Choosing a Day Care

We started our day care search this afternoon by touring a place called Creme de la Creme, which is only about 4 miles from our house. It's a really neat place, and the people were so nice. There are only three infants enrolled now, and one teacher in their room (there's a maximum 1:4 ratio with the infants). Even though we know it will probably be July before she has to go to day care, we're trying to get a jump start on making some of these decisions. This is the first place we've seen, so we aren't sure yet, but we did really like it.

We'll meet with a pediatrician next week to start that search too!

We're Normal!

We saw Dr. Gomez this morning for the last time! I say this with mixed emotions--happily, because he told us the placenta has moved to exactly where it should be, so he released me and I'm no longer considered high risk. Sadly though, because we really liked Dr. Gomez, and enjoyed all the extra ultrasounds--it was like a little visit with Wiggles every time we went in :).

The top picture is her face, turned sideways. The dark circles are her eye sockets, and we think it looks like she's smiling! Her heart rate was good (156), and she weighs 2 lbs, 4 oz right now. He guessed that she's probably about 14 inches long, but said it was tough to tell for sure since she was all balled up and practically folded in half.

The second picture is of her profile. It's cool to see how much bigger she looks now--only her head will even fit in the picture! All of her measurements were right on track, and she was moving like crazy. It's funny to be able to feel her kicks now as I watch them on the screen too.

These will most likely be the last pictures we have until little Emily comes into the world!

Check Up with Dr. Graham

I went for my monthly checkup and glucose tolerance test today with Dr. Graham. All of my bloodwork was fine, and my blood pressure is still good at 110/70. Emily's heartbeat was about 145 beats per minute, which is good.

Dr. Graham measured me and said I'm measuring about a week ahead--he wasn't concerned about it, and said it's normal to be up or down a centimeter or two. I asked him about weight gain, and he said I was gaining a little bit faster than he wanted me to. I've gained a total of 16 pounds throughout the first 26 weeks, and although he said that's fine, he also said he thought I'd be happier if I limited my weight gain to about 10 more pounds over the next 14 weeks (he's right, by the way). He asked about eating habits, and I found out that I'm eating way too much fruit. All this time, I thought eating an entire container of strawberries or cantaloupe was a great thing--because of the high sugar and high caloric content though, it can be overkill. So I'll switch some of my snacks to carrots and snow peas, and cut back on the OJ. I've probably put on an extra pound or two over the holidays too, since I went from eating almost no junk food to sampling some of the homemade desserts I've been around lately :).

The other thing we discussed was the medical records I received from the hospital where I had scoliosis surgery back in 1992. Amazingly, they were able to send me 123 pages of records and not a single x-ray! These would have been useful for the anesthesiologist in the hospital if I ask for an epidural--at this point though, Dr. Graham said I should think about IV pain medication or prepare myself for the idea of natural childbirth. Since I don't want IV drugs (anything I get through an IV also goes to the baby), that only leaves me one option! I'll still take the records to the hospital, and if I ask for it, there's a chance the anesthesiologist will be perfectly comfortable giving the epidural.

26 Weeks: What's Happening

Look who's looking. Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) — are beginning to open at 26 weeks pregnant. What this means is that she is able to see what's going on now (unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting). But do try this at home for kicks (baby's that is): shine a flashlight at your stomach. Your baby might kick in response (as in: "Get that light out of my eyes!"). The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until she's close to six months old.
Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity. Her lungs are now capable of breathing in air. The alveoli begin secreting "surfactant," which keeps them from collapsing. At this point, she is only taking in small breaths of fluid in the womb, but she could probably survive and breathe outside the womb with medical assistance.
At your baby's current height and weight (about 14 inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate she's growing, she will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for her to grow. It just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels, and other Olympic feats.

More Christmas Gifts

We went to have Christmas lunch with Rob, Brad and Zachary today, and although we had agreed not to exchange gifts, I guess Emily wasn't included in that agreement.

She'll be all set to have her first bath at home now, thanks to her Uncle Rob & Stacy. She's equipped with a cool new rainforest bathtub, hooded towel, plenty of washcloths, and lots of Johnson's Baby wash, shampoo, lotion and powder. There's even a little rubber ducky to tell us if the water is too hot for her!

Merry Christmas!

For a weekend we thought would be quiet with just the two of us, we've been up to quite a bit already. We finished up our shopping yesterday, and bought our gifts for each other (yes, very last minute!). Then we went over to a Christmas party last night at a neighbor's house, which was nice. It works out much better for us to shop last minute, because Mick and I finally waited until Christmas morning to exchange gifts. We usually have a tough time being patient.

Gracie and Bella had stockings full of new toys, so they were very excited too. Here's Gracie showing off her new Santa.

Tonight, we're heading to another Christmas party...pretty unbelievable that Mick is agreeing to two nights of this!

Sleep Sheep

Some of us at work exchanged gifts for Christmas, and a friend
of mine gave me a Sleep Sheep for Emily--it's a really soft stuffed lamb that plays soothing sounds to help put babies to sleep. There's a timer on it so you can set it and leave the room--we tried it out last night, and Mick decided he wants one too :).

There's also a velcro strap on the back of the sheep so we can attach it to the side of her crib--can't wait to be able to use it. Thanks Alesia!

Northside Hospital Visit

This morning, we went on our scheduled tour of the Women's Center at Northside Hospital at 9:00 AM. There were five other couples on the tour and it was everyone's first baby, so it was pretty exciting. We found out where we'll be checking in, got to see a labor & delivery room, and saw some new babies in the nursery. There was a lot of information and plenty of chances to ask questions, so we both felt good about it after we left.

For anyone outside of Atlanta, you might not have heard that Northside actually delivers more babies than any other hospital in the country (over 19,000 annually)! It's nice to know we'll be in good hands, no matter what happens the day of delivery.

25 Weeks: What's Happening

Your baby is about 13 1/2 inches and more than a pound and a half in weight this week. Don't look now (as if you could), but your baby's skin is turning pinker. No, not because she's getting overheated (in fact, the amniotic fluid is perfectly climate controlled, keeping your baby at an always comfortable temperature), but because small blood vessels, called capillaries, are forming under the skin and filling with blood. She's also 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.

Later this week, blood vessels will also develop in your baby's lungs, bringing them one step closer to full maturity — and one step closer to taking that first breath of fresh air. But at 25 weeks pregnant, those lungs are still very much works in progress. Though they are already beginning to develop surfactant, a substance that will help the lungs expand after the baby is born, the lungs are still too undeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide when she exhales.

The lungs aren't the only system that's gearing up for air intake. Your baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open this week. This actually allows your little one to begin taking practice breaths (Of course since there's no air in there, your baby is really only "breathing" amniotic fluid, but it's the practice that counts, right?).

We found a bassinet

We've known for a while that we want Emily to sleep in our bedroom for the first few months before moving to her crib, so I've been looking for a bassinet. I didn't really want to pay full price for something I knew we'd only use for a little while, and I was having trouble finding a new one I really liked. I've been looking on craigslist and ebay, and found one this weekend that we liked, was closeby, and almost brand new for a really good price. I'm just glad we found one so Mick can stop asking if I've found a bayonet :)!

24 Weeks: What's Happening

Your baby's growing steadily, and weighs more than a pound and a half right now . Since she's about a foot long, she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. At this point in fetal development, that beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. 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. Your baby is also starting to produce white blood cells, which will help fight infection after she leaves your body and enters the world. You may be surprised to notice that your baby responds to the sound of your voice or even the touch of your hand on your tummy by quieting down or occasionally increasing activity as a way of communicating with you! 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.

Daddy felt her move!

Mick and I both came down with severe colds this week (which explains the red, puffy eyes in the 23 week pic) and haven't been able to sleep very well, so we were up late last night. Emily was wiggling around a lot, so Mick decided to try to feel her again--up until this point, she has stopped moving every time he put his hand on my belly, but she was cooperating last night. For the first time, her daddy felt her move--twice! It was quite exciting :).

23 Weeks: What's Happening

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, you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes (I haven't yet seen her move, but am feeling her more often, so hopefully Mick will be able to feel her any day now!). She'll more than double her weight by the end of this month! 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.

We've already decided that Emily will know Bella's voice very well by the time she's born! Bella is our resident loudmouth.

Wiggles has a name

Although most of you who read this blog already know, we have decided on a name for our little wiggler. For a long time, Emily has been our favorite name for a girl. We actually took it out of the running for a while because it was the most popular girl's name for more than a year. We noticed that it's fallen out of the top three names in the last couple of years, so we came back to it. We had a couple of names we liked for her middle name, and have landed on Claire after lots of discussion.

In just a few months, we'll be welcoming little Emily Claire Jackson!