The Whislers.net

The official due date (August 22nd) is exactly 6 months away from today.  Here's what's going on this week with Whisler Baby 2009:

Baby Stats:

Size: 4 inches
Weight: 2 ounces

Baby Developments:

Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like a linebacker. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give Laura that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, we'll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.

Although baby's eyes are sealed shut, she's now able to sense light. Her eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As the baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, she may actually hiccup. We'll know she's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump Laura should feel.

The baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat "finger" (regular-size, not the big one you overpay for at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces. Chocolate hasn't been a craving as of yet, but we still have about 6 months left to go.

What We're Doing:

We are investigating joining a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture. It's a system by which consumers own a share of a farm and partake in the yield each week during the growing season. It's a great way to get fresh vegetables, fruits, cheese, eggs and meat from local farmers.

We had our monthly doctor visit on Monday of this week.  Everything seems to be right on track.  Laura hasn't gained any weight since last month, which is surprising; however, the doctor wasn't concerned at all.  "You will", was all she said.

Each visit we get to hear the heartbeat which is always exciting.  Whisler Baby 2009 clocked in at a solid 163 bpm.  The musician in me was tapping the floor and counting the whole time.  My imperfect internal metronome said 155 so not too far off.  At one point, we could hear two heartbeats at the same time.  Don't get excited, one of them was Laura's, but the way they sounded together was quite remarkable.  One would fade in while the other faded out and then repeat.  The sound engineer in me was impressed with the subtle control of the faders.  You can quickly see in what context this child will be raised.  No apologies.

In mid-March, we will have another appointment similar to this one, but on March 23rd we will have our first ultrasound.  If Baby cooperates, meaning turns the right way for show-and-tell, we should know the gender at that time.  Yes, we will post that information as soon as we know.

 

 

Ah, such a coincidence that week 14 started on Valentine's Day.  Here's what's going on this week with Whisler Baby 2009:

Baby Stats:

Size: 3 1/2 inches
Weight: 1 ounce

Baby Developments

We are a third of the way through and baby's a third of the way cooked. Now that the "big stuff" (like skeletal and organ development) is taken care of, the baby starts a period of rapid brain growth, fat buildup and detail work. Highlights this week include:

The baby now has fingerprints! Book 'em, Danno! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins. Baby's arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison.

The baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements (this will help her fling food across the room later in life). Our tiny dancer's movements are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yore—she now moves with graceful control.

She now weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—she's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, Laura hasn't done the same.

What We're Doing

Prior to pregnancy, we decided to get three mini vacations in before the baby arrives.  So, V-day weekend also assimilated the title of vacation number one: "Vacationing in your own backyard".  Instead of traveling far away, we decided to drive right down the street and do a few choice things in Springfield.

Saturday started with brunch at Hemingway followed by a couples massage at Zen3.  If you've never had a massage, you're missing out.  Later that afternoon, we checked into a hotel and headed to Outback (a Whisler tradition of celebration) for lunch.  During this time we put health “down under” and revel in a caloric rampage of things like cheese fries, loaded baked potatoes and Pibb. After our late lunch, we rolled ourselves down the street to see a movie and then somehow found room for dinner by candlelight at Chic-fil-a.  Yes, even waffle fries can be romantic.

Week 13 officially started on Saturday.  Here's what's going on this week with Whisler Baby 2009:

Baby Stats:

Size: 3 inches
Weight: .81 ounces or 20 grams

Baby Developments:

The baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy, but not so much at the age of 9. If we're really lucky, we might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer! Other exciting developments include:

The baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord. Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and Mark a lot of lost sleep). I don't sleep anyway so not a big deal.

Who's that singing...Carrie Underwood? It might be the baby. Her vocal cords and larynx are completed now. She won't be able to make any sound yet, however, because sound waves travel through air and baby is submerged in fluid. It's never too early to start vocal training though.

The baby-to-be now weighs about 20 grams and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter Butter.  A prize to the individual who can name the Friends episode that references a Nutter Butter.

What We're Doing

Laura has started picking up maternity clothes and I'm doing a lot of credit card swiping.

It's hard to believe that it has already been three months.  Here's what's going on this week with Whisler Baby 2009:

Baby Stats:

Size: 2 1/2 inches
Weight: 1/2 ounce

Baby Developments:

Baby's face is looking more human as his eyes have moved to the front of his head and his ears are in place. Hooray! Other amazing fetal highlights this week:

The baby is able to swallow this week and practices on the amniotic fluid he or she floats in. (And you thought baby food was kind of nasty!) And in case you're wondering how a kid can breathe in all that fluid, here's your answer: Fetuses get oxygen from the blood pumped into their bodies by the placenta and don't breathe with their lungs. Mystery solved!

This is kind of gross, albeit fascinating, so feel free to skip ahead: the baby's intestines are well under way, but they aren't all where you'd expect them to be. Instead of all being locked away in the body cavity, some are dangling on the outside, in the umbilical cord. Fantastic.

Fingernails and toenails are forming this week. The chin and nose are also becoming more defined.

Junior has doubled in size over the past two weeks and now weighs almost ½ ounce. He's also now around 2 ½ inches long, about the length of your pinky finger or a Vienna sausage, which, in a few months, will be indistinguishable from one another.

What We're Doing

Laura and I are both planners so we are starting to make preparations to update our wills and create a living trust in the spring.  I also want to set up a 529 investment account for college.  I suppose my surround sound system just lost priority.

December 10, 2008 is a day we won't quickly forget because it's the day we found out we were pregnant!  Surprise, fear and excitement were just three of the many feelings we experienced that day and continue to feel now.  Since then we've been to the doctor three times, heard the heartbeat, got sick a gazillion times, picked out names and started spreading the good news...and we're just getting started.  We've decided to keep up this blog with information about the pregnancy and keep family and friends posted with this exciting adventure all along the way. 

Mark has been putting his photography skills to good use taking lots of pictures of my growing belly.  Although I'm only 12 weeks along, I'm definitely showing and am struggling to fit into many of my favorite clothes.  At some point when I get the nerve up, I'll allow Mark to post some of those belly pictures.  For now, trust me when I say that I'm getting big!

Unfortunately, most of the second and third month have provided me with much sickness.  Not just morning sickness but morning, afternoon and evening sickness!  Starting December 30 (after we'd broken the news to the family at Christmas and after I'd been all but bragging that I had yet to get sick a single day) I got incredibly sick.  Luckily I was home from work the entire week of New Years as I didn't lift my head off the pillow at all.  I called the doctor and she was able to get a prescription for an anti-nausea medication.  It worked but made me feel incredibly tired.  At our next doctor visit in mid-January, the doctor prescribed a new medicine that is working beautifully.  I still have a few bad days and get really car sick on long trips but most of the time I'm feeling good.

So far, I haven't had any unusual cravings except cereal and orange juice.  Those may not sound strange to most but people who know me well know that I don't care for either of those breakfast items under usual circumstances.  Since I've been pregnant however, I don't go a day without a big bowl of cereal and glass of orange juice each morning.  Those of you who know me well also know of my great love of coffee.  Not the case anymore.  That has become my number one food aversion.  I can't stand to smell it or drink it.  In fact, the thought of coffee nearly turns my stomach upside-down.  I hope that I regain my love for the hot, brewed beverage soon after delivery. 

Thanks to all of you for your love and support.  More to come soon...