! End of this month we will FINALLY know what this baby is!