NO DOUBT about it!

B-O-Y!!!!!!!!!!

More to come on Monday. We'll scan the ultrasound and give you the entire story. But for now, you can stop calling him Baby E and start calling him Ely (pronounced: e-lee).

Week 18 Update

How your baby's growing: Head to bottom, your baby is approximately 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a large sweet potato) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing her arms and legs — movements that you'll likely start noticing more and more. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin and her ears are now in position and stand out from her head. Myelin (a protective covering) is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and Fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If your baby is a boy, his genitals are noticeable, though he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

How your life's changing: Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now as your appetite and waistline increase. Look for specially designed maternity clothes that can accommodate your expanding belly.

You may have heard that it's best to lie on your left side during your last two trimesters. Here's why: When you lie on your back, your uterus can compress your pelvic veins — in particular, the inferior vena cava, the vein that returns blood from the lower half of your body back to your heart. Lying on your left side helps remove this pressure. Try placing a pillow behind you, or under your hip or leg for comfort.

Your cardiovascular system is undergoing dramatic changes, and during your second trimester your blood pressure is probably lower than usual. Don't spring up too fast from a lying or sitting position or you might feel a little dizzy.

If you haven't already, you'll probably have an ultrasound done sometime this trimester (usually between 16 and 20 weeks). This painless procedure helps your practitioner check how your baby's growing, screen for certain birth defects, check the placenta and umbilical cord, determine whether the due date you're working with is accurate, and see how many babies you're carrying. During the exam, you might see your baby moving around or sucking her thumb. Bring your partner along, and be sure to ask for a printout for your baby's first photo album!

Another dream...

Last night I had a CRAZY dream! I won't go into all the details. But, I dreamt about the Baby E after I brought HIM home. YES, I dreamt about a baby boy. I remember HIM pooping and peeing on me. My mother had told me the baby couldn't wear a diaper for the first couple of days (in the dream)...so, I DEFINITELY remember boy parts as he was peeing and pooping on me :) And, we named him Conan????

I guess we will see what theories are correct. Only one week from today!

First round of growing belly photos. 04/16/2006

I know you've all been waiting for pictures of my ever growing belly. So, here you go. I waited until it looked like a pregnant belly versus a beer belly before I'd take pictures. I can't hide it any longer :)

Also, I had my first dream about Baby E last night. I dreamt of showing off an ultrasound to my coworker. It was one of those 3D ultrasounds. It was obvious (in my dream) it was fairly late in the pregnancy because the characteristics of the baby were very strong. I was saying to my coworker (in my dream)..."look, HE looks just like Anthony. HE has a wide nose. And HE has a full head of dark hair." I remember thinking his eyes were even shaped like Anthony's. Now, they say a woman's dreams are best predictor of the gender. But, I dont know if showing an ultrasound is the same kind of dream as the baby after it's born. I guess we'll find out in 1.5 week!

Week 17 Update

Your baby weighs about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. He can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden to bone. His sense of hearing is also developing. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker.

How your life's changing: With more weight up high and out in front of your body, you may feel a bit off-balance as you walk around. Store away your high heels and wear low-heeled shoes to reduce your risk of taking a tumble.You're likely to feel protective of your tummy, and that's good. Trauma to your abdomen could be harmful to your baby and dangerous to you, so be sure to buckle up when you're driving. Keep the lap portion of the seat belt under your belly and very snug across your hips for maximum protection.

Boy or Girl?

As we all know, there are MANY myths about determining the baby's gender. I took part in the "needle on a string in front of the tummy" myth. Two days in a row, it resulted in "its a boy." They also say a woman's dreams are a good predictor of the gender. I haven't had any dreams about the baby but Anthony dreamed about the baby last night...it was a boy.

Now, both Anthony and I have been calling Baby E a "she" from day one...believing we had a "feeling." Guess we will just have to wait two more weeks to find out which is stronger...intuition or mythical testing!

16 week update

So, I thought some of you might be interested in hearing the weekly updates on how the baby is growing, what the baby is doing, etc. I'm going to begin posting these so we can all be "in the know!"
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How your baby's growing: At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.

How your life's changing: Have people been telling you how wonderful you look? The "glow of pregnancy" is real, thanks to increased blood flow to the skin. You may be enjoying yourself more, too, now that your hormones have stabilized and nausea has eased up. You're also probably less anxious about something happening to your baby (the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically after the 14th week) which likely adds to your overall sense of well-being.

Soon you'll experience one of the most wonderful moments of pregnancy — feeling your baby move. While some women notice "quickening" as early as 16 weeks, most don't until about 18 weeks or more. If this is your first baby, don't be too anxious — you may not be aware of your baby's movements until 20 weeks or so. The earliest movements may feel like little flutters, gas bubbles, or even like popcorn popping. Over the following weeks they'll start to feel unmistakably like kicks.

Pregnancy Tip: Feel your baby move "I wasn't sure if I could feel my baby moving, so a friend suggested I lie down for a while. After a few minutes, I started feeling a butterfly sensation in my lower abdomen. It was amazing!" — Linda B.

April OB visit, next appt we find out the gender :)

We went to the doctor yesterday and heard the heartbeat for the 2nd time. She said it sounded good (about 150 beats a minute). We also made the next Ultrasound appt....where we'll find out Baby E's gender!!!! So, mark your calendars: Friday, April 28th we have an appointment at 5pm. We're so excited :)