17 weeks, we're having a turnip

Matilda is 17 weeks along today. This week, the cartilage of the skeleton is turning into bone. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and the baby is the size of a turnip at about 5 inches long and 5 ounces weighed. Sweat glands are also developing. The baby is developing the sense of hearing and can move all her/his joints

I looked at a sample 3-D ultrasound and it still looks like a little alien is growing in there.

But we love the alien.

My belly is starting to pop. Actually, Kevin commented the other night that my belly button is about half as deep as it normally is. I look like I just got off of doing a keg stand. It's kind of cute if you know I'm pregnant, but it also kind of looks like I just came from an all-you-can-eat.

Pancake Dinner

Dear Dad,

Thanks for making us pancakes for dinner last night.

Delish!

Love,

Matilda

week 16 check up

Today we met with the doctor and everything looks great!

I'm a little anemic apparently and my vaccine for Rubella has worn off or something but the baby is doing great with a heart beat of 152.

We could hear the heart beat so strongly today which wasn't the case last month...nothing was wrong, just harder to hear sometimes.

No pictures to post this time but we are scheduled for our first 3-D ultrasound in a couple weeks!

Apparently I got my days off and we are officially 16 weeks today. I thought we were in the middle of the 15th week...someone's math is off!

to my daddy on his birthday

Dear Dad,

I hear from mom that it's your 31st birthday today. You are really old.

I'm still hanging out in here with a few months to go but I already know a few things at 15 weeks about how cool my dad is.

You take very good care of mom. When she's not feeling good you are very gentle and give her foot rubs and back rubs like it was your job.

When she feels better, we celebrate. You take her on long walks for sun and fresh air and make her laugh. You take her to lots of movies and make runs to the store for her cravings (which really benefit me...thanks for that watermelon by the way)

You kiss mom's belly goodnight every night even though I'm not big enough yet to be obvious. You never take anything for granted and mom notices this.

You already put my crib together which means you're excited about me. I'm excited about you too. I already love you and I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Mom's excited about steak for dinner.

See you this summer,

Matilda. (we'll talk if I come out a boy)

15 weeks

This weekend, I rationalized the baby was getting enough calcium through the extra cheese we ordered to go with my nachos as we got our goodies in line to see Lovely Bones (quick review: 4 thumbs down...and I'm using the baby's thumbs to help swing my vote, it was that bad)

I have a book sitting on Kevin's desk about eating well for pregnancy and I'll be honest, I haven't even opened it. After a a first trimester of not being able to touch a chicken breast, let alone think about how to keep 4 servings of anything down, this book has really only been good for making me feel guilty for not opening it. I find myself apologizing all the time to the little cherub inside me for eating a Big Mac instead of my daily broccoli ration...or bringing 3 string cheeses with me to get through a 3 mile morning walk (1 for each mile only seems fair).

I have also convinced myself that the leftover muffin top I had from BEFORE pregnancy is really still there because I am "starting to show". But after standing next to a 7 month pregnant friend yesterday, I admit that the Big Macs haven't been devoting themselves to the baby's growth as much as they have to my own gut.

I am in no way turning over a "new leaf" here as I admit any of this out loud. I am merely allowing a glimpse in through the window of my pregnant reality. We're kind of going our own way at this. So baby, on your 15th week of getting ready for the world, know that so far I have been trying...I have avoided wine and Brie, scowled at smokers passing by, gone to bed early and woke up late...and every time you get a Big Mac thrown your way, it was given to you with love and I imagined it was tofu the whole time.