Announcing Our Bouncing Baby Boy!
















Here's the latest pictures from my ultrasound on Tuesday (1/9). We just found out that we're having a baby BOY. He doesn't have a name yet, but we call him by his nickname, "peanut".

Everyone seemed to guess it was a boy. At the beginning of my pregnancy, I guessed it was a girl, but the further along I became the more I started to feel it was a boy. Both our families guessed it was a boy too.

When the ultrasound tech announced we were having a boy, I had never seen Jeff so happy in my life. He was in tears b/c he really hoped for a boy. Honestly, we really didn't care if we were having a boy or a girl we just wanted a healthy baby.

I'm feeling great these days; trying to eat healthy and exercise as much as I can tolerate. The doctor did mention that my placenta was low-lying, but it was common for someone in their second trimester. It will move, but we don't want it to move over my cervix b/c that will cause problems. According to the Baby Center website, that only 10 percent of women who have a low-lying placenta in their second trimester will have a low-lying placenta in their third trimester. I was happy to read that.

I can finally feel the baby move. It's really cool! I don't have the fluttering that everyone seems to explain, but it's a kick or a punch in my lower abdomen. When we were having the ultrasound, "peanut" wouldn't hold still to have his picture taken. He was moving all over the place. You can tell he's related to Jeff...hyper!

Here's are some pictures of the baby waving at the camera and pictures of his foot.

On the day of the ultrasound, the office was testing out a new 4-D software, so we got some really cool shots. The baby looks a little spooky only b/c he doesn't have any body fat on him.

Here's what is happening with the baby this week:

How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. She's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom, and about 10 inches from head to heel. (For the first 20 weeks, we use measurements taken from the top of the baby's head to her bottom — known as the "crown to rump" measurement. After that, we use measurements from head to toe. This is because a baby's legs are curled up against her torso during the first half of pregnancy and are very hard to measure.)A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats her entire body to protect her skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. (This slick coating also eases the journey down the birth canal.)Your baby is swallowing more, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky substance that's the result of cell loss, digestive secretion, and swallowed amniotic fluid. This meconium will accumulate in her bowels, and you'll see it in her first messy diaper (although a few babies pass it in utero or during delivery).

19 Weeks Pregnant

I've been so bad at blogging my pregnancy, but I have been journaling in my "Pregnant Journal Book". I try to write down how I'm feeling, my weight, moods, cravings, and what's new with Jeff and I. This week I can definitely feel the baby moving around. It's a relief b/c before I was always wondering how the baby was doing. At least this time I didn't have to go to the doctor's office to find out everything is going great. This Tuesday is a big day for Jeff and I. We have a doctor's appointment and we're having our big ultrasound - we can find out the sex of our baby! We're really excited about it. Jeff and I have been thinking about and even dreaming about it. We both think it's a boy, so we'll be in shock if it's a girl. I don't care what I'm having as long as the baby is healthy. Right now, Jeff and I are having a hard time coming up with names. We both really like the name Cole Michael, but everyone in the family hates it. Really...why should we care, we both really like it. I also really like Christian Michael too. Jeff was on the fence about that name. As for a girl's name, I really like Autumn, but Jeff said someone on his father's side named their kid the same name. I was really upset b/c I really like the name. I don't have any other names for a girl picked out. I need to get a baby book of names, so we can come to an agreement. It will make it easier when we know what we're having...I cannot wait!!!

Tomorrow, I start my last semester of school. I'm taking two online classes. My family thinks I'm nutz for taking two classes while I'm pregnant, but I figured out that I couldn't wait to take a class in Spring b/c I would be giving birth before the class finished and I didn't want that hanging over my head. It would have been too stressful. I rather go through the 11 weeks of heck and be done with it. I'll be finished March 22!!!! Yahoo!!!

Here's what happening with the baby this week:

Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces, and he measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the length of a small zucchini. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine, and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. This is a crucial time for sensory development: Your baby's brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. If your baby is a girl, she has an astonishing six million eggs in her ovaries. They'll dwindle to fewer than two million by the time she's born.