Tuesday, October 27, 2009

It's an Onion!


Baby Larson is now the size of an onion as I enter my 17th week of pregnancy! Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone. And fat is finally accumulating around it. His/her umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger. Also, Baby Larson's finger and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints! I'm still waiting to feel Baby Larson move and I have been reading to him/her often. We have gone through some nursery rhymes, The Little Engine That Could and Where the Wild Things Are. As for me, I am definitely showing more this week. And my jeans are starting to feel a little snug (even with the rubber band trick). After I took Chauncey on a walk, I had to get out of my jeans and into my comfy velour stretchy pants (keyword being "stretchy"). I might have to wear this pants everyday. My mom and I went looking at cribs and other baby furniture yesterday. It's so fun to start thinking about the nursery. I also found a bedding that I really like that could work for either a boy or a girl. Only six more days until we find out Baby Larson's gender (if Baby Larson is not modest)! Do you have a guess on whether we will be joining Team Blue or Team Pink???

Saturday, October 24, 2009

OM



I started taking prenatal yoga classes this week and I love it! I have been going to yoga two days a week for the last 5 years and now I will be able to continue to go throughout my pregnancy. This morning's class was much larger than last Sunday's class and it is so great to see women in different stages of their pregnancy. You also get to hear what to look forward to as you grow (shortness of breath, wrist problems, lower back pain, etc.)...awesome! But the instructor gives helpful tips/poses to relieve the pain. The class is a gentler form of yoga than the vinyasa flow class I took on a regular basis. We did alot of supported floor poses using props, such as blankets and wood blocks to prop our hips up or rest our head on. There are many benefits to prenatal yoga especially for the birthing process:

*Relieves tension around the birth canal and cervix.
*Yoga can influence the position of the baby and turn it in advance if needed.
*It focuses on opening up the pelvis and to make labor easier and quicker (this better be true)!
*Relieves fluid retention and cramping (hopefully no more Charlie Horses for me).
*And it stimulates bowel movement (sorry for the TMI) and appetite.

Zac asked me the other day when he gets to start coming to these classes with me and I told him that these were just yoga classes not the birthing classes that we will have to take. It was pretty cute...he doesn't want to miss out on anything! I did tell him that he can always join me for a yoga class...he would be the only man there though.

We did sign up for our birthing classes at Hoag Hospital (where I will be delivering). We start on February 3rd and go one day a week for 3 weeks. We are also looking into taking a couple of other classes, such as a breastfeeding class and an infant care/safety class.

Namaste.



Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I love Avocados!



 I am 16 weeks today and Baby Larson is the size of an Avocado! Tiny bones are forming in his/her ears, which means he/she should be able to pick up my voice. I better start watching what I say, especially when I am driving on the road...ha! This might be a good time to start reading to Baby Larson. I have been collecting and receiving great children's books over time, so they will come in handy before and after Baby Larson arrives. Also, eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in...Baby Larson might be a Baby Monkey with all the hair that Zac and I have combined!
As for me, I'm still eating and resting! My bump still has not popped (I will have to post some pics this weekend and you can see for yourself). In the middle of the night on Saturday I experienced Charlie Horse cramps in not one, but BOTH of my legs. Zac was off pheasant hunting in South Dakota (he shot 2), so I was alone with Chauncey (our English Bully) moaning and trying to massage both my legs at the same time. Not fun and poor Chauncey had no idea what was going on. My calves are still sore today.
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will start to feel Baby Larson moving and grooving in my belly. And we hope to find out the gender on November 2nd...so stay tuned!!! There is a link on the right side of my page, under "Followers" to submit your email address. You will receive an email when I have updated or posted on the blog.
Happy Tuesday!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

15 Weeks!!!



According to BabyCenter.com and TheBump.com, Baby Larson should measure 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weigh in at about 2.5 ounces this week! Although Baby Larson's eyelids are still fused shut, he can sense light. If we shine a flashlight on my belly, he will likely move away from the beam. There's not much for Baby Larson to taste at this point, but he is forming taste buds! I think he will like Mexican food b/c that is what mommy has been craving...and PB&J! His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all of his joints. I hope in a couple of weeks I will be able to feel Baby Larson moving (they say between 16 and 22 weeks)...I can't wait!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Today I'm Pregnant and I Love My Baby

It's official!
 12 week ultrasound pics...Baby Larson was waving!

Welcome to our blog! It's official...we are expecting Baby Larson on April 6, 2010 and we couldn't be more excited! The title of this post is a mantra that I got from the wonderful ladies on The Bump who like me have unfortunately experienced a miscarriage. So today, I'm celebrating that I am 14 weeks and 6 days pregnant!!!

After our 12 week ultrasound/NT scan we shared the wonderful news with our parents and siblings, then waited until the following weekend to make our BIG announcement to our family and close friends. Everyone knows Zac is into funny shirts (and owns many), so I found this shirt (3rd pic) to wear to our Oktoberfest Celebration that Zac and I hosted in our home. It was so fun to see our guest's reactions after reading my shirt and some you could even see the wheels turning in their head trying to figure out what was going to happen in April. Everyone said they had a feeling that I was pregnant or knew I was (I guess they have been watching my every move), but they have been kind enough to never ask.

The first trimester went well and passed by fairly quickly. No morning sickness, but definitely more tired and more hungry with an occasional mood swing or two. The second trimester is going well too, except for this head cold that I am trying to get rid of. I have been making more trips to the bathroom and that is starting to cut into my sleep time...I guess it's all in preparation for midnight feedings.
 
Our next appointment is November 2nd and this is the BIG appointment where we will hopefully find out if Baby Larson is a girl or a boy! I don't really have an inkling to what he/she will be, but at our 12 week appointment the ultrasound tech said she saw three lines (but don't they all start out with girl parts?). By then we can start planning the nursery. I got some great ideas this past weekend in Minnesota, since we visited 5 baby stores in Minneapolis. I wrote down the three bedding sets that I liked (one for a boy, one for a girl and one that is kind of gender neutral).
 
Stay tuned for more updates and pictures!