Do you hear what I hear?

I recently read in one of my weekly pregnancy updates that daddy-to-be might be able to hear the baby's heart beat if he puts his head on mommy's belly. Andy and I are going to experiment and see if we have any luck!

I am now at 24 weeks. There are times when I feel like time is going slow but then I realize that summer is over, fall has arrived, and before you know it, it will be Christmas. When I think about it that way, it's going to be here before I know it.

My belly is surely growing. I'm slowly losing my "inny" belly button as it's trying to convert to an "outy!" I'm also noticing that people who don't personally know me (mainly fellow gym-goers) are now brave enough to ask when I'm due. I guess I'm past the "looking fat stage" and now officially look pregnant enough that anyone can ask and not worry about insulting me.

Andy and I have almost knocked another thing off of our baby to-do list....daycare! After visiting quite a few centers, we narrowed it down to three places that we re-visited over the past three weeks during busy hours. We had the opportunity to meet with the teachers and observe how they interact with the infants. It's amazing how your perspective changes when you enter a nursery where the kids are all quiet and peaceful vs. a nursery where the kids are crying and carrying on. I know that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the day care but it still has an impact on your impression. We are now debating how important convenience of location is over the "ideal" day care. There are so many things that people consider when choosing a daycare, how do you know which one should be the deciding factor? Some of the things we've considered were location, Keystone Stars affiliation, NAEYC accredited, staff turn over, cost, and "perks" included within the weekly fee (snacks, hot meals, diapers, etc.). It's a lot of pressure knowing that your child's every day happiness is at stake!

Post Baby Race Goal....

Mommy participated in the Philly Distance Run, 13.1 miles, in 2007 and 2008. But, this year I chose to sit out as a 6 month pregnant mommy-to-be. However, I still participated, on the sidelines, cheereing for Aunt Katie as she completed her first 1/2 Marathon.

However, you can look for me in 2010 as I already have a post-baby race goal....2010 Philly Distance Run.....here we come! I'll be sporting a shirt that says "Run like a Mother!" So, how crazy am I? I'll be attempting training while taking care of a new baby! Do I have any volunteers to babysitt when I have to do my long training runs? Mark your calendar for September 19, 2010.....All cheerleaders and participants are welcome (Get $10 off registration by using code PDRROCKS until 11/30/2009)!

5 Miles w/o a Potty Break....Huge Accomplishment!

Mommy and Baby participated in the Pretzel Twist 5 miler in Lititz, PA on Saturday, September 19, 2009. We couldn't have asked for more perfect running weather. The run started off chilly but once we got the blood flowing we were good to go. Mommy was happy to have lots of running partners, Rosie, Liz, Dan, and Giada. We had some great cheerleaders too; Daddy, Aunt Katie, Uncle Tim, Cheyenne, and Wembley! Mommy finished her five miles in about 54 minutes. But, even more impressive.....I did the whole five miles without a pit stop in the corn fields for a potty break! Yahoo!

Baby is hungry....

23 weeks

9-16-2009

The baby must be growing because my appetite feels like it's out of control! I've noticed an increase in my appetite in the past week. I'm still trying to eat healthy and get plenty of exercise. This baby may just come out running! In addition to the increased appetite, there continues to be lots of movement. I often get punched or kicked and even get the occasional head butt! And to top it all off, I feel the baby punching and dancing on my bladder.....he/she sure likes to groove!

As we progress through this pregnancy we are trying to stay active and participate in races just as we did last year (well, the shorter distances anyway). Daddy-to-be completed his 2nd half ironman this past Saturday (for those of you who don't know, this consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run). Mommy-to-be will be participating in a 5 mile race in Lititz, PA on Saturday before heading off to Philly to cheer her little sister on in the Philly Distance Run (1/2 marathon, 13.1 miles).

Other projects on the radar before the arrival of Baby Osika; select a day care, complete the baby registry, choose a pediatrician, get the nursery ready, and some other things around the house that have been on the "honey do list" for quite some time (painting the kitchen).

We are scheduled for our next monthly check up on Saturday, September 26th at 10am. We will then have a 4 week follow-up with Maternal Fetal Medicine on Tuesday, September 29th at 8:15am. I am hoping with the increased appetite that the baby is growing as expected. I know I see the numbers on the scale go up so Baby Osika surely has to be growing!

22 weeks along...

According to http://www.thebump.com/ Baby Osika is about the size of a papaya from weeks 21-24 and ranging in size from 10.5-11.8in and weighing in at 12.7-20.8oz.

Check out what else he/she is up to....

"Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop."

It's nights like these, where I don't get home from work until after 7pm that I wonder how it will all be possible once the baby comes. As I sit down to write this I feel as if I have a million things yet to do but at the same time my bedtime is quickly approaching. I guess I need to learn to let go of my "to-do" list sooner rather than later. I guess I just feel like everything will fall apart if I can't keep up. All of the mother's out there are probably just laughing and nodding their head at me right now.

Anyways, at 22 weeks along I am feeling lots of baby movement. Andy has also been able to partake in this amazing part of pregnancy. The look on his face every time he feels the baby move is enough to make my heart melt.

We've also been tackling a lot of baby related items that needed to be taken care of pre-baby. For instance, we finalized our will this weekend and we are in the process of getting life insurance (our blood and urine samples will be taken at our house tomorrow morning). I also spent a lot of time this past weekend clearing out the soon to be nursery and also making room for the bottles and what not in the kitchen cabinets. Another item we are trying to wrap up is our child care selection. We have it narrowed down to three and are visiting each one over the next three weeks during the day so we can observe how the teachers interact with the infants. Today we went to Children's Corner at Moravian Manor. We were very happy with everything we saw and look forward to the other two so we can get a good comparison. Oh, and even more exciting, I booked my maternity photos with a photographer that a good friend recommended. Our photo shoot is scheduled for November 7th at 4pm. I'll be right around 31 weeks (apparantly the belly is ideal between 30-32 weeks). You can check out her work at http://www.photographybytessie.com/. I know a lot of people had questioned me on exactly what maternity photos were. So, I'm including some of my photographer's work below for you to view:

Incredible Moment

Well I feel like this deserves a post from Dad to be. I was just sitting in the office reading up on some contest Google was offering when Meliss called my name. My first thought was that she needed something since her stomach hasn't been cooperating with her today. After heading out to the living room, I saw Meliss lying on the couch with both hands on her lower stomach and it immediately put a smile on my face. We were just discussing after our last appointment when we would be able to feel the baby on the outside. Well it turns out that tonight was the night.

Meliss placed my left hand on her lower stomach as I sat down next to her. Not knowing what to expect, I intently focused on the soft skin of her abdomen waiting for the slightest sign. Baby Osika didn't disappoint and quickly delivered a kick, punch, box out or head butt right where my hand was! Within 30 seconds there were two more softer "kicks"!

It's moments like these that I find this whole pregnancy thing down right amazing.

No need to worry....

Andy and I met with maternal fetal medicine today at 10am. After sitting in the waiting room for an hour, they FINALLY called us back.

Isn't it amazing how patients get reprimanded for arriving late or billed for not canceling with enough notice or not at all but doctor's can make their own schedule regardless of the appointment time? Sorry, back on track. I just needed to rant about that.

After the very long wait we were given good news from the doctor....there is no need to worry. He basically felt that my OBGYN overreacted a little bit. The baby weighed approximately 13oz today and a baby at 21 weeks would weigh anywhere from 14-15oz. The doctor did say that baby appeared to be about 5 days smaller compared to how far along I was. But, he said at this point in the pregnancy it is nothing to be concerned about. The "normal" range allows for little to no error. So, a measurement that is just 1mm off would make the baby appear to be in a lower percentile. After all of the measurements today the doctor said the baby was coming in at about the 14th or 15th percentile. We left that appointment feeling very relieved. For precautions, the doctor did scheduled a follow up in four weeks to confirm that the baby is still growing. Our appointment is scheduled for September 29th at 8:15am (and this time I will be calling ahead of time to determine if the appointments are running behind schedule).

I am 21 weeks pregnant this week. According to http://www.thebump.com/ Baby Osika is supposed to be about the size of a banana at 10.5 inches and 12.7oz. Baby Osika gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

Below is my belly picture along with pictures of the outfit I picked out to bring the baby home from the hospital. I was in charge of picking out a girl outfit and Andy is in charge of picking out a boy outfit. Enjoy....