A Little Shopping with the Proud, New Grandparents

I went to Blue Fish for some amazing sushi with Cindy on Friday, and then we did a little shopping nearby at Buy Buy Baby! It was a really fun night. I was overwhelmed by the amount of choices for cribs, carseats, strollers, etc etc. Looks like some planning will have to go into the registry instead of just going nuts and choosing the cutest things! Here's what we got! I love them all! 

 

The brown onesie says "Handsome like Daddy." :) David liked that one. 

 

I apparently was drawn to the jungle themed animals, especially monkeys, the other night.  

 On Saturday, my parents and I went to Uncle Julios for dinner, and we ALSO happened to wander into in a baby store! These cute clothes below are from Macy's.

                   

 



 

This 4 piece outfit says "Mommy's little monster."  How cute is that! The feet crack me up.

Well that's all the excitement for now! The next doctor's appointment is in 4 weeks for another checkup. We don't get to see another sonogram pic until Week 19, when the sex is confirmed! A big Canton trip (east Texas giant flea market type event) with both of the new grandma's is the next thing I am looking forward to on April 2nd. There are a lot of vendors out there that sell baby stuff, particularly really cute bedding, that we will hopefully choose to get the nursery started. 

Weeks 12-13: It's likely a... boy!!

..........It's a BOY!!!..........

 (Well, it's a 95% chance)

 

This week has been the most exciting week so far! We had 2 appointments, one being Wednesday's routine 12 week appt with Dr. Shimer to hear the heartbeat and ask questions/review a few things (it was quick and relatively uneventful), and the second was the "sequential screening" on Thursday with a prenatal specialist to assess the risk for Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and other neural tube defects. For that screening, a sonogram was performed to take specific measurements and two blood tests are analyzed as well.

David met me for Thursday's appointment and was a nervous wreck. You would have thought the actual birth was fast approaching! He became distant, quiet, and was just acting goofy. (In a cute way, though.) When he shook the doctor's hand, he apparently used a death grip because the doctor commented, "Strong handshake." Haha. Then David was pacing around the room and asking questions when the baby came up on the screen. Funny to watch, but it doesn't give me much hope that he will make it through the real day!

The specialist thoroughly analyzed the sonogram picture and said that everything looked healthy! The little one was putting on a show for us and was moving around all over the place and moving its hands and feet quickly. It was the first time that it all felt real. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Afterwards, I asked him his opinion on the sex and he said very confidently and directly, "It's a boy." He said he was 95% sure after asking him how confident he was! We both lit up! David was the happiest I've ever seen him. We went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch to celebrate.

We called our parents and the Biagini's were thrilled and also surprised after betting on a girl. My parents were ecstatic, and my dad asked about his new grandson's availability for Roughrider's baseball games in late August.

After work, I went to Target to get a little something for David to celebrate our big day!

 

 

Here's what's been going on the past few days and into next week as Wednesday marks the beginning of the 14th week!

• He begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements.
• His neck is getting longer, and the chin no longer is resting on his chest.
• Hands are becoming more functional as he may find it comforting to start playing with his fist or even suck his thumb.
• At this point all nourishment is received from the placenta.
• Thyroid gland has matured and he begins producing hormones.
• The prostate gland develops.
• Lanugo (very fine hair) covers his body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks gestational age. Generally this will be shed prior to birth and its purpose is to help protect baby's skin while in all that water.
• Tiny ribs may soon appear.
• He is beginning to form urine and discharge it into the amniotic fluid.
• Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another!



Last 2 weeks of First Trimester

The following week has had its share of new and challenging adventures.

1) My all time favorite meal (brisket tacos at Mia's) didn't taste well at all to me. I teared up. Literally. Poor David. I have been praying that my taste buds will love them again one day.
2) Got a urinary tract infection. Awesome.
3) Had my first "morning sickness" episode on Monday. Very queasy for 3-4 hours but just couldn't throw up.  Hot sweats then cold chills. Pale as a ghost. (And you can't forget the intermittent peeing every 15 minutes!!)

 But now, things are back to normal now. Phew!

On a better note, I finally have a baby bump feeling! It's a hardened spot on my lower stomach that protrudes out! I've been waiting to have an excuse not to have a flat stomach!

Here are the highlights of week 11-12. One more week to go until I'm out of the 1st trimester, wahoo!

• It's busy kicking and stretching.
• The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Fingers will soon begin to open and close, toes will curl,  eye muscles will clench, and mouth will make sucking movements. (In fact, if I prod my abdomen, the baby will squirm in response, although I won't be able to feel it... crazy).
• Intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into the abdominal cavity about now.
• Kidneys, liver, and pancreas start to funtion.
• Nerve cells are multiplying rapidly and synapses in the brain are forming furiously.
• The face looks unquestionably human: eyes have moved from the sides to the front of the head, and ears are right where they should be now.

• Muscles in the intestinal walls begin to practice contractions that digest food.
• Bones start to harden.
• Vocal cords start to form.

Next Dr's appointment- a week from today for another sonogram/checkup!