Care Bears!
These 2 are still inseparable. Last night when I went to bed I found them like this.
Before that we were doing laundry and Chloe found her resting place. Somehow, she made it to the top!
Well, the pregnancy is still going great! No complaints here. It is much easier than I thought it would be so far.
Week 17
Your baby is about five inches long and more than three and a half ounces — the size of your open hand. Baby's body fat is beginning to form and will continue to accumulate through the end of your pregnancy.
How big is your baby now? About five inches long and more than three and a half ounces — the size of your open hand. (Open the other one too and imagine your baby cradled in both your arms right after delivery!) Body fat (baby's, that is) is beginning to form and will continue to accumulate through the end of your pregnancy. By the time your baby is born, body fat will make up about two-thirds of his or her weight (and will make all those chubby parts especially yummy). Your baby is almost certainly listening up by now. In fact, loud noises — the dog barking, the doorbell ringing — will actually startle your baby (and also get him or her used to such noises; for instance, fetuses who regularly hear a dog barking will become babies who sleep right through Fido's outbursts). Your baby's eyes (which have fortunately finished their migration to the front of his or her head) are making small side-to-side movements and can even perceive some light, though the eyelids are still sealed. And since practice makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his or her sucking and swallowing skills in preparation for that first (and second…and third) suckle at your breast or bottle. In fact, most of the survival reflexes that your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now. And here's some proof that your baby is truly one of a kind (as if you needed any!). Within the next week or so, the pads on your baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases (aka fingerprints).
And how's mom doing?
Even though the second trimester is often characterized as the most enjoyable of the three, you can count on a few ailments (see week 14 for additional tri-2 symptoms). This week, or in the coming weeks, you may be privy to the uncommon joys of “round ligament pain.” These not-so-lovely symptoms can doctors advise sleeping on your left side as lying on your back can compress your pelvic veins, decreasing blood return to the lower half of your body include bellyaches, pain in the And how's mom doing? Even though the second trimester is often characterized as the most enjoyable of the three, you can count on a few ailments (see week 14 for additional tri-2 symptoms). This week, or in the coming weeks, you may be privy to the uncommon joys of “round ligament pain.” These not-so-lovely symptoms can doctors advise sleeping on your left side as lying on your back can compress your pelvic veins, decreasing blood return to the lower half of your body include bellyaches, pain in the lower abdomen and sharp shooting and/or stabbing pains, most often expressed at the end of the day. Your suffering is due to stretched ligaments and muscles that support your ever-growing uterus. This is to be expected and is perfectly normal (especially since your uterus is only getting bigger!). Some doctors advise sleeping on your left side as lying on your back can compress your pelvic veins, decreasing blood return to the lower half of your body. Lying on your left side relieves this pressure thereby allowing normal blood flow. If this doesn’t do the trick, go ahead and consult your health care practitioner, but try not to punch them when they serenely tell you it’s normal to feel stabbing pain during this time. As we all know, violence never solves anything.
The belt is getting tighter, your partner's big clothes may fit in the waist, but what about those hips and that belly? Feeling less than graceful and a little fuzzy-headed? These are all normal symptoms of pregnancy. You may feel Braxton Hicks contractions. These painless and random contractions can be thought of as your body warming up for the big event of birth. If you have more than five per hour, if they come at a steady pace, or if they're accompanied by intense cramps or backaches, call the doctor.
You finally look pregnant! As your bump grows, your internal organs are shifting positions to make room for your baby-to-be. Less room means you may not be able to eat large meals, but instead you'll need to eat more frequently to stay satisfied. Because of cramped tummy space, you may have heartburn and indigestion. Your blood flow has increased to provide extra nutrients—meaning more trips to the bathroom for you. You may also notice that you're retaining water.
While your pregnancy clumsiness may be frustrating, at least you have something to show for it! Your belly grows day by day as your unborn baby gets bigger. If you haven't bought maternity pants yet, you're probably thinking about it as you can barely button your jeans.
Pregnancy Brain Dropped anything lately? Tripped over nothing? Forget something you always remember—like the date? You may be experiencing a common complaint in pregnancy—scatterbrain. "Some of my patients call it 'placenta brain,'" says Dr. Joanne Motino Bailey, PhD, a certified nurse-midwife and a professor of women's studies at the University of Michigan. While there are no studies to support the existence of pregnancy scatterbrain, notes Dr. Bailey, there are some changes in your body which may account for your sudden clumsiness.
Changing center of gravity: The first reason you may be stumbling is obvious—you're getting bigger. As your belly grows outward, your whole center of gravity is thrown. After walking perfectly for years, your body now has to constantly realign itself to keep you upright—no wonder you're tripping.
While your baby-to-be is well cushioned in your belly, falling wouldn't be good for either of you. Opt for sneakers or flats instead of high heels. Take stairs slowly. And be mindful of your movements to avoid any serious spills.
Retaining water: Another reason you may think your losing your mind—your gripping sensation may be different because you're retaining water. Your swollen fingers may make it more difficult to pick something up. (Think about how much harder it is to grab something up with fuzzy gloves on.)
Loosened joints: For your belly to house your growing baby, your skin, muscles, and joints stretch and loosen. A pregnancy hormone, appropriately called relaxin, triggers this change. Just like you need to keep in mind your changing center of gravity, remember that your muscles aren't as tight as in pre-pregnancy days—take it easy! This Explains a lot! I thought I was coming down with something.
Fatigue: "We all know that we're not at our best when we're tired," says Dr. Bailey. "During pregnancy your body is under a great deal of stress, but it's hard to take the time out for an extra hour of sleep, which is really what you need." So it's not surprising that your constant state of tiredness may leave you not as sharp as in pre-pregnancy days.
If however, you find yourself overly clumsy, let your healthcare provider know about it. There may be something more going on than loose joints and lack of sleep.
You may be now experiencing the happiest pregnancy symptom of all—your baby is most likely a regular wiggler now! You may begin to feel a fluttering in your uterus.
All About Baby
At week 15, your baby-to-be stretches her limbs and bends at her elbows. She's getting big enough that you can feel many of these movements. This week your baby is roughly the size of a small apple or orange. Her bones are continuing to grow and lengthen. While she looks more like a baby, her skin is still thin and translucent with her veins visible. Your baby is also beginning to grow lanugo, a very fine hair. It will keep growing until around the 26th gestational week of pregnancy (that's week 28 of your pregnancy).
How Big Is Baby?
This week your baby is roughly the size of a small apple or orange.
I like this quote. We try to go by it most of the time, but we all have our days! I think we try to make the best of everything by talking on the phone as much as possible. My family can tell you that we are on the phone a lot! We feel so lucky that we have the opportunity to talk as much as we do. We probably talk about 2 hours a day on average. It has really kept us close. Jeremy and I are at that stage of the deployment again where we are getting antsy. In the first half of the deployment, our bad month was February. I'm pretty sure the bad month in the second half was September. I guess month 2 is our breaking point. Jeremy will be back in Hawaii in 5 months! I know he is so ready. I wish I could be out there to meet him, but I don't think I need to get that far from my doctor or risk any craziness on the plane. It is still rough that we have to wait almost another month before he gets block leave (his 30 day vacation) . They were telling him yesterday that the troop is supposed to get their block leave around April 1st. I think that will be cutting it way TOO CLOSE!! He let them know that he really needed to be home by the 25th of March. They are going to try to make that happen. Well, we are used to this so there is no need stressing over it. Worst case scenario: I go into labor and he takes emergency leave...10 hours in the air and he is home. I don't think I'm lucky enough to have a quick labor anyway, so surely he can get here at least to hear the first cry. If he isn't there for at least some part of the delivery it may take a lot longer for reality to sink in that he has a baby. Ha! Ok, have just rambled every thought that crossed my mind the last 2 minutes that is probably enough on that.
