Ultrasound Update

This morning we had another ultrasound at a Doctor's office. Before we left I had a little pep talk with Michael hoping he would be a team player. When we got to Savannah they used a more in depth machine to take another look at Michael's kidneys. They took the measurements and the fluid has gone down a little (on Tuesday it was 7 and 9 mm) today it was at 5 and 6 mm. They said that anything under 4mm is normal so it is still a little high. I do feel a little better knowing that is has gone down a little; I just wish it was in the normal range.

The Doctor said that he is not super worried at the moment. He suspects that it is coming from some urine reflux backing into his kidneys from the bladder. It is a soft marker for downs but all the other measurements are normal. The doctor does not see a problem in us using the birth center with Michael so that makes me feel good. I would prefer to stay away from the high risk doctors if I can help it! We will have another ultrasound in 10 weeks when we are 34 weeks along. We will reassess then. He asked if I wanted to do an amnio; I chose not to. He agreed with my decision since there would be a high risk of my water breaking early and having Mickey at 24 weeks is not the best option. If the fluid in the kidneys continues to be a problem after birth, surgery may be needed but we are trying not to jump to conclusions at the moment. We will tackle any problems head on if the arise but for now we are trying not to worry. We will just have to inform the pediatrician once we start the interview process. So keep us in your thoughts :)

24 Weeks

Merry Christmas!

It has been a busy week with the Holidays upon us. Joe's parents came down from New Jersey to be with Joe and I through the Holidays. It has been so nice having them here. We have done a lot of cooking, shopping and house work! The garage had been organized, a book shelf was assembled, pictures, curtains, and mirrors hung. Joe and his dad put up a chair rail for the baby's room and primed the dinning room.  Now I can't wait to start the daunting paint job! They have been so helpful being here and Joe and I really appreciate it! The house is coming together one nail and paint brush at a time!

Today we had another ultrasound at the Birth Center. It is a follow up to the Ultrasound from 3 weeks ago. The Tech found urine in Michael's kidneys so she wanted to see if this was a continuing problem. We scheduled the ultrasound so that Joe's parents were able to come and watch. I really think they enjoyed watching Michael kick and move around. They also enjoyed their mini tour through the Birth Center.

The ultrasound, as much fun as it is to watch him on the screen, did show high levels of urine in his kidneys again.  Yes he was upside-down again so gravity could be working against him but they decided that this matter needed a closer look. I was told not to worry but how can I not? They are sending me to a high risk center for another ultrasound. Apparently, this machine is the best out there (one of the only ones in the state of GA). Lucky for us it's not too far of a drive for us. Originally Joe was not able to go with me so I had asked my mom to come down for it. Joes parents were supposed to head back up to NJ Wednesday. I am a little nervous about the ultrasound so I wanted someone to come with me. As it turns out we may have quite the entourage headed to Sav on Thursday. As it turns out, Joe was able to get a few hours off on Thursday. Marian and Russ turned around on 95 to head south once again back to us and my mom decided to still make the trip down here. As it turns out, after calling the center, their policy is that they only allow 1 person to come back into the room with me. I wish we could have everyone in there to see it of course.

Check back tomorrow as I will hopefully have an update on what we saw and learned in this next ultrasound.

I have attached some photos of Baby Jacob Hamilton below. I think he is excited to meet Michael... Bridget and I are hoping that they have a great friendship similar to ours!

Jacob loving on Michael!

Jacob is just so darn cute!

Bridget, Jacob and I :)

As for what is going on this week... here is the update:

Michael is growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. Michael’s brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Oh and one more thing... at the ultrasound on Tuesday, Michael is weighing at 1lb 8oz... that puts him in the 57%. Nice a normal :)

23 Weeks... It's a Boy!

Well here we are at week 23. A lot has happened. The biggest news being that we learned that the baby that has been kicking, punching and living inside me for 23 weeks is a boy.  It is so fabulous to be able to call him by his name; Michael Adam James!  

Joe and I went up to Raleigh for a long weekend. It was Dad’s 50^th Birthday and we wanted to celebrate with everyone. We also welcomed the Wesley and Hamilton families. It was a long drive for them but I am so glad that they decided to make the trip! I love visiting with everyone. And not to mention we got to visit with Baby Jacob. Oh and how he has grown. I had a great time learning the ins and outs of motherhood through Bridget. She is a fabulous Mama and if I am half of what she is to Michael, he will be a luck boy.

We had a surprise birthday part for Dad on Sunday. I can’t believe he turned 50! We had a good crowd there and He was quite surprised I think!. For his birthday we had the cake dyed blue or pink inside. It was a secret and no one knew the sex except for the technician and the baker. We were all anxiously awaiting the first cut. I have never had that much excitement brewing around a cake cutting! We also had a cake delivered to Joe’s parents in New Jersey. They skyped in and cut their cake at the same time. As Dad cut, he of course tried to peak before revealing! As he lifted the piece of cake cheers rang out and we all learned that it was a BOY! Hugs and congratulations all around! It was very exciting!

Here is the Cake!

Surprise

Singing Happy Birthday!

Skyping with Joe's Parents

Getting ready to blow out the candles

Cutting the cake and its BLUE!

Happy Grandparents to Be :)

Here is the Blue

Dad's Scrapbook from the three of us

We are back home now and Joe and I have had fun feeling and talking to Michael. In fact, yesterday, Joe and I pulled into the Grocery store parking lot. There are 2 spots right at the front for new and expectant mothers. Joe pulled right in and parked the car in the spot (I was oblivious) and he reached over to my belly and rubs it saying “Thanks Mikey!”  It was quite funny!

Here it what is going on with Michael this week!

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, Michael can feel me dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), we may be able to see him squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that Michael's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as our dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

IT'S A BOY!

IT'S A BOY!! MICHAEL ADAM JAMES DITZEL!!!

22 Weeks

It is not a aurprise to start off this blog post in saying that it has been quite busy. What else is new in the Ditzel Household really?!?! I went up to Raleigh last weekend for my Dad’s Work Party. It was quite a lot of work but I had a good time meeting everyone he worked with. I drove back home on Sunday afternoon because Joe and I had our first Birth Center class on Monday. I am not a fan of making that 5 hour drive by myself. But I managed and made it home just in time to snuggle into bed with Joe. (oh I forgot to mention that Joe surprised me by starting the priming in the kitchen… what a great husband!)

Monday morning Joe and I drove to Savannah for our class. We got there early due to the fact that I knew ahead of time that I needed to chart myself. We had missed the 1^st class (due to the transfer to the Center).  But I was give some inside information of what I was supposed to do so I wanted to make sure I got there in time and not be too overwhelmed (since that seems to me by middle name lately). So the routine when we arrive is for me to sign in, collect urine sample, weigh myself, and take my blood pressure. So right off the bat I was quite beside myself. Of course Joe was little to no help so it was up to me to navigate my way through this strange ritual. I did manage but I couldn’t figure out why my blood pressure was so high (probably due to my stress level…) After we mark all this down in out chart we go in to see the midwife. We go over any questions or concerns and then she does a uterus measurement and then we listen to the baby… heart beat was in the 150s.  I mentioned to Nancy (the midwife) that my blood pressure was abnormally high so she took the measurement herself. We learned that its best for me to have the midwife take the blood pressure and not the wrist thing because it just does not agree with me apparently. My BP was normal so that makes me feel good.

So after all that we go into the class and wait for the rest of the class to arrive. This class was on Parenting and Newborn Care.  Joe and I really enjoyed it. We learned quite a few things in this 2 hour period! I have a list of what the baby/newborn will need and I am happy to announce that we don’t need as much as we thought. Most of the stuff it stuff we already have… here is the list:

• Clothing
• Undershirts or Onsies
• Gowns and/or Footed Coveralls
• Receiving Blankets (only a few really… she said we don’t need dozens. 100% cotton is the best)
• Diapers (but not too many newborn because they grow out of them so fast; if they even fit at birth weight)
• Hygiene and Health
• Baby Shampoo
• Soft Washcloths and Towels (the washcloths that we own are perfect and soft so we don’t need new ones; bonus)
• Rubbing Alcohol and Cotton Balls (for cord care)
• Thermometer
• Blunt-tip nail clippers, file or scissor.
• Furnishings
• A safe place to sleep (we got the crib already but its not up yet!!)
• Bedding
• A car seat

Everything else past this is just extra… at least for the first few weeks/months. So this was good to hear. We had a lot of fun listening and learning from all the class members. Next class is Breastfeeding so you know Joe will be quite attentive hehehe!

We have also learned that we should plan ahead to help ease Joe and I into parenthood. We will be happy to accept some extra hands to help us out once the baby is born. Over the next few months I am sure we will be working out a schedule for visitors. Since ‘overwhelmed’ seems to be the word of the trimester it is no big shock that we will plan out some visitors. Lucky for us we still have plenty of time to work this all out.

So here is what is going on with the baby this week:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, our baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If we could see inside my womb, we'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Don't forget, we find out the baby's gender on Sunday!!

Any last guesses?

Midnight Panic

So I am having a mini panic attack right now... I tried calling Joe and I always hound him to keep his phone off or silent when he is sleeping because people call him and wake us both up at crazy hours in the morning... and of course I am calling at 1:30 like a crazed pregnant woman and need to talk to my husband and he is not answering. I am not mad of course... if we didn't get non-emergency phone calls waking us up on days off this wouldn't even be a problem in the first place... so of course that's not helping the situation... I doubt writing in this stupid blog is even going to help. I can't talk about what’s bothering me in fear of upsetting people. The only person who can calm me down at this point is going to be Joe or even Ash and they are both sleeping... oh the joys of hormones. I am sure this is something silly to worry about since I have already talked to Ash about it but I just can't seem to sleep. My breath is heavy and my eyes are filled with tears of anxiety. I have just been a ball of vent this whole day. Who am I kidding; I have been a venting machine for weeks now. I just can’t understand it. All I want to do is go to bed; it is going to be a long day tomorrow with Dad’s party and all and I just can’t shut my mind off long enough to fall asleep. I know that eventually I will just get so tired that I will pass out but that moment can not come soon enough.

21 Weeks

The past week has been pretty uneventful considering the craziness the past few weeks. Joe and I have been battling car issues, the cold, and catch-up chores all week so I won’t bore you with the details.

Mom came into town Monday (yesterday) night for the ultrasound we had today. It is such a fun experience and I wanted her to enjoy it as well! She also got to see the Birth Center and got a tour, so I hope it will help her ease into this idea.

The Technician was very nice and once we got into the room we got right to business. I told her right off the bat that we didn’t want to know the sex right away… I asked her to please put the results into the envelope to reveal at a later date. She measured the brain, heart, spine, femur, the pinky finger and a bunch of other things but I don’t remember them.

She did a bunch of measurements and it was a lot of fun looking at the baby…  The baby is weighing in a 15oz! We got to see the face a little as well and it had some more definition has less of a resemblance to  an alien.

Can you see the little face ?!?! Too cute right!?!?

We got to see the baby suck its thumb and that was really neat! It’s just so interesting to get a little sneak peek at what’s going on inside my belly!

All the measurements were normal except the kidneys. One of the kidneys has a more than normal amount of urine in it. She first said not to worry; everything should be fine. The excess urine has been know to indicate down syndrome in babies before. But the baby was also positioned upside down and the gravity could be keeping the urine in there and once the baby moves around a little it could expel to a normal amount. All the other indicators of downs (some of the measurements she took in the ultrasound) are normal therefore the risk is still low. We have another ultrasound scheduled for Dec 28^th to check the kidneys again so lets just hope that everything proves normal.

The Tech was able to determine the gender but the answer is sealed and not even Joe and I know :) We still plan to cut the cake on my Dad’s Birthday. It is going to be a lot of fun all learning the gender together!

So the week 21 update with the baby is:

Our baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long – the length of a carrot. We may soon feel like she's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. We may also discover a pattern to her activity as we get to know her better. In other developments, our baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if we're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

Pictures at 20 Weeks

So as my sister Ashley said...

"Now your belly matches your butt!!"

I suppose that is true... lets just hope its just my stomach that grows from here on out!

*** Joe is also enjoying the fact that my shelf is starting to appear hehe ***

20 Weeks

So the last few days have been great! To start off the week the Buckeyes beat that team up north :) 7 year winning streak is pretty fantastic. Joe and I drove back up to South Carolina after the game on Saturday. Long drive but at least our driving vacation is over!

On Monday Joe and I had our very first Birth Center appointment. Joe and I have chosen the birth center route for the birth of the baby (assuming everything stays low risk and normal of course). We are so excited about playing a more active role in the birth of our baby. We got to meet one of the 3 midwives; Nancy. She went through my medical records and paperwork and has deemed me a good patient for the Birth Center. I was so happy to hear that. I had been a little nervous leading up to this appointment because I didn’t want to be told I did not ‘qualify’. Now, not only do we have to focus on keeping me healthy and in good shape, but we need to surround ourselves with support and positive attitudes.

I can not believe that we are half way there! We are 20 weeks today. Time had flown by and you know December is going to pass quickly (as it always does!). The baby is the size of a cantaloupe this week… crazy I know… it’s inside my stomach and I can feel it!

Here is what is going on with the baby this week:

Our baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)

He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and we'll see it in his first soiled diaper.



19 Weeks and Black Friday

It has been a pretty busy 2 weeks so I am just now able to breath and sit down and write in this blog. 19 weeks has gone by and so I won’t spent too much time on that… Last Tuesday we left New Jersey. We had a good visit with his parents. It was a much needed vacation for Joe and I. We got in the car for a long 13 hour drive back to South Carolina. Here is what happened with the baby last week (19th week):

Our baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear our voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.

Our baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Joe went to work for 1 day once we got home to South Carolina and then we packed up the car again to head down to Miami. This time we brought Aria with us. I am not sure she enjoyed her time in the car but she did a great job. Got a little antsy at times but we made sure to make some stops to take her out for a small walk.

Joe and I spent Thanksgiving down in Miami with Caitlyn and Tracey. We had a lot of fun, Caitlyn did a great job on the food and it was delicious! We had lots to eat and even Aria had some thanksgiving dinner :)

I spent some time going through the ads for Black Friday… planning out the day. I had mentioned in an earlier post how I usually do Black Friday… this year was nothing like it haha! She here is the crazy story:

Thanksgiving night Toys R Us opened at 10pm. We were in search of this item… for blog sake, I will call this item a ‘Teddy Bear’.  On our drive down from SC I got an email saying that if I were to buy this Teddy Bear I would get a free $50 gift card. Not a bad deal I thought! So as I went through the adds no other store had a better deal on the Teddy Bear. It was settled, we would go to Toys R Us Thanksgiving night and try our luck at getting our hands on this Teddy Bear.

Here is just a little back info… Joe and I went out earlier (around 5:30pm) to run to Michaels, they had scrapbooks for 80% off and I couldn’t pass that up! Anyway, We passed by the Best Buy and there was a line wrapped around the building already. They didn’t open until the next morning at 5am so this line was a little shocking when you first look at it. But you have to understand the elements I suppose, It was 75-80 degrees outside so these people were just hanging out comfortable instead of freezing their buns off (like I normally see). So it was no surprise to see that many people in line waiting for 12 hours. Toys R Us only had 9 people in line at this time and they opened that night so Joe and I went back to the apartment.

9:30pm rolls around and Joe was going to head out to Toys R Us… After a little objection I of course went with him. We pulled up to the store and the parking lot was PACKED and the line was wrapped around the back of the store. We were a little surprised… I know that sounds crazy but we weren’t expecting this madness… but then again, what else so all these people have to do?!?! So we wait in line and we don’t actually get into the store until 11:00pm. We were like cattle through the store. We reached the back of the store where I learned that the line started. Hmmm... Joe ran off to grab us a Teddy Bear and I jumped in the line. I also grabbed a big box of diapers (so I didn’t look crazy standing with nothing – little did I know I looked crazier holding the stupid diapers standing in this extreme line!). Joe made his way back to me without a Teddy Bear in his hands!! All that was going through my mind was… did we just do this for nothing?!?!  As it turns out, we had to wait until we got to the register to ask for the Teddy Bear and see if they still had them in stock. I couldn’t believe this. I was just hoping this wasn’t a wait of time.

Fast forward 90 min later (my feet were killing me – I wore flip flops thinking this would be a somewhat quick trip) and we are next in line at the register… The girl in front of us was throwing a fit due to the fact that the thing she wanted wasn’t ringing up at the sale price (that special price started at 5am… oops!). So finally its our turn and we make small talk with the cashier like… how many crazies do you deal with like that… what a mess people can be… does it happen often you run into people who throw a fit… things like that. So we get our Teddy Bear (yay they had some left) and he rings it up.

** Here is where we turn into those crazy people**

The Teddy Bear was not ringing up with the $50 Gift Card! How is this possible?!?1 I know I did not stand in line for 3 hours for nothing. This could not be, so of course I demand to see the ad. I am going through it and the Teddy Bear deal is no where to be found in this ad. There must be some mistake, they must have printed these ads up special and left out the Teddy Bear knowing a crazy pregnant woman would come through the store (yes this was how my mind was thinking). So I whip out my phone and show them the email I got (thank goodness I had my phone and I didn’t delete the email! They try and tell me that there is a coupon I need to produce to get the gift card. Of course my phone was not cooperating so I couldn’t pull up the pdf.

Don’t worry, I am determined and at this point it’s the stupid principal… well the best thing about my phone is that I can turn it into a mobile hotspot so Joe and I ran home crabbed my computer and brought it to the store. We jumped the line (thank goodness) and I showed the Customer service rep the coupon on my computer and VOILA! Gift Card! So we walked out the doors or Toys R Us for the second time that night at 1:30am. 

Our original plan was to get up and go to Kohl’s at 3am, Target at 4am and then what not… what was the point of going home at that point? The mall happened to open at midnight so we made out way and walked around the mall for a short while. Then it was off to Kohl’s… We stood in line there for 45 min and we hadn’t moved. We stashed our stuff in a suitcase (in case we came back to get it) and head off to Target. At this point I was so tired but I kept going since Target was my favorite store! We spent a good long while here but we got some goodies! We stopped at Wal-Mart but unfortunately they did not have what Joe was looking for. It was about 7am when Joe and I pulled up at the apartment after shopping. We were exhausted so we laid down and took a nap for a few hours.  We did go back out for lunch and to shop at a few stores later that day with Caitlyn and Tracey.

So this Black Friday was quite a bit different from previous years but I had a great time. I am so thankful that Joe came with me. He really made this Holiday special for me! He knew that this was important to me and that I was missing my normalcy (shopping with my sisters). We both were hurting from lack of sleep and walking but he stuck it out and I don’t know what I would do without him!

OK so I will stop here… I will write another post later tonight all about this week and out first Birth Center appointment! Stay tuned….

First part of our Holiday Vacation

Joe and I spent almost a week up in New Jersey visiting with his parents. It has been a busy week but we also have had some downtime! Although the baby is still in my stomach… Joe was so very excited to bring the baby up to NJ for his/her first visit! He is too cute!

We stayed at my parent’s house on our way up to NJ. It helped breaking up the drive; especially since we will be driving for almost 2 weeks so breaking it up was a good idea! I took a cute picture of my Dad and Marilyn. I had to post it!

While we were in NJ, Brittany was in the musical “Nine” at school. Joe and I went to go see it Friday and Saturday night. Saturday night, Joe’s family joined us and we had a lot of fun! While in Philly on Friday, Ash, Joe and I sat at the local Starbucks and while we were there… some man sat next to Ash and started to clip his fingernails and comb through his hair. She and I were thoroughly grossed out… can’t you tell from the look in her face!

The show was great! Joe had a hard time following it but the second time around he picked up on a lot more! After the show we went to this Chocolatier Restaurant. The food was pretty good but the best part for me was the Hot Chocolate Chai. The pot they served it in was so great! You set it on top of your cup and it drained from the pot into the cup… hard to imagine and it’s too bad the picture really doesn’t do it justice but there it is anyway!

Saturday, Joe, Marian and I went to go visit Grandma. She goes every Saturday and we were in town and wanted to make the trip to visit. It is always nice to see her. I was able to get a photo of her with her hand on my belly. I think she enjoys the idea of the baby in my belly.

Today Joe and I went to NYC. I got my exercise in today which was great. I have never actually been to the city during the holidays so I was having a great time! We got to see the windows for Macy’s and Lord & Taylor all done… SO FUN!!!  We walked by Rockefeller Center and got to see the ice rink all set up. If we had more time and if I had my skates I would have been on the ice faster than a pregnant women eating a hot dog! Owell… maybe next time! The tree was still covered by all the scaffolding so I didn’t get to see it in its full glory but that day will come!

Tomorrow morning we leave for Beaufort. It will be a long day of driving but it has to be done.  We plan to leave here around 7am so we shall see how close we get!

I Felt the Baby... Finally!

So yes it is true! Today marks the first day of me feeling the baby move… that’s 18weeks 2days along… They say that first time moms can start to notice the baby move between 16 and 20 weeks so I have been patiently waiting… so here is what happened that lead to the baby making its presence known!

I did not sleep well last night at all! I was up by 7:45 this morning with quick the back and hip pain. But what can you do! I was able to convince Joe and his mom to come with me to Chipotle for lunch and then the mall… I wanted to do some walking/exercising and shopping while doing it is a plus! We must have walked around for a good chunk of time… Joe and Marian were worn out by the time we got home. The pregnant woman out walked them hehe. That may not happen for long but its fun while it lasts! I threw together some vegetable lasagna for dinner and while we were eating it I felt these little flutters around my pelvic bone. They only lasted a second but they came about frequently… aprox 30sec to 1min apart. After I finished eating I didn’t feel them any more so I got some apple juice. Sure enough… and I was drinking it I felt some more flutters and I was sure it was the baby telling me that it enjoyed the veggie lasagna and the apple juice :)  My sister Ash thinks its going to be a vegetarian now! It was very exciting and I can’t wait to feel more :)

18 Weeks... Spent in New Jersey!

Joe and I have been on the road driving up to New Jersey so I am just now getting to write this week’s update. We did manage to have a picture taken. For once the picture has both of us in it; thanks to my mom for being our photographer!

I have spent the week preparing for out trips. Joe and I (as I mentioned before) are in New Jersey until Tuesday. They we head back to Beaufort for 1 night. Then its off to Miami for Thanksgiving. It will be quite the next 2 weeks!

I am looking forward to Black Friday! I know some of you think I am crazy but I gotta tell you it is like nothing you have ever seen! I go out not only for some shopping but to watch all the crazies fight over toys and electronics… what’s sad is in a few years the crazies are going to be Joe and I shopping for our kids! I can’t wait to plan my day… I look forward to it every year! Poor Joe always gets dragged along but I think he secretly enjoys it hehe! (Joe saying over my shoulder is saying “It’s not true, I do it cause I love you”)

My Normal Black Friday is Spent:

Kohl’s (usually around 4 am)

Stand in line at Target to get in (and get coffee at Starbucks for the caffeine so we shall see if that happens)

Best Buy (once it dies down hehe)

Babies R Us (a new one for us!!!)

Quick Breakfast… like a smoothie or what not

Other big chain stores depending on deals (BB&B, Barnes & Nobles, Michaels, Old Time Pottery, World Market, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, etc…)

Then comes the Mall… hehe best part!

Shop around and take in all the Holiday decorations

Have crappy mall food and then usually go home sometime that afternoon.

Of course this may not be the exact schedule… it all depends on what the stores have going on! It’s a busy day no doubt but I look forward to it!

Ok now onto the baby…

This week the head to rump measurement is about 5 1/2 inches long about the size of a Sweet Potato, and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He can stretch out his legs now and the measurement from head to toe is 10 in! He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that I'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If I’m having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If we're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from us during an ultrasound.

Joe and I have our ultrasound scheduled for Dec 7^th to learn the baby’s sex. However… don’t get your hopes us about learning what it is just yet. We plan to have the Technician place the photo and the results in a sealed envelope to reveal at a later date…. I know its killing us too! Right now the plan is to reveal the baby’s sex on Dec 18^th or 19 ^th in Raleigh. I plan to give Sonja (the woman who made our wedding cake) the envelope and she will make us a cake. Neutral icing but the cake will be dyed either blue or pink to reveal the gender with the first cut. We thought it would be a fun way to have as many people involved as possible since we live so far away from family and friends. So stay tuned!!

We had a Doctors Appt on Monday… Everything was very good and healthy.  The baby's heartbeat was in and around 130. Assuming everything stays healthy and normal this may be our last Doctors appt in Beaufort as Joe and I have decided to take a different route with our baby and pregnancy. We are transferring our care to the Savannah Birth Center. After long discussion and careful consideration we feel this is the best route for us and our baby. We are very excited about it and are looking forward to our first visit with the Midwife next Wednesday. I plan to go into more detail in another blog post but at this moment I am short on time as we are about to walk out the door for a little walking exercise at the mall!

17 Weeks

This week has been full of driving, family and fun! Mom, Ashley and I drove up to Pittsburgh on Thursday for Mindy’s wedding. It was pretty chilly up there. Mindy warned me but it was still cold because I don’t really have a jacket that zips up over my stomach! It’s a tight fit lets just say!

The wedding was wonderful! We all had a great time! So much so that my ankles swelled up pretty good… too much dancing maybe but I can’t help it! They played such good music :) I hope the baby enjoyed the dancing!

Saturday we drove to Philadelphia to visit with Brittany. The drive felt like it took forever… of course it didn’t help that I had to use the restroom more than a few times… oops :) Britt was very happy to see us… she turned 21 on Sunday so we wanted to stop in and celebrate. She couldn’t do much drinking because she was in the middle of a tech week at school with her musical coming up but she will make up for it once “Nine” is over. She has a bunch of pictures in costume and of the set here… so take a look http://britkvit.blogspot.com/

While Britt was back at rehearsal on Sat night we went to the grocery to do her shopping. While we were there we bought a cake for her. The cake decorator’s shift was over so they gave us some frosting and let us write on the cake. Oh was fun dad had!

Here is Dad decorating Britt's cake

At the grocery store Ash saw the Avocados and since week 16 the bas about that size we took a quick comparison picture... too funny!

Sunday we drove back to Raleigh and I stayed there for the night… the next day mom and I went to the mall and I found a maternity coat. Much needed with the change in weather and our trip up to NJ is coming up so I need something to keep warm with! I they drove to Wilmington NC to see Ash. I helped her with the twins for a few hours. Boy are they cute! Everyone kept asking if I they scared me away… I am not afraid of babies… some days are good and some are bad and as long as I keep that in mind we will do just fine! I spent the night with Ash and I was up bright and early today for a photo shoot down in Charleston. That went well and as soon as I got home from there I crashed on my bed. Aria took a much needed nap with me and we were greeted with Joe’s smiling face when he came home and woke us up…

What is going on with the baby this week:

 Our baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone, and the umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Our baby weighs about 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, and her sweat glands are starting to develop.