Week 15: Apple

Hey everyone … weekly update here … yes I realize that it’s Thursday … but it’s been a long and hard week for me … J Info is pulled from www.babycenter.com

How your baby's growing:Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

How your life's changing:You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now (a little more or less is fine, too) and are well into the swing of your pregnancy, but you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up, for instance, you can probably chalk it up to the combined effect of hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. This condition is so common, there's even a name for it: "rhinitis of pregnancy." Some pregnant women also suffer nosebleeds as a result of increased blood volume and blood vessel expansion in the nose. Don't be surprised if you and your partner are feeling a little stressed out these days. Many pregnant couples worry about their baby's health and how they'll handle the changes ahead. But with physical discomforts on the wane and energy on the rise, this is also a wonderful trimester for most women.

3 Questions About Feeling your baby moveFeeling those first flutters and kicks is one of the most amazing experiences of pregnancy. Here's how much longer you'll have to wait and what to expect when your baby finally gets big and strong enough to let you know she's in there.

Q1.When will I first feel my baby move? You'll probably feel your baby move sometime between 16 and 22 weeks, even though she started moving at 7 or 8 weeks and you may have already witnessed her acrobatics if you've had an ultrasound. Veteran moms tend to notice those first subtle kicks and jabs — also known as "quickening" — earlier than first-time moms. (A woman who's been pregnant before can more easily distinguish her baby's movements from other belly rumblings, such as gas.) Your build may also have something to do with when you'll be able to tell a left jab from a hunger pang. Thinner women tend to feel movement earlier.

Q2.What will those first movements feel like? Women have described the sensation as being like popcorn popping, a goldfish swimming around, butterflies fluttering, a tapping sensation, and bubbles. You'll probably chalk up those first gentle movements in your belly to gas or hunger pangs, but once you start feeling them more regularly, you'll recognize the difference. You're more likely to feel these early movements when you're sitting or lying quietly.

Q3.When should I worry about my baby's movements? Although your baby is moving around plenty already, many of his jerks and jolts aren't yet strong enough for you to feel. Later in the second trimester, his kicks will become stronger and you'll start to feel them regularly. At that point, pay attention to them and let your practitioner know right away if you notice a decrease in your baby's movement. Less movement may signal a problem, and you'll need a nonstress test or biophysical profile to check on your baby's condition. Once you're in your third trimester, some practitioners will recommend that you spend some time each day counting your baby's kicks.

This Week's Activity:
Talk to your baby. It's a great way to start the bonding process. If having an actual conversation seems odd to you, narrate your activities; read a book, magazine, or newspaper; or share your secret wishes for your child. This is great practice for after your baby's born. Talking to babies is one of the best ways to help them develop language skills.

I definitely still have the stuffy nose … and although it may be TMI … I’m not a “bloody nose” person. Never have been. So the fact that I’ve had some form of blood in my nose this whole time would WEIRD ME OUT … if I didn’t already know I was supposed to and it was highly likely. Never a full on nose bleed so that’s good. If that did ever happen … I’d be sure to reach out to the nurse/doc. As for talking to the baby … Mike has already started that one. Each night he spends a few minutes telling “apple” how much he loves them and how much fun they’ll have once they’re out in the world. And how smart and talented they already are and will be. Oddly enough for both of being such big sports people … we both decided the other night that although an athletically talented bambino would likely make more money ultimately, we’d rather have an intelligent bambino. Of course … having both qualities is quite admirable? We’d say we were both athletically talented and intelligent … but who wouldn’t want more for their kids … right?! Exhaustion has kept me at bay. Not so much the baby taking it out of me as I’m having troubles sleeping. I know my folks know that I’ve always had issues with sleep. But now … it’s just getting worse. I’m not sure how to make it better … but we’re trying different strategies. As for exercise … finding classes for January and February will be difficult due to my work schedule. I just need to treat my nights at the arena as my time to get a bit of exercise in while being conscious to not go too fast. And to see what I can do on the weekends. And of course to stretch at home.

Week 14: Lemon

Hey everyone …….. We seem to be moving right along here … again the below info is from http://www.babycenter.com/


How your baby's growing:This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.


In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.


This Week's Activity:Find a prenatal exercise class. If you haven't already, now is a good time to start a regular workout. Joining a class can help motivate you to stick with it. And many women find that prenatal exercise classes are a wonderful way to bond with and get support from other pregnant women. Some good options include water exercise, prenatal yoga or Pilates, a walking group, or a dance class designed for pregnant women.

Nausea has seemed to subside for me. Although I get glimpses of baby not liking things. I’m a bit adverse to truly sweet things right now. I made 6lbs (6 pounds people!!) of fudge. I think I only had 2 cubes of it. Most things with a high sugar content make me feel very icky very quickly and likely can’t finish it. Which is fine by me … that means I’m less likely to crave bad things. I still crave sweet but that’s easily satiated with an apple (Honey Crisp are my and Mike’s favorite right now) or a Cutie (only if the store is selling ones worth buying). I’ve been getting in lots of fruits. Need to add more veggies and I’m really not getting in all my dairy like a good mommy to be. I can finally eat my yogurt again and I’m eating cheese sticks so that helps too. (sorry Debbie and Gary … I’m sure part of the reason you had an apple pie last night is because you know I like them so much … I REALLY wanted a slice but knew if I had any it’d only be a bite) Although the nausea is subsiding, the exhaustion is not. I’m not so tired that I feel like I could pass out at any moment but I’m certainly drained. And I’m not sleeping well at all (that’s not too new to me).





As for the mention above about getting into an exercise program … I’ll start looking more in-depth into this. Kaiser offers these in a few locations near me and even another place in WC called Day One. January/February will be VERY hard to schedule since I have such a very busy game schedule. But I’ll have to figure out something. Eek I can’t believe next week is 2010!!!!!!!!!!!! Clothes are getting tighter and tighter. Even Amy said she noticed no weight gain but a bit-o-tummy yesterday when we had brunch. I did have one of the VP’s congratulate me at the game on Saturday night. I don’t think anyone told her as her response was “honey, I have 2 of my own” when I asked what she was talking about in wanting to congratulate me. And it’s official, I had to use the rubber band trick on my jeans this weekend. I’m not up for clothes shopping (or spending rather) just yet so I’ll continue to figure out my own clothes as long as I can. That about wraps it up for this week … we have our normal 4 week appointment on Wednesday. Not sure if they’ll do a sonogram or not. The normals, blood pressure, weight, set up next appointment etc I’m sure. Fortunately it’s a short week with Friday off and Thursday practically being a non-work day since all we’ll do is package up Monta Ellis jerseys to be shipped the following Thursday. I could use all the rest I can get right now. Take care everyone … feel free to ask or seek answers if you ever have any ………….

Week 13: Peach

Hey everyone ... here's your weekly update!!! ***keep in mind ... NEXT week will be a lemon ... meaning this PEACH is not referencing the HUGE peaches we're used to seeing nowadays ... think more like nectarine size peach.*** Again the below info is from http://www.babycenter.com/. How your baby's growing:Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp/or peach) and weighs nearly an ounce.

For me, nausea managed to kick into high gear the last few days along with some tiredness. Mike has been really helpful through all of this and especially the last few days when I really haven’t felt great. Even the exhausted skier he was on Saturday night when he got home from Bear Valley, he still took care of me. The irony of this is that with starting the second trimester you’re “supposed” to be feeling less nausea and less fatigued but apparently my first trimester wants to go out with a bang? My belly is starting to grow and its freaking me out!! Lol!! It’s still small and really only looks “fat” but for the first time I’m noticing that while sitting I need to unbotton my pants. I tried wearing my new maternity slacks one day last week and it felt like they were going to fall off of me all day. The bump isn’t big enough to hold anything up yet and my pants are all getting tighter and tighter. So I’ll have to figure out a solution in the meantime. I will be telling my bosses/HR this week at work. I’ll be keeping it a secret a bit longer from the department. I’ll give them a few more weeks until it becomes more obvious that “Danielle is getting fat, right?”. Lol!! We have our NT scan tomorrow in Oakland. Mike took the day off work to be there with me. This scan will tell us if there are any genetic abnormalities with “peach”. We’re both a little anxious but “what will be, will be”. It’s crazy to realize that starting off the new year … Mike and I might get to feel our baby move!!! “They” say you can usually start feeling “flutters” around week 14 and actually movement by week 16. We both can’t wait!!! Have a great week everyone …

Week 12: Lime

Hey everyone … here's a bit of info I cut and pasted from www.babycenter.com for you all ...

How your baby's growing: The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.


Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

For me … dizziness is getting a little more prevalent. Even standing up from squatting at the games. I’m learning to go slower so not to worry!! Still have a bit of nausea at times and energy is coming back but still not to full strength. I’m noticing what other ladies have called the “pot belly” above the very small baby bump. This occurs because your intestines and other organs are being moved upwards by your growing uterus and fetus. It’s your body’s way of making space for the baby to comfortably grow. So this makes women just look “fat” at the beginning of pregnancy … there is no such thing as standing up straight and sucking it in to make it go away. The very bottom of the belly is getting harder (firm to the touch) … that’s where the baby is. As a woman it’s CRAZY to see my body change the way it has. My pants are getting tighter ONLY at my waist and not everywhere else like they would if I just getting heavier. So it’s a bid odd. Fortunately I have some looser pants for work but I think I’ll be in the maternity slacks I bought with the Mom’s soon enough; just to be a bit more comfortable.

Our Christmas tree is up!!! We’ll work on some outside lights this week. Mike is making plans to go skiing (he can’t wait) and we’re still trying to figure out our Christmas cards. Hope everyone’s first few days of December are starting out well … snow in the East Bay this morning … snow on the Livermore hills we can see from our home … and more weather on its way to the Bay.