32 Weeks -- 4 pounds 11 ounces

I just got back from my 32 week sonogram.  She's 4 pounds 11 ounces, which is about 2 weeks ahead of schedule according to the internet (which never lies).  The sonogram tech also said "that's not a small head" in answer to my questions. 

She looks healthy.  She's still VERY active.  The level of fluid looks good.  No issues.

I go back in another 4 weeks for another sonogram, and then I'll go back to the high risk center each week for that for weekly monitoring.  All because of my age, not because of any actual observed risks.

26 weeks -- English Hot House Cucumber

Max and Meggie and I still look at the What's In Your Tummy Mommy book.  I'm still on 6 this week, but next week we go to 7.  And that picture of a baby at 7 months is a picture of a pretty big baby!

The check up last week went well.  Everyone is doing just fine.  I still need a lot more rest than I did with Max or Meggie.  I'm still missing a fair number of dinners.  Yesterday I managed to make tomato bean soup (for dinner tomorrow night) and cauliflower curry in the crock pot (last night's dinner) but by the time dinner time came around, I was totally over the idea of food.  I made up for it with 2 breakfasts today.  :)

I've been enjoying reading this blog: http://alphamom.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-calendar/week-twenty-six/ and seeing the week by week updates.  I think eating a 2 pound box of chocolates this week to get a good idea of how the big Baby NoName is ranks as one of the top suggestions I've seen this week...

Looks like the big change with the baby this week is that her eyes can open.

And she is still VERY VERY active much of the time.  It is actually fairly rare for her to be calm when I am awake.  She seems to sleep around the same time I sleep, although she tends to sleep in during the mornings.  But most of the time during the day she's in their doing some sort of dance.

25 weeks -- rutabaga

Now I am a big fan of rutabaga (swede for those of you in the UK) but I can't see how 24 weeks is a pineapple and 25 weeks is a rutabaga.  That must be on weight and not length.  She's a little more than 13 inches long and she's got all of her senses now.  And it turns out her vocal cords will soon be fully functional (if untested) this week too.  I'm starting to have some heartburn so hopefully that means she'll have some hair when she is born.  There has to be an upside to the heartburn, right?

I've got a check up with the doctor tomorrow and hopefully that will be all good news...

24 weeks -- pineapple

Pineapple doesn't really give you the real idea of just how big I am by the end of the day.  I start out the day looking just pregnant.  And end the day looking like I've got twins (or more) in there.

The baby is STILL very active in there.  I still choose to believe the activity is a sign that she enjoys whatever I am doing or whatever I just ate.  I suggested we name her Vivienne since that means lively, but Mark isn't keen on that idea.  Possibly because this baby is not being active inside HIS body!

Still no name for this little one.  We've got a list at home and people in my office have added to the list outside my door.  Swingline is a new addition here at work.  Although Miller and Stapleton can be combined to make both Milton and Stapler, I do not think Swingline is going to be the name that wins out in the end.

According to some of my books, next Tuesday marks the start of the 3rd trimester.  This "easy" trimester will be ending and now I'll really start to be tired and huge.  I can't even begin to imagine.  I think it is time to get a Rascal.  Or the walker with a belly sling.

21 weeks -- Carrot

The baby websites no longer refer to the Little Grapes size as anything like the devil fruit of last week.  Now she is the length of a carrot.  And she's making eyebrows this week.  Clever girl.

She's also still SUPER active in there.  Favorite foods include nachos, hot fudge sundaes, and IHOP breakfast.  She's got great taste in treats!  And it turns out she is now actually able to taste some of the things that I eat.  Taste buds are developing and she's swallowing a bit of amniotic fluid every day.  Good practice on eating, drinking, and digesting.  Go baby go!

Still no name.  Inspiration has not struck.  I've got a list outside my office door and there have been some "interesting" names, but nothing that seems like a winner quite yet.

20 Weeks

Still no name.  We've had a lot of ideas offered up, but so far nothing has really called out to us as being exactly the right name.  It could be that one of the names we have considered is the right name, but we just haven't realized it yet.

The websites all talk about how morning sickness is a thing of the past.  They lie.

This baby is still VERY active.  Mark can feel her moving fairly regularly.  She really likes nachos.  I always get a dance of joy after I have nachos.  So that must mean I need to eat nachos more often, right?  For the good of the baby?

We had our Date Night on Saturday.  Mexican, of course.  And then we went to the baby store and did a little bit of registering for stuff.  It was nice to be able to go as just the 2 of us.  We saw the crib that NannyJo has, and agreed that it will work for us but that it will not work for a basinette (just won't fit in the space we have between the bed and the dresser).  So we looked at some other options.  I think we've figured out something that will work for us.  And we've got the Amby Baby from when Max was a baby.  It has a recall and we didn't get the new part in time for Meggie, but we've got time to get that sorted out now.

I feel like we are getting closer to being ready.  We just need to think of a name...

19 weeks

So the Little Grape still has no name, but it has only been a week...  If you have an idea, feel free to share it!

Most babies her age are about a half a pound, but I'd guess she is closer to 1 pound given she was 9/10 of a pound last week.  She's a little chunky!

She is still VERY active!  Very active indeed!

And it is nice to see that the websites all reference tingling and numbness in fingers, since I'm definitely experiencing that!

I've gained 8.5 pounds in 19 weeks, so that's good news.

Everything seems to be going well...

18 Weeks -- Sonogram

First the big news from today's sonogram....


She's a GIRL!!!!!!

A slightly short, slightly chunky girl.  :)  She looked totally healthy in every single way.  We had some really clear images of her.  She was moving around (like she does) and the doctor was able to check all of her bones and organs and everything.  Her heart looks good.  Her head looks good.  Her spine looks good.  Hands and feet and fingers and toes.  Everything looks good.

She's about the size of a baked potato.

17 weeks

We were in San Francisco for the 16 week update.  I hear from my favorite 18 week pregnant sister in law that next week we'll be at Sweet Potato!  I've got the 18 week sonogram next week so I'll get to see the little grape at the new size.  And find out if it is a girl or a boy!

Max is still giving me and then the new baby a hug before I leave Joanna's house in the morning.  And he likes to talk to the baby through my belly.

Morning sickness still lingers.  But it is better than it once was.

I've gained 6.5 pounds over the first 17 weeks, and we re-started Slimming World this week so hopefully that will help me to be more healthy and to keep the weight gain as slow as is healthy for both of us.

Gestational diabetes test tomorrow.  I'm not looking forward to that.  But this time tomorrow it will be over!  And I will get to see a doctor in the middle of the test.  So I'll go, drink the nasty drink, and then have a doctor's appointment to distract me while I wait the hour for my blood draw to see how well I did.

Week 15 -- Softball

My body still didn't get the message about how glorious the second trimemester is supposed to be. 

In better news, I've still gained just the 4 pounds that I had gained by week 6.  Nothing fits.  All the non-maternity clothes have been removed from the closet (and hopefully we will soon move the maternity clothes from the attic into my closet!).

I have been able to feel the baby move a couple of times.  I have to be very very still to feel it.  But it is pretty awesome.  It will be quite some time before anyone else can feel it.

Max still insists on giving me an extra long hug when I drop him off, because part of the hug is for the new baby.  I also asked about baby names today.  The babies decided together that we should call the new baby "bus-baby."  Mostly because they could see a bus when I asked them.  I did let them know that probably Daddy and I would be picking out the new baby's name.  But I thanked them for their idea.

Week 14 - Lemon

Welcome to the Second Trimester!

Unfortunately the morning sickness and complete exhaustion has not disappeared.  Maybe my body didn't understand that we are now in the glorious second trimester and life is supposed to be grand now.

The big news this week is that the baby can pee.  Max is really excited to know that not only does the baby go to work with me, but the new baby can also pee in my belly.

In other news, the high risk specialist has officially declared that there is no issue around my weekly positive lupus anticoagulant test result.  Woo hoo!

13 Weeks

Here's the Little Grape yesterday.  I was able to see lots during the sonogram.  I saw arms and legs and hands and feet.  But the photos are not as clear as being there in person.  But the Little Grape was very active and wiggly and moving around and being tiny and adorable.

The baby is about the size of a peach this week...

12 Weeks

Looks like the Little Grape is bigger in size but not yet up to the next piece of fruit.  She can pee now.  Inside me.  Awesome.  But on the plus side, I can push her around and make her squirm.  I just won't be able to feel it.  So be nice in there Little Grape!  Sonogram is next Monday.  12 weeks and 6 days.  So a long wait for this last week, but at least the baby will be that little bit bigger which should make the tests a little easier to complete.  I'm looking forward to seeing the little squirm worm moving around.

Week 11

The Little Grape has now gone long past the size of a grape (that was week 8, when we had our first sonogram) and is now the size of a lime.  Making her a limey in two different ways.  She's also the size of Max's fist.

Max has always said he wants another sister.  I guess that is good news for his relationship with Meggie.
Meggie has been saying she wants a brother, but this week she switched over to a sister.

We can't find out for sure for another 2 months, but I'm going to go with she/her until we find out at the end of August.

This week's task: Make teeth, learn to make fists (she will need her own punching ring before long).

How the Little Grape was Named

Special Thanks to Qwagsie, Amlyn, and Tes for deciding the newest baby should be called "The Little Grape."

We had our sonogram at 8 weeks, when the baby was about the size of a grape.  We saw one baby, in the right place, with a good heartbeat.  Even tho the baby will get up to the size of a watermelon (gasp!) we'll stick with The Little Grape.  Apparently forever.  Even after she graduates from college.  :)

Sonogram 1

This was the 8 week sonogram.  I can't figure out how to turn it up the other way so you will just have to imagine the Little Grape hanging from the top instead of resting at the bottom.