27 1/2 weeks!

Baby Gifts

this past weekend we got another gift from my cousins Amy and her husband John. They got us the Graco Pack and Play. It took me probably an hour to figure it all out since it has a bunch of different things you can do with it.. We love it! cant wait for McKenzie to use it and the never ending process of keeping the cats out of it (as you can see in the picture)

in other news, i also felt her kick the other day for hte first time!! it's so crazy.. really makes it feel that much more real.. i look forward to starting birthing classes next week.. those should be fun..

Chris

27 Weeks!!!!!!

Wow!  We've reached 27 weeks and are looking forward to a busy and exciting time ahead of us.  This week marks the last one in my second trimester.  Next Thursday I will officially start my third and FINAL trimester!  It will also mark 7 months of pregnancy.  We will attend our 7 month OB appointment, this appointment will begin the biweekly trips to the doctor.  At this appointment I'll also get tested for Gestational Diabetes (yay) and get another Rhogam shot.  McKenzie and I will be heading back to school next week and in 2 weeks we start our weekly childbirth classes!

Week 27 of Pregnancy: Baby's Sense of Taste and Sound

Beginning at this stage of fetal development, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.

Most babies this age, yours included, still like to snuggle in a slightly curled position inside the uterus (thus the term "fetal position"). Even so, beginning at this stage, your baby's length will be measured from top of head to toe — which makes your baby nearly a full 15 inches now. And at just over two pounds, he or she has doubled in weight from four weeks ago.

Your baby's auditory development (hearing) is progressing as the network of nerves to the ears matures. And even though the sounds your baby hears are muffled (thanks to the creamy coating of vernix covering those ears), he or she may recognize both yours and your partner's voices. So this might be a good time to read and even sing to your baby (or rather, your belly) — and a good chance to start boning up on those nursery rhymes and lullabies you'll need to be repeating (and repeating) pretty soon. And while you're at it, here's another way to have some family fun at 27 weeks pregnant: If your partner presses his ear to your belly, he might be able to hear the baby's heartbeat.

Your baby's taste buds are very developed now too (with more taste buds than he or she will ever have outside the womb, actually). Need a taste test? If you eat some spicy food (you hot mama, you), your baby will be able to taste the difference in the amniotic fluid (but keep in mind that you'll have different mealtimes, with your baby's coming about two hours after yours). Some babies will even respond to that spicy kick by hiccupping. And although hiccups (which feel like belly spasms to you) may seem like they're disturbing to your baby, he or she isn't stressed at all. It's just one more sensation that babies need to get used to.
 
One week until my third trimester!!
 
90 days until we meet our little girl!

26 weeks!

Wow!  We can't believe we've reached 26 weeks already!  McKenzie is a kicking machine and gearing up to make her first appearance to the world in about 14 weeks!

Week 26 of Pregnancy: Baby's Eyes Open

Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months — are now beginning to open. Your baby's brain-wave activity is also kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them.

Look who's looking. Your baby's eyes — which have been closed for the past few months (so that the retina, the part of the eye that allows images to come into focus, could develop) — are beginning to open at 26 weeks pregnant. What this means is that your baby is able to see what's going on now (unfortunately the view in your uterus isn't all that exciting). But do try this at home for kicks (baby's that is): Shine a flashlight at your stomach. Your baby might kick in response (as in: "Get that light out of my eyes!").

The iris, the colored part of the eye, still doesn't have much pigmentation (that'll fill in over the next month or two), so it's too early to start guessing your baby's eye color. Even the color your baby will be born with might not be the permanent shade; so you may be kept guessing until your baby is close to six months old.


Look what else is going on this week: Your baby's brain-wave activity is kicking in at this stage in fetal development, which means your little one can not only hear noises but can now also respond to them. Not in so many words, of course, but with an increase in pulse rate or activity.

And talking about activity, at your baby's current height and weight (about nine inches tall and two pounds), and at the rate he or she is growing, your baby will soon be feeling a little cramped in your uterus. Not to worry, there's still plenty of room for your baby to grow. It just means your gymnast will have less room for those somersaults, cartwheels, and other Olympic feats.


Can't wait to meet our little lady in 98 days!!

25 Weeks Pregnant Picture

Disney!

Yesterday we returned from our first anniversary trip to Disney World! It was a wonderful (hot and rainy) vacation and McKenzie was on her best behavior ;-)!  She kicked the whole way to and from Orlando, but otherwise was pretty calm!  Chris and I couldn't help but to buy her every cute baby thing we could find in the parks.  Check it out:

We got her a Winnie the Pooh and Nemo stuffed animal, plus "Baby's First Christmas" Mickey Mouse.  We had her name embroidered on a set of Infant Mickey ears.  We also got her a pink Minnie Mouse recieving blanket.  Finally, we got her 4 onsies and a Winnie the Pooh dress!

Chris and I updated our stockings and picked up one for McKenzie too!  We had them personalized with our names :-)

25 weeks!!!!!!

Week 25 of Pregnancy

Your baby is about nine inches long and more than a pound and a half in weight this week. And don't look now (as if you could), but your baby's skin is turning pinker as small blood vessels form under the skin and fill with blood. Lungs and nostrils are also growing at this stage of fetal development.

At nine inches and more than a pound and a half in weight, your baby is taller than two juice boxes stacked one on top of the other, and almost as heavy as four of those little boxes (an analogy you'll find particularly apropos in a few years, when those juice boxes start taking over your refrigerator, your pantry, your car.…).

Don't look now (as if you could), but your baby's skin is turning pinker. No, not because he or she's getting overheated (in fact, the amniotic fluid is perfectly climate controlled, keeping your baby at an always comfortable temperature), but because small blood vessels, called capillaries, are forming under the skin and filling with blood. Later this week, blood vessels will also develop in your baby's lungs, bringing them one step closer to full maturity — and one step closer to taking that first breath of fresh air. But at 25 weeks pregnant, those lungs are still very much works in progress. Though they are already beginning to develop surfactant, a substance that will help the lungs expand after the baby is born, the lungs are still too undeveloped to sufficiently send oxygen to the bloodstream and release carbon dioxide when he or she exhales.
The lungs aren't the only system that's gearing up for air intake. Your baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open this week. This actually allows your little one to begin taking practice breaths. (Of course since there's no air in there, your baby is really only "breathing" amniotic fluid, but it's the practice that counts, right?)

3 months until we meet our baby!

6 MONTHS!

We've reached 6 months pregnant!!  McKenzie is growing like crazy (and kicking like crazy) and will make her debut in 3 months!

We had our 6 month OB visit today!  Highlights:

• McKenzie's heart rate was 140/bpm
• I've gained 10.2 pounds since my last visit, but -5.6 pounds for the entire pregnancy
• My fundal height was 25 cm, which means I'm measuring slightly ahead (25 weeks)
• My next appointment is the gestational diabetes testing.  I'll have to drink a sugary drink and then wait an hour to get blood work done.  Hopefully I pass the test, otherwise I have to come back for a 3 hour test!
• Starting with our next appointment, we will be going to the doctor's every 2 weeks until November 1st, when we will start going every week.

24 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby weighs more than a pound and a half right now and sports a crown-to-rump length of about eight and a half inches (standard letter size!).
Wondering what (and who) your baby will look like? If you had a baby cam at 24 weeks pregnant, you'd almost be able to tell by now. That beautiful face (though still tiny) is almost fully formed. What's still missing from the picture is the fat that will be piled on under baby's skin. Until those fat deposits are made, that very tender skin is still very transparent, which means a close look would let you see clear through to all the organs, bones, and blood vessels. Fortunately, that see-through look won't last much longer. Babies at this stage of fetal development are gaining about six ounces each week — with much of that gain coming from fat, in addition to growing organs, bones, and muscle.
What's been playing on your little rocker's stereo system these days? All kinds of sounds can be heard by your baby in your womb: from air exhaling from your lungs (deep breath now), those gastric gurgles produced by your stomach and intestines, your voice and your partner's (which your baby will be able to recognize at birth), and even very loud sounds such as honking horns, barking dogs, or a wailing fire truck.

112 days until we meet our peanut!! 

23 weeks pic