21 Weeks

21 weeks - only 19 weeks left! Yay! Baby Sanders has reached the length of a carrot, about 10.5 inches from head to foot and weighs 12 oz - getting much closer to that 1lb mark! As far as updates, not a whole lot are going on with Baby other than continued growth and development. Facial features are all developed, complete with eyebrows and eyelids :) Also, the bone marrow is starting to produce red blood cells (instead of just the liver and spleen), which just indicates further maturing is taking place. Baby's also learning to swallow, which means I may start feeling some little hiccups! And, as ever, still waiting for those karate-chop jabs and movements from Baby; definitely should be feeling them soon and with regular frequency...come on, Baby; Mommy (and Daddy) wants to feel you move!

So...as most of you are probably aware...we had the BIG ultrasound last Friday! Unfortunately, Baby was not very cooperative! He/she was much more interested in napping way waaayy down in my uterus, which meant Baby didn't move around much or "perform" very well for it's first video! So, needless to say, Baby didn't reveal himself/herself to us, but the ultrasound tech said she definitely knew what gender it was...tempting!!!!! She has written it down in our file, and we were THIS close to asking but refrained ;) So, as of now, Baby's gender still remains a surprise! Sorry if this disappoints you, we're really excited for the ultra big surprise when Baby's born! Because of Baby's comfy little sleeping position, we really weren't able to get many good pictures of him/her; Baby was curled up in a ball (hey, I sleep that way so I can't get too upset, right?) facing my back, butt down - you have 19 weeks to flip over, Baby, no C-Section please! Thankfully we were able to get such good pictures at our 13 week ultrasound - apparently Baby really wants us to be surprised when he/she comes out, not only with the gender but also with how he/she looks!

Baby is growing well; everything looks great and is proportionate to the gestation, except the arms - apparently we have an ape-child :) The arms are measuring about a week longer, but she said this is normal and he/she will probably grow into them :) The heart has all 4 chambers and it was actively pumping at 170 beats per minute, so that was reassuring. Due date is still looking to be about November 4th!

One thing that was brought up was the fact that Baby is so low in my uterus - they had to do a less comfortable *ahem* ultrasound to make sure the cervix was long enough and not dilating early. Praise God, everything is still looking good. Please PLEASE be praying with us that Baby just was feeling sleepy and happened to settle down there temporarily; we really want Baby to move up and make use of all of the space in my uterus and get away from the cervix (especially before it gets too big to move out of the way!)!!

This is a 21 week, almost 22 week baby delivered in Fl - not sure if it survived, but I have seen a baby this size live to be discharged from the hospital. It's crazy to think our baby looks this much like a baby already! Technically, 24 weeks is the "viable" age, but we have been known to save baby's under that gestation. However, prayers to keep Baby in until he/she is fully developed would be greatly appreciated :)

In other news...our door is finally finished and fully painted! YAY! Also, we've picked out the colors that we will be painting our condo (which includes the nursery!) and will probably start painting soon :) We've picked out our crib but haven't purchased it yet - can't wait to get that sweet room set up, really feeling the urge to "nest"! If you'd like to check out our registry, we're at Target, Babies R Us, and Amazon; if you would like to buy us a "gender specific" gift, we ask that you please buy it from either Target or Babies R Us so we can exchange it if Baby is the other gender :)

Please continue to pray for our sweet developing Baby - he/she has a long way to go still and lots of developing to be done! Also, this Mommy is definitely starting to feel anxious as Baby nears viability and I see so many premature babies at work; I really don't want that to be our Baby :( But I know that God is holding our Child and His timing is perfect; please help me to remember this! Also, Sandy (my step-mom)'s mother, Lee Stiles, is seemingly nearing the end of her fight with cancer. She's been in a lot of pain recently and could really use your prayers for comfort and peace during these last few weeks/months.

As always, we love and appreciate all of you - taking more tummy pictures tonight! Will post soon :) Til next time, have a blessed week!

20 Weeks

WOOHOO!! Officially halfway into my pregnancy! Not that I'm celebrating being halfway done, but I'm celebrating the fact that I'm only about 20weeks from meeting Baby Sanders! Being that we are halfway there, our little one is growing fast - we've reached the length of a banana, which is 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom or 10 inches from head to heel (now that Baby's legs have come more uncurled from his/her body, all length measurements from here on out will be from head to heel); Baby's weighing in at about 10.5oz these days! Amazingly enough, Baby has already begun to establish sleep patterns! This means Baby may have already found a favorite position to sleep in, and may give us an indication of whether we're going to have a little early bird (like Daddy) or a night owl (lik Mommy, but only on nights she has to work!). Other developments - mostly in the lower half! Obviously this is the week, the BIG ultrasound...boy or girl? This means that if Baby is a boy, his testes are making the descent from the pelvis to the scrotum; and if Baby is a girl, her uterus is completey formed (woah!) and everything else is continuing to develop. Both of these developments allow for easier gender prediction on an ultrasound. Other interesting developments down south - Baby's body is now starting to form it's first stool/poop/BM/etc. This is called meconium - if you ask me, 20wks is an awful long time to hold onto that nastiness. BUT, we definitely don't want Baby passing that meconium until it's born because meconium in the amniotic fluid would mean nasty things for Baby's lungs (eww...imagine that for a moment...or not.). So what do the next few weeks hold? Lots and LOTS of growing!! Most of Baby's energy will be put towards growing and gaining weight - guess who else that's going to impact? ;) So much so, that some websites prepare mothers to gain approximately 1lb per week starting now until the end of the pregnancy...that's a lot of weight!!

So, other than the fact that I'm obviously gaining weight and my belly continues to grow, what does this 20week mark mean for me? Well, the top of the uterus has now reached my belly button, which is why the belly starts protruding farthe forward from here on out. Most of the changes, however, have to do with my realizaton of a time frame that's rapidly narrowing - so much to do, so little time! We've finally cleaned most of the stuff out of the nursery, so that means it's time to start moving things in! Well, first we have to find the furniture...I've been browsing online and I think we might be making a trip to Ikea this weekend, so maybe we'll finally have some furniture to put in it! Other important things that need to be done - sign up for a childbirth class, look at life insurance options, check out more childcare options, etc. Lots of big decisions to be made! All very exciting though :)

Please continue to send your prayers this way! We feel them all the way over here, and the 3 of us really appreciate them :) This week specifically we ask for your prayers for a good ultrasound that shows us a healthy, active, appropriately growing baby, and also for direction on if we should decide to find out the gender (at this point, we're pretty sure we're NOT going to find out, unless our little one decides to put on a show!). Prayers for any of the above mentioned decisions would also be welcomed - it's definitely becoming more of a reality that our twosome will soon be a trio and there are a lot of changes that come along with that; please be praying that God is preparing us for that :)

Thanks for all of your love and support, we miss each and everyone of you! P.S. I PROMISE to post pictures of our ultrasound when we get them!!!

19 Weeks

Woah! This week's update is blowing my mind! So this pretty little tomato here is called an "heirloom" tomato and is the same size/weight (approximately) as Baby - 8.5oz! Even more mind-boggling - I have something the size of a 6in Subway Sub swimming around in my uterus; yep, 6inches! So exciting!! Starting to get a little cramped in there so the uterus is going to start growing again which means 2 things for me: 1)itchy skin and "growing pains" (lovely) and 2) an even larger belly (even more lovely).

Baby's brain is kicking into gear! The sensory areas (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste) are really starting to develop this week, which means I really need to be talking to Baby more (perhaps only in the comfort and privacy of my own home....). Hair is starting to come in on Baby's head, and a fuzzy layer of hair called lanugo is developing all over Baby's body underneath that cheesy coating, vernix, that I told you about last week (most of this will fall out before Baby makes his/her grand entrance into the world). Both of these things will help protect Baby's skin from the high acidity of the amniotic fluid. Another development that's going on underneath the skin is the development of brown fat - this is the fat that Baby will use to keep him/her nice and toasty warm until their temperature regulation center in the brain is more fully developed, in which case the brown fat will then be used as an energy source. Baby's legs and arms continue to harden and they are now proportionate to the rest of the body. I feel a growth spurt coming on.... (which, hopefully, will mean lots more movement!)

I felt more movement this week! Not a whole lot more, but let's just say that Baby likes the beach as much as his/her parents do! It was really fun to feel Baby moving while looking at the ocean...ah...not to rub it in or anything, for you Indiana people ;) Along with some movement, I've definitely been feeling some growing pains (also referred to as "round ligament" pain - the pains associated with loosening ligaments in the abdomen) this week. My back still continues to cause some pain (again, not helped by the loosening ligaments), but nothing else really to complain about. The nausea is pretty much completely gone (only notice slight discomfort when I need to drink more water) and the heartburn is much more minimal than before (yippee!!). Belly continues to grow with each week, will be taking another "belly shot" next week; can't wait to compare to week 15!

We bought a baby name book on Friday - even though we have our 2 favorite names, we wanted to keep our options open so we found a book we liked and have been browsing through it - so much fun! Also continuing with the home updates - we bought new door handles/deadbolts, a fire extinguisher (yay for fire safety!), and ...drum roll...a new toilet seat!! :) Oh the things we get excited about! Our place is really starting to look good; we'll be posting pictures soon...I promise!!

Please continue to pray for our preparation for Baby's arrival - nursery preparation, childbirth education classes, Midwifery center or normal labor and delivery?, CHILDCARE, finances, etc; pray for strong and healthy growth on Baby's end; and pray for less pain (specifically back pain) for me through these next weeks. Thanks for all of the prayers!!

Next week, June 22nd to be specific, is our next ultrasound - can't wait to see how much our little one has grown since week 13! Also, find out the gender or no? Decisions, decisions....

Until next time, have a wonderful, blesssed week! We love and appreciate you all :)

18 Weeks

At 18 weeks, our baby has reached the length of a bell pepper - about 5.5 inches long and weighing about 7oz (almost half a pound!). At this stage in the pregnancy, our baby's senses are starting to mature - the eyes and ears are in their final positions, and although Baby may or may not be able to differentiate between sounds, he/she can definitely hear sounds around them (such as my heartbeat, my stomach growling, mine and Tyler's voices (!!), and external sounds. One website even said that Baby may start moving and responding differently in reaction to certain sounds - let's hope that means Baby will move more when it hears our voices :) Speaking of movement, Baby is working on the moving skills this week too! Baby's flexing his/her arms and legs more frequently now, and as he/she continues to grow, I should definitely be able to feel Baby more this week! I've felt Baby 2 times now, which doesn't feel like enough to me :) Bring on those jabs, Baby!! Our ultrasound is in 2weeks, and although we don't want to know the gender of our baby, the gender is apparent and able to be seen externally now (I hope our child isn't an exhibitionist....) :)

Not super "cutesy" but it's sucking it's thumb!! So precious :)

Thought this one was pretty cool - it looks so much like a living, breathing baby already!!

As for me, my body is showing more subtle signs that our baby is growing - increased appetite and itchy skin on my belly. The itchy skin is actually really annoying, but at least now I know why my stomach has been so itchy lately! Also, because the baby is growing, my cardiovascular system is continuously going through pretty dramatic changes. This trimester especially, because there's so much growth, my blood pressure is expected to be lower than normal which means I may feel dizzy a little more frequently - guess I need to keep drinking that water to keep my blood volume (and balance!) on track :) Due to the increasing size of my uterus, it is now recommended that I lay on my side (particularly left side) whenever I lay down - who would have thought it was a good thing that I've learned to sleep on my side all of these years?! This is to keep the pressure off of my inferior vena cava (main vein that returns blood to the heart); increased pressure from the growing baby, along with laying on my back can compress this vein and decrease the blood return to my heart, which would definitely cause some problems. So glad I already like laying on my side!!

Tyler's been talking to Baby a little more - I'll have to encourage him to keep doing so, especially now that I know Baby can definitely hear us! He and one of our friends here, Stephen, installed a new patio door in our condo - now we have a large window where we had a solid door before! Thankfully the installation went well (even though I was CONVINCED the new door was way too big - I was wrong!) and it looks great! Tyler also changed our thermostat to a programmable thermostat this past weekend; had a few glitches along the way (like mixing up the wires which led to no A/C for a night - good thing God gave us cool weather for that night!) but Tyler was able to figure out the problem, solve it, and successfully install a new thermostat - way to go, babe!

Although the weather has been cooler here this summer (you Hoosiers have been having warmer weather than us lately!), it's been very pleasant! We're hoping to hit the beach on Friday after Tyler gets off work - yep, you can be jealous if you want ;) This Thursday wraps up our Bible study that we started last fall, so we're having an extended time with the Lord on Saturday and then having a celebratory lunch out at a yummy restaurant in Virginia Beach - looks like it's going to be a great weekend!!

Thanks for all of your love and support, we're almost halfway there!! Nothing super specific to pray for this week (other than increased baby movement, more for my encouragement that everything is still going well in there!), so just that Baby is growing healthy and strong, and that our ultrasound on June 22nd will look good! Keep the prayers coming - we really appreciate them!

17 Weeks

Sunday, May 27th marked the 17 week mark (I'm a little late in getting this one out!). Our baby now weighs about as much as a turnip (5oz) and is measuring 5inches long. The bones that used to be made of soft cartilage are starting to harden and resemble the bones we are used to; also, the joints are developing and he/she is able to move them! The umbilical cord is thickening and growing stronger everyday, which allows for more and more nutrition to be supplied to Baby. Permanent teeth buds are forming behind the temporary baby teeth buds in the mouth that are already in place. A special coating called Myelin is starting to develop along the nervous system (which allows for neurological messages to be sent from the nerves to the brain). Last but not least, a special coating called vernix is starting to form on Baby's skin (this is sealant type of material that protects the baby's skin); when a newborn baby is born, vernix is what gives them that "cheesy" appearance.

EXCITING NEWS!!!! On Friday May 25th, I felt the baby move for the first time! We were driving in the car, just outside of Dayton, OH and I felt a little fluttery feeling accompanied by a few jabs (thanks for that, Baby) in my left lower abdomen! So exciting!! The only thing that worries me is that I haven't felt anything since...I hope Baby's just hiding, or that I've been too busy to really relax and notice.

Other good news - the results from our Quad Screen came back negative. This is not a definitive test, but at this time, there are no markers present for any type of neurological problems (such as Down's Syndrome, Spina Bifida, etc). Praise God!

As for me, my uterus is starting to expand to make room for our growing baby; this contributes to some "loosening ligament" pain. I haven't noticed it in my abdominal area yet, but my back has definitely been more sore this week - maybe this is part of the problem?? Another side effect of an expanding tummy is displacement of my center of gravity, leaving me a little less steady on my feet (this is definitely NOT a good thing for me!) :) Guess I'll have to stay away from potentially dangerous situations :)

The reason this post is so late is because we were back home in Indiana! We had a wonderful time with family at the Indy 500 - boy, was it a hot weekend!! We were very fortunate in the fact that we had some shade during the parade on Saturday and had a breeze on us on Sunday - good thing, too, because it was a  record-breaking year for heat at the track (94 degrees environment, 132 degrees on the track)! Got some good pictures and videos, along with great memories this year :) On Sunday evening we headed back up to Fort Wayne and had a good few days of visiting family and a few friends. Needless to say, it was a very busy week/long weekend but there's never enough time to see everyone you want to see! We'll be back in July; hopefully we can see those we didn't get to see then :)

Please continue to pray that our baby continues to grow strong and healthy; I know this is probably not uncommon, but this week (especially after a hot weekend) has me more nervous that something is wrong or that the baby isn't doing well. Please pray that God would calm any anxiety that I may have through the pregnancy and allow me to simply rely on Him for the health and well-being of our child; after all, it is His first and foremost. Thank you all, again, for all of your love and prayers - all three of us appreciate every single one of you!!