Can you hear it?

Todays Dr. appt was very important to us; we were getting the test results for all our prenatal screenings.

During the 20 week ultrasound appt, the doctor checks the baby for any heart, kidney or growth issues. They also check to make sure that everything in my uterus is working and growing properly. In addition, we had several blood tests done to check for any genetic abnormalities (such as Down Syndrome). If the levels were to come out high, the doctor would then recommend additional testing.

Well the results came out great, the 20 wk ultrasound showed that everything was going perfectly; my uterus and the baby are growing exactly as they should. The doctor also told us that all our genetic testing came out negative, which means that we have no reason for any additional testing!

After the Doctor reviewed all the test results, she got to Deven's favorite part of each appt... hearing the heartbeat! Since my mom has been begging me over and over and over (and over) again to record it, we finally did. Here is our little Madison's heartbeat - Enjoy!! :-D

Sweet Surprises!

My sister Misty sent these beautiful flowers to my office after she found out we were having a girl! :-D

It was such an unexpected and wonderful surprise!







These cute (and delicious) brownies were made by my little sis Cami. After Deven shared the "It's a Girl" news with her, she surprised us with these yummy treats! So sweet!!

Since everyone kept asking, we finally posted a belly pic for everyone! (this is me this morning - 20 weeks, 2 days) My "belly" has been growing for awhile, but it's only been really noticeable in the past 2 weeks. People at work are now mentioning my "belly" constantly and Deven tries to point it out every chance he can! We are half way through the pregnancy and I'm starting to finally look pregnant, it's so exciting!! :-D

Week 20

Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!

Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the size of a canteloupe. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against her torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of her head to her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe.)

Our next Dr. appt is Friday, where we'll be going over all important details from our ultrasound. We are officially half way through the pregnancy and we are so excited to be one week closer to meeting our little girl!

Week 19

Our baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

Most babies weigh about 8 1/2 ounces (BUT per our last appt, little Madison actually weighs 10 1/2) and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a mango. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting.

It's a GIRL!!!!

Well the big day finally arrived and we found out that we are expecting a little baby girl! We were so excited to see how much our baby had grown since the last time we had an ultrasound (10 weeks ago). The nurse was able to tell within a few minutes that it was a girl. Even though Deven had been predicting it this whole time, I think he was still a little shocked to finally hear the news.

The doctor had to chase her around to get the measurements, since she didn't seem to want to stay still (hmmm... sounds just like her mom), she kept squirming and moving her arms and legs all over the place. Once all the measurements were done, we got to just watch her move all around while the nurse pointed out all her parts to us.

Here are a few pics we got to keep!
**The really white parts are her bones **

This picture pretty much shows her whole body. Her head, her torso (the darker/blackish spot in the top part of her torso is her heart), her legs (mainly the left leg) and you can even see part of her left hand (the little white spot above her belly).

So in this picture, you have to imagine that you're looking at the baby while she's laying down on her back... The dark parts on her face are her forehead and eye sockets (and if you look really close you can see a little faint white circle within the dark eye socket... that's her eye), then the rest is her torso again and the little white lines are her ribs.

This picture was the best we could get of a side profile. She wouldn't stay still long enough to capture a better one. You can see her nose and lips, her torso and part of her little hand again.

Here are her little feet and toes (well they are little for now, but if she's anything like her parents, she'll be a big foot for sure!!). We got to see her kicking and moving her little feet all over the place!

This whole experience has been so amazing! We can't wait until the big day when we can finally introduce the world to our little baby girl ...
Madison Nicole Lightner!

Week 18

Head to rump, our baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and weighs almost 7 ounces. Our baby has become amazingly mobile (at least compared to me), passing the hours yawning, hiccuping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking and swallowing. And, the baby's finally big enough that I'll be able to feel those movements soon. I can't wait!!

Week 17

Our baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

Dr. Appt #3

Our 3rd Dr. appt went perfectly! Since Deven is soooo paranoid and worried about me... the baby... and basically everything and anything to do with the pregnancy, he always looks forward to these appointments, so that he can ask all his questions and hear from the doctor that everything is "A-Okay"


The appt was pretty quick, but we were SO HAPPY because we were able to hear our baby's little heart beating again!! As soon as I heard it, I looked over at Deven and he had the biggest grin, it's was so wonderful to see him so happy and excited! I've read that the heartbeat would sound like galloping horses AND IT TOTALLY DID!! It was so much stronger and louder than last time, which is such an amazing thing to hear!

We are even more excited for our next appt, when we finally get to see our baby again (which means lots of new pics) AND we find out the sex... boy? girl? We'll have to wait and see :)

Week 16

How our baby is growing:
I'm getting ready for a growth spurt... In the next few weeks, our baby will double its weight and add inches to its length. Right now, our baby is about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. The patterning of its scalp has begun, though the locks aren't recognizable yet. The baby has even started growing toenails! And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, its heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as our baby continues to develop.
Our next doctor appt is Friday the 2nd, which we are so excited about! Even though we won't be able to see the baby for a couple more weeks, we are always anxious to see the Dr. to confirm that everything is on track and the baby is doing great.

Week 15

Our growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an orange). His/Her legs are growing longer than its arms now, and the baby can move all of its joints and limbs. Although its eyelids are still fused shut, the baby can sense light. For instance, if I shine a flashlight at my tummy, the baby is likely to move away from the beam. Also, at this stage of the pregnancy, our baby’s ears have now developed to the point where it can hear our voices!

My mom gave us our 1st baby book, Dr. Suess's Hop on Pop, and since the baby can now hear our voices, Deven can't wait to start reading it to our little one. Now, we are anxiously awaiting our next doctor appt, which is on April 2nd. :)

Week 14

Week 14!! This week's big developments: Our baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck its thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, its facial muscles are getting a workout as it’s tiny features form one expression after another.

In other news: Our baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, it measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and it weighs 1 1/2 ounces. Its body's growing faster than its head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, its arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his/her body. (Its legs still have some lengthening to do.) Though I can't feel its tiny punches and kicks yet, my little baby’s hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

The Heartbeat!!

Today was our 2nd dr. appt and we finally got to hear our baby's heartbeat! It's was beating sooo fast and it was so loud and clear (which is hard to believe since the baby is smaller than 2 in. long). The Dr. said that everything sounded normal and our next appt would be in 4 weeks.

It's hard to describe how Deven and I are feeling, words can't really express how blessed we feel to have this baby and begin this journey. We have been anticipating this moment since we found out I was pregnant and it was such a relief to hear our baby's very little heart beating and know that everything was going great!

The BIG announcement

Well tonight was the BIG announcement. We met both our families at Spasso's for our birthday dinner and when we walked in I was wearing a shirt that said "We're Expecting!" Everyone was so surprised and excited! We had been keeping the pregnancy secret, so being able to finally tell our families was such a weight off our shoulders. I don't think any of us will forget such a memorable evening!

Baby News

Yes, it's official, the baby news is out and the whole world finally knows (thanks in part to my mom). We are happy to announce Baby Lightner's arrival on September 14, 2010. We had our first Dr. appt on Feb 4th and watching it's little heart beat was the most amazing sight.

Deven and I can't even begin to describe the joy and happiness we are feeling right now. We are so excited to enter into the next chapter of our lives and we can't wait to share this experience with our family and friends.