Wednesday, February 27, 2008

24 Weeks

Your baby's growing steadily, gaining about a quarter of a pound since last week, when he was just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), that makes a pretty lean figure, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon put on more baby fat. Your baby's skin is thin, translucent, and wrinkled, his brain is growing rapidly, and his taste buds are developing. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance **that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
As you can tell from the picture Brayden is growing nicely. I have started experiencing some physical pains from all the growing- the sciatic nerve (located nicely in the butt) hurts a lot, and now some lower back pain. The doctor says it is due to the pelvis widening, and all the back muscles and tendons softening to move everything around. It is crazy how much your body adapts to having a baby!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Brayden update

Went to the doctor today and everything is going well! I have gained 6 pounds this month for a total weight gain of 8 pounds. ( I am now catching up!) His heart rate was 157 and he was doing good! We go back in 4 weeks for another check-up!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

23 Weeks

Your baby is more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). He may be able to feel your movements now, so put on some tunes and dance around the house. No matter what race your baby is, he looks red now due to blood vessels showing through his transparent skin. His true skin tone will develop over the course of his first year. Blood vessels in your baby's lungs are developing to prepare him for breathing, but complete lung development will take many more months. The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.
I am doing well- growing- feeling Brayden move- and loving it. We go to the doctor on Monday for a check up!

Thursday, February 14, 2008

22 Weeks!

Your baby now looks like a miniature newborn, checking in at 10.9 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound. His skin will continue to appear wrinkled until he gains enough weight to fill it out, and the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his head and body is now visible. His lips are becoming more distinct, and the first signs of teeth are appearing as buds beneath his gum line. His eyes are developed, though the iris (the colored part of the eye) still lacks pigment. Eyelids and eyebrows are in place, and her pancreas, essential for hormone production, is developing steadily.
I am getting bigger! Brayden is moving around a lot, and I am definitely looking pregnant! It has been a little rough sleeping now. Drew got me a pre-natal massage for V-day that I used a little early over one of my snow days and it was AWESOME! Brayden loved it too because he was moving around the whole time! I thought I was doing really well with the sickness and hadn't taken a pill basically this whole week, but when I started back to school after the snow days it crept back. I think it is just getting up early and pushing my body that makes the hormones kick in with the sickness. No worries, I will just continue to take the magic medicine that holds back the sickness.
We were also very blessed and given a bedroom set for him from a teacher I work with. She gave us the crib, changing table, and dresser, and it looks great!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

21 weeks!

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. I Your baby is really on the move now. Fetal researchers say babies move about 50 times an hour even while sleeping. All that movement helps stimulate your baby's physical and mental development. You may not notice 50 kicks, punches, and twirls during the day, but as you're settling down at night, don't be surprised if your little guy seems ready to dance the night away.
Brayden is doing well- growing. I feel him throughout the day. We set up the nursery which we are very excited about that!

Family on Christmas

Family on Christmas
Merry Christmas

Spiky hair

Spiky hair
All dolled up for Christmas in Ohio

My little Santa

My little Santa
Ho Ho Ho!

Happy boy

Happy boy
On the way to church

Mostly about Brayden and Keaton, and the Beckett family! :)