10 Weeks

Your baby is no longer an embryo! Though she's barely the size of a kumquat — just an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, she now has completed the most critical portion of her development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in her body rapidly grow and mature. Her vital organs — the liver, kidney, intestines, brain, and lungs — are now in place and starting to function (although they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy). Her liver continues to make blood cells, and the yolk sac, which previously supplied these cells, is no longer needed and begins to disappear.During the next three weeks, your baby's length will more than double to nearly 3 inches. Her head is proportionately smaller now than it was a few weeks ago, but it's still almost half the length of her entire body. Her forehead temporarily bulges with her developing brain and sits high on her head; it will later recede to give her a more human appearance. Each day, more minute details — including tiny fingernails, toenails, and peach-fuzz hair — start to appear on her body. Her fingers are now completely separated; her arms bend at the elbow and curve slightly; her hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart; her legs are lengthening; and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. She is busily swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking her legs.If you could take a peek at your baby this week, you'd be able to clearly see the outline of her spine through her parchment-thin skin. Spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from her spinal cord.

Last night I swear I felt the baby move, I was partially laying on my stomach. Although it is kinda early to feel the movement, I have heard that woman who have been pregnant before do tend to notice the movement much earlier. I guess I will have to wait and see if I feel it again the next time I lay down. I am feeling pretty good, not much sickness at all. I am still tired pretty often but my prenatal vitamins are helping a lot with that. I am craving some weird things this time around, pickled eggs and cucumber salad are my biggest cravings so far, and red beets. It is a bit weird, I know. I have a great deal of trouble eating cheeseburgers right now, actually the sight of them make me want to gag. Hopefully that passes, I normally love to eat burgers.

9 Weeks

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — barely the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce, but he's poised for rapid weight gain now that his basic physical structure is in place. He's also starting to look more and more human. His embryonic "tail" is now completely gone and his body parts — including organs, muscles, and nerves — are kicking into gear.His eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. He has earlobes, and by week's end, the inner workings of his ears will be complete. His upper lip is fully formed, too, and his mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The tips of his fingers are slightly enlarged where his touch pads are developing. All major joints — his shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles — are working, enabling your baby to move his limbs. As for his heart, it has divided into four chambers now, and the valves have started to develop. External sex organs are there, but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.

As for my body, I am very tired lately, can't seem to get enough sleep. I have had a little nausea but nothing severe, I have not vomited at all, although I have felt like I could a few times. I have had some lower back pain and some left abdominal pain from time to time, but this is pretty normal, my uterus getting ready. We are pretty excited, everyone keeps telling us to find out if it is boy or girl, but we are old fashioned in that we like to wait until delivery to find that out. I bought a girl crib set yesterday, it was only 9.50 marked down from 39.99, I figured if I did not have a girl it would make a nice gift for someone that will be having a girl. The kids are still pretty excited, but they have a long time to wait to see their little sibling. Well time for some crackers, I feel some nausea coming on. LOL :)

First Glance at a Miracle

Today was my first appointment. It went well. They did an internal exam, bloodwork to test for such things as thyroid, blood sugar levels, rebella, and various other routine tests. They did an in-office ultrasound, I got to see the baby, baby's heart, and hear the heartbeat. It was very neat. The baby is measuring at 8 weeks, wich puts my due date at Feb 22, 2008 just as I had calculated. Although the baby is only as big as a kidney bean, it was moving around and I could see the eye sockets, nose, face, and arms and legs on the picture. It definately made the pregnancy more real to me, it was a surreal feeling, seeing the life inside me for the first time. I was very excited and just wished that Bill could have come to my appointment with me too. I got my prenatal vitamin prescription and scheduled my next appointment for 12 weeks (four weeks from now, August 10th, 2007).
At my next appointment they will do a gluclose test. Since I had gestational diabeties with my last pregnancy, and since I had to take insulin (which is rare in most gestational diabeties cases) I am at a significantly higher risk for having gestational diabeties this time around too. I am just going to take things one day at a time, it will all work out, I am certain of that. I got some good news at todays appointment, she said that once you can see/hear the heartbeat the chances of miscarriage are reduced to 2%. That is great news!

8 Weeks - Tomorrow begins 3rd Month

Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. She's constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. Her embryonic tail is disappearing, and her eyelids practically cover her eyes. Still slightly webbed, her fingers and toes are growing longer. Her arms have lengthened, too, and her hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over her heart. Her knee joints have formed, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. With her trunk straightening out, her head is more erect. Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl.

My appointment is today, I will update blog after my appointment this afternoon.

Hannah predicts baby's sex

Hannah informed me last night that she was going to have a sister, I said are you sure it is not a brother, she said, nope, it is a sister. I chuckled to myself about her certainty. I am so glad that she is so excited to be a big sister, my biggest fear was that she would be really jealous. So far she has displayed nothing but excitement for the babys arrival. Every night we have a night ritual when she talks to my belly. Last night she said, good night baby, sweet dreams, don't let the bed bugs bite. I was rolling with laughter, it was so cute. She kissed my belly and told the baby that it was so cute and that she loved it. She then proceeded lay her head on my belly and talk some more and then hugged my belly. It really was quite a cute moment that I just had to document. Tomorrow is my first appointment, I am so excited.

Everything is going really well, I do not have any morning sickness, which is wonderful. The biggest complaint that I have is being extremely tired and having lower back pain. Both of which I am being told are completely normal. I do remember being really tired with Hannah but I did not have any lower back pain, at least not like this. Although I did have back labor with both kids. My first appointment is on Friday. I am excited to go. I am trying to remember what happened during my first appointment with Hannah and I think that they did an in office ultrasound. I am not sure though, I know it is too early to hear the heartbeat, although the baby's heart is beating, it is too early to be detected by the heart monitor.

I found a lot of my maternity clothes, I got them all in my drawers awhile. It is so exciting to go through this all again. I am helping with vacation bible school this week, hopefully I will not be too tired to do this. I am usually so exhausted by 9:00 PM each night. I will be glad when this phrase is through. I like staying up until 11:00-12:00 everynight, this going to bed at 9:00 PM is just not for me. :)

Our new house foundation walls are going in this week, we are excited and hoping to keep everything moving fast so that we can be in our house sooner. We are just so excited for this new step in our life.

7 Weeks

Sweet Peas 7 week development:
Your baby still appears to have a small tail (actually, it's an extension of his tailbone), which will disappear in the next few weeks. But that's the only thing getting smaller. Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — he has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers, which already have some color, and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin and his veins are clearly visible.Your little one also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. His liver is busy producing red blood cells, and a loop of your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his tiny body. You can't feel his gyrations yet, but your baby is like a little jumping bean, moving in fits and starts around his watery home.

6/27/2007 - 6 Weeks

As I begin my sixth week, I thought I better schedule my first appointment. I called the doctor and my first appointment will be in July 13th, 2007. I should be 8 weeks by my first appointment.

Here is Sweet Peas - 6 weeks development

The cells that will make up all of your baby's body parts and systems are dividing furiously as her body begins to take shape. Right now she's about the size of a small lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters across). If you could see through your uterine wall, you'd find an overlarge head and dark spots where her eyes and nostrils are beginning to take shape. Shallow pits on the sides of her head mark her developing ears, and her arms and legs appear as protruding buds. Her hands and feet look like paddles, with thick webbing between the developing digits, but her fingers and toes will soon become more distinct. Below the opening that will later be your baby's mouth, there are small folds where her neck and lower jaw will eventually develop. (Inside, her tongue and vocal cords are just beginning to form.)Your baby's heart (which is starting to divide into the right and left chambers) is beating about 100 to 130 beats per minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to circulate through her body. Her intestines are developing and tiny breathing passages are beginning to appear where her lungs will be. She's also starting to build muscle fibers and, halfway through this week, she'll likely start moving her tiny limbs. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to wait until you're several weeks into your second trimester before you get to enjoy feeling your baby's calisthenics.

6/25/07 Due Date Established - 5 weeks

After consulting my favorite websites, I found that my due date would likely be February 22, 2008. I was most fertile between 5/28 thru 6/2. According to the ancient chinese birth chart, if I conceived in May I will be having a girl, if I conceived in June it will be a boy. Bill and I believe I likely conceived in May unless those little guys lived the full 72 hours before implanting. So I guess we will truely not know this time if it is boy or girl, it will be a complete suprise.

5 weeks - Sweet Pea's development

Deep in your uterus your embryo is growing at a furious pace. At this point he's about the size of a sesame seed, and he looks more like a tiny tadpole than a human. He's now made up of three layers — the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm — that will later form his organs and tissues. The cells are forming for his major organs, including his kidneys and liver, and his neural tube is beginning to develop. This neural tube — from which your baby's brain, spinal cord, nerves, and backbone will sprout — develops in the top layer, called the ectoderm. This layer will also give rise to his skin, hair, nails, mammary and sweat glands, and tooth enamel. His heart and circulatory system begin to form in the middle layer, or mesoderm. (This week, in fact, his tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat and pump blood.) The mesoderm will also form your baby's muscles, cartilage, bone, and subcutaneous (under skin) tissue. The third layer, or endoderm, will house his lungs, intestines, and rudimentary urinary system, as well as his thyroid, liver, and pancreas. In the meantime, the primitive placenta and umbilical cord, which deliver nourishment and oxygen to your baby, are already on the job.

6/25/07 - Telling my friends

The next task I had was to tell my friends. I was nervous, as I felt that maybe I would be judged because the kids will be so close in age, I guess it is just hard for me to get used to still so I feel like they won't either. I know it is silly, but it is how I feel. I told Jamie this morning, she was like what? I said I am expecting, she said really? She seemed very happy though as I talked to her, I told my friend Denise who was in shock literally. My friend Faith, cracked up and said, I love it. Jen responded with a oh yeah, really? Rhonda was like, no freaking way. Amy was estatic, she thought it was great! Dave and Heather thought it was cool and expected it to come soon, my brother thought we were crazy. Stacy said wow! Brya was excited, as her little one will have a playmate. Melinda was excited too. Pam was happy, and was concerned with how I was taking the news. Lori gave me a big hug, and said congratulations. Both Debs thought it was cool.

Yeah the cat is out of the box, and there are mixed emotions among the group, but most seemed happy. We are adjusting to it more and more each day and are looking forward to meeting our little sweet Pea.

6/25/07 - Telling Hannah

Our next task was to tell Hannah, I was not sure she would understand, she just turned two in April. Although she is extremely bright for her age, I was not sure the best way to explain to her what was going to happen. I asked her if she would like to have a baby brother or sister, she said, uh huh, I said well you are going to be a big sister, mommy has a baby growing inside her. She smiled really big and lifted my shirt up and said baby. I said yes honey there is a baby in there, she started talking to my belly immediately, saying, "Hi baby, oh you are so cute...." It was adorable. She also likes to play peek a boo with my belly (the baby), it is so adorable.

Everynight before bed the kids both like to kiss my belly and say good night to the baby, Hannah will say oh baby you are so cute, and kiss my belly, while Elijah says, good night butter cup.

6/24/07 - Telling our Parents

After the initial shock set in, we are now starting to get really excited. According to my calculations, the first day of my last period was May 18th, 2007. We figure that since I was one week late, that I was likely around 5 weeks. Since they count the date the egg is created for gestation purposes. I called my parents, who kept Hannah over night for us the night before, to tell them the good news. Both my Mom and Dad were estatic, very happy to be getting another grandchild. Mom is hoping for another girl, and Dad thought it would be nice for a boy. I guess we will wait and see.
We then went to my mother in laws house, and told her the good news in person, she was so happy and gave us a big hug and told us congratulations. We were both gleaming at this point, we had the support of both of our parents, this is a great feeling. Won't be long and we will have another baby, we are thinking it will likely be a March baby. Since I did not have access to the computer on this day, as we were in Hershey park, I will wait until tomorrow to see what my trusting online fertility calculator says for our due date.
As we were in the park today, we were trying to think of a nickname for the baby while I am pregnant. Elijah was our peanut and Hannah was our sunshine. We just need one for this little one now too. I suggested whatchumicalit (since we were in Hershey), and I suggested chocolate kiss, etc, but Bill did not like either suggestion. Elijah has decided on buttercup. Bill liked sweet pea, I liked sweet pea too since the baby was likely the size of a small pea at the point when we found out. Thus the name, Sweet pea is born.

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

This morning I decided to take a pregnancy test, since I am a little over a week late, I figure I better check to make sure that I am not pregnant before going to Hershey park today. We have concert tickets to go to the Bob Dylan concert and had decided to go to Hershey park before the concert since we get discounted admission.

I awoke my husband to, "Turn on the light, you have to see this." He said, "What, I am trying to sleep." I said are you ready to be a Daddy again, he said, "Shut up". I said no, really, he said really, I said yes really. He got a big goofy smile on his face while I said, I guess I can't go to Haiti now in January, he laughed and said, no I guess not.

My next mission was to tell Elijah the news, I was afraid to do this, he already is not that crazy about having a little sister and he is so looking foward to Haiti, I was sure he was going to be disappointed and upset. I woke him up and told him we could not go to Haiti because we were going to have another baby. He said, really, I said yes honey, really. He said, "That's ok Mom, it is just not God's will for us to go to Haiti this year, if we were to go maybe something bad would have happened. We will get there someday, it is ok Mom." I was baffled by my sons faith and understanding. It was a proud moment for me as a mom. I know I am doing something right with raising him. He has more faith than I ever did at his age. It is really quite amazing to see him grow in the Lord.