BJ at Week 18

The week of May 25th 2009

Head to rump, BJ should be about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weigh almost 7 ounces. But if you have been keeping up with her, you know that she is already measuring 6 inches and is likely bigger now:) She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that I have felt from time to time and will start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. Her reproductive organs are formed and in place, but if her dad has anything to do with it, she will never get married and have babies of her own.

So as all of you know from several posts ago, we are having a girl and we are sooo extremely excited that we can't stand it! Also as many of you know I am very much a planner so now that I know what the sex of the baby is I will be kicking it into high gear for planning mode. Plus, am I getting bigger and it is getting hotter, so the more I get done early the better! We went to babies r us and started our registry. We also went to USA baby and registered for the bedding we like. I also think we are going to register for a few items at Target too. We haven't decided if we are going to paint BJ's room or not, but if we do decide to paint it, it won't be PINK!!! Her dad and I both agree that she will already get a lot of pink clothes and gear, so a pink room would be over the top :) We haven't decided on furniture for the nursery yet, but so far this is what we have settled on:

This is the bedding we picked out and we both really like that it is feminine, but not pink. You can go here to view the other pictures as well:
http://www.cocalo.com/item.asp?id=534&brand=6&g=1&coll=&cat=1

Anyways so we will post our registries soon since we have some baby showers coming up this summer before the baby comes. We still haven't decided on a name yet, but we are so excited about everything and can't wait to actually see our baby girl in person and hold her!!

BJ at Week 17

The week of May 18th 2009: My Little Onion



BJ's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Most babies around this time would weigh about 5 ounces (as much as a turnip), and be around 5 inches long from head to bottom, but she is measuring a little big at 6 inches (about the size of a jumbo baked potato!) She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop. (Babycenter.com)

It is kind of ironic that this week is an onion for the simple fact that before I was pregnant I loved onions and now that I am pregnant I barely eat them! This is definitely Chip's princess because he has a hatred towards onions as well. I've been feeling great still and am so thankful the Lord has blessed me with this baby. Sometimes I still forget she's there, but now that my baby bump is growing, it's a constant reminder! I feel random twitches and tinges in weird places as my BJ's temporary home makes room for her. I know it's all part of the whole journey so I try not to freak out too much. Every now and then I feel little flutters in my belly as BJ makes sure mommy knows she's there. For example, we went to Bible study last night and everything was fine, then the organ got louder and so did the singing and the clapping and that must have excited BJ, because she was moving around like she was gettin her praise on! I was thinking, OMG! there is something crawling on my stomach? Oh, wait! That was the baby!!

What's going on with me? Well after spending much of my life after 25 trying to avoid gaining weight, now I'm told to pack on the poundage. But not too many pounds, of course. And not the wrong kind of weight. It's exhausting. So, I enrolled in prenatal yoga and an aqua fit class. Both of which I really really like. So, hopefully, the weight I am gaining I can lose after the baby is born.

Speaking of packing on the pounds, that what it's all about for BJ this week. She's adding fat stores that will keep her warm and cozy after she's born. Her weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks. Wow!!

BJ is also hard at work making sure her sucking and swallowing reflexes are in working order —all the better for eating that 2 AM (and 5 AM, and 8 AM ...) meal in a few months! Goodness! Will I ever sleep??!!!

BJ's Photo Session

We haven't decided on a name yet, so we still call her BJ. I have a feeling we will be calling her that even after she has a name. Here are the pics from the ultra sound.

Two tiny little feet



BJ on her back with her knees up...looking pretty snug and comfy :)



Close Up!


Body Shot!

We're Having A.......................

So we had our ultrasound yesterday and it was incredible!! They spent about 30 minutes showing us the head and all of the baby's body parts and measuring them. The great news is everything is healthy. Two legs, two arms, 10 fingers and 10 toes. There was no cause for concern and they officially confirmed that there is only one baby. So, on to the excitement, BJ was laying on its back with its hands on its tiny face, with knees bent and feet down in what looked like a very comfortable position. After a brief break, there was some movement, actually a lot of movement. We had to play around a little to get the baby to turn over, but it finally did. It moved its legs up and around and then rolled its bottom up with legs open. That finally gave us the view we needed to find out that ...
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It's a GIRL!!!!! We are soooo excited and can't wait to get started on picking things out for our sweet baby girl!!! I had slight teary eyes and her dad got flutters. It was so exciting to see his reaction to seeing her on the screen. It was such an amazing moment that I am glad we shared together. We got some great pictures, and will be loading them soon.

16 week survey

How far along? 4th month; 16th week; 2nd Trimester


Total weight gain/loss: -7 pounds


Maternity clothes? My sister-n-law Chanda gave me loads of maternity clothes. I wear them because they are so comfy and not tight on my belly (which is starting to show more and more).


Stretch marks? None from BJ. I have some stretch marks from college when I put on weight from athletic training).


Sleep: My bladder likes to keep me awake....as does my tailbone!


Best moment this week: FEELING BJ MOVE!!! MOST AMAZING THING EVER!


Movement: YUP! First felt at 14 weeks...it felt like tickles in my tummy or like popcorn popping!


Food cravings: Watermelon


Gender: We found out yesterday!!!


Labor Signs: No


Belly Button in or out? In.


What I miss: a little TMI...so if you don't want to know, stop reading....I miss Pooping!


What I am looking forward to: The half way point!


Milestones: Seeing BJ's first sonogram pic and ... finding out BJ's gender!

BJ at week 16

The week of May 11th, 2009

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, BJ baby will double in weight and add inches in length. Right now, BJ is about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. Its legs are much more developed, its head is more erect than it has been, and the eyes have moved closer to the front of its head. BJ's ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his/her scalp has begun, though the locks aren't recognizable yet. BJ's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, the heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as baby continues to develop. We're sooo excited!! We have an appointment today (Monday the 11th) to find out if BJ is a he or she. I think at this point we are pretty sure there is only one baby, but we will get that confirmed to. I was a little concerned about this last night. I was listening to the doppler that I have at home and I thought there were two heartbeats (one on the right and one on the left). As it turns out, BJ is just very active and was happily and quickly bouncing from side to side! Nevertheless, they will confirm whether we are having one baby or more today. I cannot wait to know.

I've been feeling great still just enjoying every moment with this baby. Yesterday was a big day for movement, he/she couldn't stop moving. Can't wait to hear what everyone thinks I'm having and if they're right! If we stay true to the Jones' record, it will definately be a boy! Between the two of us, we have nine nephews ranging from ages 2 months to 5 years. I think the universe is ready for a girl!

Anxious

I have one week and I get to hear my baby's heartbeat again and we get to find out if BJ is indeed a boy or a girl. In the beginning I didn't want to know. I wanted it to be a surprise, but daddy wants to know, so I will let him have his way. I secretly want to know too :) Plus it will be a lot easier to plan for BJ's arrival. Everythings still going great, I have noticed an increase in my appetite in the past week or so which I'm thinking is fairly normal at this point. I still haven't had any ridiculous cravings. I wanted watermelon, but that's about it. My skin is clearing up finally! BJ causes baby acne on my face and it's so bad, at least to me. I never had issues with my skin until now, so it's pretty irritating, but now it looks like I am finally getting the baby "glow" everybody keeps talking about.

My mom and grandma are coming in town for my graduation. This will be my grandma's first visit. They both seem excited and I can't wait to see them. They'll be staying through Mother's Day, so it will be a very special even this year. Three generations of women together! I'm getting excited just thinking about it. Maybe BJ will make four generations. I guess we will find out soon enough.

BJ at 15 weeks...the debut

The week of May 4th, 2009.

BJ is growing and now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). BJ is busy moving amniotic fluid through the nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in baby's lungs begin to develop. BJ's legs are growing longer than the arms now, and BJ can move all of his/her joints and limbs. Although the eyelids are still fused shut, the baby can sense light. If I shine a flashlight at my tummy, for instance, it's likely that BJ would move away from the beam. There's not much for your BJ to taste at this point, but he or she is working hard at forming taste buds. If we were having an ultrasound this week, we might be able to tell if BJ is a boy or a girl! But we won't find out until next week.

I actually had an appointment today, just a routine check. Everything is progressing fine, but the doc has to get a measure on BJ's heartbeat at every visit. So, she was running the doppler along my belly, but couldn't find the heartbeat. She said BJ was moving around a lot and it was hard for her to get a read, so we went to get an ultrasound just to make sure things were ok. This is my first Ultrasound!!! As soon as the tech placed the wand on my belly, I heard the beautiful heartbeat!! It has slown down from the 174 it was when BJ was just an embryo. BJ's fetal heartrate this visit was 159. The tech wouldn't even go near the southern region, so we will just have to wait until next week to find out if BJ is a boy or girl. But here is a sneak peak!! BJ must like the camera. This shot is face forward.

BJ at 14 weeks

Ok... I know!

The last couple of weeks have slipped. I had a lot going on including finals and graduation! I am finally DONE!!!!! So, I am playing catch up. I hope you enjoy reading just the same.

The week of April 27th, 2009

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, facial muscles are getting a workout as tiny features form one expression after another. Baby's kidneys are producing urine, which gets released into the amniotic fluid around the baby — a process that will keep up until birth. Baby can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb. In other news: Our baby's stretching out!!! From head to bottom, baby measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and weighs 1 1/2 ounces. Its body is growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, baby's arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of the body. (BJ's legs still have some lengthening to do.) BJ is starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over its tiny little body. Our baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though I can't feel BJ's tiny punches and kicks yet, little hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active. (babycenter.com)

As for myself, I am feeling great! My tailbone is still agitating from time to time (mostly everyday when I sit for a long time). I know it's still early in the pregnancy but I believe I felt the baby move or something. It felt almost like the tiniest of tickles on the inside of my belly. It happens mostly at night when I'm lying very still, and only a few times then nothing. I don't know if it was BJ but it sure was nothing I've ever felt before and for now I'm going to say it was BJ!!