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.