Wednesday, August 30, 2006

The verdict is in......

Couldn't be happier!!! Time to run out and buy pink stuff!!! Wahoo!

posted by Shell at 3:00 PM comment(s) made: 3

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21 weeks today!

Girl is winning the poll so far........hmmmm. My appt is at 1:15pm(CST). I should be able to report something between 3-4pm!!!


Here is what the baby is up to this week:
Your baby measures about 7.6 inches (19cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 12.25 ounces (350g).

Eyebrows have developed.

His digestive system now functions in a rudimentary manner. Undigested amniotic fluid passes into his bowel which he will eventually excrete after birth. Your baby can suck and swallow and may even suck his thumb.

Your baby's senses are developing, especially his sense of touch. He can feel his face and stroke his arms and legs.

posted by Shell at 8:36 AM comment(s) made: 0

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Tuesday, August 29, 2006

posted by Shell at 9:44 AM comment(s) made: 0

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the real countdown!

Click Here to get this from FreeFlashToys.com!

posted by Shell at 9:12 AM comment(s) made: 0

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Monday, August 28, 2006

OH NO!!

Well it seems that I haven't been a very good girl and forgot to keep myself hydrated. I started having contractions on Saturday night (not painful, but still contracting)it lasted until Sunday morning. I finally called the doctor and they sent me to Labor and Delivery. I just hadnt drank enough fluids and my body was yelling at me. They checked my cervix and sent us home about 1.5 hours later. I drank water all day, like a good girl. At 10pm, during my 100th trip to the bathroom of the day, I saw some blood.....I totally flipped out. Never in my pregnancies have I ever had any spotting....I quickly got Jeff and then made another call to the doctor.....she reassured me that the spotting was just from them checking my cervix earlier in the day. So although they havent officially put me on restrictions, she said to take it easy over the next few days, and call if I have anymore issues. YIKES!

posted by Shell at 8:38 AM comment(s) made: 3

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Friday, August 25, 2006

Can't wait!!

Get your own countdown at BlingyBlob.com

posted by Shell at 12:25 PM comment(s) made: 0

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Half-baked!!!

Officially have made it halfway through the pregnancy!!  Here are my 20wk belly pics! I have really started to feel the baby move a lot more!





Here is what the baby is up to:
Your baby weighs about 10.5 ounces (300g) and measures about 7.2 inches (18cm) from crown to rump. He still moves about freely in amniotic fluid.

Your baby may respond to external sounds, such as the music you are listening to or your voice.

Your baby has developed some red blood cells already. The white blood cells that your baby needs to fight infections are being manufactured.

He is developing taste buds on his tongue.

His digestive system is sufficiently advanced to absorb water and sugar from the amniotic fluid that he swallows and pass it to his large bowel.

Your baby has lanugo hair on his forehead and upper lip and his eyebrows are thickening.

Vernix (the waxy substance that covers and protects your baby's skin) accumulates on your baby's eyebrows.

Your baby's eyes are still sealed shut.

Your baby continues to grow and develop and his kicking is getting stronger now.

posted by Shell at 10:04 AM comment(s) made: 0

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Friday, August 18, 2006

19wk checkup....

The doctor appt went great! I really do like my doctor, he is so nice and takes time to talk to me! We heard the baby's heartbeat....approx 150bpm! it was nice and strong!! ;) I have only gained 2lbs since last visit......wahoo, that makes about 5 lbs total!! He discussed delivery, he is pretty sure we will do it during the last week of December!! Almost to the 1/2 way point........oh, guess if we have the baby in December, i am past the 1/2 way mark...LOL!

posted by Shell at 9:41 AM comment(s) made: 0

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Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Hey baby.....what you up to?

19wks!!!!
Your baby weighs about 9 ounces (260g) and measures about 5.6 to 6.4 inches (14 to 16cm) from crown to rump.

Her skin is thickening and developing multiple layers- the epidermis and the dermis, the deeper layer where it will form fat. Your baby is now also developing a waxy protective coating for her skin called vernix caseosa. The vernix protects your baby's skin which is continuously submersed in amniotic fluid. Vernix, which is particularly thick around the eyebrows is held in place by tiny downy hairs called lanugo.

Your baby can now grip with her fists. Toenails and scalp hair are growing.

At this point, it may be possible to determine the baby's sex by ultrasound, if the baby cooperates, but the ultrasound technician will rarely guarantee the sex based on the ultrasound results as mistakes are sometimes made at an early ultrasound.

You can hear the baby's heartbeat with a Doppler ultrasound device or a stethoscope.

posted by Shell at 8:17 AM comment(s) made: 0

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Friday, August 11, 2006

court update

Well the lawyer I left voicemails for, called me back today. She stated that court has been continued until October. This means that the goal continues to be reunification at this point. This is actually good news.....it means that the social workers do not have any excuse about starting our state to state paperwork...the paperwork takes a few months to complete. Also it means that "L's" mom is doing what she is supposed to be doing and they are still giving her a chance. So hope is alive for this precious child and us!

posted by Shell at 3:34 PM comment(s) made: 0

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Thursday, August 10, 2006

Let's play a game!

Guess the sex of our baby!!!! click on the link below!!

posted by Shell at 5:06 PM comment(s) made: 0

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Just a crap-ass day!!!!!

Well Alexis didnt make the team....and here is the kicker, she was the only girl cut! they had so few tryout (because rumors of the coach already having his team picked)that they put everyone in a spot.....alexis literally "shot" herself in the foot by getting that injury. They told her that they are worried she would hurt herself further if she played....on a bright side, they asked her to be team manager.

On the california front.....still a crap-ass day!! I called and got so many freaking voicemails today, i could scream. With each voicemail, it seemed a new contact # was available, so i would call that number......called until I finally reached a live person. This is when I was finally able to learn the the court hearing was scheduled in the afternoon. Later in the day, one of the people that I left a message with, returned my call.....giving me phone numbers of the current worker and his supervisor. After waiting a few hours, I then called the worker, only to get this response "umm, i had that case for about a week and transferred it out last friday" he did give me the new worker's name and number....when I called her...she knew nothing involving the case. She said she just recieved it yesterday, didnt attend court and has no information to give me!! WTF!!! She was nice enough to listen to me and take down all of my information though...still she had no idea what happened at the hearing today. I then called an atty, i think she is the child's atty and left a voicemail for her.....hoping that she will return my call and give me some answers about the hearing....otherwise it looks like we will have to wait another several days to find out what happened.

posted by Shell at 6:41 PM comment(s) made: 1

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No ordinary day.......

Not sure why today has been chosen as a key day in my life, but it has. Seems the Cosmos have plans for my family this day. It is a full moon, maybe that is contributing....a lot of aspects of our lives will be affected by decisions made today, by learning about God's plans for us today. Today should be an ordinary Wednesday, I should just be posting about being 18 wks pregnant (Wahoo!) Instead, I was up most of the night tossing and turning and praying about what today would bring.
On this extraordinary day we will learn the following:

1)The results of my brother and his dear wife's pregnancy test...this is their 2nd IVF attempt....they have put so much heart and soul into making this cycle a success. 4 little embies were placed into her uterus and we are praying that 1 or more of them have decided to attach and grow.....sadly it did not work. My prayers are with my brother and his wife.

2)A judge in California will be deciding the fate of a beautiful 2 yr old girl. A few short weeks ago, I learned that my cousin's daughter will most likely be placed for adoption. I urgently called social workers in Los Angeles, trying to get them to realize that this precious child has family in Kansas City, willing to care and love her. The social worker basically told me that I was getting involved too late and she was recommending her staying with the foster parents. Because the worker was leaving the case and a new worker would be assigned, it seems they didnt want to "add" complications to the case (in my opinion). Not settling on this answer, I wrote a heart-felt letter to the Judge presiding over the case...asking her to consider placing the child with us. We just want the chance to be her family. Today is the court hearing....hoping to learn the decision later this afternoon.
Found out that the court hearing wasnt scheduled till this afternoon (PST)so have to wait a few more hours to hear anything.

3)A few coaches will decide the fate of my child's high school athletic career (ok, sounds more dramatic than it is....but to her, it is everything). Alexis bravely worked out hard on the 2nd day of tryouts, giving it her all, even though her ankle is still in a brace (see the post below), today they have 3 more hours of tryouts, then the decision will be made (although it is rumored that the coach has already hand-picked his team)...all I can do is hold my breath for her. I have tried to "prepare" her for the possibility of not making the team....but it doesnt make it any easier, if it happens. Tryouts end at 6pm (cst)

4)My mom is having major dental work today....just hoping she heals quickly

5) Today is my best friends birthday......Happy Birthday CG!!!

So I wait....having no control over any of the above decisions/fates....better keep myself busy!!! I will update as I learn new things today!

posted by Shell at 8:26 AM comment(s) made: 0

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Monday, August 07, 2006

Dumb luck!

As I have posted before.....I have spent most of my summer running my teenage daughter around....mostly to volleyball related activities. She went daily to weights and conditioning (did wonderful things for her body!), she went to a variety of volleyball camps...all gearing up for tryouts for the highschool team. The competition is stiff and only 1 senior was on the team last year, so basically leaving open only 1 spot (with exceptions of anyone moving,quitting etc..) Volleyball tryouts began today. My daughter went to the "party of the summer" on friday evening.....and guess what~ she tore ligaments in her ankle, jumping on a trampoline!!! We spent all of saturday morning at the ER. she spent the whole day crying after the doctor told her that she couldn't put any weight on it for several days.....she is on crutches and a splint...being the hopeful soul that my daughter is, she went to volleyball tryouts anyway. She hobbled in on crutches and wouldn't let Jeff go in to talk with the coaches....my heart just aches for her. Hoping the coaches realize how hard she tried this summer and take a chance on her.

posted by Shell at 9:27 AM comment(s) made: 1

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Wednesday, August 02, 2006

17wks.......what is the baby up to?

Your baby weighs about 5.25 ounces (150g) and now measures 5 to 5.6 inches (12.5 to 14cm) from crown to rump. He is practicing breathing by gulping amniotic fluid into its lungs. This helps the lung's development so they will function at birth. Your baby may also be sucking his thumb.

Meconium is present in your baby's bowels. There is hair present on your baby's scalp and sweat glands are developing.

Your baby is becoming more sensitive to the outside world and is moving around, kicking and punching. As there is still plenty of space in your uterus, your baby can move around a lot, sitting cross-legged, reclining or even turning somersaults!

He can probably hear by now as the ossicles (the bones that pass sound to the inner ear) have hardened and the portion of the brain that receives signals from the brain is under development. Your baby is getting used to the sound of your heartbeat and blood passing through the umbilical cord, but may be startled by loud noises. Your baby is aware of some things in the outside world, including sounds and light. If you let the sun shine on your belly, your baby may be able to perceive a warm red glow.

Just for kicks yesterday, I started looking at baby names.....it is going to be a difficult task naming this baby, I can already tell!!! I found the Social security website that lists the most popular names....either nationwide, by state or decade...Check it out, it is pretty cool!!

Popular baby names

posted by Shell at 9:27 AM comment(s) made: 0

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