Week 25 Update

Hi everyone! 25 weeks down, 15 to go! We had another doctor's appointment today. I got tested for gestational diabtes, which meant I had to drink a super sugary orange drink, and then have bloodwork done an hour later. I should get a call about the result by Friday. I'm sure it will be fine though.

The baby and her mommy are both growing at a normal pace. Although, I was shocked at how much weight I had gained since my last visit. I've really started showing more - and by a dramatic amount - just in the past week and a half, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by the weight gain. Plus, I didn't gain much the first half of pregancy, so my doctor warned it would probably catch up to me.

Anyhow, now for the update on our baby girl in her 25th week, per BabyCenter.com. Enjoy, and have a great day!

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.

Week 24 Update

Hi all! Below is an update on our baby girl, per babycenter.com. I've also included the update it gives me each week on things Mommy might be going through. I don't usually post these descriptions since they are usually embarassing, but I thought some of you might find the description from this week interesting. I'm definitely showing more now - I literally saw a change DURING THE DAY on Sunday (and felt the change), so the description of the growing uterus makes sense. Our next doctor's visit is on the 28th, which is when I'll be tested for gestational diabetes. Let's hope we get good results there!


About the Baby in the 24th week:
Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.



About Mommy in the 24th week:
In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball. Most women have a glucose screening test (also called a glucose challenge test or GCT) between now and 28 weeks. This test checks for gestational diabetes, a pregnancy-related high-blood-sugar condition. Untreated diabetes increases your risk of having a difficult vaginal delivery or needing a cesarean section because it causes your baby to grow too large, especially in his upper body. It also raises your baby's odds for other complications like low blood sugar right after birth. A positive result on your GCT doesn't mean you have gestational diabetes, but it does mean that you'll need to take the glucose tolerance test (GTT) to find out for sure.

Week 23

Hi everyone! We are in week 23 now, which means we have only 17 weeks to go. It's unreal to think our daughter will be with us in just 17 weeks!

Below is the udpate on Baby Girl Jordan, per babycenter.com. As for an update on Mommy Jordan - I'm still feeling great, although dealing with heartburn and extra emotions. I'm thankful to have such a great husband who is patient when I break into tears for no (or very little) reason! He found out a few weeks ago that he could make me cry on demand just by saying, "before you know it, our daughter will be going to college". I'm telling you, the smallest things set me off! He's been nice enough lately not to play that trick though (that's probably because he's realizing the water works will come on their own, without the help of his magic).

Oh, and before we get to the update on our baby girl, I have to give a quick shoutout to one of her grandpa's - happy birthday dad! He turns 55 tomorrow, although he still skis, golfs and works in the yard as if he were in his 30's. I'm very proud of him :)

Okay, now for the update:
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.

Week 22 Update (and a story)

It might embarass Jason for me to tell this story, but I'm going to anyways :) We played golf on Friday, and as usual, I wasn't doing too well. While we were on the back 9, I told Jason I really wanted to go get a pedicure. That somehow spun into me telling him how much I though HE would enjoy one too. He thought it sounded too girly though, so said he wouldn't do it. He was nice enough to offer to go with me and watch me have one done, so that I could get my wish and still spend time together. Of course I told him that's just silly.

With 5 holes to go, I decided to make a bet. I told him that if I got par on any hole - something I hadn't done in over a year - then he had to go get a pedicure with me. He hesitated, but realized how unlikely that was, so agreed. I FINALLY got a par on the 18th hole. I was so excited - I got to get a pedicure, AND my husband was going to experience his first (and I really knew he'd enjoy it).

I happened to talk to my parents before we went, and mom mentioned she really wanted one too. My dad isn't too manly to turn down someone massaging his feet as he sits in a massage chair, so quickly agreed to a double date. So Dad and Jason picked up a 6 pack of beer, and enjoyed a few cold ones as they had a pedicure. Jason thanked me for making the par :)

Anyways, I tell you that story so that I can tell you about the conversation I had with the lady that did Jason's pedicure. He told her I was pregnant, and she asked how many weeks. I told her I was 21 weeks, and she replied in a thick accent, "ah, I couldn't even tell you were pregnant - I thought you were just chub-chub!". TOO FUNNY! I was actually glad someone came out and said what I thought people who didn't know me were thinking. I'm definitely showing, but I can't wait until I'm showing enough for it to be obvious even to strangers!

Now for the update from babycenter.com:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

21 Week Update

This week's update from babycenter.com is short. I will tell you two fun pieces of news in addition to the update though:

1. We got our crib! It is absolutely gorgeous! I will take a picture of it and the nursery, and will post later. We also bought a matching dresser, which we're waiting to be delivered to the store. I'm loving our nursery!

2. Our baby girl is starting to kick a lot! Up until yesterday, I only felt small flutters. But then yesterday afternoon, I felt very pronounced kicks a few times! I tried putting my hand on my stomach as she kicked, since I was curious as to if Jason might be able to feel it later. But she stopped kicking everytime I tried to feel it with my hand. I'm sure he wouldn't be able to feel it yet anyways. It might still be a little early for that. Anyhow, I really do think that feeling life move inside of you is one of the most special gifts God has given us women. I use to joke with Jason that I wish he could be pregnant instead of me (that was before we were pregnant, and when the idea of giving birth really scared me). But now I wouldn't trade for the world!

Now for the update from babycenter.com:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to her activity as you get to know her better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.