Never Look Back!

7 weeks

21 weeks
Bye Bye nice flat stomach!!

21 Weeks

This pretty much sums up this week. Brody is definitely growing like a weed, remind you he is measuring ahead and EVERYONE has let me know about it. Let me just say I have 135 very opinionated students as well as others who will remain nameless! I love the chubby and tubby comments, they are my absolute FAVORITE! Or lay off the candy that’s a great one too…um it’s Halloween give me a break, wait til you see me at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hey dad, where’s that feed bag you said you were going to get me at the beginning of this pregnancy? I am at the point where I can’t each much at one sitting so I have to eat more often. I try to take it all the comments with a grain of salt but at the end of the week it’s like, geez…I know already!
We had a lot of fun over the past week registering at Babies R Us and Target. My sister-in-law Marcy went with us to Babies R Us because I think of her as the pro with all the gadgets that come along with a baby and she definitely came in handy! Thanks Marcy. Brody is ready for Santa to come visit this year ;)

At my last doc appt last week I had the doc retest my thyroid b/c I thought it was out of wack again. I've been running very low on energy and just not feeling myself. Sure enough it was too low and they had to adjust my meds. On Friday night B went out and I stayed home. I went to bed at 7:30 pm and slept until 9:45 am...don't think 14 1/2 hours of sleep is normal but hey I got up and cleaned my whole house so it did the body good!! I've never slept that long in my life!!!! Shots are getting better or as good as can be expected in the stomach! I’m still having the BH contractions but they aren’t as strong as a few weeks ago. As long as I drink a jug of water and get off my feet they seem to go away pretty quickly. I’m also having extreme stretching pains in my rib area. I literally feel like my muscles are being torn out of my body…is that normal? I’m sure they are ligaments being pulled…ouchie

Brody is a very active little guy…some nights I have to tell him to go to bed because he’s in there rolling around. My bladder is definitely his favorite squeeze toy. He kicks quite often and they are getting stronger and stronger. The most amazing thing is that we already of this incredible bond. Anytime I wonder if he’s ok in there he will kick me just for reassurance…it’s like he can read my mind

Here’s this weeks development: Your beautiful little miracle-gro baby will be putting on a full ounce and a half this week (and weighing up to 16.5 ounces), but that’s just the beginning! Within the next five weeks, they’ll really be packin’ it on! For now, we’re pleased to report the addition of rapid eye movement (REM) a key component to any healthy baby’s sleep schedule. While in the dermatology department: their thin soft skin is very red, rather translucent, and a bit wrinkled. Not to worry, it’s not a premature aging disease. It's just their clever little body setting them up with extra space that will smooth out once your little one starts packing on the baby-fat. That won’t be for a few more weeks, though. So for the time being, your munchkin is still a little lean mean growing machine! The beginnings of what is commonly called “brown fat” is just starting to fill in to help your baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as they’re not yet capable of regulating their own body Your baby's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the baby. Your baby's different organs and systems are maturing. The fetal digestive system is functioning in a simple way and your baby can swallow amniotic fluid. After your baby swallows the amniotic fluid, she is able to absorb water and sugars from the fluid and then the waste is passed as far as the large bowel. Your baby swallows the amniotic fluid in order to prepare itself for life outside of the womb. Some babies consume as much as 17 ounces of amniotic fluid in a 24-hour period. Your baby already has a high number of red blood cells and the white blood cells are beginning to be produced. Taste buds are being formed on your baby's tongue this week also.

20 Weeks

21 Weeks

Til next time,

LeAnn

20 Week Ultrasound

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound and checkup. Everything went perfect. Baby M is getting so big and is actually measuring way ahead. He is still a boy, the tech's words were that he is definitely a boy! His head is measuring 2 weeks ahead and the rest of his body measurements are measuring on average 7-10 days ahead...my little booger is already getting too big. The doc said we will just keep our eye on it and not change any due dates as of yet.

I have a video from today but its on VHS so I have to find a burner to convert to dvd and then download onto my computer. I also have 3 new pics of Brody but I'm too tired to pull out the scanner and hook it up. I'll do it this weekend and add it to my 21 week update.

We go back to the doc on November 17th for another ultrasound and checkup to see how the growth is going.

Have a great week,
LeAnn

20 Weeks - Halfway there

Although I considered last week my halfway point because I'm going to be induced early this is officially the halfway point, 20 weeks! I can't believe I'm halfway there...seems like just yesterday we found out we were expecting.

Brody has been very busy today, kicking and punching my insides and I'm loving every minute of it. Sometimes you can even see the kicks from the outside and it's so strange! He's definitely been getting into a routine. He's up around 7:30 am to about 9:00 and then I think my students annoy him and he sleeps pretty much the entire day unti about 4:00. This is his most active time. He will play for about 2 hours and then call it quits until about 9pm where he plays a little more while I'm getting ready for bed. Today he's been up all day!

My contractions have tapered off. I had 2-3 on Friday night and only one last night. They are also not nearly as strong as they were earlier this week.

Tomorrow we go back to the doctor for our 20 week check-up and ultrasound scan where they will be measuring everything on the baby. I'll update with pictures and hopefully a video! I'm also getting my first flu shot tomorrow...I've never had one even though I've gotten the flu every year for the past 5 years...so here's to hoping I won't get the flu this year!

Here's Brody's growth this week:
Congratulations! This week marks the half way point of your pregnancy. It has been 18weeks since the date of conception and your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4inches. The fetus weighs about 9 ounces and your belly definitely has an obvious bulge. Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Your baby's sebaceous glands secrete a waxy substance called vernix caseosa. Your baby will be born with this wax and it will look like paste. The vernix caseosa is crucial because it protects the fetus' fragile skin from the continuous immersion in amniotic fluid. Lanugo hairs secure the vernix caseosa in place and it is thick around the eyebrows. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

Til tomorrow,
LeAnn

SURPRISE!!

IT’S A BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brody Eric McCollough

Yup, we found out today that we are having a boy! We also decided a few weeks ago that we were changing the baby’s name. I wasn’t feeling the love of Adam, this baby just didn’t seem to fit with an Adam. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster today and very overwhelming!! Where to begin…well over the past couple of days my back's been killing me. I figured it was just something that comes along with pregnancy and didn’t think much about it. Well I’ve also been having these episodes of my stomach getting hard as a rock for a minute or two and then relaxing. Being the first time mom that I am I honestly thought it was the baby stretching in there and even had Brandon come and feel it. Well yesterday it was so strong and uncomfortable that it stopped me in my tracks and I began to question what exactly it was. I started thinking that it couldn’t be the baby stretching because the baby was no way that strong or big to be doing this to me. So I called and texted some moms that I turn to and asked if it was normal or not. They said it was Braxton Hicks contractions. This morning I woke up and went to work like normal and decided to call my doc to make sure it was ok I was having Braxton Hicks this early in the morning. My back started to really spasm in one area and was killing me! It was so strong that at times I couldn’t walk very well. I was also having the contractions as well. So when the nurse called and I explained what was going on she wanted me to drink 32 oz of water in one hour and to put my feet up for a hour or two and see if that helped. Well of course I can’t lay down at work so I had to head home to get off my feet. When the nurse called back to check on me I was stilling having the back spasms and contractions so she wanted me to come in and get checked. So off B and I went to the doctor’s office. We heard the heartbeat, 150’s , and she checked my urine for UTI or blood but all looked clear. So when Dr. B came in she started poking and proding around. When she hit my back it was very tender meaning my kidney is tender. She also checked my cervix because she said I was having contractions but thank goodness Mr. C was tightly closed and very hard! Long story short she said there could be a couple things going on. I could have a kidney stone that’s causing the pain and in turn irritating my uterus. I could have pulled a muscle that’s making my kidney tender and just needs to heal. But I am having Braxton Hicks and she isn’t sure why. She said it’s uncommon to have them this early in a first pregnancy and she wants to call her high risk OB that she works with and see if I should be put on progesterone to help pre-term labor. I have to take it easy and drink plenty of fluids and keep my bladder empty. We will re-evaluate on Monday when I go back in on what’s going on. So since we’ve already been through so much with this pregnancy and it always seems that something is going on with us she said we deserved to see our little baby and she wanted to go and play around and see if we could find out the gender.

Let me just tell you this little guy is a busy b in there! He would not stop moving. He was kicking up a storm but kept still 3 times in order for us to see the goods!! He had his hand about his head again and has gotten so big! She could snap quick enough to get a picture of the parts but she said we probably will get pics on Monday for sure. He opened and closed his eyes, yawned and put his whole hand in his mouth! He definitely is a cutie.

B was grinning ear to ear. He’s such a proud daddy. We went and got these balloons, an arrangement for the moms and Marcy. Took it up to their work and their reactions were priceless.

Keep us in your prayers, these contractions I’m hoping are just something I will have to deal with and baby can stay in there and grow to term.


The baby is looking at us in the above picture. The darker circles are the eyes.
Profile with arm next to head

See what I mean....

Stupid shots...this was from last nights shot...it's only going to spread in width and darken in color over the next week. Not sure what's going on with these things but it's not looking pretty!

19 Weeks

Not much to report this week, we are just patiently waiting for next Monday to come along so that we can find out what this little booger is. Who, by the way, has been kicking the snot out of me all week long!! I've loved it.

But I am going to take a minute to complain about these little shots of mine. I've tried to be tough, not whine and cry about them but this last week has done me in and I want to be done with them!! They HURT like no other. Or at least this week they have, I don't know what I've been doing differently or if its just the fact that my skin is getting thinner along with my blood but ouchie...I'm also bleeding a little after each shot and I hate blood! It's getting harder and harder each day to pump myself up and give myself the shot. Usually I don't think about it and just do it as fast as I can but today I had a melt down and B had to pump me up and talk me through it. They've been hurting so much lately that I hate to do them now and inflict pain on my poor tummy that's already been through so much! So any suggestions on how to make these things easier?

My face has broken out this week with a little rash and I'm not sure if its the hormones or what but its very annoying, I'm with 13 year olds all day, I sure don't want to look like them! To date I've gained 9 lbs, yikes! I'm trying not to worry about it and the doc and books say I'm right on target but it's still hard to see that scale go higher and higher and go places its never been before.

Here's the baby's development this week:
Your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.2 to 6 inches this week. Your baby weighs approximately 7 ounces and will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and birth! She has started to swallow amniotic fluid, and her kidneys continue to make urine. Hair on the scalp is sprouting. Sensory development reaches its peak this week. The nerve cells serving each of the senses -- taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch -- are now developing in their specialised areas of the brain. Nerve cell production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections. If you're carrying a baby girl, she already has roughly six million eggs in her ovaries. By the time she's born, she'll have about one million. You may have felt the kicking and somersaulting of your growing baby. At times, you might find that she is so mobile that you can't sleep. The next ten weeks or so will be your baby's busiest and most active time, until the womb gets too crowded.Your baby's ears stand out from the sides of the head and the buds for your baby's permanent teeth appear. Your baby's arms and legs have reached their relative proportions and his feet are approximately one inch long.

I have a great husband that pick up some flowers for me this week! Love you babe!


19 weeks

Today is also Poppy's birthday! I'm so lucky to have him in my life...Happy Birthday Poppy

And did y'all see those Longhorns? Yea baby!!! It was a great game

Only 8 more days...make sure you've submitted your vote

Have a great week
LeAnn

This Child Is CRAZY!!

I'm waiting until the buses clear out so that I can leave to go to GT training, just typing it makes my back ache! But wanted to share with everyone that this kiddo inside of me is crazy. Tuesday I could not keep him/her still. All day long he/she was in there kicking/punching/swimming/moving away! I was sitting at my desk just laughing away at this little jumping jack. I literally had to tell it to go to bed at 10pm because he/she was still going crazy.

Apparently I'm getting bigger as well because EVERYONE from co-workers to students were telling me how I popped overnight and that I'm getting bigger today. Not sure if it's the baby or the McD's I've been eating in the mornings :) I figured I wasn't gaining any weight so I should treat myself to my fav b/c I'm starving in the mornings...until the sweet lady today at lunch said "You know it can take up to 2 weeks to show your weight" Great! So each morning I'm on the scale saying sweet! I can get McD's only to find out it's gonna catch up to me in 2 weeks :( oh well the baby has been VERY happy with my selection each morning :)

Almost Friday and I have a 3 day weekend!!! :)
LeAnn

18 Weeks

Nothing much to report this week. B and I continue to be busy and he is subbing more and more. I love when he subs at my school because of the quality time we get to have on the way to and from work. My shots are going, they are getting a little harder to do only because there is more pain involved and bruising but I think that's because the area is getting good and thinned out and getting tired of being stuck everyday. Luckily, the pain only last a few minutes or so and then I'm over it. I've been feeling the baby more and more this week. Yesterday was the first time I could feel the baby during the day and it's an amazing feeling. I can definitely tell he/she is getting bigger and stronger.

Here's this weeks development:
By week 18 of your pregnancy, your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5 to 5.5 inches long. Your baby continues to develop fat layers and weighs about 5.25 ounces. Your baby will continue to grow and develop, but the rapid growth will slow down for a little while. There is still space available in your uterus and your baby will be active for periods at a time. Your baby may sit cross legged or turn somersaults. Around this time, your baby becomes more sensitive to the outside world and shows her presence through powerful kicks and prods. The bones through which sound is passed to the inner ear have hardened and the parts of the brain that receives and processes nerve signals from the ears are developing. This means that your baby can hear now. Your baby will get used to familiar sounds, such as your heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds. Your baby will become startled if he hears a loud sound.



Only 2 more weeks until we find out gender, I'm getting anxious!
Have a great week!
LeAnn