19 weeks

How far along: 19 weeks

Size of Baby: softball

Total weight gain: +14.3 Yikes. I had some rapid gains with Zooey, so I'm trying not to freak out too bad. But this just deepens my commitment to cook healthy meals and eat at home more. *I actually checked after I initially posted this, and I was up about 14-15 with her at 19 weeks, so I guess I'm about on track for me.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Awesome!

Best moment this week: Loving when I feel movement

Movement: I feel Baby once or twice a day, but still not a lot

Food cravings: bagels, apple pie, Mike & Ikes...hmmm...I wonder if this is where the weight gain came from? lol

Gender: I seriously have no guesses.

What I miss: Being able to clean, tend to Zooey without getting a backache.

What I am looking forward to: Ultrasound and increased movement

Weekly Wisdom: I need to drink more water.

Milestones: Baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch; arms and legs are in right proportions.

Labor signs: Nope.



19weeks

March to mid-April: Zooey's 3 1/2!

March flew by! Warmer weather brought some outdoor fun, which we were all excited about (especially Zooey). Zooey is growing and continues to change in so many ways. Her language has just exploded. Her SLP told me today that she doesn't even worry about the number of words Zooey uses now, but is just really focusing on her articulation when she strings the words together. Zooey's focus has improved SO much this year, too, which is another thing her SLP pointed out. I really thank God for BSF for that. I love that BSF has such high standards for the children and believes they are much more capable than many parents or places do. And the children meet the expectations time and again!

We have been working for the last three weeks for Zooey to be clean and dry in the mornings. Sunday night we officially moved her to underwear, and she has been clean and dry every morning. With Menchie's as her motivation, I think she could do just about anything! We're so proud of her, but what is really fun is to see how proud she is of herself every morning.

Zooey loves pretend play. I know I have said this before, but she plays imaginatively most of the time now. She has a dress-up box, and she loves to wear her dresses, hats, necklaces and shoes all the time. She pretends she's a princess or a clown or a mommy. She loves playing with her babies - dressing them, kissing them, feeding them. She has now named them all Baby Gideon, after her sweet new little cousin (whom she calls "MY baby Gideon"). Speaking of babies, Zooey is convinced that our new baby is a girl. She won't hear of anything else. She tells my tummy, "Love you baby. Baby girl!" I am very excited to take her to the ultrasound with us on May 8th! She continues to love books, and here's another way her attention span is evidently growing - she will sit and let me read two 60 page picture storybooks to her. We can sit there for almost an hour before she grows bored or restless.

What warms my heart the most about Zooey right now is her love for Jesus, who she talks about frequently. She also loves her Bible and Quiet Time, and she will ask for it if I forget to do it. She talks about how Jesus makes our yucky hearts clean. She will answer that Jesus loves her more than even Mommy & Daddy do. She loves singing Bible verses and the songs from BSF. She is such a sweet girl, and it is just amazing to see how God works on her little heart each time she goes to church or BSF.

We are having a few more challenges with Zooey the last couple weeks with yelling and disobedience, which I pray on how to handle (and for patience - lots of prayers that God will give me patience in the moment!). We have had a busy few weeks, and I think that's probably part of it, in addition to the fact that, well, she's three! I know it's actually a good thing, because she is asserting her independence and growing more confident in her language, but all moms and dads know it can be a frustrating stage sometimes. Thank God He's given us His Word and wise counsel to help us through.

Love our morning breakfast/snuggle time!

Giving her bear a bubble bath

Hitching a ride on Grandpa's walker at Furr's

Zooey the clown

Zooey the doctor 

A morning before church when she colored her face

Meeting Baby Gideon

Nighttime dryness celebration!

Praising God at BSF with one of her BFF's

 

18 weeks

How far along: 18 weeks

Size of Baby: about 5 1/2" long and 7 oz. (about the size of a sweet potato)

Total weight gain: +11.3. The 10 lb. mark is always a "scary" one for me for some reason. I compared where I was with Zooey, and although I didn't do an 18 week update with her, it was pretty comparable. That made me feel a little better!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Pretty good this week.

Best moment this week: Since movement is still not consistently noticeable, getting the heartbeat on the Doppler.

Movement: Yes, a couple times a day when I'm really still. 

Food cravings: imitation crab salad, watermelon

Gender: no clue.

What I miss: Well, this week I really hurt my back and decided to actually obey the doctor and stop picking Zooey up so much. I think what I miss is the way we can get stuff done faster when I can pick her up lol. Oh, well, it's a milestone for her too, and she'll learn soon enough that she needs to keep up.

What I am looking forward to: Big ultrasound in 3 weeks!

Weekly Wisdom: If you must lift, lift with your knees not your back. :)

Milestones: Baby's busy flexing arms and legs, ears are in final position, vernix is forming to protect Baby's skin.

Labor signs: Nope.

18 weeks

Sarah put little Gideon in her shirt for skin-to-skin time, and Zooey put her baby in her shirt, too. Isn't she going to be a fabulous big sister? :)

17 weeks

How Far Along: 17 weeks, 2 days

Size of baby: somewhere between a turnip and a sweet potato. Baby weighs about 5 oz. now and is about 5" from head to toe.

Sleep: A bit interrupted this week due to a trip to the hospital with my dad and the birth of my sweet little nephew, but when I do fall asleep, it's good!

Total Weight Gain: +9.6 (0 from last week, so next week might be a big gain)

Symptoms: MY MORNING SICKNESS IS FINALLY GONE! WOOHOO!! Other than that, all the usual: heartburn, stretching pains

Movement: YES! Lots more movement this week. The day I went walking at the hospital with Sarah then sat down, the baby went crazy. S/he moved a lot, and I could feel the movement for about an hour.

Go-to eats: Nothing I just had to go back to this week, but the cravings are definitely hitting. Last night I went to eat at Furrs with Dad, Ryan & Zooey and just had to have some of their chopped steak right then. Weird.

Best moment of the week: Increased movement & hearing Baby's heartbeat (156) at the doctor's office.

Gender: I don't know...I am really wondering if this one's a boy.

What I’m looking forward to: The big ultrasound on May 8th!

Milestones: No more morning sickness! Baby's skeleton changing to bone, umbilical cord is growing stronger, Baby can move his/her joints and sweat glands are developing.

16 weeks

How Far Along: 16 weeks, 1 day

Size of baby: avocado (approx. 4" long & weighs about 4 oz.)

Sleep: Better except for having a cold. :)

Total Weight Gain: +9.6 lbs.

Symptoms: fatigue is going away more and more, some nausea, but praise God not as much!, tailbone hurts when I sit too long (I didn't have this with Zooey and am wondering if it has to do with my previous pregnancy and the back labor with her), a lot of saliva (another one I didn't have with her - so weird!)

Movement: Yes, and I'm starting to feel him/her move a little more. 16 weeks was when I started to feel Zooey move a lot, too.

Go-to eats: broccoli, avocado, Girl Scout Trefoil cookies with cream cheese icing (it IS as delicious as it sounds!), this spicy mustard I got a couple of weeks ago at this festival thing I went to

Best moment of the week: Increased movement the last few days and hearing Baby's heartbeat on my Doppler (it was 150).

Gender: ? Still no clue, but I'm not really trying to guess. Like I did with Zooey, I tend to call Baby a "him." Ryan & Zooey think it's a girl, and Zooey is very adamant about this! :)

What I’m looking forward to: Ultrasound! Only about four (or five depending on insurance) more weeks to go!

Milestones: Baby's tiny ear bones can hear loud noises & Baby may startle when hearing them, body fat is starting to form (on Baby not me - HA! - although it is for me, too, LOL), Baby's eyes are making small movements behind closed lids, and s/he is practicing sucking.

I am very thankful that the last few days I seem to (maybe?) be turning a corner with the whole morning sickness thing. Heartburn's kicking in, but at least for now, that can be managed. I'm also thankful that I am wanting to eat healthier foods again (notice the broccoli up there?). I am starting to have a lot more energy and am even going to attempt to go grocery shopping and clean the house today. I was SO happy that I had enough energy to actually play with Zooey and do some crafts and things with her for about an hour or so the other day, whereas I've usually been too wiped out after her nap to do much but rest and read to her. I could tell she was happy, too, and then she played by herself for a good amount of time while I made dinner. Now, I just need to try to muster some energy to start exercising again. :)

A cute story this week: I told Zooey that Baby can hear now. Here's the conversation:
Me: "Tell Baby 'hi'."
Z: "Hi Baby!" (right up to my tummy)
Me: "Say, 'love you, Baby.'"
Z: "Love you, Baby. BABY, OBEY NO DISOBEY!" For this, she wagged her finger at my belly. So funny!

16 weeks, Baby #2

16 weeks, Zooey