Week 21...

We officially are on the downward slope of our Growing Baby Gamm journey. More weeks behind us then in front of us. As I reflect on the last 5 months of my life the one words that comes to mind is emotional whirlwind. Happy, nervous, terrified, ecstatic, amazed, worried, euphoric, scared, and any other emotion you can think of. I think that it takes almost a year for a baby to be born in order to prepare parents (especially first time parents) to grasp the fact that their lives will be drastically changing in a blink of an eye. I know that as the weeks are marked off I feel more and more at ease and less anxious about the arrival of Mya. Don’t get me wrong I am still terrified to death but there is an ease to that feeling every time I feel her kick or flop around.

This weekend was very exciting. We celebrated the half way point by doing our registry. Daddy was so cute as he scanned the little blankets he thought would be cute for Mya. As of now the Target and Babies R US registries are just about complete except a few add on items here and there. The showers are set for January 14^th and 21^st. I am so excited and look forward to both celebrations.

According to the literature at 21 weeks Mya should have broken the 1LB marker but I think this happened well before this week as at her 18 weeks scan she was weighing in 4-5oz. over the average. She should be about 8 inches long, this baby is growing fast and furiously! This week she is honing in on her sense of touch and if we could sneak a peek I bet we could see her grabbing the umbilical cords as she practices her gripping. Her eyes are beginning to detect light and it is encouraged to shine a flash light on my belly to stimulate her senses. We know what daddy will be doing during story time! Her eye brows and lashes are grown in. Interesting fact, at this stage in fetal development the baby has no pigment so her hairs are stark white.

Our next check up appointment with our OB is tomorrow and we are hoping to get another look at her as the doctor was unable to see her lady parts. I am pretty sure he wants to see them to document his findings in the chart! Yaaaaay… another sneak peak! I love this baby so…

Love This So Much!!!

LOVE IT!!!

20 Week Belly Shot!!

My belly is kind of growing... It finally sticks out past my boobs!! waaa hooo.... Progress ladies and gentleman! Everyone keeps saying that when I pop I will pop but dang we are already half way there and I just look like I’m gaining more tum chub!!!

I have gained a couple pounds this month but according to the house scale I am still a couple pounds under pre pregnancy weight. I’m trying like hell not to eat like a crazy women but some moments I fall victim to the chocolate cake craving!!! Mmmmmm… Right now I am on a green tea frozen yogurt kick with chocolate chips and granola!! Oh yea!!

We are slowly but surely settling into the new house and this Saturday we are going to register at Babies R Us before heading to cousin Sammy’s apartment for dinner and the SC vs Notre Dame game.

Drum Roll Please!!! Half Way and Feelin Fine!!!

Week 20!!! Half way point and the rest is down hill. The countdown begins! Words cannot express the joy we are feeling with 20 healthy wonderful weeks under our belt. We are thankful for each Wednesday that passes and each little kick I feel. These last 20 weeks have both dragged and flown by and I am going to do my best to savor every last minute of the 2^nd half of my 1^st pregnancy. I will be sure to smile each time I feel a little tummy jab and share the precious moments with John. Nothing makes me more happy to see daddy light up when he feels little Mya kicking him and I know as the kicks and punches get stronger daddy will be even more excited!

I am feeling amazing! A bit tired but and more sluggish then pre preggers but nothing to complain about. Mya is growing at a incredible rate as I can notice the changes in my tummy each morning, even though no one else can just yet. I still haven’t popped. Will post week 20 belly pictures tomorrow. Didn’t get around to it tonight. Other then feeling Mya move throughout the day I don’t really feel pregnant. I guess that’s a good thing huh.

We are scheduled to take child birthing classes through our hospital every Wednesday in December. I look forward to these classes because it will allow for John to do more then just be supportive at my doctor appointments and hold my purse. Which I totally appreciate him doing!!!

Talks of baby showers have already begun. So exciting and FUN!! I am really looking forward to sharing this experience with loved ones…

We finally moved!! Yaaaay! Although in the honeymoon stage with the house we think we will be just fine here… Can’t wait to get Mya’s nursery all set up!

Week 19!! Daddy Felt Mya Kick!!

Ladies and gentleman!!!! We felt her kick from the outside! Two nights ago, around 11pm, we were lying in bed. John was dosing off and I was finishing watching my trashy TV show and I felt her right under my belly button. I told John “feel feel” and as soon as he put his hand on my belly she thumped him. He said “was that her”?  Indeed it was. He was so excited, and then back to sleep he went. It was AMAZING! Last week I really started to feel her from the inside throughout the day. I am so shocked as to hoe much this little stinker moves. At first I could only feel her certain times at night. Now I feel her from the time I wake up to when I go to sleep. Periodically shifting position, or kicking her sweet little leg. I love the feeling, it makes me smile EVERYTIME! I am so excited to have daddy feel her more often as the weeks pass and she gets bigger and stronger. The feeling is beyond words description!

So here we are, week 19. Mya’s development this week; her sensory development is rapidly tuning up and so mommy will keep talking to her and singing those awful KIIS FM songs to her! Her brain in starting to develop specialized areas of smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. It’s a good thing mommy has been on a salad kick this last week. Maybe Mya will love her veggies!!! J Little hairs are starting to sprout on top of her head and a thin white waxy cheese like substance coats her little body to protect it for all the fluids she is suspended in. We don’t want her coming out looking like a prune!

We are going to Babies R US 10/22/11 to create a registry. We do not have a Babies R Us here in the Antelope Valley so I figure if we go and get one created I can update and add things online as the months pass. We will also be registering at Target. Both places have an option to buy online so it is easy peasy for people to use. Checked off the list of items we have already been given, a crib (due to arrive this week), bassinet, and a travel system which included an infant car seat, base, and everyday use stroller. We LOVE all the items we have received so far and are so very grateful to all the wonderful family and friends who have been supportive and so generous. We love you!

Week 18 Anatomy Scan........

This week we had Mya’s anatomy scan which an ultrasound tech measured and evaluated each of her growing body parts. Needless to say the little stinker was again sitting in an awkward position and the tech was unable to get all the views she needed and said we’d have to come back later for more measurements. The tech also said she believes she sees her lady parts but didn’t want to promise she saw it because of Mya’s positioning. This little girl is seriously a shy little thing. I hope her temperament is as mellow out of the womb as it is in!! She said all that she could see looked good. Mya is measuring a week ahead, is 14cm (5.5in) and weighs 11oz. She is almost a pound. Remember just a mere 2 months ago she was a little peanut! Not no more!!!!

The picture posted is amazing to me because you can see her little heart and it is even more amazing to see it flickering on the screen as it beats. Her heartbeat is going down as expected and was 143 beats per minute.

Daddy and I are getting ready for a move next weekend and I am so excited to start on Mya’s nursery. We are still in need of a crafty person who can paint because we need Mya’s lamp base and letter for her wall painted. Neither mommy nor daddy is very artsy!

We are rounding the corner to the halfway point and there are lots of big things ahead! Our little family is looking forward to all the changes and most of all to welcome our little baby girl into our lives. The feels of absolute terror have gradually been decreasing and I am now mostly consumed with excitement and anticipation to meeting this baby that I am baking!!!

With each passing day I can feel her kicking, punching, and wiggling more in my belly. It is an amazing feeling and I get so excited with every flutter. Daddy still cannot feel her from the outside (because mommy is fluffy hehe) but if she keeps growing at this pace he will definitely be able to feel her soon. Can’t wait till he gets to experience the feeling as well. Right now it’s like our little secret! hehe

Next doctor’s appointment is October 27^th and we are hoping that Mya will cooperate and the doctor can confirm her lady parts! J

I can't let Mommy do ALL of the postings...

Amanda has been doing such a great job posting that I didn't want to come on here and make a mess of it, but it's long over-due. To this point, I've really been trying to keep my excitement level from going too crazy as I stayed cautiously optimistic that everything is progressing with Mya the way that it should....not to mention the fact that I'm scared to death that I'm really going to suck at this whole being a dad thing....that still sounds so strange when I refer to myself as being a dad. That's going to take some time for me to be able to say without getting lite-headed, especially since we're having a little girl who may very well come out and be exactly like her mother :-)

The reality of it all is starting to sink in more and more with each visit to the doctor and it is absolutely amazing to see how much she has grown and developed from the beginning to now.....She's starting to look like a little person!!!!

This experience has been such a whirlwind so far and it's only week 18!! Between getting ready to move in two weeks, grad school beating me up, and all the rest of the madness of summer I haven't really been able to focus on what we're getting ourselves into. I've seen so many other people have kids and thought "how and why would anyone do that to themselves?"....and then I had my first dream about her the other night and it all made perfect sense to me. I was laying on the couch watching TV and she was asleep on my chest. I picked her up just so that I could look at her, I smiled and put her back on my chest. That was it...not very long or in depth but it was the most awesome feeling and I can't wait to do it for real!!!

Mya's First Book

Daddy read Mya her fist book the other night. She supposedly could hear by now but I think it was more of a way for us to bond with her. John was so incredibly sweet. We plan to try and read regularly!