Check out Baby Osika's latest pictures...

The top two images and the bottom left image are from our 20 week ultra sound. For comparison, the bottom right is from our 11 week ultra sound.

All four of these images are from the 20 week ultra sound. The two on the right are 3D images of Baby Osika (he/she is smiling in the top one).

The image to the left is another one from our 11 week ultra sound. Baby Osika has surely grown a bit from 11 to 20 weeks.

Half way there....or so we think???

Andy & I had our 20 week check-up and ultra sound this morning. The doctor said that the baby is very active and is looking good. His/Her heart beat came in at 150 and he/she is currently weighing in at 11oz. We got quite a few pictures and are anxious to share them with you (we will add them to the blog once we get them scanned).

Based on my due date of January 8th, I would be 20 weeks 6 days along. However, the baby is measuring a little smaller than that. He/She is coming in at the 7th percentile. So, the doctor has scheduled me to meet with a maternal-fetal medicine doctor so they can do a Level 2 ultra sound and take a closer look at the umbilical cord to confirm the blood flow and make sure the baby is getting enough nourishment. The doctor told me that we shouldn’t worry (easy to say) and that I should just be sure to drink a lot of water and make sure I’m getting sufficient protein. If everything checks out with the maternal-fetal medicine doctor they may just end up changing my due date. So, cross your fingers and say your prayers that Baby Osika is healthy and active for the next 5 months!

On a more positive note, Baby Osika could just be running small as they say the baby takes after the father’s birth weight. Andy weighed only 6lbs 8oz when he was born and I was a monster at 9lbs. So, perhaps he/she is taking after DaddyJ

We heard from the maternal-fetal medicine doctor and have scheduled our Level 2 ultra sound for Tuesday, September 1st. With our 4 week appointment/check-up scheduled for Saturday, September 26th.

20 weeks and the size of a Cantaloupe!

At 20 weeks, Baby Osika is the size of a Cantaloupe coming in at 6.5in. and weighing 10.6oz. He/She is growing quickly!

This is what else is going on inside my belly....

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!

Last week I felt some flutters in my belly! They were the first signs of Baby Osika. Andy can't wait until he can feel them himself.

Andy & I also wrapped up our initial day care tours and have narrowed it down to three places; Children's Corner @ Moravian Manor, Learning Center @ Landis Homes, and U-Gro at Brethren Village. We are now in the process of setting up visits during the day to observe the teachers interaction with the infants and get a true feel of what takes place during the day.

This Thursday, 8/27/09, we have our 20 week ultra sound. We are very anxious to see the changes in Baby Osika from our 11 week ultra sound pictures. I will surely post an update from that visit.

Another Race Under the Belt for Baby Osika

Amos Herr 5k Honey Run

August 23, 2009

6:00pm

Mommy-to-Be and Baby Osika participated in an evening 5k along with future Aunt Katie, Roseanne, Dan, and Giada. It was a nice change to do one in the evening but it would've been even better if it were a little cooler out. None the less, Mommy-to-Be and Baby Osika finished the 5k in 29:11. Great night, great race, great friends, and wonderful supporters (Andy & Tim).

Busy, busy, busy....

Ok, so how will I ever manage when Baby Osika arrives? I have been going non-stop since 4:30am this morning! Crazy! I got up, went to the gym, then off to work, stopped home quickly before heading out to another day care visit, dropped my car off to get serviced, grabbed a quick bite to eat with my hubby, then stopped at a friend's to borrow a car for work tomorrow. We got home around 9pm. And to think that come January we'll have to work all that around an infant. Wow....hope I can handle it all! Sometimes I really wonder how people juggle home and work life with an infant. I feel like I'm busy now and I know this is nothing compared to what it will be like come January!

Anyways, we had our 2nd to last daycare visit this evening at the Hildebrant located at Landis Homes on Oregon Road. Andy & I would place this one in our top two. There were quite a few positives. The only negatives we noted were a small nursery (which has been rather common through out our tours) and the fact that the Director can only let us know one or two months prior to Baby Osika attending in late August 2010 whether there is an opening (that doesn't sit well in the stomach). So, we decided that if this ends up being our #1 choice, we may have to put a deposit down on another location as a back up just in case there are no openings come August 2010 when we've exhausted all of mommy and daddy's FMLA leave and Katie's (my little sister) summer vacation.

So, any guesses on when my belly button will become an "outy?" At 19 weeks (8/18/09), it is getting pretty close. Andy is loving the belly and constantly touching it and telling me and everyone else how cute it is. I've also noticed the stare downs at work and just through out the neighborhood as people's eyes are immediately drawn towards the belly to check out the progress. It's quite humorous actually! I also have those who hesitate to say anything because they hadn't heard the "official" news from me and didn't want to assume I was pregnant (as I could just be gaining weight). I am sure as the belly continues to grow people will have no doubts that I am growing a baby inside me and not just eating too many french fries!

Bike Ride through Lancaster County

Today was the annual Covered Bridge Ride through Lancaster County, sponsored by Lancaster Bike Club. Participants have the option of doing 15, 30, or 60 mile bike rides. The rides take you through the covered bridges through out the county. Mommy-to-Be and Baby Osika managed the 30 mile ride with only 2 potty breaks. I knew I could handle it physically but I just wasn't sure how my bladder would hold up. But, I was impressed! I did the 30 mile ride with Roseanne and Dan. Andy participated in the full ride, all 60 miles, in preparation for his Half Ironman on September 12th. He rode the full 60 with David & Ange and felt great in the end.

Fun in the Sun!

Andy and I just got back from a week in Rehoboth Beach with the DiTomasso Family. What a blast we had! Roseanne's family is so welcoming-they make you feel like you are part of their family. Andy and I continuously said to each other "Can you believe this is our last vacation without kids?" or "Can you believe next year we'll have a baby when we go on vacation?" We got to see first hand what it's like to have an infant on vacation since our good friend's Roseanne and Dan brought their 4 month old along, Giada. They sure had lots to think about when packing for an infant.....diapers, wipes, toys, pack-n-play, bottles, formula, lots and lots of clothes, etc! I think Giada had more stuff than the whole family combined! But, it's never a bad thing to come planned and prepared for everything.


The above picture is my 18 week baby belly post (week of 8/10/09). As you can see, I sported the bikini on the beach. Andy just loves the "baby belly in a bikini" look! It took some convincing, but I gave in. Plus, I was too cheap to purchase another swim suit for one week.

A lot of people are wondering if I have felt Baby Osika move yet. And to be honest, I am not sure. Sometimes I feel a "flutter like sensation" but don't know if I'm imagining things or if perhaps it's just gas!! Everyone says that I'll know when I feel it. I guess since it's the first time and I don't know what it will feel like, it's hard to tell.

Andy is quite the natural with Giada (not that I had any doubts). We babysat one night while in Rehoboth so mommy and daddy (Roseanne & Dan) could enjoy a dinner date. We also had a sleep over with Giada one night so mommy and daddy could get a good night's sleep. She was great for us! And Andy was a great help both nights.




I participated in a 5k race on Sunday, 8/9/09 in Dewey Beach. The race was called the Classic Catering 5k and was sponsored by "Seven Sisters and Two Brothers." I was very happy with my race time of 28:16. My pre-pregnancy race-pace was anywhere from 7:30-8:00min/mile. My pregnancy all the time running pace has slowed to about a 10 minute pace. I'm happy as long as I can keep moving.



You can check out the official results at the following website:


http://www.r2rresults.com/preset_results/race.php?rid=739&ss=0

While on vacation, Andy and I found this great bike trail that took us from Rehoboth Beach to Cape Henlopen State Park, a great 20 mile bike ride. At the half way point we stopped to pose for some pictures at this gorgeous look out point (in the bottom left picture). The bike rides at the beach made me wish that our roads in Lititz/Lancaster had bike lanes and that our communities were planned to accomodate similar bike/running trails.

..............Stay tuned for the 19 week belly picture on 8/18/09.

3 weeks until half way...

This week marks the 17th week of my pregnancy. It is really hard to believe that in just three weeks we'll be half way through my pregnancy. There are times when January 8, 2010 seems so far away that its hard to imagine. But, then there are times when I think, "Wow, summer is almost over!" And then I think about how quickly the fall comes and goes and how the holidays fly by. It's both scary and exciting to know that right after the holidays we should be expecting to meet Baby Osika for the first time!

Based on everything I read, I should start to feel the baby move any day now. I haven't felt Baby Osika yet, but I will surely make an announcement the first time I do feel him/her!

Andy & I visited Day Care #4 this evening (Sonshine Child Development Center, Lititz, PA). Almost immediately after arriving I knew it wasn't the right place. But, we have two more visits scheduled yet. One is with Children's Learning Center at Landis Homes on 8/18/09 and then with U-Gro at Brethren Village on 8/21/09. I will be sure to update you on the decision as we wrap up our visits.

One thing that I have noticed is that a majority of the day cares we have visited use a Creative Learning Curriculum. I was hoping that some of the teachers reading my post would provide some more insight on this. Is this a good curriculum? What other types of curriculum's are being used in day cares? Any guidance would be appreciated!

Baby Osika danced the night away...

Baby and Mommy-to-Be had a very busy weekend. Mommy-to-Be's baby sister, Katie, got married yesterday. We had pampering, Rehearsal and Dinner (at the Osika house) on Friday. Then hair, make-up, and wedding on Saturday. It was an absolute blast!! But, Baby Osika surely took a toll on me. My first observation of Baby Osika came when I put my dress on and the buttons failed to stay snapped due to my ever growing chest and belly. Once we got to the reception I felt like I spent just as much time in the potty as I did on the dance floor. Baby surely hogged my energy but regardless Baby, Mommy and Daddy-to-Be all had a fabulous time at the Horn/Ziegler wedding. Congratulations to the Mr. & Mrs. Enjoy the Honeymoon!