26 weeks pregnant: Ocak 2013

3 Ocak 2013 Perşembe

26 Weeks Pregnant - Painting Baby's Room!

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We thought very carefully on what color we wanted our Baby Girl's Room to be, and after long deliberation, actually my wife Nikki just decided for us :), we went with "Violet Eclipse." Nikki loves purple and this is me painting it on:

Baby Girl - Pregnancy - Nesting - Painting Baby's Room

My wife is now 26 weeks pregnant today. My baby girl is now 14 inches long, as big as a English hothouse cucumber! She now weighs 1-2/3 pounds she is really starting to make my wife's belly move when she moves! The nerves in her ear have grown to be more intricate now so they say she can hear conversations and she is getting used to the sound of our voices.

Also, her lungs are preparing for breathing by her actually inhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid into the developing air sacs in her lungs. She does this to practice and strengthen her chest muscles so when she emerges into the air she can take a gulp of air and continue through the rest of her life.

This week we're really starting the nesting process. I'm finishing painting the baby's room tonight and we will be starting a 6 week long Lamaze class in a couple weeks. Things are really coming along :) This week we've been busy reading and watching movies and I'd like to make a couple of recommendations to help with the process toward being a mother and father...

Recommended Movie:

This week we also watched a movie which I highly recommend! It's "In the Womb," a National Geographic Movie that uses revolutionary 3D and 4D scans to follow a birth from the moment of conception to the day the baby is born. It's so interesting and very educational for Mom and Dad to be.

Recommended Book for Dad:

My wife found a wonderful book which I'm reading, it's "The Expectant Father" - Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads to Be by Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash
It's a great read so far and has a lot of helpful insight for real dads to be during each stage of the pregnancy.

Sympathy Weight Update: Wow, finally lost a couple pounds, I'm now 205 lbs, my sympathy weight gained stands at 20 lbs so far! This is probably due to how much work around the house I've been doing. Maybe "Honey Do" lists aren't that bad...

Well that's all for now, next week my baby will be as big as a Head of Cauliflower, believe it or not!

See How My Baby's Growing at 26 Weeks

See What's Happening Inside the Fetus this Week

See how big my baby is getting week by week, now it's a English Hothouse Cucumber!

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Kyla's 21st Birthday!

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April 27, 2011! Even though Ben and I were busy with school and work and church, we still had some fabulous Birthday celebrations! I have this sewing machine, but no table to put it on. Ben bought me a table and chair for our extra room. Now I have a sewing table (HORRAY!!!).

Then, for dinner we went to Pita Pit. Small and simple Birthday, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Honor's Graduation!!!

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Ben has been working so hard at school. He is finishing up his last semester in his Senior year and moving onto a Concurrent Masters program next year. He has been in the Honor's program and has just completed it. For those of you who don't know what Honor's is...I'll explain a little. It's pretty much doing extra work in about 1 class a semester. This not only gives Ben more experience in the classes he is working on, but also helps him create relationships with the Professors and expand his horizons.

Mechanical Engineering is already a really time consuming and difficult program at Utah State, but doing Honors on top of that adds a lot of pressure. The people in the Honor's office were surprised to see that Ben was still in Honors at this point. They said they couldn't remember another Mechanical Engineering student who had not dropped out of Honors by their Junior year. So...not only is doing Honors a difficult thing, but it is almost impossible in the Mechanical Engineering program to graduate with Honors. Ben has stuck to it and really done a great job.

Last week (Wednesday April 18th) was Honors graduation. This was a night to honor those all those at the University who graduated or will be graduating with Honors from Fall 2011-Summer 2012. They had a really yummy dinner, a slide show presentation highlighting the accomplishments of each Honor student, and awards.

Here are some pictures from the evening:

Ben is WAAAAAAAAYYYY in the back. (Sometimes he forgets he's a little bit shorter than his older brother Joe. Haha)

One of the ladies who works in Honors even remembered that we were having a baby boy in June. She gave us a special gift of a little newborn onesie. This shirt has a little bit of a background story. Utah State has some game day shirts that say "We are HURD" In the "U" the is the word "State" for Utah State. The Honors department decided to make a little spoof off of these shirts for their students. These shirts say "We are NURD" This little onsie says "NURD in training" haha! We love it!

Here is Ben with his Honors Diploma and his medal that he gets to wear when he walks for graduation.

Way to go Ben!!!! I am so proud of all the hard work you are always doing! Way to stick through the program and graduate as one of the only Mechanical Engineering students to graduate with Honors from Utah State!

28 weeks pregnant

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Isn't this a fun silhouette? I love how a toddler pot belly + outie belly button looks so much like a pregnant belly. After Inga climbed up on a stool next to me, all the kids wanted to get their belly profiles taken. Soon we had three naked kids running around in our bedroom posing in front of the camera!

My crazy growth spurt has slowed down...I'm measuring about the same fundal height as 3 weeks ago (around 31 cms), so I don't think there are twins! At my last visit, my midwife a few large pockets of fluid. The baby was also floating way, way above the pelvis. We'll see how things look at the next visit and decide if I want to pursue an ultrasound or just leave things be.

Because I was measuring ahead, she suggested I make sure my blood sugars were normal via either a GTT or a few days of checking fasting and postprandial blood sugars. I opted for the latter. They're low (82 fasting, 110 an hour after dinner), so we can rule out GD as a possible culprit.

I've been able to stay pretty active lately, going on walks, repainting several rooms, and hanging new light fixtures. We're starting our kitchen renovations this week: take out the old backsplash and install new mosaic tiles, repaint trim & walls, replace light fixtures, and buy a new oven. This last item was unplanned; our double wall oven just broke, and the part we need is no longer available. So we have to shell out mega bucks to buy a new one. (Hint: Sears Outlet is a fantastic place to shop for scratch & dent, floor model, and new-in-box discounted appliances.)
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What they don't tell you about Newborns

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What they don't tell U about Newborns?

Suck blisters from thumb sucking,
Baby girls can have periods in their pee,
Immature Reflex system and startle system seems like baby is having seizures,
U may be able to see their pulse in their soft spot(s),
If baby is overdue it's skin gets pickled in amniotic fluid & vernix coating which looks like huge dandruff flakes has to be removed with a washcloth for a week or so.
They can look cross-eyed sometimes because Vision isn't fully developed.
Hairy backs incl. Swollen genitals and baby breasts due to hormones in both genders,
Coughing up stuff like amniotic fluid few hrs after birth,
Overly long and weird shaped fingernails,
Babies can be born with Teeth,
Babies can pop a blood vessel in their eye due to pressure and tightness in birth canal,
The first poops are black and sticky like tar.
Uric crystals! they are an orangy pink substance that form in the diaper just after birth. It is amniotic fluid crystalizing in the kidneys and coming out in the urine and it is nothing to worry about,
Both boys and girls can have breast milk for the first couple days,
Some babies have "grunting baby syndrome". They think they need to push their bowel movements out so they're constantly straining and grunting, it lasts first 3 months,
Blocked tear duct in the eye for the first few days it can cause oozing eye, squirting some breast-milk into it and washing with a warm cloth towel helps,
If you breastfeed your baby will have poop free days. It can be normal up to 10 days for them not to poop,

IMPORTANT NOTES;
Fluid leftover in the lungs can lead to uneven breathing problems in newborns & eventually pneumonia, get that checked thoroughly!
The web all the way till the bottom of the tongue won't allow the baby to suck on anything, doc may need to check and cut if extra.
If the baby holds his/her breath, just gently blow into their face and they will take a gulp of air and start breathing again.
-If your baby lays on one side of their head too much, it can become flattened. Sometimes you have to prop their head with a pillow/blanket so it can be "rotated" and rounded back out. Happened with my first, her head became flat on one side.
-If baby wont burp, gently lay him/her down on their back (on your lap while holding them), and then lift them back up to your shoulder (in one swift motion) and try again, you can also gently bounce them on your knee.
Oh and another one...'I called the nurse and the bundled him up tightly and put him on my chest and moved his body up until his head was tucked right into my neck and chin area...voila,.....he didnt cry anymore! He was just used to being tight in the womb and having his head tucked in the birth canal.'

A ton of Chamomile in your diet to avoid acid reflux in babies,
No one told me that wiping with a warm wipe can stimulate their rear end and make them poop again... on the spot... in your hand...
Newborns don't need to be bathed every day, but be sure to take a wet wipe during diaper changes and wipe under their neck folds. They accumulate stuff there like crazy, and it can get all crusty and make their skin bleed from irritations.

The above are some scary notes and pointers collected from various websites and contributed mostly by moms on babycentre.

2 Ocak 2013 Çarşamba

20 Weeks Pregnant - IT'S A GIRL!

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Click Here to See the before and after of our Sex Determining Ultrasound on 11/22/2011!

That's right, it is a girl!!! We got the sex determining ultrasound a week and a half ago but I had to refrain from posting the results because we were waiting to tell our family and my mother has seen my blog. Hi mom, love you!

We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy that we are having a little baby girl. It was simply amazing seeing the sex determining ultrasound and how she was moving and even shaking her head at one point. It's hard to tell from this ultrasound picture (she looks a bit more like a creature than a baby here) but she looked absolutely beautiful and they showed us her growing limbs, fingers, bones, organs, brain, and they even zoomed in the heart beating with the four chambers clearly pumping away. The heartbeat was a little faster than normal, 168 beats per minute.

So, my wife is relieved. In her family they have all girls. She is the middle of 3. She has 2 cousins that are girls, and her sister had 2. In fact the last male in the family to be born was Bob and he's 50! On the other hand, I am one of 5 boys in my family so they are overjoyed to have another girl.

We told them with a riddle poem that has the answer of whether it was a boy or a girl hidden vertically in the first letter of each line. She's so creative!

Baby Gender Riddle
by Nikki

I know you’re all wondering what will it be?
Time & this riddle will tell, you’ll see!
So will it be a historical event, where the men will have joy-
As it is rare in this family to have a boy?
Growing baby, should we buy you dolls & pearls?
If only our family isn’t tired of so many girls!
Rejoice on tax day either way,
Let’s celebrate that a baby has seen its first day!

I showed the first letter's bold for display but if you're going to use this obviously don't make them bold and using a really fancy handwriting helps to mask the answer!

It was a great idea, this could be customized for anyone's family for a baby gender reveal idea and it was really fun for them to figure out, her family really likes puzzles too so it was more interesting than other ideas like cupcakes with colored frosting inside.

We have been thinking of names, but those are still secret for now. Let's just say we're thinking traditional names are making a comeback!

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Getting the Nursery Ready for our Baby Girl's Arrival

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In this video I show you our messy spare bedroom which will be transformed into a beautiful nursery for our new baby girl. She is our tax day baby, due on April 15, 2012! It is a mess! I have my work cut out for me as we try to clean it up, paint, and decorate it. I am somewhat of an artist, so I plan to paint a cool mural in there.

Do you have any good ideas for a Mural in my little girl's room?

I NEED YOUR SUGGESTIONS, please submit your idea in a comment to this post, and thanks :)

I was thinking rolling hills with fun trees, blue sky with puffy clouds and a smiling sun setting, with animals, birds, and sleeping moon with a nightcap in the distance faintly showing in the sky with the sparkling stars coming out. I thought since the sun is setting the black sky will start to show towards the upper part of the wall and that could continue onto the ceiling. It would be really cool with glow in the dark stars for decorations.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions
~Justin

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26 Weeks Pregnant - Painting Baby's Room!

Kyla's 21st Birthday!

Then, for dinner we went to Pita Pit. Small and simple Birthday, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Honor's Graduation!!!

Ben is WAAAAAAAAYYYY in the back. (Sometimes he forgets he's a little bit shorter than his older brother Joe. Haha)

1 Ocak 2013 Salı

What they don't tell you about Newborns

To contact us Click HERE
What they don't tell U about Newborns?

Suck blisters from thumb sucking,
Baby girls can have periods in their pee,
Immature Reflex system and startle system seems like baby is having seizures,
U may be able to see their pulse in their soft spot(s),
If baby is overdue it's skin gets pickled in amniotic fluid & vernix coating which looks like huge dandruff flakes has to be removed with a washcloth for a week or so.
They can look cross-eyed sometimes because Vision isn't fully developed.
Hairy backs incl. Swollen genitals and baby breasts due to hormones in both genders,
Coughing up stuff like amniotic fluid few hrs after birth,
Overly long and weird shaped fingernails,
Babies can be born with Teeth,
Babies can pop a blood vessel in their eye due to pressure and tightness in birth canal,
The first poops are black and sticky like tar.
Uric crystals! they are an orangy pink substance that form in the diaper just after birth. It is amniotic fluid crystalizing in the kidneys and coming out in the urine and it is nothing to worry about,
Both boys and girls can have breast milk for the first couple days,
Some babies have "grunting baby syndrome". They think they need to push their bowel movements out so they're constantly straining and grunting, it lasts first 3 months,
Blocked tear duct in the eye for the first few days it can cause oozing eye, squirting some breast-milk into it and washing with a warm cloth towel helps,
If you breastfeed your baby will have poop free days. It can be normal up to 10 days for them not to poop,

Doing big girl things!!

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Things are happening....the twins are doing new things each new day!!

Emily decided last week to eat solid foods. Today my arm was actually getting tired going back and forth between them in their high chairs. They are like little birds with their mouths wide open waiting for me to spoon it in.

Both girls tried sitting up in their swing this morning....like multiple times. I put Mandy in and walked into the living room, when I came back she was practically hanging out of the thing trying to sit up. Emily did the same thing. How do they do these things on the same day?

Emily pulling up to sit in her swing

The swing was taken down into the basement after that....no more of that.

This big girl is starting to sit by herself.

Look Ma!!! No one holding me!

Everyday she gets more stable, she still tends to tip foward and sideways alot but very soon.....today she was sitting by herself for short periods of time.

These sweet little girls will be 6 months old on Christmas Day!!

Twins are 6 months old

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The girls turned 6 months old on Christmas Day. It is easier than when they were newborns, but I also feel its a bit harder. Harder in the aspect because they want to be entertained, they are trying to sit, they are just developing and need help in getting toys they want and doing things. It is more exhausting....at least to me.

Mandy

There is one word I have to describe this girl. JOYFUL. She is just happy 99.9% of the time. She always has a big wide open grin on her face....no matter what. I carry her down the stairs after a nap and she has that goofy grin. She sees the back of Daddies head and she has that grin. I have told her "Mandy, you are such a dork". Dork is used very lovingly and I use it because she just always has this grin. I love it.

She is still between 16-17 pounds...since I weighed her a week ago. She is our awesome eater and awesome sleeper. She sucks down a 6 ounce bottle in min. She eats her whole tub of food. She sleeps all night....from 6-6. Once in a great while she gets up in the middle of the night to eat but more often than not she sleeps all night.

She is sitting, still needs some support but is doing well. She is also starting to really babble. We hear Da-Da among other things.

Emily

Emily.....Not even 12 lbs yet at 6 months old.   At least since I weighed her a week ago.   Still gets up twice a night to eat.   She has definitely gotten better at stretching her sleep, the other night she did a 6 hour stretch but last night, Sigh...She went to bed at 6:00, was up at 9:00, 11:30 and 4:00.   This is NOT normal.   She drank her whole bottle each time so I'm thinking 6 month growth spurt?     It darn well better be!!

She takes her time drinking her bottle....lah-de-da is her attitude towards drinking a bottle.   She eats some solid food but does not have the enthusiasm as her sister.

She is a smiley thing.   Not the wide open grin her sister does but an ear to ear grin.

When she cries we have heard her say "ma-ma". Now, I am sure she is not knowingly calling me, but we have heard it.

This week are the girls 6 month check up and all 3 girls are getting shots. This time I am bringing my Mom to help me.   All others times I have gone by myself but now that they are older I just feel like I need someone there to hold one....especially after shots.

Kyla's 21st Birthday!

Then, for dinner we went to Pita Pit. Small and simple Birthday, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Honor's Graduation!!!

Ben is WAAAAAAAAYYYY in the back. (Sometimes he forgets he's a little bit shorter than his older brother Joe. Haha)