Pudgy fingers ~ September 29th

So yesterday I went for a walk - a long walk - by the end of it - my fingers we so swollen I could barely bend them! If you had paid me $100 to make a fist you would have been able to keep your money! I know it was a combination of the humidity and the fact I don't hold my hands up above my head when I walk but still - uh! After a cool shower and laying down with my feet elevated and my hands on my head for 25 minutes I had normal sized fingers again!

Nothing new to report as of today....baby movements every so often - Saturday night I could feel the baby - high up on the right side of my belly, just in front of my ribs - all of a sudden I had this unusually hard lump there - slowly it must have moved back to the "middle" of my belly as the lump I could feel was gone and I felt some movement. At times lately I've felt huge...however, talking with other mom's they laugh and I've heard stats of 45, 65 and 75 lbs gained...right now I'm at 20 lbs - the few that have laughed at my weight gain so far have said just wait! Uh!!! I'm just glad the hot, humid weather is on the way out....cooler air will make this weight gain a bit easier to deal with.

Updated belly shot....

The Face of Skeletor – a bit scary…but SO CUTE – 19 weeks ~ September 24th

Ok – start with the easy stuff, stats….my measurements put me right at 19 weeks today – due date – February 18th…changed by a day oh well, everyone knows that it’s just an estimate anyway! Heart beat 144, weight 9 oz (just over a half a pound), approximate length 7 inches – in addition we saw the kidneys, the heart, the spine, the bladder (FULL), the femur and lots of other things – SO COOL!!! Two arms (moving A LOT!) and two legs, all curled up….we still don’t know what it is so don’t ask and even when we do - we are not telling! OH - we also got to see the umbilical cord in a few different views – the tech did a second view of the cord where we could see the blood flow, it was like when they show the water temperatures on the Doppler for the weather…everything was grey/black/white then the blood was red/yellow…that was neat. Chris said they way they did all the measurements (of the skull, femur, etc) was like AutoCAD – point to point and then adjusting the circle.

When we started the ultra sound the baby was on my right side – head down toward my toes, arms flailing everywhere but mostly up around its face – by the time the tech had done all the measurements the baby had moved to be horizontal across my belly face down – hiding! We have a few good shots but the tech had to “chase” the baby around my stomach to get them – so funny! Here are just a few of the pictures she took…we have the face (the first picture below - looking right at you) the tech said the Skeletor look was a common one (kind of scary!), one of the baby laying on it’s back, arm up toward the face (round ball is the hand), then the final position it settled into – face down, curling up – legs tucked up underneath and arms right up around the face. Enjoy!

September 22 ~ Musings for a Monday

So Chris got to go the Ryder Cup - arriving home at midnight on Friday he tried to show me the present for the baby he bought - our baby's first autographed copy of a book...The ABC's of Golf -



Friday I started using the Baby Plus monitor ...
other than just sounding like a drum and Chris saying the sound puts him to sleep, I think it might have stirred the baby. Sunday morning I think Teddy was moving around...it was a different sensation than I have ever had and it has occurred a few times since....asking all our friends who have been pregnant what it feels like when the baby first moves - I've had descriptions of it feeling like when you ride a roller coaster, having your stomach stirred with a big spoon and then just a movement sensation...this one was more like...hmmm....waves...it was interesting....


Sunday we went to Umstead - my old running grounds....my goal was to walk the 6 miles I used to run - I thought 'ah - it won't take me too long' - yeah right! I ended up only doing about 2-2 1/2 miles....I tried running and wow! My balance is going...not noticeable when I'm walking but running - I felt like I was so dizzy and running on unstable ground (not to mention having to go to the bathroom as soon as I got out of sight of the car!) I guess from this point forward it's the stationary bike and walking and running will be limited to the treadmill. It felt so great to be outside in the fresh air....

Cravings...my first BIG one - like can't live without type (I might need to buy stock in this product!)...cinnamon buns....I saw a commercial the other night and thought I was going to eat the TV....I swear I could eat them for every meal right now...not sure if it's the cinnamon or the icing - all I know is that they taste good! I'm guessing all the fruit and healthy food that I eat will balance out the sugar - right? Hopefully I'll still like them after the baby's here...right now the thought of Mexican food repulses me...and that was one of my favorites before pregnancy.....

Just found out I have a 'care package' coming from my aunt...more pregnancy clothes!!! These coming after she loaded me down with some great dresses, a sweater that I've already adopted as a second skin and some great gift cards!!! Everyone is telling me that after the baby is here and I fit into all my regular clothes again I will want to burn all my maternity wear...that might be the case but I'm telling you - I have this one pair of Capri khaki pants with the belly panel that I'm saving for future Thanksgivings - they are so comfortable!! Oh-so-pretty I know...but at this point and going forward, as long as it's comfortable and Chris doesn't make too funny a face at me when I ask him if it looks OK - I'm wearing it!

18 Weeks ~ September 18, 2008

Whew! Traveling used to take a lot out of me and now, being pregnant, traveling this weekend took ALL my energy and I didn't even realize how tired I was until I laid down Monday night to go to bed. I hope by tomorrow morning I might actually be able to get up with out hitting snooze a bunch of times. The Samoset was as beautiful as ever - despite the fog & rain on Sunday for the tournament....


Spending the weekend with my family was great - so many pretty smiling faces! (well almost all were smiling - nice face Rachelle!) It was the first time my parents got to see me "rounded" - Dad thought it was funny!




I got lots of great baby advice, got some great hand-me-down maternity clothes (THANKS DORI!!!!) heard lots of great baby stories - got suggestions for baby names - being we were there honoring Papa - Uncle Chip had to point out that if the baby is boy the PERFECT name would be Albert. Why you might ask? Because of course it's his name but more importanly because it gives the baby the chance to have TWO nick names - Al or Bert. Needless to say I'm not sure if that name will be making the list - sorry Uncle Chip!

All weighed in their opinion on what the baby was going to be...the majority going with girl...with only Uncle Scott saying that it was going to be a boy...we shall see...

It was wonderful to meet Lauren Blair who is also pregnant - we spent the day roaming around Camden with the majority of the time browsing the children's section my favorite bookstore there. Her story is similar to mine and it was nice to talk about everything we've been through - so much is the same but then so much is different. She's about 3 weeks ahead of me (and about 10 lbs behind me!) and again I'm amazed at how everyone's body deals with pregnancy differently. (here's our belly comparision - me in black, Lauren in white)


And it seems that at every Grenert get-to-gether there is a new(er) arrival - with gosh, what are we up to 24 grandkids (10 of us there)- spread out from 33 years to 4 months and then there are already 2 great grand kids...lots of babies! This year Jake was in the stroller - he showed me how much he has already learned...(I'm sure this skill came from his older sisters - mom & dad are so proud!)


That's about it for now...my next appointment is on the 24th...until then~

17 weeks ~ September 11th, 2008

So we went to the "every four week" appointment this morning - it took all of about 15 mintues once we were back through the door. My blood pressure is back down to my normal readings which is great - that awful driver I was following to the last appointment must have made my blood boil! My belly is measuring right on track for week 17 which made me feel better about my ever growing midsection. About the only fun thing at today's appointment was hearing Teddy's heartbeat - it is still pumping right along - so cool to hear!!! According to the weekly email I get -

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

Short run & first tailgate ~ September 8th, 2008

So Chris went with me for a run yesterday - well more like a walk with a few short jogs every so often...my old route for my weekend "short runs" felt like it might as well have been a 1/2 marathon when it was only 4.5 miles! Sore legs and an even more sore bladder - yikes! I have to say it felt good though to be out in the fresh air - humid as it was.





Had a football game this weekend - first tailgate experience for Teddy (we figured if Nana could handle it - Teddy could too!) They opened the game with a jet fly by - needless to say if Teddy isn't hearing anything from the outside world yet - that was the first alarm clock of his/her life! My whole stomach vibrated when they flew over!!! Note to self - bring toilet seat covers and more handiwipes for the next game - port-a-johns are oh so much fun - espeically trying to navigate with the extra pounds that I've accumulated thus far!

The end of normal exercise as I know it ~ September 4, 2008

Well, the doctor said I needed to stop doing bike rides at 16 weeks and he was right on! Sunday we went for a quick 8 miler and it was good, couldn't keep up with Chris but that's normal - Monday on the other hand - yikes! My hips have adjusted themselves just enough - and I could feel it on Sunday just not as bad - that I have to sit different on my bike seat which makes it so I don't really have full power in my legs when I peddle. Monday's ride - I was always at least 1/4 to a 1/2 mile behind Chris and after 10 miles - yep - the bike is being retired for a few months.

I have till week 20 to stop Pilate's and modification is the word right now. Instead of roll-ups I do 1/2 roll downs and the best part (yeah Mitzi this is for you!) I don't have to do tree anymore! YEAH!!! Well I still have to do some of it - just not climbing down which was the part I hated anyway! YEAH! Chalk that pregnancy perk right up there with the great parking spots that Chris likes! Yoga will start mid October until then it's Pilate's - just modified.

Other than definitely having a belly that shows now, the only other symptom I'm dealing with is a bad case of Achilles Tendinitis - in both heels. I've never really gotten calf cramps either and those have also popped up here and there at weird times. Newly acquired skill set - I'm re-learning how to bend over and pick up things while I'm seated. With these newly added inches on my waist - reaching for something on the floor in the car the other day I got stuck about half way down - all of a sudden I just couldn't go any further - so confusing! My stomach also fills up a lot quicker now than just last week - I guess everything down that way is being rearranged. Amazing how your body just knows what to do -