26 weeks

How far along? 26 weeks - baby is around 14 inches long & weighs almost 2 lbs

Symptoms: If there was one complaint I had about this pregnancy it would have to be the indigestion & the heartburn. Every time I eat I make sure to follow my meal with Tums & sometimes that doesn't even help :( Also, I am feeling that need to pee every 30 minutes that everyone warned me about - fun, fun!

Weight gain/loss: Will check next week at my OB appointment on 11/5. (Total of 14 lbs gained since last check)

Maternity clothes? yes - all the time now

Sleep: Still able to fall asleep easily but wake up a couple times a night trying to find a comfortable position & to pee of course.

Food cravings/aversions: I had pasta 3x's this week so Italian food is right up there with my favorite things to eat right now!

Movement? yes - from 8pm to 9am Baby T is moving & kicking all around. Pretty quiet throughout the day.

What I miss: Being able to hold my bladder for 10 hours like I used to - lol :)

Best moment(s) this week: a couple evenings out shared with great girlfriends

What I'm looking forward to: my 1st baby shower & seeing my family in a couple of weeks

Next Appointment: Monday, Nov 5th - glucose screening test & OB appt

Milestones: For the first time, Baby T's eyelids have fully opened after being fused shut all this time. He has started to move his head all around, the hair on his head is starting to grow in as well as his fingernails. His testicles are beginning to descend into the scrotum which will take about two to three days for the process to complete. He also continues to inhale & exhale small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. 

Crafty

With Halloween soon approaching, I was looking very forward to gathering with a few girlfriends for a fun, relaxing evening of painting pumpkins. Our hostess Jill invited us over & had instructed us to bring a pumpkin, along with our favorite fall appetizer or dessert & our "inner-craftiness"!

After much catching up, we enjoyed the yummy spread of chicken chili, candied pears, kettle corn, baked sweet onion dip & the most dee-lish pumpkin cinnamon rolls made by Miss Keri & then we got down to business. The girls rolled up their sleeves, put on some old t-shirts & the paint brushes were a flyin'! We had such a great time & shared many laughs while making our creations. 

Here is my painted masterpiece:

Me with our hostess Jill (in the middle) & my favorite "domestic diva" Miss Keri on the right:

 
And all the girls with their pumpkins:

 

Since this little craft session was such a hit with these girls, there is talk of gathering together for a Christmas craft-making session in the near future :)

25 weeks

How far along? 25 weeks - baby is around 13 1/2 inches long

Symptoms: Fatigue has really set in this past week & the heartburn is back with a vengeance.

Weight gain/loss: refusing to step on the scale until my Nov 5th OB appointment

Maternity clothes? yes - most of the time. Still have some regular tops I can fit into.

Sleep: Been able to fall asleep easily & stay asleep with no trouble - up until 4am, of course!

Food cravings/aversions: Loving cheese from the deli - especially colby-jack

Movement? yes - from 8pm to 9am Baby T is moving & kicking all around. Pretty quiet throughout the day.

What I miss: have I mentioned sleeping through the night & turkey sandwiches??

Best moment(s) this week: seeing Baby T sucking his thumb at the ultrasound - so stinkin' cute!

What I'm looking forward to: my 1st baby shower & seeing my family in a couple of weeks

Next Appointment: Monday, Nov 5th - glucose screening test & OB appt

Milestones:  Baby T is beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out & he'll start to look more & more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair & if you could see it, you'd be able to see its color and texture.

Growth scan

Last Wednesday I had my 24 week growth scan & when Baby T appeared on the monitor he was sucking his thumb - it was so stinkin' cute! Then we watched him pull his thumb out of his mouth & yawned - amazing! I am always in awe when I get to see him on the monitor & see how much he has grown since the last scan.

The tech did all her measurements (size of head, belly, femur bone, & arm bone) & Baby T proves to still be an over-achiever. I was 24w2d at my scan & he measured 25 weeks 3 days, is in the 64th percentile for size at this stage (50% is average), weighs 1 lb 10 oz & all looks good with his organs. So relieved to hear such good news!

Here are a couple of pics from the scan:

Baby T's face:

Baby T's foot:

My next appointment is in 2 weeks where I will do my glucose tolerance test in the morning & then later in the afternoon I will see my OB for my usual checks.

So very thankful all is going good thus far!

Holiday Mart 2012

Holiday Mart was this weekend & those of you who know me or have followed my blog for several years know how excited I get to attend this annual event. Besides the appearance of pumpkin spice lattes, it is one of the things I look forward to when the month of October rolls around.

To me Holiday Mart is the kick-off to the Christmas season. Nothing gets you in the holiday mood like decorated Christmas trees, holiday decor, Christmas music playing overhead, gift ideas to be bought & a good time spent with girlfriends.

This year my girlfriends Stephanie & Stacey joined me in the festivities & we definitely had a great time walking up & down all the aisles, checking out all the vendors had to offer, sampling yummy food & even getting a few Christmas gifts bought & out of the way. Hard to believe that Christmas is only 2 months away!!

Thanks girls for joining me in this annual holiday tradition :)

Orlando - Day 4

We were supposed to go to the beach today but according to the news channel, there was a tropical depression brewing in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida. They reported 25 mph winds & dangerous waves so we opted to just stay around the resort & spend the day chilling by the pool. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera along but below is where we spent the majority of our day:

After we enjoyed a day of fun in the sun, we ordered carry-out mexican food from Don Pablo's & spent the rest of the evening packing up our things, cleaning up the condo & watching a little TV.

I was sad to be leaving my sister & her family but was looking forward to getting back to the hubby & furries :) It was such a fun, enjoyable trip & I am so glad I was asked to come along!

Orlando - Day 3

Day 3: Sea World

Out of the whole vacation, this was my absolute favorite day. I loved Sea World & all it had to offer. It was another gorgeous, sunny day & the park was definitely not as busy as Magic Kingdom which made it very relaxing & peaceful as we made out way through it.

 

One of the first stops was the Stingray Lagoon which contained all kinds of stingray swimming around waiting to be fed. We all bought some food for them & enjoyed feeding & touching them as they swam by. They are such cool creatures & I SO enjoyed hanging out here watching them.

Next we made our way over to the Dolphin Theater to watch the dolphin show. It was really entertaining & great fun watching all the dolphin's do their tricks:

 

After the dolphin show, we made our way over to Shamu Stadium for the show with the whales but before it started, the kids enjoyed going on a few rides. Tanner & Cael even went on their first roller coaster ride! You can spot them in the last 2 seats in the very back of the ride:

 

The show with the whales was way cool! They are such beautiful animals & so amazing to watch! We all thoroughly enjoyed watching this show - even little Jensen!

Afterwards we walked down to the "underground" of the stadium & just so happened to get our own personal show with one of the trainer's which was awesome! You can see the whales sticking their tongue out in one pic & waving their flipper in the other!
 

 

As we left the stadium & made our way over to Dolphin Cove these two cuties were walking ahead of us. Big brother Tanner leading little brother Cael by the hand - so cute!!

One of the last things we did at Sea World was probably my absolute most favorite - feeding the dophins. We all got up close & personal with these beautiful animals feeding & petting them & I could have stayed their all day long! I love how they always look so happy!

Sea World ended up being a great place to check out & I'm pretty sure fun was had by all! By the end of the day, we all decided that 2 days in a row of theme parks was enough as we were all starting to feel the aches & pains of all the standing & walking! 

After we got back to the resort & had dinner, the boys wanted to go swimming so we all headed down to the pool. Jensen & I decided to "just watch" while Jen & Ben swam with the boys! It was another great day but I think we are all looking forward to a much more relaxing day tomorrow!!

Orlando - Day 2

Day 2: Magic Kingdom

And what a "magical" place it was! The weather was perfect & the humidity was low - thank goodness! We arrived right when the park opened & my sister being the organizer that she is, had us on a schedule with itinerary in hand as to not miss a thing! She did a lot of research on how to "do Disney with kids" so Ben & I just let her lead the way.

We started at the back of the theme park & worked our way towards the front & by doing this, it didn't feel so crowded & we only had to wait about 15-20 minutes to ride the rides. With little ones who don't quite understand "being patient", it actually worked out really well.

Ben, Jen & Jensen waiting in line:

First rides of the day, Nascar Speedway cars & Dumbo the Elephant:

 

We spent almost 12 hours at the park taking in all the sites, riding all the kiddie rides, posing for pictures & enjoying all that Magic Kingdom had to offer.

 

I think the highlight of the day for everyone - especially Cael - was having dinner with Winnie the Pooh & friends. It was SO fun to see their little faces light up when Pooh came to our table along with Eeyore, Piglet (my favorite) & Tigger!

Love the boys' face in this pic & how Piglet is holding their little hands!

After dinner we made our way towards the front of the park & hit the gift shops to do a little souvenir shopping. Jensen got to try on some Mickey ears while Cael ended up getting his own pair of "Goopy" ears (as Cael calls them - lol)

 

What a super fun day we all had! The kids were troopers & other than a couple of meltdowns, behaved really well! On our way to the exit we had one more stop to make & one last picture to take! No trip to Magic Kingdom would be complete without posing for a picture with Mickey Mouse:

So long Magic Kindom - thanks for the magical memories :)

Orlando - Day 1

My sister & her family spent a week in Florida going to the beach & then on to Disney World & had asked if I would like to join them. I have never been to Disney, have always wanted to go & always jump at the chance to spend some quality-time with my nephews & niece so I didn't hesitate at the chance to join them.

I decided to forego the beach part of the vacation & instead met them in Orlando for 5 days of a "magical" time at Disney World. I got in around noon & the whole crew was waiting for me at the airport ready to head to our first adventure - Gatorland! It was extremely humid out & if it was any hotter it would have been miserable but all in all, Gatorland was a fun, neat place for the little kids & big kids too!

First stop: watching the alligators get fed

Aunt Hedder & Tan Man! 

Yikes - the humidity really did a number on my straight hair!!

My nephew's Tanner & Cael sitting on a real, live gator!

Family photo :)

There were alligator's & birds sitting right next to them everywhere at Gatorland! I was really surprised the gator's didn't try to eat the birds?!

This is how my niece Jensen spent most of the day at Gatorland. She loves to suck on those two fingers!!

After our fun gator outing, we all stopped at Ruby Tuesday for dinner & then made our way back to the resort. We were wore out from all the fun at Gatorland & ended up turning in early for the night - hoping for a less humid day the next day!

24 weeks

Today I am 24 weeks….Viability Day!   

Viability Day means that if Baby T were to be born today he'd have over a 50% chance of survival. Hopefully he doesn't get any wise ideas & stays cooking for the next 15-16 weeks so he can be strong & healthy when he is born. Luckily my 20 week ultrasound showed no cervical thinning - which is a sign of pre-term labor - so hoping the scan on Wednesday shows the same thing!

How far along? 24 weeks (baby is around 12 inches long & weighs almost 1.5 lbs)

Symptoms: Been feeling pretty good - don't really have any complaints!

Weight gain/loss: I didn't get a chance to weigh in today so going to say I still have gained a total of 13 lbs gained so far.

Maternity clothes? yes - shirts & pants whenever I can. My scrubs at work are getting a little snug so I'm sure after this week I will need to go up a size.

Sleep: Been able to fall asleep easily & stay asleep with no trouble - up until 4am, of course!

Food cravings/aversions: no real cravings or aversions this week! Still enjoying lots of cheese!

Movement? yes, Baby T is kicking & moving all over the place - especially in the evenings!

What I miss? jumping up out of the recliner or the bed with ease. This belly bump is starting to get big!!

Best moment(s) this week: reaching "V-Day" (viability day)

What I'm looking forward to: my annual trip to Holiday Mart this Sunday with some girlfriends

Next Appointment: Wed, October 17th - growth ultrasound. Get to see Baby T again - yay :)

Milestones: The top of my uterus has risen above my belly button & is now about the size of a soccer ball - hard to imagine!! Baby T is pretty lean at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally & he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, & his taste buds are continuing to develop. The lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant - a substance that will help the air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. The skin is still thin & translucent, but that will start to change soon also.

23 weeks

Had an appointment with my OB this afternoon & everything checked out A-OK :) Blood pressure is still low, my weight gain is right on track & no sugar or protein in my urine - so far so good. One more monthly visit on Nov 5th & then I start my bi-weekly appointments. Is it just me or is this pregnancy flying by?? 

I had the day off today which was spent checking out a potential daycare - which I really like, running errands & packing for my trip to Florida tomorrow. Looking forward to spending some "Aunt Hedder" time with my nephews & niece! The weather here was beautiful today but there were 25 mile/hr wind gusts so either my hair was all over the place or my jacket was flapping in the breeze. This pic happened to be the best I could do. 23 week pic - attempt #4:

How far along? 23 weeks (baby is over 11 inches long & weighs just over 1 lb)

Symptoms: Occasional heartburn & feeling the need to pee all. the. time. Other than that feeling really good!

Weight gain/loss: +2 lbs  (total of 13 lbs gained so far) - darn pasta & cheese!!

Maternity clothes? yes - shirts & pants whenever I can. Bought a pair of maternity jeans this week & I am loving them.

Sleep: my 4am insomnia has returned :(

Food cravings/aversions: been craving Cheerios for breakfast - so weird

Movement? yes, Baby T is very active - especially in the evenings. He also had hiccups this past week that I felt for the first time :)

What I miss? sleeping through the night

Best moment(s) this week: Friday being my last day of work for a week!

What I'm looking forward to: spending time with my sister & her family in Florida at Disney World this week

Next Appointment: Wed, October 17th - growth scan. Get to see Baby T again - yay :)

Milestones: Been able to see Baby T kicking from the outside. Blood vessels in the lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, & the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as the dog barking or the sound of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

22 weeks

22 weeks & doing great! Hard to believe I am only 2 weeks away from "viability" which means if Baby T is born early there is a 50% chance of survival. Crazy thought - let's hope I am a LONG ways away from delivering!!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to get a pic outside today in my usual spot since I worked late so this will have to do:

How far along? 22 weeks (baby is 11 inches long, weighs 1 lb & is the length of a spaghetti squash)

Symptoms: felt my first Braxton Hicks contractions this week & heartburn has been coming & going. Other than that I am feeling really good!

Weight gain/loss: + 1 lb  (total of 11 lbs gained so far)

Maternity clothes? yes -shirts & pants whenever I can

Sleep: my 4am insomnia has returned :(

Food cravings/aversions: Italian food has been a non-stop craving this past couple of weeks - pizza, lasagna, chix parmesan, breadsticks with marinara...you name it & I am wanting it. I try to eat it only a couple times a week which seems to satisfy the craving. Still loving cheese!

Movement? yes, Baby T is kicking & rolling around all the time now - especially at night. Shane & I actually saw a few kicks on the outside of my belly this past week.

What I miss? a glass of red wine to go with my Italian food

Best moment(s) this week: I started the registry process for my showers this week which was exciting but extremely overwhelming. We also narrowed down our crib/dresser set as well as the nursery colors.

What I'm looking forward to: going to Florida with my sister & her family & spending 5 days at Disney next week

Next Appointment: Monday, October 8th with my OB

Milestones: Baby T is starting to look like a miniature newborn. The lips, eyelids, & eyebrows are becoming more distinct, & there are tiny tooth buds developing beneath the gums. The eyes have formed, but the irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. Also the pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.