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!