22 Weeks
Michaiah's closet is already filling up thanks to my sister and coworker!
Thank you sooooo much Michelle & Megan!!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
22 Weeks...
At 11 - 12 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, she is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. Her liver, with some help from Mom, is starting to break down bilirubin, a substance produced by red blood cells.
She is also kicking a lot more nowadays and I think she is starting to get into a routine although still sleeping between 12-14 hours a day. I usually feel her kicking around 5am, 11am, 8pm and then right before I fall asleep. It's really a weird feeling and hard to describe to someone who has never experienced it...but at the same time I love it. I can't wait to meet her!!
She is also kicking a lot more nowadays and I think she is starting to get into a routine although still sleeping between 12-14 hours a day. I usually feel her kicking around 5am, 11am, 8pm and then right before I fall asleep. It's really a weird feeling and hard to describe to someone who has never experienced it...but at the same time I love it. I can't wait to meet her!!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Milestone weekend...
Well this weekend was a big one as we hit a few milestones. The first being that we purchased our crib set. We headed out early Saturday morning for breakfast with Mom and then off to pick out the crib. We picked out a beautiful crib in the dark espresso color (not the color shown below) and a dresser to match.
My grandfather actually bought this for us as a gift and we are so thankful to him. We absolutely love it! The best part is that the crib turns into a toddler bed and then into a full size bed.
Mom also bought Michaiah a stuffed monkey that goes along with our nursery theme. It is so adorable. Michael was posing with the monkey in the backpack carrier. We're definitely going to get one of these.
Next milestone...
On Sunday night we were sitting there watching Glee and all of a sudden I felt her move. I don't know if it was the music from Glee that she was dancing to or if it was her daddy's voice but she was jumping all around. I told Michael to put his hand on my tummy and she started kicking like crazy and amazingly enough, he could actually feel the tiny little kicks. I think he must have felt at least 10 kicks in just a few moments.
Up until that point I never could really feel anything and I thought it was because I never slowed down enough to actually feel the kicks so Sunday night I just decided to sit down and watch Glee and there she was. It was truly an amazing experience and one we will never forget. By the way, if you've never seen Glee, I highly suggest you rent the first season. It is such a great series and the music & singing makes it that much better.
Anyway, it was such a great experience to share together and one that we will never forget. We thank the Lord daily for His blessings and this little miracle...our baby girl.
My grandfather actually bought this for us as a gift and we are so thankful to him. We absolutely love it! The best part is that the crib turns into a toddler bed and then into a full size bed.
Mom also bought Michaiah a stuffed monkey that goes along with our nursery theme. It is so adorable. Michael was posing with the monkey in the backpack carrier. We're definitely going to get one of these.
Next milestone...
On Sunday night we were sitting there watching Glee and all of a sudden I felt her move. I don't know if it was the music from Glee that she was dancing to or if it was her daddy's voice but she was jumping all around. I told Michael to put his hand on my tummy and she started kicking like crazy and amazingly enough, he could actually feel the tiny little kicks. I think he must have felt at least 10 kicks in just a few moments.
Up until that point I never could really feel anything and I thought it was because I never slowed down enough to actually feel the kicks so Sunday night I just decided to sit down and watch Glee and there she was. It was truly an amazing experience and one we will never forget. By the way, if you've never seen Glee, I highly suggest you rent the first season. It is such a great series and the music & singing makes it that much better.
Anyway, it was such a great experience to share together and one that we will never forget. We thank the Lord daily for His blessings and this little miracle...our baby girl.
21 Weeks...
Michaiah is halfway to her birth size, measuring an amazing 9 or 10 inches long and growing fast. She is now the length of a carrot. From this point onwards she'll focus on gaining weight rather than growing in length. She'll double in length but weight-wise there will be about a 12-fold increase. There is a slowdown in growth but different organ systems within her are maturing. Essential nutrients are passed to the baby from the amniotic fluid. Up until this point, her liver and spleen have produced nearly all of her blood cells. The liver will keep doing that until after her birth, and now her bone marrow's getting up to speed, churning out red blood cells as well.
Her brain is growing as fast as the rest of her, and it will keep growing rapidly for several more years. As her senses develop, she's becoming increasingly aware of my eating and sleeping habits and of light and noise levels outside my body.
Her brain is growing as fast as the rest of her, and it will keep growing rapidly for several more years. As her senses develop, she's becoming increasingly aware of my eating and sleeping habits and of light and noise levels outside my body.
21 Weeks
Monday, May 17, 2010
Michael's Gardening
Well, I must say that Michael did a fabulous job on our flower garden and our vegetable garden this year. Our vegetable garden was definitely taken to the next level this year. Last year we planted a few veggies (habaneros, jalapenos, sage, bell peppers and cilantro), but this year we've got a few different types of tomatoes, a variety of peppers, more cilantro, basil, green beans, zucchini, sage, cilantro & rosemary. I can't wait until they are ready to eat! Yummm.......
Veggie Garden
Flowers
Rose Garden
(did I mention that we've got over 150 rose bushes!)
This is where we get to sit and enjoy our garden.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
20 Weeks...Halfway There
Woohoo! I'm already halfway there and I can't believe it. We'd better start working on getting her room ready because it will be here before I know it! Here's a sneak peak of what the baby's room will look like.
So this week Michaiah is around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel - the length of a banana. She's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. Supposedly she's moving around quite a lot at this stage but unfortunately I have yet to feel her. Hopefully soon I'll be able to but then I'm sure come month 8 or 9 I'll be begging her to stop kicking me in the ribs!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
It's A Girl...Michaiah Eliana Stephens
Michaiah (pronounced mik-ay-ah) Eliana was brought into full view this morning. We are so blessed to even be given the opportunity to bring a life into this world. Now we just pray that the Lord will continue to bless us with a healthy baby girl. She had the hiccups this morning during her photo shoot which was really cute. She wasn't moving around too much though as she was probably tired from mommy's workout this morning! It was absolutely amazing to see the chambers of her heart working and her kidneys as well. We got to see her swallowing too. They estimate that she is 11 ounces...almost 1 lb!
So, what's she up to this week? Her sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. She is also able to hear me so I'd better get my voice ready to start some singing! She's about the size of an heirloom tomato and her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid. The vernix and amniotic fluid are responsible for that positively intoxicating baby smell.
Her Foot
So, what's she up to this week? Her sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. She is also able to hear me so I'd better get my voice ready to start some singing! She's about the size of an heirloom tomato and her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid. The vernix and amniotic fluid are responsible for that positively intoxicating baby smell.
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