Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone! We're ringing in the new year with a belly bump and his new little friend, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Cheers to you all!

28 Weeks

Are you dreaming about your baby? At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby may be dreaming about you, too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase, the stage when dreaming occurs.
By now, your baby, who weighs in at about two and a half pounds and stands — or rather lies — at almost 16 inches (measured head to toe) has added blinking to his or her growing bag of tricks. (Outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes.) Other impressive new talents being added to your baby's roster in the womb include coughing, more intense sucking, and, perhaps most important, better breathing.

The good news is that babies born this week, though premature, have an excellent prognosis because their lungs have reached the point (for the most part) of maturity — so you too can breathe a little easier now. Of course, it's still best if a baby doesn't check out of that uterine hotel just yet — there's still a lot of growing and maturing to do over the next 12 weeks. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• At the doctor's office today, I learned I've gained 22 pounds. That was after about 5 pounds that I lost at the beginning though. So about 17 pounds weight gain so far.
• Cranky and tired. Feel like I've been pregnant forever!

24 Weeks

Here I was almost 24 weeks. Compare to one month prior.

Smart Cookie

Check out this awesome toy that Grandma and Grandpa gave me for Christmas. I won't be able to play with it right away, but you know mommy loves that it could help me learn my ABCs and 123s. The blocks are nice and soft to throw or kick around so I won't hurt myself or anyone else. Plus, there are cool little rattlers and teethers that fit inside the blocks. Mommy already tried out all of the toys, so that she could be certain I would love to play with it when I'm able to. I'm excited to get them out and dig in!

Future Soccer Star

Daddy bought me these super cool soccer boots for Christmas. I am all ready to go to play soccer as I now have a Manchester United onesee, these new soccer boots, and a Manchester United ball. I've also been practicing my super cool soccer moves in Mommy's belly. I've been kicking super hard, but I don't think she minds. Even if she's trying to sleep most the time that I'm training in here.

27 Weeks

Most babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.

Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices. So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun at 27 weeks pregnant: If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he or she isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Oh my aching back!
• Trouble sleeping - partly because it's impossible to get comfy and partly because Miles is very active at night.

Merry Christmas

From Judd, Lisa, Sinjin, Jessica, and the Baby Bump (Miles)

26 Weeks

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 your baby 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 your baby is 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.

And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight (about nine inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate he or she is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for your baby to grow. It just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels, and other Olympic feats. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Difficulty breathing...sometimes. I've been breathing heavier, and if I need to take a big inhale of breath, I have to stop short. I think it's because there is less room for my lungs to expand.
• Bending over has become a hassle and a literal pain. I have finally started telling my students that they need to be the ones to pick up paper, pens, books, trash, etc off the floor as I'm to fat to do it myself.

The best pregnancy quote so far...

From a good friend at work, in an email:

I like preggo lisa she is almost as crazy as not-so-pregnant lisa...LOL

Pregnancy Poem

This poem by Sylvia Plath is perfect for how I'm feeling lately...

Metaphors

I'm a riddle in nine syllables,
An elephant, a ponderous house,
A melon strolling on two tendrils.
O red fruit, ivory, fine timbers!
This loaf's big with its yeasty rising.
Money's new-minted in this fat purse.
I'm a means, a stage, a cow in calf.
I've eaten a bag of green apples,
Boarded the train there's no getting off.

25 Weeks

At nine inches and more than a pound and a half in weight, your baby is taller than two juice boxes stacked one on top of the other, and almost as heavy as four of those little boxes (an analogy you'll find particularly apropos in a few years, when those juice boxes start taking over your refrigerator, your pantry, your car.…).

Don't look now (as if you could), but your baby's skin is turning pinker. No, not because he or 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. 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 he or 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?) ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• OH MY GOD! is what I yelled last night when I woke up with the worst leg cramp of my life. I haven't had leg cramps since I was a teenager going through growing pains. I scared the crap out of Boo who thought something was seriously wrong. Sorry hunny!

Soccer Mom

Whoa baby, my uterus is the size of a soccer ball. And I'm pretty sure Miles is the next David Beckham because he won't stop kicking me super hard.

24 Weeks

Your baby weighs more than a pound and a half right now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about eight and a half inches (standard letter size!).

Wondering what (and who) your baby will look like? If you had a baby cam at 24 weeks pregnant, you'd almost be able to tell by now. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. What's still missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under baby's skin. Until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin is still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones, and blood vessels. Fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer. Babies at this stage of fetal development are gaining about six ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.

What's been playing on your little rocker's stereo system these days? All kinds of sounds can be heard by your baby in your womb: from air exhaling from your lungs (deep breath now), those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Itchy, itchy, itchy. Especially the belly.
• Freezing...probably more to do with the weather than the pregnancy.

Love, Love, Love

"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."

~George Sand

"Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be." ~Carrie Fisher

23 Weeks

At eight inches and slightly over a pound, your baby is the size and shape of a small doll when you are 23 weeks pregnant. (But then, you already knew that you were carrying a living doll, didn't you?) This week marks the beginning of some serious weight gain. Your baby's weight in the next four weeks alone should double (and you may feel as though yours is too).

You have probably heard your developing baby's heartbeat through a Doppler a number of times already (though you never get tired of hearing it), but by now you can also hear it through a standard stethoscope. What a heart throb!

Your baby's skin is reddish in color now because of the developing blood vessels underneath (remember, the skin is very thin still). It also hangs loosely from his or her little body at this point. That's because the skin grows faster than the fat develops during fetal growth. But don't worry. By the time your baby is born, he or she will be pleasantly plump and filled out — from chubby cheeks to chubby toes. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Pretty much the same. Still in pain, still exhausted, still not sleeping well.

22 Weeks

Guess what? At 22 weeks pregnant, your baby has finally broken the one-pound mark. How heavy is that? Hold a one-pound box of sugar in your hand the next time you're in the grocery story (and expect people to ask you why you're grinning from ear to ear). Is the box eight inches long? That's about the length your baby is too!

This week, your sweetie is making more sense of the world as he or she develops the sense of touch. In fact, your little one's grip is quite developed by now — and since there's nothing else to grab in utero, he or she may sometimes hold on tight to that umbilical cord (don't worry — it's tough enough to handle it). The sense of sight is also getting more developed. Your fetus can now perceive light and dark much better than before (even with those fused eyelids). But remember — unless you're shining a flashlight over your belly (which you can do, by the way), it'll be mostly dark for your baby inside that cozy womb of yours.

Moving up from the eyes, the eyelashes and eyebrows are well formed now — and even more hair is sprouting atop that cute little head. You'd be quite surprised, though, if you could see your little one up close and in color. Hair at this stage of fetal development has no pigment, so it's bright white. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Still in pain. The Nexium is not working, and I really don't think the problem is GERD. Growing pains perhaps?
• Uncomfortable sleeping. We went to Target to look for a pregnancy wedge pillow for me to put under my growing belly. Instead, they had a pregnancy body pillow that we picked up and brought home. I tried it for about 15 minutes. It was SO uncomfortable. Needless to say, it is going back to the store today. Don't worry, I didn't drool on it.

Almost 22 Weeks

The belly's getting a little bigger. Can you see my belly button? Still an innie, but wouldn't be surprised if it became an outie soon.

Baby Miles Registry

I know some say it's tacky to tell people where you're registered. But, I'm offering the information to anyone who is interested. We will probably add a few more items as we search the site for more things we think Miles needs. So, if you are interested, we are registered at Target. Our registry can be searched for under our names or you can find a quick link right here. Enjoy!

21 Weeks

At about seven inches in length and almost 11 ounces in weight, your baby is about the size of a large banana.

By 21 weeks pregnant, your baby swallows at least several ounces of amniotic fluid each day — not only for hydration and nutrition, but also to practice swallowing and digesting — skills your baby will need as soon as he or she arrives in your arms. And keep this in mind: The taste of the amniotic fluid differs from day to day depending on what you've eaten (spicy enchilada one day, sweet carrots another). And that smorgasbord of tastes won't be lost on your baby. That's because your little one has very developed taste buds already. In fact, researchers have noted that babies who were exposed to certain tastes in utero via the amniotic fluid were more eager to eat foods with that same taste after birth. Want your baby to eat his or her broccoli later? Eat yours now!

Your developing baby still has a great deal of room in your womb — though like anyone who lives in one space for a long time, this tenant will soon begin to feel cramped. Until those uterine walls start closing in, however, there's plenty of space for twisting, turning, and even an occasional somersault (so that's what you were feeling last night!).
With all that belly dancing going on, it's hard to believe your baby gets any sleep at all. But believe it or not, your fetus sleeps as much as a newborn, perhaps 12 to 14 hours per day! (Now if only you could get some sleep!) ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Still the pain. Waiting on a prescription of Nexium from my midwife to see if it's GERD.  I'd do just about anything to make the pain stop.
• Abdominal cramps. Usually just for an hour or so in the morning. And they hurt worse when I move, stretch, or cough.

On the Move

In more ways than one! 

Miles is kicking up a storm lately. Or punching. Or just dancing around. One really can't be sure. It makes me so curious to know what he really is doing in there though. I wish there was a way to see him moving around whenever I want. He didn't move really at all during the ultrasound. He had smashed his face way back into my uterus facing my back, so we didn't get a very good view, and he wouldn't move around so we could see him better. It is good to know, though, that everything measured up normal during the ultrasound. He is measuring at the 54th percentile for his gestational age which is just about perfect just like him.

We're getting ready for another move...a move into my parent's house in two months! We want to be all moved in by February 1, so we don't have to be in this tiny, cramped apartment anymore. Everyone will have their own room, and when Mom and Dad move to Oregon next year, we're hoping to purchase their home as ours. Today, I packed up the goodies we have bought Miles so far...onesies, stuffed animals, blankets...and it all (basically) fit into one box. Now, it's all together and ready to take to grandma and grandpa's when the time comes!

20 Weeks

You've got a heavyweight in your belly now (well, in baby terms, anyway). Your little champ weighs about ten ounces and has a height, crown to rump, of about six and a half inches. Think small cantaloupe (and probably as sweet too).

Is it a boy cantaloupe or a girl cantaloupe? You'll be able to find out your baby's gender via the ultrasound by this point. If you're carrying a girl fetus, her uterus is fully formed this week and her vaginal canal is starting its development (which means that in about twenty-five or thirty-some-odd years, she could be just where you're at, Grandma!). She also has primitive eggs in her tiny little ovaries now, seven million of them — though by the time she's born, that number will be down to two million (still more than she could ever hope to use). And interestingly, your baby girl will be born with all the eggs she'll ever have.

Have you got male? If your fetus is a boy, his testicles have begun their descent this week, though they're still located in the abdomen, waiting for the scrotum to finish growing so they'll have a place to drop into in a few weeks.

Though the external genitals in both male and female fetuses still have a way to grow, you should be able to find out the sex of your baby (if you want to) during an ultrasound exam. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• The pain that was only on my right side is now on both sides right under my ribs. Laying on my stomach doesn't help so much anymore as it only causes pressure on the belly which is growing. My midwife doesn't seem to concerned about this, but I need to keep her informed if it gets worse. If it is something else, and it keeps occurring after birth, I will have to get more tests.
• Pregnancy brain. What was that again? I keep forgetting stuff easily. It's not as bad as I thought it would be, but every once in awhile I just feel lost trying to remember something I know I should be remembering. What were we talking about again?
• Still vomiting. Indigestion induced perhaps? I'm not sure. The acid reducer pills don't help, so I'm just dealing with it.

It's a Boy!!!

Miles James Lee Bunag

Almost 20 Weeks...

Almost 20 weeks...and you know what that means? We get to find out if there's a little baby boy or girl in there on Tuesday! Forget the election...stay tuned for more important news here!

Baby Boo says, "Thank you!!!"

Thank you so very much Aunt Laura and Uncle Bill for my early shower gift. Mommy and Daddy opened it yesterday on Halloween at Grandma's house. The box is still at Grandma's with my matching crib set, so that everything is all together and ready to go.  Mommy already put the mobile together, because she is so excited, and we listened to a few rounds of the song that it plays.  The little monkeys should keep me occupied when Mommy needs to get me to sleep. The diaper stacker is perfect for all those diapers Mommy and Daddy will be changing very soon. And the pillow is a super cute match with my blankie! I can't wait to enjoy it all very soon! I love you very much!

19 Weeks

Six inches long this week and about eight ounces in weight, your baby is the size of a large mango.

Your little action figure is able to choreograph Matrix-like moves by now. Arms and legs are finally in proportion, neurons are now connected between the brain and muscles, and cartilage throughout the body is turning to bone. All these upgrades combine to give your baby more control over limb movements. Which explains all that kicking, stretching, and bodysurfing (or rather bellysurfing) you've possibly started feeling by now.

Something else going on this week: Your baby is getting a cheesy varnish. Say what? Yup — a protective substance called vernix caseosa (vernix is the Latin word for varnish; caseosa is cheese) now covers your baby's skin. It's greasy and white and is made up of lanugo (that downy hair), oil from your baby's glands, and dead skin cells. This waxy "cheese" may not sound too appetizing or attractive, but it's there for good reason: Vernix protects your baby's sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid. Without it, your baby would look very wrinkled at birth (sort of what you'd look like if you soaked in a bath for nine months). Some babies — especially those born early — will still be covered with vernix at the delivery, so you might get a look at your baby's first anti-wrinkle cream. ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Own Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Pretty much all the same as last week, but the pain isn't as bad, the belly is bigger, and the baby is moving more.

Almost 19 Weeks...

Please ignore the messy hair and sweat clothes. An extra ten minutes of sleep in the morning is worth more to me than looking cute. And this is the only outfit I wear at home!

Because Daddy Can't Help Himself

Daddy Boo gets a little excited when it comes to buying things for Baby Boo. So, I thought I'd share some of the additional monkey items we have picked up so far for Baby Boo.

Yellow Monkey Blanket

Ty "Dangles" Monkey

Carter's Monkey Pajamas

Monkey Plush

Canvas Monkey Wall Hanging

Carter's Monkey Snoozy Snug Blanket

I know there is one more monkey stuffed animal, but I can't find it online. I'm almost positive it's Carter's brand.

Oh and Grandma can't help herself either, so she ordered these monkey pajamas for Baby Boo:

Yellow Monkey Pajamas

Baby Boo says, "Thank you!!!"

Thank you Great Grandma Lorraine,

The little giraffe PJs you sent me are so very cute, not to mention warm and cuddly! The jungle animals all over the PJs are almost as cute as I am! And we all know it's true what the PJs say, "Mommy loves me!" My tiny toesies are going to be extra warm in the adorable giraffe head footies. I can't wait to wear them when I'm big enough to fit in. I love you very much and thank you so much for thinking of me!

Thank you Leah and Bobby,

The blankets you gave me look so cuddly! I can't wait till Mommy wraps me up in one and carries me around.  I know they are extra special, because Mommy told me they were Bobby's favorites when he was born! I can't wait to meet you both so I can thank you in person.

Thank you Lesley, Nathan, Kyle, and Natalie,

I am super excited for all of the goodies you've passed on to Mommy for me to use. I am excited to be able to use these gifts that I know you loved when you used them. Mommy is so happy to have so much checked off her list, because you all were willing to share.  We are all excited that when I finally share if I'm a boy or a girl, you already have clothes waiting for me! I promise I will wear them with pride. Thank you so very much!

Love,

Baby Boo

18 Weeks

This week your baby is hitting the height chart at five and a half inches long (remember, that's crown to rump) and weighs about five ounces (the weight of that boneless chicken breast you're making for dinner).

And now for the skill of the week (drum roll please…): The art of the yawn has been mastered by your baby (someone's sleepy!). In fact, you might catch a glimpse of that adorable yawn if you're getting an ultrasound this month. You'll also catch a glimpse of all the movement your baby's doing — twists, rolls, kicks, and punches. And would you believe your baby is finally big enough for you to start feeling those movements now (or anytime in the next few weeks). So get ready!

Something you won't see on the ultrasound, but you'll know is in working order, is your baby's nervous system, which is maturing rapidly at this time. Nerves, now covered with a substance called myelin (which speeds messages from nerve cell to nerve cell), are forming more complex connections. And those in the brain are further specializing into the ones that serve the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. Talking about hearing, your baby's is growing more acute, making your little one more conscious of sounds that come from inside your body (which means you could both be listening to each other hiccup — a skill that your baby has by now). ~Information from whattoexpect.com

My Own Symptoms (Side Effects?)

• Still feeling sick, but in a different way. Not nauseous in the stomach, but more like full to the point of vomiting, especially after I eat.
• Pain, especially in my ribs. The worst is on my right side, but I felt this pain before I was pregnant as well. The doctor doesn't find anything wrong with me, but the pain can be extreme.
• Exhaustion. Although I go to to bed between 8 & 9 each night, I don't get a good night's sleep. I'm up to pee every hour. Plus, the side pain wakes me up if I'm not lying just right on my right side. Which means if I roll over in my sleep, I wake myself up.
• Feeling the baby move. This mostly happens when I am lying on my belly or have my legs curled up. I can feel movements during the day and at night, but I haven't felt it from the outside yet. Boo swears he felt something once, but as soon as I put my hand on my belly, the baby stops moving.
• Baby belly. It's swelling! It's definitely noticeable that I'm pregnant, and some of my pants are starting to get tighter. I might have to start wearing maternity clothes soon.

Fat?

There's one class of students I never told I was pregnant, because I only see them about once a week. The conversation never came up, so I figured they would figure it out once I started showing. So, here's part of a conversation with one of those students today:

Student: "Mrs. Bunag, are you pregnant?"
Me: "Yes, I just didn't say anything, because it never came up."
Student: "Oh OK. We were wondering, but didn't want to ask in case you were just getting fat!"

P.S. - In case you were counting, I'm 18 weeks along today.

Monkeying Around

I'm not big on themes when it comes to baby rooms, or rooms in general for that matter.  However, it is hard to find baby room items that don't have some sort of theme to them. We wanted something that would be non-gender specific in case we have another baby. Why buy all new stuff for a new baby? We really like the colors green and brown for a baby room, and we both love monkeys. Searching for monkey items online proved difficult as the only set I truly liked was a custom made boutique crib set that cost about a mortgage payment.  My wonderful mother though searched Babies R Us and found the perfect crib set for us.  We love it and hope Baby Boo will too. Click on the picture for a link.