06/04/2009: The image on the left is is a very cute card we received!
06/01/2009: My thigh hurts sleeping on my side at night. It must be all the weight.
Then I turn and the other side starts hurting, but it gets better during the day.
So, my nights are a bit rough but I still manage to get my Z's.
I can't get enough of watching the baby move and stretch her feet on the sides of my belly.
05/04/2009: Just went to my last Prenatal Yoga class. It was fun, but by now I am not being able to stretch that much anyway.
05/05/2009: Another negative glucose test. Yay! Today Dan and I went to our first Expectant Parents class - Breastfeeding: It was great!
05/11/2009: Doctor said my belly measures 34 weeks (I am 33 weeks now), she also said that I had skinny ankles (I like this doctor :-)
Baby's heartbeat is strong and beautiful!
05/12/2009: Today's Expectant Parents class was about all phases of labor: Non-stop learning! I think my coach (Dan) and I are ready!
Baby is gaining about 1/2 pound a week and me, about 4 pounds a week :-)
28 Weeks
04/16/2009: We went to our first Lamaze class. Summary: disappointing. I think we have been reading so much and practicing breathing techniques from my Hypnobirthing book that nothing the instructor told us seemed new. But let's give it a chance...we have 5 more classes ahead of us.
04/04/2009: Today I had my first scary moment (susto!). I started my fetal movement count at the usual time and ...nothing. One hour later ...nothing. Thank goodness it was a Saturday, so Dan was at home with me, at this point, already trying to console my inconsolable crying. I called the hospital and they told me to drink fruit juice and start again. In the second hour, Dan and I counted 2 moves. We went to the hospital right away, they strapped me with sensors and just listening to the baby's heartbeat was already a relief. Of course, a few minutes after the nurses started monitoring me, the baby started moving again. Everything was OK! The doctor also did an ultrasound and, there she was, kicking strong :-)
04/09/09: Today I found out that the glucose in my blood is a bit high. I tested negative to Gestational Diabetes (after doing the 3 hour-4 blood draws test), but I'll need to eliminate all refined sugars from my diet, and minimize carbos in general until the baby is born. No more sundaes for Vi :-/
03/06/09: OMG! I can't believe it's been 6 months already! We are so excited and can't wait to see our little baby!
03/13/09: The guy in the cartoon looks just like Dan when I special order!
Today we not only felt the baby moving, but we could see the baby's kicks on my belly! Amazing!
3/17/09: The expectant father is getting a little stressed out as the due date approaches...Me? I'm feeling better than ever :-)
3/24/09: Today the doctor said my belly measured 26 weeks ...right on track.
The baby's eyelashes and eyebrows are now fully developed and her eyes are starting to open!
3/31/09: Almost done with my second HypnoBirthing book. Hope it works. Funny how things turn out... I went from being set on having a C-Section to wanting a totally natural birth.
04/01/09: A bebê puxou o Dan enquanto a levantar cedo. De manhã ela fica toda energizada e brincando com, bom, o seu único brinquedo por enquanto: o cordão umbilical. De noite ela fica mais light e relaxada.
04/02/09: At first I was worried my belly was growing too much too soon, but now I am concerned if it's not growing as much as it should :-)
3/4/09: This morning I woke up at 4:30 am because ...I (or baby) was starving!!
2/28/09: Today Dan put his hands on my belly and felt our kickboxing baby for the first time.
2/24/09: Dan and I went to our doctor's appointment and heard the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler: strong and beautiful!. The doctor measured my belly and said I am exactly where I should be. That's nice to hear when you think you are looking like 8 months pregnant.
2/21/09: The baby is growing so fast! I'm afraid of weighing myself :-) It seems like there's a party in my uterus: the baby is dancing and exercising all day. I can feel the moves inside but Dan hasn't been able to feel them yet. Baby's gotta build her little muscles first. Anyhow, her movements are very reassuring to me!
Baby's lungs are beginning to produce surfactant, the substance that allows the air sacs in the lungs to inflate — and keeps them from collapsing and sticking together when they deflate. Also, the baby is now covered in vernix (to protect the skin) and under it, lanugo (little fine hair).
February 06 2009: The chromosomes have spoken: IT'S A BABY GIRL!!! Everything is turning pink now (Check out my new page: Baby Names). Most importantly, the results for the amnio are all normal! Yay!
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The baby is growing fast now. I have to really make sure I meet the baby's protein needs (about 75 g daily). In vegetarian terms, that means a lot of legumes, whole grains, nuts, soy-everything and egg whites, protein bars, protein shakes = lots of food!
The baby also started to move around and I could feel it! The first time I felt like someone was gently knocking on the door (my inside door), like trying to make contact with me!! I felt like in the movie Close Encounters.
Me: My uterus is supposed to be the size of a Cantaloupe but my belly is looking more like a watermelon! And all of a sudden :-o
Also, I just had ( January 28, 2009) my full detailed ultrasound and amnio done and everything went well. Dan skipped work and held my hand all the way. Now we are just waiting for the results, in about 2 weeks.
Oh, and by the way, have I mentioned that I am feeling GREAT? That's a feeling I haven't had in 3 months...
(Me: OK, symptoms are subsiding, but I can still smell somebody cooking a block from me, and still have a hard time eating some foods, or just thinking about eating some foods.). No cravings (yet) but all fruits and fruit juices always sound delicious!
(Me: I am down to my last 3 pairs of pants (and they are sweat pants!). GAP maternity, here we come! )
(Me: Just when I thought I was getting better...here comes the nausea again...and the headaches. I bought Tylenol but still can't make myself take one. Yes, I know it's safe, but, well, you know...)
(Me: We had the most amazing ultrasound experience: the baby was moving and dancing non-stop. Swinging the legs and tiny arms ...amazing!)
With all of the major organs in place, now the brain, nerves and muscles are starting to function. Vocal chords are formed (and the baby can now sing along with me). There is also hair on the head and tiny little nails fingernails and toenails.
Here's what Dan responded when I sent him an email saying that the baby was the size of a plum: "Good-bye Cashew. Hello Plum. I can't believe 2.5 inches all of a sudden. That's pretty big. What's next, Avocado? "
(Me: Yay! I am recovering some energy. Now I can get dressed in 10 minutes instead of one hour and I am not driving Dan crazy by walking at 0.05 miles/hour, now I can walk at 0.06 mph!).
(Me: Still sleeping my 10 hours or more - usually more - a day, still nauseated and my best friend is called Emetrol.)
(Me: We can now do some yoga together: breathe in ...breathe out...)
(Me: Still going through my 24/7 nausea. Looking forward to having my hormones stabilize on week 12.)
(Me: I'm just oh, so sick. I guess it means my placenta is developing well. Oh, placenta!)
(Me: Headaches and nausea are keeping me in bed. And Dan is not even complaining about my crackers crumbles in bed!)
is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute, and blood is beginning to course through his/her body. The pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of the brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, my baby is about the size of a lentil bean.
(Me: Feeling great! I still cannot believe it. It feels amazing and it feels like I am he only person in the world carrying a living being inside of me!))
(Me: Is this really true? All this going on already? It sounds impossible :-)
(Me: Check out the cartoon...)