Week 24

Our baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Week 23

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, our baby can feel me dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), I may be able to see her squirm underneath my clothes. Deven and I have seen this a few times already, watching my belly move when she kicks is the strangest and coolest thing!!

Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that our baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as a dog barking (or a Fatty meowing!!) or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Belly Pics

Can you believe that these pictures were only taken 3 days apart?





This pic was taken on Monday (21 weeks, 6 days)... I thought black was supposed to be a slimming color? :-D








This pic was taken on Thursday (22 weeks, 2 days)... the hair is shorter, but the belly is bigger! Maybe it was just the outfit, but many people at work commented on my belly that day "Wow, that outfit makes you look pregnant!" I of course responded with... "These days, everything I wear makes we look pregnant - haha" :-D

Week 22

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, our baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Madison seems to be wide awake and moving around 9:30 - 10am and again around 10-11pm :-D

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom sent these adorable "flowers" to my office. They have the most distinctive smell... Baby Powder! They are little rolled up booties in the shape of roses... SO CUTE!

Close up of the little booties

Another gift from my mom, a wall clock for Madison's room!

Lastly, Cami arranged these beautiful flowers for my Mother's Day!

Today was such a wonderful day, I spent the beginning of my day with my best friends and after dropping them off at the airport, my hubby and I spent the rest of the afternoon at Babies R Us... what an overwhelming experience, so much to choose from, we don't even know where to start!

Our favorite people from Chicago!!

Becky & Dan brought Madison a gift
2 adorable outfits and a new book!

We spent the day at Balboa Park, people watching and doing a little shopping

Dinnertime at the Corvette Diner

We were so excited to spend the weekend with Becky & Dan. Since they live in Chicago, we don't get to see them very often, but each time we do it's such a blast! Deven & Dan are such good sports, since they get to put up with us girls... when we get together, we get a little obnoxious, reminiscent and very giggly (especially Becky). We spent the weekend eating at all their favorite CA eateries. From Old Town Mexican Cafe (yummm), to In N Out and of course Del Taco. Since Dan LOVES In N Out so much, we actually went there 2 days in a row... while he enjoyed his burger the rest of us enjoyed some Del! We were so sad to see them leave, but we can't wait until they come visit again!

The Karate Kid

On April 27th, Deven got to feel Madison move and kick for the very 1st time! I had been feeling her move for weeks but her kicks weren't strong enough for Deven to feel, but the day finally came and he was so excited!! I've asked Deven several times how he felt at that moment and he always says the same thing... "I can't put into words the emotion I'm feeling"

Even though he can't put his feelings into words, his actions and concern for me and the baby say it all. He holds my belly every night until he can feel her moving... and everytime we speak on the phone he asks the same 2 questions:

1) How's my baby girl?
2) Is she moving yet?

It's so cute how excited he is!

Week 21

Our baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a banana. It's starting to feel like she's practicing martial arts since her initial fluttering movements are turning into full-fledged kicks and nudges. I've also started to discover a pattern to her activity as each day passes.
Interesting information... Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, I need to think about what I want my little girl to eat as I prepare my own lunch.