Starting week 18

I'm not going to post all the pregnancy info. every week anymore. I'll just do it randomly. Things have changed since I have started my second tri-mester. My Face has miraculously cleared up. O.K. maybe it isn't a miracle but just the fact that I have the strength and energy to wash my face before I go to bed every night. I do still have a small patch of eczema on my face. It never got as bad as it did with my last two pregnancies. The rash on my back and chest also went away! Woohoo! I'm also carrying the baby different ( I think. ) I just sort of stopped growing. I also still weigh the same. Only gained two pounds. I think it's mostly in my boobs. I went to the Dr. today for more blood work. I can't stand it when they put that tape on my arm. The kind that takes your skin off. I took a pic of it right after I took off the tape. If it gets any worse, I will share another pic with you. I go to the Dr. on Wed. for a regular check-up, and again 2-3 weeks after that for a second ultrasound. You know what that means! I have been filling out forms, and more forms, and more forms. A.J.'s school registration, Hospital pre-registration, requests for immunization exemption.....the list goes on! But I'm way ahead of schedule, of course. We have a lot going on. I'm going to Vegas in April, to Destin in May, then of course June ,July and August come with their own hecticness.

How am I feeling?

I'm not really sure. Physically I am relieved. Not as tired and no more morning sickness. I tried weed eating the yard yesterday and my back hurt so bad I had to quit. I got about 3/4 done. It seems that my muscles tend to get stiff sooner. I started painting my picnic table today. My plan is to have a new little backyard haven before the end of summer. I'm going for a sort of Spanish/Mediterranean beach condo/patio look. Did you get all that? The umbrella for the table will be red, and the cushions will have matching colors. The table isn't done yet but it will be finished by this afternoon.

Emotionally, Andy could probably do a better job at explaining that than me. I don't mean to be emotional. It just happens. At the time that I do get emotional, it seems so legit to me. My patience level is better than in the first tri-mester but not like it was before. I seem to get lonely easier. I can't stand being bored. What is wrong with just sitting and doing absolutely nothing? I just can't bring myself to do it. Don't get me wrong, I do relax. But I have to be accomplishing something while I'm relaxing. I think my brain needs a vacation, and it wont get that at home.

Starting week 17

-Week Seventeen
By week 17, your baby weighs about 4.97 ounces (140gm) and is 5.12 inches (13cm) long.
He or she has a much more normal "human" appearance now. She holds her head more erect and her body and limbs are longer in proportion to her head.
Pads are forming on his tiny fingertips and toes. Soon those individual swirls and whorls will be apparent.
Her eyes are looking forward now, but they are still firmly closed.
Meconium (composed of products of cell loss, digestive secretion and swallowed amniotic fluid), is accumulating in the bowel. This black gooey substance will become your baby's first poop!
The umbilical cord is growing thicker and stronger and continues to rush blood and nutrients to your growing baby.
If your child is male the prostate begins to develop.
Her skeleton is tranforming from cartilage to bone. The bones remain flexible to make the journey through the birth canal easier.

Hoppy Easter

I have one picture of Easter! Yep, I forgot my camera, again! It was fun! Sat. we went to Memaw and Pawpaw's and dyed Easter eggs. Then we went to spend the night at my Dad's. He watched the boys for us so we could go to dinner and Ikea, which is a lot bigger and cooler than I expected. We got our new faucet, finally! It is a little bit more modern than what I would normally go for but the modern look is growing on me (in a gallery sort of way). Ben was busy helping Daddy put the new faucet in. That was all after we got home, took a nap, and had our own Easter. A.J. got his new skateboard for Easter.

Starting 16

-Week Sixteen
Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing your baby with insulation for the coming months.
Did you know that both baby and placenta are now about the same size?
Your little one has reached 4.57 inches (11.6cm) and approximately 3.53 ounces (100gm).
His head and neck are held straighter now.
This is a week of "mights!" You might hear the tiny thumps of his heartbeat with an external monitor now. The genitals are developed sufficiently that an experienced sonographer might be able to determine if your baby is a boy or a girl.
Her heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons of blood a day and beats at a rate about double your heartrate.
If you could take a peek inside, you would witness your child's reflexes in action! (Sucking, swallowing and blinking are now evident.) She is probably even hiccuping even though you don't feel it yet!
Your baby has learned to breathe! This is apparent from the regular movements of his chest. Isn't it amazing that he is able to breathe "underwater," inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid? These actions help the lungs to develop and grow.

Look what he did!

Before

After

Yes, Andy shaved Ben's head. I am so upset by this, it is really hard to blog about. He looks like a chemo patient with hair growing back in, and I know because I am very familiar with it. It makes me sad! Not to mention that I prefer my boys with longer hair. I have forgiven Andy but I still don't like it. He promised he would never do it again. Right before Easter pictures! O.K. he is really cute in this picture though!

A little helper

This is pitiful. Once we cleaned A.J.'s room, we decided it was time to take advantage of the clean floor and have a wrestling match. Ben head slammed me in the leg and got a bloody mouth. He didn't seem to notice.

Isn't he cute. He is pretty good at putting toys away and picking up and A.J. tends to take after his Aunt Robyn. With the right encouragement and reward he will do it. Ben was helping me clean until he was distracted by a song he liked, dropped his cleaning tools, and began dancing. It is not easy capturing a toddler dancing with a snapshot. You can't really tell that is what he is doing but I assure you, he has rhythm!

Starting week fifteen

Week Fifteen
You may begin to feel some fluttering movements as baby kicks, flails, twists and turns (but don't panic if you don't yet). She can also grasp, squint, frown, grimace and maybe suck her thumb!
Your baby's legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head.
And you'll be happy to note that he is moving those arms and legs often!
His skin is very thin -- so thin blood vessel are visible. It's covered by a fine, soft layer of hair called lanugo. Lanugo comes from a Latin word meaning "down." This hair is thought to help insulate your little boy.
The three tiny bones in his middle ear have begun to harden. The auditory centers in your baby's brain haven't developed yet, so she might not really understand what you say but her hearing capacity is in the process of developing.
Fingernails and toenails are growing.
Eyebrows are beginning to grow and even the hair his head is sprouting. It will probably change color and texture after birth.
All this and your little one is an amazing 3.98 inches (10.1cm) long and may weigh 2.47 ounces (70gm).

Tie Dye

6 shirts and three colors..........I only took pics of these shirts cause they turned out the best.

I wanted to have an adventure. I wanted to do something that I didn't know what the outcome would be. I wanted to do a craft with A.J. He really didn't do it with me but he did pick out the colors and decided where to put them. I did all the work. Tying the rubber bands. Trying to make different patterns. I wish we had done some blue. It was fun and now that we have done it, it might be easier next time.

very bad, not so bad day........

Why is it, that just a few irritating things, can make my whole day feel sour. And one bad day, can make the last three months seem miserable. Are my hormones really effecting me that much? I have been an emotional basket case lately. I started the morning off taking the boys out for donuts and the next thing I know, I'm hating my dog for getting mud all over my house, and promising myself I will never have another dog, ever. I met my husband for lunch, came home and took a nap during nap time, and walked around my house for the rest of the afternoon having made up conversations in my head and crying about store brand cheese. Why sometimes does my whole world feel like it is crashing down on me all at once.

It is happening. I am becoming more of a woman. My untamed hair and unshaven legs really bother me now. Before I would throw my hair in a ponytail and wear jeans but that just isn't enough anymore. I'm not crying about broken nails but I wouldn't say it isn't in my future. O.K., now I'm exaggerating. But do you get my point? I'm changing, becoming high maintenance. Is this what happens when you live in a house full of testosterone? Or will it all go away once I have this baby? I don't want to be ungrateful and self centered. Then all this disappears when I feel the tiniest little movement from deep within. Yes, I am feeling baby movements. The best thing about being pregnant. And can I just add that I have the best Husband in the world!

more pics

There is about an inch of snow packed under this can.

Here are some of the kids playing in our neighborhood. We had a lot of fun. A.J made an enormous snow ball. I had to darken some of the pictures for contrast.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

This was taken at 1:00 pm

This was taken at 3:00 pm

3 new paintings

I painted most of the day yesterday. Not sure how I pulled that off, but here they are. I'm not very good at photographing my paintings. Sorry! I will work on that. I will be doing another today. Hopefully I get it done and posted by tonight.-----------Agave Plant--------Meadow----------Resting place----------

moving right along to wk 14

-Week Fourteen
-Thyroid gland has matured and your baby begins producing hormones which will be used throughout his or her life.
-In boys, the prostate gland develops
-In girls, the ovaries move from the abdomen to the pelvis
-Your little one may have learned to suck his thumb by this point!
-Your child's bones are getting harder and stronger by the day!
-Your baby's skin is very transparent still
-Lanugo (very fine hair) covers the baby's body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks gestational age - Generally this will be shed prior to birth. Its purpose is to help protect baby's skin while in all that water!
-Your baby is 3.42 inches (8.7cm) long and weighs about 1.52 ounces (43 grams) - approximately the weight of a letter!

Drama-King

Yesterday, I sat and watched Ben copy expressions from the Little Rascals movie case. It was pretty cute. I think his favorite was the surprised, Alfalfa look. I wish I had a picture of that.

Here he is copying Andy. We were sitting at the dinner table eating and he whined a little. Andy mimicked him, and Ben put on a show. It was like a contest to see who could have the best whiny face.

Ben is talking quite a bit now. I'm not sure anyone but Andy and I could understand him though. Yesterday morning I walked into the bedroom and said "Daddy, GET UP!" A few seconds later Ben is in there saying "ET UT!" Of course that worked better than my own attempt. I let Andy sleep in quite a bit. A few weeks ago I asked him when I get to sleep in? Three weeks later I still haven't had one morning of waking when I feel like it. He means well. I promise. Ben is usually awake by 7:30. Sometimes, wait , Very seldom, will he sleep until 8:30. Which is great! I might actually not be able to sleep any later than that. Unless I go to bed super late, which doesn't happen these days. On a different note, It is supposed to snow up to 3 inches tonight. Woohoo!